Lily Pad Learning Center

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-23T12:54:00.002-06:00

From: Ms. Kim, Madison, Tanner, & Logan

Love you all!

December 23 birthdays

2008-12-23T12:45:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday...

L.O. -- 3 years old

C.H. -- 4 years old

Some CRAZY days!

2008-12-23T12:36:00.002-06:00

Well, in the last few days we have all had some treats... other than Christmas parties.

Last Tuesday we all got a day off because the road were horrendous! That was a wonderful breat. I love the kids, but my house was seriously neglected. Since I wasn't going to get out in that mess, I was kind of forced to clean the house. Good thing too, because on Monday, Dec. 22 we came to the daycare in 13 degree temps with NO power. Well, we sure couldn't leave the door open with those kind of temps. There isn't any windows in the main room (yea, most of the time I don't like that either). So, off to my house we ALL went! We headed to my house for a day of... fun! It actually went well. The kids behaved pretty well and surprisingly enough... most took at least a one hour nap.

Most of the kids were extremely excited because they have never been to my house before and others hadn't been there in over 2 years. We all had a good time. The older girls got to watch ICarly during nap time... we don't have cable at the daycare. Then in the afternoon... Disney Sing It on the Wii. Boy was that a treat! Of course if I hear "Best of Both Worlds" again, I may scream.

So, amongst all of the Christmas presents and surprises, they got another nice treat by spending the day at my house! And of course I got some laundry cleaned too. ;) (Now, keep in mind, I didn't say folded, nor put away. It is clean and dry though!)

Friday, December 19... Christmas party!!!

2008-12-23T11:52:00.004-06:00

We had a great party! We started out with the Christmas story. Then we made bracelets where each bead represented a part in the Christmas story.

yellow or gold -- Angel that told Mary she was going to have baby Jesus

light blue -- Mary

gray -- donkey that Mary rode to Bethelehem

brown -- manger that Jesus laid in

white -- Jesus

clear or star -- the star that led the wisemen to Jesus

purple -- 3 wisemen who brought gold, frankinsence and mirrh

green -- the shepherds in the hills that came to see Jesus

We then moved on to a game of hot potato. Only thing was... EVERYONE got a prize! We all brought books wrapped for exchanging. We passed around a book and when the music stopped, the person whose hands the book was in got to open it. Well... we had a few meltdowns when some of them didn't get the books that they brought. They just didn't understand. By the end of the day though, all was good with the world!

Then was the really fun part! We made yummy Christmas trees! We took sugar cones, turned them upside down to make a tree. We then took white icing, I couldn't find the green food coloring so ours had lots of snow on them, and smeared it all over the cone. Then we "decorated" our tree with m&ms, colored sugar, chocolate chips and reindeer corn. Most of them tried a bite of it, one actually ate the whole thing. When finished, all the kids were nice and messy! You know, it was a special occasion. They wash! :)

After running for a few minutes to get some energy out, we moved to the "art" room to make a craft for our families. We made beaded candy cane ornaments. It was so neat to see the smallest ones beading their pipe cleaners. They were all proud of their creatins!

Oh, what is a party without pizza? Of course we had pizza for lunch! It is their favorite!

For snack... round 2 of the junk food! We had sugar cookies with icing, cupcakes... sugar, sugar, suger!

Before lunch we also decorated our treat bags. While they were sleeping we put their gifts in their bags. They included... the Frog Street Press cds of colors, shapes, numbers and the alphabet as well as candy! So, now they can sing their lovely songs at home for you all. I hope you enjoy going around singing them in your head all day. Amy and I shouldn't have to be the only ones that sing Elmo the Elephant while we are cleaning. ;)

Thank you all for having such wonderful children! We had a GREAT time!!!!

Unit 11: December 8 - 12

2008-12-17T14:13:00.004-06:00

Sorry, I am so late posting.

Bible story: We are working on the Christmas Story for the rest of the month. It is very important that we learn that Christmas is about the birth of Christ and the spirit of giving with our heart.

We have read several different versions of the Christmas story from different books and such.

We learned that the angel spoke to Mary and told her that she was going to have a son. The son of God and that she will call him Jesus. The angel came to visit Joseph and told him to marry Mary, because she was carrying the son of the Holy Spirit.

The mean king Herod, wanted everyone to be recorded so that they could be taxed. Mary and Joseph had to travel by donkey to Bethelehem to be recorded. While in Bethelehem, they could not find a place to stay. Then an inn keeper offered up a stable for them to stay in to get some sleep and keep warm. That night in the "stinky barn" with all of the animals around, Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ. God sent us His son because He loved us so very much. The world was becoming very naughty and God wanted to save them. He wanted them to come live with him for eternity. So, He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins.

Oh sins are the bad things that we CHOOSE to do. When we don't obey. When we sin, we should pray and ask God for forgiveness. God forgives us, but we have to ask Him. That doesn't mean that we can be naughty all of the time. We still have to make good CHOICES. God wants us to live for Him.

Letter of the week: Kk

Katy Kangaroo
(tune: Reuben, Reuben)

Katy the Kangaroo,

lives down in Kalamazoo,

flying her kite with kids all day.

She'll help us learn to say

things that begin with "Kk."

Watch and she'll show us as we play.

Kirby that goes kerplop,

kittens that like to hop,

Kelly, the kicking kangaroo,

Kelsie, the kitchen maid,

will serve us lemonade.

Learning is so much fun to do!

The End

color: We have covered them all, so we have white hanging up to remind us of Jesus and winter. We will just randomly choose one each week now.

shape: We have also covered all of the shapes except for the rhombus (trapezoid). We will cover that in January and then randomly go over all of them again.

nursery rhyme: We didn't do one this week. We are doing fingerplays and songs with Jesus and His birth. We will get back to that in January as well.

Number: 6
We touched on number 6, but since we have lots of time, we will start over with it again in January.

Congratulations Ms. Jennifer!!!

2008-12-17T13:43:00.003-06:00

Aidan K.

came into the world Monday, December 15, 2008

@ 11:51 am

Both mom and baby are doing well and hoping to come home soon!

Christmas Party

2008-12-08T13:19:00.003-06:00

We will be having a Christmas party! We will have it on Friday, December 19. We will be exchanging books again this year. It has worked best in the past. They are inexpensive. So, don't spend a fortune on a book. Go to Dollar Tree, dollar isle at Target or something of the sort and by an inexpensive book. Wrap the book and bring to on Friday, December 19. We will play Hot Potato or something of the sort.

We will also be eating junk food and having a good time. We are going to make the Christmas trees out of ice cream cones. I will put up a sign up sheet for items that we will need.

Oh, and what would Chrismas morning be, without being in our Christmas jammies! So, wear your warm jammies, bring your books and your junk food! We are going to listen to Christmas music and have a great time!!! I will of course take pictures and send them out to everyone.

Birthdays

2008-12-04T14:12:00.004-06:00

Well, I was terrible and didn't post birthdays so far. So, I am going to catch up.

Sorry to you all! I will try to post birthdays at the beginning of each month.

October:

B.K. : 1st birthday

November:

C.K.: 3rd birthday

December:

Madison: 10th birthday

L.O: 3rd birthday

C.H.: 4th birthday

31
Z.H.: 6th birthday

5 Little Stars (for Christmas)

2008-12-04T09:55:00.002-06:00

Five Little Stars

Five bright stars on Christmas night

Wanted to give their very best light.

The first one said, "I'll shine for the sheep

And the shepherds who their watch do keep."

The second one said, "I'll shine and see

If folks remember the prophecy."

The third one said, "I'll shine to show

The wise men just which way to go."

The fourth one, said, "I'll shine to remind

People on earth to be good and kind."

The fifth one, brightest one of all,

Poured out it's light 'til it reached a stall

Where shepherds and wise men knelt to pray

Beside the manger where Jesus lay.

The STAR OF THE EAST told all the earth

The wonderful news of the Savior's birth.

Unit 10 December 1-5

2008-11-25T17:29:00.012-06:00

Jesus said to him, "I am the way,
the truth, and the life...."
John 14:6

In this verse Jesus tells us three things about Himself.

**Jesus is the way to Heaven. We are sinners, but Jesus died on the cross so that our sins would be forgiven. Jesus is the way we get to Heaven.

**Jesus is the truth. Everything we read in the Bible is true because it is God's Word, and God is truth.

**Jesus is the life. Our bodies are physical life. Jesus gives us spiritual life. He gives us eternal life in our soul so that we will live forever in Heaven.

We believe all this is true because of God's grace. We must pray for those that don't know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

Devotional: J is for Joyful;

It means full of cheer. Have fun and be happy each day of the year.

Bible Verse: Always be ful of joy in the Lord. Philippians 4:4

Bible Lesson for the week:

I have decided to take the whole month of December and focus on Christmas. We will read various stories about the birth of Christ. We will talk about why we have Christmas. How God loves us so much that He sent His son for our sins. We will talk about the whole Christmas story. This is our focus for this week. We are also focusing on how Christmas is about giving and not receiving.

In the coming weeks we will talk about traditios and such. As well as review the "Christmas Story".

Letter of the week: Jj

Jungle Jim

(tune: Yankee Doodle)

Jungle Jim, the jellyfish,was jolly as could be.

He spent his time just working out all day there in the sea.

Jungle Jim, the jellyfish,went jogging with his friends.

He juggled jars and jumped his rope,right to the very end.

One day he felt an awful jerk.

His jeep had jolted, oh no!

The whales were having birthday lunch.

He landed in their jello!

The End

number of the week: 5

We will continue working with the number 5. We will do counting with objects... jellybeans. We will add to the pile, subtract from the pile, which is more, which is less, etc. We will be sure to be working more on these math concepts with all of our numbers.

color of the week: White

White
(tune: Little Brown Jug)

W-h-i-t-e,
that spells white,
sing with me.

Milk is white
And so is glue.
Ghosts are white
and they say boo!

W-h-i-t-e,
that spells white,
sing with me.
The clouds above,
the snow below,
Santa's beard,
Ho, Ho, Ho.
The End

Shape of the week: Octagon

Octagon

(tune: Turkey in the Straw)

My name is Oscar the Octagon.

I have eithg sides and

they're so much fun.

I can roll and I can tumble.

I can jump and hop.

When I get too tired,

I can just say STOP!

You can see me on the playground,

and in the hall.

You can see me on the table

and on the wall.

You might see me on a lady

or on a man.

Look and you can see me,

yes, you can!

The End

Nursery rhyme of the week: Baa, Baa black Sheep

Baa, Baa Black Sheep

Baa, Baa, black sheep,
have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
three bags full.
One for my master,
one for the dame,
one for the little boy
who lives down the lane.
The End

We are also doing miscellaneous finger plays about Christmas and such.

This week we have been focusing alot on Good Choices/Bad Choices. We have also been talking more about consequences to our actions/choices. We all have choices. If we CHOOSE not to obey, then there will be a consequence involved! We are practicing making good choices.

We are very much still using the term "safe".

*Safe hands-- safe hands are soft and gentle. They do NOT hit people, they are dangerous, they do NOT throw things inside, etc.

*Safe feet -- safe feet stay on the ground. They do NOT kick others! They do NOT step on toys or people.

*Safe mouth-- A safe mouth says nice, kind words. A safe mouth does NOT bite people! A safe mouth does NOT say mean, hateful (ugly) things to anyone!

2008-11-25T17:26:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!

I pray that you all have safe travels,

Love

Ms. Kim

November 24-26 Thanksgiving week

2008-11-25T16:51:00.004-06:00

We have had a good week talking about Thanksgiving. Some of the school girls shared their cute little turkey songs with us. They have helped us make handprint turkeys and read to us.

Thank you girls!

We have talked about the Pilgrims, Indians, the Mayflower, and let us not forget the food!

Well, tomorrow we are going to have a PJ day!!! We are going to wear our pajamas, watch movies, eat popcorn and drink hot chocolate. I can't wait. I like wearing my pajamas too!!!

The kids have mentioned "The Polar Express". Today we actually watched "Alvin and the Chipmunks". Let us not forget we have to watch "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". That is a classic!!

Oogles N Googles

2008-11-22T09:34:00.003-06:00

Oogles n Googles came to visit on Thursday!

The lesson was Thanksgiving and Autumn. The kids had a blast learning and singing about the pilgrims, Native Americans, the Mayflower, etc.

They counted pumpkins in the "pumpkin patch". They sang about leaves falling off of the trees. They each took a turn being a falling leaf from the tree and then being the wind blowing the other leaves off of the tree.

Oogles n Googles is a great hour of preschool enrichment!

Thank you Ms. Renee!

The next session will be the Tuesday after Christmas. That was for the older "graduates" that have been wanting to miss school on Oogles n Googles day. :)

The theme will be winter. Get ready we will have a new cd to learn with!!!

Don't forget about your Thanksgiving cds. They are lots of fun!

Oreo Turkeys

2008-11-20T22:53:00.003-06:00

Ingredients
2 Oreo Double Stuff cookies
1 malted milk balls (like a whopper)
4-6 candy corn
icing (optional)

Directions
1Take 1 oreo apart. This will be the base.
2Place the whole oreo on its side on the base, so that it sticks to white of the oreo.
3In front of the oreo on its side, place a malted-milk ball for the turkeys head.
4Place candy corn, points down, in between the oreo cookie that is standing on it's side.
5Use icing for eyes and waddle if you want.

Letter formation chants

2008-11-20T21:30:00.002-06:00

I found this and I thought it would be useful!

ABC Letter Formation Poems

A - Pull down twice from the point to the top. Add a seat to view the apple crop.
a - First make a round apple to eat, then a slide for an ant when he's finished his treat!
B - Big old B has a tall straight back and two big bellies 'cause he just ate a snack!
b - Draw a straight back just like me. Don't forget to add a belly for b.
Cc - Cars can cruise down curvy c. Stop near the ground- that's it you see!
D - Down to the ground, then take a break. Half a circle is what you'll make.
d - First you make a dime to spend. Go way up high then down to the end.
E - Pull straight down for capital E. Then add some shelves 1, 2, 3.
e - A little line start off e. Add a plate for an egg- here's breakfast for me!
F - Big F is a tall flower for you. E has three lines, F has two.
f - This flower grows tall and hangs a little. Add a line right in the middle.
G - Big round circle but don't go too far. Add a garage to park your car!
g - A garden starts with a little seed. The roots grow down that's all you need!
H- Make two lines, high to low. Connect the lines so they can say hello!
h - First start high then take a jump. Little h has a little hump.
I - Big I starts with one side of a door. All it needs is a roof and a floor.
i - Little i goes down, it's an ice cream treat. Add a sprinkle on top and it's ready to eat.
J - Jumping jack J jumps up and down and then curls up. Jack needs a hat 'cause he likes to dress up!
j - Little j is so thin and lean. Jump way down, then add a jellybean!
Kk - K and k have three lines as you can see: a tall straight back and a sideways v.
L - Pull down a line and add a lap. Lie down, lazy! It's time for a nap!
l - Little l looks like a number one. Just draw a line and you are done!
M - Go down, hit the ground, then draw a V. Down to the ground again big M is two mountains for me.
m - Go down, hit the ground then get ready for bumps. Little m is easy to write, just add two humps.
N - Stick a nail in the ground and slant another one right. Add a third pointing up and say “nighty-night”!
n - Go down, hit the ground and your almost done. Little m has two humps, n has only one!
Oo - Oh yum! An orange to eat! Nice and round, it's a healthy treat.
P - Pull down your pencil, then pick it up off the ground. Add a half a penny, nice and round.
p - Pop on down and then up, you see. Finish it off with a little pea!
Q - Big Q is a round quarter to spend. Add a line when you're at the end.
q - A fancy queen with a little pearl. Give q's hair a special curl.
R - First draw a line and then a rainbow. Add a ramp and you're ready to go!
r - Go straight down, then race on back. r has an arm, like a little rack.
Ss - Silly S and s, those slippery snakes. Twisty, turny, ready to shake!
T - Big T is a big tall tree. Add a fort at the top so you can see.
t - Little t is a little tree. Add a fort in the middle for you and me!
U - Big U is just like a cup. Start by going down and then curve up.
U - Curve down and up, then down once more.
Little u is a cup that's ready to pour.
V v - Slant down first then up like so. This upside-down volcano is ready to blow!
W w - W and w have two pointy waves. Swim in the water if you're brave!
X x - A criss and a cross and in case you forgot, where is the treasure? X marks the spot!
Y - Capital Y has a V in the air. The pole at the bottom holds it there
y - Slant down right, down to the ground. Slant down left and take it underground.
Z z - Zigzag Z and z are easy, you see. Just zig a zag - 1, 2, 3!

Unit 9 (November 17-21)

2008-11-19T17:08:00.008-06:00

Bible lesson for the week: Moses

Monday: God feeds the people of Isreal
Every morning for breakfast God would drop pieces of bread from the sky for His people to eat. At night God would send birds that tasted like chicken for His people to eat for supper. God takes care of His children.

Tuesday: Water flows from the rock

God's people were thirsty. God told Moses to hit the rock with his stick and all of a sudden water would come out of the dry rock. There would be a river for God's people to drink from. Moses obeyed and God's people were able to have water to drink.

Wednesday: God gives the 10 Commandments to Moses

God gave Moses two flat stones with very important messages on them. These messages are the 10 Commandments. These commandments are God's rules for us to live by.

(We went over the commandments and talked about them. I showed them where they were located at on our wall.)

Thursday: the People pray to a golden calf

God's people are disobeying God by praying to a baby cow they made out of gold. God wants us to only pray to Him. God is very disappointed in them and is going to punish them. Moses is so upset that he throws the flat stones and breaks them.

Friday: Moses talks to God

Moses goes to a tent to talk to God. The Lord is in the big cloud at the door of the tent. God talks to Moses in a big cloud. We cannot see God, but we can talk to Him anytime we want. God always sees us even though we can't see Him.

Devotional: (Big Thoughts for Little People)

I is for illness, it keeps us in bed. But soon you'll feel fine and be playing instead.

We talked about how some people in other countries get very sick and can't see a doctor. We should thank God for the doctors and medicine that we have when we are sick.

Bible verse:

I was sick and you visited me. Matthew 25:36

I found another book that I had. It is a good little book. It is titled: "My ABC Bible Verses: Hiding God's Word in Little Hearts" Author: Susan Hunt

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

"All things" means all the things God tells us to do in the Bible. The strength that Jesus gives is spiritual strength and the grace we need to obey God's word.

Following is a story about a little girl who has a hard time jumping rope. Another girl comes along and laughs at her. We talked about how that wasn't nice. One girl can jump rope well and the other girl can ride her bike well. The girls agree to help each other practice to do better.

Letter of the week: Ii

Isabella Inchworm

(tune: I'm a Little Teapot)

Isabella Inchworm, will you try

To name some things that begin with "Ii"?

Into and inside and in-between.

Invisible means that you can't be seen!

Indians and igloos and insects too,

And interesting, intelligent kids like you!

The End

Color: Purple

Purple

(tune: Camptown Races)

P-u-r-p-l-e,

Purple, purple.

P-u-r-p-l-e,

Purple's what that spells!

Purple grapes on the vine.

Purple Kool-Aid's fine.

P-u-r-p-l-e,

Purple's what that spells.

The End

Shape: Oval

Oval

(tune: Miss Lucy)

My name is Olive Oval,

I'm not quite round, you see.

Not like my sister circle,

She's much more round than me.

I have no real beginning and

I really have no end.

I am not short, I am not round,

I'm really tall and thin.

I might be in your mirror

Or on your bedroom floor.

I might be on your table or

Even on your door.

My name is Olive Oval.

I'm jolly as can be.

I am the shape your mouth makes

When you say my name with me!

The End

Number: 5

start at the sky, pull down to the fence

curve around to the grass and put a hat on it!

Nursery Rhyme: One, Two, Three, Four, Five

One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive.

Six, seven, eight, nine, ten

Then I let it go again.

Why did I let it go?

Because it bit my finger so.

Which finger did it bite?

This little finger on the right.

Then End

Thanksgiving: We have been talking about the Pilgrims and Native Americans. The Pilgrims came over on the Mayflower from England. They wanted to be able to go to their own church. They didn't want to follow the king's rules. So they got on the Mayflower and headed to America. Upon coming to America, they met up with the Native Americans. They had a big feast together. This was the first Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a day that we are supposed to remember all that we are thankful for. We should actually remember every day. We should remember to thank God everyday for all the blessings that He gives to us.

Daycare funnies #1

2008-11-10T13:57:00.002-06:00

Last week we were studying Moses and the burning bush. I showed them a picture of Moses and the burning bush. I asked them what it was. Reply.... a tree. Well, it did look like a tree. I said yes, it looks like one, but it is supposed to be a bush. I said, "what is up with this bush?" A couple of them yelled, "it's on fire!" J yells, "call 911!" Then A yells, "stop, drop and roll!"

I am so glad that they learned alot from Fire Safety Week.

This morning the kids were playing. They were being so good! And it was Monday too.... Well, as you know Ms. Jennifer is pregnant. She is pregnant with a boy and going to name him Aiden. She also has a 10 month old, baby Ava. The kids have figured out that they could put blankets in their belly and have a big belly like Ms. Jennifer. So, today C comes up to me with a play baby carrier and she blanket in her shirt. She said, "I am Ms. Jennifer. This is baby Ava in here (baby carrier) and this is baby Aiden in my belly. It is a boy." Of course I had a conversation with her and then I had to walk off and giggle. Then when Ms. Jennifer got here she had to show her. Of course at that point all of the other kids had jumped on board and wanted to play Ms. Jennifer too.

Finger Plays for November

2008-11-07T17:09:00.006-06:00

Five Fat Turkeys

Five fat turkeys on Thanksgiving Day,

Said "Gobble, Gobble, Gobble let's run away!"

The first one said,

"I don't want to be dinner."

The second one said,

"I wish I were thinner!"

The third one said,

"It's getting late."

The fourth one said,

"Let's hurry past the gate!"

The fifth one said,

"Here comes the cook!"

Then five fat turkeys

stopped to look.

The cook was fast and grabbed them all,

She served them in dining hall.

But that Thanksgiving Day turned out the best,

For each fat turkey was a GUEST!

Five Fat Turkeys (another one)

Five fat turkeys are we.We spent all night in a tree.When the cook came around,We were no where to be foundAnd that's why we're here you see!

The Pilgrims

We planted, hoed and watered.

We gathered all the food.

Now winter's come; it's getting cold.

But we have food. That's good!

We'll have a feast and praise the Lord.'

We'll thank Him, for we know,

We have homes and food and friends

Because He loves us so.

Praise God!

Unit 8 (November 10-14)

2008-11-07T12:55:00.005-06:00

This week we will continue with Moses and the people of Isreal (God's people). We will be modifying just a little. I don't want any children ending up in therapy. In modifying I will just shorten and leave off the bad spots.

Monday: God has told his people to take the blood of a lamb and put it on the sides of the doors of their houses as well as on the board on the top of the door. God is going to send an angel. Every house that has blood on the door the people will remain safe. The blood on the door shows that they are God's people.

Tuesday: The king, not being one of God's followers, did not put blood on his door. Since he was not one of God's followers his oldest son was not protected and he died. Now the kind is very sad. He is sorry that he did not believe God and do what he said. The king calls moses to visit him. The king tells Moses that he will stop hurting the people of Isreal. He will also tell Moses to take God's people out of his country so that God will not kill any more of his people.

Wednesday: God's people go on a long trip our of the king's country. They do not know where to go. Only God knows where He wants them to go. God is leading them to a good country where they will not be hurt. God has sent a big cloud that moves along in the front of them. The people follow the cloud to where God wants them to go. Then at night the cloud becomes fire so that the people can see to follow it through the dark.

Thursday: Moses parts the Red Sea. He lifts his hands and the sea parts so that God's people can make it through the water. God is always taking care of His people.

Friday: After all of God's people are through the water, God lets the water go back to where it was. The king and the soldiers were chasing after them. When God's people were safely passed and the water went back to normal, the king and his soldiers were in the way. They were drowned by the water. God's people were safe though on the other side, ready to follow their cloud and obey God.

Devotional:

H is for helping your mom and dad. It says in the Bible that this makes God glad.

Bible verse: God will bless you and use you to help others. 1 Timothy 4:16

Letter of the week: Hh

Henrietta & Harvey Hippo

Hippo Hop

(tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star:)

Henrietta Hippo and Harvey too,

went to the hop at the Zippity Zoo.

They wiggled their hips

and the tummies too,

as they danced the hula hoop

at the hullabaloo.

Ho, ho, hee, hee, doodle-e-doo,

ho, ho, hee, hee doodle-e-doo,

ho, ho, hee, hee, hoochy koochy koo,

and they had a happy time

at the hullabaloo!

Hobo Harry and Horace Lou,

helped that night at the Zippity Zoo.

They served hamburgers

and hot dogs too,

and they had a happy time

at the hullabaloo!

Ho, ho, hee, hee, doodle-e-doo,

ho, ho, hee, hee, doodle-e-doo,

ho, ho, hee, hee, hoochy koochy koo,

and they had a happy time

at the hullabaloo.

Color of the week: Green

Green

(tune: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

G-r-e-e-n

I know how to spell green,

g-r-e-e-n.

Caterpillars are green

and grasshoppers too.

I know how to spell green,

g-r-e-e-n.

Number of the week: 4

We will continue working on the number fours. Last week we practiced counting objects (candy). It was a little difficult for some to actually put a number with an object. We will be practicing this each week with each new number. We will practicing taking away from our pile, adding to our pile, etc. (Easily enough... this is math!!)

Shape of the week: Diamond

Nursery Rhyme: There was an old Woman

There Was an Old Woman

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.

She had so many children,

she didn't know what to do.

So, she gave them broth

without any bread,

And kissed them all softly and put them to bed.

We will continue working on spelling our name verbally as well as writing it. There is a website that you can go on to make them some sheets of their name to use at home
http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/

I used the largest one in the basic print. It is super easy to use!

I also recommend that while riding in a car, fixing something for them, etc. that you take the opportunity to work on spelling their name verbally. While we are playing, or if they come up and ask a question I will just ask them how to spell their name. Some can and some are still working on it. I will say their name, then slowly spell it while they repeat each letter after me. Super easy! This is also a great way to work on address and phone number for those who are ready.

Tuesday, November 4 Election Day!

2008-11-04T13:15:00.004-06:00

Today we touched a little bit on election. We talked about the president and how he was in charge. Like Ms. Kim is in charge at the daycare, the president is in charge of the United States. Of course we then talked about how we live in Conway or Vilonia and that is a city. That city is located in a much bigger place called a state. Our state is Arkansas and it has alot of cities in it. So, just because we live in different cities , we can still live in the same state. Then Arkansas is part of a much bigger thing called the United States. There are 50 total states in the U.S.

We were very non-partisan in our talk. We didn't even mention the names of the men running for president. We did pray though that the "right leader for our country would be chosen".

Happy Voting!!!

Nov. 3- 7

2008-11-04T12:31:00.003-06:00

This weeks Bible lesson is about Isreal and Moses.
Monday -- The people of Isreal were God's people and they needed help.
Tuesday -- We learn about Baby Moses. His mom made a basket like a little boat and put him into the water. She wanted to protect him because the king wanted to hurt him. God will watch over baby Moses. Baby Moses will grow up to be God's helper
Wednesday -- The king's daughter finds baby moses in the little boat basket. She takes him him to take care of him.
Thursday -- Now baby Moses is a big man! God appears to Moses through the burning bush. Moses hides his face because he is afraid to look at God. God is calling him to help his people (the people of Isreal).
Friday -- Moses, along with his brother, Aaron, go to talk to the king. They tell the king that God wants him to leave the people alone and stop hurting them. The king laughs and tells them to go away. Moses warns him that God will hurt him if he doesn't stop. God will turn all of the water into blood, even the water on the tables for lunch. God wants him to stop hurting his people.

Devotional:
G is for God. He's your Father above. He made you and likes you and shows you his love.

Bible Verse:
The Lord God made the earth and the heavens. Genesis 2:4

We have also been playing in our new finger plays book. I showed them the classic:

Here is the Church

Here is the church

And here is the steeple.

We open the door

But where are the people?

Ring the bell!

That's how everyone can tell

Its time for church today!

Now here is the church,

And here is the steeple.

We open the door

And see all the people!

(They are good about not having people in their church. We are working on the people. Of course growing up we only used the last verse. So, that is the one we do the most.)

We have started on Thanksgiving. We began with things that we are thankful for. We touched on the Pilgrims and the Indians but we will get into that a little more over the next few weeks.

Here are a couple of more finger plays that we will be working on to go with our lessons.

Thanksgiving

I'm glad its Thanksgiving Day!

I fold my hands and softly pray,
"Thank you, God, for my family

And all the things they do for me.

Thank You for the things You've done.

Thank You most for Your dear Son."

Turkey

My turkey is a great big bird

Who walks with a funny wobble.

He spreads his tail and bobs his head,

says, "Gobble, gobble, gobble!"

They have really had fun learning these new fingerplays. They aren't necessarily something that we are completely focusing on, just using them with what we are talking about. Now you can have fun with them at home as well.

Fall Harvest

2008-11-02T20:21:00.002-06:00

We had a great time at our fall harvest!
We played lots of math games with M&M's and candy corn. We counted pieces, added, as well as subtracted.
We ran races, worked on following directions all earning us some candy corn and M&M's.
Needless to say we were all sugared up for lunch and nap time. But after nap time we managed to squeeze in some pumpkin cookies (from Maggie's, hmmmm!) and some kool-aid. It was just a start to what was to come that evening for several! Glad I could help you all out! :)

The week of Thanksgiving we will be having a "Thanksgiving Feast". We will have some fun Thanksgiving food.

Unit 7: November 3-7

2008-11-02T19:42:00.006-06:00

Letter of the week: Gg

Gus the Goat

(tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It"

Gus the Goat is a goofy garbage man.

He gobbles garbage straight from the can.

Granny's glasses, garden gloves,

Gum and grapes are what he loves.

Girls and guys all giggle when he eats the can!

The End

Color of the week: Pink

Pink

(tune: "Jingle Bells")

Cotton candy, fat pink pigs,

Girls with socks and bows.

P-i-n-k p-i-n-k

That is how it goes!

Bubble gum, valentines,

These are all pink too.

Pink icing and pink balloons,

We can spell, can you?

The End

With the anticipation of fall harvest and other things, we didn't get to do all that had planned. We ended up finishing Stella Star last week. So this week, we will do Haley Heart... for sure.

Haley Heart
(tune: "London Bridge")

Haley Heart is good to me.
She brings love to all, you see;
Valentines and kisses too;
Hugs for me and you.
Hearts fill us with happiness.
Hearts are what we love to send.
Hearts bring joy to everyone,
So give one to a friend!
The End

We will begin work on the number 4.

Four

Pull down to the fence, slide across the fence, pull down again

to make the number FOUR.

Nursery Rhyme: Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill went up the hill

to fetch a pail of water.

Jack fell down and broke his crown,

and Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got and home did trot

As fas as he could caper.

He went to the bed and wrapped his head

with vinegar and brown paper.

The End

Gus the Goat's Grape Float

Needed: vanilla ice cream

grape juice or grape soda

cup

1.Scoop of ice cream

2. Put in glass

3. Pour grape juice over ice cream

4. Eat!

We will continue working on Fall/Autumn. We will also be working on giving thanks. We will begin talking about the things that we are thankful for.

Unit 6 October 27 - October 31

2008-10-24T21:30:00.006-05:00

This week we are continuing our lesson with Joseph. Joseph helps the king by interpreting his dream. After that Joseph becomes the king's most important helper. Everyone must do what Joseph says or the king will punish them. Joseph's brothers come to Joseph to buy some food because they are very hungry. They do not recognize Joseph because he has been away for a long long time. They are actually afraid of Joseph because he is so rich and so great. Joseph knows who they are even though they don't know who him. Joseph loves his brothers regardless and he helps them. Joseph tells the brothers that he is their brother. They thought he was dead. Even when the brothers were mean and sold Joseph, God was with Joseph the whole time and took care of him. God made Joseph rich and strong so that he could help his family. Now Joseph takes care of his brothers even though they were mean to him. Joseph introduces his two sons to his father, Jacob. Jacob is very, very old and knows he is going to heaven soon. He blesses Joseph's sons, asking God to take care of them.

Devotional:
F is for Forgive. We should forgive others as God forgives us.

Bible Verse:
Be Kind to each other; tenderhearted, forgiving one another.
Ephesians 4:32

This week we will continue with autumn and fall harvest.

Letter of the week: Ff

Funny Fish

(tune: "Jingle Bells")

Funny Fish, Funny Fish,

Swimming right and left.

Tell me all the things you see

That start with letter "Ff":

Fast fire trucks, flashing lights,

Firemen on the run,

Friendly frogs,

And firecrackers,

And fairies having fun!

The End

Color of the week: Black

Black

(tune: "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain")

B-l-a-c-k spells black.

Flying bats are black.

Scary cats are black.

Jelly beans are black.

I like black!

B-l-a-c-k spells black.

Sunday shoes are black.

Santa's boots are black.

B-l-a-c-k spells black.

The End

Shape of the week: Heart

Heart

(tune: "London Bridge")

Haley Heart is good to me.

She brings love to all, you see;

Valentines and kisses too;

Hugs for me and you.

Hearts fill us with happiness.

Hearts are what we love to send.

Hearts bring joy to everyone,

So give one to a friend!

The End

Number: Three 3

We will continue working on the number 3. We will be keep working on writing them.

Thursday morning will be Ms. Renee from Oogles n Googles will be visiting. This month will coninue with Wow, Wow Wubzy. Last month we received dvd samplers of Wow, Wow Wubbzy. This month we are going to receive activity books.

Friday we will have our Fall Harvest. You may bring treats if you would like, but you are NOT required to bring them. We will be making some fly pie.

Fly Pie

needed:

muffin tins & liners

vanilla wafers

vanilla pudding mix

chocolate chips (or chocolate sprinkles)

Mix pudding as directed

Place one vanilla wafer in the bottom of each muffin cup

Spoon pudding into each cup

Sprinkle "flies" (chocolate chips) on top of the pudding

Eat & Enjoy!!

Unit 5 October 20- October 24

2008-10-21T13:04:00.007-05:00

Ok, this week we are getting back on track!

We have begun our lesson of Joseph this week. We are learning how much Jacob loved Joseph and he gave him a beautiful coat made of many colors. Joseph's brothers, were not happy with Joseph. They were sad that their father, Jacob, gave him the nice coat. Joseph went out to find his brothers and the sheep. When he found them, it was not good. The brothers sold Joseph to some men in a far away country. Joseph can't go home to his father, Jacob. But God is watching over Joseph and He will take care of him. When Joseph moved to the far away country, he worked very hard. Everyone liked Joseph there. He was most important helper to his boss. God was with Joseph the whole time. Then Joseph is sent to prison for a long time. A man told a lie and got Joseph in trouble. God is with Joseph while he is in prison. The men in jail like Joseph because he tells them things that are going to happen to them. God helps Joseph by letting him know what is going to happen. Genesis 37:3-39:23

God is always with us!!!

Our devotional:

E is for Everyone!
God loves us all:
The black and the white, and the short and the tall.
Everyone in the world is special to God!!!

verse: See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children. 1 John 3:1

This weeks letter of the week is Ee. We have had the help of Elmo the Elephant to help us find some letter Es.

Elmo the Elephant

tune: "Reuben, Reuben"

Elmo the Elephant was excited.

He called all his friends to come.

He was having an Easter party,

hiding eggs and eating some.

Elks came dancing elbow to elbow.

Eskimos came south from Nome.

They enjoyed the elegant party,

excused themselves and went back home.

The End

Color of the week: Orange

Orange

tune: "Ten Little Indians"

O-r-a-n-g-e

Orange is what that spells.

Jack-o-lanterns are always orange.

Carrots are always orange.

Oranges are always orange.

O-r-a-n-g-e

The End

The number for the next 2 weeks: 3

curve around, stop, and curve again

to make the number 3

Shape of the week: Star
Stella the star will help us identify stars around our school.

Stella Star
tune: "On Top of Old Smokey"

Away in a distance,

We see from afar

a bright, shiny shape.

Could it be Stella Star?

Her shape is quite different

From any we know.

She points five directions

From her head to her toe.

We see her up high

And we see her down low.

At nighttime we see her

Wherever we go.

The End

Then of course we couldn't have orange and autumn without choosing "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater" for our nursery rhyme.

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater

Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater,

Had a wife and couldn't keep her!

He put her in a pumpkin shell,

And there he kept her very well!

The End

We will continue working on pumpkins and autumn harvest. We will be decorating for the autumn harvest. (Yes, I am a little behind this year... I am sorry!)

We will NOT be having a halloween party this year because we are going to respect those who don't celebrate. We will have an Autumn Harvest celebration. Now, this isn't the Thanksgiving feast. That will be in November. We will have an Autumn Harvest celebration next Friday on Halloween. We won't be dressing up unless you want to be a pumpkin, scarecrow or some type of animal or something "autumny". We will play games, have junk food and punch and such.

Miss Amy's birthday party

2008-10-21T12:54:00.003-05:00

We have had a great time with Miss Amy's birthday party. We decorated with balloons everywhere and streamers. The kids helped Ms. Jennifer make a cake. Her favorite is strawberry. She had a strawberry cake with vanilla frosting. Her favorite color is green. So, we added green sugar and sugar party hats for the finishing touch.
Miss Amy LOVES Elvis, so Madison picked out an Elvis Christmas CD and a talking Elvis birthday card. We got her a butterfly and flower balloon with matching birthday plates.
The kids have had a blast singing and eating cake.
We have had a blast with all of the balloons everywhere. We have even played games with them.

I am a little irritated that I did NOT have batteries for my camera. They were all used. So, we don't have any pictures of our fun event.

Fundraiser!!!

2008-10-15T22:16:00.002-05:00

Hey Gang,
We will begin our JumpZone fundraiser on Friday, October 17.
You can check out the website for more information www.jumpzoneparty.com
I will pick up the packets on Thursday and will have them ready for you on Friday.

We are going to sell JumpZone passes!!! These passes will be $25 plus $2 for tax (we are not tax exempt as the schools are) totalling $27. As of a few weeks ago, they went up on price to $8 plus tax/visit/child. That would make this pass is half price. This pass includes 6 visits to Jump Zone in Conway. You can use one pass for up to 3 children at a time. Of course that will take away 3 punches at one time, leaving 3 for another visit.

We will make $5 off of every punch card we sell!

Also, JumpZone is giving away one free small party to the person who sells the most number of punch cards. Wow! A free party!!! Yes, you read that correctly.... FREE! A free small party includes 15 kids. Wow!
So, sell, sell, sell!!!

We will use the funds from the punch cards toward furthering our curriculum, improving things inside, some more chairs for the children, another small table for the kitchen... just overall things for the daycare. All money will go back to the children in one form or another!!!

We will be selling the JumpZone punch cards from Friday, October 17 - Friday, October 31. You must collect the money at the time of purchase. I will then turn in all the money to JumpZone and they will print the cards. We will receive the punch cards ONE week later. Then of course you must deliver them.

I know one gift that my children will be getting for Christmas!!!
I can honestly say that I have heard everyone loves JumpZone. Even Madison loves it and she is almost 10 years old! So, don't count anyone out.
It will be great Christmas gifts for children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, friends, etc.
Thank you all for your participation!!!!
You are all great!!!

Sunday, October 19

2008-10-15T21:59:00.003-05:00

Sunday is Miss Amy's Birthday!

Miss Amy!!!

Miss Amy will be off on Thursday, Friday and Monday. She will be at Payton Creek Catfish House on Friday and Saturday evenings. If you see her, wish her a Happy Birthday.

She is also taking off on Monday. She says she may be too sleepy. Ok...

So, we will have a party for her on Tuesday. We will make a cake for her and I am going to let them decorate it. Can you say beautiful! We will have fun though. We will also make her some homemade cards.
Miss Amy is truly a blessing from God. She is wonderful with the kids and they all love her very much as do I!!!

Thank you Miss Amy!

Praise be to God!

October 13-17

2008-10-15T20:58:00.007-05:00

Ok, due to a really crazy week we have had so far, we haven't started anything new. I have taken this opportunity to review what we have learned so far. They are doing great! Did I ever mention my kids absolutely LOVE to sing and dance!!! :)

We are reviewing:

letters: Aa (Apple Annie), Bb (Benjamin Bunny), Cc (Cathy Cook) and Dd (Daisy Doll)
colors: Red, Blue, Yellow and Brown
numbers: 1 and 2
all of our Bible stories as well

We are also working on our fall theme. We will continue working on our "pumpkin patch".

I have mentioned before the finger play "5 Little Pumpkins". I have been asked to post the words. I apologize for not posting them before.

5 Little Pumpkins

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate

The first one said, "My its getting late!"

The second one said, "There are witches in the air."

The third one said, "We don't care!"

The fourth one said, "Lets have some fun!"

The fifth one said, "Lets run, run run!"

OOOOOOOOHHHHH went the wind,

out (clap) went the lights and

five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!

Next week all should be normal and we will resume our regular lessons with letter Ee, number 3, orange and Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater.

October 6 - 10 National Fire Prevention Week

2008-10-07T11:01:00.008-05:00

This week is National Fire Prevention Week.

I am going to take the opportunity to work on fire safety. We will be learning about fire safety, 911, Stop, drop and roll. We have a video from the Danger Rangers to help us out. We have talked about smoke detectors and fire escape plan. We have practiced a few fire drills here as well. I have received some booklets from FEMA to send home. We will talk about them and color them. I will then send them home for your children to discuss them with you. FEMA has some really good disaster info on their website. http://www.fema.gov/kids/teacher.htm

Here is also a link to a websites and ideas for you to do things with your children at home. http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/firesafety.htm For any of you that were here last September and did Oogles N Googles, you should have the Community Helpers cd. It is loaded with safety songs! We have been listening and discussing the cd as well.

This is also October and we will begin working on Fall. We will make pumpkins for our Pumpkin Patch wall. Today we sang "5 Little Pumpkins". Ask them about it, they all know how to sing it.

We will also read the Parable of the Pumpkin Patch.

The farmer plants the seeds in June in all the neat little rows. They grow in the dark ground all through July. Then each one has a green shoot pop out of the ground and vines begin to spread all over the ground. The leaves on the vines catch the August sun, then tiny buds sprout into pumpkins. Each pumpkin is different. Some are tall, some are short, some are lean and some are round. Some even had lumps and bumps... but they were ALL pumpkins. Just as each and every one of us looks different, but we are all God's children. God loves us all the same.

Then October came and it was harvest time. All of the ripe pumpkins were harvested. The farmer picked one large pumpkin, taking good care of it. See pumpkins are tough on the outside, but soft and squishy on the inside. A pumpkin will break to smithereens if dropped. That is just like us, we may appear tough on the outside, but we are soft and squishy on the inside. If someone is mean or hurtful to us, we break just as the pumpkin when dropped.

The farmer washed all the dirt off of the pumpkin. The farmer had a special plan in mind for his pumpkin. He had to clean out the seeds and the slimpy pulp from inside the pumpkin. The farmer carved triangles for his eyes. See pumpkins have eyes that don't blink. They see everything, just as God sees everything. The farmer then made a square for the nose and a wide smile. The farmer put the pumpkin on the porch with a candle inside. Boy did that pumpkin glow! Everyone saw the glowing pumpkin smiling at them. God wants us to shine our light upon the world in the same way.

Everyone knew that the farmer turned a simple pumpkin into a simply glorious sight.

This is the same way, God offers us the chance to be made new, full of joy and full of light, shining like stars in a dark world.

"If anyone belongs to Christ, then he is made new. The old things have gone; everything is made new!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

Next week we will resume our normal lessons.

New stuff!!!

2008-10-05T20:30:00.002-05:00

Ok, I have to admit, I could spend a whole day in Mardel's. After 3 hours in Mardel, Madison and I came home with lots of new stuff!

I have finally picked up the Frog Street Press cds for the alphabet A to Z as well as the shapes. I already had the colors. So, now they can hear someone else's voice too. Besides after looking over the alphabet, I don't know some of those tunes.

We picked up the Frog Steet press alphabet to go on the wall. We got some cool new things from Frog Street Press for matching colors, shapes and alphabets. They are all cut AND laminated. Now of course they have to be cut and some hung up.

While at Mardel's I found the new Mr. Pencil things from Frog Street Press. (Yes, I am liking the Frog Stree Press stuff!) They have a new writing concept. I found it really neat and yes, I picked some of it up. We got some paper and some name strips for our tables. I have written the children's names on them, laminated them and they are ready to put on the tables. I will also be sending one home for them to practice (I forgot to laminate those.)
The writing concept.... There is a blue line at the top with at cloud at the left side to represent the sky. There is a green line on the bottom with a flower in grass at the left to represent grass. The dotted line in the middle is referred to as the fence. When the children are writing you teach them to start at the sky and pull down to the grass or they just go to the fence. I thought it was really simple and easy for them to understand. I think it will help out with our writing skills.

I also picked up some new books to go along with our curriculum... of course Frog Street Press. I picked up the big book, Best Ideas from A to Z. I picked up the Quick and Easy Book of Circle Time things that has books to make and additional things to add to our fun. Also, while I was looking for fall things, I found the Quick and Easy Book of Fall Ideas.

I picked us up an easy to understand poster of Jesus and his 12 Disciples. They are all labeled by name. That will help me out too. I also picked up a book of fingerplays and songs to go with our Bible stories.

Did I mention that this weekend, I picked up a dressable Weather Frog? He is really cute. So, now we have to turn our song from Weather Bear to Weather Frog.

To top it off.... I picked up a catalog. There was so much more that I wanted to buy. Of course I just did NOT have the money for it all. So, a little at a time.

Week 4 (September 29 - October 3)

2008-10-03T13:18:00.008-05:00

Week 4 brought us the story of Isaac and Rebekah. We learned that a man came into Rebekah's town to see if she would be Isaac's wife, because God told Abraham to find Isaac a wife. Then Rebekah and Isaac married. They had twin boys named Jacob and Esau. Then when Isaac was really old, Jacob lied to his father and pretended to be Esau. Jacob wanted the nice things that his father was going to give to Esau. Isaac told Jacob to take a long journey to another courntry to find him a wife. While on his journey Jacob dreamt about a ladder of angels that led to God, who told him many wonderful things would happen to him because God loves him. While far far away from home Jacob meets his cousin Rachel whom is tending to her father's sheep. Rachel and Jacob get married. Jacob does not return home for a long time. He stays with Rachel's family. Jacob then wrestled with an angel because he wanted him to bless him with nice things. Jacob later figured out that the angel was God. God blessed Jacob and gave him many presents. God later told Jacob to take his family and go home to his father's country. Jacob had taken something from Esau. Esau was angry with him. After Jacob returned home, Esau forgave him. God is pleased when we forgive.

Genesis 24:10 - 33:9

Our devotional for the week is D is for Doing what needs to be done. So please do it cheerfully; Then you'll have fun.

Bible verse: Do for others what you want them to do for you. Matthew 7:12

Week 4 also brought us the letter Dd (upper case D and lowercase d).

Daisy Doll helped us with things that begin with letter Dd.

Daisy Doll

(tune: "Jingle Bells")

Daisy Doll, Daisy Doll,

tell us what you see.

Name the things

around your house

that start with letter "Dd".

daffodils,

dandelions,

dogs that dig in dirt,

daddy working in the yard

in his favorite shirt.

The End

Then we studied the color brown.

Brown

(tune: "Bingo")

There is a color we all know.

Can you guess what it is?

B-r-o-w-n, b-r-o-w-n, b-r-o-w-n

that's how you spell brown.

Teddy bears

and squirrels are brown.

Autumn leaves are too.

Chocolate candy's always brown.

Chocolate cake is always brown.

Chocolate milk is always brown.

I like brown, don't you?

The End

Of course we couldn't study the color brown without reading "Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see?"... one of their favorites! This time we read the story. Then we did our own version of "Brown Bear". We all put on masks and Madison (our big visitor on Monday) helped us. We LOVED it. We played it every day! We all took turns being the different animals.

With the color brown we also dug in dirt and found the autumn leaves outside. Then of course we played the same old games they love to play.... treasure hunt and "I spy". (I think those will be every week because even when we play something new, they always want to play those as well.)

The shape of the week: Rectangle

Rectangle

(tune: "Up on the Housetop")

Rudy the rectangle is my name.

I have four sides

That are not the same.

Two sides are short and two are long.

Can you find me hiding in this song?

Look around the room,

Now do you see?

The windows and the doors

Are shaped like me.

The chalkboard and the desk

And your books, too.

You did great, I am proud of you!

The End

This week we continued with our number 2. We practiced writing them and couting two things.

Well, this week during calender and weather, we had to change the calender. We changed to October. We talked about October and what this month brings. The weather gets cooler. We did talk about it still being autumn. The days get shorter, so it will get dark earlier.

Week 3 (September 22-26)

2008-09-29T22:17:00.009-05:00

Week 3 brought us the story of Abraham. We learned that Abraham obeyed God by gathering up his animals and family to move far away. Then Abraham let Lot have the best grass because Lot was selfish. When he did so, God gave him the best for his animals because he was NOT selfish. Then God told Abraham to count the stars. Abraham said that he could not because there were too many. God said he would give Abraham a child, then grandchildren and great grand children. Soon there would be so many children that we would not be able to count them, just as the stars. Then when Abraham and his wife Sara were very old, God sent them a son, whom they named Isaac. One day God tested Abraham's love for Him by asking Abraham to take his son, Isaac, to kill him. When Abraham was going to obey God, God told him no, don't kill him, kill the ram! God saved Isaac because He knew Abraham's love for Him.

Our devotional:

C is for crying. It hurts when you fall but please don't cry about nothing at all. (From: "Big Thoughts for Little People" author Kenneth Taylor)

Bible Verse: A cheerful heart does good like medicine. Proverbs 17:22

The letter of the week is Cc (uppercase C and lowercase c). Cathy Cook helped us out with the letter Cc.

Cathy Cook

(tune: "The Farmer in the Dell")

Good morning, Cathy Cook.

Make something good for me.

There are lots of yummy things

That start with letter "Cc":

Cookies, candy canes,

cupcakes and a drink.

Carrots, corn, and cauliflower

always make me think.

The End

The color of the week was Yellow.

Yellow

(tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")

Y-e-l-l-o-w spells yellow.

Like the early morning sun,

when the day has just begun,

Y-e-l-l-o-w spells yellow.

Daffodils and baby ducks are yellow.

Lemonade and scrambled eggs are yellow.

I like the smiley face that's yellow.

He's such a happy fellow.

Y-e-l-l-o-w spells yellow.

Then End

The shape of the week was Triangle. Trixie Triangle helped us identify triangles.

Triangle

(tune: "Are You Sleeping")

Trixie Triangle, Trixie Triangle

Has three sides, has three sides.

She says yield, but don't stop!

See her on the rooftop.

Count her sides.

1-2-3

Trixie Triangle, Trixie Triangle

Has three sides, has three sides.

See her on the boat sail.

And upon the dragon tail.

Count her sides.

1-2-3

The End

Also this week we practiced our number 2.

Number Two (Sing & Write)

(tune: "Mulberry Bush")

Curve around, slant down and slide across

to make the number TWO.

For cooking class we made chocolate cookies! They had a blast making cookies with Ms. Jennifer. Then of course they made a nice mess eating those cookies. But see, the word "clean" also starts with the letter Cc. So, cleaning turned into a Cc lesson as well. :)

Of course we went on treasure hunts, wore our yellow on Wednesday and played lots of games... "I spy in our classroom", etc.

Everything around here is a learning lesson!!! We just know how to make it a fun one!!!

Week 2 (September 15-19)

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During week 2 we learned about Noah and the big boat. We learned how Noah obeyed God by building the big boat when God told him to, even when others thought he was silly. We learned how Noah took 2 (one mom and one dad) of every kind of animal onto his boat. He loaded his family on the boat, obeying God once again. They were all on the boat for 40 days and 40 nights. Then when they were able to get off, God sent a rainbow. The rainbow reminds us of God's promises to us.
We sang about rainbows and played charades to describe which animals that we thought Noah took on the boat.

Our devotional for the week:
B is for Behave. It means doing what's right. Be happy and helpful; Don't argue or fight.

Bible Verse: Jesus said, "If you love me, obey me." John 14:15

This week Benjamin Bunny brought us things that begin with the letter Bb.

Benjamin Bunny

(tune: "Beautiful Dreamer")

Benjamin Bunny, what do you see?

Name all the things that begin with a "Bb":

Babies and bubbles,

Butterflies too,

Beach balls and bears,

And balloons that are blue.

Then End

Since we had the letter Bb this week, we decided to go ahead and add blue to the mix.

Blue

(tune: "The Farmer in the Dell")

B-l-u-e spells blue.

Hi! Ho!

Did you know?

B-l-u-e spells blue.

The big sky is blue.

The ocean is too.

Hi! Ho!

Did you know?

B-l-u-e spells blue.

To go along with with the blue theme we sang Little Boy Blue and learned it was a nursery rhyme.

Little Boy Blue

Little Boy Blue,

Come blow your horn.

The sheep's in the meadow.

The cow's in the corn.

Where's the little boy who looks after the sheep?

He's under the haystack, fast asleep.

Will you wake him?

No, not I.

For if I do, he's sure to cry.

The End

Suzy Square introduced to us that she has 4 sides and we talked about things in our room that were square shape.

Square

(tune: "Camptown Races")

Suzy Square has just four sides,

One-two three-four

Suzy Square has just four sides,

And they are all the same.

Standing on the ground,

Or turning upside down,

Suzy's shape is still the same

And square is still her name.

Squares have just four corners too,

One-two three-four.

Squares can play a game with you,

Tic-Tac-Toe and Hopscotch, too!

Standing on the ground,

Or turning upside down,

Suzy's shape is still the same

And square is still her name.

The End

We practiced writing our number ones with a neat little nifty tune.

Number One

(tune: "Mulberry Bush")

Start at the top and pull straight down.

Start at the top and pull straight down,

to make the number ONE.

For our cooking lesson... snack, Benjamin Bunny brought us the Bubble Juice recipe.

Benjamin Bunny Bubble Juice

ingredients:

pineapple juice

club soda

8oz. paper cup (per child)

spoon (per child)

1. Pour 1/2 glass of pineapple juice.

2. add club soda

3. stir

4. drink

To add to the letter Bb this week we ate bananas and played with bubbles.

Week 1 (September 8-12)

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We are off to a great start!

We are learning about creation. We learned that God created EVERYTHING! We learned that Adam and Eve did NOT obey God. They were naughty and ate the fruit that God told them not to. For punishment God said they had to get out of the garden and never come back again!

Our devotional for the week: A is for asking. We ask God when we pray. God's happy to answer and help us each day.

Bible verse: Tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for his answers. Philippians 4:6

(The lyrics to the alphabet, shape, and color songs as well as the images are from Frog Street Press)

We began the school year off with the letter Aa. Apple Annie showed us her favorite things that start with the letter a.

Apple Annie

(tune: Jingle Bells)

Apple Annie, Apple, Annie,

how are you today?

Tell me all the things

you know about

the letter "Aa."

Alligators,

astronauts,

apple trees that sway;

these are all my

favorite things that

start with letter "Aa."

We talked about apples and ate apples for snack as well.

Then it was off to the color red. We hunted for red items around the daycare. Wore our red clothes on Wednesday and of course ate red apples.

R-E-D Red

( Tune: Are you Sleeping)

R-E-D red, R-E-D red,
I can spell red, I can spell red,
Firetrucks are red,
Stop Signs are red too,
R-E-D, R-E-D.

Our shape of the week was Circle. Cindy Circle helped us to identify what a circle looks like.

Cindy Circle
(Tune: If you're Happy and you Know it)
Cindy Circle goes around and around
From the sky to the ground, she goes around
She is on the ferris wheel.
She's a beachball for the seal.
Cindy Circle goes around and around.
Cindy Circle goes around and around.
You will see her on the stop light in the town.
She can bend from end to end,
roller skating with a friend.
Cindy Circle goes around and around.

Well, the hunt for red was such a hit, that we decided to hunt for circles too. Looks like we are going to be doing a lot of hunting around here!

Welcome to Lily Pad Learning Center

2008-09-20T07:41:00.007-05:00

We are off to a great start this year! The kids are having a great time with all of our new learning materials.

Each morning after free play, we clean up and begin our "school time" activities with exercise. We get the blood flowing and the brain working. I am beginning to think this is their favorite time of the day. Exercise time lasts for about 15 minutes.

Each day in circle time we begin with the day of the week. They have a song they like to sing as well.

There are seven days, there are seven days, there are seven days in a week
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Then we move on to the month of the year. We talk about where it falls at in the calendar (September is the 9th month). Why yes, there is a song for this one as well....

January, February, March and April
May, June, July and August
September, October, November, December
those are the months of the year

I then show them on the calender the day of the week, and the date.. for example Tuesday, September 16, 2008. I would show them Tuesday at the top of the calendar, the word September at the top and there where the 16 is located in the Tuesday column.

Next we move on to the weather outside with weather bear...

Weather bear, weather bear what do you see?
the kids respond with what they see.... I see rain looking at me.
Weather bear, weather bear what do you see?
I see cloudy looking at me.

Then we move on to the season of the year and words to describe that season.

We then begin with our letter of the week. Our new Frog Street Press flip charts are wonderful! The kids love to sing. Each letter has a cute little song to help the kids remember things that start with that letter. We have the reproducible book as well. It contains each song and then activities to reinforce the information as well. The kids love creating the mini books.

Next is the color of the week. Again, the Frog Street Press flip chart comes in handy. Each color again has a song, only this song spells the color and identifies some things that are usually that color. It also has a page with identifying, sorting, "which one doesn't belong", etc. We also have the reproducible book to go along with this one. Again, it is great!

We then cover the shape of the week... yes Frog Street Press helps us out with this one too. They don't have a flip chart yet. So, we use the reproducibles.

Each week we have a number of the week as well. We use the Frog Street Press reproducible book. They don't make a flip chart for this one yet either.

We have to cover the things with songs first to get better cooperation for what follows.

We then begin with our Bible lesson. We use the "Little Hands to Heaven" curriculum. Each day reinforces the letter of the week and the Bible story with a finger play. There is a Bible story and a devotional. The devotional reinforces the letter of the week and labels it with something ie: B is for behave. This curriculum adds throughout the week: a few art activities, a math activity, a snack activity. It is all laid out for each day.

We discuss how God is always with us! He is always watching over us and protecting us! He is always shining us light upon us!

Each day we review what we learned the day before. On Mondays we review what we learned the week before.

Before we head in to the classroom for some coloring and writing, we take prayer requests and pray. Then we say the Lord's Prayer. We learn that God forgives us we just have to ask Him. God also always knows what is in our hearts. We also learn that God loves us all the same even though we are different.

The kids go run a couple of laps around the huge play area and head into the classroom.

In the classroom, we will color our printables, pracitice writing our names, practice writing our letters, numbers, shapes, etc. We will also do our art activity.

We then move on to what is considered Learning Centers. During centers we play with blocks, read, play games, put puzzles together, play restaurant, etc. We do it all together. So, we work together. We learn to work as a team. We have also been doing what has been considered some science.

In the afternoon we have implemented cooking with the children. We are making our own snacks. We have found some things on the internet as well as our Frog Street Press book for fun snack recipes. We try to use things that go with the letter of the week, shape, color, etc.

Each day we talk about good choices/bad choices. We use the terms "safe" to refer to how we use our hands, feet and mouth (biting, our words). This is working well for us.

We have also learned that we should treat others as we want to be treated. We also do alot of encouraging of one another. Let us not forget our manners.... please and thank you are big around here!!!!

I am going to find some type of behavior chart or whatever that will work well for young ones. At the end of the week, they can dig from the treasure chest or have a sucker.

I am always working to improve our center. I want it to be a wonderful learning and growing experience for all of us!