Welcome to K Week! Here are things we’re doing this week you can look for in photos, videos, backpacks and conversation.
Coping Skill: Power Pose! Learn more in the Coping Skill section below.
Story Time books: Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear! and The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear (both available at our local library). We will compare the books (there are many common illustrations), look for the key, talk about kin and notice the leadership qualities in the mouse.
Dirt Pumpkin: This has been a very exciting addition to the classroom. After a couple of weeks of no action above the dirt, we are up to many plants-and one that even broke through the rind of the pumpkin! We cut 2 holes in the pumpkin and discovered many more plants!
Kin drawings: Children are drawing their families this week while practicing the word “kin.” With a wide open invitation to think of their kin, some children drew a few people and others drew many. A family is a family! Kin is kin! Remember that young children’s drawings of people start by resembling a tadpole- with arms and/or legs attached directly to the face. The face may not have any features. Next children start to add features (eyes and mouth). It is usually not until after the age of 4 that children start to draw a separate body.
Kings: We are using the fictitious story of King Keenan (a kind ketchup loving king who shares the key to the castle) to explore leadership qualities. We have crowns to wear and to color in our journals.
Kenny the K: Kenny is getting covered in ketchup (it’s actually paint in a ketchup bottle which makes for a fun joke so that’s where Joey the Jokey J is hanging out) this week and we pretend that they love anything red (because they think it’s ketchup!). Oh silly Kenny.
Kris Kringle: We have books and dress up clothes about who we’ve been referring to as “Santa”…this week we say Kris Kringle! There are other names for him too like Papa Noel, Father Christmas, St Nicholas, St Nick.
Kitchen Play: We moved our Family Corner kitchen stove to the Play Dough Corner for some pretend Christmas cookie making.
Keys: Using a lot of fine motor skills, we’re working with real and pretend keys this week.
Kitchen Sink Water Play: We have real kitchen tools in the water table this week!
Christmas Wreaths: The layers of paint are dry and this week we’re adding leaves, berries and pine needles!
Poem of the Week: 2 Little Red Birds: We’re adding real red feathers to the birds that go with our poem (this is done with two hands acting as birds who take turns going behind our backs):
Two little red birds sitting in the snow
This one is Mary, this one is Joe
Fly away Mary, fly away Joe
Come back Mary, come back Joe
Photos and videos of our day:
Here are 3 questions to ask your child:
What did you eat for snack today? In the morning we fruit kabobs and rice Krispie treats from Heath. In the afternoon we had applesauce, honey cheerios and strawberry cookies. Thank you, friends!
What would you do if you were in charge? We practiced our Coping Skill Power Pose, learned about King Keenan and came up with ideas of what we’d do if we were in charge. These kids will go on to rule the world in one way or another!
How did Little Mouse keep his key safe? In the summertime book where he was guarding the strawberry, he carried it over his shoulder while marching around. In the wintertime book where he was guarding his presents, he stood on it! These are very exciting books that show a lot of the feelings Little Mouse goes through.
BONUS YES QUESTIONS
Did we talk about the mountain lion sighting?
Did we get out the big swing?
Can the whole class fit on the big swing?
Did a new Ms Emily from Bethel College visit in the afternoon?
Did you color your king crowns right after Snack Time?
Will your socks get wet if you stand on the green rug?
Will your knees get wet if you kneel on the green rug?
Is the water table on the green rug?
Does Ms Kristin keep making up new verses to Jingle Bells?
Did we have a busy day and didn’t take a lot of pictures?
Coping Skill of the Week: Power Pose
This week we are standing tall! Just like our fictitious friend, King Keenan, we can stand tall and with confidence. Research has showed adopting powerful postures can make us feel more powerful and be more successful.
Practicing this pose by intentionally alternating with a stooped posture and exaggerated “sad” or “scared” facial expression can really help our bodies feel the difference.
Try it…do you feel a bit royal, perhaps?
newcreationpreschool.com 