Arctic Adventures
2/1/2020
This week in early kindergarten we continued our study of Arctic animals. We discussed where these animals live, how they hide themselves, what they eat. and how they take care of their babies. We learned words like habitat, predator, prey, qiviut, and blubber. We watched several clips about polar bears, musk oxen and walruses, and we also watched a short a video of a father teaching his son how to build an igloo, as well as several clips about polar bears, musk oxen and walruses. The children were so engaged! When Mrs. Jaeger, our dedicated PNA art teacher, entered the classroom and discovered what we were studying, she immediately (and happily!) changed her plans on the spot and began teaching us how to paint musk oxen. This involved learning how to mix the primary colors to make dark brown and the add the teeniest bit of white to make light brown. Paint mixing was a big challenge for the preschoolers, but they loved it! The next time that we had art we got to practice paint mixing again in order to get the black paint we needed to paint orcas. We began with painting an orca tail and then we made another painting with an entire orca. When it came to mixing the paint for the water, all kinds of blues emerged from the preschoolers’ palettes! Thank you for your enthusiastic help, Mrs. Jaeger, in extending our learning about Arctic animals!
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Learning from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
1/25/2020
Last week, with the help of Mrs. Jaeger, each student created a portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , and these were arranged in a wonderful display in the staircase in the front of the school. This week our class joined all of our PNA community in celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We began Monday with an assembly, where we listened to older students share messages about Dr. King's life and his great work. Both last week and this week we all focused on one of Dr. King's important quotes: Life's most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?" For our preschool classes, we hoped to provide a meaningful experience for the students by inviting them to chose one toy of their own to donate to a child in need. We collected many toys to donate to Clare House Women's Shelter. One of the things which is most wonderful about Anchorage is that it is such a culturally-rich place to live. Because our population is so diverse, it is certain that we and our children will have friends, classmates and co-workers of many different ethnicities and cultures. Early childhood is a perfect time to help children understand and practice the concepts of kindness, service and inclusion, regardless of race or ethnicity.
Another of Dr. King's teachings which we focused on in the Beluga classroom was the importance of being kind to others and treating them respect, regardless of their outward appearance. To emphasize this point we had an object lesson using both brown and white chicken eggs. After discussing what qualities we could observe about the different eggs, we cracked a light brown, dark brown, and white egg open. After observing that all the eggs were the same on the inside, we concluded that the only difference we could see was the color of the shell -- but that the important part of the egg, the inside, was the same for each color. We then had fun comparing skin tones on our arms and the freckles and moles we each had. What a great discussion! In the wonderful early childhood years, young children don’t generally ask questions or bring up sensitive topics because they have an agenda. Their questions usually stem from a genuine desire to make sense of the world they live in. As parents and teachers, we have the opportunity to help them find answers which are kind, respectful and sincere. While sensitive topics are sometimes challenging to talk about with children, they are made easier if you already have established an environment where everyone feel safe valued, and respected. This is the kind of learning community which we strive to create at PNA -- one which will help students learn to tolerate, accept and celebrate differences. It is the kind of community which can help them not only grow in empathy and compassion for others’ difficulties and challenges, but also encourage them to find answers for the persistent and urgent question which Dr. King put to us all: "What are you doing for others?"
H is for Hibernation
1/18/2020
This week in our classroom we learned about the many different types of animals who hibernate during the winter. We also created dens and decided which animals should sleep in them. We also had an excellent time with our wonderful art substitute, Mrs. Adams! She brought in two different kinds of watercolor paints and we had so much fun practicing our techniques by painting rainbow stripes! We spent much of our learning time this week with alphabet activities. By far, our most popular activity had to be our brand new Alpha-Bots! Each of these letters transforms from a capital letter of the alphabet into a little robot! So cool!! These little toys are extremely engaging for the children, and they have the additional benefit of helping strengthen fine motor skills as the students try to figure out how to make them transform. They are also challenging for the adults in the room as well! We love learning together in Early Kindergarten!
We're Having "Snow" Much Fun
1/10/2020
Brrrrr! It has been cold this week, hasn’t it? While we haven’t been able to play outside, it hasn’t stopped us from learning a little bit more about wintertime: specifically snow and ice! An important part of our snow investigation involved a discussion on the states of matter. We talked about words such as solid, liquid and gas, ice, water, and steam. This led us in to talking the water cycle, and how temperatures in winter can affect it (Life Cycle of a Snowflake). We’ve talked about the temperature water freezes at and what affects it. The children experimented with adding sugar and salt to cups of snow to see if adding substances to snow would have any effect on how rapidly it melts. They were very excited to see how much more quickly salt made the snow melt. This led to a discussion of how we might use this information to keep our roads and driveways safer. Then, since it was too cold to play outside, we brought winter inside! After examining the snow and looking for snow flakes and ice crystals with magnifying glasses, the students made snowballs and tried to make miniature snowmen. Little hands got cold quickly as they played with the snow, and we talked about how much warmer the temperature of our bodies is compared to the temperature of the snow. At first the snow was very powdery. Although It took a little while, the snow finally warmed up enough to stick together! After playing with it for a bit, we decided to have some artistic fun with it. Did you know that you can paint snow? What happens when we hold it under running water? So much fun to watch it disappear! Everyone wanted a chance to try it! We also extended our winter theme into other areas of our classroom. Winter play dough with glitter and snowflake cookie cutters was a big hit. Snowflake shape puzzles were also an interesting way to reinforce shapes and notice how we can find different shapes in everyday objects. Both acitivites were excellent fine motor practice! Learning together about the wonderful world we live in is so much fun!
Happy Holiday Fun!
12/21/2019
This week in the Beluga classroom as we have been preparing for winter break, we have had lots of holiday fun. We have painted, crafted and wrapped several holiday projects, and we have played many holiday-themed games, and sung holiday songs together. One of the benefits of all our crafting and some of our other activities is that they have provided opportunities to work on our fine motor skills. Good fine motor skills help children develop the hand and finger strength needed for a good pencil grasp and control of a writing instrument. They help provide a strong foundation for handwriting. We have used our pattern blocks to make lots of holiday shapes. While pattern blocks are very useful in teaching children about shapes and geometry, they are important learning tools for other reasons as well. Pattern blocks help children develop their fine motor and visual discrimination skills. We decorated a few projects with beads, sequins and jewels which were challenging for little fingers to pick up. Managing glue bottles and trying to get small dots rather than puddles also was a bit of a challenge. They were determined though and did a great job! Wishing everyone the happiest of holidays! See you next year!!
Winter Wonder
12/14/2019
This week in the Beluga Classroom we continued our theme of winter activities. Although our weather was not very cooperative, we read books about the special circumstances actually needed for snow to fall, and we looked at photographs of the many different types of beautiful snowflakes which can form. It really is amazing to look at them!! These different themes we focus on each month or so in preschool give us terrific opportunities to teach and reinforce important literacy and mathematical concepts in fresh ways. Here are a few of the winter-themed activities we did this week which supported the children in their mathematical learning:
Math even sneaked its way into our sensory play! These students have used beads and straws to give their snowmen's arms AB patterns! Way to go girls! We're all looking forward to next week when we are hoping very much for some real snow to continue our winter theme!
Community and Courage
12/7/2019
This week the PNA community came together to enjoy a truly wonderful winter concert. The setting was beautiful, the audience was huge and the children, besides looking adorable were all so well-prepared! As everyone knows, these events take much planning and preparation and practice, and we are so grateful for our Preschool music teacher, Ms. Andrea, who made the preschool participation in the concert possible! An African proverb states: “It takes a village to raise a child”. Well, at PNA we have a REMARKABLE village! Our village consists of a group of amazing and dedicated educators, devoted and committed families, and outstanding and enthusiastic students! There is a wonderful synergy between family and teachers and students, and every day I am so grateful to be part of our PNA community whose goal is to help students succeed at becoming “exceptional learners and independent thinkers of vision, courage, and integrity." The opportunity to participate in our Winter Concert certainly helped our preschool practice courage! But what does courage mean for preschoolers? It can be different for each child, just as it is for every adult. Performing in front of a large group can be nerve-wracking, even for adults! Because this was a first time most of our preschoolers had ever done something like this, we practiced a lot and talked about what it would be like when everyone came to listen to us. Most of our class was excited about it, but one of our friends was definitely not excited. In fact, he was quite adamant that he was NOT participating. From private conversations with him we finally discovered that he was terrified of performing in front of everyone – so much so that he wouldn’t even go inside the gym to practice lining up. How could we help this child practice courage? Our wonderful Preschool Director, Ms. Anna, came up with the solution: We allowed him to choose the space where he would be comfortable standing with the children, and she would stay with him during the performance. The place he chose to stand? Behind one of the pieces of the set. He stood just out of sight, next to the line of children, holding Ms. Anna’s hand. So, when everyone was watching all of the adorable preschoolers singing, what most of the audience couldn’t see was one member of our PNA village, caring for the needs of a single child and supporting him as he was developing the courage to do something scary. But I saw it, and it made me proud to be a member of the PNA community!
Growing into Gratitude
11/23/2019
This week in Early Kindergarten we spent a good deal of time talking in simple terms about the Pilgrims and Native Americans, reading lots of silly turkey books, and doing the “Turkey Tango” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH5RWY1nm-I), but we also spent time each day talking about gratitude. Some of our favorite books! Young children are naturally egocentric and selfish – it is simply part of human development. But inside every child are also the seeds of kindness and amazing generosity. Anyone who has received a fistful of dandelions or has had a slightly crumpled masterpiece of scribbles thrust at them with a big grin, has seen the glimmer of these emergent traits. How those seeds are nurtured in the early years can have a profound effect on the way in which these virtues develop in a child’s life. Helping a child develop an attitude of gratitude is an important part of this nurturing. A sign hanging in my sister’s house proclaims, “Happiness is not getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you have.” In other words, experiencing joy has a great deal to do with the focus of our lives. Having this mindset can be a difficult thing at times, but I still believe it is a true saying. So how do we help children begin to turn outward from their naturally self-centered perspective and begin to be more grateful? I believe that gratitude begins with noticing. Parents and teachers can help children recognize the many, many good things in their lives. Other ideas which may be helpful to you can be found in a wonderful article entitled "12 Tips for Teaching Children Gratitude" found at https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Community/Pages/12-Tips-for-Teaching-Children-Gratitude.aspx. No matter which of these ideas or others which you choose to implement in your family, your persistence will pay off, and ultimately you'll be richly rewarded for your efforts! Have a wonderful break with your families!
Gratitude and Cooperation
11/16/2019
You may have noticed that the cold and flu season is upon us! This is one thing we aren't terribly grateful for, but cooperation can help us minimize its effects! We have talked a lot this week about germs, and how we don't want to spread them. We reviewed the proper way we should wash our hands, and we've all been washing frequently. In addition to stressing proper hand-washing, we've also been working hard on trying to cover our coughs and sneezes with our elbows, so that our germs stay off our hands. To help the children understand why it's so important to have clean hands, we watched a short video together which made quite an impression! Although it is a bit silly and the computer animation is dated, it really held their attention and helped them understand how important these things are! This week we began our Thanksgiving theme by talking about the ideas of gratitude and cooperation. One person whom we are all grateful for is our P.E. teacher, Ms. Molly! This week in our gym class Ms. Molly got out the large parachute, and we all got to participate in some exciting activities with her. Parachutes are so much fun, and they are always a hit with children young and old. Parachute play also teaches valuable skills like teamwork, cooperation, and self-control. Ms. Molly started by giving clear verbal instructions, and everyone worked hard to follow them. By working together the children were able to make large and small shakes and waves, and Ms. Molly showed us how we could cooperate to make playground balls fly up into the air and off the parachute! One of the most exciting things we did was to work together to trap the air in a giant bubble. This allowed us to go under the parachute and sit in the bubble for a "tea party". Our early kindergarten students did so wonderfully following Ms. Molly's directions with the parachute on the first day of gym class, that at our second class of the week Ms. Molly taught us the game "Sharks and Lifeguards". Parachutes are always a blast, and what a fun way to learn about working together! We are always so thankful for the well-planned and fun lessons we have in gym, and how Ms. Molly helps us learn about teamwork and cooperation!
Family Fun
11/9/2019
In preparation for our Thanksgiving Theme which will begin next week, we took this week to celebrate something which everyone is grateful for: families! We discussed vocabulary words for members of our immediate and extended families. We talked about the different kinds of homes families can live in and we talked extensively about the qualities and characteristics in our families which made us grateful for them. We talked about the number of people in our immediate families and graphed them. We read numerous books about families. We learned a great family song with sign language called "We Are a Family" by Jack Hartmann We capped of our week with our Parent Lunch and Activity. After we demonstrated our new "Rules Rap" for our parents (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z60vA7vVYUY), we read the book "Love You Forever" by the wonderful author Robert Munsch. We followed this with a parent-child activity of hand-print flowers. We love having families in our classroom!
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Melissa SmithMs. Smith has a degree in Early Childhood Education and has taught kindergarten for many years. Alaska has been home to Ms. Smith for 28 years, and she can't imagine living anywhere else! She has four children, a dog and two cats. She loves reading, camping, gardening, and genealogy! Archives
April 2021
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