Christmas!

This week we are thinking about Christmas and all the traditions or customs associated with Christmas.

Table activities include baking soda, vinegar and candy cane experimenting, jingle bells and magnet wands, making light string patterns, Christmas tree scissor cutting activity, coloring pages and puzzles.

Small group activities include naming shapes and putting them where they belong on a Christmas tree, Christmas baking soda experiment, and opening our presents on Friday.

KDIs of the week-

Shapes: Children identify, name, and describe shapes. - We are thinking about Christmas shapes too!

Self-identity: Children have a positive self-identity.- Jesus came for us! How he loves us!! We are special to him! 

Jesus Time- This week we keep the story going. Last week we stopped when baby Jesus was born. Things were still and quiet in the stable. This week we hear about what the shepherds heard and saw! During the night, shepherds were watching their sheep and an angel appeared to them. The angel said, "Don't be afraid! I have the best news! A Savior is born for you today in Bethlehem! This is how you will know who he is. He is lying in a manger, wrapped in clothes." Then thousands of angels appeared with the angel and praised God! After the angels went back into heaven, the shepherds rushed to Bethlehem to look for the Savior. They found him just as the angel said. They praised him and were so excited that they returned to the fields telling everyone they saw what they had seen and heard! We are so excited to share the news with you too this Sunday!!

Books of the week- "A Christmas Wish for Corduroy" based on a story by Don Freeman, "A Night of Great Joy" by Mary Engelbreit and "Christmas in the Barn" by Margaret Wise Brown.

This Friday is our party, so bring your gift. If you would like to bring a little fruit, veges or crackers or cheese, that would be fine. I doubt much will be eaten. We will be practicing the Christmas service  and having morning meeting and free play time. Then we will open gifts and have our snacks and play a game or two and maybe get outside.

On Sunday, please be a church at least 15 minutes before the service you chose to attend- so 8:15  04 10:45. The service lasts about an hour. We look forward to seeing you there!

Have a wonderful Christmas holiday!! We resume school on Monday, January 7, 2019!

Mrs. Schneck

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

This week we are listening for the letter Hh and the sound it makes. We hear about the holidays and think of Christmas. The original word was Holy day- a day set apart for God. We set apart Christmas to celebrate Jesus' birthday.

Morning activities include coloring ornaments, invite to create Christmas trees, ribbon cutting, wrapping stars with ribbon, beading candy canes and Christmas character puzzles.

Small group include matching letters on our letter wreath, decorating cookies and adding a Hh is for holidays page to our journal.

KDIs for the week-

Alphabetic knowledge: Children identify letter names and their sounds.- we worked well on matching and naming our letters.

Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and handeye coordination in using their small muscles. - lots of work on this this week- cutting, beading, wrapping. 

Jesus Time- This week we hear about Jesus birth. Mary and Joseph were ordered to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be counted by the Roman government. It was a long trip for a very pregnant young girl. They may have ridden a donkey or walked, the Bible doesn't say. The trip may have taken as long as 7 days. It does seem they were some of the last ones to make it to Bethlehem as there was no room left for lodging. Finally someone made room for them in a stable, probably a cave carved into the hills outside Bethlehem. It was warm and dry, but probably also smelly and crowded. There Mary gave birth, to her first born, a son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger. It was done, God became man to save us from our sins. As they sat in the quiet, resting after their long ordeal. Mary thought and treasured. It wouldn't stay quiet for long, soon the shepherds would burst in on the scene. We'll hear about them next week.

Books of the week- "Mortimer's Christmas Manger" by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman, "Mooseltoe" by Margie Palatini and "Snowmen at Christmas" by Mark Buehner.

Lots going on in the next two weeks-

 This Saturday, Christmas service practice from 9am-10:30am. This is a time change from my original note.

Sunday, December 23rd is our Christmas service. You can choose to attend either the 8:30 service or the 11:00 service. There is a sign up sheet in the sign in room at preschool. If you are unable to attend, please let us know that as well.

Wednesday we will decorated cookies from 10:45-11:15, bring your own or decorated some that I am making.

Your child picked a name today for our Christmas gift exchange which will take place on Friday, December 21st. Here is the list in case you have lost yours-

Jace has Noah
Natalie has Jesse
Noah has Rosie
Abigail has Abel
William has Charlie
Charlie has Brennan
Maicoll has Peyton
Rosie has Jace
Brennan has Maicoll
Abel has Tessa
Harper has Abigail
Peyton has William
Tessa has Harper
Jesse has Anna
Anna has Natalie

In general, the girls love unicorns and the boys love superheroes.
Good luck!

Have a marvelous week!

Mrs. Schneck

Gg is for gingerbread

 This week we are having fun with gingerbread and listening and looking for the letter Gg.

Morning activities include creating a paper gingerbread man, playing with gingerbread people clay mats, baking play, cookie cutter printing,gingerbread sorting and gingerbread playdough.

Small group activities are a torn gingerbread man, decorating real gingerbread cookies and adding a Gg is for gingerbread page to our journals.

KDIs for the week are-
Community: Children participate in the community of the classroom. - We are working together and helping each other out pretty well. We talk about how to be friends and work together.
Building relationships: Children build relationships with other children and adults. - There's never just one gingerbread, we learn about friendship from our stories and activities this week.


Jesus Time- We move into Christmas stories this week. Today we were introduced to Mary and Joseph and the angel. Mary was a young woman engaged to Joseph. They both lived in the town of Nazareth. Joseph was a carpenter. One day while Mary was home, an angel appeared to her and told her that she was going to be the mother of the Son of God. She was afraid and confused. How could she have a baby? She wasn't married yet. The angel explained that this baby would be true God and true man. Mary accepted what the angel said.

When Mary told Joseph, he thought she had done something wrong. He still loved her, so he was going to quietly end their engagement to not bring her any shame. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. The baby she was carrying was from God and would be true God and true man.

Mary and Joseph were married and were soon on their way to Bethlehem to be counted by the Roman government.

Books of the week-
"Gingerbread Friends"  and "Gingerbread Christmas" by Jan Brett and "Maisy makes Gingerbread" by Lucy Cousins.

Hopefully we'll get outside every chance this week! Let your little one know where you've put their gloves, I know we have ones to borrow and they like to, we'll try to help them find their own.

Sign up for the Christmas service of your choice or let us know if you are unable to come! Christmas fun is on it's way! Have a wonderful week!