Blog for December 11, 13 and 15

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!
Just a quick reminder to wear boots, bring hats and gloves or mittens to play in the snow, snowpants if you have them would be great too!


Christmas is our theme this week! We are doing activities, reading books and learning about Christmas!

Table activities this week are create a tree with paper, jingle bells and magnets, star wrapping, Christmas playdough, pom pom ornament sort, and a Christmas sensory bin.

Small Group activities this week are cutting out a Christmas tree and decorating with a collage of paper, patterned lights, letter matching on trees.

The KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and handeye coordination in using their small muscles- Alot of that this week in cutting and gluing.

Alphabetic knowledge: Children identify letter names and their sounds.- We will review the letters we have covered so far on our trees, see how much knowledge has stuck!

History: Children understand past, present, and future- How does the birth of a baby so long ago have anything to do with us today? Last week we talked about how the three men in the fiery furnace sharing their faith was probably where the ancestors of the wise men who came to see Jesus heard about it!


Jesus Time- This week we enter the stories that tell us about Jesus. Jesus' mother was a young woman who lived in Nazareth.  She was promised to be married to a man named Joseph. 
One day when she was working in her home, an angel appeared to her and told her that she was going to have a baby. She wondered how this could be since she wasn't married to Joseph and hadn't been with a man. The angel told her that the Holy Spirit would make her pregnant with God's Son. He told her the child would be named Jesus because he would save his people from their sins. Mary accepted what the angel said. When she told Joseph, he didn't believe her at first. He was going to quietly cancel their wedding and try to cause as little embarrassment as possible for Mary. As Joseph was struggling with what decision to make and how to make it, he had a dream in which an angel also came to him and confirmed what Mary had said. Joseph did make Mary his wife and became Jesus father on earth.

Next Tuesday the Scrapmobile will be here from 10-11 am. Please fill out the attendance slip and put in your $7 if you would like to participate.

Preschool has school until Wednesday, December 20th. However, I will be leaving on vacation early. My oldest daughter graduates from college on Sunday, December 17th in Anchorage, Alaska, so I will be traveling up north for Christmas! I leave after school on Friday, December 15th.

May God richly bless you with a wonderful Christmas season and a terrific and healthy break!!

Mrs. Schneck

Blog for December 4, 6, and 8

This week we are talking about Hh and houses. Lots of different houses, not even all of them have four walls and a roof, some just have a roof!

Table activities this week include building and playing with houses, coloring or designing houses, making houses with playdough and popsicle sticks, making the three little pigs houses and making houses with styrofoam.

Our small group activities are making graham cracker houses, shape houses and adding the page Hh is for houses to our journals.

The books of the week are "The Three Little Pigs" illustrated by Paul Galdone, "Too Tall Houses" by Gianna Marino and "This is the House that Jack Built" illustrated and retold by Simms Taback.

The KDIs we are working on this week are-

 Shapes: Children identify, name, and describe shapes. - What shapes do we see in houses? How can we put shapes together to make a house?

Book knowledge: Children demonstrate knowledge about books.- We recognize the patterns in books like "This is the House that Jack built" Like one student said, "Jack's on every page!"

Speaking: Children express themselves using language. - Our pre-planning activity let children express themselves as they chose their favorite room in the their house and told why it was their favorite! 

Jesus Time- This is our last Old Testament story. This week we hear about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the three young men brave enough to stand up to a king. 
Last week we heard the story of David and Goliath. David eventually became king and Israel went through a long list of kings, some good and some bad, many leading the Israelites away from God and to idol worship. After a time, God gave the Israelites a wake up call and the country of Babylon invaded and took Israel's brightest and best young people captive. The rest of the nation was scattered among other nations Babylon had conquered. King Nebuchadnezzer, Babylon's king, had a strict regimen he wanted his young captives to follow, including diet. When the Israelites informed the Babylonians that they followed their own dietary laws, they were upset. Over several weeks, the Israelites were given a chance to show that their way would work. By the end of the trial period, they were stronger and healthier than the rest of the captives. They gained the respect of the Babylonian government. 
King Nebuchadnezzer then had a dream where he felt he was led to erect a giant gold statue for his subjects to worship. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused. The punishment for not doing what the king asked you to was to be thrown into a blazing hot furnace. The king gave the young men one more chance. When they refused again, he ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. The boys were bound hand and foot and thrown into the furnace. The furnace was so hot that the guards who threw them in were instantly killed.
When King Nebuchadnezzer looked into the furnace, he couldn't believe his eyes, not only were the boys walking around unharmed, there was also a fourth man in the furnace who looked like the son of a god- he was the Son of The God!! Nebuchadnezzer called the boys out of the furnace and ordered his people to only worship Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's God. Our God is a Mighty God!!

Please remember to sign up for the Christmas Service you are attending on December 17th-Christmas Service sign up

Also we are having Christmas Service practice this Saturday, December 9th from 9-11am. Just drop off your child at the church and we will practice the service, have a little snack and play a bit and probably practice walking in and out again.
See you then!!

Also Arts and Scraps at school field trip on Tuesday, December 19th- note coming home Wednesday!

On Tuesday, December 19^th, Arts and Scraps is coming to Peace with their Scrapmobile for an “AT SCHOOL FIELD TRIP”.  Students will be able to make a project from the mobile in preschool.

The Scrapmobile will be here from 10-11am. The three year old class will have a regular morning until 10am.  At that time, three yr old parents may return to join us.

Four year students and their parents are also invited to this event and will need to be present to help their child with their project.

The cost is $7 per student/kit. The payment is due by Tuesday, December 12^th.

We look forward to working together!

My child, _________________, we be attending the Arts and Scraps workshop. $7

_______________ Sibling $7               _____________ Parent helper Free

Have a terrific week!!

Mrs. Schneck

Books of the week

This week, I didn't post the books of the week because I requested them from the library, but didn't receive them until Monday.

On Monday we read "The Three Little Wolves and the Big, Bad Pig" by Eugene Trivizas, "Gingerbread Friends" by Jan Brett and "A House is a House for Me" by Mary Ann Hoberman. On Wednesday and Friday we read "The Key to the Kingdom" by Betsey and Guilio Maestro and "This is the Key to the Kingdom" by Diane Worfolk Allison. We also looked through three wordless books, "Journey", "Quest" and "Return" all by Aaron Becker.

Blog for November 27, 29 and December 1

Kk is for keys is our letter and theme this week!

Our table activities are looking for matching keys, decorating keys, doing key rubbings, playing with padlocks, pressing keys in playdough to get an imprint and wrapping keys with string.

Our small group activities are using Shrinky-dinks to make a keychain, practicing our scissor skills by cutting out a key and adding a "Kk is for key" page to our journal.

The KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

 Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and handeye coordination in using their small muscles. - We are working with this alot this week! Scissors, drawing, turning locks, a lot of small motor action.

 Phonological awareness: Children identify distinct sounds in spoken language.- We are expanding this knowledge weekly.

Book knowledge: Children demonstrate knowledge about books. - This week we are listening to fairy tales and books that make you think.

Our Jesus Time story this week is about David and Goliath. Samuel had been the leader of the Israelites for many years, but the Israelites decided they wanted a king, like the nations around them had. Samuel anointed Saul to be the first king, tall and strong, he looked very much like the king every one had imagined. However, he did not always look to the Lord for his direction and was not very repentant when confronted with his sins. So, God chose another man to be the second king of Israel when he was just a boy. Jesse had several sons and after parading them all past Samuel waiting for him to choose one of them to be king, Samuel asked if there were any other sons. Jesse said, there was one more, David, the youngest, who was a shepherd out watching the sheep. Samuel said David was the one God had chosen to be king. Samuel anointed him, but he would wait to take his throne until Saul's reign was over.

Meanwhile, the Israelites are fighting against their enemies, the Philistines. David's brothers are soldiers in the army and David is sent to them with food from his father. When he arrives, he finds all the soldiers cowering in their tents. The Philistine champion, nine foot tall Goliath, is in the valley between the armies, challenging the Israelites and mocking their God. David can't believe he is getting away with it. "Will no one fight him?" he asks. He volunteers to fight and, much to the embarrassment of his brothers, goes to the king. Saul can't believe it, this boy willing to fight a giant??!! Saul offers him the protection of his armor. David can't move in the heavy metal, so he fights Goliath just as he has fought off the bears and lions who have attacked his father's sheep. He takes five smooth stones from a stream and his slingshot.

He goes to meet Goliath in the valley. Goliath laughs and says "Am I a dog that you come after me with sticks?" David tells Goliath , "I come in the name of the LORD Almighty!" One stone goes in the sling and with God's help connects with the forehead of the giant, who falls down dead!

God defeats our giants for us- sin, death and the power of the devil- with two sticks and a few nails- the cross on which our Savior Jesus died for us- and he rose again, so that we too will rise!! We have God on our side!!

Book orders available, due December 8th.

Christmas is fast approaching- Sign up for which Christmas service you would like your child to attend here-Christmas Service sign up.

Have a fantastic week!!
Mrs. Schneck

Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! May God richly bless your gatherings of friends and family!

This week we are listening for and looking at the sound of Ww for wishbone. Each child will receive a little wishbone to take home on Wednesday. They are pretty little, so keep an eye out for little siblings.

Our table activities are playdough and bead and seed play, create a turkey with paper parts, Thanksgiving themed dot painting and Thanksgiving pattern block pictures.

Our small group activities are making the Mayflower and trying it out to see if it is sea-worthy and adding Ww is for wishbone to our journals.

Our books for the week are "Thanksgiving Day Thanks" by Laura Malone Elliot, " 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving" by Dav Pilkey and "One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims" by B. G. Hennessy.


The KDIs we are looking at this week are-

History: Children understand past, present, and future.- We are talking about pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe, family traditions, things that link us from past to present and to future.

Vocabulary: Children understand and use a variety of words and phrases- Lots of holiday words and new Bible story words that we don't really use any more like 'manger' or 'tabernacle'


Jesus Time- This week we are hearing about Samuel who is Israel's last judge. The Israelites had conquered the promised land and had established themselves as it's residents. God was their ruler and he made his will known through judges that he chose. The priests were from the tribe of Levi and they ran the worship in the tabernacle, kind of a tent church, that many Israelites went to for the special celebrations. One Israelite family that attended worship there was a man named Elkanah and his two wives, one of which was named Hannah. Hannah had not been able to have any children and Elkanah's other wife teased her about it. The priest Eli found Hannah sobbing in the tabernacle and asked her what was wrong. When she told him, he assured her that she would have a child by the next time they would visit the tabernacle. That son was Samuel. When Hannah again came to the tabernacle with Samuel when he was 5 years old, she presented him to Eli and told him that she was giving the boy back to God for service in the tabernacle. Samuel lived with Eli and his family and his mother made him a new coat and brought it when she visited each year. One night as Samuel was sleeping, God called to him and told him that the Israelites would soon fight a battle in which Eli's sons would die. Samuel would then be responsible for Israel's worship at the tabernacle and telling the Israelites God's word. Eli's sons were not honoring God in the way they lived their lives and Eli had not disciplined them, teaching them right and wrong. Because we love God and love our children, we want them to know what God says and hold them accountable for their actions before it leads to consequences that are life changing! 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!- NO SCHOOL on Friday, November 24 for Thanksgiving.

Mrs. Schneck

Blog for November 13, 15 and 17

Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite! What kinds of phrases or poems do you put your kids to bed with? What phrases did your parents say to you? This week one of our books, "Good Night, Sleep Tight" by Mem Fox explores a lot of bedtime rhymes.

This week our theme is Night time and the letter Nn.

Our table activities this week are nightime rice with glitter stars, decorating black paper with white or metallic crayons and star stickers, star cookie cutter printing, coloring pajamas, starry night slime and decorating a star.

Our small group activities are a watercolor resist painting- we colored with a white crayon on white paper and then painted over it with night sky colors and we could see where we colored, making constellations by connecting the stars with chalk and adding Nn is for night time to our journal.

Our books are "Good Night, Sleep Tight" by Mem Fox, "Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late" by Mo Willems and "Rise the Moon" by Eileen Spinelli.

The KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

Emotions: Children recognize, label, and regulate their feelings.- Mo Willem's Pigeon books are great at expressing emotion. We ask how the pigeon feels and why does he feel that way? Feelings are okay to have,what do we do when we have them?

Natural and physical world: Children gather knowledge about the natural and physical world.- We are learning about the night, nocturnal animals, constellations, lots of different night time words.

Sense of competence: Children feel they are competent. - Getting coats, hats, gloves, outside shoes on are great things to be able to do ourselves. We use some different tricks, but promote independence. 

Jesus Time- This week we are hearing the story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho. The Israelites had entered into the Promised Land and God told them to take over. They were not an army and the cities in the Promised Land were well fortified. They came to the city Jericho which was surrounded by a wall so thick that people lived in it. After spies came back and told them how strong a city it was, God gave them marching orders. The people were to march around the city once a day for seven days, then on the seventh day they were to march around it seven times, then shout and blow the trumpets. When they did this, the walls of the city came crashing down. God gave them the victory and He gives us the victory too! Not over cities or people on earth, but over sin, death and the devil through the life and death of his Son, Jesus Christ!

A reminder that Wednesday is Pajama Day!!

Also, we have worked it out with the big school that they wait for us and we are able to join them for chapel each week. Each of your children has a chapel buddy that walks them to chapel and helps them follow along. Chapel lasts about 20 minutes, from 8:30-8:50. Once a quarter, we will also have a project we will do with our chapel buddies. This last week we made poppy magnets to give to Veterans to thank them for their service.

Next week is Thanksgiving! We have school on Monday and Wednesday, but not Friday!

Have a fantastic week!

Mrs. Schneck

Blog for November 6,8,10

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo! How about you, you, you? You can come too, too, too, we're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo!

This week is zoo week and the letter Zz.

Our table activities are printing with animal shaped cookie cutters, building cages for zoo animals out of blocks, an ISpy animal page, making animals with animal print paper and playing with animals in their different habitats.

Our small group activities this week have us doing alot of finger work. Monday we used scissors to cut out a picture of an animal and cut strips from gray paper to glue on as bars to their cage. On Friday we will choose a zebra, tiger or lion and rip paper to glue on as stripes or a mane.

Books of the week- "1,2,3 to the Zoo" by Eric Carle, "Goodnight, Gorilla" by Peggy Rathman, and "Put Me in the Zoo" by Robert Lopshire.

Hopefully you can join us on Wednesday at the zoo at 10am. We will meet near the ramp next to the water tower parking lot, just as you come in to the main gates- not the members parking lot. I will have a sign. We will all go in together, members at the rear so they can scan your cards separately, once we are in the gates, I will be giving your child an animal check off list and we can go our separate ways.

The KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

Vocabulary: Children understand and use a variety of words and phrases- We are introducing different words, like habitat into our vocabulary. Last week we used arachnid. Keep using words and phrases that your children don't often hear, it's how they get to know them.

Natural and physical world: Children gather knowledge about the natural and physical world.- We are learning a lot about our world at the zoo!

Counting: Children count things.- We are counting animals this week!


Jesus Time- This week we have one last story with Moses before we skip ahead. The Israelites are safely out of Egypt. God provides water from a rock and food in the form of manna and quail as they are traveling through the desert. Because God wants them to be a people set apart, he meets with Moses on Mt. Sinai and gives him many rules for His people to live by. One section of that still helps us today and that is the Ten Commandments.

We talked about how we are not able to keep the Ten Commandments perfectly, but Jesus did and he shares that obedience with us. We also talked about how the commandments show us how we can show love to God and to others. We talked about the two tables of the law- You should have no other Gods, Use God's name to pray, praise and give thanks, and worship God! Those are all showing us how to better show love to God. Honor and obey your parents and others in authority, do not murder or hurt anyone, do not steal, honor marriage, do not tell lies about people, do not want something someone else has so badly that you plan a way to get it or complain constantly how it's not fair they have it and you don't.

We can't do any of these things all the time, we sin all the time. But thank God that He sent Jesus who did and suffered our punishment in our place!

I would like to share a great graphic that I saw about the importance of reading at home- We do read at school, but what a way to help your little ones get a great start! And books are FREE!! All you need is a library card!

Have a terrific week!

Mrs. Schneck

Blog for October 30, November 1 and 3

This week we are looking at spiders. Many of the students love playing with the rubber bugs, so we did an emergent theme this week. That means, I look at what the children are interested in and center our activities around that.

So, this week it is Ss for spiders!!

Our table activities are grasping spiders with tongs through a yarn web, playing with spiders and floss web, spider ring stacking on straws, painting with webbing (yarn), looking at cards to identify spiders and making a glittery web with glue and glitter.

Our small motor activities this week included making a snack with a gummy spider this morning, making a model of a spider with airdry clay, using the rim of a paper plate to "sew" a spider web.

The KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

Body awareness: Children know about their bodies and how to navigate them in space.- As we work our way through a yarn web this week, we'll see how we have to move our bodies to get through.

Phonological awareness: Children identify distinct sounds in spoken language. -We will make the Ss sound and each week we review the letters and sounds we have already talked about.

Classifying: Children classify materials, actions, people, and events. - We talked about the difference between spiders and insects. How many legs? How many body parts?


Books for the week are "The Very Busy Spider" by Eric Carle and "Diary of a Spider" by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Harry Bliss.

Jesus Time- This week we continue the story of Moses. Moses was raised as an Egyptian prince, but he never forgot that he was an Israelite. When he saw one of his countrymen being mistreated by an Egyptian slavemaster, he took matters into his own hands and killed him. Then he had to flee the country. In the countryside, he met some shepherdesses who took him to their home. He married one of them, Zipporah and became close to his father-in-law, Jethro. Moses also became a shepherd and one day, at the ripe old age of 80, he spotted a bush that was on fire, but not burning up. As he went over to investigate, the LORD called out to him. Letting him know that he was standing on holy ground, God called on him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. After refusing several times, Moses finally accepted the job. He went to visit Egypt and Pharaoh. God used Moses to save the Israelites. It took a lot of courage and faith to do Moses' job.  Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go and God sent ten plagues to convince Pharaoh to do what he asked him, through Moses, to do. Pharaoh often relented and then changed his mind at the last minute. 
God used Moses to save the Israelites, God uses Jesus to save us. God also calls us to do somethings that we may not want to do, He will give us the strength, courage and faith to accomplish what he has set before us to do!


Parent Teacher conferences are this Thursday and Friday afternoon/evening. If you haven't signed up yet, please do at the following link- http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c45afa72fa3fe3-1stquarter.

Zoo field trip a week from Wednesday!

Have a great week!!

Mrs. Schneck

Blog for October 23,25 and 27

Pumpkins everywhere!!

This week we are looking at pumpkins and listening and looking for the letter Pp.

Table activities this week are pumpkin slime, fall sensory bin with foam pumpkins, leaves, acorns, corn and wheat, paper jack o'lanterns, pumpkin stamping, pumpkin beading and pounding golf tees into pumpkins.

Small group activities are pumpkin explore- we cut open a pumpkin and look at the skin, flesh, seeds and gooey bits, pumpkin decorating and Pp is for pumpkin page for our journal.

Large group activities include singing along to "5 Little Pumpkins" and walking the balance beam with a pumpkin in each hand.

Books for the week are "The Pumpkin Patch Parable" by Liz Curtis Higgs, "The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin" by Stan and Jan Berenstain and "The Pumpkin Patch" , a non-fiction book, by Elizabeth King.

KDIs we are concentrating on this week are-

Engagement: Children focus on activities that interest them- When we do our planning, children sometimes focus on what someone else chooses instead of what interests them. Sometimes they choose something different that they've seen someone else having fun with. When they choose a table activity to do in the morning, we encourage them to try them both to see which one they'd like to do. They don't have to stick with it until morning meeting, they can try the other activity also. They find what interests them.

Book knowledge: Children demonstrate knowledge about books. - This week we are looking at a non-fiction book that share information and two storybooks with pretty complicated story lines. They are being read to from many different genres to see books in different ways.

Sense of competence: Children feel they are competent. -As the weather gets colder, we are working on getting our own coats on, changing out our own shoes. Knowing we can do it!


Jesus Time- Many years have passed since we left Joseph and his family. The Pharoah who put Joseph in a high position has died and the following Egyptian generations don't know what those Israelites did for them. They just see them as a strange people living in the land of Goshen and as a possible threat if an enemy army ever attacks Egypt. Whose side would these strange people take? The Egyptians begin to make the Israelites their slaves. They treat them badly, but the Israelites stay strong and there are a lot of them! The Egyptian Pharoah tries to keep the Israelites down by instructing the Egyptian midwives to take any boy babies born to the Israelites and throwing them in the Nile River to be eaten by crocodiles. One mother, Jochabed, keeps her pregnancy a secret, she gives birth to a boy and hides him for three months. Then when he is getting too big to hide, she makes a basket boat, coats it with tar so it's waterproof and sets it afloat. The baby's sister, Miriam, watches closely as the basket floats down the river to where the Egyptian princess is bathing. When the princess hears whimpering coming from the basket, she tells one of her maids to fetch it. She discovers a little boy whom she names Moses, which means "drawn out of the water". Miriam offers to find someone to care for the baby for her and runs to get her mother. Moses' own mother takes care of him until he is 5 years old. He is then returned to the Egyptian princess to be raised as a prince of Egypt. God was getting Moses equipped to lead his people out of slavery. Moses had no idea that was his future. Sometimes we wonder why things happen to us, maybe God is getting us ready for something we will do years down the road!

Time to bring in those inside shoes as the weather gets messier and wetter everyday. Some have brought them already, thank you! Slippers or soft shoes with your child's name on them somewhere are great!

Zoo information-(sorry none of this was on the slip!!)

We will meet at the zoo at 10 am, when it opens. Parking is $7 per car. There is no formal program at the zoo, we will just go in together to get the group rate. You are free to stay as long as you like- the zoo is open until 4 pm.

Have a terrific week!
Mrs. Schneck

Blog for October 16, 18 and 20

Leaves are falling, leaves are falling to the ground, to the ground, red, orange and yellow, red, orange and yellow all around, all around.

This week we are looking at leaves and the letter Ll.

Table activities this week are painting with leaves, making button trees, leaf rubbings, leaf matching, continuing leaf patterns and leaf exploring with magnifying glasses.

Our small group activities are making leaf people, autumn leaf absorption (using leaves made out of coffee filters to see how food travels through leaves) and adding a journal page, Ll is for leaf.

Our large group activities are making a bark rubbing and leaf toss and pick up.

Patterns: Children identify, describe, copy, complete, and create patterns.- We do this every day in calendar. We will look at the patterns of leaves, the pattern of seasons and the patterns in numbers this week.

Observing: Children observe the materials and processes in their environment. - We are looking for leaves on the trees and on the ground. We look at different parts of the tree, branches, trunk, leaves, bark. What do they do?

 Reading: Children read for pleasure and information. -Two of our books this week are fictional and one is talking about a leaf collection. We can read to be entertained and to learn.

Jesus time- This week we hear the rest of Joseph's story. When we left Joseph last week, he had just been made second in command of Egypt and helped to plan the storehouses of food that would last through the seven years of famine. Egypt wasn't the only place that was experiencing a famine. Joseph's brothers had no food either. So, when Jacob heard that there was food that could be bought in Egypt, he sent his sons. Joseph's first dream was about to come true. Ten of his brothers approached him seeking to buy food. He knew them, but they had no idea who he was. He accused them of being spies and imprisoned his brother Simeon. He told them he would keep Simeon in prison until they brought their youngest brother, Benjamin, along with them to Egypt. He then gave them their food, placing the money they had paid for it back inside the bags of grain. When they returned home and told their father what had happened, he didn't want to send Benjamin, he had already lost Joseph! Finally, the brothers convinced him. They went back to Egypt along with Benjamin to purchase more food. When they arrived, Joseph had them escorted to his home where he had a meal laid out for them. They were told which seats to sit in and they were arranged according to age. As the portions were passed out, Joseph's servants gave Benjamin more than the rest. Joseph was listening behind the scenes to see if there was any jealousy or hatred of Benjamin because he was favored. He heard none. To give the brothers one final test to see if they had really changed, Joseph sent them back home with sacks full of grain. He placed the money back in their sacks, but in Benjamin's sack, he placed his own silver chalice. He let the brothers get a head start, and when he caught up with them, along with his soldiers, he accused them of stealing the silver cup from his home. The brothers reassured him that they had not stolen anything. The bags were searched and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack! The older brothers spoke up, offering to take Benjamin's punishment, no matter what it was. Then Joseph finally revealed himself to them and told them that God had placed him in this place to accomplish the saving of many lives. He also assured them that he forgave them for what they had done to him. Joseph asked them to go get their father so that they could all live in Egypt and have all the food they needed. So Jacob and his family settled in the land of Egypt in a place called Goshen. God has a plan for us! To get us to be in heaven with Him, along the way we can share what He has done for us and keep our eyes focused on Him and hopefully others will see that trust and ask us why. And we can share our journey with them!

Have a fantastic week!

Look for an attendance slip for the zoo and a sign up genius for 1st quarter parent-teacher conferences coming your way this week!!

Mrs. Schneck

For the week of October 9, 11 and 13

One more week for camping in this beautiful fall weather. We are looking at and listening to the Tt in tent this week!

KDIs we are concentrating on are-

Cooperative play: Children engage in cooperative play. - Two tents and lots of kids, we figured out how to play together. Friends also grouped up to do the Nature Scavenger Hunt. We'll be working together a lot this week.

Reading: Children read for pleasure and information.- Great books for pleasure and information! Kids love to be read to!


Morning/Tabletop activities are tent play, a wilderness scene to play with playmobile in, campfire art, forest playdoh and camping play.

Our small group activities this week include making a triangle shaped tent, a lantern craft and adding a Tt for tent to our journals.

Our large group activities this week include a nature scavenger hunt, playing in a real tent, and the action song "Going on a Bear Hunt".

Our Jesus Time this week includes a large portion of Joseph's life. Joseph was Jacob's favorite son, born from his wife Rachel. Joseph was one of his younger sons, but he was put in charge of the elder sons, in fact Jacob often sent him out into the fields to make sure his older sons were doing a good job watching the sheep and goats. Joseph also had dreams that he shared with his family. One dream was that Joseph dreamed each brother was a sheaf of wheat, all the brothers sheaves bowed down to his sheaf. He also had a dream where he was standing in the night sky and 11 stars and the sun and the moon all bowed down to him. His father showed his favoritism by gifting Joseph a beautiful, multi-color coat. This time, when he went out to check on his brothers, they decided to get rid of him. Some of them even thought about killing him. When he arrived, they grabbed him, pulled off his beautiful coat and threw him in a pit. When traders on their way to Egypt passed by, they pulled him out and sold him into slavery.
 Meanwhile, they ripped up his coat, killed a goat or sheep and dipped the coat in its blood. When they returned home, they showed their father the coat as proof that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. 
Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt where he works hard and is made head over the slaves, until his owners wife accuses him of doing something wrong. Then Joseph is thrown into jail, where he again works hard and becomes the one in charge of the prisoners. At one time, there are two prisoners in jail who both worked for Pharaoh. They have strange dreams and heard that Joseph could interpret dreams. He prays and asks God to give him the meaning to their dreams and when what he says comes true, he asks the former prisoner to remember him and tell Pharaoh about him.
Time passes and Pharaoh has some crazy dreams about cows and wheat. Finally, his official remembers Joseph and they get him out of prison. Pharaoh demands that Joseph tell him his dreams and what they mean. When Joseph is able to tell Pharaoh and gives suggestions to solve the problems the dreams foretell, Pharaoh makes Joseph second in command of all Egypt.

An Amazing Story!! God is with us wherever we go and whatever happens to us!

Our books this week are "Charlie Goes Camping" by Carrie Weston and Tim Warnes, "Explorers of the Wild" by Cale Atkinson, "Don't Blink" by Tom Booth and "Duck Tents" by Lynne Berry.

Have an awesome week!!
Mrs. Schneck

Blog for September 25. 27 and 29

Welcome to dog week!! It does feel like the dog days of summer! Very hot and humid, hopefully we'll be getting some relief soon!

This week we will be learning about dogs, listening for the Dd sound and doing activities that are dog centered.

Our KDIs for the week-
Pretend play: Children express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel through pretend play. - like pretending to shop at a pet store:)

Community roles: Children recognize that people have different roles and functions in the community.- What is your role as a dog owner?

Empathy: Children demonstrate empathy toward others.- they also demonstrate empathy towards pets who can't care for themselves.

For table activities this week, we have printing with bone shaped cookie cutters, playing "pet store" , having a pretend dog wash, making a dog house, and coloring/decorating dog bones. Role play is an important part of preschool development. In the pet store you can pretend to be a customer, groomer, cashier or even a dog :)

Our small group activities are tracing dog bones in a bowl, cutting and gluing yarn fur on a dog and our Dd is for dog page to add to our journal.

Large group will be acting like a dog to the tune of "My Dog Rags" and using our stuffed dogs in a relay race.

Our Jesus time story this week is about Abraham. Abraham was an old testament believer who was born years after Noah and the ark. God planned to set apart a special people from whom the Savior would be born and Abraham was the beginning of that people. God gave Abraham a promise that he would have more offspring than the stars in the sky or the sands on the beach. When God gave Abraham that promise, he was 90 years old and his wife Sarah was 80 and they had no children. 
Finally, when Abraham was 99 and Sarah 89, two angels and the Angel of the Lord (which is the Old testament name for Jesus) came to visit Abraham. He shared a meal with them and they informed him that at this same time next year, he would be holding a baby in his arms. Sarah overheard this and laughed. When the men asked her if she had laughed, she denied it. They told her that her son would bear the name Isaac, which means laughter. Sure enough, Isaac was born within the year! 
Even when it seems impossible, God keeps his promises! We can trust Him!

A reminder that next week there is only school on Monday and a field trip on Tuesday. We will be in Bay City at a state teachers' conference the remainder of the week.

One of our preschoolers has been diagnosed with a more severe peanut allergy than previously thought. Just a heads up, we do have an allergy to peanuts and an allergy to blue dye in this class, so when it is time for birthday treats, please keep that in mind. Also, I know that preschoolers love to share! But, it is not a good idea to share snacks because of allergies. When we see a child trying to share, Mrs. Dostal and I remind them that we all eat what our parents pack us, because that's what's best for us. Encourage them to share things other than snacks! Thanks so much!!

Have a terrific week!

Nankin Mills field trip

I will be sending a hard copy of this home on Friday, but just for your information-

On Tuesday, October 3, 2017, preschool will meet at Nankin Mills Interpretive Center, located at 33175 Ann Arbor Trail, Westland, Michigan 48185.

We will meet at 10 am for a program called “Fall Frolic”. I will supply each preschooler with a plain, white t-shirt for a leaf print craft. The cost is $6/child and $2/adult. The field trip includes a program that lasts for about an hour. We will be outside and walking the nature trails, so be sure to wear appropriate gear!

Feel free to stay and play anywhere at Hines Park after our program is over!

Please fill out the bottom of this slip and return it and the payment by Friday, September 29th.

Thanks!

Mrs. Schneck

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My child, ____________, will be attending. ___ children total ___ adults

My child, ____________, will not be attending.

____________________

Signature

Blog for the week of September 18

We are taste testers this week!

This week we are looking at the letter Ff and fruit. Today for table activities we played in miniature apple orchards or did fruit prints. On Friday we will make fruit sculptures and sort fruit.

On Wednesday, we hope to meet all our friends at Plymouth Orchards and Cider Mill at 9:15 am.We hope to have a great day learning about apple trees, having a wagon ride and picking an apple.

This week we are learning about the different parts of fruit like the skin and the seed, exploring different fruits with all of our senses, including taste. We are also listening for the letter Ff and making it's sound.

Some of the KDIs we are emphasizing this week are-

Observing: Children observe the materials and processes in their environment.- We looked for seeds in our fruit, looked at the skin and saw what skin we eat and what skin we don't. Investigated whether the color on the inside of the fruit was the same as the color on the outside.

Pretend play: Children express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel through pretend play. - Children had the opportunity to pretend they were in an apple orchard and pick apples and put them in little baskets.

Planning: Children make plans and follow through on their intentions.- We plan for play daily and the children have remembered what they played and remembered what their plan was!

Our Word of God story this week is the story of Noah. After Adam and Eve were made to leave the garden, people just became worse and worse until there was only one family left who believed in God. This was Noah's family. God told Noah to build an ark and get ready to be onboard for a long time. It took Noah 100 years to build the ark, the other people on earth were given 100 years to come to faith. Instead they made fun of Noah as he built a giant boat nowhere near the water. God had animals come to him, at least two of every kind, to be saved on the ark. When God was ready, he closed the door and it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. The whole earth was covered with water. Finally, after many days, the ark came to rest on top of a mountain. Noah and his family and the animals came out of the ark when there was enough dry land to support them. The first thing Noah did was to build an altar to give thanks to God for keeping them safe through the flood. God placed a rainbow in the sky as a symbol of the promise that he would never again destroy the earth with a flood. 

The books we are reading this week are all apple books- "The Apple Pie Tree" by Zoe Hall, "The Biggest Apple Ever" by Steven Kroll and "Under the Apple Tree" by Steve Metzger.

Also, first change field trip wise- The field trip to Nankin Mills originally scheduled on October 10th will now take place on Tuesday, October 3rd. More information will be coming home later this week!


Have a terrific week!!

Mrs. Schneck

Blog for the week of September 11-15, 2017

Week two is off to a great start!

We are looking at and listening for the letter Mm this week as we play with, build with, paint with marshmallows!

Our table activities for the week include- using tweezers to pick up little marshmallows and put them into ice cube trays, sorting marshmallows by size, shape and color, painting with marshmallows, playing with marshmallow playdoh and seeing how high a tower we can build with marshmallows.

We will also be building with marshmallows and toothpicks, making our name with marshmallows, examining marshmallows with all five senses and adding an "Mm is for marshmallow" page in our journal.

Some of the KDIs we are looking at this week are-

Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and hand-eye coordination in using their small muscles. - Using tweezers, poking toothpicks into marshmallows, coloring and drawing all get our fine motor skills going.

Observing: Children observe the materials and processes in their environment.- Observing with all 5 senses, how does it feel, taste, smell, look and sound!

Classifying: Children classify materials, actions, people, and events. - We are sorting or classifying by shape, size and color.

Our Word of God story for the week is about Adam and Eve and the first sin. God created a beautiful world and placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden where all their needs were provided for! They had all the food they could eat, no weeds grew. They had work to do, but it was a pleasure. God had placed two trees in the middle of the garden, The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. God told Adam and Eve not to eat from those trees. This was a way that they could show their love for God, by doing what he asked them to do. Satan, in the form of a snake, came and tempted Adam and Eve to eat, and they did. 
God removed them from the garden so they wouldn't eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in sin. He told them life would be hard for them from now on, but He also promised a Savior who would come, live a perfect life and die an innocent death for all our sins.


An informational slip went home today about the field trip next Wednesday to Plymouth Orchards and Cider Mill. We will meet at the Orchard at 9:15 and you are free to stay as long as you like! Please return the slip whether you are going or not, so I have an accurate number and know if we still need to wait for someone for the hay ride!

We have had alot of interest in our four year old preschool this year! We are presently full. We have discussed the possibility of adding an afternoon session. It would go from 12noon-3pm. I will be sending out a Survey Monkey to see how many would be interested in an afternoon session. This in no way would make you obligated to be part of an afternoon class. Just seeing what interest is out there!

Thanks!

Have a terrific week!
Mrs. Schneck

First Day!!

What a great day of four year old preschool we had!! Old and new friends together and everyone had a great day and got along pretty well!!

Today for table activities we had the choice of making colored bubbles or just playing  and exploring toys. Next week we will be back to our normal choice of table activities to keep us busy before Morning Meeting. 

This week we are looking and listening for the letter Bb. We are having fun with bubbles, blowing them, painting with them, popping them. We will dance on some bubble wrap on Friday and look at square bubbles inside three dimensional shapes.

We will add a page to our journal for the letter Bb and bubbles.

We are also listening to the first Bible story of the year. It is the story of creation. We learned about how God created the world in just six days, what he created on each day, a song and the very first passage of the Bible, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1.

Using the HighScope curriculum, each week we concentrate on or make sure to let the children experience some Key Development Indicators or learning goals for young children. It is not so much that they master each goal, just that they are given opportunity to use and experience them.

Some of the KDIs (Key Development Indicators) we are concentrating on this week are-

Cooperative play: Children engage in cooperative play.- We are learning to play together. After a summer of perhaps playing with older or younger siblings often with different interests, we play with our peers to learn to share and take turns, because often, we all want and like the same things.

Observing: Children observe the materials and processes in their environment. - Watching what happens when I blow too hard or too soft to make a bubble, how can I get more bubbles, experimenting to get the result I want. We try to let our students figure it out and experiment.

Alphabetic knowledge: Children identify letter names and their sounds.- The letter Bb.

Some of these KDIs we will be working on every week, some will be a specific week. For a list of all the KDIs we hope to reach this year look at - http://www.princetonk12.org/Preschool/Preschool%20Key%20Developmental%20Indicators_chart.pdf

In the books we read this week, bubbles play part of the story- "Harry, the Dirty Dog" by Gene Zion and "Curious George Gets a Medal" by H.A. Rey.

Have a terrific week!
Mrs. Schneck 

Last week of school!

Last week of school!!

Sorry the blog didn't come out earlier this week, it was very busy!

We had a grand time playing with anything to do with ice cream this week! We graduated some amazing 4 and 5 year olds and are ready for a little vacation!

We look so forward to seeing you next year and growing with you in all sorts of ways!

Don't forget to grow over the summer! Some great ways to grow are by going to camp! Camp Killarney, which is run by our own Mrs. Dostal, is an amazing place for kids to grow! Check it out here <http://www.killarneycamp.org/> or like it on Facebook!

Another way to grow is to go to Vacation Bible School! Peace Lutheran is holding a VBS on July 24th! To register, go here
<http://www.atpeacewithgod.org/site/dbpage.asp?page_id=140009447&sec_id=140003484>

We look forward to seeing you this summer or next school year! We will begin the Tuesday after Labor Day if you are 3, or Wednesday after Labor Day if you are 4!!

Have a terrific summer!

Enjoy some ice cream and graduation pictures!

Blog for May 22, 24 and 26

On this, our last full week of preschool, we are going to go for the big subject! THE WORLD!!

Our table activities are full of things from around the world, we looked at foreign coins in our sensory bin this morning, made boomerangs from Australia, we will make Maasai necklaces, build famous structures around the world with blocks, practice using chopsticks to pick up yarn and color pictures of kids from around the world.

We are looking at the following KDIs this week-

Diversity: Children understand that people have diverse characteristics, interests, and abilities.- We see that people look differently, speak different languages, eat different things all around the world, yet we are still more alike than different.

Geography: Children recognize and interpret features and locations in their environment- We talk about continents and oceans.

Vocabulary: Children understand and use a variety of words and phrases.- As we read stories from different countries, we hear different words and things put in different ways.

Jesus Time- Our story this week is about Philip and the Ethiopian. Philip was one of Jesus' disciples and was there when Jesus gave the command to go and tell all nations. He was there on Pentecost to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. He was also given another gift and unique experience. He was directed to go to a certain road by an angel. There he saw a man from Ethiopia reading the book Isaiah. He asked the man if he understood what he read, he said how can I understand unless someone explains it to me? So Philip rode with the man and explained what he was reading and connected the prophecies in the book of Isaiah with their fulfillment in Jesus. The Ethiopian believed and desired to be baptized. So, he and Philip went to water alongside the road and he was baptized. At that moment Philip was wisked away to spread the good news elsewhere.
There are still Christian churches in Ethiopia today, perhaps from this man's sharing of the good news of Jesus so long ago! Go into all the world!

Books of the Week- We are reading stories from all over the world this week, folk tales and fairy tales.

Please RSVP to both graduation and the last day party. Sorry if there is any confusion over the June 2nd fun day. There is no regular preschool that day, it is just the fun day from 10-11:30 followed by a picnic lunch. Due to licensing, an adult has to be present with each student, since we are "outside" preschool grounds.

Graduation is next Wednesday, May 31st! Your children have been working on some songs to sing for you and are looking forward to cake and refreshments. There will also be a "graduation" picture available there. Mrs. Kelly Oetzel has painstakingly photo shopped each graduate in cap and gown into one composite picture that looks spectacular! Each family will get one at graduation.

Have a great week! Hard to believe it's coming to an end so quickly!
Thanks for a great first year of preschool teaching!
Mrs. Schneck

Blog for May 15, 17 and 19

We are really cooking this week!! Our theme and activities this week are centered on cooking and food!

Table activities are playing with measuring cups and spoons in oatmeal, making paper cookies to decorate, playdough cookies and muffins, paper "salad", painting with cooking utensils and pretend pizza.

KDIs we are looking at this week-

 Measuring: Children measure to describe, compare, and order things.- as we make recipes we will be measuring in cups and spoons!

 Data analysis: Children use information about quantity to draw conclusions, make decisions, and solve problems.  - How much is enough? Why cups of flour  and  a teaspoon of salt?

Reflection: Children reflect on their experiences.- How do things turn out and why?

Jesus Time- This week we hear about the first Christian martyr Stephen. Stephen was chosen to help the disciples out when the church got so large on Pentecost. He helped make sure the church was helping those who needed help and also proclaimed the truth about Jesus. The Jewish leaders brought him in to threaten him to try and get him to stop talking about Jesus. He refused and testified to the Jewish leaders, showing them through Old Testament prophecies that Jesus was who he said he was. They were furious! They took him outside, threw him down and threw stones at him until he died. They placed their coats at the feet of a man named Saul. Stephen gave a courageous testimony about Jesus and Christians spread the news about Jesus all over the known world.

Books of the Week- "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff, "Little Pea" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and "Peanut Butter and Cupcake" by Terry Border.

Have a super week!!
Mrs. Schneck

Blog for May 8 and 10- NO SCHOOL FRIDAY MAY 12th!

We are learning about creepy crawlies this week to coincide with our Nankin Mills visitor tomorrow. From 9:30-10:30 we will be having a reptile/amphibian encounter!

Table activities this week are reptile sensory pool, bead snakes, pickup snakes game and turtle mosaic.

Some KDIs we are working on are-

Use of resources: Children gather information and formulate ideas about their world.- Look around and use what you see to figure things out. We have been looking alot at the world around us, animals, insects, nature turning to spring and summer. Life cycles have become real and witnessed.

Patterns: Children identify, describe, copy, complete, and create patterns- We do this all the time in morning meeting! They have become very observant and make their own patterns too.

Emotions: Children recognize, label, and regulate their feelings. - Sometimes feeling angry is not okay, when there is no reason for it, it is not okay to be angry. Some emotions are sinful, we talk about how and when it's okay to express how we feel and when it is okay to feel certain ways.

Jesus Time- Jesus ascended into heaven in last week's story. This week we see the disciples waiting in Jerusalem, just like Jesus told them to. They heard the sound of a loud wind and saw little tongues of fire on each other's heads. They had received the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gave them the ability to speak in other languages so that the visitors to Jerusalem could hear about Jesus that day. We call that day Pentecost because it happened 50 days after Jesus rose from the dead. The Holy Spirit gave the disciples the courage and the ability to carry out the work Jesus had given them- to tell the whole world about him! We know about Jesus today because they told people long ago and the Holy Spirit inspired men to write down God's Word in the Bible! Now we can go and tell!

Books of the Week-  "A Color of His Own" by Leo Lionni, "Verdi" by Janelle Cannon, and "Lyle, Lyle the Crocodile" by Bernard Waber.

Nankin Mills Wednesday, May 10th from 9:30-10:30, NO SCHOOL Friday May 12th!! Big School track meet!

Have a super week!
Mrs. Schneck

Nankin Mills

I am so sorry, I meant to post this sooner, but kept forgetting!



Next week, Nankin Mills will be visiting preschool on Wednesday, May 10th from 9:30-10:30 to share a Reptile/Amphibian Encounter! All are welcome! There is no cost for you for this presentation and we'd love to have you there! Hopefully we can even do it outside!

Also, we are going to chapel tomorrow (Friday) morning at 8:30 am. You are welcome to join us!

Stay dry! See you tomorrow!
Mrs. Schneck

Blog for May 1, 3, and 5

Our caterpillars have grown and gotten into their chrysalises, we are just waiting for butterflies!!
When they break out of their chrysalis, they will be painted lady butterflies. We are studying butterflies this week!

And what sound do butterflies make? You're right, they don't make a sound. We are concentrating on the letter Qq for quiet.

Our table activities this week are "stained glass" butterflies, butterfly collage art, matching butterfly halves, coffee filter butterflies, using our small motor skills to take a bite out of pictures from "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" with a hole punch and butterfly coloring pages.


Some of the KDIs we are concentrating on are-
Appreciating the arts: Children appreciate the creative arts. - just coloring, drawing, painting, collage are all ways to decorate and appreciate the art God created in butterflies.

Communicating ideas: Children communicate their ideas about the characteristics of things and how they work.- See if your child can tell you the life cycle of the butterfly :)

Gross-motor skills: Children demonstrate strength, flexibility, balance, and timing in using their large muscles. - Catching tissue paper butterflies in a net and walking on the balance beam took work!


Jesus Time-This week we see Jesus ascend into heaven. Jesus has shown himself to his disciples, he has eaten breakfast with them on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he provided a huge catch of fish once again. He reinstated Peter and gave him the job of feeding his lambs and sheep ( Christians) with His Word. He now meets with his disciples 40 days after Easter on a hill outside Jerusalem. He gives them the charge of making disciples of the whole world and promises never to leave them. He also tells them to go and wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit who will enable them to share the message of Jesus in ways they can't begin to imagine. Then, right before their eyes, he ascends into heaven. They stand there, watching until he is hidden by some clouds. Then two angels standing next to them ask why? The same way you have seen him go is the same way he will return someday! He is preparing a place for us! He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit who works faith in our hearts and lets us share what we know about Jesus! Go and tell!

Books of the Week- "Here Comes Spring" by Kevin Henkes, "The Butterfly Book" by Michael Berenstain, and "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle.

There will be no school next Friday, May 12th. It is an all school track meet, which all teachers help out with, so pray for good weather and enjoy your day off!

Have a super week!
Mrs. Schneck

Blog for April 24, 26 and 28

Wow! How time flies!! It's the last week of April and we are learning about birds!

Table activities this week include- painting with feathers, bird identification cards and models to look at, spaghetti nests, picking up worms with tweezers or clothespins, painting little birdhouses and nest/number eggs match.

Our letter of the week is Nn for nest.

Some KDIs we will be concentrating on this week are-

 Classifying: Children classify materials, actions, people, and events.- What makes an animal a bird? Does it have to fly? Does it have feathers? We look at bird characteristics.

Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and handeye coordination in using their small muscles- Using lots of little muscles just like birds use their claws or beaks.

Drawing conclusions: Children draw conclusions based on their experiences and observations. - What do you know, want to know and what did you learn about birds this week.

Jesus Time- Have you ever heard a story you just couldn't believe or you thought was too good to be true? That is where we see Jesus' disciple Thomas this week. The women were coming to the disciples with accounts of Jesus resurrection, the tomb was empty, the disciples were scared. Ten of the remaining disciples locked themselves in a room in Jerusalem out of fear of Jesus' enemies. Thomas was not with them, we don't know where he was, but he was a twin, perhaps he was warning his brother of what might happen. As the disciples were hiding out, Jesus appeared in their midst. He invited them to touch him, put their fingers where the nails had been, put their hand where the spear had entered. The disciples thought at first he was a ghost. He asked them for something to eat to prove he wasn't. They believed!
When Thomas rejoined the disciples, they told him what had happened and he didn't believe it. He said, "Unless I see the nail marks and put my fingers in them, touch his side and put my hand in the spear wound, I will not believe." Next Sunday evening, 11 disciples are locked in the same room, including Thomas this time, when Jesus appeared. He stood before Thomas and Thomas fell to his knees, and declared, "My Lord and My God!" Jesus invited him to touch and see and then he said, "Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed." That's us! We haven't seen Jesus, yet we believe in Him! We are blessed! Stop doubting and believe! May the Lord give us firm faith to weather any storm of doubt that may come our way!

Books of the Week- "Bluebird's Nest" by Dorothea DePrisco, "Little Owl's Night" by Divya Srinivasan, "Six Crows" by Leo Lionni, and we looked at "Baby Birds and How They Grow" a National Geographic Book.

Preschool Graduation will take place on WEDNESDAY, MAY 31st at 6:30 pm in the church, a reception will be held afterwards in the multipurpose room. The graduation itself will be about 30 minutes. I will send out some nice invitations for you to share on Friday! Please join us!

God's blessings on your week!
Mrs. Schneck

Blog for April 19 and 21

Happy Easter! Jesus is risen! We are celebrating Easter this week at Peace Lutheran Preschool.

Table activities are an Easter sensory box filled with grass and baskets and other Easter goodies, Easter egg play, stack them, fill them, match them. We will have some scissors cutting practice to cut eggs and create an egg collage.

Our KDIs this week include-

 Diversity: Children understand that people have diverse characteristics, interests, and abilities.- We all celebrate Easter, but maybe not with the same traditions. What does your family do to make Easter special? What do other families do?

 Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and handeye coordination in using their small muscles.- From snapping together eggs to cutting with scissors, painting with Q-tips and stringing beads on pipe cleaners, we are using our fingers this week.

Jesus Time- He is risen! He is risen, indeed! We learn about Jesus' resurrection from the dead this week. Jesus was placed into a tomb provided by Joseph of Arimathea. The women who had followed Jesus to the cross made plans to further prepare his body for burial on Sunday morning, after the Sabbath. Jesus' enemies were still concerned that his disciples would try to steal the body and claim that he rose, so they pestered Pilate to place guards in front of the tomb and seal the stone. During the night, the ground shook, angels appeared and the stone rolled away. The guards fainted only to gain consciousness  later to see the tomb empty. When the women came, they worried about how they were going to roll away the stone, only to see angels who gave them the message that Jesus had risen and to go tell the disciples.
The disciples doubted the women's words, but Peter and John rushed to see what had happened. They saw the empty tomb.
Later, Mary Magdalene returned. She was weeping, trying to find her Lord's body, when he appeared to her and told her he was alive, just as he said!
We sang the song "Alive, alive, alive forevermore! My Jesus is alive, Alive forevermore! Alive, alive, alive forevermore, My Jesus is alive!!

Books of the Week- "Sad News, Glad News" by Lois Rock and Louise Rawlings, "The Easter Story" retold by Allia Zobel-Nolan, and "What is Easter?" by Lillie James.

See you at Domino Farms Thursday! Dressed for the weather! God bless your week!
Mrs. Schneck