Hello all,

“All About ME Week” was simply outstanding!  The second week of the 2013-2014 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 one another.  The students’ homework assignment to create an “All About ME” poster really helped with this!  Each morning, the students took turns coming up in front of their classmates to tell all about (or share) their posters.  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 below, 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”.

On Monday, the students created an “I LOVE ME” mirror complete with a self-portrait/reflection!  In order to create the self portrait, the students peered into a mirror to identify the various parts needed in order to draw their reflection accurately.  Needless to say, this was a fun part of the project.  Depending on which color the students’ eyes, hair, and clothes were – the drawing was created to match!  A Popsicle stick and a few sparkly gems later, the mirrors had been created!  Here is how the completed “I LOVE ME” Mirror project turned out!

 

 

During each afternoon of the week, the students practiced an activity known to PPA as “Charting”.  Charting is an activity that is done everyday at PPA 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 age, gender, and favorite food.  They also answered a few silly questions including “Would you rather go to Outer Space or Under the Sea?  Below is one of the charts that was created on to determine (or find out) how old the students of PPA are!  In order to complete this chart, the teachers asked each student the question, “How Old Are YOU?”  Each student responded and their response was added to the board with a tally mark.  Once all the students had answered the question, the students counted the tallies and learned that there are 11 two year old students, 13 three year old students, and 14 four year old students and 2 five year old students.  Since fourteen is the greatest/”biggest” number, the students determined that the “Four Year Olds” (who will turn five throughout the course of the 2013-2014 school year) make up the largest group at PPA!

 

 

For their morning work on Tuesday, the students practiced identifying the letters of their names by assembling a special Name Chain.  The students searched for each letter in their name then glued it onto a beautiful ribbon in the correct order.  Since it is the policy of PPA to never publish a photograph of a student revealing his/her name, only the completed name chain was photographed.

 

 

For their morning work on Wednesday, 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!

 

 

For their morning work on Thursday, the students created another craft which would help decorate the classroom!  The students used paint to decorate and design their very own t-Shirt!   Seeing that it was “All About ME Week” at PPA, a week where the students discuss and share all about their-amazing-selves, the teachers posed a question – “What Makes You Tee-rrific?”  One by one, the students came up to paint their t-shirt as well as answer the question.  Needless to say, their answers were excellent!  Be sure to take a look at all of the Tee-rrific T-Shirt bulletin board on your next visit to PPA!

 

 

The PPA students sure are a sensational bunch!  To help them always remember this, 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!

 

Photo Sharing – Video Sharing – Photo Printing 

The students created another bulletin board on Friday!  This time, they used tissue paper to create colorful dinosaurs because preschool at PPA is DINO-mite!  🙂  Depending on which dinosaur they chose to decorate, the students were “renamed” to match!  Take a look below to see the students in action!

 

 

Friday afternoon wrapped up with the first PPA parent visit of the 2013-2014 school year.   The Mommy photographed below visited the students of PPA to teach them all about the two holidays that their family celebrated (and will celebrate) this month – Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).  After reading a story to the class, the Mommy served the students apple slices with honey which is an age-old tradition that represents the wish for a sweet new year!   How exciting and delicious!  A special PPA Thank You to this Mommy for being such a great first parent volunteer this school year!   🙂

 

 

Wow!  What a great week “All About ME Week” was.  The 2013-2014 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.

Back to School Night – Wednesday, September 25th

(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.