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