Christmas!

This week is all about Christmas!

Morning activities include baking soda, candy canes and vinegar, making contact paper ornament suncatchers, Christmas dot painting and jingle bells and magnet wands.

Small group activities are taking in the "Sweet Smells of Christmas" by Patricia Scarry- we smelled and tasted apple pie, smelled pine needles, smelled and tasted gingerbread men, hot chocolate, candy canes and an orange. Thursday will be our party!

KDIs of the week-

Counting: Children count things.- from our counting book to counting how many bites of snack we take, we are counting things this week.

Self-identity: Children have a positive self-identity.- Jesus came for us! How he loves us!! We are special to him! 

Jesus Time- This week we keep the story going. Last week we stopped when baby Jesus was born. Things were still and quiet in the stable. This week we hear about what the shepherds heard and saw! During the night, shepherds were watching their sheep and an angel appeared to them. The angel said, "Don't be afraid! I have the best news! A Savior is born for you today in Bethlehem! This is how you will know who he is. He is lying in a manger, wrapped in clothes." Then thousands of angels appeared with the angel and praised God! After the angels went back into heaven, the shepherds rushed to Bethlehem to look for the Savior. They found him just as the angel said. They praised him and were so excited that they returned to the fields telling everyone they saw what they had seen and heard! We are so excited to share the news with you too this Sunday!!

Books of the week- "Christmas in the Barn" by Margaret Wise Brown, "The Sweet Smell of Christmas" by Patricia Scarry and "Merry Christmas, Mouse!" by Laura Numeroff.

This Thursday is our party, so bring your gift. If you would like to bring a little fruit, veges or crackers or cheese, that would be fine. I doubt much will be eaten. We will be practicing the Christmas service  and having morning meeting and free play time. Then we will open gifts and have our snacks and play a game or two and maybe get outside.

On Sunday, please be a church at least 15 minutes before the service you chose to attend- so 8:15  or 10:45. The service lasts about an hour. We look forward to seeing you there!

Have a wonderful Christmas holiday!! We resume school on Monday, January 7, 2019!

Mrs. Schneck

Happy Holidays!

 Happy Holidays!! Our letter this week is Hh as we celebrate the holiday or holy day of Christmas!

Table activities include Christmas playdough (gingerbread and snow sparkle), Christmas tree create, matching pom poms to the Christmas colors and ripping wrapping paper.

Small group is making bead candy canes and decorating cookies.

KDIs for the week-

Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and handeye coordination in using their small muscles. - lots of work on this this week- cutting, beading, wrapping. 

Art: Children express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel through two- and three-dimensional art. Lots of creations being made this week.

Jesus Time- This week we hear about Jesus birth. Mary and Joseph were ordered to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be counted by the Roman government. It was a long trip for a very pregnant young girl. They may have ridden a donkey or walked, the Bible doesn't say. The trip may have taken as long as 7 days. It does seem they were some of the last ones to make it to Bethlehem as there was no room left for lodging. Finally someone made room for them in a stable, probably a cave carved into the hills outside Bethlehem. It was warm and dry, but probably also smelly and crowded. There Mary gave birth, to her first born, a son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger. It was done, God became man to save us from our sins. As they sat in the quiet, resting after their long ordeal. Mary thought and treasured. It wouldn't stay quiet for long, soon the shepherds would burst in on the scene. We'll hear about them next week.

Books of the week- "Mortimer's Christmas Manger" and "Bear Stays Up for Christmas" by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman and "J is for Jesus" by Crystal Bowman.

Lots going on in the next two weeks-

 This Saturday, Christmas service practice from 9am-10:30am. This is a time change from my original note.

Sunday, December 23rd is our Christmas service. You can choose to attend either the 8:30 service or the 11:00 service. There is a sign up sheet in the sign in room at preschool. If you are unable to attend, please let us know that as well.

Thursday, we will decorate cookies from 10:45-11:15, bring your own or decorate some that I am making.

Your child picked a name today for our Christmas gift exchange which will take place on Thursday, December 20th. Here is the list in case you have lost yours-

Gavin chose Skylar
Evelyn chose Gavin
Felix chose Evelyn
Chad chose Felix
Lilly chose Chad
Katalin chose Lilly
Joshua chose Katalin
Skylar chose Joshua

In this boys are into trains and superheros, girls like unicorns, coloring and making necklaces.

Have an awesome week!

Mrs. Schneck

Gg is for Gingerbread

This week we are having fun with gingerbread and listening and looking for the letter Gg.

Morning activities include creating a paper gingerbread man, playing with gingerbread people clay mats, baking play and painting wooden gingerbread men.

Small group activities are a torn gingerbread man and decorating real gingerbread cookies

KDIs for the week are-
Community: Children participate in the community of the classroom. - We are working together and helping each other out pretty well. We talk about how to be friends and work together.
Building relationships: Children build relationships with other children and adults. - There's never just one gingerbread, we learn about friendship from our stories and activities this week.


Jesus Time- We move into Christmas stories this week. Today we were introduced to Mary and Joseph and the angel. Mary was a young woman engaged to Joseph. They both lived in the town of Nazareth. Joseph was a carpenter. One day while Mary was home, an angel appeared to her and told her that she was going to be the mother of the Son of God. She was afraid and confused. How could she have a baby? She wasn't married yet. The angel explained that this baby would be true God and true man. Mary accepted what the angel said.

When Mary told Joseph, he thought she had done something wrong. He still loved her, so he was going to quietly end their engagement to not bring her any shame. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. The baby she was carrying was from God and would be true God and true man.

Mary and Joseph were married and were soon on their way to Bethlehem to be counted by the Roman government.

Books of the week-
"Gingerbread Friends"  and "Gingerbread Christmas" by Jan Brett and "The Gingerbread Man" , the traditional tale.

Hopefully we'll get outside every chance this week! Let your little one know where you've put their gloves, I know we have ones to borrow and they like to, we'll try to help them find their own.

Sign up for the Christmas service of your choice or let us know if you are unable to come! Christmas fun is on it's way! Have a wonderful week!