Welcoming 2025 in Mixed Age!

Good evening, Jack and Jill families and happy New Year!

 This week was very short due to the Holiday, but it was a very nice way to get back into the swing of things here at school. Everyone did an amazing job jumping right back into the classroom routines and I was very touched to hear how many friends missed school over the break. We missed everyone too! As this week was a shorter week, we did not have a letter of the week or show and tell; however, next week we will be focusing on the letter K. We will have show and tell on Monday and Tuesday as per usual with one small item from home. This week we began practicing our first and last names for the kiddos graduating this year, where the children are seeing their full names written in both lowercase and capital letters. We also had our new friend visit on both Thursday and Friday; he will be joining our Tuesday and Thursday class! Everyone did an awesome job of making their new friend feel welcome. 

Here is a look at what we did the past couple of days:

At the art easel we had, Yup, you guessed it, watercolor painting! Here we had pictures of snowmen in a wintery environment for painting.

The playdough center now includes white, glittery playdough that is peppermint scented, alongside plastic arms, hats, noses and buttons for the creation of snowmen! 

At the discovery center we had fake snow and polar animals. The children absolutely adored this activity and enjoyed discovering that the "snow" is actually cold, and feels just like snow!

At the art table we made our own snowmen, each with their own uniquely decorated hats. These will now be up in the hallway!

At the math table we used the penguin scale where the children had to place a weighted number on one side and the correct amount of corresponding penguins on the other.

The writing table included free draw and 2025 coloring pages to bring in the new year!

The sensory table for this month includes packing peanuts as another version of fake snow, snowflakes, arctic animals and blue pom poms of various sizes. 

In place of our bakery the dramatic play center has been transformed into a wintery wonderland filled with an ice fishing activity, a customizable snowman, and a hot cocoa station along with all the fixings. Everyone was really excited about these changes, including myself!

This week we read Pete The Cat : Snow Daze, for both classes. Everyone was able to relate in their excitement at returning to school, just as Pete was in the story. 

We had a wonderful two days back at school this week and we look forward to the rest of the year being filled with fun, learning, and the fostering of imagination! I hope that all of you had a great vacation and enjoyed your Holiday with friends and family. We look forward to seeing you again next week! 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Mackenzie and Mrs. Haynes