PK3.3 News - Pets
9th - 13th may 2016
How do we care for pets?
This week we have been looking at how we can care for our pets. By asking questions such as:
- How do animals communicate?
- How do we keep our classroom clean?
- How do pets clean themselves?
- Which of these pets should be brushed?
we have been learning how animals express themselves if they are happy or sad and how we can help them to be comfortable or if they need something.
Keeping our pets habitat clean
On Wednesday I invited the children to sit with me in the block area, but we had a problem. it was SO messy! There was no space to sit down and it didn't look very inviting. As the children stepped over blocks, navigated chairs and other obstacles some of them started to comment on how messy it was. I asked them "how can we keep this area clean?"
I was very encouraged as they replied "we need to clean up" and "the toys need to be tidy". Together they rearranged the toys, chairs and other obstacles until it was clean and tidy and they were all able to sit comfortably together.
When we returned to our circle I asked them “how do you think our pet feels when its cage isn’t clean?" , "how did we feel when we couldn’t use our space the way we wanted to because it was messy?” and "what can we do to make sure we keep our classroom pets habitat clean?” They made great observations about Waffles not being happy as it would be "stinky" and how we can clean her cage with soap and water to keep her healthy and happy.
In small groups this week we have been :
- practicing one to one number correspondence (understanding that when we say, "one," we count one object. When we say, "two," we count one more object. When we say, "three," we count or move one more object) as we counted from 1 to 10; counting each fish one by one as we added it to our bowl until we reached the correct number.
- identifying adult animals and their offspring. During our morning discussions we talked about how new born animals look different to their fully grown "parents". We observed how animals change over time as they grow and explained that the word "ADULT" means "a grown-up". The children used this knowledge to match new born animals with the correct fully grown animal.
- learning about sequencing as the children washed muddy animals. Sensory play is a wonderful way for children to explore and learn about the world around them. It is the perfect way to invite them to learn using their senses, engage in imaginary play, and even learn some life skills along the way. In this activity children were invited to get the animals dirty in the mud and give them a bath. This really captured their imagination! They cleaned each animal in the water and after a quick dry transferred them back to the mud to begin all over again,
Letter hunt
Roll and dot
Blue out day................
On Wednesday ISP held the official Inauguration for the new soccer field located by the High School Gym. All the school wore blue to support our community. We were able to have a preview and visited for a little run around.
PE Parachute play
Using their upper bodies to coordinate the parachute, PK played a game of popcorn this week in PE. Together the children bounced and bobbed the balls as high as they could until they had all "popped" off.
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN READING THIS WEEK?
Hairy Maclary's Rumpus at the Vet by Lynley Dodd.
Sniffles and snuffles and doses of flu, itches and stitches and tummy ache too . . .Hairy Maclary is waiting to see the vet with lost of other pets. Then something happens to turn the waiting room into a kerfuffling scramble of paws, a tangle of bodies and a jumble of jaws
Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson
We love Emily Arrow!
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Tuesday May 17th : Parent workshop on Child Protection and Empowerment.
As part of our on-going dedication to educating our community in all areas of child development and well-being, on Tuesday, May 17th our elementary counseling department will again present a parent workshop on Child Protection and Empowerment, It will particularly address Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Awareness.
I hope you will join us from 12:30-2:30pm in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) to hear more information about how you can be part of raising our community's consciousness on this topic and thereby minimize the risk for our children by empowering them.
***This is the same workshop that was presented last year, it is being presented again as part of our on-going review of such vital topics.***
This workshop will be presented in English and have simultaneous translation in Spanish available. We ask that you please RSVP to Chrissie Serafin at cserafin@isp.edu.pa
if you are planning to attend and also let us know if you will need translation services.