GOOD SHEPHERD NURSERY SCHOOL

March 2005 Newsletter

March themes began with “opposites”, and we had fun thinking of many opposite word pairs, and especially enjoyed playing “Opposite Simon Says”!  During  “senses” week the children used their eyes to play “I Spy”, their noses to smell different-scented extracts and air fresheners, their ears to listen to and identify sounds on a “What’s that Sound” cassette, their mouths to do some taste testing, and, with their eyes closed, they used their hands to identify familiar objects.  In one circle a “clown” appeared to help teach the lesson.  The children’s sense of sight helped them realize the clown looked a lot like Miss Maryann!  We also learned a little sign language with the help of Clare Thomsen.  With Kindergarten screening happening this month, we devoted a circle to discussing the children’s thoughts and possible anxieties about going to Kindergarten, and what might be the same as or different than preschool.  This week our theme is “nutrition” and we are talking about the difference between healthy and non-healthy foods.  The children enjoyed pulling plastic play food out of a bag and placing it in a pile of either “healthy” or “junk” food. 

Holy Week will naturally include conversations about Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter, and a visit to the sanctuary to talk and pray reverently together.  We will also talk about prayer in our circles, emphasizing that praying is simply talking to God and doesn’t need to be formal.  We can talk to God any time and any place.  God is always listening. 

During “manners” week we will discuss and then role-play how to use good manners in a variety of settings such as a restaurant, a store, a movie theatre, and in school, and also in different situations like when greeting someone, asking for something,  responding to another’s request,

etc.  Hopefully Spring is coming soon to support our upcoming themes! 

During small group time this month, the Pre-K children worked on sequencing.  Each child was given four picture cards.  The instructions were to look at the pictures, determine what story they told, and then line up the pictures from left to right in the proper sequential order.  For example, one set of cards showed a little boy putting a worm on his fishing pole, then dropping his line in the water, then noticing the pole bending, and then pulling in a fish.  Other sets of cards showed four stages of building a snowman, or baking and decorating a cake.  As each child completed sequencing their set of cards, they then traded with a friend and tried another set.  Sequencing is an important pre-reading skill, helping the children understand that we read from left to right, and that all stories have a beginning, middle and end.

At the beginning of March, we introduced the concept of “opposites” by reading a small book depicting a number of simple opposite pairs like big and little, hot and cold, wet and dry, etc.  The children then had enormous fun trying to think of other opposite pairs. Most of our little friends understood the concept and all were delighted to share their ideas.  During senses week the children were able to use their sense of taste to tell the difference between salt and sugar, their sense of hearing to identify different sounds, their sense of smell to identify vanilla and lemon, chocolate and maple, and their sense of touch to identify wooden block shapes hidden inside a bag.