UPCOMING DATES & ANNOUCEMENTS:
CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
- Mark your calendars for Van-toberfest, October 18th!
- Before care is available starting at 7:30 am in the gym. Dismissal begins at 3:00 pm, with After Care available until 5:00 pm.
October 31st – Halloween Festivities
- Children should come dressed in costume
- 9:00, Whole school costume parade on the loop (weather permitting) Parents are welcome to come and watch.
- 9:30 Class hayrides followed by a Halloween Party in the classroom.
- Sign up here to help throw SK a party with no tricks and lots of treats! :
- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d7gT-A3IzW2HG9SIOZt2ucb0toFjuY-i5U_IaOLtU_I/edit?usp=sharing
- 11:30 am dismissal with aftercare available until 3:00 pm. Children staying for the afternoon MUST have a packed lunch.
Hello SK families!
Our brains were buzzing, our webs were spinning, our wings were flapping… needless to say, it was a busy week in SK and nothing short of magical!
As the temperatures began to shift, we jumped right into the spirit of fall! The classroom was full of discovery and exploration of all things fall. In one area, the glorious melody of hammers pounding buckeyes and squeals of delight as they cracked just the right spot to investigate the inside of a buckeye could be heard throughout the entire room. Others delighted in creating leaf rubbings using colored pencils and oil pastels. Our dollhouse was transformed into a haunted house as they decorated it with glowing lights, beads, bones, eyeballs, pumpkins, and other spooky materials! The fan favorite, however, was the array of jars and beakers filled with colorful water on the light table. Using pipettes and developing their dumping skills, the kids created different colors as they mixed and poured from one vessel to another. We heard lots of conversation about “potions,” and we cannot wait to see where this leads us next!
On Monday, we read the story Spookley the Square Pumpkin and had a wonderful conversation about how, just like the pumpkins in a patch, not everyone looks the same, and that’s what makes each of us special! The children noticed how shapes, colors, and patterns can all be different yet beautiful.
Inspired by this idea, we began creating our own unique pumpkins in preparation for our creative pumpkin for Vantober Fest! The children used black oil pastels to draw their very own symmetrical pumpkins, paying close attention to the balance of lines and shapes. Then, using fall tones like greens, yellows, oranges, and shimmering golds, they painted their unique creations. Our classroom pumpkin patch has begun to bloom through their imaginations… stay tuned!
Following their shared interest and collaborative decision-making, the children voted to transform their pumpkin into an insect pumpkin! Our first step was to use glue and sand to transform the boring white pumpkin into something colorful and textured! Next, breaking into teams, the students collaborated on creating wings, legs, antennas, buckeye bug eyes, and a stinger! Using cardboard, vellum, and transparency paper, paint, and a whole lot of glitter, our classroom pumpkin was transformed into a whimsical blend of fall, nature, and creativity! A true representation of SK and their passion for insects! Can’t make it to Vantober Fest … no worries! Bidding will be done online!
In math this week, we embraced our kinesthetic learners. Using metal cans labeled with numbers and dice in hand, the children teamed up for a lively math relay race. They took turns rolling dice, subitizing, writing the number, and then counting out buckeyes they had collected to find the matching numbered bucket. Teamwork played a significant role in this, as they practiced number recognition, counting, and fine motor coordination simultaneously.
Later in the week, we went “apple picking” during math! The children used their listening ears as Miss Hanna and Miss Arden called out how many red, yellow, or green apples to pick. They then wrote both numbers, colored in their apples, and added the two groups together by counting to find the total. This playful approach to number sense invited the children to move, listen, and think!
On Thursday, we brought insects and imagination into our math exploration. Our focus was on spiders, symmetry, patterns, and shapes inspired by the story Walter’s Web. Together, we noticed how Walter worked tirelessly to rebuild his web, repeatedly experimenting with different shapes and patterns to make it stronger against the wind. The children became little mathematicians and engineers, analyzing patterns and predicting which shape might create the strongest web. A circle won the popular vote!
The children were then invited to create their own web and patterns. Using yarn, ribbon, glue, glitter, and pastels, the children designed their own unique webs filled with diamonds, squares, circles, ovals, and even hearts! Their creativity and curiosity spun right off the page and into the world around them. When we ventured outdoors, the children excitedly discovered 27 real spider webs across our campus, squealing with delight as they spotted patterns and shapes hidden within each web.
In phonics this week, we focused on our very special friend Magic C! The children discovered that many letters are built with this helpful curve, such as c, a, d, g, o, and q. They all begin with the same magic motion! Using a variety of multisensory tools, the children practiced building, tracing, and writing these letters, strengthening both their fine motor skills and handwriting habits, all while becoming word builders, creating and reading words made with our Magic C letters.
A very big special “Thank You!” to Miss Brittany (Mylah’s mom), who has so graciously offered her time to come in and begin a cricket study with our bug enthusiasts! Do you know where a cricket’s ears are located?! Did you know they have compound eyes?! Do you know how crickets make their chirping sounds or how far they can jump!? Well, SK does now! After reading a very engaging and informative book about crickets, Miss Brittany got our wheels turning. In order to form a hypothesis, you must first have a question. So Miss Brittany asked them, “What do you wonder about crickets?” The children wondered about their chirping, how they travel, and what the time of day might mean for a cricket. We are so excited to dive into this bug study!
We wrapped up our week with a celebration for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of our new Wonder Mural, beautifully created by Rachel Goodman (Lola’s mom), for our school community. The children gathered together to honor this “WONDER” work of art, which symbolizes the creativity and curiosity that fill our school home. Our morning was filled with bubbles, music, yoga stretches, and art as the children added their own art to the ribbon before it was cut.
We hope to see you tomorrow at Vantober Fest! If not, we hope you “FALL” into some magic that your children sprinkle everywhere they go!
Miss Arden and Miss Hanna
PUMPKIN SKETCHES:
VANTOBER PUMPKIN ART:
WALTER’S WEBS:
MATH FUN:
MISS BRITTANY & CRICKETS:
DAILY DISCOVERY & EXPLORATIONS:
