Hair Salon Week!

Hair Salon Week was a great vehicle through which we continued several educational objectives.  First, as the photos so beautifully illustrate, it was an excellent catalyst for interactive play as the children took on various roles within the play environment.  Secondly, it was a continuation of self-exploration as the children reflected upon and shared their experiences of visiting a Hair Salon for a hair-cut.  Thirdly the theme was rooted in Social Studies as it extended our study of Community Helpers. 

The theme was  brought to the art table as the children painted with combs and brushes.

The children engaged in an "Author Study" this week, as we read exclusively from the work of Keiko Kasza.  The children loved her stories and readily declared their "favorite book".  They also learned that Keiko Kasza is both the author and illustrator of her books.  They can tell you that she likes to write stories about animals, and that her illustrations give you hints about the story.  They made me promise that we will read her books over and over again!

Read Across America Day was great fun!  It is so exciting for the children to come to school dressed as one of their favorite story book characters.  In addition, the children enjoyed literature in a variety of ways throughout the day.  The day is a beloved Parker tradition among all of our students and staff!  Many thanks to our librarian, Laura Salisbury, for making this day possible for our school community!

The children delighted in the bright sunshine and warmer temperatures this week as we spent time playing on the playground!

Divertido con Espanol / Fun with Spanish

Senora Jen joined in the fun activity of the our Hair Salon as she identified en Espanol many of the items within the Salon!

We are delighted to welcome Remi Comiskey to our class!  Remi joined our class this week and will be attending full days on Monday, Thursday and Friday.

Thank You to Benjamin and Harrison's mom Kristianna, and Thomas's mom Julie for coming in as our Guest Readers this Week!

Sarah's Reflections

JoAnn and I talk a lot about math manipulatives in the classroom. Most of them are open-ended, allowing children to explore many different math concepts with no prescribed outcome. In the early childhood setting, there is a natural emphasis on basic math concepts such as number sense and a child's ability to rote count. However, there are many other math concepts that a child may achieve before they are able to count. One of the most intrinsic math concepts I have seen in the classroom, and in other early childhood setting is the concept of patterning. Patterning is an essential skill in early learning, particularly in the development of spatial awareness, sequencing and ordering, comparison and classification. Studies have also found a strong link between a child’s ability to pattern and their development of pre-algebraic and reasoning skills. There is no doubt that patterning leads to a multitude of other math concepts, thus when I see the children creating patterns with our math-based manipulatives, I know that I am witnessing the emergence, exploration and formation of strong math skills.

Have a fun and restful weekend!