Week 18
Dear PS2 Families…
Studying Stories by Jan Brett
Our short week was packed with fun, laughter and learning! We continued our discussions about the season of winter, with a focus on winter animals and author/illustrator Jan Brett. Throughout the week we read The Mitten, The Hat, Cozy, The Three Snow Bears, Annie and The Wild Animals, and The Snowy Nap. Your children loved listening to and discussing these wonderful stories. Each is filled with interesting animal characters who do some unusual things. Ask your child to tell you about them and some of the interesting animal facts we learned.
Our classroom overflowed with activities inspired by Jan Brett’s stories. We filled hats and mittens with packing peanuts, matched alphabet mittens, counted bears hibernating in their caves, and played character matching games. Miss Michelle demonstrated the art of knitting, and we watched the sample grow with each stitch of soft, cozy yarn. We hung mittens on our washing line with clothes pins as Lisa hung her woolen clothing in The Hat, decided on our favorite animal in The Mitten and made delicious hot soup using yummy vegetables in dramatic play. Ask your child to tell you about who tasted soup that was too hot, too cold, or just right and in which story! As we read, we noticed in the borders of the beautiful illustrations on each page are hints about what will happen next. We had fun making predictions about the story line! The children are becoming author/illustrators of their own stories as we fill up our Drawing Journals.
We had a special midweek treat when we joined Miss Melanie for some popcorn fun in the Assembly Room. We enjoyed a popcorn story, watched popcorn erupt from the air popper, popped “snow” balls and colorful balls in the parachute, and then ate the delicious popcorn. Yum!
The weekend’s snowfall brought the opportunity for some chilly fun. Although the freezing temperatures kept us inside for part of the week, Thursday saw temperatures climb just enough for us to get outside. The children were thrilled to enjoy the snow-covered playground, digging, making snow angels and footprint patterns in the snow. This also gave them the opportunity to practice our winter dressing sequence. Ask your child to teach you our snow gear dressing song.
After talking about what we do to stay warm in wintery weather, we discussed what some animals do to stay warm and fed when food is scarce, and how some animals migrate, and some hibernate. Ask your child to tell you about some of them. We also learned about the kind of trees that stay green and don’t lose their leaves in winter, and why their leaves are either thin and pointy or thick and waxy. Ask your child if he/she remembers what these trees are called and what neat trick the thick flat leaves do in extreme cold. We had fun painting pine boughs and creating a winter evergreen model magic sculpture.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. In the spirit of the season, we encourage the children to exchange Valentine cards, but there is no obligation to participate. The children have been enjoying making and receiving wonderful birthday cards during the year. Doing something kind for someone else is very rewarding. We would encourage you to make this a fun, creative, non-stressful activity. Allowing your child to come up with open-ended ideas to express his/her own individuality encourages not only imagination but problem-solving skills and self-esteem. Start early and do a few at a time, there are 18 students in our class. Creating special homemade cards for classmates is a fun way to spend a cold winter’s afternoon and a great way to practice writing their name. Please only put your child’s name on the cards; this will allow them to “mail” them independently. The children will be decorating bags in class to collect these treasured cards. Sending them early will ensure friends who are getting an early start on vacation week get to enjoy their cards on Valentine’s Day. You can start sending them in on Monday, February 10th.
We hope you find some cozy time to read with your child this weekend, perhaps one written and illustrated by Jan Brett.
Have a warm and cozy long weekend!
Miss Penny, Miss Michelle and Miss Carol
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