April 5-9, 2021

Garinim

This week was all about gardening, planting and the role that insects and worms have in the growth of different plants. We will continue this topic throughout most of April.

We planted pepper seeds and talked about how we need soil, water and sunlight for them to grow.

We also learned about how bumble bees pollinate and help flowers and plants to grow. We learned a song (we reminded the children it’s just a pretend song and we are not harming any bees):

“I’m bringing home my baby bumble bee. Won’t my mommy be so proud of me. I’m bringing home my baby bumble bee-ouch! He stung me. I’m squishing up my baby bumble bee, won’t my mommy be so proud of me, I’m squishing up my baby bumble bee-oh! He’s all over me! I’m brushing off my baby bumble bee, won’t my mommy be so proud of me. I’m brushing off my baby bumblebee. All gone!”

We created Pom Pom flowers, construction paper bees, and bumble bee prints.

At the easel, we practiced combining and mixing colors to create new colors—we discussed if any of the colors look like flowers or plants we see outside.

It’s been a busy week!
 
Alim
We were so happy to see our friends return back from our break.   We missed them so much.  We went back to our pretend airport and travelled to the continent of Africa.  We all went through Customs and got a stamp of Africa on our passports.  We started our unit on Plants.  We talked about plants and seeds.  There was a lot of new work in the Art area with different Spring Art available to the children.  There was flower arranging and butterfly matching for the kids to enjoy.  We actually did some planting in the classroom. We planted Zinnia Seeds.  The children had fun doing this activity.  
 
This week we briefly reviewed the upcoming holiday, Shavuot. We talked about the command to count the Omer. The children learned that omer is a way to measure grain. Omer is equivalent to 9 cups! We have a classroom calendar that the children update daily. Also, every child has their own calendar that they can update as well. 
 
Anafim
Well hello Spring!  There are hyacinths and daffodils growing in our garden and signs of tulips coming soon.  We brought a few daffodils inside as inspiration for still life paintings.  Our classroom is looking beautiful with flower arrangements on every table.  The children choose from an assortment of flowers in a large bucket, select a vase, carefully pour water through a funnel and fill the vase, trim the stems, remove large leaves, and arrange in a pleasing way.  Morah Lana saved some crocheted doilies from a classroom long ago and they are proudly on display beneath each vase.  (If you don't know what a doilie is, look closely at the flower pictures, or ask your child!) 
Each child 'planted' a pinto bean between filter papers, labeled, watered and recorded in their little 'Bean Book'. We also worked a seed starter container and planted tiny tomato seeds and sweet peppers.  They are also on the sunny windowsill and we will continue to water, and cross fingers (or 'hold thumbs' as they say in South Africa)  that we will eventually have seedlings to plant in our new outdoor container barrels. Our outdoor garden is a big part of our summer program and nothing compares to the fresh fruit and vegetables picked and eaten on the same day!
We are learning about birds and arthropods (including spiders and insects) creatures with no backbone, an exoskeleton, a segmented body (head, thorax, abdomen) and jointed legs.  We have the largest honey bee in our classroom, with cards to label: including antennae, compound eye, proboscis,  pollen comb and pollen basket. We are enjoying a terrific story The Bug Girl (a true story)about a little girl, Sophia Spencer who loves insects, and never gives up on her passion, even when teased by other children.  Her mom helps her reach out to scientists and her interests are validated and celebrated. 
 
We 'count the omer' each day, 49 days, from Passover until (receiving the Ten Commandments on) Shavuot. One sticker is placed each day as we work our way up the rocks of Mount Sinai. 
 
Keshet
We started learning about subtraction, working with flowers and petals, and removing petals one by one. The children were introduced to the number line, and worked on their own with flower drawings and seeds, gaining an understanding of 'taking away'.  We also used the Montessori wooden fraction to understand parts of the whole.  The children played games, dividing / slicing their playdough pies into equal pieces according to their dice (one or two dice) rolled. 
In Science we started the unit on Birds.  We discussed backyard birds that we see everyday.   We discussed what birds' needs are for everyday living, and each made binoculars, which we used for a little bit of bird watching.  We will continue this theme for a few weeks.  
 
See this weeks Pictures here https://photos.app.goo.gl/D8soBbkg6WtxHYMQ9

0Comments

Add Comment