Blog for March 27 and 29

This week we celebrate Easter!

Our table activities include an Easter sensory bin, jelly bean graphing, egg towers and playdough eggs.

Small group this week is making watercolor eggs and matching the letter on the egg.

KDIs of the week are-

Alphabetic knowledge: Children identify letter names and their sounds.- Matching letters and the letters in our names.

Writing: Children write for many different purposes- We are going to start working a little harder to trace our names in the morning and holding in the right grip.

Jesus Time- This week we hear sad and glad news! We start off on Maundy Thursday, when Jesus shares a final meal with his disciples and gives them a new commandment- "Love one another". He also gives them his body and blood with the bread and wine at the institution of communion. He sends Judas on the way to betray him and takes his remaining disciples into the Garden of Gethsemane. In the garden, Jesus asks his disciples to keep watch with him as he goes further on to pray. Jesus prays and asks God the Father if there is any other way that he can pay for the sins of the world. He is in agony over his coming death. Even though he wishes there were another way, he submits to the will of the Father. He prays three times, each time coming back to check on his disciples, who have fallen asleep. Finally, he wakes them up and lets them know that it is time for him to be arrested. Jesus is arrested, taken before the court of the Jews and the Gentiles and he is condemned to death for claiming to be the Son of God. The Roman soldiers beat him and mock him, put a crown of thorns on him and force him to carry his cross. Jesus is nailed to the cross and hung between two thieves. Even now, he forgives those who nail him to the cross, he forgives and dies for the sins of those who mock him. He assures the thief who repents that he will see him in paradise. He suffers for the sins of all people of all time, your sins and my sins. The sky turns dark, the earth quakes, the thick curtain in the temple is torn in two, dead people rise and come out of their graves. "It is Finished!"
Jesus commends his spirit into his Father's hands. Two of Jesus secret disciples, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, take Jesus body, wrap it in linen and put it in a new tomb carved from the rock, like a small cave and roll a stone in front of the opening. Roman soldiers are sent to guard it so no one can steal his body and claim that he rose. Some women who are followers of Jesus plan to come and complete the preparation for his burial. When they return early Sunday morning, they worry about who will roll the stone away. When they arrive, the stone is gone and so is Jesus. One of the women is frantically looking for the gardener to ask him what happened. The other women approach the tomb. When they do, they see angels as bright as lightning who ask why they are looking for the living among the dead? "He is not here, he is risen just as he said. Go and tell his disciples." They do just that! Mary, who was looking for the gardener, sees a man and asks him where Jesus' body has been taken. The man says, "Mary." and Mary sees that it is Jesus!! He is risen!! He is risen, indeed!

Books of the week- "The Easter Story" by Allia Zobel Nolan, "Happy Easter, Little Critter" by Mercer Mayer and "An Easter Alleluia!" by Anita Stohs.

Next week- NO SCHOOL-SPRING BREAK! Classes for 3's resume April 10th!

Have a wonderful Easter! He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Mrs. Schneck