March Memories in Pre K!

Dear Parents,

This week has been filled with exciting opportunities for your children to grow and develop across all areas—academically, socially, and physically! Through gymnastics classes, they are building strength, coordination, and balance, while in art sessions, they are exploring their creativity and fine motor skills through various activities, including clay modeling. Their literacy and math skills are also flourishing as they engage in hands-on learning experiences that make letters, numbers, and problem-solving come to life.

Beyond academics, our classroom is a place where children develop essential social skills, learning to collaborate, communicate, and express their ideas with confidence. Each day, we see their creativity shine as they explore new concepts, ask thoughtful questions, and participate with enthusiasm.

We are excited to share more about their progress and the wonderful moments from this week—stay tuned!

As a reminder, next week on Thursday (March 13) and Friday (March 14) the school will be closed for spring break/teachers training.

Large group

This week in our large group session, the Pre-K students had an exciting time exploring new letters, shapes, and vocabulary. We focused on the letters Q, R, S, and T, introducing different words that begin with these sounds. The children were eager to share words they knew and learned new ones along the way.

In our shape exploration, we introduced the nonagon, a shape with nine sides. The students noticed that “nonagon” and “nine” start with the same N sound, helping them make a meaningful connection. We compared the nonagon with other shapes we had previously learned, discussing how it differs from shapes like the hexagon or octagon.

For our rhyming words, we explored words that end with "ear” such as tear and hear, encouraging the children to listen carefully to how words sound alike at the end.

During our morning discussions and morning message, we explored exciting science topics. We talked about which planet is closest to the sun and which is the furthest, sparking curiosity about space. This led to a discussion about rocket ships, their different parts, and what kind of fuel they use. The students wondered whether rockets need a lot of power or just a little to launch, and they shared their ideas about how each part of the rocket helps it fly.

We also began counting down to Family Day! The chi

ldren were full of excitement as they recalled past experiences and shared their thoughts on what they are looking forward to. Their enthusiasm for the upcoming event was contagious!

Math

This week in math, we continued exploring the concept of measurement in a new way by measuring water and sand using different sizes of cups. In our class, focusing on one concept over several weeks helps engage students and enhances their understanding at a deeper level. Over the past few weeks, our math lessons have concentrated on measurement, and this week was no different.

We took the class outside to measure water and sand with various cup sizes. First, we divided the class into groups, with one group measuring water and the others measuring sand. Each group used different sized cups to measure and compare the amounts, exploring which cups held more, which were smaller, and which were heavier or lighter. This hands-on activity proved to be very beneficial, enriching our knowledge of measurement.

In the second session, the children chose the items they wanted to measure in class and stated their lengths. They measured shelves, tables, the whiteboard, pillows, and the mat. They were very excited to measure by themselves using the measuring tapes.

Literacy

This week in literacy, we continued practicing blending and CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. In the first group, After practicing CVC words, they did fantastic writing their own CVC words using the vowel "o" in the middle.

For the second group, this week’s vowel was also "u". They practiced words that start with the vowel "o," blending it with another consonant using flashcards. We are very proud of them because they have clearly fully grasped the concept of blending and reading. Some of them are even ready for the next group of CVC words, which is very exciting! This progress shows their dedication over the past few weeks.

For the third group, we continued with one-on-one instruction, focusing on letter recognition and writing.

During the second session, the first group completed a paper worksheet that involved tracing, reading, and matching CVC words. The second group was provided with plain paper, where they created their own two words starting with the vowel letter 'o.' By adding another consonant letter, they formed new words and read them aloud. We are very proud of all our students for how far they’ve come and their dedication to literacy! We look forward to seeing their continued progress next week. For the last group, using flashcards and their worksheets, they circled letters, traced them, and then named them.

Science

This week, our science class was thrilling! As we know, the past few weeks have focused solely on planets. We shared ideas about planets, working on a project where we recreated all the planets in their actual sizes and painted them according to their color themes.

To finalize our planet project, we presented it to the class, and with the teachers' help, we hung it up in our classroom. This was such an exciting moment for the students! After hanging the planets from the ceiling, we made the classroom dark by covering the windows with curtains. Then, we added a colorful flashlight, allowing the children to feel like they were in space while observing the hanging planets. After they saw all the planets, we had a little discussion.

Finally, we showed them a 4-minute video about the solar system to provide a visual experience. The children were thrilled, and it was a beautiful moment for them. Even after the video ended, they couldn't stop talking about the planets.

At this point, we are very proud of all our students for their knowledge and enthusiasm regarding this topic!

Art

This week, after the science planet project, the students kept talking about space and asked if they could make a rocket ship in art class. We provided a printed rocket ship image with its name on it in our large group. They discussed the rocket ship and shared their understanding, and their insights were truly amazing.

Then we went to the art room. One by one, we covered the canvas background with black paint and sprinkled white glitter on it. After it dried, we placed tape in a specific shape to represent the rocket ship. The students then painted the inside with the colors they chose yellow and green. Finally, we used a tissue roll as a base, and the children covered it with foil. For the fins, we painted them red, and we also painted the top of the fire red. For the engine part, we used a paper plate and covered it with foil. For the fire part, we used and stuck orange yarn. After we finished, we hung it in our classroom, which generated a lot of excitement. The students had a blast (no pun intended) throughout the whole process and absolutely loved the final result! We are so proud of them.

“We paint black because the night is black” Alen

“It works with diesel for the rocket “ Leul

“The engine helps to fly” Riley

“The circle part is the window” Samuel

Gymnastics

In gymnastics this week, the Pre-K class had an exciting opportunity to explore the new toys in our playground, including the seesaw and walking bars. Before jumping into play, we started with a discussion about how these toys help strengthen our arm and leg muscles while also improving balance. The children were eager to try them out, and as they played, they naturally engaged in movements that enhanced their cross-modal skills.

After getting comfortable with the seesaw and walking bars, we moved to another section of the playground—the climbing structure. Taking turns in pairs, the students climbed up and excitedly jumped in, building confidence and coordination along the way. Their enthusiasm was evident as they cheered each other on and challenged themselves to reach the top.

To end the session, we visited the monkey bars. One by one, the students climbed up and worked on their hand muscles, gripping and swinging from one bar to the next. This activity not only strengthened their upper body but also encouraged perseverance as they made their way across.

Throughout the session, the children were thrilled to explore the new playground equipment, enjoying both the physical challenge and the fun of outdoor movement. It was a great way to develop their motor skills while keeping them engaged and active.

Small group

Monday: - Science

Tuesday: - Math

Our Special

Monday: - Ethiopian center

Tuesday:- Library

Wednesday: - Art

Reminder

Every Tuesday is our library day, so we will be sending a book that your child picked from our library, which will be returned after a week on library day.

Every Wednesday is our art day so please send your child with art-appropriate clothing.

Thank you for your time!