Georgia's Pre-K Program teacher newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 5 (Jan. 2006)

January 2006

WINTER WONDERLAND

These are some changes you might want to consider making to your learning environment this month if it goes along with your current topic of study (which might be winter).
*Add snowflakes and snowmen all around your room. You can hang them from the ceiling, sit the on table or window ledges, or tape them to the window.
*Add books about winter, snow, snowmen to your classroom.

a hat shop or winter clothing store. Add shopping bags, a cash register, play money and notepads and pencils. Make a sign that says the name of your shop.

children to use to create snowmen.
*Bring in a sled and let children sit on it.

*Add a weather thermometer to your *Cut large pieces of styrofoam

science area along with pictures of to resemble blocks of ice and

winter (snow, ice, etc.).

add them to your block area.

*Put out a big sign that says, "Welcome Winter". You can get your children to help you make this.

Or "wad up" white paper for snowballs. Now would be a good time to place out your artic animals and other winter props.

Bright From The Start
Volume 2, Issue 5
January 2006
Special points of interest:
Winter Changes to the Learning Area
Ring in the New Year Oatmeal Homemade Glitter

*Add blankets and sleeping bags to your book area or space for privacy.
*Add snowmen, snow or winter flannel board stories.
*Add winter clothing (hats, scarves, gloves, mittens, etc.) to your dramatic play area. Set up

*Keep a bag of cut up tissue paper and throughout the day sprinkle a handful of flurries down on the children. You can use a paper shredder to make this.

*Add white paint and some light shades of blue to your paint easel. Try adding some glitter to the paint for some extra sparkle.

*Add lots of cotton balls and other white, silver, and shiny collage materials to your art area. Add twigs, buttons, and scrap material for your

Snowman Soup

Let's Give A Cheer For The New Year!

.
Provide students with bells and drums so they can ring in the new year by tapping and ringing as you sing this New Year's Song!

Sung to the tune of: ("Row, Row, Row Your Boat") Ring, ring, ring the bells. Tap, tap, tap the drums. The New Year's here. Let's give a cheer.

Contact information: Consultant of the Day Monday--Friday, 8-5 404-656-5957 888-4GA-PREK Suspension/Disenrollment Meghan McNail 404-463-0009 Meghan.McNail@decal.state.ga.us

We'll have a year of fun!

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

In this story, Peter tries to save a piece of winter by putting a snowball in his pocket. He takes the snowball into his warm house only to discover a while later that the snowball is gone. Have your students predict what they think happened to the snowball by recording their thoughts on a piece of paper or in their journal (it would make a great class chart). Be ready to dictate for them. Encourage children to draw as well.
You can experiment with your class by having students understand the concept that snow is really ice. Have the students pre-

dict what will happen if you place a piece of ice in a Ziploc bag and leave it at room temperature for the day. (perhaps the science center). Place the ice out and observe what happens. Record children's dictations about the experiment on chart paper.
Have children retell the book using flannel board pieces. You can find flannel board pieces for you to download and make by visiting:
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/ elementary/projects/wil/ Snowy_Day_Activity_Card.pdf Make sure they practice talking about what happened first, sec-

ond, next, after that, last, at the end, etc.
Visit our website for other winter ideas for your classroom. Our website is www.decal.state.ga.us and the Winter Unit is found under Pre-K/Teachers/Lesson Planning
Plan to read other books to your children by Ezra Jack Keats. Have children vote for their favorite story after you finish reading (this would make a great class chart).

January is Oatmeal Month

Ahead of time, prepare enough oatmeal for three small servings for each child. Also, set up a topping bar for oatmeal sampling with small bowls of oatmeal toppings with spoons. Begin the activity with a discussion about oatmeal and how healthy it is for you. Show the children the dry oatmeal and explain where oats come from. Then show children how the oatmeal is made. Let them compare the dry oatmeal with the prepared oatmeal. Note the things the children say. Some might be worthy of keeping as an anecdo-

tal note. Next share the toppings you have for children by explaining and showing each one. Tell children they will get three small bowls and they can put what they want on each bowl to be able to sample oatmeal three different ways. Some toppings you might choose are: brown sugar, blueberries, strawberries, milk, raisins, chocolate chips, banana slices, chopped pecans, etc. After the children are through sampling let them vote for their favorite way by signing his/her name on a post-it note and placing it on your

pre-made oatmeal graph. Then, check to see the favorite topping choices. Discuss which has the most, least, etc.

Homemade Glitter
Put a little sparkle into your art area! Pour salt into empty glue containers and fill them three-fourths of the way full. Add a tablespoon of powdered dry tempera paint to each container for each color you want to make. Add more or less paint depending on the shade you desire. Shake the container to mix the salt and the paint.

"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy,
kindness, and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The
effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure." Emma Goldman

Volume 2, Issue 5

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Classroom Recipes
TACO SOUP 1-2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey, browned and drained 2 cans chopped rotel tomatoes (choose mild) 1 can black beans 1 can pinto beans 1 can white kidney beans 2 cans shoe peg corn 1 package ranch dressing mix 1 package taco seasoning mix.
Brown meat and drain. Add all other ingredients and simmer in crock pot until warm.
Serve with Mexican blend cheese and a scoop of sour cream on top with a side of Tostitos Scoops.

SNOWCONES
Crushed ice Juice (any flavor) Small cups
Let the children put some crushed ice in their cups. Using small pitchers or measuring cup, let the children pour some juice over the ice. Eat with spoons.
PEANUT BUTTER SNOWBALLS Please make sure that none of your children in your class are allergic to any of these ingredients.
1 Small Jar Of Peanut Butter Dry( powdered) Milk Honey Shredded Coconut Empty the jar of peanut butter into a bowl. Add 1 to 2 TBS. of honey (depending on how sweet you want the mixture to be). Add 1/4 cup of dry milk and mix into the peanut butter. Keep adding small amounts of dry milk until the peanut butter has a "playdough-like" consistency. Have the children roll the peanut butter mixture into balls. Then roll the balls in the coconut. The children can also make snowmen using this procedure.

"I feel a recipe is only a
theme, which an intelligent cook can play each time with a variation." Madam Benoit

Snowman Soup

When it's so cold You holler and whoop It's time to bring out Snowman Soup!
Pour the packet in a mug, Add marshmallows too! Don't forget the kisses They're especially four you!
Add hot water, nice and slow; Use the cane to stir it. Sip slowly and soon you'll Feel the warm sinter spirit!

Let children pour a pack of hot chocolate into a cup and with help, add hot water, a chocolate candy kiss, stir and enjoy! To make this a learning activity, give the children marshmallows and give them instructions to test their directionality: Put the marshmallow: In front of the cup Behind the cup Beside the cup Over the cup Under the cup Now...inside the cup! Enjoy!

TEN LITTLE SNOWMEN

1 little, 2 little 3 little snowmen. 4 little, 5 little, 6 little snowmen. 7 little, 8 little 9 little snowmen 10 little snowmen.... BRRR they're cold!

Copy this poem on chart paper and glue the snowman shapes to the chart. Let it become part of your morning opening each day for the month of January. You can let the line leader for the day use a pointer to read the song to the class and then do it together the second time. You can easily and quickly assess each child's ability to recognize numbers by asking the leader each day to point out random numbers. If a child gets "stuck" just back up and sing the song together. You can also change the numbers and continue the song with numbers 11--20 if your children are ready.

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I
understand." Author unknown.

Volume 2, Issue 5

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