Blog for December 12 and 14

 It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!! Lots of snow out there make for a messy commute, but any time you get here is great!! We love to have you, so take your time and be safe and arrive when you can! Until the weather warms up a bit we aren't allowed to go outside. The licensing rules keep us in at 30 degrees, we may stretch that down to 28. So until temps are in the 20's we'll be having inside recess.

We are concentrating on Christmas this week!

Table activities are playing with jingle bells and magnet wands, Christmas clay mats, Christmas slime and a Christmas cutting bin.

Small group activities this week have us using our senses while we try the items Bear smells from "The Sweet Smell of Christmas" by Patricia M Scarry- today we looked at apple pie, pine tree bits, candy cane, hot cocoa, gingerbread men and an orange. Thursday we'll be using our small motor pinching to peel little stickers up and place them on lines to decorate Christmas trees.

The KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

Observing: Children observe the materials and processes in their environment.- With all our senses.

Moral development: Children develop an internal sense of right and wrong. - We are having some trouble cleaning up and listening at clean up time, we are trying to help with self control and doing what's right. 

Jesus Time- This week we enter the stories that tell us about Jesus. Jesus' mother was a young woman who lived in Nazareth.  She was promised to be married to a man named Joseph. 
One day when she was working in her home, an angel appeared to her and told her that she was going to have a baby. She wondered how this could be since she wasn't married to Joseph and hadn't been with a man. The angel told her that the Holy Spirit would make her pregnant with God's Son. He told her the child would be named Jesus because he would save his people from their sins. Mary accepted what the angel said. When she told Joseph, he didn't believe her at first. He was going to quietly cancel their wedding and try to cause as little embarrassment as possible for Mary. As Joseph was struggling with what decision to make and how to make it, he had a dream in which an angel also came to him and confirmed what Mary had said. Joseph did make Mary his wife and became Jesus father on earth.

Next Tuesday the Scrapmobile will be here from 10-11 am. Please fill out the attendance slip and put in your $7 if you would like to participate.

Preschool has school until Tuesday, December 19th. However, I will be leaving on vacation early. My oldest daughter graduates from college on Sunday, December 17th in Anchorage, Alaska, so I will be traveling up north for Christmas! I leave after school on Friday, December 15th.

May God richly bless you with a wonderful Christmas season and a terrific and healthy break!!

Mrs. Schneck

Blog for December 5 and 7

Run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!

This week we are listening for the other sound of Gg in gingerbread!

Table activities this week are gingerbread playdoh, decorating foam gingerbread people, decorating gingerbread people with clay on playdough mats and dramatic play gingerbread kitchen.

Our small group activities this week are decorating a gingerbread man and lacing a gingerbread man shape.

Our books of the week are "The Gingerbread Man" retold by Louise Martin and "Gingerbread Friends" by Jan Brett.

KDIs we are working on this week are-

Pretend play: Children express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel through pretend play.- making "cookies" with playdough, working in a kitchen, being policemen using binoculars, all part of play seen so far this week.

 Sense of competence: Children feel they are competent.  - More and more as we work to put on our own slippers, shoes and coats. We just need the time to be able to do it ourselves!

Jesus Time- This is our last Old Testament story. This week we hear about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the three young men brave enough to stand up to a king. 
Last week we heard the story of David and Goliath. David eventually became king and Israel went through a long list of kings, some good and some bad, many leading the Israelites away from God and to idol worship. After a time, God gave the Israelites a wake up call and the country of Babylon invaded and took Israel's brightest and best young people captive. The rest of the nation was scattered among other nations Babylon had conquered. King Nebuchadnezzer, Babylon's king, had a strict regimen he wanted his young captives to follow, including diet. When the Israelites informed the Babylonians that they followed their own dietary laws, they were upset. Over several weeks, the Israelites were given a chance to show that their way would work. By the end of the trial period, they were stronger and healthier than the rest of the captives. They gained the respect of the Babylonian government. 
King Nebuchadnezzer then had a dream where he felt he was led to erect a giant gold statue for his subjects to worship. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused. The punishment for not doing what the king asked you to was to be thrown into a blazing hot furnace. The king gave the young men one more chance. When they refused again, he ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. The boys were bound hand and foot and thrown into the furnace. The furnace was so hot that the guards who threw them in were instantly killed.
When King Nebuchadnezzer looked into the furnace, he couldn't believe his eyes, not only were the boys walking around unharmed, there was also a fourth man in the furnace who looked like the son of a god- he was the Son of The God!! Nebuchadnezzer called the boys out of the furnace and ordered his people to only worship Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's God. Our God is a Mighty God!!

Please remember to sign up for the Christmas Service you are attending on December 17th-Christmas Service sign up

Also we are having Christmas Service practice this Saturday, December 9th from 9-11am. Just drop off your child at the church and we will practice the service, have a little snack and play a bit and probably practice walking in and out again.
See you then!!

Also Arts and Scraps at school field trip on Tuesday, December 19th- note coming home Tuesday!

A reminder to send hats and mittens, and boots when the time comes, with your little ones! The weather quickly changes here in Michigan. We will go outside as long as it is above freezing and not raining too hard.

Blog for November 28 and 30

Things that go and the letter Gg is our focus this week!

Table activities include playing with planes, trains, cars, boats and trucks, making cars go on shape tracks and making vehicles from paper pieces.

Our small group activities are classifying transportation, does it go by land, water or air? And track painting and color mixing.

The KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

 Classifying: Children classify materials, actions, people, and events.- Classifying and reading about the way things go.

Empathy: Children demonstrate empathy toward others. - Paying attention to the feelings of others is also part of this week as we strive to travel together.

Books of the week- "Yellow Copter", "Red Truck" and "Blue Boat" all written by Kersten Hamilton and illustrated by Valeria Petrone, and "Vroom" by Annie Simpson.

Our Jesus Time story this week is about David and Goliath. Samuel had been the leader of the Israelites for many years, but the Israelites decided they wanted a king, like the nations around them had. Samuel anointed Saul to be the first king, tall and strong, he looked very much like the king every one had imagined. However, he did not always look to the Lord for his direction and was not very repentant when confronted with his sins. So, God chose another man to be the second king of Israel when he was just a boy. Jesse had several sons and after parading them all past Samuel waiting for him to choose one of them to be king, Samuel asked if there were any other sons. Jesse said, there was one more, David, the youngest, who was a shepherd out watching the sheep. Samuel said David was the one God had chosen to be king. Samuel anointed him, but he would wait to take his throne until Saul's reign was over.

Meanwhile, the Israelites are fighting against their enemies, the Philistines. David's brothers are soldiers in the army and David is sent to them with food from his father. When he arrives, he finds all the soldiers cowering in their tents. The Philistine champion, nine foot tall Goliath, is in the valley between the armies, challenging the Israelites and mocking their God. David can't believe he is getting away with it. "Will no one fight him?" he asks. He volunteers to fight and, much to the embarrassment of his brothers, goes to the king. Saul can't believe it, this boy willing to fight a giant??!! Saul offers him the protection of his armor. David can't move in the heavy metal, so he fights Goliath just as he has fought off the bears and lions who have attacked his father's sheep. He takes five smooth stones from a stream and his slingshot.

He goes to meet Goliath in the valley. Goliath laughs and says "Am I a dog that you come after me with sticks?" David tells Goliath , "I come in the name of the LORD Almighty!" One stone goes in the sling and with God's help connects with the forehead of the giant, who falls down dead!

God defeats our giants for us- sin, death and the power of the devil- with two sticks and a few nails- the cross on which our Savior Jesus died for us- and he rose again, so that we too will rise!! We have God on our side!!

Book orders available, due December 8th.

Christmas is fast approaching- Sign up for which Christmas service you would like your child to attend here-Christmas Service sign-up

Have a great week!

Mrs. Schneck

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope that your day gathered with friends and family is blessed!

Today we looked at and made the sound of the letter Tt.

Our table activities were creating a turkey out of paper and playdough play with beads and skewers. (It was originally going to be playdough turkeys, but some of the kids had other ideas)

Our small group was a 'name' turkey, we named each letter in their name and pointed out how the capitol letter comes first and how the letters have to go in a certain order to make their names.

Name letter recognition and fine motor skills were a few of the things we worked on today.

Jesus Time- This week we are hearing about Samuel who is Israel's last judge. The Israelites had conquered the promised land and had established themselves as it's residents. God was their ruler and he made his will known through judges that he chose. The priests were from the tribe of Levi and they ran the worship in the tabernacle, kind of a tent church, that many Israelites went to for the special celebrations. One Israelite family that attended worship there was a man named Elkanah and his two wives, one of which was named Hannah. Hannah had not been able to have any children and Elkanah's other wife teased her about it. The priest Eli found Hannah sobbing in the tabernacle and asked her what was wrong. When she told him, he assured her that she would have a child by the next time they would visit the tabernacle. That son was Samuel. When Hannah again came to the tabernacle with Samuel when he was 5 years old, she presented him to Eli and told him that she was giving the boy back to God for service in the tabernacle. Samuel lived with Eli and his family and his mother made him a new coat and brought it when she visited each year. One night as Samuel was sleeping, God called to him and told him that the Israelites would soon fight a battle in which Eli's sons would die. Samuel would then be responsible for Israel's worship at the tabernacle and telling the Israelites God's word. Eli's sons were not honoring God in the way they lived their lives and Eli had not disciplined them, teaching them right and wrong. Because we love God and love our children, we want them to know what God says and hold them accountable for their actions before it leads to consequences that are life changing! 

If you are interested in getting some Peace Spirit Wear with our panther logo on it, here is the link-http://www.inkorporategraphics.com/spiritwear/98-peace-lutheran

The order will come before Christmas!

Also, next week I will send home the last book order before Christmas. If there is an item you've ordered that you would like to be a Christmas gift for your child, I will hold the orders in my office/kitchen or wrap them in a paper bag and slip them in your child's backpack. Just let me know!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Mrs. Schneck

Blog for November 14 and 16

Eat your vegetables!!

This week preschoolers are learning about vegetables and the letter Vv.

Table activities are- a sensory bin of corn, vege printing, pretend vegetable garden, vege seed explore and vegetable sorting by color.

Our small group activities are exploring different vegetables, do they grow on top of the ground or underneath? Also sculpting with veges.

Books of the week- "Growing Vegetable Soup" by Lois Ehlert and "Tops and Bottoms" by Janet Stevenson.

The KDIs we are targeting this week are-

Classifying: Children classify materials, actions, people, and events.-veges growing on top or under

Sense of competence: Children feel they are competent. - They can do it themselves! Especially when we come to the season of dressing for outside and inside shoes- they take time, but they can do it themselves!


Jesus Time- This week we are hearing the story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho. The Israelites had entered into the Promised Land and God told them to take over. They were not an army and the cities in the Promised Land were well fortified. They came to the city Jericho which was surrounded by a wall so thick that people lived in it. After spies came back and told them how strong a city it was, God gave them marching orders. The people were to march around the city once a day for seven days, then on the seventh day they were to march around it seven times, then shout and blow the trumpets. When they did this, the walls of the city came crashing down. God gave them the victory and He gives us the victory too! Not over cities or people on earth, but over sin, death and the devil through the life and death of his Son, Jesus Christ!

Next week is Thanksgiving, so we will only have preschool on Tuesday of that week!

Have a fantastic week!

Mrs. Schneck

Blog for November 7 and 9

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo. How about you, you, you? You can come too, too, too! We're going to the zoo, zoo,zoo!!

We are headed to the Detroit zoo tomorrow! We will meet there at 10am. I will be near the ramp from the parking structure to the main gate, near the water tower parking lot. We will go in as a group, members in the rear. After we get through the gate, I will give you your parking ticket, a map and an animal checklist and then you are off on your own!

This week we are talking about the zoo and the sound of Zz!

Table activities this week are building block cages for plastic animals, making cages for little plastic animals out of playdoh and popsicle sticks, animal cookie cutter paint printing and using animal print paper cut in different shapes to make animals.

Our small group activities this week are painting our favorite animal with watercolors in an upright position and sorting animal crackers.

Books of the week- "1,2,3 to the Zoo" by Eric Carle, "Goodnight, Gorilla" by Peggy Rathman, and "Put Me in the Zoo" by Robert Lopshire.

KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

Classifying: Children classify materials, actions, people, and events.- We will sort our animal crackers into animals and then talk about each group, which ones eat plants, which ones eat other animals.

 Art: Children express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel through two- and three-dimensional art- As we tried using models for our painting of animals, we used colors that suited us and painted as we saw.

Jesus Time- This week we have one last story with Moses before we skip ahead. The Israelites are safely out of Egypt. God provides water from a rock and food in the form of manna and quail as they are traveling through the desert. Because God wants them to be a people set apart, he meets with Moses on Mt. Sinai and gives him many rules for His people to live by. One section of that still helps us today and that is the Ten Commandments.

We talked about how we are not able to keep the Ten Commandments perfectly, but Jesus did and he shares that obedience with us. We also talked about how the commandments show us how we can show love to God and to others. We talked about the two tables of the law- You should have no other Gods, Use God's name to pray, praise and give thanks, and worship God! Those are all showing us how to better show love to God. Honor and obey your parents and others in authority, do not murder or hurt anyone, do not steal, honor marriage, do not tell lies about people, do not want something someone else has so badly that you plan a way to get it or complain constantly how it's not fair they have it and you don't.

We can't do any of these things all the time, we sin all the time. But thank God that He sent Jesus who did and suffered our punishment in our place!

I would like to share a great graphic that I saw about the importance of reading at home- We do read at school, but what a way to help your little ones get a great start! And books are FREE!! All you need is a library card!

Have a terrific week!

Mrs. Schneck

Blog for October 31 and November 2

This week we are playing dress up!!

We looked at the word "Dress-up" today and at each letter that makes a sound.

Table activities are dressing up, using clay to make clothes or faces on playdoh mats and  playing with paper dolls.

Our small group activities are mask making and decorating t-shirts.

We danced to "Late Last Night" by Joe Scruggs and we'll dance more, pretending to be different things!

Books for the week - "Hats Off to You!" by Karen Beaumont, "I Like Old Clothes" by Mary Ann Hoberman, and "Princess! Fairy! Ballerina!" by Bethanie Deeney Murguia.

Our KDIs for this week are-

Gross-motor skills: Children demonstrate strength, flexibility, balance, and timing in using their large muscles. - As we dance and pretend to be other things like a swimmer or ballerina, we move to the beat and try to keep our balance.
Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and handeye coordination in using their small muscles. - A lot of this in use this week, playing with clay, peeling foam stickers, drawing, buttoning, taking dress up clothes off and on. 

Jesus Time- This week we continue the story of Moses. Moses was raised as an Egyptian prince, but he never forgot that he was an Israelite. When he saw one of his countrymen being mistreated by an Egyptian slavemaster, he took matters into his own hands and killed him. Then he had to flee the country. In the countryside, he met some shepherdesses who took him to their home. He married one of them, Zipporah and became close to his father-in-law, Jethro. Moses also became a shepherd and one day, at the ripe old age of 80, he spotted a bush that was on fire, but not burning up. As he went over to investigate, the LORD called out to him. Letting him know that he was standing on holy ground, God called on him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. After refusing several times, Moses finally accepted the job. He went to visit Egypt and Pharaoh. God used Moses to save the Israelites. It took a lot of courage and faith to do Moses' job.  Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go and God sent ten plagues to convince Pharaoh to do what he asked him, through Moses, to do. Pharaoh often relented and then changed his mind at the last minute. 
God used Moses to save the Israelites, God uses Jesus to save us. God also calls us to do somethings that we may not want to do, He will give us the strength, courage and faith to accomplish what he has set before us to do!

Parent Teacher conferences are this Thursday and Friday afternoon/evening. If you haven't signed up yet, please do at the following link- http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c45afa72fa3fe3-1stquarter.

Zoo field trip a week from Wednesday!

Have a great week!!

Mrs. Schneck