Hello all,
Letter E is for Eric Carle Week was Extraordinary, Exciting, Exhilarating, Excellent, Etc. Etc. Not only did the student learn all about the world renowned author, Eric Carle, they also celebrated Halloween this week! Read on below to see all of the fun that was had and learning that took place.
Monday was Halloween and the students (and parents) arrived at school in their Halloween costumes – boy, did they look great! Before long, it was time for the PPA Halloween Celebration to begin! After reading a silly story and singing a super silly Halloween song, the students marched around the classroom in their costumes! Once the parade had made its way through, the students had a chance to play and dance together as well as enjoy some special Halloween treats! What an amazing day it was! A special PPA thank you to all of the families who attended the Halloween Party. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this blog entry to view ALL of the photographs from the 2016 PPA Halloween Celebration!
In the morning on Tuesday and Wednesday, the students worked one on one with the teachers to complete their Letter E tracing/writing identification activity sheets. The students were a bit confused to hear that words like elephant started with the letter E. The students who are practicing sounding out and writing words had a tough time hearing the E sound at the beginning of elephant or “L-ephant” and we see why! The letter E sound can be pretty tricky at the beginning of words like elephant or exercise!
During the afternoon, the students brainstormed all the letter E words they could think of! They also hunted for E’s around the classroom. The E hunting continued even as the students headed outside to the park! The students found so many E’s in street signs, buildings, and parked cars in the neighborhood that one student commented, “Wow! Maybe we should change this street name [from Central Avenue] to E Street!” Here is the list the students came up with.
Can you name the Letter E shares in this picture?
Answer: Eggs, Eggplant, Elsa, E, and Elephant!
Also on Wednesday, the students were treated to a musical afternoon thanks to a very talented PPA Daddy who brought along his guitar. The Daddy photographed below played some preschool hits including: “Old McDonald Had A Farm”, “If You’re Happy And You Know It”, “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”, and “Down By The Bay”. A special Park Prep thank you to this Daddy for being such a wonderful musical guest – We think you really Rock! 
The art exploration of Eric Carle’s work began on Wednesday as the students created a character from one of Eric Carle’s most famous stories, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The main character in the story is a caterpillar who, needless to say, is very, very hungry! The caterpillar is so hungry throughout the story that he attempts to eat nearly everything he sees. As the story progresses, the caterpillar becomes rather full and also begins to change! Before long, the caterpillar transforms into a beautiful butterfly. What an amazing (and true) tale it is and what an amazing art project the students created!
Friday morning began with a technology presentation and a conversation with Eric Carle! Listen in below to hear what he has to say about his creative process! (This is as much for adults as it is for children, too!)
Seeing that Eric Carle is as much an illustrator (artist) as he is an author (writer), the students were so excited to see how even Eric Carle was inspired by another artist, German Expressionist, Franz Marc, and also how creative he is! After hearing the story, The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse, the students could hardly wait to create something equally as creative and interesting themselves at the Eric Carle-inspired art easel! Take a look at the students’ creativity!
During the afternoon on both Thursday and Friday, the students participated in Spanish class where they continued to review and expand upon their Numeros (numbers) vocabulary. Friday afternoon wrapped with a final Eric Carle-inspired technology presentation for the week which included interviews with Eric Carle and also animations of some of his other amazing stories! Watch below to see, sing and move along to Eric Carle’s, Head to Toe. Enjoy!
Wow! What an incredible author/illustrator Eric Carle is and what an amazing week “Letter E is for Eric Carle Week” turned out to be! As always, thank you for reading and have a wonderful and safe weekend! We will see you next week!
-PPA
REMINDERS:
SCHOOL IS CLOSED TUESDAY and FRIDAY of next week
Observation of Veterans Day and Election Day
Parent-Teacher Conferences begin next week.
Please check your email or the school calendar board to confirm your scheduled time-slot.
Theme for Next Week:
