Monday, June 24, 2019

Week of June 24th!!

Reminders / Notices:
  • Our Moving Up Ceremony is on Tuesday, June 25th!   
  • Three (3) adults are invited to attend the ceremony per student. 

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Week of June 17!!

Reminders / Notices:
  •  Thursday, June 20th is the last day of afterschool.
  • School is Closed on Friday, June 21st.
  • Our Moving Up Ceremony is on Tuesday, June 25th at 10:00 a.m.!  
  • Three (3) adults are invited to attend the ceremony per student. 


Unit Topic:
  • Transformation

Essential Question for the Unit:
  • What is transformation and how do things change?

Focus Question for the Week:
  • How can objects change?

Focused Learning Activity for the Week:
  • Mrs. Gonzalez and Mrs. Tavares will work with students in the math center.  Students will be encouraged to find and add objects in the classroom and write down the corresponding number sentence.

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:
  • PK.CKW.1 (Operations and Algebraic Thinking):Demonstrate an understanding of addition and subtraction by using objects, fingers and responding to practical situations (e.g. if we have 3 apples and add 2 more, how many apples do we have all together?).  

Foundational Text for the Week:
  • Joseph had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:
  • PK.CKW.4 (Science): Observes and describes characteristics of earth and space.


Questions That Will Be Asked Throughout The Week:

Level 1: Recall
  • How did Joseph change or reuse his overcoat?  
  • What are some of the things Joseph made from his overcoat?  
  • What did Joseph do when he lost his button?  

Level 2: Skill/Concept  

  • What was the biggest thing Joseph made from his overcoat?  
  • What was the smallest thing Joseph made from his overcoat?  
  • Why was each item Joseph made smaller than the item he made it from?  

Level 3: Strategic Thinking
 

  • Joseph made a jacket, a vest, a scarf, a necktie, a handkerchief and a button.  What are some other things Joseph could have made from his overcoat?
  • Joseph made things that he needed. Which item would be most helpful for you: a jacket, a vest, a scarf, a necktie, a handkerchief or a button? Why?  Which item would be least helpful? Why? 

Level 4: Extended Thinking 
  • When Joseph lost his button he made a book about this overcoat and how he transformed it into many different items. Think of a time you transformed something old into something new. Tell a partner about what you did.  
  • What could Joseph have transformed his button into if he hadn’t lost it?  
  • Joseph reused his overcoat many, many times. What are some materials you can reuse? What are some materials you can recycle?  How does reusing or recycling materials help take care of the earth?  


Lessons and Activities for the Week:

Blocks- Students are invited to measure each other with blocks and record their answers.  Students will then make a prediction about how tall they think they'll be when they grow up.

Pretend Play- Pretend Play will continue to be a baby nursery.  Students will pretend to care for babies by feeding, cleaning, and changing the baby dolls provided.  Students will be prompted to reflect on how they have changed from when they were a baby.

Art- Students are invited to draw a picture of the things they can do now and things they would like to do in the future. 

Science- Students will be able to discuss and draw the life cycle of a butterfly.

Math- Students will be adding objects in the classroom and writing the corresponding number sentence.

Library- Students are invited to read books about our theme, transformation.

Writing-  Based on the weekly readings throughout the year, students will be encouraged to write a story about something or someone who experiences a change. 

Sensory- Sand and water, or play-doh.

For more information on the Lesson Plan, click HERE !

If there are any questions regarding the Pre-K for All program that can not be answered by the office or classroom teacher, please feel free to contact the
Help Line at 888-227-8175.

Sunday, June 9, 2019

Week of June 10th!

Reminders / Notices:
  • Donuts with Dad will be on Thursday, June 13th, at 10:00 am in the gymnasium. 
  • School is Closed on Friday, June 14th
  • Thursday, June 20th is the last day of afterschool.
  • School is Closed on Friday, June 21st.
  • Our Moving Up Ceremony is on Tuesday, June 25th at 10:00 a.m.!

Unit Topic:
  • Transformation

Essential Question for the Unit:
  • What is transformation and how do things change?

Focus Question for the Week:
  • What changes around me?

Focused Learning Activity for the Week:
  • Mrs. Gonzalez and Mrs. Tavares will work with students in the science center.  They will read students the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and discuss the life cycle of a caterpillar.  Students will be encouraged to draw and label the life cycle of a caterpillar.

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:
PK.CKW.5 (Science): 
  • Observes and describes characteristics of living things. 
Foundational Text for the Week:
  • Little Tree by Loren Long

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:
  • PK.SED.1: Recognizes himself/herself as a unique individual having his/her own abilities, characteristics, feelings and interests

Questions That Will Be Asked Throughout The Week:

Level 1: Recall

  • Why did Little Tree stay little when all of the other trees started to grow bigger?  
  • Why did Little Tree finally decide to let go of his leaves?  
  • What happened after Little Tree dropped his leaves? 

Level 2: Skill/Concept 

  • Why do you think Little Tree wanted to keep his leaves for so long?  
  • Why do you think the animals in the forest tried to help Little Tree drop his leaves?  
  • How do you think Little Tree felt about staying the same when all of the other trees were growing and changing?   

Level 3: Strategic Thinking

  • If you were in the forest with Little Tree would you try to help him drop his leaves? Why or why not?  
  • What do you think the other trees and the animals in the forest thought about Little Tree keeping his leaves and staying the same?  

Level 4: Extended Thinking 
  • If you were going to try to help Little Tree drop his leaves what would you do? Why?   
  • Can you think of a time when the things around you were changing but you wanted them to stay the same? What did you do?   
  • Tell a partner about a change that made you uncomfortable or a change that made you excited.

Lessons and Activities for the Week:

Blocks- Students are invited to measure each other with blocks and record their answers.  Students will then make a prediction about how tall they think they'll be when they grow up.

Pretend Play- Pretend Play will continue to be a baby nursery.  Students will pretend to care for babies by feeding, cleaning, and changing the baby dolls provided.  Students will be prompted to reflect on how they have changed from when they were a baby.

Art- Students are invited to draw a picture of the things they can do now and things they would like to do in the future. 

Science- Students will be able to discuss and draw the life cycle of a butterfly.

Math- Students will be adding objects in the classroom and writing the corresponding number sentence.

Library- Students are invited to read books about our theme, transformation.

Writing-  Based on the weekly readings throughout the year, students will be encouraged to write a story about something or someone who experiences a change. 

Sensory- Sand and water, or play-doh.


For more information on the Lesson Plan, click HERE!

If there are any questions regarding the Pre-K for All program that can not be answered by the office or classroom teacher, please feel free to contact the Help Line at 888-227-8175. 

Sunday, June 2, 2019

Week of June 3rd!

Reminders / Notices:
  • Donuts with Dad will be on Thursday, June 13th, at 10:00 am in the gymnasium. 
  • School is Closed on Friday, June 14th.  
  • School is Closed on Friday, June 21st.
  • Our Moving Up Ceremony is on Tuesday, June 25th!   
  • Three (3) adults are invited to attend the ceremony per student. 
Unit Topic:
  • Babies


Essential Question for the Unit:
  • What are babies?


Focus Question for the Week:
  • How do babies change?


Focused Learning Activity for the Week:
  • Mrs. Gonzalez and Mrs. Tavares will work with students in the math center.  Students will use unifix cubes to measure cutouts of babies.  Students will be asked to identify which baby is the longest and which is the shortest.  


Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:
PK.CKW.1 (Measurement and Data): 
  • Identify measurable attributes of objects such as length and weight. Describe them using correct vocabulary (e.g., small, big, short, tall, empty, full, heavy and light).


Foundational Text for the Week:
  • When I was Little: A Four-Year-Olds Memoir of her Youth by Jamie Lee Curtis

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:
PK.CKW.4 (Social Studies): 
  • Develops an understanding of how people and things change over time and how to relate past events to their present and future activities.


Questions That Will Be Asked Throughout The Week:

Level 1: Recall
  • What are some of the things the girl in the book did
  • When the girl was little she cried a lot. What does she do now?


Level 2: Skill/Concept
  • What is a memoir?
  • The girl in this book shares many things about her from when she was little. What are some things you did when you were little?


Level 3: Strategic Thinking
  • The little girl in this book says she is more helpful now than when she was a baby. Can babies be helpful? Why or why not?
  • What are some things babies need help with?


Level 4: Extended Thinking
  • What are some ways you are different now than when you were little?
  • What are some ways you are the same now as when you were little?



Lessons and Activities for the Week:

Blocks- Students will be invited to consider some of the furniture people can use to care for babies (ex. cradle) and use blocks to build these items.


Pretend Play- Pretend Play will be turned into a baby nursery.  Students will pretend to care for babies by feeding, cleaning, and changing the baby dolls provided.

Art- Students are invited to create their own baby portraits with a variety of art materials.

Science- Students will be able to play a matching game, matching the adult animal to its offspring.

Math- Cutouts of babies of various lengths will be added to the math center.  Students will be able to measure each baby and tell which is longest and shortest.

Library- Students are invited to read books about our theme, babies.

Writing- Cards will be supplied with pictures of animal babies as well as their names. They will be placed in a bin for children to reference as they create their own animal baby book.

Sensory- Sand and water, or play-doh.

For more information on the Lesson Plan, click HERE !

If there are any questions regarding the Pre-K for All program that can not be answered by the office or classroom teacher, please feel free to contact the Help Line at 888-227-8175.