Hello all,

“All About ME Week” was simply outstanding! The second week of the 2015-2016 school year was such a great one; we simply cannot wait to see what the rest of the year has in store! Read on below to learn all about the fun that was had and learning that took place!

After having a phenomenal first week of school, the students returned to PPA ready to get right to work on Monday! Seeing that the theme for the week was “All About ME”, the students spent the entire week getting to know their friends (and teachers) by discussing what makes them unique and what makes them similar to their friends. The students’ homework assignment to create an “All About ME” poster really helped everyone learn about each other! Throughout the week, the students took turns coming up in front of their classmates and telling (or sharing) all about their poster. By the end of the week, the teachers had strung together the AMAZING “All About ME” posters to be displayed throughout the classroom. As you can see, the students (and families) of PPA did such a fabulous job on these posters.

 

 

After story time and morning meeting each morning, the students headed off to their activity stations. In small groups, the students worked and played around the classroom. While working in their morning stations, the students were called over by the head teachers to begin their morning work. Each activity that the students worked on throughout the week related back to the theme – “All About ME”.

For their morning work on Monday, the students practiced identifying the letters of their names with the help of a PPA favorite book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!  In the story written by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, the lowercase letters of the alphabet all climb to the top of a coconut tree.  Just as the last and final letter, little z, makes its way up to the top of the tree – the tree begins to wobble – Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, will there be enough room?  The answer is no, there was not enough room!  All of the letter came crashing down!  Thankfully, the grown-up or uppercase letters are there to help those little letters after the fall.  For their morning work, the students assembled their very own coconut tree and stamped it with the letters of their names!  What a cute and fun activity it was!  Since it is the policy of PPA to never publish a photograph of a student revealing his/her name, the photographs have been modified below.

 

 

Also on Monday (and each day this week), the students headed outside to enjoy the final days of the summer season.  What a fun time they had at the playground!  They were all moving so fast; it was nearly impossible to capture the fun in a still photograph!

 

 

During the afternoons of “All About ME Week”, the students practiced an activity known to PPA as “Charting”. Charting is something the students do each day during morning meeting to help practice very important mathematical skills including counting and comparing number values, organizing data, recognizing and writing numbers and more!  Throughout the week, the students charted about everything including their hair color, age, gender, hometown, and favorite food! Below is the chart that was created to determine (or find out) the students’ hair color.  In order to complete this chart, the teachers asked each student the question, “What Color Is Your Hair?” Each student responded and a tally was added to the board to represent their answer. Once all the students had answered the question, the students counted the tallies and learned that there are twenty two friends with brown/black hair, fourteen friends with blonde hair and two friends with red/orange hair at PPA.

 

 

The “All About Me” artwork continued on Tuesday morning as the students created a self-portrait puppet! The students peered into a mirror to identify the various parts needed in order to create their puppet appropriately. Needless to say, this was a fun part of the project. Assorted craft materials including yarn, pompoms, and buttons were selected and the puppets were constructed to match! Here is how the completed “All About ME” self-portrait puppet projects turned out.

 

 

For their morning work on Wednesday (and Thursday), the students were asked to bring in a family photograph. This photograph would be used to help them construct a PPA student family portrait. Using crayons, the students began drawing and their family portraits started coming to life. The family portraits were so incredible that they will be kept at school to be displayed on a clothesline in the classroom so everyone at PPA can see them! Be sure to take a look at your family on your next visit to PPA!

 

 

In the afternoon on Wednesday (and Thursday), the PPA students had music class where they sang along to a few classroom favorites including “Five Little Ducks” and “Apples and Bananas”. Seeing that the students of PPA are such a sensational bunch, the teachers taught them a song called, “I Am Special”. Listen in below to hear a few students performing for their friends! Be sure to hit play again to learn the song and sing along with them.

 

 

Also on Thursday, the students stood very tall as their measurements were taken against the classroom height chart!  The students range from 2 feet, 7 inches tall to 3 feet, 9 inches tall!  To remember just how tall they are, the students used their fingers to indicate the number of feet and inches and also practice counting!  Each student’s height was also recorded by the teachers.  We will be sure to revisit this at the end of the school year as the students will certainly be growing – across all areas of development – this year!

 

 

On Friday, the students created another art project which would help decorate the classroom!  The students started their day by reading the story, Little Hoot, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.  Afterward, the students crafted their very own owl which is now on display on a bulletin board in the classroom with a message, “Preschool is a HOOT!”.  Be sure to take a look at all of the amazing owls on your next visit to PPA!

 

 

Friday afternoon wrapped up with another awesome music class! The students rehearsed their “I am Special” song from earlier in the week but also had a blast playing the “All About ME” Hokey Pokey. In the game, the students were asked to listen carefully to figure out what part of themselves to put in. The students put their green eyes in, took their green eyes out! They put their brown hair in, took their brown hair out! It was quite a silly way to play an old classic and learn about ourselves in the process!

Wow! What a great week “All About ME Week” was. The 2015-2016 school year is bound to be a fabulous one! As always, thank you for reading and we will see you next week!

-PPA

Reminders:

If you have not done so already, please send in a family photo + the All About Me Poster next week.

Upcoming School Event:

Back to School Night – Wednesday, September 30th

(7:00-8:00 p.m.)

This is a parent only event where the school-wide curricular goals, policies and procedures will be discussed. Please try to make arrangements to have at least one parent attend.