The Snowy Day

Last week we read The Snowy Day, written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats.  This is a simple story of a young African American boy named Peter who wakes up one morning and discovers that everything is covered with snow.  Peter goes outside in the snow.  He makes different kinds of tracks in the snow, hits a tree with a stick and knocks off the snow, watches a snowball fight between older boys, makes a snowman and snow angels, climbs a mountain of snow and slides down it, and puts a snowball in his pocket to save.  His snowball does not last, but the next day there is even more snow, and he goes out with a friend to play again.

          This story offers numerous opportunities for winter theme play.  Even if there is no snow, substitutes can be used so that everyone can have fun with snow activities.  We made puffy snowmen and glitter snowflakes.

          We will exchange valentines and have a special Valentine snack next Thursday, February 11^th.  Please remember to send in a shoe box or tissue box if you have not done so already.  We plan to decorate these boxes and use them as our mailboxes for our Valentines.

 

          Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns

A Porcupine Named Fluffy

     This week we will read A Porcupine Named Fluffy, written by Helen Lester and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger.   This is a delightful tale of a young porcupine who wants to live up to his name.  Fluffy’s parents choose the name Fluffy because it is a pretty name, but Fluffy discovers that he is not at all fluffy and goes about trying various means to become fluffy.  He tries to “be” a cloud and a pillow.  He experiments with a bubble bath, whipped cream, marshmallows, shaving cream and feathers, and even a bunny outfit, but nothing works.  He is very dejected and be comes greatly embarrassed when he runs into a rhinoceros who teases him and laughs at his name.  But after Fluffy discovers that the rhinoceros is named Hippo, he laughs as well, and the two become fast friends.

      This story provides numerous opportunities for sensory experiences as well as the development of descriptive concepts and expression of feelings in dramatic play.  Opportunities abound for cognitive, social-emotional, language and communication, and sensorimotor experiences for children of all ability levels. 

          Last week I introduced the “Surprise Box” during morning circle.  Each child will get a turn to take the surprise box home.  You and your child may choose an item for the box and write down 3 clues on a piece of paper.  The next day in school we will read the clues aloud and see if anyone can guess what is in the box.

          I am also enclosing scholastic book orders.   If you would like to order, please return the form by January 18^th.  I will also set up ordering on the scholastic website:  www.scholastic.com/parentordering.

Class User Name:  ClarkELP

Password:   Tokeneke

          Please contact me if you have any concerns or questions.

If the Dinosuars Came Back

This week we started our unit on dinosaurs and read If the Dinosaurs Came Back by Bernard Most.  This story explores the idea of what would happen if the dinosaurs returned.  They could help carry daddies to work and eat the grass so that we wouldn’t need lawn mowers.  They could also become pets.  We are also learning facts about dinosaurs and some new vocabulary words such as extinct, fossils and paleontologist.  We are digging in our sand table for bones and dinosaurs, making play-doh dinosaurs, and playing games such as dinosaur dominoes and dinosaur lotto.  We made a dinosaur mural that we are using in our block area and we are building caves for our dinosaurs with our blocks.

        We plan on having a Holiday Party on Tuesday, December 22^nd at 10:00 a.m.  Parents are invited to help decorate a gingerbread house with their child.  After we finish our activity we will have a Holiday Snack.

        For those students who order lunch, the menu is now online on the Tokeneke website.  The lunch menus are no longer being sent home.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

This week we will read The Three Billy Goats Gruff, retold and illustrated by Janet Stevens.  This is the familiar story of three brother goats who encounter a troll.  The illustrations have been modernized with details that children will love.  The Three Billy Goats Gruff is also a story about families sticking together and facing fear with courage.   The three billy goats have run out of grass on their side of the valley and must cross a bridge to the other side.  Under the bridge is a mean and scary troll, whom all three goats must face in order to cross the bridge.  As the troll roars his challenge and threatens to eat each of the younger goats, they plead that their older brother is bigger and juicier than they are.  This plea works for each of the younger two goats; when the eldest goat crosses, he meets the troll’s challenge and “kicks, pokes, and scares” him away.  The three billy goats are united on the far side of the bridge where they remain, eating sweet, green grass.

 

This story can be used to help children explore their own fears of things, real or imagined, as well as how other family members can help to cope with fear.  For some children, family structure may be a more important issue to focus on.  The story provides many opportunities to cope with separation from family, nontraditional family structure, and fear and courage in people of all ages.

 

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

This week we will begin our next module and read The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, written by Linda Williams and illustrated by Megan Lloyd.  The story is about a little old lady who sets out to gather herbs, spices, seeds, and nuts from the forest.  It is dark when she starts home.  She soon discovers that she is being followed by a pair of pants, a shirt, two gloves, a hat, and a scary pumpkin head, all of which make frightening noises.  They chase her home and try again to scare her, but she is not to be frightened.  Instead, she recommends that they stay in her garden and scare her crows away.

 

This is a fun book for children because of the repetition of sounds and actions that the various clothes and objects make (CLOMP, CLOMP; WIGGLE, WIGGLE; SHAKE, SHAKE; CLAP, CLAP; NOD, NOD; BOO, BOO) as they follow the old lady.  The children soon begin to remember the associated noises and can cheerfully render them as the story progresses.

 

On Thursday, October 29^th, we plan to trick-or-treat in a few classrooms/offices.  The children will be able to bring their costumes to school and we will have a special treat after lunch.

Picking Apples and Pumpkins

During the next several weeks, we will be reading Picking Apples & Pumpkins, by Amy and Richard Hutchings.  This fall story involves a family that goes out to a farm to pick apples and pumpkins.  While on the farm, they ride on a hay wagon, climb trees, use an apple picker, have a picnic, and buy their apples and pumpkins.  At home, they make an apple pie with Grandma and carve pumpkins with Dad.

 

This story offers us an opportunity to explore the changes that occur in the fall, such as the changing colors of the leaves, the planting and harvesting of apples and pumpkins, the variety of textures and flavors of foods made from apples and pumpkins, and the equipment on a farm.  We will be acting out a trip to a farm to pick apples and pumpkins.  During the coming weeks we plan to taste apples and graph our results.  We will be playing with miniature farms, and a pretend fruit stand.

 

At home, if you have any toys that relate to farms, you could have your child show you what we are playing at school.  When you go to the grocery story, look at all of the different types and colors of apples; look at the different sizes of pumpkins

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

This week we have been reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert and are completing activities related to this story.  In this story the very first letter of the alphabet challenges the other letters to the top of the coconut tree.  The authors use rhythm, rhyme and repetition.  We have also listened to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom on CD and will be viewing a short video version of it.

 

In class we’ve made coconut trees and alphabet people.  We will also read Chicka Chicka 1-2-3 next week which focuses on numbers.

 

If you did not get a chance to sign up for an activity in the classroom, there is a volunteer sign-up sheet on my door.

 

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.  I can be reached at 655-9666 Ext. 4169 after 2:00 p.m.  You may also email me at cclark@darienps.org or write me a note and I will call you after class.

September 9, 2009

We read The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn and are completing activities related to this book.  This story is about Chester, a raccoon, who is afraid to go to school and wants to stay home with his mommy and friends.  His wise mother tells him the secret of the Kissing Hand.  She kisses the palm of his hand and tells him that he will be able to feel the warmth of her love against his cheek any time he is feeling lonely by simply putting his hand to his cheek.  He feels better about going to school when he can take his mother’s love with him, so he kisses her hand and goes off to school.  This book will allow us to discuss our feelings about going to school, to talk about our favorite things at home, and to explore the fun activities at school.

 

I will be sending home an “All About Me” poster that you can complete with your child.  We will be using these posters to discuss our families and our favorite things.

 

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.  I can be reached at 655-9666 Ext. 4169 after 2:00 p.m.  You may also write me a note and I will call you after class.

Welcome to ELP!

The Rainbow Fish

     Next week we will read The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister (translated by J. Alison James).  This is a story about friendship, giving, differences, and beauty.  Rainbow Fish was the most beautiful fish in the ocean.  His scales were multicolored and among them were shimmering sliver scales.  Rainbow Fish did not play with the other fish, as he was too busy being admired.  One day a little blue fish asked Rainbow Fish if he could have one of his beautiful silver scales.  Rainbow Fish did not want to share his beauty with the little blue fish and so he told min that he could not have one of his special scales.  The little blue fish told the other fish in the ocean how Rainbow Fish would not share.  All of the fish in the ocean ignored Rainbow Fish, and he was sad and lonely.  He sought advice from a variety of ocean creatures.  Finally, on the advice of an octopus, he gave the little blue fish one of his scales.  The act of giving provided him with more pleasure than keeping the scales.  Ultimately he learned what it means to be a friend and was accepted by the other fish.

 

Important Reminders:

June 1 – June 4 –       Early Dismissal at 11:15

                                          Parent conferences

 

June 11                     Stepping Up Ceremony

 

June 11                     ELP Picnic at Beach – 4 p.m.