Mrs. Stortini's Preschool Class News

Field Trip Thursday, December 12th

Our first class field trip will be next Thursday, December 12th! Parents will meet in our classroom at 9:15am to load the bus and drive to the Hands on Museum. Adults and children will explore the Hands on Museum together, and we will load the bus at 1:00pm to arrive back at Cotter at 2:00pm. Sack lunches will be provided for all children. In you have not done so already, please make sure to fill out and return the permission slip in your child’s folder Monday so we have an accurate count.

Have a great weekend!

~Mrs. Stortini and Ms. Thabet

Math

This week in our classroom we have been focusing on identifying single digit numbers as well as the skill of subitizing. This is when children can look a group of objects and know how many are in the set without counting each individually. To practice this skill we used dice and number cubes during small group time to play a game called “Number Roll.” Each child had a die with dots as well as a number cube. They practiced rolling the cubes together while matching the numbers with the dots.

Nutrition

During nutrition this week Mr. Matt and Ms. Hawra joined us from the LAHC to review the healthy foods we have talked about over the past 4 weeks, as well as exploring the nutrients plants need to grow. The children were able to plant their own seeds, and afterwards we used rice cakes, olives, tomatoes, green peppers, cheese, tomato sauce, pineapples, and carrots to make healthy pizzas!

Winter Clothes

Please make sure your child has snow boots, snow gloves, jacket, snow gloves, and a hat for outside time everyday. We will go outside twice a day (even if it is snowing) unless the temperature is below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Important Dates

• November 27-29th – No School (Happy Thanksgiving!)
• December 12th – Field Trip to Ann Arbor Hands On Museum
• December 19th – Parent Fair
• December 23-January 5th – No School (Winter Break)
• January 6th- School Reopens
• January 16th – Classroom Parent Meeting
• January 20th – No School (MLK day)
• January 21th – Half Day
• January 23rd- Field Trip to DNR Outdoor Adventure Center
• January 30th – Field Trip to Esper Library

Have a great weekend!

~Mrs. Stortini and Ms. Thabet

Snow!!

Who would have thought we’d have a snow day on November 13th?! This week was all about the snow in our classroom, we capitalized on this unexpected weather by bringing snow into our lessons.

Math

During small group we brought snow into the classroom to use as a writing tool. The children choose wooden numbers out of a basket, and then practiced writing that number in the snow using a twig. Later we added water beads to our snow trays. The children were using a pincer grasp to place the beads in the numbers they had written, as well as count out the number of beads they could hide in their snow tray.

Daily 5

During Daily 5 the children practiced Listen To Reading during an interactive read-a-loud of Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day. After listening to the story and discussing what happened to Peter during his walk, the children wrote in their journals about things they might do outside during a snowy day.

Science

After reading and writing about a snowy day we took our explorations outside! After putting on our snow gear we went outside to explore the school ground and observe the changes that had happened while the snow was falling.

Parent Teacher Conferences

It has been a pleasure meeting with families to talk about the growth we have seen in the children since the beginning of the school year! Due to the snow day on Tuesday some meetings will have to be rescheduled. The District make up conference day will be Monday, November 18th after school.

Important Dates

• November 27-29th- No School (Thanksgiving Break)
• December 3rd- Picture Retake
• December 12th – Field Trip to Ann Arbor Hands on Museum
• December 19th – Parent Fair
• December 21-January 5th No School (Winter Break)

Have a great weekend!

~Mrs. Stortini and Ms. Thabet

Classroom Critters

The children were so excited to see Mr. Paul from Classroom Critters during our assembly this week!

We Love the Snow!

The children were so excited to play in the first snow of the season yesterday, we talked about all of the changes that occur in nature during this time of year and made observations and predictions about what might be changing over the next few weeks.

We will continue to go outside everyday in the morning and afternoon throughout the rest of the school year, if you have not sent in snow pants and boots for your child please do so as soon as possible.

Upcoming Dates

Mark your calendars for these upcoming events:

• November 14-No school (Parent/teacher conferences)
• November 27-29- No school (Thanksgiving Break)
• December 3rd – Picture Retakes
• December 12th- Field Trip to Ann Arbor Hands on Museum (All parents invited!)
• December 19th – Parent Fair
• December 21-January 5 – No School (Winter Break)
• January 16th – Classroom Parent Meeting
• January 23rd – Field trip to DNR
• January 30th – Afternoon library Field Trip (All parents invited!)

Have a great weekend!

~Mrs. Stortini and Ms. Thabet

Zipper Club

Congratulations to the first members of our zipper club! Each week we will be adding more members as the children learn to zip their coats independently for outside time.

Parent Meeting

Thank you so much for attending our October parent meeting, the children were so excited to make a share their special snack! This was an example of the type of lessons the LAHC presents to our classroom during nutrition on Tuesdays.

Math

This week in our classroom counting and measuring have been our focus. The children used tweezers to place and count materials of different sizes in their trays, as well as using rulers during work time to measure the building and towers they were creating.

Science

With the changing weather have come many questions from the children about the leaves on the trees, as well as nature items we find on the playrgound. During Daily 5 we read the story “Leaf Man and later during large group we walked around the school grounds observing and collecting interesting natural items like bright red and yellow leaves, different colored rocks, and pine cones. Once back in the classroom we used these items and playdough to make self-portraits!

Nutrition

During nutrition this week Mr. Matt brought fruits and vegetables for the children to see and touch. We were able to explore a zucchini, coconut, egg plant, and turnip!

Outside Time

As the weather gets colder please make sure to send your child to school with a warm coat. We go outside twice a day and it is starting to be pretty chilly in the morning. Here is an idea of winter things to send to school with your child; Jacket, hat, gloves, snow boots, snow pants.

Have a great weekend!

~Mrs. Stortini and Ms. Thabet

Our Week…

The children are continuing to increase independence in the classroom as well as strengthening their large and small muscles. Muscle tone is the back bone of learning! Large muscle movements like running, lifting, and pushing create neuron connections in the brain. These connections are what enable children to learn new academic content. Small muscle control is necessary to write letters, words, and phrases.

Building our big muscles

During outside time children used scooters to move around the playground and exercise core muscles. During large group time in the classroom children coordinated their hand, arm, and legs muscles to walk on stilts.

Writing

Hand muscles need to be developed before children can begin to write letters consistently. We begin by doing exercises such as cutting, pulling, and poking. As children become comfortable with these movements we move on to writing various types of lines. This week during small group we used various materials to make “poke monsters” and played a “guess the line” game where children rolled the die, said the type of like (straight, bumpy, ziz zag, etc.) and then drew it on their board.

We can take care of our classroom!

In our classroom we learn responsibility by helping to take care of our things. Preschool aged children are capable of helping out with simple chores at home and school. These jobs teach responsibility, independence, increase confidence, and help children feel part of the classroom community.

Science

Children experimented at the water table using test tubes and small scoops to measure, predict volume, and weigh buckets. When the weather turned rainy we took our water experiments outside!

Nutrition

Our school is collaborating with the LAHC to present a 6 week nutrition program at our school. This week we met Mr. Matt, our guest teacher from the LAHC. The children made a list of healthy foods they knew, practiced stretching and exercises, and even made their own healthy snack! During lunch tried a new meal, halal beef lo-mein. It was a big hit!

Coming up Next Week…

Library Books

If you have not returned your child’s library book yet, please do so by Monday morning so they can check out a new book for the week.

Daily 5 Bags

Daily 5 bags went home in your child’s backpacks on Thursday. Please read these books together over the weekend and return on Monday.

Parent Meeting

Our monthly parent meeting will take place Thursday, October 17th at 8:45am. This is NOT A REGULAR DAY OF SCHOOL. Parents will come to school with their children at 8:45am. Our meeting will last about an hour, and your children will go home with you when it is over. Please do yoru best to find child care for younger siblings on this day. Our meeting topis for this month will be nutrition and healthy living.

Have a great weekend and we will see you next week!

~Mrs. Stortini and Ms. Thabet

Hello families!

Here is a snap shot of our week and a few important things we have coming up.

Our Week…

It is the third week of school and the children are working hard to become independent in the classroom. It is not unusual for children to still feel nervous about being at school, it is a long day and we are doing many new things! Tears and anxiety in the morning and during the day will slowly go away over the next few weeks as children become more comfortable with our daily routine.

Some ways to help ease school anxiety:

• Go to bed on time! At this age children should still be getting about 12 hours of sleep. Learning new things is much easier when your child’s brain is well rested.
• Have a consistent morning routine so your child knows what to expect.
• Have your child pick out their outfit the night before so there is no rush in the morning,
• Remind your child you will always pick them up at the end of the day.
• Be positive (ex. say: “I know you miss me at school, I miss you too but I am so excited to hear about what you learned!”)

Daily 5

Stamina

This week we introduced Read to Self during Daily 5. The children learned the vocabulary word “stamina” which means “doing something for a long time without getting tired or stopping.” The children chose two books to add to their Daily 5 bags and began reading independently for 3 minutes. Each week we will increase our stamina (the amount of time we read) by 30 seconds. Our goal for the end of the year is the children can Read to Self for 10 minutes.

Three Ways to Read a Book

During Read to Self we talk about three ways to read a book; Look at the pictures, read the letters/words, and retell a familiar story. This week we introduced “Look at the Pictures.” Children are encouraged to look at the pictures and describe what they see happening. This is the first step to learning to read in preschool. One way to work on this skill at home is to have your child read a story to you at home. Sit with them and have them tell you what they see happening in the pictures. It’s ok if what they say about the pictures does not match the words in the story. Let them have fun and be creative with what they are seeing!

Daily 5 in Action!

Picture Day

Picture day is Tuesday, October 8th. Dress to impress and bring your best smile! If you would like to purchase pictures please return the picture forms to me by Monday, October 7th. You can pay by cash, check, or online with your credit card. If you are paying cash please make sure you have exact change in your envelope. Ms. Thabet and I will not be able to make change at school.

Website: www.mylifetouch.com

Picture day ID: LM749116Y0

Parent Meeting

Our next parent meeting will be Thursday, October 17th at 8:45am. This is not a regular day of school. Parents will attend with their child from 8:45-10:00am, and then go home. Please do your best to find child care for younger siblings. This month our parent meeting focus will be on nutrition.

Have a great weekend, and we will see you Monday!

~Mrs. Stortini and Ms. Thabet

Hello families, thank you for joining us today for our first classroom parent meeting!

Happy first day of school, and we can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow at 8:05am!

~Mrs. Stortini and Ms. Thabet

Hello families!

Ages and Stages Questionnaire:

At the beginning of the year we completed the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) together to get a picture of your child’s development. Please use the link below to complete the Spring ASQ to identify your child’s strengths as well as areas to focus on during the summer months.

bit.ly/gsrpspringasq

Important Dates:

May 31-June 5 – No School

June 6th -Regular School Day

June 10th – Regular School Day/Field Day (Please send your child to school in comfortable clothes and gym shoes)

June 11th – Classroom Celebration 8:15-9:30am

Eid Mubarek to everyone celebrating this upcoming week! Enjoy the next 5 days at home with your families, and we will see you back at school on Thursday, June 6th.

~Mrs. Stortini and Ms. Thabet

Hello families!

This week during small group time the children used various materials to retell the story of the Three Little Pigs.