A Yummy and Successful "Potlick"

Thank you to all who could attend our first Little Giants "Potlick" (a term coined, appropriately so, by one of the children!).  And to those who couldn't make it, we missed you!  The evening was filled with playing outside, enjoying an array of delicious food, and good old fashioned "visiting".  From young (the youngest only 1 week old!) to old (I can say that because I was probably the oldest!), fun was had by all!  Here are a few pictures...

 

 

Here is the slideshow that was playing at the potluck...

 

 

Free picture slideshow created with Smilebox We will be celebrating Halloween on Tuesday, October 30th. We will be playing games,   doing special art activities, singing Halloween songs, passing out treats and having a costume parade for some of the High School staff and students. For the costume parade: The children can come to school dressed in their costumes, and bring a change of clothes, or bring their costume to school and we will help them change into their costume. Please remember that Highland Park Community is a nonviolence zone. Children may not wear masks or bring weapons such as swords, lasers, knives or guns. For the treats: If you would like to provide a treat to pass out, please bring 12 items. Because Halloween is such a candy holiday, we encourage thinking outside the box and considering a “sweetless” treat such as pencils, band-aids, stickers, finger puppets, etc. In the classroom, we've been:   reading books about fall and Halloween, i.e. Oliver and Amanda's Halloween and Leaf Trouble learning about the letter "Hh" making fall centerpieces and tablecloths for the potluck making dessert for the potluck painting pumpkins welcoming Mrs. Nemcek back from Costa Rica and learning about her trip. Playground Development Team Hooray for Cathy Spencer who volunteered to be a part of the Playground Development team!  We would love to have a couple more members.  Now is the time to plan so when the spring rolls around we'll be in prime position to implement our plan.  Again, no special skills necessary.  If anything, our minimalistic playground has already provided us with great insight as to how the children use the space and have fun with only the basics.  Mrs. Carlson has already done quite a bit of research on playscapes that encourage not only gross motor play, but creativity and discovery as well.  So join the fun!  We will try to have our first brainstorming meeting before Thanksgiving.  Mrs. Carlson is available at school everyday from 3-5pm or by email at pcarlson640@comcast.net.  Here is a great link to begin thinking about creating a very inspiring outdoor space... http://progressiveearlychildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/2010/04/8-tips-for-creating-inspiring-outdoor.html

What's new at the HPHS Little Giants Day Care?

In the classroom...
Our focus recently has been on the fall. Some of the activities we've enjoyed include:

• doing leaf rubbings
• tasting and comparing different apples
• making applesauce
• making a fall treasure plate (afternoon kids)
• learning about the letter "Ll"
• reading books like One Apple, Two Apples, Three Apples and Apple Countdown
• taking a fall walk to the library and collecting beautiful leaves along the way (we also checked out books!)
• singing fall songs and using instruments with Ms. Carol



Carla

Have you seen our big "Carla"?  Carla is a huge grasshopper the afternoon children (with Mrs. Carlson and Mrs. Fieldman) made out of boxes, tape, newspaper, and paint.  We decided to make a grasshopper because the children were so intrigued with them on our playground.  She's gray because that's the color of the ones we catch everyday.  They are very hard to see when they are camouflaged in our rock garden, but we can see them when they fly! 

We learned a lot about insects (and creatures that aren't insects, like spiders) because the "Carlas" so caught our attention.  Some things we learned include:

• all insects have 6 legs (spiders have 8)
• all insects have 3 body parts
• grasshopper can jump so high not because their legs are so big but because they are so light
• butterflies and moths are insects
• butterfly caterpillars make chrysalises
• moth caterpillars make cocoons
• scientists put a special tag on butterfly wings so they can follow them and learn more about them

During this mini-exploration, we also:

• shared the bug nets and took turns
• worked cooperatively when catching grasshoppers
• worked with clay when trying to make a grasshopper and/or ant
• listened to stories (fiction and nonfiction) about insects and non-insects (i.e. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Miss Spider's Tea Party, The Icky Bug Alphabet Book, to name a few.)
• problem-solved to attach the legs and other parts of our big grasshopper body
• created a bug box for the whole class to use when catching "Carlas"
• learned to respect nature and to return it to its natural environment

Carla is in the vestibule of the building for everyone to enjoy.

Creating An Art Studio with Mrs. Lowery

Mrs. Lowery is going to help us create an art studio in our classroom!  An art studio is a place where there are all sorts of materials available for children to use to create, express ideas, or apply to project work.  Each child recieved a bag in which to put collected materials to contribute to our art studio.  No need to buy anything!  Just collect recyclables or anything on the attached list that is around the house.  We ask the children to do this so they will be invested in the creation of the studio.  We have found that when children participate in the creation of the studio then they tend to not only take care of it better but are more thoughtful about the use of materials.  Thank you for your help and support!


Pot Luck Dinner Coming Up
Don't forget to sign up for the Potluck dinner scheduled for next Thurs., Oct. 25th, 5:00-6:30 p.m. at our HS classroom. Come meet and mingle with the other families in the program and enjoy a slide show of the children in action so far this year. Sign up is in the classroom. Teachers will bring the main course and the children will make a dessert. We are requesting that each family bring something to share (see the sign-up sheet). We're so looking forward to it! Hope you can all make it!!!

Playground Development Team

The staff at Little Giants Day Care would like to invite the parents to participate in our Playground Development Team. It has been our experience at Community that "two heads are better than one" and that the richness of ideas and the quality of a project only improves with the addition of collaboration and teamwork. No need to be a landscape engineer or a play scape expert...in fact, no experience is necessary at all! All we need are individuals who like to brainstorm ideas and/or help find materials and/or implement a plan and who want to help make a fun and appealing outdoor space for our kids to play in. WE NEED YOU!!! If interested, please let Mrs. Carlson know in person or sending her an email at pcarlson640@comcast.net.

Our class...

Hana

Sophia

Emmett

                               

Daniel

Kate

Ava

                   

Tommy

Graham

Niko

             

Brooke

Heike

"The child must know that he is a miracle,

that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been,

and until the end of the world

there will not be, another child like him."

~Pablo Casals

Fall Fest!

Happy Friday everyone!

We just wanted to send a reminder about our annual Fall fest this Sunday, October 14   from 3:00-5:00pm!
Here are some of the activities and information;

• Games
• Magic Show
• Crafts
• Face Painting
• Tattoos
• Snack
• $5 suggested donation per family

(If it rains, the event will be held indoors.)

Here are some pictures from another year!

Angelina Eliacin on the left, Brooke's older sister, at the magic show!

Pumpkin painting:)

Cathy Spencer helping out with the bean bag toss.

Welcome to our new blog!

As a way of providing a steady stream of communication, we are excited to launch our new blog!  From now on, this will be our primary means of letting parents know what's happening in the classroom, sharing pictures, and providing reminders and announcements.  Please let us know if you have any trouble receiving the blog.  The blog is secure and can only be accessed by those who have the address.  That being said, once you have it, you can forward it to others as some families have done with grandparents or other family members.  So, here we go!  Enjoy!

 

Bug nets come in handy when catching grasshoppers!

It's a bug's life....

 

As you know, the children have been interested in bugs, especially since our playground is a prime location for catching grasshoppers (or Carlas, as Ava calls them).  We have learned a lot about insects and what they have (3 body parts and 6 legs) and that spiders are actually not insects!  We've read many books both fiction and nonfiction about bugs and other creepy crawly friends.  We've also done some neat art projects which are on display in our room.  In the afternoon, we are making a HUGE grasshopper out of boxes and tubes with Mrs. Carlson. 

 

 

 

 

We also had the opportunity to participate in a butterfly release with the high school AP Environmental students and their teacher, Beth Peterson.  They brought their monarch butterflies to our playground and taught us about them (such as how to tell a boy butterfly from a girl butterfly), tagged them, then set them free.  It was a wonderful experience and we thank Mrs. Peterson and her students for making it happen!

 

 

 

 

Little Giants Have Spirit!

 

Last Friday, the Little Giants attended the HS pep rally for Homecoming.  We had fun dressing up in blue and white and going to the big gym with all the big kids.  We saw and heard the band, watched the dancers, and cheered on Kate's mom when she was in a relay race!  It was noisy but fun!

 

Heike with Ms. Willford

Mrs. Pallarino with Daniel

Kate and her mom

 

Our little class is growing!  Let's have dinner!!

 

Our total enrollment in our day care program is up to 12!  Recently we welcomed Emmett, Sophia, and Hana!  We hope to soon welcome Matthew.

 

As a way of getting to know each other better, a potluck dinner is planned for Thurs., Oct. 25, from 5-6:30 pm.  The teachers will provide the main course and drinks and the children will prepare a special dessert.  We ask each family to bring a side dish.  Please see the Potluck Sign Up sheet next to the sign-out clip board.

 

 

 

Welcome to Mrs. Fieldman

 

As you already know, Mrs. Sue Fieldman has joined our staff everyday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  (Ms. Hager was needed fulltime at the other site and sends her best to everyone.)  Mrs. Fieldman lives in Highland Park and has several years experience teaching in the preschool and special education settings.

 

 

Heads Up...

 

This month we are have a few teachers out on vacation, so I wanted to give everyone a heads up!

* Miss Willford will be out Oct. 3rd-5th for her wedding and Oct. 15th-24th for her honeymoon.

* Mrs. Fieldman will be out Oct. 5th & 9th.

* Mrs. Carlson will be out Oct. 9th-15th.

No worries everything is covered either by our sub (Mrs. Silverman) or Mrs. Fieldman.

 

Other Announcemnts and Reminders:

 

 

Monday, Oct. 8th: No school

Thursday, Oct. 25th: All Family Potluck
dinner at 5:00

Tuesday, Oct. 30th: Kids Halloween costume parade & party

Wednesday, Oct. 31st

Halloween

.