Exploring Winter Wonders in the Cherry Blossom Classroom

The winter months bring a wealth of learning experiences as our young students explored the fascinating concepts of hibernation, migration, and adaptation this week. With the season’s chill in the air, it was the perfect time to delve into how animals survive the cold, and these curious learners embraced the opportunity to discover the wonders of winter.

The Science Behind Winter Survival: Hibernation, Migration, and Adaptation

Our little scientists engaged with the themes of hibernation, migration, and adaptation by exploring how animals prepare for the winter. They learned that some animals, like bears, hibernate to conserve energy during the colder months, while others, such as birds, migrate to warmer climates. They discovered how some animals adapt to the cold by growing thick fur or blubber to stay warm.

A Hands-On Science Experiment: Blubber and Cold Weather Survival

One of the highlights of the unit was a science experiment designed to show the importance of blubber in keeping animals warm in freezing conditions. The children eagerly participated in an experiment using Crisco, which acted as a stand-in for animal blubber. Each child placed their hand in ice water while wearing a sandwich bag coated with Crisco, experiencing how blubber helps insulate and protect animals from the cold. This tactile experiment not only brought the concept to life but also sparked discussions about how different animals use unique adaptations to thrive in winter.

A Cozy Winter Tale: The Mitten by Jan Brett

As part of our winter theme, we read Jan Brett’s The Mitten, a beautifully illustrated story that captivates young imaginations. The book tells the tale of a mitten dropped in the snow, where various animals seek shelter inside, creating a cozy, snug fit. The children loved discussing the animals in the story and drawing parallels between the animals in The Mitten and the real-life adaptations and behaviors they had been learning about.

Learning About Feelings – Yellow, Green, Blue, and Red

In addition to exploring the wonders of winter, our Blossoms also focused on emotional awareness and expression. Through engaging activities, they’ve been learning to identify and associate different feelings with specific colors. The children discovered that happiness is often represented by the color yellow, calmness by green, sadness by blue, and anger by red. This color-emotion connection will help them articulate their feelings more clearly, allowing for better self-awareness and empathy toward others.

Coming Up Next: DINOSAURS!

Monday, January 20: NO SCHOOL/Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Thursday, January 30: Grandparent’s Day!

Monday, February 3: 100th Day of School – dress like you are 100 years old! (Date subject to change in case of a snow day.)

Friday, February 14: NO SCHOOL/Teacher Inservice

Monday, February 17: NO SCHOOL/President’s Day

Exploring Winter Wonders: An Adventure with Snowflakes and Snow!

Welcome Back! Winter is here, and our Blossoms have been diving into the wonders of the season! We’ve been learning all about the characteristics of winter, snow, and snowflakes, and we even conducted an exciting experiment with freezing and melting snow. It’s been a fun-filled, educational first week back!

Discovering Winter’s Magic

To start, we introduced the children to the key characteristics of winter. We talked about how the air feels colder, the days are shorter, and, of course, snow! The kids were eager to share their experiences with snow, and we had some wonderful discussions about how snowflakes are formed, why snow falls from the sky, and what happens when it gets really cold outside.

Snowflakes

We also took a closer look at snowflakes! Did you know that every snowflake is unique? We learned that no two snowflakes are exactly alike, and each one is made up of a speck of dust and tiny ice crystals that form in a special pattern. The children loved how the snowflakes looked under a magnifying glass and enjoyed matching them with one of our science work trays. Older students practiced their sewing skills by creating beautiful snowflakes.

Freezing and Melting Snow

The highlight of our week was definitely our snow experiment! We brought in some snow from outside, and the children were able to touch, feel, and examine it up close. Then, we placed the snow in different containers to see what would happen when it was exposed to warmth. We watched as the snow slowly began to melt and turn into water. The kids observed the changes carefully, and we talked about the process of freezing and melting. They were excited to see the snow “disappear” and discussed how snow can melt when the temperature rises. We also put some of the snow into a cold place to see how it would freeze again, allowing the children to witness the transformation of water back into snow. This hands-on experience helped them understand the concept of temperature and the cycle of freezing and melting in a very real and fun way.

A Peek at our Work Trays

Throughout the week, we incorporated winter themes into our activities. From creating snow covered evergreen tree crafts to singing songs about snowflakes, the children had a blast while learning about the winter season. We even added some winter-related work trays throughout the classroom, such as measuring weight with items you would use to build a snowman and “writing the room” by finding winter themed words and copy writing.

Looking Ahead

Next week we will continue our exploration of winter by focusing on what the animals around us do during the winter months, as well as take a closer look at a book titled The Mitten by Jan Brett.

We have also been counting the days of the school year since the very first day – we are currently 85 days smarter! On the 100th Day of School we will celebrate with a pizza party, as well as have your children dress up like they are 100 YEARS OLD! It’s one of our favorite days of the school year!

Upcoming Dates:

Monday, January 20th – NO SCHOOL/Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Thursday, January 30th – Grandparent’s Day – Sign Up Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B48A8A92DA6F94-45787189-buckeye#/

Monday, February 3rd – 100th Day of School Celebration (*subject to change if we have a snow day*) Dress up like you are 100 years old!

Hello October!

We spent the past two weeks learning all about trees and leaves! Trees are such a fantastic part of the fall season, with their beautiful colors and falling leaves. We discussed the life cycle of a tree, learned that trees are a type of plant, and labeled the parts of a tree. We dove into a leaf study afterwards, learning about photosynthesis and chlorophyll, why leaves change color during the autumn season, and how important those fallen leaves are to animals and insects during the winter months.

We also enjoyed a nature walk on a warm, sunny, fall day! We looked for signs of the autumn season, and Kindergarteners completed a tree study. We brought leaves into the classroom and looked at their parts, drew them, and measured them with rulers.

Looking ahead!

Come work with us! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B48A8A92DA6F94-51462291-blossom#/

Friday, October 11 – NO SCHOOL – FALL BREAK

Friday, October 25 – Trunk or Treat!

Friday, November 8 – NO SCHOOL – Teacher Inservice

Monday, November 25 – NO SCHOOL – Parent/Teacher Conferences

Tuesday, November 26 – NO SCHOOL – Parent/Teacher Conferences

November 27-29 – NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Break

What a beautiful September we have had in the Cherry Blossom class! We have enjoyed warm, sunny days outside and so many fun activities in the classroom. Our Monarch butterflies hatched from their chrysalis and we set them free as they begin their long migration to Mexico. Blossoms have learned about Living and Non-Living things this month, as well as their 5 senses. They have used those 5 senses as they explored apples and pumpkins, ending the week with an amazing trip to Ramseyer Farm! And we wrapped up the month by welcoming the season of Fall, and learning about the four seasons.

Practical Life/Sensorial

We were able to use all of our 5 senses within the classroom this month, especially in the Sensorial area! We used our sense of sight for sorting and building from biggest to smallest. We used our sense of hearing with our sound cylinders. We used our sense of smell with our smelling jars. We used our sense of touch with our thermic tablets, rough and smooth boards, and fabric box. And we tasted tested sour, salty, sweet, red apples, green apples, and apple cider!

Math

Our Math lessons range from one to one correspondence as the children count quantity, to counting by 10s with our Tens Board, to filling in Ten Frames, and Kindergarteners are working with the Addition Strip Board and recording the sums of their equations.

Language

Our sweet Blossoms are working hard in the Language area as well. Our youngest children are working in the Pre-Language area as they practice What Does Not Belong or Opposites. Older preschoolers are working with Sound Pouches as they are introduced to letters and the sounds they make. Kindergarteners are isolating ending sounds in words or even working on blends in words!

Handwriting

There are so many different ways we practice our handwriting skills throughout the day! Chalkboards, dry erase boards, sand trays, and paper and pencil!

Cultural

You’ll see hints of our whole group Cultural lessons sprinkled throughout our classroom. Whether the children are working on Parts of a Pumpkin books, or Four Seasons art, or Parts of an Apple books, or even a pumpkin patch and an apple orchard in a child’s sketchbook!

What are the Kindergarteners up to?

My favorite part of a mixed age classroom is observing students teach lessons to other students. Our Kindergarteners practiced math skills with some preschool students this month. Why do we do this? Many reasons! Working together practices communication skills. Teaching a skill to another person strengthens the understanding of the concept. Learning from another person opens up new ways of understanding.

Learning is SO MUCH FUN!

Ms. Kelly has been working with the class on feelings and calming techniques. We have been practicing yoga and different ways to breathe. Here the class is practicing Lotus pose and taking five deep breaths.

Here’s a peek at some of our days! Worm weather, the excitment of finding the picture you’re looking for while sorting, the smiles that apple cider brings, and Cherry Blossom trees with Pink Tower and Brown Stairs!

A Peek Into October!

October will be a busy month as we dive deeper into Fall. We’ll be studying trees and leaves, as well as beginning our Animal Classification unit – a classroom favorite every year!

Important Dates:

Friday, October 11 – No School/Fall Break

Friday, October 25 – Trunk or Treat (more info coming soon!)

That’s all or now!

Our Focus Lesson:

What a beautiful first two weeks of learning in the Cherry Blossom classroom! We have spent these first 8 days discussing our classroom’s “Expected Behaviors”. These are our classroom expectations for the school year, such as being respectful to materials and being kind to others. We read books, held classroom discussions, and looked for all the ways we use these Expected Behaviors all day long!

Kindergarten Corner:

Our Kindergarteners returned ready to LEARN! They jumped right back into their addition equations as if they hadn’t been away from school all summer! They excitedly began Reading Groups and Writer’s Workshop this week, are stepping into their roles of leaders within the classroom, and are assisting their teachers throughout the day. We have a feeling that this is going to be an amazing group of kiddos!

Pre-K and Preschool Corner:

Our returning preschoolers have proudly claimed their Pre-K status, and jumped right back into their work activities as well! There has been handwriting, teen numbers, beginning sound isolation, and so much more this week! Our newest learners, or Preschoolers, have spent a wonderful few days learning our classroom routines, exploring Practical Life trays, and enjoying some partner works with older friends.

Enrichment Corner:

We started both Music class with Ms. Lisa and Art class with Ms. Lindsey this week. We were also very excited for our first science experiment of the year with Mr. John!

A Peek at our Week:

We have two very hungry monarch caterpillars growing in our classroom. Ask your child about what stage of the life cycle these insects are in! We also spent so many beautiful days outside exploring our new blacktop play area, running around in the grass, playing basketball and soccer, jumping in puddles, and enjoying popsicles with Ms. Sarah! Also, meet our new neighbors!

Peeking at Next Week:

Our Focus Lesson: Living/Non-Living & Emotions

Important Dates:

Monday, September 2: Labor Day – No School

Monday, September 9: Taekwondo Demo Day

Friday, September 20: Ramseyer Farm Field Trip

We have had such a busy month in the Cherry Blossom classroom! We have been preparing for the upcoming International Festival where we are representing South America. Your child has been practicing their fact that they will present during the festival, as well as singing our special songs in Spanish! We can’t wait to share our songs and facts with you next week!

Speaking of the Festival, here is some important information for you! Our Rehearsal will be on Wednesday evening, this is not a dress rehearsal so your child can wear whatever they wore to school that day. On Friday, for the show, your child should come dressed in an outfit that represents the country that they studied. If you have any questions about this, please ask me asap.

Here is a flashback from International Festival 2022 when we studied Africa. Recognize any little faces?

We have been lucky enough to have some visitors this month teach us about countries all over the world! We have learned about Pakistan, Japan, Brazil, and China!

Our ASL lesson even followed the theme! Mrs. Thompson has traveled through South America. She shared her experience with us, as well as taught us how to sign South America, anaconda, condor, and many other words!

Coming Up Next Week!

Our Focus Lesson: South American country presentations

Monday, 4/22 – Earth Day!

Wednesday, 4/24 – International Festival Rehearsal – arrive by 5:45pm

Friday, 4/26 – INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL – arrive by 5:30pm

Our Focus Lesson: Our Galaxy, Rainbows, and South America

Our group lessons this week were a mixture of topics! We continued our exploration of space by learning about our galaxy, the Milky Way, discussing the Universe, seeing what Earth looks like from space, and then exploring what astronauts do! This completes our Outer Space unit, we’ll be taking a closer look at our planet Earth next week! Rainbows can be found all around our classroom this week as the children buzz with excitement over the possibility of a leprechaun visit. St. Patrick’s Day may be over the weekend, but I have a feeling that a certain sneaky leprechaun will cause some chaos in the classroom anyways this week. Ms. Sam also introduced us to the continent we’ll be studying for International Festival. We took a look at South America books, were introduced to our songs for the performance, and started our research!

That Sneaky Leprechaun!!!!!

That silly leprechaun did surprise us on Friday! Just take a look at the mess that he made! At least he was kind enough to leave us a little surprise though!

Enrichment Spotlight!

We have completed our study of Peter and the Wolf with Ms. Lisa in Music, and are now learning about jumpy and smooth music. Children were introduced to the piano and got to play a few notes!

In Art with Ms. Varela, children have completed their self portraits! Aren’t they adorable?!?

This week was Ms. Tonya’s favorite experiment in Science with Mr. John! I just love the dancing raisins!

Coming Soon!

Next Week’s Focus Lesson: Our planet Earth

Important Dates:

Tuesday, March 19 – Elementary Science Fair @ 6:00! All are invited!

March 25 – April 1 – Spring Break! School resumes Tuesday, April 2.

Our Focus Lesson: Outer Space

We have had a busy few weeks as we’ve begun our newest unit of study – outer space! We studied the planets of our solar system – Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. We discussed characteristics of each of these planets and learned about the rocky planets vs the gas giants. We also talked about dwarf planets so Ms. Tonya could include Pluto in our discussions. We learned what the word orbit means, and discussed asteriods, comets, the Moon, the Sun, and stars. Did you know that stars come in four colors? Yellow, white, blue, and red!

Right to Read Week!

What a fun week celebrating reading within our classroom! Right to Read week encourages everyone to read books for fun, and what books are more fun than Dr. Seuss books! We read many Dr. Seuss books this week, noticed rhyming words and nonsense words along the way, and had a blast with our dress up days!

Work Time is the BEST!

Coming Up Next Week!

Focus Lesson: Space – Our Galaxy and the Universe

Important Dates:

Tuesday, March 19 – Elementary Science Fair

March 25 – April 1 – Spring Break! School resumes Tuesday, April 2

Our Focus Lesson: Internal Organs

We have had such a fun time the past two weeks learning about the insides of our bodies! We’ve learned about the brain, the lungs, the heart, the stomach, the small and large intestions, and the kidneys. Each of these body parts have a super important job to do, and we learned all about it! We also had fun identifying where inside of our bodies each organ is.

Preschool Corner:

Preschoolers are busy! They’re counting internal organs, using the Moveable Alphabet to isolate beginning sounds, tracing and labeling animals, and completing the 45 layout with the Golden Beads! This time of year is a time of big growth for our preschool students, many of them are entering a sensitive period where their math, language, and handwriting skills will grow immensely in the months we have left. It’s such a magical time of year, full of excitement and pride in their work!

Kindergarten Corner:

Kindergarteners are doing some big kid works! They are gathering data by asking questions of their classmates, telling time on an analog clock, and reading challenging words. In Reader’s Workshop, our older Blossoms have been introduced to the parts of speech – noun, verb, and adjective. In Writer’s Workshop, children have completed their unit on How To Books, and started Personal Narratives as we work on sentence structure, which words should be capitalized, and punctuation.

Check out what we’ve been up to!

We have had so much fun in the classroom over the past few weeks! We celebrated the 100th Day of School with some 100 year old ladies and gentlemen. One of these older gentleman used his walker to give you a hint about which continent we’ll be studying for the upcoming International Festival. We also celebrated Valentine’s Day with Candy Heart Graphing, dancing, a game of Musical Hearts, a treat, and Curious George’s Valentine’s Day.

Peek into Next Week!

Focus Lesson: Healthy Foods (5 Food Groups)

* We will be checking our lunch boxes each day next week to see if we can find the 5 food groups every day!

*We will also be preparing our own snack next week, eating one food group each day! Thank you to all the parents that are providing food items for us! Your child does not need to pack a snack next week!

Important Dates:

Monday, February 19 – No School, President’s Day

March 25 – April 1 – No School, Spring Break

Our Focus Lesson: The Skeletal System!

We began our study of the Human Body this week – beginning with our skeletons! Our skeletons are such an important part of our body since they hold us up, help us move, make our blood, and protect some very important organs inside of us. After this week, your child should be able to show you where their skull, spine, ribs, pelvis, femur, and humorous bones are. They can also wiggle their philanges! We put skeletons together this week, traced and labeled them, and created some extremely cute artist renditions of them!

Preschool Corner:

Preschoolers continued with their very big works this week! Our older preschoolers completed their Continent Maps that you can see hanging up in the hallway. They worked hard on these and it shows! Some of our other preschoolers tried new work activities for the very first time – like tracing a fish and completing 1-20 on the 100 Board! We’re so proud of them!

Kindergarten Corner:

Kindergarteners are busy in Writer’s Workshop! Our current unit is How To Books, and they are busy teaching their readers how to build snowmen, how to make hot chocolate, how to grow flowers, and how to be kind. Within the classroom, each Kindergarten chose a continent puzzle to trace and label as well. We’re getting ready for our upcoming in depth continent study that’s coming soon!

99 Days of School!

We are so excited to be 100 Days Smarter on Monday! Our class has been counting the days of school each day during Line Time. We practice exchanging when we get to ten units (ones) and moving them to the tens place. We practice counting by tens and ones each day. We can’t wait to rubber band all of those tens and move them to the hundreds place!

Groundhog’s Day!

We were so lucky to be able to get outside this week and introduce the concept of shadows with the sun! We learned that shadows are created by objects blocking the light source. We then furthered this study within the classroom using a flashlight and one of our geometric solids. We learned that the light needs to be behind the object to create a shadow in front of it. That if the objects gets closer to the light, the shadow gets bigger, and it gets smaller as the object moves farther away. We wrapped up our study by watching Punxsutawney Phil predict an early spring by not seeing his shadow on Friday!

Peek into Next Week!

Focus Lesson: Internal Organs

Important Dates:

February 5 – 100th Day of School!

February 15 – Valentine’s Day Celebration

February 16 – No School – Teacher Inservice

February 19 – No School – President’s Day