Christmas!

Blog for the week of December 13 and 15

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!!

Winter is finally here! We are hoping to be able to go out and play in the snow if it warms up a bit, so get those boots, snow pants, hats and gloves ready!!

We are concentrating on Christmas for the last week and a half of preschool for the year 2016.

Today we had trees to decorate and jingle bells to play with on our tables in the morning. We chose a name out of a stocking before we planned to play. We made ornaments out of homemade dough and fished for candy canes in small and large group. On Thursday, we will paint with bows and wrap up some stars in yarn during table time. We will make "gingerbread" houses out of graham crackers and play some games with our jingle bells.

Jesus Time- This week we are listening to the story of Jesus' birth and practicing our part for the Christmas service this Sunday. Please sign up for a service if you have not yet done so. We will also have a practice this Saturday from 9-11 am. Please make every effort to be there. You can take care of some last minute shopping while they practice :).

Books for the week- All sorts of Christmas books! If your family has a favorite, you could share it if you'd like!

The children did pick names. They came home with a slip, just in case it gets lost, here are the names-

Sofia should get a gift for John Paul.

John Paul should get a gift for Grant.

Macy should get a gift for Anna.

Anna should get a gift for Jonah.

Noah should get a gift for Zoey.

Zoey should get a gift for Molly.

Molly should get a gift for Evan.

Brighan should get a gift for Macy.

Evan should get a gift for Brighan.

Brooklyn should get a gift for Sofia.

Jonah should get a gift for Brooklyn.

Grant should get a gift for Noah.

Good luck shopping! A small gift, no more than $5.

Have a blessed week!

Mrs. Schneck and Mrs. Dostal

Three year old preschool blog for the week of December 6th and 8th

Up, up and away!!
We are talking about and exploring with superheroes this week! We began the day playing with superhero lairs (thanks to Mrs. Dostal) and playing with superheroes in the clouds and making superhero puzzles. On Thursday, we'll play with kryptonite slime and make ourselves a cape.

We are talking about the sound and shape of Ss.

Some of the KDIs we are emphasizing this week are-

Cooperative play: Children engage in cooperative play- With all the superheroes available to them, our friends who never played superheroes before are giving it a try and making scenarios all their own!

Phonological awareness: Children identify distinct sounds in spoken language.- Like the letter Ss.

Gross-motor skills: Children demonstrate strength, flexibility, balance, and timing in using their large muscles.- We are using our big muscles to kick down cardboard blocks, throw paper wads at a sticky masking tape web and finding kryptonite rocks outside.

Jesus Time- This week we are learning about Mary finding out that she was going to be the mother of Jesus. She humbly accepted what the Lord said and followed His will. God give us to the strength and ability to do the tasks He has placed in our lives!!

Books of the Week- "Brave Irene" by William Steig, "The Amazing Spiderman: The Big Top Mystery" by Kraft, Severin and Norem.


Your children have been memorizing a speaking part and a song for the Christmas service. Please sign up for what service you would like to attend at the following link. I will also have a paper sign up at school if you would prefer. 

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c45afa72fa3fe3-christmas

We will also be drawing names on Thursday. Please bring the gift, $5 limit, to school on Tuesday, December 20th. 

See you Wednesday at the Outdoor Adventure Center at 10am! Should be fun!! 

Have a super week with your super kids!!
Mrs. Schneck and Mrs. Dostal

Blog for the week of November 29

Sorry about not having a blog post last week, but I will tie it in to this week's blog.

Hope our Thanksgivings were wonderful! We are talking about healthy eating this week, looking at the letter Ee and the sounds it makes, and reading about some very silly eaters.

Some of the KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

Healthy behavior: Children engage in healthy practices- We are learning about healthy eating and are always washing hands and using tissues as part of trying to stay healthy. We do have alot of illness going around this time of year.

Comprehension: Children understand language.- Not just the words at face value, but also irony and other word play common in our American English language. This week we read about a goat who was a terrible eater, for the goat that meant he liked fruits and vegetables, not the tin cans and newspapers his parents were trying to get him to eat. Language is fun to play with and leads to deeper understanding.

Classifying: Children classify materials, actions, people, and events- We are attempting to classify fruits and vegetables this week.

Jesus Time- We have the last story in the Old Testament this week about the three men in the fiery furnace. Israel had been conquered by the Babylonians and many of its promising young people taken captive. Three young men named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego bravely stood up to the Babylonian king when he demanded they bow down to an idol. He had them thrown into a fiery furnace, God rescued them. He continues to be with us and rescue us today!

Books of the Week- "Gregory, the Terrible Eater"  by Mitchell Sharmat, "Little Pea" by Amy Krause Rosenthal and "D. W. The Picky Eater" by Marc Brown.

Last week we concentrated on Thanksgiving. On Tuesday morning, we had a choice of making a turkey out of paper or using paint to make turkey tracks, we added a feather to our turkey and said what we were thankful for before we planned, we made a tissue paper turkey, did the "Turkey Pokey" and read "Clifford's Thanksgiving" by Norman Bridwell and " Let's Celebrate God's Blessings on Thanksgiving" by Lisa Caldwell.

Next week there is a field trip to the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center on Wednesday, December 7th. We will meet there at 10am. Please turn in your attendance slip by this Friday.

Have a super week!!
Mrs. Schneck and Mrs. Dostal

Three year old blog for November 15 and 17

This week we talked about bears and the letter Bb. When we pretended to hibernate, we woke up in spring and had to plan what to play.

Thursday at 10am, we will meet at the Detroit Zoo, at the tunnel that leads from the parking area to the main entrance. It is down at the bottom of the map.




We will tour on our own and then meet at the play scape just west of the aviary at 11:30 for a snack. You are welcome to stay as long as you like. I will be leaving at 12noon because I have afternoon obligations at the elementary school, but the zoo is open until 4pm.

Some of the KDIs we worked on during our one day of preschool this week are-

Body awareness: Children know about their bodies and how to navigate them in space.- We did this during large group time as we moved to the song "Animal Action" and moved our bodies around.

Vocabulary: Children understand and use a variety of words and phrases.- The children were introduced to the words- hibernate, migrate and adapt- as we talked about how animals get ready for winter.

Jesus Time- This week's story was "The Walls of Jericho". We have a mighty God who defeats our enemies for us of sin, death and the power of the devil. We are also beginning to work on our recitations and song for the Christmas program which takes place on Sunday, December 18th. More information on that to come.

Books of the Week- "Bear Has a Story to Tell" by Philip Stead and "Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep" by Heidi E. Y. Stemple and Jane Yolen.

Have a great week!! Only one day of preschool next week too! Happy Thanksgiving!! 
Mrs. Schneck and Mrs. Dostal

Ready, set, go!! This week in three year old preschool we are talking about "Things that Go". Lots of cars, trucks, trains, boats and planes are on the go. We looked at the letter Gg and talked about both of the sounds it makes- "g" like in go and "j" like in giraffe.

Some of the KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

Classifying: Children classify materials, actions, people, and events- We talked about different ways to go, on land, by water or in the air and which vehicles go which way.

Conflict resolution: Children resolve social conflicts- We are seeing a little more in the way of sharing issues and pointing out  the correct way to resolve them with words and not grabbing or angry actions.

Personal care: Children carry out personal care routines on their own- Inside/outside shoes- children are getting practice at putting on and taking off shoes on their own and putting away each pair.

Jesus Time- This week we are talking about Moses receiving the 10 Commandments. We talked about what those commandments are, how they show love for God and love for each other. We are learning the Bible passage 1 John 5:3- This is love for God: to obey His commands." We are so thankful that God sent His Son Jesus to keep the commandments perfectly because we can't, no matter how hard we try. Jesus loves us and forgives us!

Books of the week- "Little Blue Truck"  by Alice Shertle, "Going Places" by Peter and Paul Reynolds and "Old McDonald had a Truck" by Steve Goetz.


Detroit Zoo next week Thursday- we will meet in the tunnel as you go into the zoo at 10am, we will meet again for snack at 11:30am. In between times, you and your child can go through the zoo exhibits at your own pace, there is no specific program. We will be talking about animals getting ready for winter, although with the weather lately, not sure much winter prep is actually happening!

Have a wonderful week!!
Mrs. Schneck

Three year old preschool for the week of November 1 and 3

"...Now I know my A, B, C's, next time won't you sing with me." This week we are concentrating on our ABCs. We are singing the songs, listening for the sounds each letter makes, naming each letter, seeing what letters are in our name and our friends' names.

The KDIs we are focusing on this week are-

Phonological awareness: Children identify distinct sounds in spoken language.- Trying to pinpoint what sound do we hear at the beginning of a word.

Alphabetic knowledge: Children identify letter names and their sounds- We are practicing by trying to figure out what item starts with what letter, and just looking at letters, big and small.

Writing: Children write for many different purposes.- We practice writing everyday, it may not look like much yet, but we will get there.


Jesus Time- This week we are learning about how Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. God was with them the whole time as they crossed the Red Sea on dry land, as He provided manna and quail for them to eat in the wilderness. God protected and took care of them and He protects and cares for us also- all the time!!

Books of the week- "Alphabet Magic" by Chuck Murphy, "A Was Once an Apple Pie" by Edward Lear, "Astonishing Animal ABC" by Charles Fuge.


Regarding the zoo field trip, parking also needs to be paid ahead of time. The cost is $6/vehicle. It should be a great trip. I was also wondering if Zoey (whose snack day is that day) and Molly (who is missing her snack day this week) would be willing to bring us a small snack and a drink that we could meet at a certain time at a specific place at the zoo? We can talk more about that next week.

Please keep our 3rd and 4th grade teacher, Jan Murphy, in your prayers. She is hospitalized with pneumonia.

Have a fantastic week! See you Thursday or Friday for our little conferences!
Mrs. Schneck

Three year old preschool for the week of October 25

Cold, windy weather is upon us, but it won't stop us from exploring and learning!!
This week we are experimenting and playing with tools. We listened for the Tt sound and looked at what Tt looks like.

Some of the KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

Problem solving: Children solve problems encountered in play.- How do we build a tower that stays up? How can we make our tools work for us? With encouragement and the chance to try and fail and try again, children are great problem solvers! We are encouraging them to look for and try out different solutions as they play and work.

Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and hand-eye coordination in using their small muscles- Using fingers to screw a nut onto a bolt, a screwdriver to put a screw into Styrofoam or getting zippers zipped, children are working their fingers with finesse! They can do it!!

Communicating ideas: Children communicate their ideas about the characteristics of things and how they work.- Watching as they pick out a nail or a screw and use the appropriate tool to place it into the Styrofoam, they can explain why one works and the other doesn't.

Jesus Time- This week we move ahead to the future in Egypt. The Pharaoh who worked with Joseph is dead and gone and the Pharaoh who is ruling now sees the Israelites as a threat. He enslaves them and tries to kill all their baby boys by having them thrown into the Nile. A woman saves her infant son by hiding him for a while and then putting him in a little basket boat in the Nile while his older sister watches over him. He is picked up by an Egyptian princess and grows up knowing about Israel and the one true God and about Egypt and its rulers. God chose Moses to deliver his people from slavery. We learn about Moses this week.

Books for the week-"Build, Dogs, Build" by James Horvath, "Duck on a Bike" by David Shannon, "The Noisy Book" by Margaret Wise Brown and "Two Tall Houses" by Gianna Marino.

Pictures for Threes are Thursday!! We will also have chapel that day! Dress your best!

On Thursday, November 17 we are going to the zoo. If you would like to attend that field trip, please fill out the slip that was sent home this week. The cost for group rate is $5/person. I forgot to add the parking which is $6/ vehicle as a group.

Also, Parent-Teacher conferences are next week. I do not have many slots left because I am leaving at 3 on Friday, but I will be available Wednesday evening, if you need. Please let me know by Monday if you do, only a few of three year olds haven't signed up.

Have a fantastic week!
Mrs. Schneck and Mrs. Dostal

Three year old preschool for October 18 and 20

Welcome to a week of opposites! This week we are experimenting with and talking about opposites.
This morning students had the opportunity to paint with black and white, match opposites and choose their activity by taking a bean from outside the bowl and putting it inside the bowl.

Some of the KDIs we are working on this week include-

Engagement: Children focus on activities that interest them.- This is what free play time is all about. We are also as a group getting much better verbalizing when we change our plan for play.

Gross-motor skills: Children demonstrate strength, flexibility, balance, and timing in using their large muscles. Today we moved in many opposite ways- fast , slow, high, low, with little steps, with big steps. We also learned stop and go by playing "Red Light, Green Light".

Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and hand-eye coordination in using their small muscles. We practiced our fine motor skills as we picked up dried beans, used tweezers to sort big and little pompoms, put rubber bands on geoboards and draw.

Jesus Time- This week we hear the conclusion to the Joseph stories. Joseph's brothers come to Egypt to buy food as they also are experiencing a famine. Unknown to them, Joseph is the one who sells the food to them. After putting his brothers through several tests to see if they treat baby brother Benjamin like they treated him, he sees that they are genuinely repentant and reveals that he is their long lost brother, Joseph. He does not seek revenge, but encourages them to move their families to Egypt where he can take care of them and make sure they have enough food. He does the opposite of what the world would expect and he points out that God does the opposite often too! Genesis 50:20-"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." God is with us and makes bad things work for our good too!

Books of the week- "Am I Big or Little?" - a simple board book that talks about opposites, "Harry the Dirty Dog" by Gene Zion and "Contrary Mary" by Anita Jeram.

Book orders were sent home on Tuesday, due by October 28.

Three year old pictures will be taken on Thursday, October 27th. Flyers should have gone home, if you need one, let me know.

Our next field trip is Thursday, November 17, to the Detroit Zoo. I will need a count before hand as they make us pay prior to the day of the trip. I will be sending home an attendance slip next week.

Parent Teacher consultations are also coming up. Please sign up for a time slot for Thursday, November 3rd or Friday, November 4th. If you are not able to meet at any of those scheduled times, let me know and we can work out an alternative!

Have a terrific week!
Mrs. Schneck and Mrs. Dostal

Three year old preschool for October 11 and 13

Welcome to our week! We are looking at water this week!
Water starts with a double u. One of the only letters that doesn't have its sound in its name!
We looked at big and little Ww, said its name and its sound and then we dove in!!

Some of the KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

Predicting: Children predict what they expect will happen- We looked at different items and predicted whether they would sink or float.

Experimenting: Children experiment to test their ideas.- Then we put those items in water to see if our predictions came true.

Diversity: Children understand that people have diverse characteristics, interests, and abilities - Two of our read alouds this week come from different experiences and cultural backgrounds.

Jesus Time- This week we are learning the story of Joseph. He was his father's favorite, because of that, his brothers didn't like him, they threw him in a pit and sold him as a slave. He was taken far from his home and then was unjustly sent to prison. He stayed faithful to God and God gave him the ability to tell the meanings of dreams. He told a baker and a steward the meaning of their dreams while they were in prison and their dreams came true! When Pharaoh had some strange dreams, the steward remembered Joseph. Joseph told Pharaoh his dreams and their meanings. Pharaoh was so impressed, he put Joseph second in command of all Egypt. God made things work out for Joseph and as we continue the story, we see God's hand even more!

Books- "Umbrella" by Taro Yashima, "Come On, Rain" by Karen Hesse and "The Rain Came Down" by David Shannon are our books this week.

We are having a field trip Wednesday at 9:30 to Erwin's Orchard in South Lyon. The cost is $7.50 per person. All are welcome even if you haven't yet signed up. I understand from someone who has been commuting from South Lyon that it is best to stay on the highways, 275 and 96 and not go on surface roads as some are closed for construction. Should be a beautiful day for some apple picking!!

Have a terrific week!
Mrs. Schneck and Mrs. Dostal

Just letting everyone know that there is pretty heavy fog on the way out to Camp and construction in Saline. See you there if you're coming, if not, have a great rest of the week! Remember, NO SCHOOL WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY!! See you Monday, October 10th or Tuesday, October 11th.

Three year olds for the week of September 27 and 29

Sorry that it has taken me so long to write a 3 year old blog this week. We had a lot of fun exploring colors this week.

Some of the KDIs we concentrated on this week are-

Gross-motor skills: Children demonstrate strength, flexibility, balance, and timing in using their large muscles- We used rubber mallets to splat paint. We even practiced our balance in this activity since we had to do it inside and avoid the paint as we took our turns.

Book knowledge: Children demonstrate knowledge about books- We read an interactive book called "Mix it Up" by Herve' Tullet which children took turns touching, opening and closing them.

Experimenting: Children experiment to test their ideas- We used pipettes to put colored vinegar into baking soda, experimenting with what would happen when we mixed colors or when a little baking soda got into our cups.

Our Jesus time this week was the story of Noah and the ark. We talked about how the people in the world had become worse and worse. There were only 8 people who still believed in God. God gave Noah and his sons the job to build the ark and gather food for all the animals they would have to take on the ark. God kept them safe as it rained for 40 days and nights and they stayed on the ark for a long time. When the water finally dried up, Noah came out of the ark and built an altar to thank God for watching over them and keeping them safe. God placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise never to destroy the earth through a flood again.

The books we read this week are - "Mix it Up" by Herve' Tullet, "Little Blue and Little Yellow" by Leo Lionni and "A Color of His Own" also by Leo Lionni.

This Tuesday, October 4 we have our field trip to Camp Killarney. If anyone decides at the last minute, they are welcome to come.

There is no school October 5, 6, or 7. On Wednesday, October 12, we have a field trip scheduled to Erwin Orchard in South Lyon. We are scheduled to arrive at 9:30, take a hay ride, pick a quarter peck of apples and have a snack. If you are planning to go on this field trip, I will have an attendance slip ready on Tuesday, October 11 for you to fill out. The cost is $7.50.

Have a great week!! See you at Camp Killarney!

Mrs. Schneck and Mrs. Dostal

Three year old preschool for September 20 and 22

Happy Family Week!

This week we are talking about our family. Who is in our family, what we do with people in our family and that our family loves us!

The KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

Reflection- Children reflect on their experiences- After free play, we look at what we planned and see if we stuck to our plan or changed our plan.

Moral Development- Children develop an internal sense of right and wrong.- Our Bible story this week deals with sin and its consequences.

Speaking- Children express themselves using language. On Tuesday, to plan play, the children pretended to talk on the phone- they had to say who they were talking to and what they planned to play, for example, "Hi, Mommy! I'm going to play trucks!"



Our Jesus Time this week is the story of Cain and Abel. This is a very tough story with difficult concepts for children to grasp. We heard the story of Adam and Eve's two sons who both brought offerings to the Lord, but with very different hearts. When God told Cain that his offering was not acceptable, he got so angry and jealous that he killed Abel. God still came to Cain to offer forgiveness if he was sorry (repentant) for what he had done. It seems Cain refused to repent and spent the rest of his life wandering the earth with a long time of grace to change his mind.

The books we are reading this week are, "Skidamarink: The 'I Love You' song", "Grandpa" by Barbara Borack, and "Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born" by Jamie Lee Curtis.

Because of an activity day scheduled for Tuesday,October 4, we will not be having preschool on site that day. We are planning a field trip to Camp Killarney where Mrs. Dostal is camp director.  More information will be coming home along with a permission slip next week! More field trips are scheduled and more information about them will be coming next week also!

Have a great week!
Mrs. Schneck

3 year old preschool September 13 and 15

Hi,

We are on our second week of preschool and doing great!!

This week we talked about trains, we read books about trains, we drew with trains and made trains!

The KDIs we worked on this week were-

Shapes- Children identify, name and describe shapes- we did this as we put our train together made of rectangles, triangles, squares and circles.

Body awareness- Children know about their bodies and how to navigate them in space- we did this as we pretended to be trains moving forward and back and all around.

Book knowledge- Children demonstrate knowledge about environmental print.- we did this in our repeating phrases in our books. They could repeat and follow the words in "Shiny Dinah".

We also looked at colors as we rolled trains through ink and made train prints and as we identified each train cars different color as we said our poem.

Our Jesus time this week was about the Fall of Adam and Eve into sin. God had created a perfect garden and had a perfect relationship with Adam and Eve. He showed them He loved them by providing all they needed and by walking and talking with them each day. He asked them not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The devil tempted Eve in the form of a snake and she ate the fruit. Then Adam also ate the fruit and they knew they had done wrong. God still loved them and promised to send a Savior, his son, who would crush the devil and pay for our sins.

The books we read this week were, "Shiny Dinah" by Susan James, "The Little Engine that Could" by Watty Piper and "The Train Ride" by June Crebbin.

4 year old preschool- Our first two days!

Hi,

I am so glad to be here at Peace Lutheran Preschool in Livonia! My name is Deanna Schneck and I am the new preschool teacher at Peace. My husband, son and I moved to Michigan from Anchorage, Alaska this past July. I am excited to be learning and growing with you and your children at Peace.

At Peace we use a preschool curriculum called High Scope. It emphasizes learning through play and experiences. It's aim is to emphasize Key Developmental Indicators which are appropriate for your child's social, emotional and physical growth.

This week we introduced and worked on several of those KDI's-
 Initiative- children demonstrate initiative as they explore their world- every child tried out something new and different this week!

Planning- children make plans and follow through on their intentions- we planned to play each morning and even though everyone didn't stick with their plan the whole free play time, many did and recognized when they changed their plan.

Problem solving- children solve problems encountered in play- whether it is how to share toys, how to keep beads from coming off a pipe cleaner or how to poke a straw through my Capri Sun hole, they worked on finding solutions on their own before asking for help.

Self-identity- children have a positive self-identity- This week we talked about how we are different and the same as everyone else, drew ourselves on a puzzle and made a mixed media self portrait.

Fine motor skills- children demonstrate dexterity and hand-eye coordination in using their small muscles- we drew, cut, glued, picked up small objects, beaded and used our fingers in lots of different ways.

Our Jesus time this week was the story of Creation. We talked about how God created the whole world with just His Word and formed man out of the dust of the ground. He did it all in just six days and finished creating on the seventh. He made us too, and we are glad he did and he loves us still!!

The books we read this week were "The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash" by Trinka Hakes Noble, illustrated by Steven Kellogg, "We're Different, We're the Same" a Sesame Street book by Bobbi Kates and "I'm Like You, You're Like Me"by Cindy Gainer.

I will update this blog weekly! If you have any questions or concerns, my cell is 907-230-6715 and my email is melindamargaret028@gmail.com

I am looking forward to a fantastic year!!
Mrs. Schneck and Mrs. Dostal

Hi,
Welcome to Peace Lutheran Preschool!!
We are looking forward to a wonderful year of learning and growing together!

This week we are concentrating on-
 planning our play
 taking initiative as we explore our world
 focusing on activities that interest us and
 having a positive self-identity.

 These are all part of the High Scope Curriculum Key Developmental Indicators. To me that all sounds a little too academic.

Your children are learning to plan their play and learning what they are interested in. They are trying new things out as they play with toys, items and people they may not have played with before. They are learning a little more about who they are and how they fit into this big, wide world.

We begin each morning with a morning meeting, finding out what's going to go on in our class today. We read several books. For the three year olds, we read "The Wheels on the Bus" by MaryAnn Kovalski and "I Like Me" by Nancy Carlson. We hope also to read "My Friend is Sad" by Mo Willems.

Then we took a tour of things to do, came back to our morning meeting space and each chose something to play with. We didn't all stick to our plan today, but we started out there.

After free play time, we had the story of creation. We learned about how God created the world in 6 days and what He created on each day! We also sang some songs.

We then split into two groups and decorated the first letter of our names to be put into a three year old preschool book. We also colored hands to add onto big flowers in the "big kid" school.

We sang some more songs and learned each others names, while Mrs. Dostal got our snack ready. We ate our snack and then went outside to play!
It was a terrific day!!

I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday for more of the same!

Thanks for a great start to the year!
Mrs. Schneck and Mrs. Dostal