Newsletter for week of Oct. 28 - 31

The photocopier at the elementary has been down today.  I was not able to copy my newsletter!  I will hopefully be able to get it out next week.  One thing I wanted to make sure that parents of M/W kids knew is that we had a Code RED DRILL today.  It was only a drill.  The kids did AWESOME!  We have to close all blinds, cover the window on the door and turn off all lights.  We sit in the corner by the sink and have to be very quiet.  I was amazed!  They were so quiet and did just a fabulous job!!  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email me!!

Also, your child is bringing home a Pumpkin book, that is from the staff of Adventure Preschool to your child as a halloween treat!

Have a great and safe Halloween!

Preschool Conferences!

I am so excited to meet all of you at conferences!  They are held November 6 and November 7.  Everyone received a pink slip in their child's folder giving their conference time.  If you are unable to make your time please call and let me know!  218-338-4079 ext. 316.  

Here is an article that talks a little bit about what to expect at your preschool conference!

http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/preschool-teachers-discuss-parent-teacher-conferences-8276.html

Fall Party Pumpkin for 2013

Here it is!  Humpty Pumpkin!

This was a joint effort between both preschool classes and ECFE!  

Give us your vote tonight!

October 26, 2013

Fun Times in Preschool and ECFE!!!

Planting Peanuts!

We are planting peanuts in preschool!  We started out with a hard disc that we weren't sure would do much!  But we added the 2 cups of water and...

...we got dirt!!  We looked at the peanut "seeds" and decided that they were just like the ones we would eat...but these aren't to be eaten!

We placed them on the soil and pushed them in...

Now we wait and see if they will grow!

We are practicing writing our names and learning "our" letters.  "Our" letters are the letters in our names.  These are the first letters that children learn.  It is so fun watching them grow and learn!

Starting the day with a little bit of coloring!

Our days start with Choice Time.  This is a time that the children can play, color, read and explore!  

ECFE friends are painting our "wall" for Humpty Pumpkin!  Look for our Humpty Pumpkin at the Fall Party!

Here he is!  Humpty Pumpkin!  The classes had fun painting the pumpkin and the wall!  

FINGER PAINTING!!!  We learned that if you mix red and yellow you get ORANGE!!! (and messy hands!)

Everyday, the kids get two stories!  Small Group story time is with Jill, our amazing MRC tutor!!!  We are so lucky to have her!

We have some new additions to our classroom!  We are taking care of the fish that were in the pond in the courtyard!  We even get to name them!  

The other new thing is a leap pad2!  The kids are having so much fun playing and learning with this new technology!

I LOVE how my friends help each other out!!

Even our youngest ECFE friends love to explore nature!

ECFE friends making a pumpkin patch with paper towel tubes and paint!  What a great bunch of pumpkins!!

Good thing we have such great workers!  Our chairs needed a lot of fixing!

We are just a happy bunch of monkeys!! :)

Blog Pictures

If you see a picture that you want that I have on my blog, please email me and I will email you that picture!  

hplasek@pp.k12.mn.us

Oops...Here are the ECFE pictures from the Fire Fighter!

The Wednesday ECFE class got to join the 4 year class to watch Fire Fighter Dave!

Nature Walk

We went outside to explore Nature this week!  We found yellow leaves, brown leaves and orange leaves just like Mouse did in our book, Mouse's First Fall.  We also found Red Berries and Brown pine cones!  We talked about why there weren't any leaves under the pine trees and what fell from the pine trees instead of leaves! The kids were wonderful on our walk around the school and had a great time!

Fire Fighters!

Our Wednesday morning class and the Wednesday afternoon ECFE had the opportunity to meet a fire man and see a fire truck up close!  We talked a lot about the fireman's equipment and how they look when everything is on!  I took pictures step-by-step of the fireman putting on his gear.  Look at these pictures and talk with your child about NOT hiding or being afraid if a fire fighter comes to get them in a fire.  

This is Firefighter Dave!  He is going to show us his gear!

First, he needs to put on his boots!  This will protect his feet in a fire and help keep them dry!  

Next come the pants!  These pants are made of special material to protect him from the fire and heat!

Now he puts on his coat!  This is a very heavy coat made out of the same special fabric to protect him from fire and heat.

There is a lot of smoke in a fire.  They put on a special mask that helps them to breathe clean air.  It also makes them sound different when they speak.  

The mask fits tightly to his face.

Now you can see the hood that he put on.  It covers his head.  He is fastening his coat all the way up to protect his neck.

Next he puts on his helmet.  This will help protect is head from heat, fire and falling debris in a fire.  

Thick gloves will protect his hands.

This is what a fire fighter will look like when they enter a fire.  It is important to remember that you don't need to be afraid of firemen and firewomen when they are all dressed up.  They are there to help you.  NEVER hide from a fire fighter.

This is the tank that would be on their backs.  It is filled with air that the fire fighters can breathe when they are in a fire.

The fire truck has a lot of very important gear inside!

Thank you Fire Fighter Dave!  

The kids got to see some of the special tools that the fire truck is equipped with.

The "Jaws of Life" can  cut through the metal of a car or building!