Good Day Friends!

Today during lunch, we were trying to predict what President Obama eats for lunch. I asked if they thought he eats the same food we eat during lunch, and if he eats at the same time we do. One child responded "No, he probably eats chicken nuggets or steak and mashed potatoes." It made me laugh, and I thought it would make you smile as well.

We have been doing a lot with 3-dimensional shapes and money these past few weeks. Thank you for helping your child search for 3-dimensional shapes around your home. The other students get so excited when they walk through the classroom door and a shiny new cube is there waiting for them in the shape museum. So far, the children have been introduced to the penny, nickel, and dime. The children have been thinking of great ideas for extra exploration with money. Alexis created a memory money game- she covered coins with paper and the objective was to match two of the same coins together. She taught Andrew how to play, and it was a perfect way to practice coin recognition. Melania, Jordan, and Marlo were all working on creating a bank out of blocks. They created a room where all the coins were kept safe. They counted the money so they knew how much they just in case the money was stolen. J'Lyn, Isabella Ake and Aaliyah worked hard at creating coin rubbing designs. J'Lyn made a "J" with nickels, and we counted how many cents her name was worth. It has been a great week for money! We also talked about what a survey is and how to create and conduct a survey. They thought of a yes or no question and had to go around the classroom to ask other students the question, which also helps with their oral language skills. Did you know that 13 out of 15 students have pets? Or that 15 out of 15 students like nature? One student even came up with the question "Does your dad have a motorcycle?" It was fun for the children to get to know their classmates a little but more.

In art, the children experienced the ways in which cornstarch is transformed from soft, silky powder to slippery, crunchy liquid. In the process, they also observed and reflected on the startling, magical creation of color. Working with the primary colors, the children explored the range of shades those colors can create. Patrick exclaimed, "Hey! It's like we are working at a mixing factory!" The experience with cornstarch and water color deeply engaged the children's senses, and it was extremely hard to get them to clean up because they didn't want to stop!



Above: Jordan, Nathan, Aaliyah, Isabella and J'Lyn invesigate with colors.

Well, our 3rd and final Skype session with Mr. Eric, musician and author of the Pete the Cat books, took place on Tuesday. The children were sad that it was their last time Skyping with Mr. Eric, but we are fortunate enough to have Mr. Eric himself come to GSCELC for the "Rock N Read" concert that will take place in June. Until then, we will dig deeper into his books and learn even more of his entertaining songs. Here is a short glimpse of the session:

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Have a terrific weekend! I am looking forward to Monday :)