It was nice to have everyone back today, happy and healthy. It was also nice to have warmer temperatures and sunshine back for a little while.

Today was the last day of our "Bucket Fillers" unit but that won't stop us from working to fill each other's buckets each week. I asked the children what they've learned about being bucket fillers and they had some wise comments. I wasn't able to write everything down but here are a few of their responses: We need to make people happy. Michaela Don't dip out of someone else's bucket . Charlie Being a bucket filler makes me happy. Syan You have to be really nice. Jackson If you hate people, it won't fill your bucket up. Andrew I pray that what we've learned in class this month carries over into our daily routines. I think taht the book has made a lasting impression on all of us. For those of you who are interested, you can find the book, Have You Filled A Bucket Today? on Amazon.com.. The children painted on small canvases today during art. Their task was to paint how they feel when their buckets are full. We also talked about how colors can be associated with different emotions. I was really impressed with the creativity that they exhibited today. From the looks of their creations, they are some really happy kids with full buckets! Some of the younger children needed a little assistance when it came to squeezing the paint bottles but check out their creations in the posted pictures! Next week, we'll begin our study on Foods In Literature. I'm looking forward to incoperating more cooking lessons into our March activities. See you then!

February 18, 2009

We had a very pleasant day this past Wednesday. We missed Michaela and Jackson. It seems like a lot of families are fighting colds but I do hope that everyone will return healthy and rested next week.

We got to celebrate Charlie's fourth birthday this past week. The cookie cake was delicious and was a hit with all of us! Thanks, Karin, for letting us be a part of Charlie's special week.

We'll spend one more week on our "bucket fillers" study. The children seem to be more deliberate about doing and saying nice things to others. I'm optimistic that this study will leave a lasting impact on all of us.

I took a poll and most of the children want to do a foods in literature unit next month. I'll send out more information next week along with a March calendar. I'm hoping to schedule a lot of different activities for next month.

Have a great weekend!

Valentine's Party

It was a beautiful day and today's weather was in stark contrast from last week's weather. We went from Winter to Spring in one week! The children had a great time outside today. We played in the woods and in the back yard for a good while.

We missed Michaela today. Andrew was out sick last week but he was back today. I hope that everyone gets well soon.

We enjoyed our spaghetti lunch. The children ate well. We had spaghetti and cheese bread along with banana cupcakes. I enjoyed serving them. Syan was still talking about mac and cheese so next time we may be eating homemade mac and cheese:-)

We are still talking about filling buckets. We'll read it each week this month. I think that the children really like the book and they are enjoying the challenge of being bucket fillers. I'll close this post with some comments from the children last week on how to fill buckets:

"We can be kind." Charlie

"Give hugs and kisses." Syan

"Tell them it's okay." Michaela

"Be nice to people." Jackson

Next week is Charlie's birthday and show and tell. See you then!

We're Filling Buckets!

Last Wednesday was our first day of our "Bucket Fillers" unit. If your child hasn't told you about being a "bucket filler" then now is the time to ask! Basically, the story is about all of the buckets that each one of us has within. You can fill a bucket by doing nice things and saying nice things. You can also dip from another bucket by doing the opposite. However, we can't fill our own buckets by dipping from another's bucket.

Our goal, beginning this month, is to do things to fill each other's buckets. We've even decorated metal buckets that we are going to use in class. When someone has filled our bucket, we can give them a foam heart to put in their metal bucket. I hope that it will encourage us all to be more deliberate about doing and saying nice things.

Our Valentine's Day party is on Wednesday. I'll be cooking for the children so no need to pack any lunches this week. We will be exchanging Valentines so send those on Wednesday. See you then!

Fox News Article on Play

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,482840,00.html I just thought that this link/story was important to share.

January 28, 2009

This past Wednesday was the last day of our Winter unit. Our last story of the unit was a flannel board story of The Mitten. All of the children enjoyed the story and were very attentive.

We enjoyed a hot cocoa party and Dawn P. brought muffin tops in honor of Michaela's birthday. It was a festive day! For our art project, we made snow globes. I've posted a picture of the finished products.

We went for a walk in the woods today because it was so wet and muddy in the grassy areas. The children excitedly looked for places of hibernation again. They are getting so good at spotting places where animals could hibernate for the Winter.

Our music and movement time was a blast! I think the children were exhausted from all of the shaking and moving! Our last song was "The Freeze" which the children love. When the song freezes, we have to freeze.

We're moving on to a study of practicing acts of kindness. We'll spend the month of February reading "Have You Filled A Bucket Today?" by Carol McCloud. This is a wonderful book and I am excited about implementing it into a monthly unit.

I'm going to send out information about upcoming field trips. Please let me know if you and your child will are interested in attending. Also, book orders are past due so if you plan on ordering books, please return orders on Wednesday. Thanks!