Creative Minds

Monday, January 9th

2012-01-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

What a fun day! I made playdough in the morning while the children played with floam. I put vanilla in the green playdough and nutmeg in the purple playdoh. There were 14 children in the morning group and 9 in the afternoon group. The conversations that the children had all through their morning open play time, lunch, afternoon open play, and snacks were awesome. When the group dynamics are hot, I put planned activities aside and let the children enjoy their time with each other. Gymnastics was a bit crazy with 13 children participating but Tatiana was poised and energetic, as always. Lunch and snack times have been loud and happy but today, the children were unusually chatty. We even had a few renditions during lunch of "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" and the clean up song.

The letter of the week is "H"... but we didn't get a chance to get started on it today. :) More to come in the following days.

In the meantime, here are photos from today. Enjoy!

Here Comes Santa Claus!

2012-01-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

We were very lucky to have Santa visit Creative Minds on December 21st.

What a treat! Here are some photos that were taken that day. These are all watermarked to protect your child. I will send the original by email.

A HUGE thanks to Michael Sylvester. :)

Enjoy!

Holiday Celebration Program

2011-12-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Blue Room Families,

Here are the songs that will be sung by the children on Tuesday, December 13th. The children have been practicing every day... they learned the poem and songs very quickly.

I am looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday! The holiday celebration will start at 4pm and the little performance will be at 5pm.

I apologize for any typos!

"I Saw An Elf"

I saw an elf all dressed in green.

The cutest elf I have ever seen!

I said, "I like your turned up toes."

He wrinkled up his elfin nose.

I said, "I like your pointed hat...

I wish I had one just like that!"

I said, "I like your nice green beard."

He blushed...

and smiled...

and then disappeared!

"Kwanzaa Is Here"

Red, green, black.

Red, green black.

Kwanzaa is here.

The decorations are quite a sight.

We light a candle every night.

The holiday is filled with light.

Kwanzaa is here!

"I Have A Little Dreidel"

I have a little dreidel.

I made it out of clay.

And when it's dry and ready,

then dreidel I shall play!

Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel,

I made it out of clay.

Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel,

then dreidel I shall play.

Cousins, aunts, and uncles

come to my house today.

I give them hugs and kisses,

and later we shall play.

Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel,

I made it out of clay.

Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel,

then dreidel I shall play.

We gather in the kitchen,

each and every one.

We're going to make some latkes,

because it's so much fun.

Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel,

I made it out of clay.

Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel,

then dreidel I shall play.

"Rudolph, The Red-nosed Reindeer"

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer

had a very shiny nose.

And if you ever saw him,

you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer

used to laugh and call him names.

They never let poor Rudolph

join in any games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say,

"Rudolph with your nose so bright,

won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then all the reindeer loved him

as they shouted out glee

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,

you'll go down in history!

"Jingle Bells"

Dashing through the snow

in a one horse open sleigh

Over the fields we go

laughing all the way.

Bells on bob tails ring

making spirits bright

What fun it is to laugh and sing

a sleighing song tonight!

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells

jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

in a one horse open sleigh!

Jingle bells, jingle bells,

jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

in a one horse open sleigh!

"We Wish You A Merry Christmas"

We wish you a Merry Christmas

and a Happy New Year!

Good tidings we bring

to you and your kin.

Good tidings for Christmas

and a Happy New Year!

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding

and a cup of good cheer!

We won't go until we get some

We won't go until we get some,

so bring some out here!

We wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas,

and a Happy New Year!

UPDATES for the Week of Nov. 14th

2011-11-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

Hello, Blue Room Families!

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend!

The letter "F" has finally found a place in our classroom!

This fabulous and fun week and the next will be filled with:

Friend

Feast

Freeze

Farm

Fish

Frog

Flower

Feather

Fours and Fives

Fast vs. slow

Fact vs. Fiction

Scarf

Leaf

Stuff

Be on the lookout for anything that starts and ends with the letter "F".

Encourage your child to bring something from home that starts or ends with the letter "F". I have set aside a specific time before lunch where children will be able to "share" what they brought. Please note that your child will not be expected to share the item with other children physically. This is simply an activity to encourage children to talk in front of a group and answer questions.

Things to mark on your calendars:

1) Thursday, November 17th ~ Friendship Feast 4p - 5:30p

Please bring in a favorite family meal to share... 8 servings or more. Perhaps you would like to bring an appetizer or dessert instead. That would be fantastic. It does not have to be homemade! But if it is and you would like to share the recipe, I can take a photo of your dish and make a copy of the recipe and post it either on the blog or make copies just for the families (if you do not want it on the internet).

I will have a sign-up sheet so that I can get an idea of what to expect for Thursday. It will be on the counter, next to the sign-in/out folder.

2) Tuesday, November 22nd and Wednesday, November 23rd ~ PJ DAY!

The children will be deciding what to make this week.

3) November 24th & 25th ~ No School

4) Tuesday, December 13th ~ Winter Holiday Celebration

5) Thursday, December 22nd and Friday, December 23rd ~ PJ DAY!

6) December 26th - 30th ~ No School

Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiment

2011-11-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

"E" is for:

Experiments

Eruption

Explosion

It was a simple but effective science experiment using baking soda and colored vinegar. The children decided to call this an "explosion" instead of an "eruption". We had talked a little about earthquakes last week, which led to the children talking about volcanoes. I had explained what an eruption was and the children had a pretty good idea from photos, but I thought it would be interesting for them to see it first hand.

Here are a few photos to show how the children responded.

Enjoy!

Original mixture died down and when we added more baking soda, there were bubbles and fizz. As we added more baking soda, the bubbles and fizz went away. The children came to the conclusion that there had to be the "right amount" of baking soda and vinegar to make the "explosion".

Some children tried blowing into the mixture to get it to bubble up again.

Pajama and Pumpkin Pancakes!

2011-11-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

What a day!

Pajamas, Pumpkin Pancakes, eruptions (explosions), and a few changes to our room arrangement. :)

I'll focus on PJs and Pancakes today, with more on the experiment with baking soda and vinegar in the next post.

We had a few friends who forgot that it was pajama day, or didn't know about it, or just decided it wasn't the day for pjs... and a few friends who did not attend today. Because of this, we made a group decision to make tomorrow another PJ day!

BTW, Creative Minds will be closed on Friday! You probably already know, but I wanted to be sure... just in case.

The children helped me with the making of the batter for our pumpkin pancakes. It's a super simple and really yummy mix from Trader Joe's. You just need to get the Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancake & Waffle Mix. We used the entire bag to make approximately 20 medium sized pancakes. To the mix, we added a stick of butter (8 Tblsp melted), 3 cups of milk, and 4 lightly beaten eggs. That's it! Here are a few photos that were taken this morning.

Enjoy!

Wow! I got the thumbs up approval!

UPDATES for the Week of Nov. 7th

2011-11-08T14:45:00.000-08:00

Hello, Blue Room Families!

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend.
Did it help to get the extra hour back?

A few things to put on your calendars:

1) Wednesday, Nov. 9th ~ PJ & Pancakes Day!
~ If your child does not attend on Wednesdays, please feel free to have child come in his/her PJ on Thursday.

2) Thursday, Nov. 17th ~ Thankful Thursday Friendship Feast
Please start thinking about a favorite family recipe or traditional dish that you enjoy making and bring it to our feast. Please join us from 4p - 5:30p to help us celebrate friendship and being thankful. If you would like to share your recipe, please include one with your dish and I will be happy to post on the blog with a photo of your dish. If you are uncomfortable with sharing it online, then please let me know if we can make photocopies to share with our families. A sign up sheet will be posted next to the sign in folder.

3) Tuesday, Dec. 13 ~ Winter Holiday Celebration

Happy Diwali and Happy Halloween!

2011-10-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Diwali!

Happy Halloween!

Okay... it's not quite Halloween (yet) but it certainly felt like it at our school today! We had ballerinas, pumpkins, pirates, princesses, super heroes, and a monkey! I had a blast... I hope that everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. I am so proud of the children! :)

Thank you to all! The treats were delicious and your presence was greatly appreciated. I really enjoyed watching our families getting together like this. It is such a pleasure not only being your child's teacher but also feeling like I am part of a larger family. Those who were unable to attend were missed. I know that the photos are not quite like being there in person, but I hope that you enjoy them just the same.

Below are photos that I found on my camera and on the card from the school's camera. If you have photos to share, please feel free to upload to school's Flickr account. Please let me know if you do not have access to our Flickr account.

If you have a video from today's performance, would you mind sharing it with me? I would love to have it as a keepsake. Our video cam at school did not want to cooperate. It would be nice to share it with all those who were not able to attend. :)

Enjoy!

Pictures From Uesugi Farms Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

2011-10-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

Haunted Greetings,

Blue Room Families!

I have a few boo-tiful photos to share with you from our field trip to Uesugi Farms Pumpkin Patch.

I hope that you can join us tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday, Oct. 26 from 3:30-5p) for our Halloween and Diwali celebrations.

Enjoy the photos!

At the entrance to the pumpkin patch

Waiting for our train to start up

There are 5 golden pumpkins that are hidden.

We found them all!

There was this thing...

Going through the field of sunflowers

Going through the field of marigolds

My cute little punkins

Going through a maze

Halloween Celebration Songs and more...

2011-10-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings, Blue Room Families!

The children are quite excited about our upcoming Halloween Celebration this Wednesday. I have listed the songs/poems that they will be performing. See if your child can sing a few for you at home!

The children took a vote. There were 13 in attendance today and all but one said costumes would be okay with them. The one who opposed said "No weapons and scary stuff" and we all agreed. So... yes to costumes and no to masks and weapons. :)

October (Chicken Soup With Rice)

In October

I will host

Witches, goblins,

and a ghost

I will serve

Chicken Soup with toast.

Whoopy once,

whoopy twice,

whoopy Chicken Soup with Rice.

Five Little Pumpkins

Five little pumpkins,

sitting on a gate...

the first one said, "Oh my! It's getting late!"

The second one said, "There's witches in the air!"

The third one said, "Oh... we don't care!"

The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run!"
The fifth one said, "This is SO much fun!"

Wooooooo went the wind

and out went the light.

And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!

If You're a Ghost and You Know It

If you're a ghost and you know it

just say "Boo"...

"BOO!"

If you're a ghost and you know it

just say "Boo"...

"BOO!"

If you're a ghost and you know it

then your face will surely show it.

If you're a ghost and you know it

just say "Boo"...

"BOO!"

Repeat with:

If you're a black cat... "meow"

If you're a skeleton... "shake your bones"

If you're scared... "Do all three"

Witches Brew

Stirring and stirring
and stirring our brew...
Ooooooooo
Oooooooo

Stirring and stirring
and stirring our brew...
Ooooooooo
Oooooooo

Tip toe, tip toe, tip toe...

BOO!!

It's Halloween!

It's Halloween

and I know what I'm going to do!

I'll hide behind my pumpkin

and then I will holler "BOO!"

UPDATES for the Week of October 24th

2011-10-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, Blue Room Families!

This Wednesday, we will be celebrating Halloween and Diwali at the school!

It will start at 3:30p.

There will be street parking available.

The children have been working hard on learning several Halloween songs!

They have also learned the story of Diwali, thanks to Satarupa and Rajiv Iyer, who took time to come in last week to read to the children and help them paint/decorate diyas.

We will have pumpkins and diyas to decorate on Wednesday!

This will be a family/child activity. Please join us!

I have a couple of pictures from our pumpkin trip to Uesugi Farms and a couple more from our Diwali experience with the Iyers. There will be more photos coming later tonight.

Enjoy!

(This week, we will start working with the letter "E".)

UPDATE for the Week of October 10th

2011-10-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, Blue Room Families!

What a wonderful and fun week we have coming up!

We will be kicking off the Fall season with a trip to Uesugi Farms Pumpkin Patch in Morgan Hill! Please be sure to dress your child accordingl

Then we will be making delicious Pumpkin Muffins!

Other things we will be having fun with all throughout the week: Gymnastics, Music & Movement, David (books), doodling, dinosaurs, ducks, dot to dot, dice, dog visit, and backwards day!

With the continuation of healthy practices, we will be covering Dentists and begin brushing our teeth after every meal. PLEASE bring a toothbrush and toothpaste for your child to keep at the school.

Dates to Remember:

October 10 - Gymnastics

October 11 - Uesugi Farms Pumpkin Patch.

October 12 - Pumpkins galore

October 14 - Pumpkin Muffins

Octover 15 - Dog visits and BACKWARDS WAY!

Pumpkin Patch Fieldtrip!

2011-10-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, Blue Room Families!

I am SO excited!

We have a field trip this October 11th (Tuesday) to...

We will be heading down at 9:30am on Tuesday (Oct. 11th) to visit

Uesugi Farms Pumpkin Park in Morgan Hill.

Chaperones/drivers are needed!
Please join us if you are able to.

Siblings are welcome!

The cost is $9 per person.

I will have a sheet for reservations (students/siblings) and drivers, next to the Blue Room sign-in folder.

Please be sure to RSVP!

C is for...

2011-10-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

C is for...

Cross-Stitch

You may have noticed cross-stitch work that have been hanging up on the line. Teacher Romina has been patiently working with the children on this project. Quite a few struggled through it at first but as they got the hang of it, it was good to see how proud they were of their hard work and the satisfaction they got out of learning how to stitch.

Classroom changes

When you come into the classroom this week, you will see that I have changed the artwork on the walls to reflect the letters "A" and "B" that we worked on last month. The children made apple prints, using real apples sliced in half across the middle. When the apple is sliced across the center, opposed to being sliced down from the stem to the bottom, there is a "star" inside the apple. They got a kick out of trying to get the "star" to show up in the apple prints. The following week, I helped the children make "butterflies" with their hands. The wings are made with both hands. The body is made with the side of one hand and the head is made with a thumb. The art galleries (and other parts of the classroom) are a continuous work in progress so if you do not see your child's artwork up on these walls, please do not worry! They will be up there soon! Also, please do not take home artwork that is not in your child's cubby. The work that is hung up in the classroom to dry or filed in the art folders are not ready to go home. They will find their way home in time. :)

Congratulations!

Aiden T. is now a big brother! The Tanner Family welcomed a new addition to their family on Friday... a baby boy. Hoooooray!

Monday Gymnastics with Tatyana

2011-09-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, Blue Room Families!

The children had so much fun today with Tatyana during gymnastics!
Every child that came to school decided to participate! I was really happy to see this happen. It was a fairly large group... thirteen children to be exact. I have some gymnastic activity photos from last week as well as this week to share with you.

Just a quick reminder that our walking field trip to Apex Gymnastics of Almaden will be held this Thursday morning. We will be leaving for Apex at 10:05am, since Tatyana is expecting us there at 10:15am. It takes no more than 5 minutes to get there, but the children need some extra time to take off their jackets, shoes, and socks and wait for the other class to get off of the mats.

Please feel free to join us for the field trip!

Enjoy the photos!

UPDATES for the Week of September 26th

2011-09-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Blue Room Families,

I can not believe that this is the last month of September!

We are starting to work on the letter "C" this week.
Please encourage your child to look for things that start with the letter "C".

If it fits in a backpack or your child's cubby, sharings are always welcome. They do not necessarily need to start with the letter "C" but it is encouraged.

We are working on learning about healthy practices. My Hand-Washing Song is posted at the bottom of the posts from last week and the week before. I am sure that your child would love it if you would sing along with him/her. They have been working diligently on covering their mouths properly when coughing or sneezing.

Something new that I would like to add to our routine in class starting this week is brushing teeth after every meal. Please bring in a tube of toothpaste and a child-sized toothbrush for your child. I will mark them and bag them individually until I find a storage system that works for us.

Speaking of things that begin with the letter "C"...
Please check your child's change of clothes. There should always be a pair of socks, underwear, bottom, and top... just in case. Feel free to bring in an oversized T-shirt (adult sized) for messy artwork to protect the clothes underneath.
For those taking naps at the school, please bring your child's bedding and favorite friends in a paper bag. I will mark that bag with your child's name and store it away for when the bedding and friends go back home at the end of the week. This way, the items do not end up piled up on the floor under the cubby if there is no room in the cubby to hold the stuff.

Change in the classroom happens all the time. I am creating an artwork gallery on the wall that you will see as you walk into the classroom. Apple prints will be going up this week. You will see the butterflies that the children made using their hands, hanging up along the clothesline. Another welcome change is the addition of a new friend. Please welcome Aidan S. to our classroom! We now have two Aidans and two Dhruvs! The children are very excited about this. :)

Mark Your Calendars!

1) APEX Gymnastics walking fieldtrip - this THURSDAY, September 29th. We will be leaving at about 10:15am (maybe a little earlier) if you are interested in joining us.

2) Scholastic Book Orders are due Friday, October 7th. Scholastic Book Orders went home last week. Please go through the order forms with your child. These books are a great way to build your child's library! If there is a favorite that is on your list and your child would like to have it in our library, please feel free to donate a book to my classroom. Every order also builds points for our school towards free books. Thank you!

3) October Fieldtrip to the Uesugi Pumpkin Patch! More details to come!

Blueberry Buckle Biscuits Recipe

2011-09-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

Hello, Blue Room Families!

What a fun week we had at Creative Minds!

It was PJ Day today. I love being able to stay in my pajamas. I hope the children feel the same way. They look so cute and comfy!

I realized that I don't have the photos from today on my laptop. I used the camera from the school and didn't upload the photos from the memory card before leaving for the day. I am so sorry!

However, I did promise to post the recipe for the Blueberry Buckle Biscuits. I will post the photos that go with this recipe on Monday.

Here's a picture from my phone of what it looked like:

1/4 c. butter, soft
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. milk
2 c. blueberries, fresh

Cream first 3 ingredients.

Add dry ingredients, alternately with milk to make smooth.

Pour into 8 inch square pan.

Spread blueberries over batter.

Combine in small bowl:

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

Sprinkle over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

You can double the recipe.

I found this recipe on Cooks.com HERE.

UPDATES for the Week of September 18th

2011-09-18T23:38:00.000-07:00

Hello, Blue Room Families!

It has been a long couple of weeks of stomach bugs, colds, and the flu. I hope that we are all on the mend and that we can get back into the swing of things this week! Speaking of which, it is just the start of the flu season and we all need to work together to keep everyone healthy. The children are all working on good health practices such as covering their mouths with the inside of the crook of their arms when sneezing or coughing, using a tissue and throwing it away properly, and washing their hands properly. Please help them keep their friends, families, and teachers stay healthy with gentle reminders and by modeling good health practices. I had posted my hand-washing song in my last post but just in case, I have posted it again down below. Your child knows this song! Have him/her sing it to you the next time he/she is washing their hands!

We are continuing to work on the letter "B" this week. A few topics to talk about at home: "Buh Buh" bear, breakfast, bumble bees, bubbles, books, bedtime, blue (color), bouncing balls, "BOO!", and being on the lookout for anything that starts with the letter "B". Please help the children locate things around the house (or when you are out and about) for things that begin with the letter "B". Please encourage your child to bring something to class that starts with the letter "B". It should have your child's name on it and it needs to be small enough to fit in your child's cubby or backpack.

Mark your calendars!

1) The walking field trip to APEX Gymnastics will be on Thursday, September 29th. Release forms for the field trip will be in your child's cubby as of tomorrow. Please sign and return to me by the day of the field trip. If you misplace the form, you will find extra copies by the sign-in sheet next week. Those who have children enrolled in the gymnastics class at Creative Minds will not have to pay $5 for this field trip. If your child is not currently taking gymnastic classes with Tatiana at the school, please include $5 with the release form. Thank you!

2) PJ Day has been a huge hit with the children! We will have our next PJ Day this Friday, September 23rd. We will be baking Blueberry Buckle Biscuits for breakfast! :)

Stay tuned for more posts!

It's good to be back! :)

Teacher Jane's Hand-washing Song

(sung to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Wash, wash, wash your hands

Wash them nice and clean

Front and back, and all around

And don't forget in between!

Spoken:

Don't forget your thumbs and your wrists!

Dry, dry, dry your hands

Dry them nice and clean

Front and back, and all around

And don't forget in between!

Spoken:

Don't forget your thumbs and your wrists!

Catching up...

2011-09-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Blue Room Families!

I am sad and disappointed to have missed Thursday and Friday of last week.
Things are starting to look better on my end. Hopefully this will be the last of illnesses for awhile for me!

Speaking of illnesses (germs), the children have been singing away at the sink.
See if they will sing the hand-washing song for you the next time they wash their hands.
Look below for the words!

We will be finishing up on the letter "A" this week.
If your child has something to share that starts with the letter "A", it would be terrific if you can encourage him/her to bring it to school. It should be small enough to fit in the cubbies or in their backpacks/bags.

Have you seen the cross stich that the children have been working on?
They really enjoy the process. I will have more on this in a later post.
This activity will continue throughout this week and the next.

More to come tomorrow!

Teacher Jane's Hand-washing Song

(sung to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Wash, wash, wash your hands

Wash them nice and clean

Front and back, and all around

And don't forget in between!

Spoken:

Don't forget your thumbs and your wrists!

Dry, dry, dry your hands

Dry them nice and clean

Front and back, and all around

And don't forget in between!

Spoken:

Don't forget your thumbs and your wrists!

A is for Apples!

2011-08-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

Hello Blue Room Families!

Today, we started working on our Alphabet book.
Every week, we will be focusing on a letter of the alphabet!
Not to worry... the class will have lots of other themes and activities happening at the same time. :)

This week is all about the letter "A".

Please play along with us! Have your child pick out things around him/her that start with the letter "A". Ask them what they have learned about this letter. Encourage your child to bring something to school that has to do with this letter. We have a special time set aside for sharing!

The children sound-spelled the word "apple".
We started out with "A-P-L". Great job!
Then we broke it down to "AP-PL". Awesome!
We chatted a bit about the "silent E"... a little ahead of things but there were a few children who were curious about why that letter was there.

A few facts about apples:
Apples are a fruit. They have a stem and skin. The stem connects the apples to the tree. The skin of the apple protects the fruit inside. Apple trees can live to be 100 years old... or more! Some apples are red and others are green... there are even yellow apples! How about those apples that have different colors such as red and green? Did you know that it takes about five apples to make one glass of juice? The children do! Ask your child what apples are used to make (ie. apple pie, apple juice, apple sauce). We had a child who wanted to make apple cookies. Sounds good to me!

Apple Prints
Your child might talk about a star or a flower that is inside an apple.
If you lay an apple on its side and slice it through the middle, you will find a star in the center of the slice. It's a fun way to slice up an apple. Now have your child show you how they can be a star! :) Hint: Have your child stand up with legs and arms spread apart. Your child's head, hands, and feet make five points that resemble the five-pointed star.

With the halves of the apples, the children made "Apple Prints" that will be on display in a few days on our art gallery wall. For now, here are a few photos taken this morning.

A few other things that might be fun to go over with your child:

I read "Sheep in a Jeep" by Nancy Shaw and illustrated by Margot Apple
That's right... the illustrator's last name is "Apple"! An odd coincidence since I didn't plan for that. I always read the author and illustrators names whenever I read a book. The children all thought it was funny when I read her name out loud. I read this book because we are exploring nursery rhymes and rhyming words.

A new song that was learned through a book:
"There were Ten in the Bed" (Scholastic) illustrated by Susan Chapman Calitri
A fun "Sing and Read" storybook.

Speaking of Scholastic Books, the order forms for September went home today!
Please take some time to look through them and see if there's anything you or your child would like to add to your library at home. Orders are due at the end of the month.

Oh! I also added a subscription to Highlights "High Five" magazine to the Scholastic order forms. Wouldn't it be fun for your child to receive his/her own magazine in the mail every month?

I think that's it for now. It's almost midnight and I need to go to sleep!
See you in the morning!

UPDATES for the Week of August 29th

2011-08-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

Blue Room Updates

Thank you all for your concerns last week!

My youngest and I are feeling so much better and my oldest never really got sick aside from a tummy ache and bad headache.

1) The trip to Petco was fun! The children got a quick tour of the store and spent some time in the fish tank area. We learned some fun fish facts! Did you know that a the stomach of a fish is smaller than their eye? Our tank experienced an attack of algae and I had to clean it out and get the temperature just right again before we can put in fish. The children and I are looking forward to seeing something swimming about in about a week's time.

2) The photos from PJ and Pancakes & Waffles Day will be posted very soon. A promise is a promise. For those who want photos without the watermarks, please email me and I will send them to you. Please specify which photo(s) you would like.

3) I would love to put your family photo up on the table by the couch or in your child's cubby. Please bring in a recent photo!

4) LUNCH and SNACK requests:

a) Please remember to pack in child-sized portions. This will help eliminate your child from feeling overwhelmed by huge portions and your frustration from feeling like your child has not been eating well at school. We will take large portions and serve a smaller serving in a separate container. Lunch and snack times are lengthy. Children are observed carefully as to what they eat and in what order. For example, a child who wants to dive into a bag of cookies will be encouraged to start with his/her pasta and veggies and drink some water, milk, or juice, and then after he/she has finished the main lunch/snacks items, then they can enjoy their cookies. Please have children enjoy their sweets such as candy and chocolates at home.

5) Please make sure that your child has a full change of clothes stored in the cubbies by the emergency exit door (behind the block/building area).

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

1) Wednesday is supposed to be a nice sunny clear day! We will be holding another TEDDY BEAR PICNIC (Wednesday, August 31st). This time it will be to celebrate the end of August! Have your child bring his/her favorite teddy bear or stuffed animal to school and we will have a picnic outside for lunch! If it is too hot, then we will bring the picnic indoors. :) I will not want to miss this one!

2) WATER FUN FRIDAY on Friday, September 2nd. Have your child wear his/her swimwear under regular clothes to school. Please pack a large towel in a reusable bag that can hold wet items. I am looking forward to this one! We held off on this last week because of scheduling and odd weather.

If you have any questions, please feel free to chat with me in the classroom or send me an email. I will try to get back to you as soon as possible!

UPDATES for the Week of August 22nd

2011-08-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

Blue Room Updates

A stomach bug is going around and unfortunately, my youngest son got sick at the end of last week. He felt a little better on Saturday but had a high fever and the runs on Sunday. He is doing better today so I am planning on being back in the classroom tomorrow morning.

1) The Petting Zoo was so much fun! I have posted the photos from last Tuesday's Petting Zoo event HERE.

2) The photos from PJ and Pancakes & Waffles Day will be posted very soon. I also have photos from a few activities that were done last week. I promise I will get them posted soon!

3) I would love to put your family photo up on the table by the couch!

Please send one FAMILY photo with your child. This photo will be posted either in your child's cubby or get a turn in one of the photo frames on a table by the couch.

4) Please make sure that your child has a full change of clothes stored in the cubbies by the emergency exit door (behind the block/building area).

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

1) Tomorrow is supposed to be one of the hottest days this summer! We will still be holding a TEDDY BEAR PICNIC (Tuesday, August 23rd). Have your child bring his/her favorite teddy bear or stuffed animal to school and we will have a picnic outside for lunch! If it is too hot, then we will bring the picnic indoors. :)

5) PETCO TRIP to get fish for our aquarium will be on Wednesday, August 24th. Forms for the fieldtrip went home last week. If your child is going to go on this fieldtrip, please turn it in by Wednesday morning at drop-off.
We would love to have parents come along! Feel free to walk along with us!
We will leave at about 10:15am. They are expecting us at 10:30am.

6) WATER FUN FRIDAY on Friday, August 26th. Have your child wear his/her swimwear under regular clothes to school. Please pack a large towel in a reusable bag that can hold wet items. I am looking forward to this one! We had to cancel last week's Water Fun Friday because it was a bit chilly. Hopefully the weather will continue to be warm through Friday!
If you have any questions, please feel free to chat with me in the classroom or send me an email. I will try to get back to you as soon as possible!

Petting Zoo #2

2011-08-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

Updates for this week can be found HERE
Pajamas and Pancake Day TOMORROW (Thurs. August 18)

Hello Blue Room Families!

A few of you asked if I could post a photo of Mount Shasta.
Here's one taken from the balcony of the home that we had rented for the weekend.
The view was spectacular... surrounded by massive towering trees and pure air. Serenity!

Wednesday, August 17th... PETTING ZOO DAY!

The petting zoo came back for another visit today.
This time, we had some fun in the sun with a few goats, two rabbits, two chickens, two tortoises and a couple of ponies. I have many photos to share with you. The most popular of the petting zoo gang was the tortoises. The ponies made at least two trips around the courtyard per child... what a workout for those two cuties.

Before I show off the photos, I just wanted to let you know some of what we did in the classroom today. The morning group had fun tracing the letters of their first names. A few could already spell their entire name so they traced the letters of their full name with upper case and lower case letters. The older children worked on drawing something they liked about the preschool and wrote a sentence about it.

The children learned a few things about chickens that they didn't know about!
Chickens can live between 10-15 years.
The male are called "Roosters" and they "Cock-a-doodle dooo". They are larger and more colorful than the hens. Hens "cluck" and they can lay approximately 250 - 300 eggs a year!
Chickens lay different colored eggs, from white, to brown, to green, to pink, to blue. The color of a hen's first egg is the color she will lay for life. It takes a hen 24-26 hours to lay an egg. The baby chickens are called "chicks" because they "chick, chick, chick".
Chickens eat grain, seeds, slugs, snails, fruit, and vegetables.
They are afraid of hawks, owls, bobcats, snakes, opossums, and skunks.

The children have been introduced to "The Little Red Hen".
We will be working on this story and turning it into a mini-play.

You have waited long enough!
Here are most of the photos that I took today from the petting zoo.
ENJOY!

UPDATES for the Week of August 15th

2011-08-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Blue Room Updates

Hello families! I had a wonderful time up by Lake Shasta. I stumbled on some slippery rocks in a lake and hurt my toe. You might see me hobbling about. :)

1) The Petting Zoo is coming back to Creative Minds on Wednesday, August 17^th. There will be chickens, goats, rabbits... even a pony! There are some photos from last week's petting zoo HERE.

Since parking is a huge challenge, we are staggering the time slots. Infants and toddler rooms will visit from 10 am to 11 am. The preschool rooms will visit from 11 am to 12 pm. Siblings are welcome!

Please RSVP with me. There will be a sign up sheet next to the sign in sheet. There is also a Petting Zoo release form to sign. If you did not sign one, please do so when you drop off your child on Wednesday.

2) Please send one FAMILY photo with your child. This photo will be posted either in your child's cubby or get a turn in one of the photo frames on a table by the couch.

3) Please make sure that your child has a full change of clothes stored in the cubbies by the emergency exit door (behind the block/building area).

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

1) PETTING ZOO on Wednesday, August 17th!

2) PAJAMA and PANCAKE DAY on Thursday, August 18th. Wear your favorite pj's to school!

3) WATER FUN FRIDAY on Friday, August 19th. Have your child wear his/her swimwear under regular clothes to school. Please pack a large towel in a reusable bag that can hold wet items.

4) TEDDY BEAR PICNIC on Tuesday, August 23rd. Bring your favorite teddy bear or stuffed animal to school and we will have a picnic outside for lunch!

5) PETCO TRIP to get fish for our aquarium will be on Wednesday, August 24th. Forms for the fieldtrip will be going home this week. I realized that we have the petting zoo coming on the 17th and I thought it would be best to do the field trip on another day. :) Thank you for allowing me to postpone this trip again!

If you have any questions, please feel free to chat with me in the classroom or send me an email. I will try to get back to you as soon as possible!

Petting Zoo

2011-08-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

The petting zoo came to Creative Minds on Tuesday. What a fun day for all!

There were two rabbits, two chickens, a goat, and a pony. The cutest were the rabbits and the most patient was the pony... just look at what the children did to her mane! A few children were able to hold a chicken in their arms. The rabbits did not care to be picked up. The goat was less than enthusiastic to be there. The pony was really good with the children... being lead around by a long rope and children clambering to clip a bow in her "hair".

The children had a good time.

I am glad we had a few parents and siblings join us for the event!

The animals will be coming to the school again!

Wednesday, August 17th!

Unfortunately, this means I will be pushing our PETCO field trip out another week. That field trip will happen on Wednesday, August 24th.

Here are some of the photos that I took on Tuesday... enjoy!

UPDATES for the Week of August 8th

2011-08-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

Blue Room Updates!

Change of date for the field trip. Please see #6.

1) The Petting Zoo is coming to Creative Minds on Tuesday, August 9^th, and Wednesday, August 17^th! There will be chickens, goats, rabbits, a tortoise, and a pot bellied pig! There will also be a small pony visiting us. :)

Blue Room Changes

Abstract Painting is Abstract

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

5) I will not be in the classroom on Friday, August 12th, and Monday, August 15th. Teacher Jane will be taking a trip up to Shasta Lake. :)

6) *Change of date* The Petco trip to get fish for our aquarium will be on Wednesday, August 24th. Forms for the fieldtrip will be going home this week. I realized that we have the petting zoo coming on the 17th and I thought it would be best to do the field trip on another day. :)

7) PAJAMA and PANCAKE DAY on Thursday, August 18th. Wear your favorite pj's to school!

8) TEDDY BEAR PICNIC on Tuesday, August 23rd. Bring your favorite teddy bear or stuffed animal to school and we will have a picnic outside for lunch!

Abstract Painting is Abstract

2011-08-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

"Abstract painting is abstract. It confronts you. There was a reviewer a while back who wrote that my pictures didn't have any beginning or any end. He didn't mean it as a compliment, but it was." ~ Jackson Pollock

This week, the children were introduced to "abstract" painting and drawing. We talked about painting and drawing without thinking of a person or a place or a thing. I encouraged the children to really think about the colors they chose... to think about how they "felt" when they looked at the colors and how they wanted the colors to move around. Some chose to make the ball move sideways. Some liked rocking the tray forward and back so that the ball moved up and down. Others rocked the tray in a way that made the ball move around in circles. Each painting was made with a lot of thought and effort by each child.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jackson Pollock, here are a few of my favorite artwork by this amazing artist:

Mural (1943)

Guardians of the Secret (1943)

Number 1 (Lavender Mist) 1950

Blue Poles (1952)

Convergence (1952)

NOW
Here are a few photos of children "painting"

Here are a few of the samples I took photos of:

Interested in making one of your own?

Try this link out...
Just click HERE to have some fun!

Move the mouse to put ink on the screen.
Click the mouse to change colors.

Blue Room Changes

2011-08-06T23:30:00.000-07:00

Hi! I really missed the children on Thursday and Friday but it was good to have the two days dedicated to training and major clean-up.

Before I continue, I would like to invite Blue Room families to bring in a photo of your child and family so that I can put them either into the cubbies or into photo frames for the large round table that is next to our Quiet Area. The photos will be rotated so that everyone will get a turn to have their family photo on the table. Just a standard size photo will do (4x6 or 5x7). Thank you!

So... there have been some big area changes to the Blue Room.

I thought that it would be a good idea to post a few pictures of what the classroom looks like now so that you can share it with your child. It is normal for children to not feel comfortable with change... especially to their environment. Seeing the photos may help with the transition. I hope that you will enjoy looking at some of the photos I took during clean-up in the other rooms as well as the changes made to the Blue Room. Enjoy!

Teacher Romina scrubbing down the windows in the Purple Room

Teachers Lesley and Sandy working hard in the Green Room

Teacher Brooke organizing in the Red Room

Teacher Susan working on the Blue Room easels

It got really messy!

I scrubbed the walls, bathrooms, furniture, and cubbies... PHEW!

There is a Block Area, Reading Area, Kitchen / Dress Up Area and a Quiet Area

The Art Area and Science Area is behind the easel.

There is a Doll House Area now!

There is a Puzzle Area too!

There will be a few more changes coming but I will update as they happen.

HUGE thanks to Richa, Susan, Brooke, Maria, Sandy, and Kate for helping me get the fabric off of the couch. Richa was doing most of the work but it took all of us in the end to get the extra bits off of the couch. It was a team effort and I think it was fabulous how they all stepped in to help out... back breaking work. You ladies are AWESOME! Thank you!

More to come!

Sprinkler Time!

2011-07-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

As much as I was tempted to let the children splash around in the wading pool, the temperature was mild and we were in the shade for the most part. The children and I agreed that the sprinklers would be the best for both having fun and not getting completely soaked to the point where they would be shivering. There are a couple of children who are more on the cautious side. One of them completely let go of his reservations and had a blast with the other children. :)

We will be having Water Fun Day every Friday in August.

Please remember to bring a swimsuit, a towel, and a large bag that can hold wet items. We will not be having one on August 4th.

Updates for your calendars:

* Creative Minds will be closed on August 4th and 5th (Thurs/Fri) for our annual Teacher In-Service Day

* Walking field trip to Petco to pick out fish for our aquarium on August 10th (Wednesday) - Forms going home this week.
* Petting Zoo is coming on August 9th and August 17th

* Pajamas and Pancakes Day on August 19th (Tuesday)

Here are some photos from our Water Fun Friday. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Pajamas and Pancake Day!

2011-07-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

I have to say, there's something to be said about showing up for work in pj's and having pancakes made from scratch. I think the children felt the same about being able to go to school in their pajamas. :)

We will do this again in a few weeks, but this time on a Tuesday.

We had a few children miss out on the fun.

Interested in the recipe for the pancakes?

It's at the very bottom of this post.

The early morning group.

The rest of the gang!

The first group measuring out the ingredients.

Mixing and mixing...

and more mixing!

The second table measuring out the ingredients...

Looking for the bubbles that tell us when to flip the pancakes.

It's time to flip the pancakes!

It smells as good as it looks...

and it tastes just as good! Yummy!

Quiet reading time

Time to rock 'n roll!

*sigh*

Five of these children are leaving my room to go onto Kindergarten!

I will miss you!

It was a blast! I can not wait until the next Pajamas and Pancake Day!

Here's the recipe... enjoy!

PANCAKES

1 cup flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 cup of milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup oil

Mix the first four ingredients in a bowl.
Make a well in the center of your bowl.
Add the last four ingredients and blend w/ a spoon.
The batter will be on the lumpy side.
Butter the frying pan well.
Pour batter in small circles.
Wait until bubbles form on the top of batter.
Check the bottom of pancake and flip.

Makes 3-4 servings.

Water Fun in the Sun!

2011-07-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

Name that tune...

There was a-splishin' and a-splashin'

Reelin' with the feelin'

Movin' and a-groovin'

Rockin' and a-rollin', yeah, yeah!

It's so funny how that part of the song kept going through my head as I watched the children having fun with the various water activities on Friday.

Now if you could run up and ring the bell to name that tune, I would not be able to give you money like they did on the show. However, I can give you a "Golden Medley" of photos taken during Water Day. :)

Enjoy!

Can't wait for the next Water Day Friday!

Children Learn What They Live

2011-07-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased to be able to start a blog for the classroom (Blue Room) in which I teach, at Creative Minds Child Development Center. I hope that you will follow me (sidebar) so that you can receive updates to the blog as I try to post regularly.

This photo was taken when I first started. It was taken on one of my lighter days. Usually, I have anywhere between 14-19 children. I can not get through the day without the help of my co-teacher, Susan, and assistant Valerie. Thank you, both! The staff at Creative Minds is one of the best I have ever worked with. The communication between the teachers is really good. The families of the children I am so lucky to work with are fabulous.

I feel so lucky to have found a teaching position at a school using the Reggio Approach. I had studied various approaches while trying to get my units in Early Childhood Education and found that I was very connected to the Reggio Approach. It feels like I have come full circle.

"It is our philosophy that the critical thinking skills gained through play, constructing, imagining, experimenting and dialoguing with others prepare children for a life long love of learning." ~ Creative Minds CDC

Speaking of children and learning, I received a copy of the following poem last week. It hit home for me as both a teacher and a mother. I hope that you will enjoy it.

Children Learn What They Live
By Dorothy Law Nolte

        If children live with criticism,
       They learn to condemn.
        If children live with hostility,
     They learn to fight.
        If children live with ridicule,
     They learn to be shy.
        If children live with shame,
     They learn to feel guilty.
        If children live with encouragement,
     They learn confidence.
        If children live with tolerance,
     They learn to be patient.
        If children live with praise,
     They learn to appreciate.
        If children live with acceptance,
     They learn to love.
        If children live with approval,
     They learn to like themselves.
          If children live with honesty,
               They learn truthfulness.
        If children live with security,
     They learn to have faith in themselves and others.
        If children live with friendliness,
     They learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

          Copyright © 1972/1975 by Dorothy Law Nolte

          Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.
          This is the author-approved short version.