Updates/Reminders

  • Friday, 3/21 is Conferences- We’re excited to meet with you all!
  • 4/1-5 is Spring Break- No School
  • Please sign-up for Caterpillar class volunteer opportunities here
  • If you ever have something to tell us that you think will impact your child’s day at school i.e. didn’t sleep well, has a parenting adult out of town, friend/relative visiting, you can write it on the clipboard outside the door titled “We want teachers to know…” This helps so that all teachers can be in the know 🙂

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Clay & Soil Play

Over the past two weeks we have begun our exploration of soil and clay. Julianne, our resident teaching artist, helped introduce clay. We observed how it felt to pet, pinch, roll, pick-up, poke, scratch, coil, smush, push, press, and pile clay onto cardboard. We turned soils into letters like “S,” ‘A,” “J” and “K” and rolled balls and coils using our palms.

With the weather drying up a bit, our outside puddles have evaporated leaving us with mud, dry dirt, moist, and dry sand. We’ve been engaging with these different mediums outside and have opportunities in the classroom to observe and interact with them too.

  • Exploring air dry clay
  • Exploring different soils and natural items outside
  • Indoor sand sensory bin: scooping, pouring, filling, dumping, making “coffee” and “tea”
  • “Planting” flowers in play dough “soil”
  • Mixing water and sand outside
  • Drawing in sand with paintbrushes

The Wind Tunnel

Smiles, laughing, big “Ooos” and jubilant shouts are common when the wind tunnel is on. We’ve figured out that the scarves and paper birds and elephants can fly all the way up and out of the wind tunnel while the flowers sometimes go up for a little bit and then fall back down. Also Rami’s Thomas  the Turtle does not fly up the Wind Tunnel.While using the Wind Tunnel, we are navigating the space around it where our friends are standing, taking turns with the different items, and remembering that it’s ok to be excited AND we can’t yell or screech too loud because it hurts our friends’ ears. We are also practicing when we need to take a break from the excitement and when to come back.

Music with Chrissy

Every Tuesday, music teacher, Chrissy comes to visit. Over the past two weeks we have been practicing a new song for Kindness week and the Spring Sing about what a good friend does. And as always, we play instruments and dance!

More Caterpillar Happenings

  • Watercolor Painting and turn taking practice with colors
  • Exploring the light tablet
  • Natural Wonders shelf exploration
  • Building in the new Block/Large loose parts area
  • Waiting our turn practice
  • Fine Motor activities: Hole punching & scissor work
  • Trying out new climbing configurations
  • Working with water and rocks- scooping, pouring, balancing sloshing water while walking…
  • Color mixing with pipettes
  • Self-serve art table
  • Blocks
  • observing an ant
  • Box Play 🙂