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!   

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:

• Ms. McGarry and Mrs. Manan 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 measureable 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

Week of May 27th!

Reminders / Notices:

• School is Closed on Monday, May 27th, for Memorial Day. 
• School is Closed on Friday, June 14th.  
• School is Closed on Friday, June 21st.
• Our Moving Up Ceremony is on Tuesday, June 25th!   

Unit Topic:

• Babies

Essential Question for the Unit:

• What are babies?

Focus Question for the Week:

• What can we learn about animal babies?

Focused Learning Activity for the Week:

• Ms. McGarry and Mrs. Manan will work with students in the writing center.  Students will be provided with labeled pictures of animal babies and their parent.  Students will be encouraged to write an animal book with both baby and adult animals. 

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

• PK.CLL.6: (Speaking and Listening Standards): Demonstrate an emergent ability to express thoughts, feeling, and ideas.

Foundational Text for the Week:

• Over in the Meadow by Ezra Jack Keats

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

• PK.CLL.2 (Speaking and Listening Standards): With guidance and support, confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.

Questions That Will Be Asked Throughout The Week:

Level 1: Recall

What are some of the animal babies that lived in the meadow?
What are some of the animal homes, or habitats, in the meadow?
How many little turtles did the mother turtle have?

Level 2: Skill/Concept
What is a meadow?
What do you notice about the numbers in this book?
If there were another page in this book, how many animal babies would there be on this page? Why?

Level 3: Strategic Thinking
Why did the mother animals tell the little animals what to do?
There are two kinds of birds in this book: bluebirds and crows. What is the same about them? What is different?
The bees live in a beehive. Who do you think made the beehive?

Level 4: Extended Thinking

In this book, the mother animals told the little animals what to do. What are some of the things the adults who take care of you tell you to do? Why?
If you were in the meadow, what would you do? Why?

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

Week of May 20th!

Reminders / Notices:

• School is Closed on Friday, May 24th and Monday, May 27th, for Memorial Day. 

Unit Topic:

• Babies

Essential Question for the Unit:

• What are babies?

Focus Question for the Week:

• What can we learn about animal babies?

Focused Learning Activity for the Week:

• Ms. McGarry and Mrs. Manan will work with students in the science center.  Students will be able to match cards with animal babies to the corresponding adult.  

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

• PK.CKW.5: (Science) Observes and describes characteristics of living things.

Foundational Text for the Week:

• Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

• PK.SED.2: Regulates his / her response to needs, feelings, and events.  

Questions That Will Be Asked Throughout The Week:

Level 1: Recall
Why did Stellaluna live with the bird family?
What are some of the things Stellaluna learned to do when she lived with the bird family?
What do bats do during the day? What do they do at night?

Level 2: Skill/Concept
Why did Stellaluna feel embarrassed when she tried to fly with the baby birds?
Why did Stellaluna think she was clumsy?

Level 3: Strategic Thinking
How do you think Stellaluna felt about being separated from her mother?
How do you think Stellaluna felt when mama bird told her she had to do the same things as the other birds?
How do you think Stellaluna felt when she found her own mother again?

Level 4: Extended Thinking
At the end of the story, Flitter wondered how the baby birds and Stellaluna can be so different butfeel so much alike. What you do you think? How is that possible?
Pip wondered how the birds and Stellaluna can feel so different and be so alike. What do you think? How is that possible? How are you different/similar to someone else?

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

Week of May 13th!

Reminders / Notices:

• School is Closed on Friday, May 24th and Monday, May 27th, for Memorial Day. 

Unit Topic:

• Babies

Essential Question for the Unit:

• What are babies?

Focus Question for the Week:

• What do human babies need?

Focused Learning Activity for the Week:

• Ms. McGarry and Mrs. Manan will work with students in the pretend play center.  Students will be asked to brainstorm what objects need to be added to the center in order to create a baby nursery. 

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

• PK.AL.2: Actively engages in problem solving.

Foundational Text for the Week:

• Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers

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 

When and where are babies born?
What are some ways babies are carried? What are some noises that babies make?

Level 2: Skill/Concept
Every day, everywhere babies are rocked. Why do you think people rock babies?
Every day, everywhere babies are kissed. Why do you think people like to kiss babies?
Every day, everywhere babies make friends. How do babies make friends?

Level 3: Strategic Thinking
Why do you think babies usually crawl before they walk?
What do you think babies think about when they are learning to walk?
When babies first start to walk they fall a lot. How do you think that makes them feel?

Level 4: Extended Thinking
Babies are growing. How are you growing?
In this book, babies make friends with puppies, kittens, young people and old people. How do you make friends?

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

Week of May 6th!

Reminders / Notices:

• Picture Day is Tuesday, May 7th.
• School is Closed this Wednesday, May 8th.
• Muffins with Mom will be on Thursday, May 9th, at 10:00 am in the auditorium. 
• School is Closed on Friday, May 24th and Monday, May 27th, for Memorial Day. 

Unit Topic:

• Plants

Essential Question for the Unit:

• How do plants grow and why are plants important?

Focus Question for the Week:

• Why are plants important?

Focused Learning Activity for the Week:

• Ms. McGarry and Mrs. Manan will work with students in the writing center.  Students will be able to participate in a plant taste test.  As students try a variety of fruits and vegetables, they will be asked to record their thoughts by writing an L for Like and a D for Dislike.

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.

Foundational Text for the Week:

• The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

• PK.CKW.4 (Science): Observes and describes characteristics of earth and science.

Questions That Will Be Asked Throughout The Week:

Level 1: Recall

What parts of plants can be vegetables?
What are some different types of vegetables?
Where do vegetables grow?
How do vegetables get to grocery stores?

Level 2: Skill/Concept
What are some different ways that you eat vegetables?
What are some things people have to do if they want to grow a vegetable garden?

Level 3: Strategic Thinking
Some people grow their own vegetable garden. If you were going to grow a vegetable garden, what vegetables would you grow? Why?
Why do you think farmers on big farms sometimes use machines to harvest the vegetables?

Level 4: Extended Thinking
Vegetables are good for your body. How do they help your body?
Why is it important to take good care of your body?
Vegetables can be different colors. Why do you think vegetables are different colors?

Lessons 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, cash register, 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 or in the block center garden.

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 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 or place seeds onto the letter.  The teacher will talk with students about words that start with the letter.

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