Bring an interesting picture of weather
Topic: Weather
The what and why of weatherThe value we’ll be studying is justice, which means fairness and equality for all people.
For science, we’ll perform experiments to help us understand how weather works.
Outside, we’ll run figure 8’s.
The songs we’ll be singing are Frosty the Snowman, You Are My Sunshine, Let’s Go Fly a Kite, Singing in the Rain, We Shall Overcome, and It’s Raining, It’s Pouring.
For creative dramatics, we’ll be different kinds of weather.
Our art activities will be rainsticks, bird treats, macaroni snowflakes, frosty shapes, and peace doves.
For motor development we’ll work on strength with push ups, sit ups, half squats, and leg raises. For motor planning, we’ll be blowing cotton balls, racing like chimps, walking blindly, and hopping through a maze.
ACTIVE CHILD/PASSIVE OBJECT
This is a great principle for children’s toys, which really are equipment for their hands and minds. The best toys are those that respond only when the child activates them. In contrast, entertaining toys such as mobiles, wind-up toys, or battery-operated items, cause a passive child to watch an active toy. This trains the child to expect to be amused and sets the frame for later attitudes. Strollers and infant seats fall in this same category. The best toys are those that respond only when the child activates them.
Magda Gerber founded the Resources for Infant Educators eons ago and gives us this information on toys to use for infants. In general, play objects for babies should be simple, sturdy, and cleanable. In a baby’s play space there should be a variety of sizes, shapes, and weights. The arrangement of objects should be orderly, and the furnishings should be geared to the child. Most importantly, play objects need to be those which the infant can touch, grasp, look at, hold, mouth, and manipulate endlessly. See how simple these things are:
Scarves - Even very young infants like to hold on to blankets, clothing, or diapers. The best first toy is a scarf about 18 inches made of sturdy cotton or linen. Hold the scarf in the middle and stand it up to form a peak. Place it at an angle where the infant can look at it, reach out, touch it, and eventually grab it. You’ll enjoy getting creative about patterns.
Containers - Lightweight containers of all kinds are wonderful. cups, bowls, colanders, dishpans, and baskets provide many hours of activity during the first two years of life. They offer opportunities to explore notions such as in-and- out and over-and-under while the child remains in control of the activity and the object. Make sure some nest and others stack. The child should be able to make interesting noises when tapping them against each other or the floor. Ice cube trays are a favorite, and some things can be metal, wood, or stone. Plastic bottles of all sizes are eternally fascinating.
Boxes - Big ones become things to get in and little ones become things to put things into. Multiple boxes become towers, tunnels, walls, and vehicles.
Other - All children need balls, balls, and more balls; big ones, small ones, and plastic whiffle ones. Beach balls can be partly blown up so the child can grab it. Short lengths of chains are always fascinating.
Maria Montessori said, “The hand is the instrument of the mind.” We must be careful to keep the hand as active as possible.
In General
Why Floor Beds - If newborn infants are left on a spacious enough surface, they make very slow movements with their whole body. This active movement takes place in a clockwise direction and can be observed when there is enough space. We have seen young infants capable of rotating completely from one side to the other, since every advance is always a combination of an internal development (the myelin sheath) an external experience permitted by the environment.
Teddy Bear Day – After the hectic pace of the holidays, January can be something of a letdown. Not to be outdone, we want to plan a day of coziness. On Friday, January 4, we’ll all come to the school in our pajamas and bring our favorite stuffed animal. Please make sure your child’s lovey has a name on it. The children should also wear coats and shoes suitable for playing outside.
New Year’s Resolution - We’ve become aware that we’re getting more and more relaxed about class times. Therefore, we will be beginning class promptly at 9:00. The children do much better if they arrive around 8:45 and have a few minutes on the playground with their friends.
Foul Weather - If foul weather comes upon us, the school closes when our local school district closes. We also will put an announcement on our website and our Facebook page. We follow the Spring Branch Independent School District closings.
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