Updates

 I would like to thank the parents and students of Pre-K 4 for an amazing start to the 2020-2021 school year!  As I transition to the role of Education Director at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School, please look at Mrs. Serbones's blog for further classroom updates, zoom links, and posts.  Mrs Serbones's blog can be found HERE!

I am always available if there are any questions or concerns.  I can be reached via email at MissMcGarry@olqmnyc.orc or by phone by calling the main number at (212)567-3190.

Week of January 4th!

 Reminders / Notices:

• School resumes on Monday, January 4th!

ZOOM Links for This Week:

Monday 01/04 to Friday 01/08

8:30 a.m. Meeting 

Meeting ID: 871 8421 6645

Password: prek4

Join URL:  Click HERE

2:00 p.m. Meeting

Meeting ID: 815 1643 6161

Password: prek4

Join URL:  Click HERE

If your child can not attend one of these two meetings, please let me know and I can schedule a meeting at a time that is more convenient for you.  

The link for the read aloud of this week's foundational text, The Bus For Us by Suzanne Bloom is located HERE.

Lessons and Activities for the Week for At Home Learners:

There are numerous activities posted every week on our classroom SeeSaw Account! 

Monday- Use recycled materials (e.g., boxes, empty and clean food containers) as well as tape and/or glue and invite your child to build vehicles. Provide pictures of vehicles for your child to reference and encourage them to develop a plan for building before they begin. Have them consider what they will make and what materials they will need.

Tuesday- Invite your child to observe various vehicles outside and then draw what they see. Ask them what they notice about the vehicles as well as why the different parts of the vehicles are important and helpful. After children have completed their drawings, invite them to use recycled materials to create a 3D version of the vehicle they observed.

Wednesday- Provide simple directions for folding a paper airplane and invite your child to try to fold their own. Encourage them to explore how they might make the airplanes fly. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_plane for plane folding directions.

Thursday- Invite your child to use vegetables to make trucks. For example, a celery stalk could be the body of the truck, and cherry tomatoes, or carrot rounds could be wheels.

Friday- Invite your child to use foods to make a traffic light. For example, start with a rectangular cracker, cover with cream cheese and add a strawberry slice, apricot half and kiwi slice to create a traffic light.

Please send any pictures or drawings to 

MissMcGarry@olqmnyc.com or text the picture to (929) 279-1610

Information for In-Person Learners

     Unit Topic:

     Transportation

     Essential Question for the Unit:

     How does my community use various modes of transportation?

     Focus Questions for this Week:

     What kinds of transportation do I use and why?

     Focused Learning Activity for the Week:

     Ms. McGarry and Mrs. Madera will work with students in the blocks area. Teacher will provide long wooden planks and ask students how they think they can create a ramp.  Teacher will then ask how we can make the ramp more or less steep.  Students will then be able to predict which ramp will make the car go down the fastest and why. 

    Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

    PK.AL.3 Approaches tasks and problems with creativity, imagination, and/or willingness to try new experiences.

      Foundational text for the week:

     

 The Bus for Us by Suzanne Bloom

 Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard Addressed:

       

     PK.ELAL.5: Participates in discussions about a text. 

Questions that will be asked throughout the week:

Level 1: Recall

What question does Tess ask over and over again?
What were some of the vehicles that drove past Tess and Gus before the bus came?
What are the dog and the cat doing while the children wait for the bus?

Level 2: Skill/Concept
Why do you think Tess asks the same question over and over again?
Why do you think Gus looks sad just before the bus comes?
Gus and Tess take the bus to school. How did you get to pre-K today?

Level 3: Strategic Thinking
Why do people take the bus?
Tess holds her ears when the fire engine drives past. Why?

There is a picture of a skunk on the garbage truck. Why do you think that is there?

Level 4: Extended Thinking
Us and Gus are rhyming words. What are some other words that rhyme with us and Gus?
Tess looks a little nervous about getting on the bus. Why do you think she might be nervous? Have you ever been nervous? When?

Lessons and activities for the week:

Blocks- Students are invited to create a variety of ramps and use different vehicles to race, predicting which one will go down the fastest and why. 

Art- An assortment of shape cutouts and pictures of vehicles will be added to the center.  Students will be invited to reference the vehicles to create their own vehicles.

Science- Teacher will model how to draw a simple map with roads.  Students will be provided with metal cars and magnetic wands.  Students will be encouraged to make their car move down the road by using the magnet wands.

Math- Students will be invited to match numbered cars to the corresponding amount of people each car holds. 

Library- Students are invited to sequence the pictures and retell a familiar story, using a felt board.

Writing-  Students will be invited to match lettered cars to their corresponding spots in a "parking lot".

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

For more information on the Lesson Plan, click HERE!

As always, please make sure to read the OLQM school blog for additional updates and information, located 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