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December 2008 News and Photos
Family Field Trip
We had a great time at our family field trip to Lyon Farm on Sunday, December 7. Christmas on the Farm was the theme and there were plenty of things to do. There were lots of crafts, a story teller, hot cider and chocolate to drink and roasting chestnuts and cookies to eat. To see photos of the event click here.
Our Classrooms at Work
It is hard to believe it is December already! The children are settled into the school year and feeling very comfortable with working in all areas of the classrooms. Many parents have taken advantage of scheduling a time to come and observe our children at work and have expressed how exciting it is to see the children so engaged in classroom activities. It is also a pleasure to see the children working together so peacefully. Here are some photos of classroom activities during the past month . . .
These children are working with puzzle maps in our classrooms. At a very early age children are interested in maps and even making their own maps. Learning to identify continents and countries within each continent is a fun experience.
Elementary students experiment with map making by using scale, making map keys, and following directions.
This child is enjoying peace as she paints near a window viewing the prairie.
The process of squeezing water from one cup and back to the other cup strengthens the hand of the young child to prepare him for writing. It is also a fun task that keeps younger students interested for a long period of time and thus extends the child's attention span.
Math concepts are learned in a concrete way before moving to abstract computations. Using beads to represent numbers allows the child to have a picture in the mind of what a number means.
Learning to identify language objects builds vocabulary for when a child learns to read.
Putting together letter sounds is another enjoyable activity. Sometimes a child will even choose to write the words they have made with the moveable alphabet.
Small group lessons are sometimes given if there is a group of children ready to learn concept together. These children are having a lesson on Land, Air and Water.
These three elementary students are interested in the circulatory systems of animals. They started their research by listening to the heartbeats of humans, cats and a gecko.
The students then began writing down their findings from research books into their own project books..
This child is retelling the story of Jesus and the Children. Allowing children to think about Bible stories in a concrete way brings the Bible to life.
Sharing a snack is always a nice social time!
Learning to tie is a practical skill that children love to learn. It allows the child to become more independent.
Elementary Enjoys the Snow
Coffee and Chat
Our next Coffee and Chat will be Tuesday, December 16 at 9 a.m. Please check your "Weekly News" or ask your child's teacher for more details. There is no agenda at coffee times - it is just an informal time to visit with other parents and Ms. Shawna.
Christmas Vacation
There is no school Friday, December 19 for students (Teacher Institute Day) - January 4. Have a blessed Christmas break!
Small Hands Catalog Orders
Families can still order from the Small Hands catalog until December 31 and our school will be credited 10% for sales that total $25 or more. Just click the link above and enter our school customer number 156437 when you order by phone, mail, fax, or online. Orders will be shipped directly to your home.