Transportation

This week we are looking at and exploring all the ways we get from here to there! By land, sea or air!

Table activities include cookie cutter painting with vehicle cookie cutters, playing with different vehicles, boat play and vehicle puzzles.

Small group activities include each child being given a vehicle puzzle to put together and take home and making a vehicle with shapes.

KDIs for the week are-

Classifying: Children classify materials, actions, people, and events.- How things travel- land, sea or air

Movement: Children express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel through movement. - Pretending to be in a car or a train or a plane- different movement for different transportation. 

Jesus Time- This week we hear about two disciples who left Jerusalem the Sunday after Jesus was crucified. They were very discouraged and were talking about all the events that transpired on Good Friday and the strange story they had heard that morning, Jesus was no longer in the tomb! What was going on!? Had someone stolen Jesus' body, was he really alive, like the women said the angel told them? They were so confused. They were walking to the town of Emmaus, a few miles outside of Jerusalem, when someone began to walk with them. He asked what they were talking about and they were surprised he hadn't heard! They told him all about Jesus, how they hoped he was the Messiah. He brought up Old Testament prophecies, showing how Jesus fulfilled each one. The disciples arrived at Emmaus and were entering an inn to have a meal. The man who had joined him seemed as if he were still walking on when they invited him to join them. As they sat down to the meal, the stranger as to bless the food. As he lifted the bread to break and bless it, their eyes were opened, and they realized they had been walking and talking with the risen Jesus!! He disappeared and they left their meal and sprinted all the way back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples they had seen Jesus! It was true! Jesus was alive!!

Books of the week- "Going Places" by Peter and Paul Reynolds, "Where's my T-R-U-C-K?" by Karen Beaumont, "Train Leaves the Station" by Eve Merriman and "Duck on a Bike" by David Shannon.

Have a super week!
Mrs. Schneck

This week we are incorporating the concept of hide and seek in our activities. The class has been very interested in hiding and seeking each other and things of late, so we based this week on their interests.

Table activities include finding hidden objects, looking for items hidden in a ziploc bag full of rice, looking for hidden number bears and hidden picture worksheets and books.

Small group did their first hidden picture page together today, we will also look for a camouflaged chameleon that we take turns hiding.

KDIs for the week are-
Engagement: Children focus on activities that interest them- We are focusing on interests all together.

Community: Children participate in the community of the classroom- We are all working together, taking turns, playing roles as the hider and the seeker.

Jesus Time- This week we hear about Jesus rising from the dead. Jesus had been placed in a borrowed tomb, like a cave, on Good Friday. The women did not have time to properly prepare his body for burial, so they planned to return on Sunday morning, after the Saturday sabbath.
Jesus' enemies were concerned that the disciples might try to steal Jesus' body from the tomb and say he was alive, so they asked Pilate to place guards at the tomb to prevent that from happening. Early in the morning on Sunday, an angel appeared like lightning at the tomb. The guards were so frightened, they fainted and then ran away. When the women came towards the tomb, they remembered the large stone and wondered who would help roll it away for them. As they drew nearer, they saw the stone had already been rolled away. One woman, Mary Magdalene, thought Jesus' body had been stolen and was inconsolable. The other women continued on to the tomb where they also saw an angel who asked why they were looking for the living among the dead. "He is not here, he is risen!" is what the angel said. Meanwhile, Mary finds who she thinks is the gardener and asks him if he knows where they put Jesus' body. The man says, "Mary", she lifts her head and realizes it is Jesus! He is alive!!

Books for the week are "The Runaway Bunny" by Margaret Wise Brown, "How to Hide an Octopus" by Ruth Heller and "Little Quack's Hide and Seek" by Lauren Thompson.

For those in the Tuesday/Thursday class who are moving on to kindergarten, we will be having a taste of kindergarten starting this Thursday. Even if they aren't attending Peace, it will give them an idea of what kindergarten may be like. If for any reason you do not want your child to attend, please email me privately.

Thanks!
Have a super week!
Mrs. Schneck

Happy Easter!

This week we are doing activities with an Easter theme and learning about the true celebration of Easter.

Table activities include painting an Easter egg with q-tips, stacking plastic eggs, playing in an Easter sensory bin and making a cross suncatcher.

Small group activities are decorating a cross and playing Easter BINGO.

KDIs for the week are-
History: Children understand past, present, and future.- As we listen to our Bible story about Jesus, it's important to put it in time and recognize what it means for us today.

Moral development: Children develop an internal sense of right and wrong- Knowing why Jesus had to go to the cross to save us shows us our sins have consequences.

Emotions: Children recognize, label, and regulate their feelings. - Even Jesus had feelings, God does too.  

Jesus Time- This week we are hearing the story of Jesus going to the cross. We talked about sharing a last meal with his disciples where he gave them a new command - To love each other as he had loved them. Jesus also introduced the last supper or communion there. Then Jesus went to pray in the garden of Gethsemane. He prayed to his Father, asking if there were any other way to save the world, but if not , he would do what he needed to do. He was arrested in the garden and taken before the chief priests and leaders and questioned. They took him to Pilate, the Roman governor, where he was mocked and beaten and whipped. Then he was sentenced to death. He died on a cross to save us from our sins. He loved us so much, he took our place and our punishment. We didn't leave him there, we did talk about how he rose from the dead and we will talk about that more next week.

Books for the week are- "What Is Easter?" by Lillie James, "Happy Easter, Little Critter" by Mercer Mayer, and "An Easter Alleluia" by Anita Reith Stohs.

Have a wonderful Easter!

Mrs. Schneck

Yy is for yarn

This week we are listening for the initial sound of Yy and playing with yarn.

Table activities include a yarn cutting bin, painting with yarn, wrapping sticks with yarn and making sticky numbers with yarn.

Small group this week is process art- today we dipped yarn in glue and glued it to card stock trying to spread it out, on Thursday we will use watercolor paints to paint in between the spaces we left empty.

KDIs for the week are-

Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and handeye coordination in using their small muscles.-Lots of skills at work this week, scissors, wrapping, painting, picking up a single strand of yarn.

Appreciating the arts: Children appreciate the creative arts.- Art isn't always a picture of something, like a cat or dog or horse, sometimes it's just filling a space with color or texture. 

Jesus Time-
This week we begin the stories of Holy Week. On Palm Sunday, Jesus was entering into Jerusalem to die. He knew this and went willingly. Recently, Jesus had raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, with that act, the leaders and chief priests knew they had to get rid of him fast. They plotted to have him killed soon. Jesus and disciples headed for Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. On their way, Jesus instructed several disciples to go into a town and take the foal of a donkey. He was fulfilling Old Testament prophecy by riding into Jerusalem on a foal of a donkey. They placed their coats on the donkey and Jesus road in to cheering crowds waving palm branches and shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna to the Son of David!" Hosanna means 'save us'. They knew that Jesus was the Savior, they just weren't sure what kind of savior he was. The chief priests and leaders were upset that Jesus was receiving so much praise and they asked him to quiet his followers. He told them that if he asked them to be quiet, the very rocks would shout out!  We know who Jesus is and we know he is the only one who can save us! Sadly, less than a week later, many of these same people would be shouting "Crucify!" May God keep us in his grace!!

Books of the week- "Extra Yarn" by Mac Barnett and "Charlie Needs a Cloak" by Tomie dePaola.



Exciting Easter for Families this Saturday, April 13th from 9-10:30- come use this time to focus on Easter's true meaning and enjoy an Easter egg hunt! Fun for everyone!

Have a great week!
Mrs. Schneck

Zz is for zoo!

This week we are learning about zoos and the letter Zz.

Table activities include making block cages for our zoo animals, zoo animal cookie cutter prints, zoo animal pattern blocks and playing with animals in their habitats.

Small group activities are zoo animal memory and painting our favorite animal.

This week we are going to the zoo on Wednesday! Hope for great weather! We'll meet in the watertower parking lot if you are not a member, just inside the gates if you are a member. We'll each be given a zoo scavenger hunt and map and go and find at your own pace.

KDIs of the week-
Problem solving: Children solve problems encountered in play.- Children work to find a way to build cages, include and sort animals by which ones would get along, sharing space and animals with each other.

Natural and physical world: Children gather knowledge about the natural and physical world.- Seeing each animal in their habitat and their behavior is great learning! 

Jesus Time- This week we will hear another parable. We will hear about the runaway son. Jesus tells the story of a young man who was eager to leave his father's house and do things his own way. His older brother stays and helps at home, while he asks for his inheritance early. He takes his money and squanders it on poor choices. Finally he runs out of money and gets a job feeding pigs. He is destitute. He realizes even the servants at his father's estate have it better than he does at that moment. He feels he is no longer worthy to be called a son, but maybe his father will take him back as a servant. He humbly heads home. When his father sees him trudging down the road, he runs to meet him and embraces him in love! He rejoices that he is home and even has a celebration for him. The older son is understandably jealous, he never left. The father explains why he is rejoicing and encourages him to rejoice to, because what was lost is now found. This is how our Father in heaven rejoices when a lost sinner is brought to faith!

Books for the week- "When We Went to the Zoo" by Jan Ormerod, "Put Me in the Zoo" by Robert Lopshire, "Goodnight Gorilla" by Peggy Rathman and "Inside a Zoo in the City" by Alyssa Satin Capucilli.

See you at the zoo Wednesday!

Have a great week!

Mrs. Schneck