The weeks seem to just fly by in Funtime. We've had a lot of fun over the past 2 weeks learning about winter holidays. Last week we talked about winter and made crafts that focused on snow. We read stories about Christmas and continued to sing our Hanukkah songs.
The pre-k class has been working on letter recognition and pre-writing. Beginning in January, we will learn to write each letter of the alphabet. For the winter break I will be sending home some pages with their names printed on them to practice. Most of the kiddos can write their names, but a few are still working on it and I know how hard it is as a mom to get the kids to practice with you. My boys never wanted to learn from me and it was such a fight to get them to practice letters, etc. But when it comes home from their teacher, they will do it with no problem... This homework will not be due back to me, but if your child would like to bring it in and show it to me, I will gladly award them for their efforts!
For all classes this week, we will be having a pajama and movie party on Friday 12/17. The 2 morning classes will view a short winter film - I'm thinking Frosty the Snowman. And the pre-k class will watch the Polar Express. We will be serving hot chocolate, popcorn and cookies during all 3 movies. If you would like to bring a special treat to share with the class, please feel free - note the food allergies for each class on the snack sign-up sheets. The kids are welcome to bring a lovey (small stuffed animal, blanket, etc.) the snuggle during the movie. I am really looking forward to this fun day!
We will continue our winter holidays theme this week as we take a look at Kawanza.
This holiday season is a time of reflection and thankfulness. And I cannot tell you all enough how thankful I am to have your children in my class. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful group of children and parents in my life! It seems that if I'm having a difficult time getting going in the morning or just feeling a little off one day, the kiddos never cease to say something so darn cute that it turns my mood right around!
Fun Quote from this week Me "I guess I'm just so much more fun that you don't miss Mom when you're here." Child "Yeah, because this IS Funtime!" This really made me laugh and what added to the moment was that this little guy was so serious when he said it. I mean, of course it's more fun - it's right in the name! :)
Registration for Funtime - January through May- is open! Register before the classes fill up!
A quick note about ages - in order for you child to be in the 9am class, they must turn 3 on or before 9/15/2010. The same is true for our Pre-K class - your child must be 4 on or before 9/15/2010. We follow Poudre School District on this. We have set it up this way because the 3 year olds will filter up to the pre-k class in August and the pre-k kiddos will begin Kindergarten. If your child has a birthday close to but after the 9/15 deadline and you feel they are ready for the next class, please talk to me. They will not be able to move up to the pre-k class until the year prior to Kindergarten, so they will have to repeat the 9am class. (We have had children do this in the past with no problems) Again, please talk to me and we can work together to find the best fit for your child.
Reminders:
Pajama and Movie party Fri. 12/17
Registration for the next sememster of Funtime is open
Funtime winter break 12/20 - 1/7
New Funtime session begins 1/10/2011
See you all tomorrow!
Lisa
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
New session
Can you believe it's December already? It seems like we were just celebrating Halloween...
We started a new session on Wednesday, it's a short 3 week session and we have lots of new friends in class. Welcome! I will post an update on our blog once a week, usually at the end of the week. If I need to communicate something to you before the end of the week, I will simply send out an email.
The kids had a lot of fun playing and getting to know each other this week, in fact yesterday the 9am class was playing so well together, that we let them play for an extra 15 minutes and even with that they didn't want to clean up and move on. I love it! They were all really in the zone and most of the group was playing together on the carpet with the rescue heros. Changing their voices to make the heros talk to each other and working together to put out the fires etc. Amy, Drake and I had so much fun watching and listening to them - this is why I teach preschool... my heart was so full just watching them enjoy each other and themselves!
Wednesday marked the start of Hanukkah, I talked to the kids about how Hanukkah was celebrated and we made a paper Menorah with candles that the kids could 'light' each night by coloring in the flame. We learned 2 new songs about Hanukkah, 'I'm a little Dreidel' and 'Eight Little Candles' - ask the kids to sing them to you. We read a story about Biscuit the dog making a Menorah and celebrating Hanukkah with friends. In the 9am class Mendel told us about how he and his family celebrate Hanukkah. It's great for the kids to learn about all the December holidays, to learn that not everybody celebrates the same Holiday or even the same way. The kids were really excited to make their Menorah's and to learn that children who celebrate this Holiday receive small gifts for 8 days in a row.
On Friday we continued learning about Hanukkah. The 9am class learned about the Dreidel, Mendel brought in a plush Dreidel toy that played the tune of the Dreidel song and his mom was kind enough to write the words our for me. We sang the song a few times and Mendel told us, in his own words, how to play the Dreidel game - basically we found out you just spin it.... I know there is more to it than that, but it was so cute to hear the 3 year old version. I love seeing things through their eyes! The kids had a lot of questions for him about the Dreidel and the song - it was so great to see their interest, they were eager to learn all that they could about "Mendel's" Holiday. We made a special Dreidel snack, using marshmallows, chocolate chips and pretzel sticks. The kids stuck the pretzel in the marshmallow and then licked the chocolate chip (to make it sticky) and stuck it to the other end. A few of them even tried to spin their Dreidel snack, but ultimately they just ate 'em up! We had limited time in the gym, because they played longer and asked so many questions during show-n-tell, but they made the best of their time by running like crazy on the blue mat in gym. We tried some somersaults and some cart wheels as well. There were a few near misses, but somehow nobody collided.
The 11am class practiced their songs and learned the Dreidel song. There are more new friends in this class, so we're reviewing the rules and teaching them the routine. We managed to stay on task and on time and they were able to run and play on the blue mat for 15 minutes. This time, Amy and I sat on the bleacher so we could see better, because these little cuties run looking at their feet and not at where they are going.... we needed to see the big picture so we could stop any collisions from happening. I think we only had one small collision.
The 12:30 class learned the Dreidel song and practiced the other Hanukkah songs. We also worked on letter recognition using alphabet flashcards. I'm impressed parents - a lot of these kiddos know most of their letters - way to go! The sports team came and cleaned up the wrestling mats (the big blue mat), so this class got to run and play with the big balls in the gym. They are very creative and came up with some great games using the balls. They are also really good at including everybody in their play. Drake (Amy's kids had a performance at school, so Drake came to help) and I had a lot of fun watching them discuss the rules and then play the games. A lot of times it changed into a different game half-way through, but everybody seemed to go with the flow and play the new game. A couple of times they split off into groups and played 2 seperate games, which somehow would then morph into the same game again... it was very interesting.
Announcements and Reminders:
A BIG thank you to Devorah and Mendel Gorelik for all their help with our Hanukkah unit!
Please send your child with a light weight jacket or sweatshirt, in case they get chilly during class. Our heat has been tempermental... we are hoping to have it fixed next week.
Don't forget to sign up for snack and show-n-tell.
The last day of this session is December 17th. Registration is open for the whole next semester, beginning in January and ending in May. There are three 6 week sessions.
Have a great weekend!
Lisa
We started a new session on Wednesday, it's a short 3 week session and we have lots of new friends in class. Welcome! I will post an update on our blog once a week, usually at the end of the week. If I need to communicate something to you before the end of the week, I will simply send out an email.
The kids had a lot of fun playing and getting to know each other this week, in fact yesterday the 9am class was playing so well together, that we let them play for an extra 15 minutes and even with that they didn't want to clean up and move on. I love it! They were all really in the zone and most of the group was playing together on the carpet with the rescue heros. Changing their voices to make the heros talk to each other and working together to put out the fires etc. Amy, Drake and I had so much fun watching and listening to them - this is why I teach preschool... my heart was so full just watching them enjoy each other and themselves!
Wednesday marked the start of Hanukkah, I talked to the kids about how Hanukkah was celebrated and we made a paper Menorah with candles that the kids could 'light' each night by coloring in the flame. We learned 2 new songs about Hanukkah, 'I'm a little Dreidel' and 'Eight Little Candles' - ask the kids to sing them to you. We read a story about Biscuit the dog making a Menorah and celebrating Hanukkah with friends. In the 9am class Mendel told us about how he and his family celebrate Hanukkah. It's great for the kids to learn about all the December holidays, to learn that not everybody celebrates the same Holiday or even the same way. The kids were really excited to make their Menorah's and to learn that children who celebrate this Holiday receive small gifts for 8 days in a row.
On Friday we continued learning about Hanukkah. The 9am class learned about the Dreidel, Mendel brought in a plush Dreidel toy that played the tune of the Dreidel song and his mom was kind enough to write the words our for me. We sang the song a few times and Mendel told us, in his own words, how to play the Dreidel game - basically we found out you just spin it.... I know there is more to it than that, but it was so cute to hear the 3 year old version. I love seeing things through their eyes! The kids had a lot of questions for him about the Dreidel and the song - it was so great to see their interest, they were eager to learn all that they could about "Mendel's" Holiday. We made a special Dreidel snack, using marshmallows, chocolate chips and pretzel sticks. The kids stuck the pretzel in the marshmallow and then licked the chocolate chip (to make it sticky) and stuck it to the other end. A few of them even tried to spin their Dreidel snack, but ultimately they just ate 'em up! We had limited time in the gym, because they played longer and asked so many questions during show-n-tell, but they made the best of their time by running like crazy on the blue mat in gym. We tried some somersaults and some cart wheels as well. There were a few near misses, but somehow nobody collided.
The 11am class practiced their songs and learned the Dreidel song. There are more new friends in this class, so we're reviewing the rules and teaching them the routine. We managed to stay on task and on time and they were able to run and play on the blue mat for 15 minutes. This time, Amy and I sat on the bleacher so we could see better, because these little cuties run looking at their feet and not at where they are going.... we needed to see the big picture so we could stop any collisions from happening. I think we only had one small collision.
The 12:30 class learned the Dreidel song and practiced the other Hanukkah songs. We also worked on letter recognition using alphabet flashcards. I'm impressed parents - a lot of these kiddos know most of their letters - way to go! The sports team came and cleaned up the wrestling mats (the big blue mat), so this class got to run and play with the big balls in the gym. They are very creative and came up with some great games using the balls. They are also really good at including everybody in their play. Drake (Amy's kids had a performance at school, so Drake came to help) and I had a lot of fun watching them discuss the rules and then play the games. A lot of times it changed into a different game half-way through, but everybody seemed to go with the flow and play the new game. A couple of times they split off into groups and played 2 seperate games, which somehow would then morph into the same game again... it was very interesting.
Announcements and Reminders:
A BIG thank you to Devorah and Mendel Gorelik for all their help with our Hanukkah unit!
Please send your child with a light weight jacket or sweatshirt, in case they get chilly during class. Our heat has been tempermental... we are hoping to have it fixed next week.
Don't forget to sign up for snack and show-n-tell.
The last day of this session is December 17th. Registration is open for the whole next semester, beginning in January and ending in May. There are three 6 week sessions.
Have a great weekend!
Lisa
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thanksgiving feast
Hello!
Thank you all so much for making our Thanksgiving Feast a success today! I don't know about you, but I am stuffed! Hopefully all the kids had a good nap after performing and eating all that yummy food. I am posting the Thanksgiving photos from my camera - Thanks Clint and Adrienne for taking them for me! :) Please email me the Thanksgiving ones you all took today and I will post them!
I want you all to know that I feel truly blessed to have you in my life, your children make my heart sing everyday and all of you parents and grandparents are so good to me!! I always enjoy spending time with you and today was no exception - I'm just sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to ALL of you! Thank you for being so great!!!
Lisa
Thank you all so much for making our Thanksgiving Feast a success today! I don't know about you, but I am stuffed! Hopefully all the kids had a good nap after performing and eating all that yummy food. I am posting the Thanksgiving photos from my camera - Thanks Clint and Adrienne for taking them for me! :) Please email me the Thanksgiving ones you all took today and I will post them!
I want you all to know that I feel truly blessed to have you in my life, your children make my heart sing everyday and all of you parents and grandparents are so good to me!! I always enjoy spending time with you and today was no exception - I'm just sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to ALL of you! Thank you for being so great!!!
Lisa
Halloween Photos
Hello-
I was waiting to post these until I got some more from you all... but so far only one family has emailed me with Halloween photos.... it's not too late, you can still email your photos to me and I will post them! But for now, here are the ones I have.
I was waiting to post these until I got some more from you all... but so far only one family has emailed me with Halloween photos.... it's not too late, you can still email your photos to me and I will post them! But for now, here are the ones I have.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Last week of this session
Hello to all my WONDERFUL Funtime parents! Thank you so much for all your help with the Thanksgiving Feast - we definitely can't do these things without you. I am very blessed to have you all in my life!
This week we focused on getting the kiddos prepared for the feast or feasty (that's what I like to call it). :-)
On Monday we decorated paper Turkeys and wrote what each child was thankful for. We will use these at the feasty to decorate the walls - wait until you read what the kids are thankful for - some of them are quite hilarious! The 2 morning classes practiced their fun Thanksgiving songs and the afternoon class practiced their cute little Thanksgiving play with Amy and Britni.
Wednesday we made turkey puppets to go with one of our songs. The kids colored a cute little turkey and then Ms. Amy stapled them to colored tongue depressors. It's been a little tough for some of the kiddos to understand that they won't be able to take their crafts home until after the feast. But after explaining it a couple of different ways and sometimes to the Mom's, the kids understood and I am excited to use their crafts to decorate the NACC. All three classes practiced their songs and the afternoon class practiced their play after a little re-arranging of the characters.
On Friday we practiced songs and the play and then let the kids run off some steam in the gym. Because the kids have been working so hard this week, we decided not to do an activity that required direction (obstacle course, game, etc). Instead, we got out the balls and just let the kids run, roll, kick and tumble. We had a lot of fun. We sure did giggle and laugh a lot!
For those of you traveling this Holiday, be safe!
I'll see you tomorrow at the Northside Atzlan Community Center - 10:30 sharp!
I will not have the YAC cell phone with me, so if you need to get in touch with me call the Northside @ 221-6655 and ask the front desk to get a message to me.
Please bring a serving utensil with your dish (if it requires one).
I'm really looking forward to sharing a yummy feast with you all.
Lisa
This week we focused on getting the kiddos prepared for the feast or feasty (that's what I like to call it). :-)
On Monday we decorated paper Turkeys and wrote what each child was thankful for. We will use these at the feasty to decorate the walls - wait until you read what the kids are thankful for - some of them are quite hilarious! The 2 morning classes practiced their fun Thanksgiving songs and the afternoon class practiced their cute little Thanksgiving play with Amy and Britni.
Wednesday we made turkey puppets to go with one of our songs. The kids colored a cute little turkey and then Ms. Amy stapled them to colored tongue depressors. It's been a little tough for some of the kiddos to understand that they won't be able to take their crafts home until after the feast. But after explaining it a couple of different ways and sometimes to the Mom's, the kids understood and I am excited to use their crafts to decorate the NACC. All three classes practiced their songs and the afternoon class practiced their play after a little re-arranging of the characters.
On Friday we practiced songs and the play and then let the kids run off some steam in the gym. Because the kids have been working so hard this week, we decided not to do an activity that required direction (obstacle course, game, etc). Instead, we got out the balls and just let the kids run, roll, kick and tumble. We had a lot of fun. We sure did giggle and laugh a lot!
For those of you traveling this Holiday, be safe!
I'll see you tomorrow at the Northside Atzlan Community Center - 10:30 sharp!
I will not have the YAC cell phone with me, so if you need to get in touch with me call the Northside @ 221-6655 and ask the front desk to get a message to me.
Please bring a serving utensil with your dish (if it requires one).
I'm really looking forward to sharing a yummy feast with you all.
Lisa
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Funtime this week
The kiddos are really working hard to get ready for the Thanksgiving Feast, they are excited to sing the funny new songs they have learned! Don't forget to sign-up to bring something to share. Amy and I will cook the turkeys!
Monday: We talked about Native Americans. The kids made Teepees using Native American symbols. We asked the pre-k class to try to put theirs together into a story. I had told them a story using the same symbols. The other 2 classes were just told to glue them onto their Teepees and then decorate them with markers.
Wednesday: We practiced our songs and we made Native American vests that the kids will wear during our performance at the Thanksgiving Feast. The kids were really great in understanding that they would not be bringing these home until after the feast. The pre-k class worked on pre-writing skills by tracing straight and curvy lines.
Friday: Again, we practiced our songs and then played with balls in the gym. We figured with the snow on the ground and the falling temperatures, we had better let the kiddos run as much as possible! :)
Reminders:
Sign-up to bring somehthing to the feast
Please send a light weight jacket or a sweatshirt with your child everyday - our room sometimes runs cold.
Don't forget to sign-up for the next session of Funtime beginning Dec. 1st.
The new Recreator is out and registration begins next Thurs. However, you can sign up for Funtime all the way through May, now, you don't have to wait until next Thurs.
There is a glich in the system with the 11 o'clock class that begins in January, so you will need to call to register for that one.... hopefully it will be fixed on Monday. I will keep you posted!
Thanks for sharing your little cuties with us each week! I love to teach and play with them and watch them grow before my eyes - they make my heart sing!
Lisa
Monday: We talked about Native Americans. The kids made Teepees using Native American symbols. We asked the pre-k class to try to put theirs together into a story. I had told them a story using the same symbols. The other 2 classes were just told to glue them onto their Teepees and then decorate them with markers.
Wednesday: We practiced our songs and we made Native American vests that the kids will wear during our performance at the Thanksgiving Feast. The kids were really great in understanding that they would not be bringing these home until after the feast. The pre-k class worked on pre-writing skills by tracing straight and curvy lines.
Friday: Again, we practiced our songs and then played with balls in the gym. We figured with the snow on the ground and the falling temperatures, we had better let the kiddos run as much as possible! :)
Reminders:
Sign-up to bring somehthing to the feast
Please send a light weight jacket or a sweatshirt with your child everyday - our room sometimes runs cold.
Don't forget to sign-up for the next session of Funtime beginning Dec. 1st.
The new Recreator is out and registration begins next Thurs. However, you can sign up for Funtime all the way through May, now, you don't have to wait until next Thurs.
There is a glich in the system with the 11 o'clock class that begins in January, so you will need to call to register for that one.... hopefully it will be fixed on Monday. I will keep you posted!
Thanks for sharing your little cuties with us each week! I love to teach and play with them and watch them grow before my eyes - they make my heart sing!
Lisa
Saturday, November 6, 2010
This week at Funtime 11/1/2010
Wow - another week has flown by! Everybody (myself included) was a little tired on Monday, after the hustle and bustle of Halloween. This week we began talking about Harvest and Thanksgiving. On Monday we used whole kernel corn inside of a nylon stocking to paint with. We painted onto a piece of paper cut into the shape of corn, then we gave each child 2 pieces of paper shaped like corn husks, the intention was for them to glue these at the bottom- but as you saw, the ended up all over! The pre-k class played the board game Chutes and Ladders for math.
Wednesday, the kids each decorated a turkey feather for a big turkey wall hanging. We used all kinds of different things to make the feathers, tissue paper, 'real' feathers, sequins and other sparkly things. The 9 o'clock class was in charge of their own glue and they each did a great job with not using too much. For the 11 o'clock class, Amy put the glue on for them and they just had to cover it with all the pretty things we put out. A few little cuties just picked up a whole handful of stuff and plopped it onto the glue. Not quite what we had in mind.... but hey, we did tell them to cover the glue! :) The pre-k class went outside and played what time is it Mr. Turkey - the weather was absolutely gorgeous! We had a lot of fun running and playing in the grass. When we returned back inside, we worked on literacy skills by playing with sequencing cards. We had cards that showed part of a story and then little story tiles that each had another part of the story, the kids worked to complete the story. They all did a great job.
Amy set up a really creative and cool obstacle course for gym day. The kids and I had so much fun weaving, shooting baskets, going over and under, jumping and testing our skills on the balance beem. Thanks Amy for making gym day super fun! The pre-k class helped me glue the feathers onto a large piece of paper and then we put the turkey's body on to complete our project from Wednesday. The turkey turned out really cute. I will hang it up either in the hallway or in our room, so you all can see it!
Thank you all for your cooperation in washing your children's hands when you get to the YAC, before you enter the classroom! I really appreciate it! Amy and I have been diligent in bleaching the toys, to help prevent the spread of germs and washing our hands often - my skin is beginning to crack. :)
Please email me any photo's from the Halloween celebration. I would love to post them on our blog.
The last day of this session is Friday 11/19 - have you signed up for the 3 week December session yet? The 9 o'clock class is full, the other 2 still have spaces available.
With that said.... every year we have a Thanksgiving Feast. We combine all 3 classes, invite family members and each bring a dish to share. Usually we have it on the last day of the session, however, this year we were unable to secure the Northside Atzlan Community Center - SO... we have opted to host the feast on the following Monday 11/22. Time TBA - I need to check with the NACC and see what we have reserved.
I will post a sign-up sheet for the potluck this week. Please let me know if you cannot make it, the kids sing songs and put on a short play, so I need to plan accordingly if kiddos will not be able to be there.
All family is welcome, so if you have realatives in town for Thanksgiving, by all means, bring them along!
Thank you for sharing your little darlings with me! I enjoy them so much and am so proud of each of them. They all work so hard!
As always, feel free to email with any questions/concerns or catch me before or after class. fcfuntime@gmail.com
Enjoy this beautiful Autumn weekend!!
Wednesday, the kids each decorated a turkey feather for a big turkey wall hanging. We used all kinds of different things to make the feathers, tissue paper, 'real' feathers, sequins and other sparkly things. The 9 o'clock class was in charge of their own glue and they each did a great job with not using too much. For the 11 o'clock class, Amy put the glue on for them and they just had to cover it with all the pretty things we put out. A few little cuties just picked up a whole handful of stuff and plopped it onto the glue. Not quite what we had in mind.... but hey, we did tell them to cover the glue! :) The pre-k class went outside and played what time is it Mr. Turkey - the weather was absolutely gorgeous! We had a lot of fun running and playing in the grass. When we returned back inside, we worked on literacy skills by playing with sequencing cards. We had cards that showed part of a story and then little story tiles that each had another part of the story, the kids worked to complete the story. They all did a great job.
Amy set up a really creative and cool obstacle course for gym day. The kids and I had so much fun weaving, shooting baskets, going over and under, jumping and testing our skills on the balance beem. Thanks Amy for making gym day super fun! The pre-k class helped me glue the feathers onto a large piece of paper and then we put the turkey's body on to complete our project from Wednesday. The turkey turned out really cute. I will hang it up either in the hallway or in our room, so you all can see it!
Thank you all for your cooperation in washing your children's hands when you get to the YAC, before you enter the classroom! I really appreciate it! Amy and I have been diligent in bleaching the toys, to help prevent the spread of germs and washing our hands often - my skin is beginning to crack. :)
Please email me any photo's from the Halloween celebration. I would love to post them on our blog.
The last day of this session is Friday 11/19 - have you signed up for the 3 week December session yet? The 9 o'clock class is full, the other 2 still have spaces available.
With that said.... every year we have a Thanksgiving Feast. We combine all 3 classes, invite family members and each bring a dish to share. Usually we have it on the last day of the session, however, this year we were unable to secure the Northside Atzlan Community Center - SO... we have opted to host the feast on the following Monday 11/22. Time TBA - I need to check with the NACC and see what we have reserved.
I will post a sign-up sheet for the potluck this week. Please let me know if you cannot make it, the kids sing songs and put on a short play, so I need to plan accordingly if kiddos will not be able to be there.
All family is welcome, so if you have realatives in town for Thanksgiving, by all means, bring them along!
Thank you for sharing your little darlings with me! I enjoy them so much and am so proud of each of them. They all work so hard!
As always, feel free to email with any questions/concerns or catch me before or after class. fcfuntime@gmail.com
Enjoy this beautiful Autumn weekend!!
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