Blog for May 29 and 31

This week we are talking about kites and wind. We are looking forward to a fun summer full of great activities!!

Table activities this week include stringing beads on a kite tail, decorating our own kites, playing with mini parachutes and designing pinwheels.

Our small group activities are using the power of our own wind to- blow cotton balls and other items across a tray with a straw and paint with wind.

KDIs for the week are-

Experimenting: Children experiment to test their ideas.- How hard or how soft to blow? Where to blow? Testing out our ideas to fly our kites too!

Music: Children express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel through music. - Flying our kites and dancing to music this week. 

Jesus Time- Our Jesus Time this week was a picture led review of all the stories that we have heard this year. From creation, Adam and Eve, Noah and the flood, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and his brothers, Moses, the tumbling walls of Jericho, David and Goliath, The Three men in the Fiery Furnace, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, the shepherds and wise men, Jesus and the miracles he did, talking to Zaccheus, coming into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, dying for our sins on Good Friday, rising again on Easter, ascending into heaven and the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit and telling others about Jesus, to Jesus leading us through his Word to heaven too!

Books of the week- "Days with Frog and Toad"- the Kite Story by Arnold Lobel, "Bringing the Outside In" by Mary McKenna Siddals.

Our last week! Enjoy your summer vacation!! Have lots of great experiences and read, read, read!!

Join us for preschool graduation on Wednesday, May 30th at 6:30pm!

Hopefully you received the information on Water fun day on Friday- all are welcome from 10:30-noon, parents have to accompany their preschooler.

God bless your summer!!
Mrs. Schneck

Blog for May 22 and 24

Ice cream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! No, I didn't teach your kiddos that poem this week, but we are playing with ice cream this week! And the letter Ii.

Table activities include ice cream cone printing, playing with cotton ball ice cream and on Thursday, weather permitting, our morning table time will be outside playing ice cream shop with baking soda ice cream.

Small group activities are counting and gluing on scoops of ice cream on our cones and on Thursday we will make ice cream.

KDIs for the week are-

Number words and symbols: Children recognize and use number words and symbols.- Numbers are counted and identified daily.

Counting: Children count things. -Counting scoops and sprinkles and worms and friends!

Jesus Time- In this week's Jesus time, we review the stories we have heard throughout the year and talk about how Jesus is our good shepherd.  We are the sheep, sometimes not very smart, moving along as a group, sometimes we leave those in trouble behind, we go places or do things that can get us into trouble, just like sheep. I talked about seeing a herd of sheep being chased by wild dogs, the sheep didn't fight, just left the weaker ones behind and ran away. Jesus comes are chases off the dogs and helps those in trouble. He leads us in the right way to go, places that are safe that will keep us close to Him. He goes to great lengths to save us, even giving up His own life! What a shepherd we have who will never leave us or forsake us!

Books of the week are- "Curious George Goes to an Ice Cream Shop" by Margret and H.A. Rey and "Bear Counts" by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman.

This Friday is Literacy Night! Come read in a hammock or in a tent. Pick out some different books, get information on Summer Reading programs at your local libraries and have a snack! From 6:30-8:00 pm.

The four year olds are having their graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 30th at 6:30 pm. Threes are not required to be there, but are certainly welcome to come!! It should take about an hour, including cake and punch!

Have a fantastic week!

Mrs. Schneck

Blog for May 8 and 10

We are playing with boxes this week and listening for the letter Xx.

Table activities include playing with and stacking boxes, coloring inside and outside of boxes and pretending with a mailbox!

Small group activities are coloring a box, encouraged to use our imagination as to what kind of box it might be, a lunch box? computer box? box for our dolls?. We are going to put something in a box and wrap it the best we can to give to mom for Mother's Day.

KDIs for the week are-

Pretend play: Children express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel through pretend play.-Using our imagination coloring and playing with boxes.

Gross-motor skills: Children demonstrate strength, flexibility, balance, and timing in using their large muscles. -Carefully stacking boxes to make the tallest tower we can takes balance and a steady hand!

 Jesus Time- This week we hear the difficult story of Stephen. Stephen was a helper in the early church, there were so many new Christians, the disciples appointed some men to help them take care of those who needed help and Stephen was one of those men. He was full of the Holy Spirit and boldly told about his Savior. Some of the church's enemies threatened him if he did not stop sharing the news about Jesus. They had him arrested and he boldly went point by point through the Old Testament showing them where they were wrong and that Jesus was the Messiah. They did not like what they were hearing and they got so angry that they took Stephen out to be stoned. As they were throwing rocks at him to kill him, God gave him a glimpse of Jesus sitting at God the Father's right hand. The enemies of the church certainly didn't want to hear about that! Stephen also echoed Jesus words when he asked for his enemies to be forgiven. He was bold and courageous in his faith and stayed faithful to Jesus even in death. 

Books of the week- "Not a Box" by Antoinette Portis, "What is Round?" by Rebecca Dotlich and "Harold and the Purple Crayon" by Crockett Johnson.

Friday, May 25th is a Preschool Literacy Night. Hopefully we will be outside! Come read a book in a tent or hammock or laying on a blanket in the shade! If you have any books you'd like to swap out, bring them and we will have a book swap. Snacks and information on summer reading programs in the area provided!

Preschool graduation is on May 30th at 6:30. The three year old class is welcome to come, but is not required. It will last about an hour, including a cake and punch reception.

Next week I am going to be in Alaska once again, this time for my son's high school graduation. Mrs. Dostal and Mrs. Oetzel will be teaching! I'm sure you will have alot of fun!

Have a terrific week!
Mrs. Schneck

Blog for May 1 and 3

This week we are talking about camping and the letter Cc.

Our table activities include playing in tents, small world camping with playmobile, making a pretend camp fire.

Our small group activities are making a lantern and decorating a backpack to use on our camping expidition if you come to Camp Killarney.

Our KDIs for the week are-

 Conflict resolution: Children resolve social conflicts.- We are working on this by modeling how to resolve conflicts- like when a child wants a toy another child has, instead of grabbing it or insisting on having it, we modeling asking, "May I have that toy when you are finished with it?" 

Pretend play: Children express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel through pretend play- We are doing pretend play in the camping realm this week.

Jesus Time- Last week we heard about Jesus' ascension. Before he ascended, Jesus told his disciples to wait for a special gift in Jerusalem. The disciples waited, probably in the same locked room they hid in after Jesus' death. They were alone, they spent time in prayer and conversation. Ten days after Jesus' ascension, there was a noise like a loud wind- everyone heard it, not just the disciples. Then what looked like tongues of fire appeared on the disciples heads and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gave them the ability to speak in languages that they hadn't learned before so they could tell others about Jesus in their own language. Peter went out and preached about Jesus, what had happened to him, whose fault it was (ours) and what Jesus death and resurrection meant. Over 3000 believed and repented that day. The Holy Spirit also comes to us through God's Word and creates faith in our hearts! Thank you Jesus for sending your Spirit to be with us as we tell others about you!

Books of the week- "Charlie Goes Camping" by Carrie Weston, "Duck Tents" by Lynne Berry and "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" by Michael Rosen.

Field Trip to Camp Killarney next Wednesday, May 9th. Please have the attendance sheet in by next Tuesday, May 8th.

Outside Literacy Night on Friday, May 25th from 6:30- 8:00. Come enjoy some snacks, book swap, information on summer reading programs and information on reading out loud to your kids! If you have any books you'd like to donate, drop them off at preschool anytime.

Have a super week!

Mrs. Schneck