There are just some weeks
that I am completely inspired, invigorated and in awe a little more than usual
at our amazing and capable learners…this was one of those weeks! The
communication, elaborative play and focus on learning…I wish I could have had
the entire week on a live feed. J I will try to give you a
bit of a taste through detailing our learning and through the pictures, and
following blog posts.
This week some of our
learning included…
*really delving into the
student’s interest and passion of animals, particularly cats and dogs (kittens,
kitties, cats, doggies, dogs, puppies!)
*brainstorming what we
already knew about these animals
*reading fiction and
non-fiction literature on cats and dogs
*just scratching the surface
in brainstorming what we are learning about them
*taking a little walk to
visit one of the campus cats! He was pretty happy to be part of a photo shoot
and posed for us for quite awhile before walking off.
*figuring out who we could
talk to to get more information-we talked with Ms. Farris and will interview
Ms. Jo on Monday.
*using a variety of
different materials to make animals (some students chose to draw, some to
sculpt, some to build)
*starting to make houses
and “pet places” for the animals
*pretending to be puppies
and kitties being taken for walks on “leashes” through dramatic play
*playing buggy Bingo and
practicing our numbers
*having a visit from Ms.
Sarah, our counselor (I have added what she wrote to the bottom of this.)
*taking care of our pumpkin
plants—they are starting to sprout!
*making a HUGE house out of
a big box sand crate that AJ’s dad donated to our courtyard!
*reading “How Big is A
Foot?” after using various manipulatives to measure things in the classroom. A
great discussion ensued about different measurements.
*..and much, much more!
REMINDERS / UPCOMING DATES
*November 23rd: Thanksgiving Celebration-
12:15-1:15. We invite all parents, siblings, relatives that may
be here in Singapore to a celebration in our back courtyard. We have been
talking about appreciating how we are the same and different, and how we may
celebrate similar or different holidays and participate in various amazing
celebrations. Let’s do this together! Please bring a dish (main, snack or
dessert) from a country that is special to you (passport country, a place you
have lived or called home…) so we can celebrate each other, and our amazing
classroom community. We will eat together and have a great time. Students are
invited to wear clothes/dress from a country that is special to them. Manaswi has offered to organize the details
so please look out for her e-mail. We look forward to seeing you here!
*November 24th and 25th: NO
SCHOOL-Thanksgiving Holiday
*Thursday, December 15th:
HOLIDAY PARTY and Sing A Long- Details to come but will be somewhere in the time frame of
8:00-9:30am.
*December 17th to January 8th: NO
SCHOOL-WINTER BREAK
*January 9th: Late
Start—10:00am start for school
From Ms.
Farris-Our Pre K Counselor
Hello from Ms. Farris and Carl the Counseling
Cat! We have been in your child’s classroom talking about food allergies.
We started off the lesson playing the game “Just Like Me!” I named different
foods, and then students stood up if they liked the food. For example, I
said, “I like noodles.” If the students liked noodles, then they stood up and
said, “Just like me!” Some of the foods I mentioned were sushi, peanut butter,
pizza, Nutella, noodles, and ice cream. We had a lot of fun playing this
game, but we noticed that not everyone stood up for every type of food.
We talked about why some people can’t eat certain foods. Some of the students
had heard of the word “allergy,” and even knew someone with an allergy;
however, most students had not heard of the word. The 8 most common allergens
(90% of all reactions in children) are: milk, eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, tree
nuts, fish, and shellfish. We concentrated our conversation on nuts, and I
showed them pictures of different types of nuts as well as pictures of common
foods that contain nuts. We talked about the 3 things students should do to
keep themselves and their classmates safe: wash your hands and "foody
fingers" often ( for example: before snack/lunch), do not share food, and
tell an adult if you think your friend is having an allergic reaction (swollen
eyes and lips, rash, coughing, sneezing, difficulty breathing). We then read
the book “A Special Day at School” by Anna Munoz-Furlong. Please let me know if
you’d like to borrow this book to read with your child at home. Parents,
if your child has a food allergy, please communicate with the school by meeting
with your child’s teacher and our school nurse. Please turn in any
medical forms and medications (check the expiration date), and help your child
build age-appropriate skills to manage food allergies. If you have any
questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher, our school nurse, and your
child’s fabulous counselor.
Week 13 November 7 to 11
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