Hello all,
Winter week was short but certainly sweet! Read on below to see all that took place during this chilly but cheerful week!
The students welcomed winter this week although they all noted that the end of fall did not really seem much different! With temperatures much colder than usual, the end of fall seemed like the middle of winter! The students arrived to school on Monday bundled up in their winter warmest and were ready to get started!
For their morning work, the students crafted a winter scene with cotton balls to represent the soon-to-be-present staple of winter – SNOW! We hope that there is some snow to play in this winter but definitely not as much as some of the students put on their snowy scenes! It nearly looked like a blizzard or in some cases an avalanche!
During the afternoon, the students brainstormed a list of their favorite things about the holidays! Here is what they came up with!
They also had music where they sang along to some holiday favorites including Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman, and I’m Getting Nuthin’ for Christmas to name a few!
On Tuesday morning, the share box was full of holiday/winter shares; however , there was one share in particular that was NOT in the holiday spirit! Can you take a guess who it was?
If you said, the Grinch then you are correct! The Grinch made his way into the Park Prep Academy classroom. Fortunately, the PPA students, like the Who’s in Whoville, were in such great spirit that the big old Grinch did not ruin the day! The teachers read the story of the Grinch and in what seemed like no time, the Grinch was not Grinchy anymore! It is a good thing too with the holidays right around the corner! After discussing the holidays, we got back to the winter theme by creating a very special (and loved!) animal – a Penguin! The student pictured below is showing her excitement as she placed on the final pieces to bring her penguin to life! (Also note, the student’s entire outfit – all Penguin!)
Here is how some of the completed penguins turned out – whether flapping or standing, the penguins all looked great!
During the afternoon on Tuesday, the students participated in a technology presentation/caroling session led by Miss Caitlin. Using her Ipad to help the students sing along to some holiday favorites, the students filled the classroom with beautiful holiday music!
Dr. Greenwald kept the singing going when he arrived with a special musical surprise for the students. The Sing-A-Ma-Jigs are dolls that are extra squishy. When you press their bellies, they belt out a beautiful melodic sound. If you continue to press their bellies, the sound goes up an octave! Click below to see what the students learned about from playing with the Sing-A-Ma-Jig Dolls.
Photo Sharing – Video Sharing – Photo Printing
Because the Sing-A-Ma-Jig Dolls are so much fun to play with, it was a bit difficult to hear the sounds when the students were pressing their bellies (a lot!) To help hear the students hear the individual sounds, the teachers demonstrated how the dolls harmonize together!
Photo Sharing – Video Sharing – Photo Printing
Wednesday morning began with the students taking turns to come up and share what they will be doing over the holiday break when school is closed. Many of the students will be traveling to different parts of the country (some even the world!) to celebrate the holidays and ring in the New Year! How exciting!
Wednesday afternoon was the Park Prep Annual Winter Celebration! The students were joined by their families to help wrap up the end of the calendar year and get ready for the holidays! During the party, the students listened to a story about a snowman and then assembled and created their own! Look below to see some of the highlights from the party!
Everyone at Park Prep Academy would like to take this opportunity to wish all of the students and their families a wonderful, happy, healthy holiday and new year! As always, thank you for reading and we will see you next year!
-PPA
Click here to view all of the photos from the PPA 2010 Winter Celebration.
