Pre-K: Monet and Magnets
Welcome back, Pre-K! We missed all of you and we are so glad to be back together. It’s been a quick few days, so we will be continuing our "Mm" exploration next week as well.
Language and Literacy
Martine and I have noticed that many children in our class like to take a break by looking at books and often don’t want to lose their place once it’s time to put them away. Ask your children about the beautiful individual bookmarks they made that will now live in their work drawers for whenever they need them.
Math and Science
This week was all about magnets and coins! In addition to coin sorting, children built with blocks on the math table and then spread different-sized strips of paper on them before balancing coins on the paper. They experimented with how to keep the paper from falling from the weight of the coins by moving the blocks closer and farther apart, and supporting the paper with blocks underneath. They also used magnet clips to travel around our classroom and determine what items were magnetic.
The following includes some of what they found:
metal tray
metal name boards
pom pom jar lids
chair legs
metal spoon
pencil sharpener
name rock holder
sink
batteries
Art
We began an exploration of Monet and his water lily paintings this week and are working on a collaborative mixed-media painting that will be on display on our Pre-K bulletin board next week. Matisse, Mondrian and Modigliani are still to come!
Block Area, Dramatic Play and Discovery Table
Our block area was full of magnatiles, to which we added magnetic cars on Thursday. On Friday, we removed the cars, taped off a large rectangle and asked the children to use the magnatiles to make a mosaic, which they love. Our dramatic play was full of musical instruments, mirrors and metal spoons, and our discovery table contained moon sand, to which we gradually added astronauts, round moon-makers and “moon rocks.”
We are excited to continue "Mm" week! A few notes: your children have yet again filled our pom pom kindness jar and have voted on another pajama day. We would like to schedule it for a rainy/snowy day next week so that kids aren’t on the playground in their jammies. This does mean that it may be a bit impromptu as we keep an eye on the weather, so stay tuned. I’ll send out an email the night before once it’s certain. Finally, if it’s possible to pack water bottles for the children, we know that they would appreciate it.
Have a wonderful weekend, and we will see you on Monday!
Emily and Martine
Books this week included:
A Blue Butterfly
Hey, That's My Monster
The Magical Garden of Claude Monet
