🐞🐞🐞
Starting off with some important dates and reminders…
November 23rd - November 27 - Thanksgiving Break - CCP IS CLOSED! We will have our small celebration of sharing and thankfulness in our classroom on Monday and Tuesday of next week. If each child can bring in ONE piece of fruit (or small cup), and/or some berries or something similar, we will create our Friendship Fruit Salad to share with each other during snack time. I will be sending out a reminder email the night before, so be on the lookout!
Please mark your December calendars…
The holidays are upon us, and things are about to get super busy! We will be working on some special surprises for our parents, so please let us know if you have any planned vacation days between now and December 17th (so that we can plan time to get everything ready)!
On Wednesday, December 17th at 9:30 AM, CCP will be hosting our Preschool Christmas Concert in the Sanctuary. All classes will come together to sing a few Christmas songs and share the story of Christmas. This will be our last day of preschool before Christmas break. Following the program, everyone will head home with their families! More details will be shared as we get closer. We look forward to celebrating with you!
On December 14th and 15th, we will climb aboard the “Polar Express,” and listen to the story as we decorate some cookies and enjoy a cup of cocoa. The children are invited to wear their pajamas for this special day! I will be providing a sign-up genius link to sign up to contribute something for our Polar Express snack.
We are a NUT FREE, SESAME FREE, and BANANA FREE classroom! Please check labels to make sure snacks do not contain nuts, sesame, or banana.
Please check your child’s cubby daily for papers.
Check out our photos posted on the website! Use the password CCP-26/27 to enter the parent portal and find the class albums.
Please have all Ladybugs use the stairs, and NOT play on the steep hill next to the stairs. We know (and understand) the temptation over how fun the hill looks to roll, run, or climb down, but we care so much about their safety even when not in our care, and would love your help to reinforce what we have been teaching them about safety.
🐞🐞🐞
Onto our week…
This week, while we continued celebrating all things fall, we shifted our focus toward gratitude and Thanksgiving. Our classroom library was refreshed with all new stories, and we were excited to explore the books and talk about the many things we are thankful for. One of our stories paired perfectly with a special surprise your child will be sharing with you next week — so stay tuned! What a wonderful way to welcome the season of giving thanks!
Upon entering the classroom, we got right to work strengthening our fine motor skills with a fun hammering activity. Using Styrofoam, hammers, mallets, and golf tees, the children practiced hammering the tees in and pulling them back out. This hands-on activity helped build hand-eye coordination, grip strength, and focus. We are well on our way to becoming master builders for those cozy mountain homes someday.
We had more fun strengthening those fine motor muscles by poking colorful feathers into a strainer! Our little hands were busy building strength and coordination as we practiced for our big turkey-making adventure next week. Gobble, gobble!
We also brought out the Lincoln Logs and let our imaginations take over! The children built log cabins and all sorts of creative structures while exploring balance, problem solving, and how pieces fit together. Our little architects were busy creating their own masterpieces!
In our art center, the children all had a blast painting with corn. We explored using the cob both with and without kernels, discovering different textures and patterns, and even incorporated stencils to add an extra layer of creativity. It was messy, sensory, and so much fun — just the way we like it!
Our sensory bin was another big hit. The children scooped, poured, dug, and even pulled kernels off dried corn cobs. Who knew that something so simple could be so satisfying? The focus and joy on their faces said it all.
And of course, the easel was once again a hub of creativity. There’s something magical about an upright canvas and a tray of paint. Children naturally experiment more — mixing colors, making big sweeping strokes, and expressing ideas that don’t always fit on a flat table. The easel invites boldness and confidence, giving them space to explore art in a full-body, joyful way.
In dramatic play, we continued “shopping” for our dinner food items, practiced setting the table, and enjoyed many pretend meals together. Having tea parties and making muffins was a particular favorite! We also had a fire in the home area that our little fire fighters were eager to get under control! They saved the day!
Our Tuesday/Thursday group got to experience getting messy using aluminum foil as their canvas! With a variety of materials, they experimented with swirling, painting, spreading, and mixing colors across the foil. It was so much fun to see the different textures, patterns, and designs they came up with. We love giving our artists the freedom to explore and create in their own unique ways!
It was a week full of imagination, exploration, and fall fun — and we can’t wait for you to see what your children share next week! In addition, we will be reading How to Catch a Turkey, which I’m sure will spark big laughs and even bigger curiosity. After the story, the children will get to build their very own “turkey cages.” We can’t wait to see the imaginative ideas they come up with. You might start thinking at home about silly or clever ways to catch a turkey — because your kiddo will definitely have some fun plans to share!
Wishing you a wonderful weekend with your sweet Ladybugs!
Miss Lisa, Miss Phoenix, and Miss Jenn