that off with a special batter that they each helped to prepare.  Our school sure smelled good! 

Last week the children helped in preparing a four-course meal consisting of a baked ziti casserole, tossed salad, garlic bread, and a chocolate trifle.  We wanted to help our friend Justin from the Pre-K 1 class and his family.  Justin had been sick and in the hospital.  We talked to the children about helping friends and other people.  We are glad Justin is doing better and back at school with us.  Besides learning to be kind and help others, the children learned to cooperate, share and be patient while waiting for a turn. 

This week we took color day one step further by making our own face paint.  The children made a mixture of cold cream, water, cornstarch and a few drops of food coloring to make a spreadable paste consistency.  They each filled three containers with face paint with the colors of their choosing. 

We also had our first “favorite book” day.  Each week a different child will bring home a letter to let you know that it will be his or her turn to bring in their favorite book for the next “Wacky Wednesday” class.  We will sit down together as a group and read their favorite story.  We will then take a picture of the child holding his or her book and hang it up on a special book-shaped poster stating the child’s name, book title and author.

The Friday Expanded Class opened the year with both teachers and children introducing themselves to each other.  Repetition of the names continued, providing a valuable resource for recall.  The class operates on the same schedule as the Pre-K 1 class with two distinct differences: circle and story

.  Circle offers an opportunity for the children to showcase their favorite books, encouraging language, conversation, and prediction.  A picture of the child holding their favorite book is then prominently displayed on the “favorite book” poster with the name and author of the book indicated.  Story time is an opportunity for the children to play games or join in on some creative movement. They enjoy the flexibility of this time as is reflected by their smiling faces.

Recent songs have included: “What Does the Cow Say?”, “I Like Friends”, “Let’s Go on a Bear Hunt”, “The Color Song”, “The Father Loves Me”, “The Jesus Twist”,  and some funky new versions of “Five Little Monkeys”, “Bingo” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes”!   We’d be happy to provide the words to anyone who would like them. 

While painting at the easels together-

Child 1:  “My grandmother is an artist.” 
Child 2:  “Oh, that’s good.”
Child 3: “Yeah, I have two grandmothers. Actually, I have lots of grandmothers – millions! 

Child, while looking at Razor, our turtle:  “Quick, Miss Brenda!  Go get Razor’s mom, he wants to get out!” 

Child’s Dad:   “What happened at school today?”
Child:  “They shut the lights off.”
Dad:  “Then what happened?”
Child:  “They said ‘listen.”
Dad:  “And then what did they tell you?”
Child:  (shrugs his shoulders) “I don’t know!”