The Christmas season is here and the Ladybugs are excited!! We kept it pretty low key this week and focused on the story of the Gingerbread Man.
Our kitchen turned into a bakery. There was a mixer and other baking utensils added, along with gingerbread cookie cutters. We needed eggs to crack. Surprise! They were dinosaur eggs, and we had to match the dinosaurs to put them back together. That was very exciting for a few friends in particular. Our bakers had fun adding the dough to the mixer and packing up their cookies to give to friends and teachers.
We hid a gingerbread man behind letters and guessed which letter he was hiding under. We rolled out gingerbread playdough and made cookies and other creations. We did some engineering & used mini cups, cardstock “roofs” and gumdrops to build gingerbread houses. And we talked about what would happen if the Gingerbread Man tried to swim across the river instead of letting the fox carry him. On Friday we put a gingerbread cookie in a cup of water to see for ourselves. First he sank to the bottom, then all of his red sugar toppings dissolved and turned the water reddish, and then he started to float!! Eventually he got soggy and fell apart. Poor Gingerbread Man.
We had the most fun hunting for our class Gingerbread Man when he ran away!! He left clues for us to follow until we found him in the church kitchen with a big plate of gingerbread cookies for our snack. Delicious!
Next week we will focus on more traditional Christmas activities, and then the following week we’ll be busy preparing for our concert and celebrating with our friends!
Instead of the usual holiday party, we like to have a Polar Express Day in the Ladybug room. On Tuesday & Wednesday, Dec. 12th & 13th, your children can wear their pajamas to school (get some extra use out of those cute Christmas pjs!). They will get a train ticket to get on our snack “train” and we’ll enjoy some popcorn and cocoa while we hear the Polar Express story.
Our Christmas Concert which will be Thursday, Dec. 14 in the Sanctuary. (It’s on a Thursday, but we want ALL our classes to come that day, so MW(F) classes, please plan to join us!) Arrive at 9:00, drop your child in his or her classroom, and have a seat in the sanctuary. I hope you can come because it is our gift of love to you! Remember, the whole school will be assembled, so you may need to park in the municipal lots around Southern Village. The concert will only last about 25 minutes. Afterwards you can take photos and then we will say good-bye for the Christmas holidays.
In her blog yesterday, Miss Debbie talked about wishing well and how we take a moment as a class to breathe and send love to a friend who is feeling sad or overwhelmed. It is a skill to recognize that moment and an act of kindness to react in such a loving way. Emotions are running high right now with the excitement and anticipation of the holidays! Just this week we have noticed quite a few times that your children have tried to help a friend feel better- by giving them the breathing ball, sharing a hug or just “checking in” with the friend who seems upset to see how they can help. We work on these skills everyday, along with the skills you would typically expect in preschool. Building these connections and developing empathy for each other will support them through all of their learning. We are proud to see our Ladybugs learning to treat each other with love and understanding.
We often get asked around the holidays if there is anything we could use for the classroom, and I can never think of anything on the spot. So I’d like to share our Amazon wish list with you in the event that you are wondering the same. Please don’t feel obligated in any way.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2GHEXHLIX551O?ref_=wl_share
Important Reminders:
Polar Express Day- wear pajamas Dec. 12th / 13th
Christmas Concert- December 14th
School Break starts after concert and reopens January 3rd
Lunch Bunch starts January 10th/11th- more info will be emailed to you soon!
Enjoy your weekend with your sweet Ladybug!
Miss Sue, Miss Jenn & Miss Kelsi