It's a Good Day in PreK

Happy May! Time to get the BBQ ready and celebrate the kick off to summer. May is known as a month of transition. Hopefully, our April showers are gone and spring flowers are blooming and the weather is more promising. In Pre-K we are starting the process to move your little ones to kindergarten. Your component school districts have already started kindergarten screenings and I know they are super excited to work with your kids. May is also Mother's Day. While every mother should be celebrated everyday, I hope all the mothers out there enjoy this special day, you deserve it!

A long time ago in a classroom far, far away...or not so long ago in a classroom right around the corner... For all you Star Wars fans May 4th has been dedicated to Star Wars day. A day where Star Wars fans can celebrate all things Star Wars. In one short month we will be celebrating all things Pre-K. Your little Jedi will have mastered the skills necessary to move on to kindergarten. One Jedi master, Yoda, was known for his wise words, wisdom and advice. One of his best quotes can relate to our pre-schoolers, "Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is." Wonderful indeed!

Our Genet Pre-Kers finished a project making a garden of tulips out of their first names. They practiced fine motor skills by cutting the "grass", glueing on the stems and flowers, and worked on their pencil grasp to write the letters of their first names.

Nothing like visiting our students at Ichabod Crane and leaving with a fresh haircut! The kids had so much fun styling, brushing, and beautifying their mannequins. This type of imaginative play is important as it gives them an opportunity to take on the role of a cosmetologist. The mannequins were gifted from Questar III's Cosmetology program.

Our PreK students put on their detective hats and "traveled" to six famous cities, inspected clues, while learning about landmarks and geography. Stephanie Carbone, from Questar's Model Schools visited this month and brought Osmo Detective Agency. Not only did they learn about different areas of the world, but had to focus and use observation skills.

Students in Mrs. June's classroom at Catskill participated in National Board Game day. From Chutes and Ladders, to Candy Land, the students had fun playing with their peers and their teachers! Playing board games has so many benefits, besides being fun. They help develop social skills, can improve cognitive function, and allow time away from screens! It also allows for some great family time.

Above, Ms. McCulloch playing a game of Candy Land with a few of our Catskill students!

Our kids in Mrs. Heath's class in Berlin were creative painting with yarn! Yarn painting is a fun, sensory-rich art experience for kids that allows them to dip yarn into paint and create prints. Fun!

Now this is a center I could stay at all day! Students in Mrs. Jenkins classroom at DPS had a treat making fruit and cheese kabobs. With the help of a parent volunteer the students looked at cue cards which showed the steps in preparing, laying out the fruit and cheese, and then placing on the skewer.

April 22nd was Earth Day. This year's theme is "Our Power, Our Planet." Below, Mrs. Heath's students at Berlin took some time outside on a nature walk, while Mrs. Lavoo's students reused milk containers to make bird feeders.

Our Green Meadow meteorologists took advantage of the spring weather to explore their surroundings. They have been studying spring weather throughout the month of April and have incorporated English Language Arts, STEM, math, science and social studies concepts into this unit. Some of the fun included a cloud viewer, making clouds, the water cycle experiment, adding rain drops, art projects and drippy rain clouds.

May 26th- Memorial Day, classes not in session

Summer Time Phonemic Awareness Fun!

What is phonemic awareness? Phonological awareness allows children to recognize and work with the sounds of language.

Why is Phonological Awareness Important? Phonological awareness is a strong predictor of reading success. It is especially important at the earliest stages of reading development and is a foundation skill for reading and writing. How Can You Support Phonological Awareness at Home? Attached is a letter with free activities and videos you can do with your child at home to enhance their skills as future readers!

https://heggerty.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PreK-Summer-Support-Parent-Newsletters-English.pdf

Email: michael.burns@questar.org
Phone: (518) 649-3117