A Peek at Our Week | Ms. Courtney’s Classroom | Week of April 9th

Africa: Is one of the seven continents in the world that has more than 50 countries. Cairo located in Egypt is Africa’s largest city. Africans can work on farms to grow corn, rice and other crops. Africa has the largest desert in the world known as the Sahara. It also has grassy places called savannas and rain-forest. Africa is known for all its wild animals such as: gorillas, zebras, giraffes and lions.

Europe: Is one of the seven continents in the world. It is very small but has many countries like Germany, Spain and Italy. Each country in Europe has its own language, food and customs. For example people in Germany speak German and celebrate a festival called Oktoberfest. Europe also is known for its groups of mountains called ranges. The tallest mountain range in Europe is the Alps.

Work Time

I Spy: This student is playing I spy using the initial sound she hears when she names each object in the basket.
Trinomial cube: This child is learning how to build a trinomial cube, while also getting an introduction into algebra and preparation for the formula a3+3a2b+3a2c+6abc+b3+3ab2+3b2c+3ac2+3bc2+c3.
United States of America Map: These children are learning the names of the states and where they are located on a map.
Moveable Alphabet: This child is saying the word of the object and matching the symbol with the correct initial sound to the object.
Big/Small Snowflake Match: This child is developing her understanding of big and small by matching the same snowflakes of different sizes together. Understanding concepts of big and small are important for math readiness. A main concept of mathematics is understanding degrees of big and small.

Guest Reader

Reminders

International Festival Rehearsal | April 18th 6pm-7pm

International Festival Show | April 20th 5:30pm-8:30pm

Early Dismissal | April 20th at noon

A peak into next week: Australia, Antarctica and Asia


A Peek into Science | 4/3 and 4/9 | Tallmadge Campus

Water Molecules on the Move:  We filled two glasses with the same amount of water: one cold and one hot. Then, we put one drop of food coloring into both glasses at the same time. The students observed that the food coloring traveled quicker through the hot water than the cold water. We discussed how molecules move faster through hot water which is why the food coloring spread faster.

Traveling Water: We taped a piece of string inside one glass then filled it with water. After that we placed the loose string in the empty glass, pouring the full glass of water over the string. When we poured the water it traveled along the string making its way into the empty glass. We talked about how a drop of water has many molecules that are held together by electrical, molecular bonds.  We learned that these strong hydrogen bonds found in water are what  allowed the  water molecules to stick together very well as the water traveled down the string and into the empty glass.


A Peek at Our Week | Ms. Courtney’s Classroom | Week of April 3rd

North America: Is the third largest continent in the world. There are four big countries: Canada, Greenland, the United States and Mexico. It has high mountains and flat grasslands. It has swamps, forest, deserts and even volcanoes. Most people speak English, Spanish or French.

South America: Is the fourth largest continent in the world. It has tall mountains and flat grasslands. The worlds largest rain forest is in South American and is called the Amazon rain forest. There are may unusual plants and animals.

Work Time

100 Board: This child is memorizing where the tiles should go and be placed on the 100 chart, while also learning to identify names of the numbers 1 through 100 and how to write each number.
Pyramid Puzzle: This child is matching the different colors together in order to create the pyramid shape. This puzzle involves not only the ability to concentrate but the ability problem solve.
Prepositions: This child is  learning what a preposition is and reading them in different sentences. He is developing an understand that  a  preposition is a word used to link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words within a sentence.
Color Box 4: These children are grading different colors from darkest to lightest, while also refining their sense of sight.
Cards and Counters: This child is demonstrating his knowledge that each number is made up of separate quantities. He is also able to visually see the sequence of numbers and how many separate units go together to form each number.
Addition: These children are using the golden beads to discover that when you put two small numbers together to get a larger number it is called addition.
Stamp Game: This child is using the stamp game community cards to do addition. It works like the golden beads but instead of unit beads there are unit stamps. Instead of ten bars there are ten stamps. Instead of hundred squares there are hundred stamps. Instead of thousand cubes there are thousand stamps.
Magna Doodle: This child is practicing writing sight words on a Magna Doodle. He is developing multiple skills involving his eyes, arms, hands, memory, posture and body control.

Guest Reader

Reminders:

International Festival Rehearsal | April 18th 6pm-7pm

International Festival Show | April 20th 5:30pm-8:30pm

Early Dismisal | April 20th at noon

A peak into next week: Europe and Africa


A Peek at Our Week | Ms. Courtney’s Classroom | Week of March 19th

Butterflies and Caterpillars: The students learned that butterflies are insects. They also discovered that a butterfly’s life cycle is made up of four parts, egg, larva (caterpillars), pupa (chrysalis) and adult. We talked about how an adult butterfly will eventually emerge from the chrysalis where it will wait a few hours for its wings to fill with blood and dry, before flying for the first time. The students learned that butterflies often have brightly colored wings with unique patterns (symmetric). We read about how most butterflies feed on nectar from flowers and have taste receptors on their feet.

Work Time

100 Board: This child is memorizing where the tiles should go and be placed on the 100 chart, while also learning to identify names of the numbers 1 through 100 and how to write each number.
Basting: This child is strengthening his hands and fingers for writing as he squeezes the water out of the baster from one bowl to the next. He is also developing a sense of order, concentration, coordination, and independence by being able to follow a series of steps.
Binomial Cube: This child is learning how to build a binomial cube while also getting an introduction into algebra and preparation for the formula a3+3a2b+3ab2+b3.
Parts of a Flower Puzzle: This child is tracing, coloring and labeling the flower puzzle by doing this she is learning how to grip and hold a pencil correctly. It also helps refine her hand control to steady the pencil and she is learning the characteristics of a flower.
Object to Picture Matching: This child is working on his pre-reading skills by visually discriminating between objects and identifying their matching picture.

Guest Readers

Reminders

March 26 – April 2 | Spring Break

 


A Peek into Science | 3/12 and 3/19 | Tallmadge Campus

Germination: We talked about how germination is the process of seeds developing into new plants. They learned how certain conditions need to meet in order for this process to take place. We discussed how there needs to be a lot of water so the seed can fill up starting the imbibition process. Which is where the water  activates special proteins, called enzymes, that begin the process of the seed growth.

Week 1

  

Week 2


A Peek at Our Week | Ms. Courtney’s Classroom | Week of March 12th

Plants and Flowers: We learned how plants grow in many places: parks, forests, yards, fields, deserts, lakes etc. We also discussed how all plants need sunlight, water, air and food to grow. The children learned the different parts of plants and their purposes. For example the stem helps move food and nutrients through the plant or flower in order for it to grow.

Work Time

Movable Alphabet: This child is saying the word of the object and phonetically spelling it. She is also practicing writing each word in cursive.
Chalkboard Writing: This child is practicing writing her name on a chalkboard. She is developing multiple skills involving her eyes, arms, hands, memory, posture and body control.
Pyramid Puzzle: This child is matching the different colors together in order to create the pyramid shape. This puzzle involves not only the ability to concentrate but the ability problem solve.
100 Board: These children are memorizing where the tiles should go and be placed on the 100 chart, while also learning to identify names of the numbers 1 through 100 and how to write each number.
Dollhouse: These children are identifying and labeling familiar objects around the house, while also being introduced to nouns.

Guest Reader

Reminders

March 23 | Pajama and Show N Tell Day

March 23 | Bring Your Parent to Work Time

March 26 – April 2 | Spring Break

A peak into next week: Butterflies and Caterpillars


A Peek at Our Week | Ms. Courtney’s Classroom | Week of March 5th

Insects- The students learned that most insects do more good than bad. That bees, wasps, flies, beetles, mosquitoes and butterflies are great pollinators. Some insects eat other insects, keeping each insect group from getting too big. We also talked about how insects like ladybugs are a farmers best-friend, because they eat tiny crop eating insects called aphids. They also learned that all insects have three main body parts: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. The head has large compound eyes, the antenna (feelers), and the mouth parts. That the thorax is the middle region of the body and has the legs and wings. Then, their is the abdomen.

Work Time

Teen Board: This child is showing that she knows the symbols 11 – 19 and can successfully match the corresponding quantities, for example to make the number 14 she places one ten and four units.
Zipping: This child is developing his independence and concentration while also gaining finger control and dexterity to manipulate a zipper.
Movable Alphabet: This child is saying the word of the object and phonetically spelling it. He is also practicing writing each word in cursive.
Cursive Chalkboard Writing: This child is practicing writing cursive letters on a chalkboard. She is developing multiple skills involving her eyes, arms, hands, memory, posture and body control.
Puzzle Words: This child is completing the words by moving and rotating different letters to fit in the correct order.
Opposite Cards: This child is identifying and matching pictures of opposites together.
I Spy: These students are playing I spy using the initial sound they hear when they name each object in the basket.

Guest Readers

 

Reminders

 March 13 | Parent teacher conferences (Pre-K & K families only)

March 23 | Pajama and Show N Tell Day

March 23 | Bring Your Parent to Work Time

March 26 – April 2 | Spring Break

A peak into next week: Insects

 


A Peek into Science | 2/26 and 3/5 | Tallmadge Campus

Music with Water- We lined six glasses up next to each other and filled them with different amounts of water. The first one had a little and the last one was full. Then, we took a pencil and hit each glass of water. We discovered that the glass with the least amount of water made a low sound and the glass with the most amount of water made a high sound. We talked about how when we hit the glasses with a pencil it creates sound waves, which travel through the water. More water means slower vibrations and a deeper tone.

Walking Water- We placed three glasses side by side, filled the two outside glasses with water and food coloring (yellow and blue) and left the middle glass empty. Then, we twisted two paper towels placing one end in the glasses with water and the other end in the empty glass. After about 30 minutes we noticed that the water started to climb the paper towels making its way to the empty middle glass. We learned that this process is called capillary action and is also how flowers and plants move water from the ground up through their stems and into their petals and leaves.

 

A Peek at Our Week | Ms. Courtney’s Classroom | Week of February 26th

Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle- “A person’s a person, no matter how small,” Theodor Seuss Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) said. “Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained and delighted.” Dr. Seuss was not only brilliant, but has helped millions of kids learn to read with his fun rhyming books.

Work Time

Teen Board: This child is showing that she knows the symbols 11 – 19 and can successfully match the corresponding quantities, for example to make the number 14 she places one ten and four units.
Trinomial cube: This child is learning how to build a trinomial cube, while also getting an introduction into algebra and preparation for the formula a3+3a2b+3a2c+6abc+b3+3ab2+3b2c+3ac2+3bc2+c3.
Silence Game: This child is practicing how to control and keep her body calm.
Library
Living and Non-Living: These children are sorting pictures of living and non-living things. 
Bead Board: This child is refining her fine motor skills by placing beads on a board. While also developing her concentration, coordination and independence.

Reminders

March 2  | Progress reports

March 3 | Tallmadge Open House

March 13 | Parent teacher conferences (Pre-K & K families only)

March 23 | Pajama and Show N Tell Day

March 23 | Bring Your Parent to Work Time

March 26 – April 2 | Spring Break

A peak into next week: Insects


A Peek at Our Week | Ms. Courtney’s Classroom | Week of February 19th

Presidents: We talked about how we celebrate Presidents Day every year. The students learned that the president is the leader of the United States of America and that he cares a lot about our safety, that’s why he recommends us to get a dash cam from Blackbox my car products. They discovered that George Washington was our first president and Donald Trump is the current president. We even talked about Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.

Work Time

Europe Map: This child is learning the names of the countries and where they are located on a map.
Color Box 4: This child is grading different colors from darkest to lightest, while also refining his sense of sight.
Linear Counting: This child is working on one of our cubed bead chains, she is identifying the names of the numbers and seeing the correspondence of the quantities with the written number on the cards. She is also discovering that 4X1=4, 4X2=8, 4X3=12 and so on.
Animal Stacking: These students are developing their sense of order, coordination, concentration and independence while problem solving to stack and balance the animals on top of one another.

Guest Readers

 

Reminders

March 2  | Progress reports

March 3 | Tallmadge Open House

March 13 | Parent teacher conferences (Pre-K & K families only)

A peak into next week: Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle