hygienist.  We look forward to discussing feelings before we end for February vacation.  When we return, the topics to be discussed will be doctors and hospital, and then multi-cultural week. 

The children identified and practiced copying shapes such as a circle, square and triangle during small group this month.

The Extended Day children have been very busy since the beginning of the New Year.  They started the year reading “A Stranger in the Woods” by Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick.  The story is a photographic journey that tells a tale about the animals' and birds' reaction to a snowman in the woods after a winter storm.  The snowman had plenty of snacks to help feed all the animals of the forest.  After reading the story, the children wrote their own snowman recipe that they could build in their backyards to help our own wildlife in Medway.  We also discovered the properties of “floam” -- tiny styrofoam micro beads which stick together.  They were able to squeeze it, mold it and mix it.  They made all kinds of shapes and sculptures and then crumpled it up and started again!   We recently made valentine quilts.  The children used glitter paint to paint a square.  They also used gold and silver metallic paint to stamp heart shapes.  Their quilt was finished with yarn fringe.

The children have really enjoyed bringing in their "favorite book".  All the children have had a chance to share with the class.  After vacation we will be introducing a class pet that they will each be able to bring home for a week and take care of.  (Don't worry, it's stuffed!)  Look for more information about this to follow.

This month the children used their imaginations when gluing geometric shapes onto dark paper.  They came up with many unique creations by putting different shapes together.  They then got into "stocking painting".  Knee-high stockings were filled with different sized beans or rice, dipped in neon paint and then dropped onto a piece of paper.  Currently these pictures are

displayed throughout the school.  Next, using their fine motor muscles and sense of smell and touch, they spread shaving cream onto the table and mixed different liquid water colors to create a design on the table.  When they were all done spreading, they took a piece of white paper and placed it on top of the shaving cream design to see what would come out on the paper.  This week a special Valentine craft was made, so look out for it!   At end the month we will make a class mural by making our own paint and painting to music.

The children have enjoyed using their sense of touch and their sense of hearing at the science center.  We had two empty coffee cans, one marked "smooth" and covered in construction paper, and the other marked "rough" and covered in sand paper.    The children were encouraged to feel many different objects, such as a piece of velvet, a satin ribbon, a hair curler, a prickly  seashell and more, and then decide which can to place the item into.  Also available were several pairs of wooden blocks which when shaken emit different sounds.  The children enjoyed shaking the blocks to see which ones sound the same and are a "match". 

Currently our scientists-in-training are busy observing a variety of objects and predicting whether each object will sink or float. They love placing the objects in a dishpan of water to see if their predictions were correct!

At the beginning of the month the children used their ability to discern between different colors and patterns as they matched up pairs of mittens. They are currently expanding upon those important math skills using a game called "Playful Patterns".  The children choose and place colorful foam shapes onto pattern cards with more than 30 progressively challenging designs, or they can create their own unique designs by fitting different geometric shapes together.    

The Writing and Language Center was temporarily relocated to the Learning Room while the camping theme occupied the Dramatic Playroom.