Planetary exploration, creativity and more in Pre K!

Greetings dear parents!

How was your week? We hope yours was as amazing as ours in the Pre K class! The class got busy and had a blast working on engaging literacy activities, creative endeavors in art, enriching discussions during large group circle time, and so much more!

Large Group Time

During our large group session, we focused on the letters B, C, and D. The students practiced identifying each letter, saying their sounds, and thinking of words that begin with them. We also explored the pentagon shape, discussing how it has five sides and how it resembles a house.

Next, we introduced rhyming words that end with “-ag,” such as tag and bag. The students enjoyed listening and looking out for similar sounds, as well as coming up with their own rhyming words.

For our morning message, students had the opportunity to come up to the board and blend two sounds together. They eagerly took turns sounding out simple words, reinforcing their phonemic awareness and confidence in early reading skills.

On another day, we had a wonderful discussion where each student shared their favorite shape. They explained why they liked it, describing its sides and unique features. We also had an engaging conversation about planets!

The children shared what they knew about the different planets, discussing their sizes, colors, and appearances. Some students talked about how Jupiter is the biggest, while others mentioned Saturn’s rings or Mars being red. Their curiosity and excitement about space made for a fantastic learning experience!

These large group sessions were filled with rich discussions, hands-on learning, and plenty of opportunities for students to express their thoughts and ideas.

Literacy

This week in our literacy class, we split the class in two different groups to better assist each student. For the first group, we focused on putting together sounds and blending them. In the first session, we revisited the concept to make it clearer for every child. We started by blending only two sounds that begin with the letter "a," then we added sounds and blended them. In the second session, we provided them with paper where they could put together sounds to create two words, and then they read what they had written by themselves. It was a good practice week for the class, and most students were trying to read.

For the second group, we focused on zoo phonics. We provided one-on-one time for each student to learn the sounds- s, a, p, i, n, t, c, k, e, h, and r. The next day, the children traced some of the letters they had learned.

Science

This week in science class, we worked on a delightful hands-on activity. Since we have been learning about the planets, the children have had a sustained interest in this topic for a long time and wanted to work on each planet as a project. For this week, the class chose three planets: Neptune, Mars, and Uranus, and made papier mache creations based on them!

First, we tore tissue paper and newspaper and soaked it in water and glue. After mixing it, the children inflated balloons of different sizes. They then stuck the wet tissue paper onto the balloons, continuing this process for all three planets. Once the paper dried, we popped the balloons, leaving the paper in the shape of the balloon. This way, the class will create models of all the planets.

The class will continue this project for the next coming weeks until we finish all the planets. Throughout this process of making the planets, the children were very excited and couldn't wait to see the final results.

Math

This week's math sessions were educational and fun in our Pre K class, where we learned about composing and decomposing shapes. In the first session, the class created different shapes using magnets by grouping them together.

In the second session, we divided the students into three groups and gave them various cut-out shapes to create their own shapes collaboratively. For example, they used two semicircles to create one circle. In this way, they created different shapes and glued the shapes they made onto a large piece of construction paper. They created some really amazing shapes!

Art

This week in art class, the students created a blue sky as a project on a large canvas. After coming up with the idea of a blue sky, we asked them what else they wanted to add. They suggested the sun, clouds, and rainbows. Then, they painted these elements one by one as a group, and their artwork turned out amazing, and they loved both the process and end result!

Gymnastics

In this week's gymnastics session, we started with a fun warm-up to get our bodies moving. The students began by walking around in a large square, feeling the rhythm of their steps. Then, we picked up the pace by jogging, followed by hopping and crawling, which got everyone excited and engaged.

After the warm-up, the students sat down, and we all took a deep breath in and out, allowing our bodies to relax and prepare for the next activities. Then, it was time to jump! We placed two hula hoops on the floor, and the children practiced jumping from one to the other, focusing on lifting both feet off the ground at the same time. They were so proud as they successfully landed in each hoop!

Following that, we played an exciting game where the students had to move four objects from one hula hoop to the other while running. Everyone cheered and encouraged their friends as they took turns completing the challenge, creating a wonderful sense of teamwork and support.

Next Week’s Schedule:

Small group

Monday: Science

Tuesday: Math

Thursday: Literacy

Our Specials:

Monday: Ethiopian center

Tuesday: Library

Wednesday: Art

Reminders and Notes:

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!