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!

Oo is for opposites

This week we are concentrating on the concept of opposites and the sound and look of the letter Oo.

Morning activities include painting on white paper with black paint and on black paper with white paint, sorting big and little pom poms, experimenting with hot and cold bins and feeling and listening to opposites like loud and soft, rough and smooth,etc.

Small group includes experiencing opposites, and making a day/night picture.

KDIs of the week are-

Vocabulary: Children understand and use a variety of words and phrases.- Using opposites as a way to describe things or adjectives. When our language becomes richer by using adjectives in whatever way we can.

Communicating ideas: Children communicate their ideas about the characteristics of things and how they work.- We use the same item- two Ariel gel paks, one warm, one cold, what is the difference? Only one characteristic. 

Jesus Time- This week we hear the story of Jonah. Jonah was sent to Ninevah by God, but he didn't want to go. He tried to run away from God, boarding a ship that was sailing in the opposite direction of Ninevah. God made a storm come up. Jonah was sleeping in the hold, when the sailors woke him to draw straws and see who God was angry with, he drew the short straw. He told them to throw him overboard, he knew that he was the cause of the storm. When they reluctantly threw him over, the seas calmed and Jonah was swallowed by a huge fish. He spent 3 days inside the fish's belly, cramped, covered in fish slime and seaweed, possibly irritated by stomach acids and he prayed! He repented, and God had the fish cast him out on the shore closer to Ninevah. Jonah went and proclaimed repentance or vengeance on Ninevah. He thought the people wouldn't listen, so after 40 days of preaching, he sat outside the city to wait for it to be destroyed. But they did listen! The king of Ninevah lead his city in repentance so they were not destroyed. Jonah kept complaining and God showed him that he deserved nothing. Everything he had received was a blessing! And so it is with us! WE are so blessed!! Lord, please help us to not complain, especially during this holiday season when our joys so often turn to grumbles and sharp tempers, keep us centered on you and your love for us!

Books of the week- "Opposites" by Eric Carle, "Opposites!" National Geographic Little Kids Look and Learn, "Big Bear Small Mouse" by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman and "Marta Big & Small" by Jen Arena.

We have started learning our song and recitation for our Christmas program. This year it takes place on Sunday, December 23rd. The preschoolers are only asked to do one service, although you can do both if you desire. The services take place at 8:30 or 11:00 am. I will have a sign up sheet out next week. If you are unable to attend, you can let me know on the sign up also.

Have a fantastic week!

Mrs. Schneck

Happy Thanksgiving!

This week we are doing activities around the theme of Thanksgiving!

Table activities today included a make your own turkey out of paper and water play with cranberries, corn and turkey basters.

Our small group today was making name turkeys- children recognized the first letter of their names and put the letters in the correct order to make their names.


KDI of the week are-

History: Children understand past, present, and future.- We are talking about why we celebrate Thanksgiving and some of the history of it.

Jesus Time- Last week we heard about Samuel and Hannah. This week, Samuel is an old man and Israel's judge. God tells him to go and anoint a man to be the next king of Israel because that is what the people want. He goes to a man named Jesse's house and looks his sons over one by one. When he gets to the youngest, he asks Jesse if he has anymore sons, and Jesse says he has one more, but he's just a boy and a shepherd. Samuel anoints that young boy, David, as the next king of Israel. Meanwhile, Saul is the king and his army is fighting the Israelites' enemy, the Philistines. The Philistines have a champion, a nine foot tall warrior named Goliath. Goliath goes into the valley between the armies each day and challenges the soldiers of Israel and mocks their one God. David is bringing food for his older brothers, who are in the army, and hears Goliath. He is amazed that no one is going out to fight him! He volunteers! King Saul and the rest try to dissuade him- he's too small, just a boy! Goliath is a seasoned warrior! David is upset about what Goliath is saying about his God and he knows that if he goes to fight Goliath, God goes with him. So he chooses five smooth stones, he goes to meet Goliath with his slingshot. Goliath laughs, thinks it is a joke. David places a stone in the sling, swings it around and lets the stone go. It hits Goliath in the head and sinks in and kills him.  God gave David total victory! He is with us in our battles and gives us the victory too!


Books of the week- "Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving" by Dav Pilkey, "Thanksgiving Day Thanks" by Laura Elliot and "Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks" by Margaret Sutherland.

Here is a picture of what your children are thankful for today-

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Ff is for fish!

This week we are listening for the letter Ff and having fun with fish!

Table activities include coloring fish made of foil, playing with fish in the water, making a playdoh rainbow fish and sorting goldfish.

Small group activities are making a rainbow fish by gluing on sequins and adding an Ff to our journal.

KDIs this week are-
Problem solving: Children solve problems encountered in play.- Two of our read alouds this week tell stories of characters who encountered problems and how they went about solving them. We are working on taking turns, waiting our turn and working things out together.

Classifying: Children classify materials, actions, people, and events.- We look at different things in the sea. Are they fish? We also classify by color. 

Jesus Time-
This week we hear the story of Hannah and Samuel. Hannah was an Israelite woman who had no children and very badly wanted one. She prayed when she and her husband went to temple for a child. The priest, Eli, heard her sobbing and wondered why she was so sad. When she told him, he assured her that God had heard her prayer and she would have a child. She did have a little boy and named him Samuel. She vowed that she would give him back into the service of the Lord. When Samuel was about 5 years old, she traveled with him to the temple where she talked again to Eli. She gave Samuel into his care. Samuel assisted Eli in the temple, cleaned, prepared the temple for worship and lived there. He worked for the Lord when he was about the age of the children in preschool! We don't have to send our children to live in the back of the church, but they can still do things out of thankfulness to God. Being kind, sharing their possessions, honoring their parents are all ways they can show their love for God!

Books of the week- "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister, "Trout, Trout, Trout ( A Fish Chant) by April Pulley Sayre, and "Swimmy" by Leo Lionni.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, our bird visitor comes at 9:30 if you'd like to join us! She will be presenting in the preschool. If you'd like to make a donation to Wild Wings Bird Rehab, you can also bring it tomorrow:) 

Have a fin-tastic week!

Mrs. Schneck

Bb is for ball!

This week we are looking for the letter Bb and listening for the its sound and playing with balls!

Morning activities are rolling balls to knock down towers, playing with balls in water, balancing balls on top of golf tees and playing with "spaghetti and meatballs".

Small group activities are painting with a marble and sculpting a ball out of model magic.

KDIs for the week are-

 Gross-motor skills: Children demonstrate strength, flexibility, balance, and timing in using their large muscles.- As we roll, throw and catch balls of different sizes and shapes.

Alphabetic knowledge: Children identify letter names and their sounds. - We are listening and looking for the differences between letters like P and B. 

Jesus Time- This week we move forward over 40 years. We quickly went over what the Israelites went through in the desert. The parting of the Red Sea when the Egyptians were chasing after them, sending 12 spies into the promised land only to have 10 of them come back and admit defeat and two spies saying that with God's help, they can defeat them. God made them wander in the desert for 40 years because they didn't believe that they could conquer their enemies with his help. Finally after 40 years is over, the Israelites are ready to enter the promised land. 
Joshua, one of the believing spies, is in charge now. He shows the Israelites one of the first cities they are going to conquer, Jericho. Jericho is surrounded by a wall as thick as a house. Two spies are sent in to see if it has any weaknesses. They can't find any, but God has a different plan to defeat Jericho. The Israelites will walk around Jericho's walls once a day for 6 days and then on the 7th day, they will walk around it 7 times, blow their horns, shout and the walls will tumble to the ground. They do exactly as God says and it happens!! God gives them the city of Jericho!

Books of the week - "Froggy Plays Soccer" by Jonathan London and "Hooray for Snail!" by John Stadler.

Next week is our Wild Wings Bird Rehab visit on Wednesday- the presentation will take place at 9:30 and all are welcome to join us!

Have a ball this week!!
Mrs. Schneck