Preschool Perspectives

Second Harvest Field Trip!

2012-02-21T15:49:00.010-08:00

Hello Friends of the Purple Room!

We thought it was time to follow up with you all on our food drive. We've been quite busy in recent weeks, but our field trip to the Second Harvest Food Bank was definitely a highlight.

Friends worked together to move a van load of food items into the donation bin, where it will be distributed to those in need.

We took a little tour of the facility and heard about what they do there. We were very curious about who donates food and what they donate. We saw crates of fresh fruit and talked about the sponsors who donate milk, eggs, bread, and other essentials.

We even got an inside look at the distribution center!

Friends got the opportunity to ask questions about who needs food, how the food gets to them, and who gets it there. We learned that Second Harvest serves thousands and thousands of needy individuals and families, and we talked about how we could keep helping long into the future.

We got a first-hand look at the good work they are doing there and left with a sense of understanding for how important Second Harvest is to the community.

Snack Store- Math and Negotiation at Work

2012-02-01T16:08:00.012-08:00

Recently, we have been trying to implement more math into the free-flowing curriculum of the Purple Room. Teacher Kate had the idea to use her Tea Party station as a prime learning opportunity with the snack store.

Children were given 5 Unifix cubes and the choice of several snack items for purchase at prices of 1-3 cubes. The items were priced based on estimated value of the item to the children. For instance, the tea was 1 unit while Goldfish (a very popular snack time request) cost 3 cubes. Children had to budget to give themselves the best mix of food and drink. They enjoyed the tea party as an overarching concept and got the added benefit of using their understanding of numbers to their advantage.

In the afternoon, the snack store continued, but with a change in format. Rather than the value of the individual food or drink items, the prices were based on quantity. One "unit" of banana, raisins, Goldfish, or tea cost 1 cube. The unit:cube ratio became a better value as the price went up (e.g. 1 cube= a slice of banana, 2 cubes= a hunk of banana, 3 cube= half a banana). Children had to think carefully about which items they wanted more of and how they could get the best value for their money (e.g. 2 Goldfish at 1 cube per Goldfish or a scoop of Goldfish for 2 cubes). After the children spent their first 5 cubes, I gave them another set, asking them to budget ahead and use all 5 cubes in one purchase.

Through the different store formats, they learned different meanings behind value and thought about their needs and desires in a different context. They used their social skills through negotiating power (e.g. "Can this chunk be 1?", referring to raisins priced at 1 cube per raisin). And, they used their math skills in order to plan ahead for a more well-rounded snack experience.

They were empowered by their own decision making abilities, and they were able to gain real-world experience in the value of understanding numerical concepts.

Literacy & Learning- Evolution of a Preschool Class Book

2012-01-31T16:29:00.001-08:00

For those of you who are not aware, our friends here at Creative Minds are quite interested in books! We love to explore books on our own, read them in small groups, and listen in group story time. But, something many of our friends had not tried yet was writing a book.

Last fall, we decided to change that. The two Creative Minds Preschool classrooms worked collaboratively to come up with an exciting adventure filled with mystery, intrigue, and heartfelt friendship.

We sat down early in the fall to talk about what we would like to write about. Our first discussion actually

lead to an extensive list of what we did not want in our story, as friends were coming up with some ideas that made other friends uncomfortable.We discussed as a class what we would and would not like to happen both in the story and in our classroom.

Once we had established the ground rules, we began to brainstorm. Friends were invited to think of anything they might want in the story from character names to plot points to setting. Everyone's ideas were written down, and we talked together about which points fit best together. As you can see below, we came up with quite a wealth

of ideas.

Once we found a focus with our space plot, we still had some friends taking some pretty wild tangents (e.g. What happened next?", "What did they say?"). They still skipped around quite a lot, but we were much more able to keep focused on the characters, the setting, and the conflicts we had created. And, with the inclusion of the giraffes and the dinosaurs despite the unlikely setting, we were able to accommodate many different ideas in one (relatively) cohesive story. Our first and second drafts (with some extensively messy edits) are below."And then Spongebob came and Patrick was his friend."). I decided to get them into the real structure of the story- writing actual sentences- to keep them focused. I asked questions (e.g. "And then what happened)

With the story written, we then had to move on to illustrations. Friends worked with a variety of different mediums to create over 30 pages of art that expressed to them the sentences they chose from the story.

After months of work and much debate over the title (Ghost Fighters was the final decision), story order, and who got to illustrate which sentences, we came out with a final product we are all quite proud of. The electronic copy is provided here (Warning: It is 26 MB).

You can print it out at home or use a book printing service (such as Blurb). Please feel free to browse through it in the classroom as well. We would love to have your feedback!

Kindness and Caring

2012-01-27T14:26:00.010-08:00

This week, we have been dealing with some wide-scope social/emotional issues. Last week, we talked about how it is everyone's job to be good to one another and help our classroom run peacefully and successfully.

This week, we're taking that a step further, discussing our duties not only to our classroom, but also to our families, our friends, our communities, and our world. We are talking not only about how to behave in a classroom, but how to treat people. Being "kindful", as L put it, is important for everyone, and we are learning about why some people might need our kindness more than we know. We discussed how people struggle every day with feelings of sadness, fear, loneliness, longing, and hunger- without ever showing us.

We asked friends to think of the hungriest moment they could remember- perhaps after skipping breakfast and spending a long morning outside. We asked them to think about that feeling they might have gotten in their tummies- rumbly, growly, empty. Then, we asked them to imagine (to the best of their abilities) that the feeling didn't go away after half an hour... an hour... all day at school... or all evening at home. Their faces shifted- not ever really being able to know that feeling, but having a distinct sense that it was not one they wanted. We helped our friends consider how someone, even a child, might grow to have that feeling. The dialogue went something like this:

Friends: They could just eat.

Teacher: But, what if there's no food in the house?

F: They can ask for some!

T:From where? There's no food in the house

F: Their mommy and daddy can go to the store for them!

T: But, what if mommy and daddy don't have money for the store?

F: ...

The "us" and "them" nature of this conversation is potentially problematic. We certainly don't want our friends worrying that they are going home or coming to school with empty tummies any time soon. But, we also want them to understand that this is a real thing that real people suffer through. This is where a tangible experience is essential. We are doing a food drive throughout the school, and we will be going into the Second Harvest Food Bank to turn in our donations and hear about what happens to the food once it gets there. Where does the food come from? Who gets it? What do they need? How do they get it? Why do they need it?

We are opening the lines of communication for a concept that can be confusing and scary to

children in stable and comfortable living environments. Knowing that there are resources in place for those who suffer makes it easier to grapple with the potential of being in that position or knowing someone who is. And, it also empowers us to help so long as we have the means to do so.

We hope you will bring donations in throughout the Food Drive, and we look forward to updating you as the project continues.

K is for Keys

2012-01-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

Today we were discovering the keys for k week. Our friends were given several different sized padlocks and keys to match each one. The children had to figure out through trial and error which key opened which lock. What a fun puzzle and fine motor activity :)

J is for Jobs!

2012-01-19T16:18:00.000-08:00

This week, we are learning about lots of fun and interesting concepts that begin with J. Our friends were eager to tell us that "jump", "Japan", and "jet" should be on our list of topics for discussion. We have also added in "juice", "juggle", and "jungle". Now, we would like to take a moment to focus on today's addition of "jobs".

A couple months ago, we created something on the side of the bookshelf that has transformed the way we take care of our classroom. Some of you may have noticed it at pick-up or drop-off. You may have heard about it on the ride home. If you haven't, I'm sure your little ones would be happy to fill you in. I'm talking about the Job Chart. Every morning friends gather on our infamous purple line (You can ask your children about that one, too. I'm sure they're quite familiar!). We draw names out one by one (spelling out rather than reading each name as it comes) , and students choose the job they would like for the day (i.e. Dustpan Helper, Door Holder, or Naptime Helper).

A student may choose not to take a job, but once he chooses, he is obligated to fulfill. And, at least for the most part, they take on those responsibilities with open arms and very busy working hands. We even added the ever-coveted position of Super Helper in recent weeks, encouraging children to take extra initiative in helping other friends do their jobs, taking over for friends who have gone home, or even (as D did for N today) helping a friend put on her coat or shoes.

But, what about those jobs that aren't on the chart? Much of today's discussion was about the unspoken, sometimes under appreciated jobs we all do every day to keep our classroom running smoothly. We discussed the kinds of jobs we have to do every day and how important it is that everyone does their part to keep the classroom running smoothly.

It is our job to be kind and inviting to one another-- as A is here, sharing her book with friends.

It is our job to help each other out--as L does for C below, pouring the water in as C holds it open.

It is our job to listen to the teacher's directions and do projects in a way that respects our materials and allows friends to work freely around us-- as D does here by gluing carefully and using the pieces he was provided, rather than grabbing from a friend's pile.

It is our job to work through conflict with our words and not our hands-- as N and D do here,

deciding how to go around one another on the narrow bike path.

It is our job to try to

keep ourselves and our friends safe-- as K and J do here, remembering the teachers' words and giving space to the potentially hot popcorn maker.

Everyone has the job of tidying up after projects, of keeping our spaces organized and respecting friends' spaces as well. We must listen to one another's words and respond patiently and respectfully. It is our job to go potty. It is our job to keep our hands clean and keep our mouths off of our classroom supplies- keeping our environment clean, safe, and (relatively) germ-free. It is our job to keep our hands on our own bodies and let our friends know when their hands or words are hurting us. It is our job to treat everyone with the same respect with which we expect them to treat us. It is our job to be good friends, good classmates, good students, and good teachers... and we do a really great job of it!

Let us know if/ when you are free to come talk to friends about your job(s). From dropping them off at school to tucking them in at night, you have some pretty important jobs, too. We would really love to hear about them!

Visiting Teachers!

2012-01-19T11:18:00.000-08:00

Here in the Purple Room, learning happens in a lot of different ways. We learn with our hands. We learn through music. We learn inside, outside, at Circle, at Stations, at lunch, and throughout the day. And, this winter, we've learned from a LOT of different teachers. In case you missed it, we wanted to take a moment to show you all the wonderful guests we've had to share with us over the past few months!

Mr. Joe brought his family's dog, Polly, to share with us. We learned about how dogs need a lot of care, love, and attention. We heard her bark; we barked with her! Many of us were even brave enough to pet Polly, and we learned that she is very gentle. We also talked about how we have to be careful around animals, because not all of them are as good with strangers as Polly is.

For H Week, we had several parents come in to talk about their holiday traditions.

M's mom, Jennifer, came to tell us all about the Advent Wreath. We talked about joy and the holiday spirit of giving and sharing. We discussed how important it is to remember that Christmas is not all about getting presents, and we tried to think of ways we could be kind to our friends and family during the holiday season.

S & G's family came to talk to us about Hanukkah. We read a book about family holiday traditions, and we got to light a Menorah right inside the classroom! We couldn't leave it up in our classroom all week, but S & G's mom, Mandy, explained how their Menorah at home would stay lit as long as the oil would last.

S's grandma, Mrs. Shimada, came to teach us about some Japanese traditions and make Oragami with us. Friends got cranes to take home and made little paper shirts and pants at stations. Mrs. Shimada read us an Eric Carle book with parallel English and Japanese versions, and she brought us a special Japanese rice cracker for snack.

We also had a special guest from Green Waste come in to talk about the importance of the Three R's: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! With all the excitement our friends show for the garbage truck every week, it was no surprise to see their intense interest in The Garbage Monster. We talked about how some things that get thrown in the garbage can every day might not be garbage at all. We tore The Garbage Monster apart, reducing the paper cups we use, reusing good paper, and recycling old cans and bottles. Our friends are growing ever more aware of the difference between trash and recyclables, and we're trying every day to make our room greener!

Last week, C's mom, Jill, came to talk to us about ice hockey for I Week! C told us all about his favorite team, (The Sharks, of course!) and mom brought sticks, balls, a puck, and even a net so we could all try it. C showed us what the real goalies wear, and we heard all about each piece of equipment helps the goalie do his job of keeping the puck out of the net.

Keep an eye out for more visitors in the months to come... Just next week, Mister James will be coming in to juggle for us!

Please let us know if you have a talent or an interest you'd like to share with our friends. We'd love to have you!

"I Have a Dream..." Dress-up Day!

2012-01-17T16:36:00.000-08:00

With all the winter holidays flying by, friends and parents sometimes forget the profound importance of remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. We began last week by reading simple biographies to learn about who Dr. King was, how he lived, and why he was important. We talked together about fairness and equality, and we talked about the dreams he had for a better future. Over the weekend, we asked our friends to think about their dreams, what they hope or wish, and what is important to them. We asked them to remember why they would not be at school on Monday and what life might be like without Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today, we tied it all in for a special dress-up opportunity. For "I Have a Dream..."

Dress-up Day, friends were asked to use their imagination and show us whatever they dreamed of being or doing. And, our friends had some very interesting

dreams. We had a fairy princess, a pro hockey player, an

obstetrician, an astronaut, and even a lion roaming our classroom. Even our friends who did not dress up were eager to share their dreams of being space cowboys, train conductors, and dinosaurs.

Rather than tethering them to reality, we tried to draw these ideas out and give each friend a chance to share a passion or a goal with their friends. It gave some of our quieter friends a chance to speak out and some of our more rambunctious friends a chance to settle in and focus on a topic of interest.

With a tangible experience to relate to, they showed an increased interest and a deeper understanding of King's life and work. We used our dreams to tie the discussion back into King's speech and the dreams he had for the world. We considered together how much life has changed since his time, and how it will continue to change throughout the future.

P is for pumpkins!

2011-11-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

We have been Pumpkin mad here at Creative Minds.

A transfers her pumpkin from the car to the classroom

D and K experience what the inside of a pumpkin is like

L discovers what is inside of the pumpkins

N and S discover that the inside of a pumpkin is squishy

Z, A, and L sketch different kinds of pumpkins

M fishes out seeds to bake and eat

A sketches some different pumpkins

N and K enjoy a hayride at the pumpkin patch

S covers his pumpkin with several layers of paint

G splatter paints his pumpkin

C uses a pumpkin to make an art print

N uses a small pumpkin to make interesting shaped prints on her paper

Z and M work on a community pumpkin painting

D is for Dinosaur Eggs

2011-10-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

This week was D week and we had a really great time making dinosaur eggs. Here's the recipe:

Dinosaur Eggs:
1/4 cup of dirt
1/4 cup of sand
1/8 cup of flour
1/8 cup of salt
a bit of water
small plastic dinosaur

mix dirt, sand, flour, salt, and water until it has a muddy consistency, then put in the dinosaur and mold your mud into an egg shape around the dinosaur. Then let the eggs dry. It doesn't really matter how dry they are, it's still fun to play with dirt and dinosaurs (it's raining this week so they will probably not be very dry). When they are ready to hatch break the eggs open and have fun!!

The group getting into some really messy work!

it took a while to get all those ingredients just right

Once you've mastered the egg making, add a little twist with this step:

Instead of just leaving your dinosaur eggs to dry on a tray, do it like the dinosaurs do (kind of ;)! Stomp around the playground with your best dinosaur feet and gather your supplies. We used leaves, twigs, flowers, tanbark, and even a bit of unwanted litter. Put all your best findings in with some dirt, water, and sand to stick it all together (we put ours in a shallow tupperware container for support). Put the eggs into your dinosaur nest, and wait until they're ready to hatch!

D helping make the nest

Our final product! Eggs in a nest

We hid the nest under the bridge to keep it safe

I recommend doing this activity outside where you can have the kids help you collect the dirt, sand, and nest pieces, it also doesn't matter how messy things get, just hose stuff off :)

p.s. I also made sure to put the dirt and sand in a different place from the salt and flour so as not to accidentally mix the edible with inedible in the containers.

Preschool Discoveries

2011-09-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

Children are sponges; you put something in front of them and they immediately start soaking up information. From birth, children are taking in new things, everything is a new discovery.
At first, infants do not understand that there is a relationship between cause and effect, but through many experiments they begin to realize that their actions may cause other actions. By the time they are at preschool age, they are really starting to understand and experiment with different cause and effect theories.

Here D. watches as C. hammers balls. When the ball is hammered hard enough, another ball pops up and rolls into the old space.

These children are enjoying the product of a cause and effect project. They watched as unpopped popcorn was added to the popper, then heated and popped into a delicious snack.

These children added baking soda to their paint, then when it was dry they sprayed it with vinegar. They are transfixed by the fizzing reaction these two ingredients have!

Another way of discovering the world is through the use of tools. When children are very young their tool may be a cry to get what they want. As the child realizes the power and effectiveness of tools they become more sophisticated with their use as they interact with the world.

D. realizes that hitting the drum with a mallet will make a more pleasing sound than just hitting it with her hand

Z. uses a spoon to eat her pudding

Everyday practice helps N. get her food to her mouth in a more effective way than just using her fingers

A. uses a dull knife to cut her banana into easier to eat pieces.

C. uses a straw to blow bubbles in different liquids, soapy water was the most interesting to him

Understanding space is a concept that must be explored if a child is going to successfully navigate in the world, this includes balance, perspective, gravity and distance.

L. figures out how to get his legs from one side of the block to the other while leaving his hands where they are

A. bear walks across the parallel bars

L. balances from one side of the plank to the other side with ease

G. has to figure out how to get the balloon he just threw out of his own reach

Developing these discoveries is what our days consist of. We provide materials to support the curiosity and wonder these children experience daily. Through baking, building, moving, reading, and countless other ways of discovering how the world works, children understand the world they live in and how to enjoy it.

Personal space

2011-09-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

Here in preschool children are learning and practicing all sorts of new things, including writing names, measuring ingredients for baking projects, and doing puzzles. All these things are important to learn as they carefully attune fine motor skills, help to read and follow instructions, and show how to be successful in things we attempt. There is another skill that is also being cultivated at this age, it is how to get along in a large social group.

These children are both doing the same basic thing but their space is defined by what they are sitting on.

These children will grow up to have many relationships, personal and professional, and the practice for these relationships starts now. This shows up in many different ways -- sharing a toy, taking a turn on the slide, deciding who gets to pour the flour into the bowl -- but it also manifests in navigating situations in which the child has had enough and needs to be alone. Often times this can show up as a blow up of frustration, which can lead to hitting or pushing.

One child shows off what she has been working on to her sister, each has chosen her own spot to sit.

My goal is to help them navigate these interactions successfully with words and gentle actions. This week we have been practicing the idea of "personal space." I explained to the children that everybody has a bubble around them, and that is their space. Bubbles are delicate so we have to be gentle with them just as we need to be gentle with people's personal space. They can allow people into their space, but people should ask to hug or hold hands; it should not be assumed that it is free for anyone. So when someone starts encroaching on their space, they let them know by telling them "That's my space!" Personal space is not only our bodies but our cubbies as well, so we keep hands off each others cubbies too. Children are not born with the ability to clearly verbally communicate and so giving them words to express what they are feeling will help them to let the world around them know what is going on in their heads. This benefits both them and those around them.

These children are comfortable enough to be in each other's space.

Wormy Fruit with Teacher Susan!

2011-08-11T10:28:00.001-07:00

Hello parents, families, and friends of Teacher Kate's class! Before I tell you about the very exciting project our friends are working on, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to all of you. I'm Teacher Susan, and I am thrilled to be working in the preschool classrooms with Teacher Kate and Teacher Jane! I am working to revamp the afternoon class (I hope our late pick-up parents are enjoying friends' evening art, music, games, and dancing!), and I am spending my mornings doing everything I can to help our preschool teachers do their amazing work.

I had a very exciting opportunity this week to do a project with Teacher Kate's morning class thanks to a peach one of our friends found in his lunchbox on Monday. After taking a bite of it, he turned to me and said, "There's a bug on my fruit!" I came over to inspect it, and, sure enough, there was a little worm inching its way up the side. Our friends were immediately excited and wanted to know more. We all looked and talked about the worm and what it was doing. Then we saved the peach and the worm to see how they changed throughout the week. Our friends noticed Tuesday that the worm was not on top of the peach anymore. On Wednesday, one of our friends noticed the worm crawling up the side of the jar. We did shaving cream paintings with yarn worms. We also compared the peach to some oranges from my own home- one healthy and one with a worm as well- and did drawings with chalk, colored pencils, markers, and crayons.

We will continue to observe and discuss how the fruits are changing and what kind of relationship the fruits have with their worms.

Books

2011-07-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

We are learning about books! Some new terms we will be learning are: fiction, non-fiction, author, illustrator, and binding. We are also writing autobiographies, and getting some extra writing practice!

Habitats

2011-07-18T15:24:00.000-07:00

Our preschool class just finished a section on habitats. We learned about different animals of the rain forest, the ocean and the desert. We found out that there are 4 layers in the rain forest: emergent, canopy, understory, and the forest floor. The ocean has different types of animals at the surface, in the open ocean, and on the ocean floor. And the desert has both nocturnal (night time) and diurnal (day time) animals. Our class also got to taste several different foods from each habitat, some of which we hadn't ever tried before. Mango and bananas were two of our favorites from the rain forest, but the peppers were not a big hit. We really liked the crab, and salmon from the ocean but not many liked the seaweed. The desert had some interesting foods, feta cheese and figs were the favorites, but dates surprisingly were not.

Meet Mr. Joe

2011-07-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I would like to introduce you to my husband Joe. Joe works for an engineering startup and creates everything from board games to computer simulators. Mr. Joe (as the kids call him) will be coming in to the classroom for a couple of hours on Wednesday mornings to read and do crafts with the kids. We are so excited to have him!

Teacher Kate

Teacher Kate Got Married!!

2011-07-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

So one month ago I got married! It was a beautiful ceremony. It was also wonderful to have my family in town from Michigan. Joe and I went to Alaska for our honeymoon, and it was gorgeous and very relaxing.

I am so happy to be back at school, and we have so much going on in our classes. Last week we celebrated International Mud Day! What a blast! The water flowed into the mud pit and the kids had a ball. We drew pictures and wrote poems, and generally got VERY MESSY!

Last Friday we celebrated the Independence Day by learning a bit of history about how the United States became its own country, making paper fireworks, and having a patriotic snack of red, white, and blue fruit. (also practiced our dexterity by putting the fruit on our own skewers!)

This week we are kicking off our summer program and starting out by learning about the rain forest. Today we learned that the rain forest has 4 layers: the emergent, the canopy, the understory, and the forest floor. We also taste tested lots of food from the rain forest: peppers, tomatoes, avocado, papaya, mango, and banana. And smelled flavors from the rain forest: vanilla, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, and cocoa. We are definitely having a lot of fun with the rain forest.

Silk Worms

2011-04-27T14:47:00.001-07:00

If you haven't checked out the new visitors in our class, you should soon! They are silk worms! Currently they are pretty small, but with such a voracious appetite they won't stay small for long. Pretty soon they will be about 10,000 times as big as they were when they hatched!

We are looking forward to seeing this amazing transformation.

If you have access to a mulberry tree, please bring in leaves since our silkworms eat A LOT!!

Teacher Kate and Teacher Jane

K'nex Connects Ideas

2011-03-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

Have you watched the children play with K'nex? It is so fascinating. One day we see an arrow or a spear (not my favorites) and the next it is a robot or a clock. This inventive toy is the craze in the blue room right now. You can see anywhere from 1 to 8 children building at the same time. They seem to attract both boys and girls. It is great for small motor skills not only putting them together but pulling them apart to put them away. They are using spacial development and I have noticed that they are balancing their work; same pieces and colors being put on each sides. Their structures are also getting larger and more complex. Then they use them in pretend play after they have them built. They are so proud to show off their finished products and describe what the new thing can do. Here are some examples: Erik and his helicopter. Luke and his Robot. Nico and his robot. Ryan and his hat. trent and his clock.

A Bit of the Irish

2011-03-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

On St. Patrick's Day we had a wonderfu

l day. We started in Teacher Michelle's room making hats with big clovers on them. Next we ran around outside until we were tired. Then we came in and made Irish bread with the help of Vicky, Madison's mother. It was so much fun measuring, mixing, measuring, mixing and then we got to roll, roll, roll. We shaped our rolls into hearts and put them together into 3 leaf clovers. Then we decorated them with sugar and cinnamon and baked them in the oven. We ate them after lunch and they were yummy!!! We also played with magic sand and decorated the classroom with 3 leaf clovers and window decorations. It was a very fun day!

"Irish" Bread Sticks

2 cups warm water

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon or packet active dry yeast

1 Tablespoon salt

2 Tablespoons Olive oil or butter, barely melted (optional)

2 egg whites, beaten until stiff

1 cup whole wheat flour

5 to 5 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons water (optional, for wash)

pretzel salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, herb mixture, sugar, (optional, to sprinkle on top)

Mixing: Pour the water into a large mixing bowl. Add and dissolve the sugar and yeast. Mix in the olive oil or butter then beaten egg whites. Add the whole wheat flour and then the salt. Stir in the balance of the flour until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Kneading: Turn out onto well-floured board and knead until the dough is smooth and springy. Divide the dough in half and give it a 10-minute rest to relax the gluten., (You can use this dough to make one large loaf of bread and one batch of bread sticks or you can make 2 batches of bread sticks, one to eat and one to freeze.)

Shaping: Cut one half of the odugh into 16 equal pieces. Roll eachpiece into a rope 18 inches long. If you want long bread stickes, leavem at they are or cut them in halves or thirds for a variety of lengths. If you make them a bit fatter than usual, they'll be chewy as well as crunchy. Repeat with the remaining dough. We too each peach and then divided it into four pieces. We made small thin ropes into 3 heart shapes and connected them at the tips. The fouth piece became the stem of our 3 leaf clover.

Topping & Baking: Place these on lightly greased baking sheets, cover and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes while you preheat your oven to 450 degrees. For simple bread sticks, you can brush the tops with cold water just before they go in the oven and bake as is. Or brush them with the egg wash and sprinkle on the pretzel salt or whatever inspires you. There are a variety of herb and seed mixtures that are excellent salt substitutes. We also used cinnamon which was quite yummy.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Pancakes!

2011-03-10T14:42:00.000-08:00

The blue room made pancakes today. I know what you are thinking; we used bisquick or a prepared mix. Well you would be wrong! We made pancakes from scratch. This recipe comes from Fanny Farmer and is actually called Griddlecakes. Teacher Debbie, her husband, and grandchildren love them. They are one of our favorite dinners with eggs and fruit. We used science techniques to measure acurately. We learned how to crack eggs (we only wasted one egg, oops). We even beat the eggs up, um, I mean beat them using an old fashion egg beater. That was really cool! The batter smelled yummy and when they were cooking we could not believe how good they smelled. But the best part was eating them with butter and maple syrup. Teacher Debbie said we could have only 2 because she did not want us to ruin our lunches. :0)

Griddlecakes

The amount of milk you use will determine how thick these

griddle cakes or pancakes are. Start with the smaller amount

suggested and add more if the batter seems too thick. Try to

have the milk at room temperature before mixing and take care

not to overbeat: a few lumps in the batter will do no harm.

You can make lighter, fluffier griddlecakes by seperating

egg, beating the white, and folding it in last. Serve with maple

syrup or honey.

1/2-3/4 cup milk 2 teaspoons baking powder

2 Tablespoons melted butter 2 Tablespoons sugar or

1 egg 1 Tablespoons of malted barley

1 cup white flour or 1/2 cup white 1/2 teaspoon salt

flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

or 1 cup whole wheat flour +

1/4 cup milk

Michaelangelo Painting

2011-03-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

The Blue Room had a fun time painting upside down last Wednesday. Nikita's mom, Supriya, came in and shared with us about Michaelangelo. She showed us pictures of the Sistine Chapel and explained how he had to hang upside down on ropes to paint. We also got to see a picture of Michaelangelo and learned he lived a long time ago. That is why the children painted under their desks. Their masterpieces came out amazing! They are hanging in the classroom for all to admire.

2011-02-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

The Valentine party in the blue room was a blast thanks to the wonderful parents who supplied, well, everything! The children began decorating the room early in the week with garland, hearts and window stickers. They also started making valentines for Moms and Dads with traced and cut out hearts and lots of stickers. On Friday more decorations arrived and children who had not participated in the decorating earlier in the week were able to get their "hand prints" on the project. Soon 24 milar balloons arrived and the party took on a 3rd dimension as the kids cried out in glee. Games were made up on the spot as children dragged the balloons around the classroom amazed as they trailed behind them. They enjoyed making their valentine bags using stickers, hearts, and doilies. The most fun was had in playing "Mailman" and passing the valentines to each persons mail bag. The pizza was delicious and so were the peas and carrots. The heart shaped cake with oodles of whip cream and blueberries were pleasing to most all. It is safe to say a good time was had by all. Thank you parents for your generous help and gifts to the classroom!

Gardening

2011-02-11T14:31:00.000-08:00

The preschoolers have been planting in the garden like crazy. Starting in November the class began planting bulbs out in front of the school. Over two weeks we planted over 170 flower bulbs! We should be seeing the results "pop" up soon.

On January 11th we began planting our spring garden. First we planted a strawberry hanging basket and a row of sweet peas. The sweat peas are already 6" high! About a week later the children dug 6" holes for potatoes. They dropped their seed potato carefully into each hole and buried them. Next we planted tomatoes and eggplant which are growing in the classroom to give them a headstart. Carrots were planted in front of the potatoes. The children worked hard to dig up the ground and mix in sand.

They are learning so many new things about measuring, like how far apart the seeds must go or how deep they must be planted. They are seeing the different varieties of seeds, feeling the textures of dirt, sand, seeds. water and sun on our skin. We are painting in the garden. We have even made signs for our garden. Stop by and visit soon.

Valentines Day Party Rescheduled

2011-02-07T15:16:00.000-08:00

Dear Purple Room Parents,

I have had something come up, and will not be able to be in class on Friday the 11th, so I am postponing the Valentine's Day party until the next Friday, February 18th. Thank you so much everyone.

Kate

Mud Days

2011-02-01T11:26:00.001-08:00

Mud Day every Tuesday and Friday. Bring an extra set of clothes and we will get changed before we come home. It will be so much mud… I mean fun!

Purple room!

2011-01-06T21:33:00.000-08:00

Dear Preschool Families,

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

I am pleased to inform you that we are about to open our fourth classroom (the Purple room) as an additional Preschool classroom. This will be an extension/expansion of the current preschool program in the Blue room. We are striving to make the Purple room operational as early as next week.

Teacher Kate will lead the Purple room and Teacher Debbie will lead the Blue room with an Assistant. We want both the rooms to be multi age classrooms; however to start with, the Purple room will have young 3’s with a smaller class size. The Blue room will have most of our 4 year and older children.

Teacher Kate will be setting up the Purple classroom this week and we plan to make it operational sometimes next week. Please be patient with us while we make this important expansion. Our curriculum and practices will stay the same, the only thing that will change is the respective class sizes, and they will become smaller than what they are today in the Blue room alone.

We will discuss this change individually & interactively with Preschool classroom families as we move forward. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Many thanks,

Richa

Christmas Party

2010-12-20T14:55:00.000-08:00

We are having a Christmas Party on Wednesday December 22. We will be decorating our Christmas cookies, listening to a special book, and Teacher Kate and Teacher Debbie will be providing pizza and juice for lunch. All students are invited, we hope your child will be able to join us.

Flower Arranging

2010-11-22T14:19:00.000-08:00

Today we prepared for our International Potluck by arranging some beautiful fall flowers. We took pumpkins and filled them with beautiful flowers. Our classroom will look beautiful and festive for Wednesday.

Play Dough

2010-11-19T15:26:00.000-08:00

Today in class we made play dough. We made them fragrant by adding some cinnamon and all-spice to it. This project practiced measuring, and teamwork, it was also a lot of fun!

Here is the recipie for the play dough if you would like to make some at home.

Fool Proof Play Dough:

2 cups of All Purpose Flour

1 cup of Salt

4 Tsp. of Cream of Tarter

2 Tbs. of Oil

1 cup of Warm Water

Desired Color

Put everything from the first section into a large bowl. Mix together with your hands! Smooshing the mixture between your fingers is the best way to mix the ingredients. Remember to scrape the edges and add them to the dough until it is all mixed together. If it is too sticky, add a little flour and if it is too dry, add a little water.

2010-11-16T16:51:00.000-08:00

Teacher Debbie and International Potluck

2010-11-15T15:58:00.000-08:00

Welcome back Teacher Debbie! Teacher Debbie is back after a long recovery, and we are glad she is here. Teacher Kate and Teacher Debbie will be co-teaching the preschool room. Stay tuned for more information.

International Potluck! This year the preschool class will be doing an international potluck, on Wednesday Nov. 24 at 11:30. Please bring in a traditional family dish to share with the rest of our class. Parents are welcome to join us in this celebration, and if parents are not able to attend they are welcome to still send a dish with their child. If your child does not usually attend on Wednesday you are still invited to join us for lunch. Please make a note if your dish contains milk, peanuts, or shellfish, as we have allergies in our class.

Daily Learning

2010-10-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

I would like to fill you in on some of the things we do daily in our classroom.

Community Circle - In our daily circle we begin with our days of the week song which we follow up with talking about the date. We count to the number of the date that it is, for example on October 20th we count to 20. After the date we discuss the weather using the weather board. The children decide if it is cloudy, sunny, windy, or rainy then we take a vote as to whether it is hot day or cold day. After we finish that we talk about our current letter of the week, this is a good time to read a book that has to do with the weeks theme. We wrap up with either journal time, special activity time, or special guest.

Weekly Letter Theme - Every week we focus on a letter and things that begin with that letter. The letters and themes we have done so far are:
a - apples (we made apple crisp)
b - bikes (Coach Kristen came and talked to us about bike safety)
c - carrots (we made carrot cake) and camping (we brought in our camping gear and had a party)
d - dinosaurs (we learned a very fun song about dinosaurs)
e- eggs (we ate green eggs and ham)
f - fruit (Miss Erin the dietitian came in and talked about how good fruit is and we had fruit salad)

Next week we will be learning about G.

Teacher Kate

Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins!!!

2010-10-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

This week we have been gearing up for fall with Pumpkins. Some of the things we have done are:

Pumpkin patch at Uesugi Farm - we had a great time going on the hayride and train, watching a video about pumpkins, seeing the pumpkin life cycle in action at the pumpkin lab, learning about pollination with Bootsie the Bee, and picking out our very own pumkins. A special thank you to all the parents that attended this event, you were a huge help!!

Observing Pumpkins - We have been learning about adjectives and describing objects, so we took a close look at our pumkins. We observed them with our eyes, hands, noses and mouths, and came up with some good describing words. Come visit the classroom and check out our observations on the front wall.

Different Kinds of Pumpkins - We have a variety of different kinds of pumpkins, gourds, and corn displayed on our circle table.

Baking Projects with Teacher Jennifer - This week we have been getting ready for our pumpkin party, so we prepared some special treats. We made Pumpkin Pudding, and Pumpkin Apple Muffins. They should be very delicious and we hope you enjoy them.

Welcome to the blog!

2010-10-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Creative Minds Preschool Blog. This blog will be updated twice a month, to keep you updated on classroom news and upcoming events. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your children's lives, if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Teacher Kate