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A journal update, the magical zipper, sweet treats, remembering Halloween and drawing on each other: FRIDAY Z WEEK

Once upon a time there was a school with 38 journals in it. These little books were used all school year. Every week a teacher put words in the journal. Children added more words, drawings, colorings, scribbles and stickers. They always put them back on the shelf and never took them home. Then one day the teacher told them something exciting…

Read on to learn about our journal update, the magical zipper, sweet treats, remembering Halloween and drawing on each other….kind of.

What will you do with your journal next week?

Take it home! Today was the last day to work in our journals!

We made fingerprints as unique as a zebra’s stripes, made more 0s in honor of Zero the Hero and filled empty pages with stickers.

Who brought sweet treats today?

Arthur, Julian and Slava! They all have birthdays this summer so we celebrated today. We had Zebra cakes and mini donuts along with popcorn and goldfish. Thank you, summer birthday friends!

We also started a spontaneous game of Duck, Duck, Goose during snack time and finished it outside…the first time for some friends! The video is mostly audio, but if you need 5 minutes of very sweet audio, take a listen:

How many zippers did Ms Kristin’s bag have?

14! In fact, the entire bag is made of zippers. But since the zippers are sewn together on the ends, the bag doesn’t fall apart. It was a tricky thing to understand!

What did we glue in our journals today?

The drawings of our Halloween costumes! Ms Kristin kept them on her name tag so she wouldn’t forget.

Did the black zebra stripe markers get on your face?

No! Our faces were behind the plexiglass so the black stripes looked like they were on us, but they weren’t! We also had fun drawing pictures on the see through boards.

Enjoy more video and photos of our day!

Asher’s lego guy had been lost on the playground for days. But today, after days of looking it was found! What a wonderful moment!

P.S. Mamas, we’ve had some surprises in my office this week and as of today they have all been sent home. Check your child’s backpack for the surprise…

Friday has one more session for the 23-24 school year!

A beautiful smell, finishing touches, a z filled snack, a surprise for the mothers and saving garbage: THURSDAY Z WEEK

Once upon a time there was a teacher who rode her bike to school. The whole way there she smelled a beautiful smell. When she stopped at stop lights she smelled it even more. It wasn’t perfume or candy. Where in the world was it coming from?

Read on to learn about the beautiful smell, putting the finishing touches on our journals, a z filled snack, a surprise for the mothers and the garbage we saved.

What was the good smell?

Flowers from Ms Kristin’s house! She put them on her bike handle which is why she could smell them so well the whole way to preschool.

We took deep breaths to smell them at the beginning of Circle Time.

What kind of stickers did you put in your journal?

Today was “Put the Finishing Touches on Your Journal” day. We have finished all our letter themed pages and now added stickers, drawings and writing to empty pages.

What kind of trail mix did we have?

Zoo trail mix! It had goldfish, teddy grahams, animal crackers to look like zoo animals! Scarlet also brought Zebra cakes and Zolli pops! Thank you, Scarlet!

Some people have their own snacks from home or safe snacks at preschool. Today was the last day to use our cups…they will be all packaged up to take home next time!

Where is your white bag for your mother?

Everyone worked with Grandma Bonnie again to finish our Mother’s Day surprise. There is something in the bag that needs sunlight and water, so have your mom open it soon!

In our book about Mother’s Day, the teacher’s mom came to her school. That’s just like our school with Ms Kristin and Grandma Bonnie!

Grown Up FYI:

At Snack Time we talked about the difference between a secret and a surprise, that they can tell their parents or teachers anything (even if someone tells them not to, that they will be in trouble or not be their friend, etc). I also suggested that if a grown up tells them something is a secret, they can ask if they mean it is a surprise (something that is kind, fun and has an end time). I think they took it to heart: “I WILL tell my mommy everything!”

What will Ms Kristin tape in your journal?

The wrapper from our Zollipops. They are lollipops from Scarlet with a Z name!

Enjoy more video and photos of our day!

I call this video “Making It Hard To Say Goodbye To This Class.” They were so constructive, sweet and connected today.

One more time together for this class.

Zero the Hero, a real baby, not turning pink, blue food for zebras and the first popsicles of the season: WEDNESDAY Z WEEK

Once upon a time there was a number friend named Zero. He was very loved by his parents. They called him Zero the Hero and gave him a cape and headband. Then one day Zero the Hero went to school and something happened. He took off his cape and his headband. His shoulders slumped forward, his mouth turned down and he felt sad. What happened at school?

Read on to learn about Zero the Hero, a real baby, not turning pink, blue food for zebras and the first popsicles of the season! .

What happened to Zero the Hero at school?

Other children said things to him that hurt his feelings. They said he wasn’t a real number, that he wasn’t worth anything, that he was nothing. Then his parents reminded him that he is very powerful…he can change a number just by going next to it! 1 becomes 10 then 100 then 1000 and on and on.

We took turns making zeros and then Ms Kristin looked it up on the internet to find out what number we made…

Was Ms Kristin holding a doll today?

No! It was a real baby! Lane’s baby brother and mama stayed at preschool with us today.

Baby Beau was there for everything and we think he learned some things at Circle Time. He was so sweet and happy. Thank you for coming!

What color cupcakes did Eleanor bring?

Pink!

In honor of her coming birthday, Eleanor brought pink cupcakes with pink frosting, sprinkles and even a cherry on top…just like Pinkalicious! But since we only ate one each, no one turned pink like the book.

It was very important to know that people could take the cherries off if they wanted to.

During snack time, Grandma Mona showed us pictures of real zebras she saw in the wild when she was on a trip.

What animals were at the play dough table today?

The zebras!

There was a lot of zebra food, hats and water making today.

What did you get to eat on the playground today?

Thanks to a surprise from Lane, we had popsicles! One friend said it was his first popsicle of his life. It was the first popsicle of the Spring at preschool for sure!

The wind was coming from the north which made our parachute a natural shelter.

Enjoy more video and photos of our day!

We finished the very last alphabet project of the year!

Just for fun, look at these two exactly one year ago…they sure have grown!

Other projects today were fingerprint making and rainbow clouds (and trying on our graduation caps).

Even though this is a Tiger Shark, we called it a Zebra Shark for today.

We did all of Show and Tell outside today…the telling and the showing!

P.S. Mamas: sometime this week your child will bring something home for you…

988 pieces of paper, fingerprint work, a Mother’s Day surprise, rainbow zebras and heavy work: TUESDAY Z WEEK

Once upon a time there were teachers who had 988 pieces of paper. They were divided into 38 piles of 26. Every week they pulled out 38 pieces for children to use. The piles got smaller and smaller until one week when there was only one paper left in each. The teachers pulled all the papers and gave them to the children.

Read on to learn about the papers, our fingerprint work, a Mother’s Day surprise, rainbow zebras and heavy work.

What did you do for the last time today?

An alphabet project!

We finished another set of the alphabet.

What color fingerprints did you make?

After talking about a zebra’s unique stripes and drawing them, we made fingerprints in our journals.

Who helped you with your Mother’s Day surprise?

Grandma Bonnie! It has to do with dirt, water and something else. You’ll find out on Thursday!

What turned the animals colorful at the water tub?

Markers!

Did you push, pull or ride in the cart today?

We estimated that at one point there was at least 200 pounds in the cart and there were children moving it! Ms Kristin said she felt like she was on vacation.

The Healthcare Center was staffed once again so I was able to get bandaids during the ride.

Enjoy more video and photos of our day!

We brought a basket of little legos out and it was delightful to observe these friends work together. They have nurtured their relationships all year…2 more sessions left together!

I love finding early lego building techniques like this: stacking them rather than connecting them.

These kids cleaned the table area before AND after snack today. Even the chairs got swept off!

Grandma Vicki in the office, fingerprints, zebra stripes, party snack and animal baths: MONDAY Z WEEK

Once upon a time Grandma Vicki was in Ms Kristin’s office. She wasn’t in there just to get something, she was in there to DO something. We could go watch her from the doorway. She stayed inside until Circle Time and then came out. What was she doing?

Read on to learn about Grandma Vicki in the office, making fingerprints, zebra stripes, party snack and animal baths.

What was Grandma Vicki doing?

Getting a Mother’s Day surprise ready. This year all of our preschoolers have a mom in their life which made this project make sense. We know that families look all different ways! Preschool mamas, check your child’s backpack on their last day of this week.

How did you make fingerprints in your journal?

With special ink pads and markers. It takes a slow hand to press and roll instead of slide. These children figured it out!

Are all the zebras’ stripes the same?

No! They may look the same, but just like our fingerprints, they are unique to each zebra.

We took turns making zebra stripes during Circle Time after determining all needed properties to find the zebra in this collection: black and white with stripes, legs instead of wings and a tail.

What did you eat for snack today?

Thank you for snack today, Owen and Malcolm. We talked about their summer birthdays and watched their candles change rainbow colors. It was like a real party with Ziti Pasta Salad, Cheez-Its, ice cream and cupcakes!