practice a specific skill one-on-one with the teacher.  We meet in our small groups once or twice a month with the same group of 6 or 7 children and one consistent teacher all year.  This month we introduced the appropriate way to hold and use scissors, and then practiced by cutting playdough which is easier and more fun than trying to cut paper!

It’s hard to believe that it is already October and we have been in school for over a month!  The children have adjusted very well, seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  We got right into the thick of things.  First, we talked about school rules and making friends.  You may have heard the children talking about a rule that we discussed in our circles “You can’t say you can’t play.”   So far it has helped in many situations.  Second, we started talking about the farm and autumn.  During circle the children came up with many things they thought they might see on a farm.  Some answers were very interesting!  We then followed that up with a trip to Tougas Farm.  The bus ride was exciting, and I think they all enjoyed the hayride and apple picking.  They learned that to pick an apple from a tree you had to twist it so that another apple would not fall.  Third, we talked about colors and how many colors there are.  Also we learned that when mixing two different colors together it can make another color.  For example, when mixing red and yellow you get orange, while blue and red gives you purple. 

In the upcoming month the children will be learning about fire safety (with a fire drill in school and a trip to the fire station), taking care of our world by recycling, and how to be kind and have good manners.

During small group this month the children practiced using scissors by cutting up scraps of construction paper. They also practiced writing their names.  

The children began the year expressing their individual creativity using colorful foam shapes, which when dampened with a moist sponge can be stuck together in a variety of unique formations.  The following week the children drew a self-portrait using bold colored and multi-cultural skin tone colored markers.  A mirror was also available.  These portraits now adorn our walls and will eventually end up in a booklet of your child's drawings done throughout the year.  Our next fun activity was gluing autumn-colored tissue paper pieces onto a paper plate.  (Say that three times fast!)  You or I may have chosen to glue only red tissue paper onto the circular plate to make an "apple", or orange tissue paper to make a "pumpkin", but to a curious three or four-year old the fun is experimenting with brushing on the glue and getting something, of any color, to stick to the plate instead of the fingers!    The following week we experimented with finger paints.  The children enjoyed using red and yellow paint to explore different textures and color combinations.  This week we are creating awesome pieces of art and practicing fine motor skills using small bingo daubers filled with vibrant liquid water colors to decorate giant coffee filters.  These creations look like tie-dye or stained glass, and add a glorious burst of color to our school!

To begin school, the children had lots of fun experimenting with a variety of magnets at the science center.  There