Monday:  Happy Monday!  This week are jumping in feet first to our study of the Phonetic alphabet, beginning with Aa.  This morning during Montessori work time Teo spent most of his time tracing the alphabet, while Paislie worked on puzzles, Wren was very interested with studying the Continents on the globe, while Asher and Cetta worked in our Practical Life shelf scooping and pouring rice into different containers.  We then broke into our small groups to introduce the letter Aa!  YAY!  Dom’s group practiced tracing using the Sand Paper letters, My group brainstormed words that began with the letter Aa, and Kinder Blossom went on a hunt for objects beginning with Aa around the school.  This afternoon we made puppets using cloth pieces that we will put by our Peace Table for our friends to use while working out a problem.  

Tuesday morning consisted of Dom’s group tracing the letter A in a sand box and listing the items they collected that began with the letter Aa.  During Montessori work time Kai practiced his fine motor skills using tweezers to sort cotton balls while Ancel worked on a tree puzzle and Jackson practiced scooping with colored rice.  Group B’s attention during work time was focused on the Geography puzzles.  Teo and Asher worked together to complete South America while Wren and I worked on Africa.  Cetta spent most of her time sorting and matching colors with our shading work.  Kinder Blossom practiced writing the letter Aa in their notebooks.  This afternoon after nap we had a celebration for Jackson’s 3rd Birthday!  His Dad brought in special vegan muffins.  The kiddos were able to choose which kind they wanted to eat, carrot or blueberry.  The muffins were delicious, thank you Jackson!  After out birthday celebration we had yoga with Miss Vanessa.  All the kiddos were very engaged in yoga practicing their balance and the new poses they were taught.

Wednesday:  During circle time this morning we practiced our breathing exercise we use in yoga with our meditation bottle.  To help practice meditation we sit quietly and take slow deeps breathes as we watch the glitter in the bottle settle down on the bottom.  This exercise really helps the Sunflower’s focus their energy and get ready for Montessori work time. During small group time, group b made apple trees.  We used our fore arms for the trunks of the trees, our fists to make the leaves, and our fingers to make the apples.  Our apple orchard turned out fantastic!  This afternoon after nap we enjoyed  Spanish with Miss Daphne.  We are continuing to learn insects names in Spanish.

Thursday:  This morning Dom's group made aliens with their hand prints.  My group practiced writing the letter Aa.  This afternoon we had a very special afternoon snack! Miss Liz brought her juicer, and let the Sunflower's help put the purple carrots and beets in the juicer.  All the Sprouts thoroughly enjoyed the juice, their purple mustaches proved that fact :)


Friday:  We spent most of the morning inside playing in Center waiting for the backyard to dry out so we could head outside for a dance party.  While we waited we read library books, did art and played in the construction center.  After we all had a chance to eat snack we marched outside to join the Pre-Tots and Toddlers for a dance party! We also helped Miss Jackie with our gardens. This afternoon we made a banner for Green Sprout's birthday party that turned out absolutely fabulous!  

What a great week!  Have a marvelous weekend!

Love, Lizzie

Monday:
We started this lovely monday morning, with a few presentations of Montessori works, and group time. Ancel was very excited to work with magnets while Kai loves to work with the different colored containers and the matching bears that go with it! Jackson worked hard on unscrewing and screwing on lids of containers, and Tula worked with the marbles, distinguishing which are FLAT and which are ROUND. while Group B and Kinder Blossom where also working hard in their areas. Jasper and Joey worked with different shapes.
We had our newest LYH friend, Heather, join us for Yoga today. She told all of our friends a little bit about herself, and expressed how happy she was to be here!

TUESDAY:
Another great morning of successful work time! Genevieve opted to work with the magnets today, confident from the presentation the day before! While Jacson was interested in the bugs, Kai work with magnetic vs non magnetic, and Kian worked on rolling and unrolling his mat! Teo and Asher each worked on a puzzle, while Wren worked hard with pressure cylinders, one in each hand, trying to determine its match!
During group today, we went out for a quick nature walk, finding mulch, sand, sticks, rocks, and leaves around the playground! I then, using glue, wrote each friends name, and they decorated it with the natural objects they found outside!
Another great afternoon of Yoga with Ms Vanessa!!

WEDNESDAY: Arielle arrived and we began our day with a quick circle time discussion, then dismissed to Montessori work time.
Kai worked with the magnets, while Noah explored the tree puzzle. After a solid 35 mins of worktime, we started show N tell - each group had their own show N tell in their group areas. Genevieve showed us her lovies, Giraffe lovey and racoon lovey, while Jackson brought out his tambourine, Kai brought a small car, Ancel brought a long drill bit, which everyone was fascinated by.

Spanish - Ms Daphne introduced "insectos" (insects) to the group, and brought out flashcards to go through some of our more common insects and their Spanish translation!

Thursday:
Today was Kai's turn with magnets, while Jackson checked out the sand paper letters! Lizzie's group painted a beautiful collage for their area! In Kinder Blossom, Ben and Joey worked hard on a puzzle, Miya worked at the table with a alphabet puzzle, while Addie worked with the alphabet stamps, using them to spell out her name!
After nap, we did the secret sack, and prepared for Spanish with Daphne! They practiced the name of insects in Spanish, and played a game to help them remember the name and sounds it makes! Very fun class!!

Friday:
Always a fun friday, with dance parties and lots of outside fun!! We pulled weeds from the garden and explored the soil and bugs!
Tula brought the Secret Sack today, so after nap, once everyone completed their responsibilities, we made our way to the carpet, and began to read the clues!
It was a purse!!! Friends were very excited, as Tula dived into the sack to show her friends the purse! We then released friends to construction/art studio area, where Ms Arielle set up an afternoon art project. She set up some felt puppets, felt shapes, googly eyes, glue, and paint and let friends decide what they wanted to decorate their puppet with. Most friends started first with their eyes, than added shapes and paint!

It was a great FRIDAY all around!! :)

Xo
Dom-Dom

Welcome back friends!  We are so excited to start another school and welcome so many new friends from the Toddler room to the Sunflower class!

Monday was a holiday and Green Sprout was closed.

Tuesday:  We introduced our fresh and new classroom to the Sunflowers.  The took a tour of all our new small group areas, our new Montessori works, also out new art, construction and dramatic play area.  We also gave a presentation to our new friends introducing them to the dish washing station.  Everyone does a great job washing their own dish after snack.

Wednesday:  This morning we made a list of "Class Expectations' for the Sunflowers.  Our list includes 10 expectations that we, the teachers and the kiddos both came up with.  The list includes; using walking feet inside, sitting correctly during circle time and lunch, using inside voices, respecting our friends, teachers and materials,  using two hands when holding dishes and Montessori works, washing and drying our own dishes after snack, and waiting patiently inline when waiting for the potty or to wash our dishes.

Thursday:  This morning during our Montessori work time, each group focused our attention on our new works and receiving presentations from their guides in how to complete each work.  This afternoon we had a special treat for Teo's 4th birthday!  His Mom and Dad brought in fruit and homemade Cinnamon bread. Yum!  They also surprised the Sunflower's with balloons!  The Sunflowers were very excited to take home their own balloon.

Friday:  This morning was our first Friday dance party of the school year!  It was also picture day.  All the kiddos smiled extra big for their pictures :0
This afternoon we enjoyed an extra long playtime in Centers.  We also enjoyed an art project led by Miss Liz.

What an amazing way to kick off the 2014-15 school year!  We hope everyone has a great weekend and we will see you all on Monday ready for another great week in the Primary Sunflower classroom!

Love, Lizzie

MONDAY:
We had a great start to the week, everyone helped out as we started to take art and things hung on the walls, down in preparation of Teacher work day! We explained that on teacher work day, all the teachers come in and rearrange the classroom!
In the afternoon, Liz came for Yoga, it was her last class before her trip to India for 2  months! We will miss her!

TUESDAY:
We had Genevieve and Tula visit today for a play date! They are excited to be in the primary room, as we are just as excited to have them!
After nap, i set out some new "works"/art work on the tables for everyone to work with! One table had different shapes, paint, and construction paper. another table had new connectors/blocks to build which we all enjoyed!
Ms Vanessa joined us shortly after for some Yoga time, we also finished our ABC yoga book, learning the last poses, and practicing holding them for a few seconds! It was a great time, before we marched outside!

WEDNESDAY:
We spent our morning, taking down pictures, rearranging furniture and getting friends involved in the redecorating process! They were so excited!
After nap, Ms Daphne came for our Spanish afternoon, the first group went over the spanish terms for farm animals, then Daphne placed each card down and had everyone listen to the sounds the animals make and have them pick the one that matches. They had so much fun, and were so proud when they made a match!

THURSDAY:
We started this morning with a little art work outside, using sponges. We clipped small squares of sponge with clothespin and let them go wild. Our primary friends decided they would paint the table, and give it some color, while other friends painted the playscape, the poles, and the slide :)

It was a great Thursday!

XO
Dom-Dom