WEEK OF MAY 29TH!!

WEEKLY REMINDERS !

June 15th After School program last day

June 23rd Last Day of school dismissal at 11:00am  

Always make sure to read the OLQM School Blog for additional information, located HERE!!

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me at mrsgonzalez@olqmnyc.org or text/call (862)248-2941.

Unit Topic:

 Plants 

Essential Question for the Unit:

How do plants grow and why are they important?  

Focus Questions for this Week:

What are some different kinds of plants? 

  

 Focused Learning Activity for this Week

                Seed Patterns

The teacher will work with students in the math center.  The teacher will provide an assortment of seeds as well as a large leaf. Children will be invited to create a pattern with seeds on the leaf cutout. The teacher will explain that a pattern is made of a core unit that repeats (e.g., red, blue, and red, blue, and red, blue).

 

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

 PK. MATH.8. [NY-PK.OA.2.] Duplicates and extends simple patterns using concrete objects (e.g., what comes next?) 

Foundational text for the week:

If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson  

Link to the foundational text HERE!!

 

Questions that will be asked throughout the week related to the foundational text:

Level 1: Recall 

What types of seeds did the animals in this book plant? 

What vegetables did the animals grow in the garden? 

Level 2: Skill/Concept 

What is a seed of selfishness? 

How does a seed of selfishness grow? 

What happens when a seed of selfishness grows? 

 

Level 3: Strategic Thinking 

What are seeds of kindness? What seeds of kindness could we plant? If we grew seeds of kindness, how could we care for them? 

Level 4: Extended Thinking 

What is the difference between vegetable seeds and seeds of selfishness and kindness? Can you be a gardener? Why or why not? If you were going to grow a vegetable garden, what would you need? What would you do? If you were going to grow a kindness garden, what would you need? What would you do? 

 

Lesson and activities for the week:

 Blocks- Students will be invited to build a garden using blocks and materials added to the block center.

 Pretend Play- The teacher will turn Dramatic Play into a flower shop by adding pretend flowers, containers, pictures of flower arrangements, a cash register, a notepad, writing utensils, etc. Children can pretend to make, buy, and sell floral arrangements. Vocabulary words such as bouquet, floral arrangement, florist, and flower will be highlighted.

 Art- The teacher will supply pipe cleaners as well as tissue paper circles. Children can pierce the middle of the tissue paper circles with the pipe cleaner, adding as many as they would like, then fold the circles up to create a flower. After creating these flowers children can use them in the Dramatic Play flower shop.

Science- The teacher will provide individual pictures of the plant life cycle. Students will be asked to sequence the pictures. The teacher will provide pictures/diagrams for children to refer to as they discuss each stage in the life cycle. 

 Math- The teacher will cut out several paper watermelons, add a number to each one, and ask the children to put the appropriate number of seeds on each watermelon. Students are encouraged to write the corresponding number.

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

Writing- Students will write letters on a sheet of construction paper.  They can glue seeds onto the letter.  The teacher will talk with students about words that start with the letter.

 Sensory- Students will be able to play with their own individual containers of play-doh.

 

Week of May 22nd !!

WEEKLY REMINDERS

• Tuesday, May 23rd at 10:00 AM - Moving up Ceremony. 

• The Moving Up Ceremony theme is Under the Sea. 

• Friday, May 26th - School Closed all grades; all classes. 

• Thursday, June 15th - After School program last day.

• Tuesday, June 23 - Last Day of school dismissal at 11:00am   

• Always make sure to read the OLQM School Blog for additional information, located

HERE!!

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me at mrsgonzalez@olqmnyc.org or text/call (862)248-2941.

Unit Topic:

Plants 

Essential Question for the Unit:

How do plants grow and why are they important?  

Focus Questions for this Week:

What do plants need and where do we find them?

 

 Focused Learning Activity for this Week

             The Parts of a Flower  

The teacher will work with students in the writing center. She will discuss each part of a flower and talk about its importance. Students will be encouraged to use flowers, green and brown piper cleaner, and leaves to create and label their own flowers.

 

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

 PK.SCI.5 Plans and conducts investigations to determine how familiar plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive in the environment.

 

Foundational text for the week:

 An Orange in January by Diana Hutts Aston 

 Link to the foundational text HERE!!

 

Questions that will be asked throughout the week related to the foundational text:

Level 1: Recall 

Where was the orange at the beginning of the book? Where was the orange at the end of the book? 

How did the orange get from the tree to the grocery store? 

Level 2: Skill/Concept 

The book says, “The petals fell away and the orange began to grow into what it was meant to be.” What was the orange meant to be? How did the boy get the orange? 

Level 3: Strategic Thinking 

The boy shared the orange. Why do you think he did that? 

How do you think the other children felt when he shared the orange with them? 

Level 4: Extended Thinking 

The illustrator of this book, Julie Maren, used curly lines to show the wind. Why do you think she did that? How would you show wind in a picture? How did Julie Maren illustrate the sun? Why do you think she did that? How would you show the sun in a picture? How did Julie Maren illustrate the rain? Why do you think she did that? How would you show the rain in a picture? This book talks about how an orange grows and travels. How do you think other fruits grow and travel? 

   

Lesson and activities for the week:

Blocks- Students will be invited to build a garden using blocks and materials added to the block center.

Pretend Play- The teacher will turn Dramatic Play into a flower shop by adding pretend flowers, containers, pictures of flower arrangements, a cash register, a notepad, writing utensils, etc. Children can pretend to make, buy, and sell floral arrangements. Vocabulary words such as bouquet, floral arrangement, florist, and flower will be highlighted.

Art- The teacher will supply pipe cleaners as well as tissue paper circles. Children can pierce the middle of the tissue paper circles with the pipe cleaner, adding as many as they would like, then fold the circles up to create a flower. After creating these flowers children can use them in the Dramatic Play flower shop.

Science- The teacher will provide individual pictures of the plant life cycle. Students will be asked to sequence the pictures. The teacher will provide pictures/diagrams for children to refer to as they discuss each stage in the life cycle. 

Math- The teacher will cut out several paper watermelons, add a number to each one, and ask the children to put the appropriate number of seeds on each watermelon. Students are encouraged to write the corresponding number.

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

Writing- Students will write letters on a sheet of construction paper.  They can glue seeds onto the letter.  The teacher will talk with students about words that start with the letter.

 

Sensory- Students will be able to play with their own individual containers of play-doh.

 

Week of May 15th!!

WEEKLY REMINDERS

• Friday, May 19, 2023 - School Closed all grades; all classes. 
• Tuesday, May 23rd at 10:00 AM - Moving up Ceremony. 
• The Moving Up Ceremony theme is Under the Sea. 
• June 15th After School program last day
• June 23 Last Day of school dismissal at 11:00am   

Always make sure to read the OLQM School Blog for additional information, located

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me at mrsgonzalez@olqmnyc.org or text/call (862)248-2941. 

Unit Topic:

Plants 

Essential Question for the Unit:

How do plants grow and why are they important?  

Focus Questions for this Week:

What are plants? 

Focused Learning Activity for this Week

  Flower Shop 

The teacher will work with students in the dramatic play center. She will discuss the roles available to children in the classroom flower shop and what each job requires. Students will choose a job, either customer, cashier, or florist, and assume the roles they selected.

 

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

PK.SOC.3 Demonstrates an understanding of roles, rights, and responsibilities

Foundational text for the week:

 Flower Garden by Eve Bunting

Link to the foundational text HERE! 

Questions that will be asked throughout the week related to the foundational text:

Level 1: Recall 

What did the girl plant in her garden? Where did the girl plant her garden? Why did the girl plant a garden? 

Level 2: Skill/Concept 

Where did the girl get the flowers for her garden? How do you know? Why do you think people smiled at the girl when she was on the bus? Where does the girl live? How do you know?

Level 3: Strategic Thinking 

How do you think the girl’s mom felt about her birthday gift? Why? How do you think the girl felt about making a garden for her mom’s birthday? Why?

Level 4: Extended Thinking 

Let’s look closely at the garden and see what we notice. What do you notice about the plants in the garden? How are they similar? How are they different? Which one do you like best? Why? 

Lesson and activities for the week:

Blocks- Students will be invited to build a garden using blocks and materials added to the block center.

Pretend Play- The teacher will turn Dramatic Play into a flower shop by adding pretend flowers, containers, pictures of flower arrangements, a cash register, a notepad, writing utensils, etc. Children can pretend to make, buy, and sell floral arrangements. Vocabulary words such as bouquet, floral arrangement, florist, and flower will be highlighted.

Art- The teacher will supply pipe cleaners as well as tissue paper circles. Children can pierce the middle of the tissue paper circles with the pipe cleaner, adding as many as they would like, then fold the circles up to create a flower. After creating these flowers children can use them in the Dramatic Play flower shop.

Science- The teacher will provide individual pictures of the plant life cycle. Students will be asked to sequence the pictures. The teacher will provide pictures/diagrams for children to refer to as they discuss each stage in the life cycle. 

Math- The teacher will cut out several paper watermelons, add a number to each one, and ask the children to put the appropriate number of seeds on each watermelon. Students are encouraged to write the corresponding number.

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

Writing- Students will write letters on a sheet of construction paper.  They can glue seeds onto the letter.  The teacher will talk with students about words that start with the letter.

Sensory- Students will be able to play with their own individual containers of play-doh.

 

  

Mother's Day Virtual Performance Information 

Zoom ID: 661 149 9774

Password: prek2

Link to Performance click HERE!!

Week of May 8th!!

REMINDERS

• Continue to sign in to Seesaw to complete activities assigned. 
• Friday, May 12, 2023 - Mother's Day Celebration via Zoom at 9:00am 
• Tuesday, May 23rd at 10:00 AM - Moving up Ceremony. 
• The Moving Up Ceremony theme is Under the Sea. 
• June 15th After School program last day
• June 23 Last Day of school dismissal at 11:00am  

Always make sure to read the OLQM School Blog for additional information, located HERE!!

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me at mrsgonzalez@olqmnyc.org or text/call (862)248-2941.

Unit Topic:

Water 

Essential Question for the Unit:

What does water do?  

Focus Questions for this Week:

How does water help us?

 Focused Learning Activity for this Week:

Stalks and Water

The teacher will supply students with a container of colored water. The students will be invited to add a leafy celery stalk to the water. The teacher will ask students to predict what will happen if they leave the stalk in the water overnight. The teacher will record students’ predictions and invite them to monitor the stalks periodically. As the colored water becomes visible in the celery stalk or leaves, the teacher will invite students to discuss how the stalk transports the water. The following day, the teacher will refer back to students’ predictions to summarize and draw conclusions.  The teacher will inform students that water helps move nutrients through plants. This helps plants stay alive. Without water, plants will start to wilt and eventually die.

 Open-ended questions

What did you observe here/when ____?

What did your sense of ____ tell you about ____? 

I wonder what would happen if ____?

How do you know? How could we find out?

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

 PK.SCI.5 Plans and conducts investigations to determine how familiar plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive in the environment

Foundational text for the week:

Ivy and the Lonely Raincloud by Katie Harnett 

Link to the foundational text  HERE!!

  

Questions that will be asked throughout the week related to the foundational text:

Level 1: Recall 

Why was the raincloud sad at the beginning of the book? 

Where did the raincloud look for a friend? 

Level 2: Skill/Concept 

No one wanted to be friends with the raincloud. Why? 

Ivy was grumpy for most of the book. Why was Ivy so grumpy? How did the raincloud help Ivy? 

Level 3: Strategic Thinking 

Why can it be nice to have friends? 

How did Ivy and the raincloud grow beautiful flowers together? 

Level 4: Extended Thinking 

At the end of the book, it looks like the raincloud was inside the flower shop with Ivy. What would you think if you went in a store and there was a raincloud there? What would you do? 

Rain from the raincloud helped Ivy grow beautiful plants, how does water help you? 

Lesson and activities for the week:

Blocks- Pictures of bridges will be added to the center. Students are encouraged to try to build bridges. 

Pretend Play- Large cardboard boxes will be added to Pretend Play for students to pretend they are in a boat. 

Art- Students are invited to draw a picture with crayons. They may choose to draw an underwater or rainy-day scene. After their drawings are complete, watercolor paints will be used to lightly paint over their crayon drawings. 

Science- Students are invited to sort animals into two categories: those that live in water and those that live on land. 

Math- Seashells will be added to the math center. Students will be able to match the correct number of shells to a number card. 

Library- Students are invited to read books about the theme, of water.

Writing- Students will be asked the question, "Where can we find water?" and be asked to write or draw their answers.

Sensory- Sand and water, or Play-Doh.