Presenting: Preschool!

Chicken a la Preschool

2011-01-08T17:22:00.006-05:00

As you know, we have been incubating chicken eggs in our classroom. This blog post will provide you with a very exciting update, so keep reading!

Some time between eight PM Monday and seven AM Tuesday, something was stirring at Columbus Preschool.
In the morning, I could hear this faint, wild chirping as I walked into the classroom. I excitedly peered into the incubator and, lo and behold, there was one tiny beautiful chick calling out to the world! I dropped to my knees, fists raised towards the sky.... YESSS!!!!

After twenty-one agonizing days of incubation, our first chick broke on through to the other side, and I could breathe a sigh of relief. Its chirps were sirens for the other chicks, saying "C'mon, let's get this party started!! Look, there's food and water, and its 95 degrees!!"

Here you can see the look on a child's face when they see the moment a live chick hatches. This was a very beautiful moment for many reasons:

Below are more pictures of the chicks, including the children preparing the tank, where each chick was moved 24 hours after hatching. The video below (fourth image) captures that UNBELIEVABLE moment at the end of the hatch, which I waited patiently (at times) to see (stayed at school 'til 5pm one day..)

Two more chicks hatched on Tuesday, and one more on Wednesday; the remaining three eggs did not hatch. Sadly, Wednesday's chick did not survive, and we had a memorial service of sorts on Thursday morning. We explained to the children what had happened, and allowed them to view and touch the dead chick (latex gloves provided). None of the children seemed stressed out about the situation or cried, but all recognized that this was a sad event. They suggested ways that it might have died: the incubator was too hot or too cold, it jumped up inside the incubator and fell and hit its head, or someone came into the classroom at night and stabbed it a little bit with a sword.
The Pre-K class next door hatched 2 out of 7 chicks, so this year we had a combined 5 out of 14 survive. Other years have had higher success rates, but it appears that this was not a 'good year' for chicken eggs from the farm in Ossining, incubated at Columbus Preschool.

Below is another video of a different set of eggs hatching. Do these baby chicks look like ours do?

Check out this great chicken rescue game that you can play right here:

Rescue a Chicken Games with Games68.com

The children also made some truly amazing artwork about the chicks, using their keen observational skills to make everything from ink-and-watercolor paintings to three-dimensional sculptures of the chicks concocted from tissue paper, pom poms, tape, and pipe cleaners; this idea came 100% from the creative minds of the children. Incredible!!

Here are a few links for you and your child to explore. They contain a wealth of information about the life cycle of a chicken, so be sure to investigate.

Life Cycle of a Chicken
Chickscope: Inside the Egg
PBS Animal Life Cycles
All About Chickens
Chickens for Kids and Teachers
Chicken Crafts

And just when I couldn't be any more impressed, along comes our first Litter-Less Lunch (Friday). Leading up to this milestone, we had many discussions about trash and recycling, and examined the children's typical lunch-packing habits. Much of our usual waste was comprised of juice boxes and ziploc baggies, and we talked about why thermoses are better than juice boxes, and why tupperware is better than ziplocs. The results are below, Thursday's trash compared to Friday's, and I couldn't be more thrilled! We will continue to make a big stink (no pun intended) about the major reduction in waste, and from now on, every Friday is Litter-Less Lunch Day!! We did it!

Above, you can see examples of the children's Litter-Less Lunches. Great job, everyone!!
Since consumer habits are formed early on, we are thrilled to be talking about conservation with the children, and they have been getting very excited about it all. On Friday, we made our own paper with Radha, who brought in her paper-making kits. We used construction paper from our scrap bin during this was a multi-step process. First we had to rip up the paper into small bits, then blend it with water, pour it on the mesh screens, squeeze the water out, and finally let it dry. All the adults truly put a lot of effort in to making this activity fun for the children.. it was really cool!

We will continue the project on Monday, and hope to write 'green messages' on the paper to help children (and parents) always consider earth-friendly consumer choices.

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Reflection:

For two years, I maintained this blog as weekly documentation for my preschool classroom. Instead of sending home a newsletter each week (which was wasteful and ineffective, since many newsletters were misplaced between the students’ classroom and their home), I decided to use a blog instead. This medium enabled me to include many photographs, videos, and links to share with the parents. I was able to develop the documentation in ways that the short format of a newsletter would not permit.

Soon after the blog was posted, I started receiving generous feedback from parents. They appreciated how in-depth the posts were, and how they were able to really see what their children were doing in the classroom. They said they would sit with their children at the computer and review the post together. This functioned as a great way to reinforce some of the topics and concepts covered in the classroom.

Parents also expressed to me how easily they could share the blog posts with other members of their family, since they could just send them the link to the site. Grandparents began to compliment the website as well, and although it occupied a lot of my own personal time, I felt it was worth it to continue posting on the site.

Although I no longer work at the same school and I no longer maintain the website, I am able to review the archives at my leisure when I need some good ideas for my current classroom, or even if I want to reminisce. My current school uses a traditional hand-out newsletter, but I have considered suggesting the blog idea to my current team.

Although the technology behind a blog is not really being used ‘in’ the classroom, I feel that as a technological tool, it has proven very worthwhile to use in connection with my students, families, and coworkers.

Ooey Gooey Squishy Plop !

2009-08-01T10:58:00.023-04:00

This week was filled with sticky, gooey, crumbly, mushy materials with which to play. We encouraged all of the campers to get their hands dirty and explore their senses, build something, or just enjoy the tactile experience!
Some of the materials included:
corn starch & water ("oobleck", kind of liquid and solid at the same time... try it at home!)
homemade playdoh (the campers made it themselves)
flour & water
sticky foam
instant snow (superabsorbent polymer, expands 100X original size when mixed with water)

Here is Janet's weekly science blurb:
"My intentions for these science projects was to get your children to not only stretch their vocabulary but also to start molding them into critical thinkers. Every Monday, the children in Drew's class amaze with me with the concepts they are able to grasp and with the conversations we have afterward. However, I have never been more proud of them then I have been today. The children are starting to relate what they are currently learning to things they have learned in the past. During our conversation about solids and liquids, the children were talking about H2O, which is something they learned about during Splish Splash week. Also, the actual experiment we did was very difficult. We made bouncing polymer balls. Everything was already measured for them in seperate cups. They had to listen to directions to know which cups to mix together and when to start stirring. They also needed to cover their hands with cornstarch, make the solid into a ball and keep rubbing it until it wasn't sticky any more. The children followed the directions really well! During the experiment, Enrique noticed that his bounces and he showed everyone. After the experiment, the children made hypotheses regarding what made the balls bounce.

Through this experiment, the children expanded their knowledge of liquids and bases. We touched very quickly on polymers. The children also experienced tactile sensory and fine motor developement. We made comparisons and observations."

Comments during our conversation about solids and liquids:
Bennett: Water turns to ice when it freezes.
Another word for water is H20.
Kosmo: Water feels like any other water.
Tommy: Ice is solid.

Comments during the experiment:
Tommy: I think it's flour.
Noah: It feels sticky.
Tommy: It feels like rubber.
Enrique: It is soft and sticky. It is a solid because it's gloopy. It bounces!
Lara: It feels like rubber,
Dylan: Its gooey.

Closing Discussion:
Why does it bounce? and Why did it all stick together?
Kosmo: Always paint is sticky.
Bennett: It's sticky because of the glue and the cornstarch. If we used warm water it wouldn't be sticky.
Dylan: Glue made it sticky.
Frankie: Glue makes it sticky. All of the stuff mixed together makes it bouncy.
Tommy: We used water and glue to make it sticky.
Riley: The white stuff made it bouncy.
Jake: It is bouncy because of the glue.
William: The water is a little bit dissolved, that's why it is sticky and bouncy.
Enrique: The water dissolves, that is why it is really sticky,
Noah: It is bouncy because of the water and cornstarch mixed.
Isabelle: Water and glue made it bounce with the cornstarch and the cornstarch made it bouncier.
Teddy: It is sticky because glue sticks on everything.
James: Paint and glue made it sticky. Water makes it dissolve.
Madeleine: It got bouncier and then it broke.

Check out these photos from our dance class on Thursday. We did the twist, the merengue, She Loves You, Jackson 5, and more.... we sure had a lot of fun moving our feet and bodies.

As I reported last week, the campers have been very productive in the block area. Every day during freeplay, it doesn't take long before the rug is filled with an assortment of structures, often overflowing into nearby areas. It's a great opportunity for teamwork, communication, spatial awareness, planning, motor skill development, and FUN!

Friday's weather was typical of this summer (schizophrenic sun and rain), but we were able to spend most of the morning having fun at the Wild West playground. When the rain clouds came suddenly around 11:30, we took shelter under the playground apparati, before heading back to camp for a pizza and ice cream party.

A bit of continuation from last week's theme, we examined fallen bark from Central Park and then used it to decorate for collages. The campers enj0yed drawing on the pieces and then affixing them to construction paper. Check them out on our bulletin board!

I love reading stories with the children, I really really do. However, every now and then I need a break! Fortunately, Noah was game for reading a story to the class ("A Good Day" by Kevin Henkes) and he did a great job!

Here are a few other photos from our fun-filled week.
Next week's theme: Get Your Groove On !

This is Drew, signing off!

Camping & Space

2009-07-25T14:04:00.014-04:00

This week's theme was Camping & the Great Outdoors. We enjoyed studying a variety of natural objects in the classroom, using our eyes and hands to investigate their features.

We took a trip to the community garden to see what's growing. The campers really enjoy looking for moths and following them around the garden as they fly from plant to plant. There is so much to see, we can spend minutes looking at one small area of the garden. We enjoy looking at the variety of colors and plant sizes--- some plants are taller than the campers!

Bringing the great outdoors indoors, we were paid a visit by the Petting Zoo on Wheels. We learned about an assortment of animals, including the rabbit, skink, snake, bird, possum, chinchilla, and ferret.
FYI, the chinchilla is officially the world's softest animal, with more than fifty hairs growing from each follicle (compared to one per follicle for humans). They are unbelievably soft, and if you've never had the opportunity to pet one before, I strongly suggest you find one, now!

To coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, I wanted to talk about space with the campers. They responded well to our discussions, and it inspired a lot of play in the classroom, such as making our own space ships, building space stations with blocks, and asking some great questions about the universe..... heavy, man!!

I started by asking the campers what they already knew about the moon.
They said:
It has lots of rocks.
There is less gravity there.
It's really dark.
It has lots of craters.
There is no oxygen.
The moon is gray.
It's really high.
It's really far away.

Then I asked them what the moon would taste like if you could eat it:
It would taste like the Earth.
Like rocks.
It tastes like salt.
It tastes like outer space.
It tastes like nothing because rocks don't smell.

The campers used toy space shuttles to play a tossing game, where they tried to have their rocket land on the paper plate moon. Apollo 11 made it look so easy!

Many campers created their own space shuttles and rocketships from clay, and painted them the following day.
We even made our own sun..... be careful, it's hot! We learned that the sun is a star, and it gives us light and heat. We imagined what would happen if astronauts flew to the sun. We also conducted a brief experiment using a lamp (sun), paper plates (moon) and our bodies (Earth) to show how day and night occur, depending on whether you are facing the sun or not.

Our sun is currently hanging at the epicenter of our classroom, with all activities revolving around it.... fancy that!

Moon making: campers added craters to their moon, making different sizes but all circles, since we noticed that all craters are basically circular.

I also showed the campers some videos on my laptop, including Neil Armstrong stepping on the moon, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planting a flag, and weightlessness aboard a space shuttle. One camper later declared that he plans to be the first to go to Mars, and we encouraged everyone to do this because it hasn't been done yet!

We also learned why stars explode, why spaceships go faster than airplanes, and how the moon can make a shadow on Earth.
Fascinating!

Here is our weekly science blurb from Janet:

To really explore camping, we made clay that hardens like earth. The ingredients were salt, flour, sand, warm water, and instant coffee. Since the instant coffee was an ingredient we never used before, the children got to explore it by using their senses: touching, smelling, and looking. Then we made a solution by adding the coffee to the warm water. We measured the other ingredients and mixed them together. The children each received a little bit of the clay to hide jewels in, and then we left it to dry in the sun.
For an extension on this project and opportunity for further learning, the children will get to break the clay apart and find the jewels that they hid. Through this experiment the children got to revisit the words 'dissolve' and 'solution.' They also got to measure and use large and fine motor skills. They also sharpened their observation skills.
For next week's experiment, we will be revisiting solutions again. We will also discuss how solids differ from solutions during our very gooey experiment.

Here is what the children said about the coffee: (the children were not told was it was before they explored it.)
Jaan- It feels like sugar.
Enrique- It feels like rocks. It smells like sand.
Bennett- It smells like a coffee filter.
Madeline- It feels like dirt.
Riley- It feels like crumbs.
Tommy- It smells like coffee.
Frankie- It feels a little like pieces of brown glass.
Carly- It smells like coffee.
Jake- It smells like coffee.
Isabelle-It feels like crumbs.
Lara- It feels like sand and smells like coffee.
James- It smells like rocks.

During the experiment:
Bennett- It smells good but it looks..euww!
Enrique- Its sticky.

Blocks galore! We have some truly talented architects in our group, and it is always fascinating to watch them build. When using blocks, there is much planning and learning from trial-and-error, and of course, physics (balancing, weight distribution, etc.).

We made some yummy sugar cookies (egg-free) and decorated them with a candy in the middle, which upon baking melted into a sweet gooey treat.

Here are some silly faces from our week at camp, and also a few assorted photos.
Next week's theme: Ooey Gooey Squishy Plop

Summer Chefs

2009-07-17T16:52:00.018-04:00

Oh boy, what a week! I feel full even writing this update!
This week's theme was Summer Chefs, and we made some really delicious dishes this week in camp.

Monday: S'mores Day!
There's something magical that happens when the otherwise ordinary graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate bar get together. That's right, you get the gooey, sticky, delicious treat known as s'mores!
Below, one camper demonstrated proper s'more assembly for the rest of the class. He also had a recipe for double-marshmallow s'mores, but it was a bit ambitious!

Tuesday: Jell-O Day
This was a perfect follow-up to our science activity from Monday (see below), and it was unintentional. As you'll read about below, our science activity was about dissolving and solutions, and one camper remarked during the Jell-O prep process that the powder was dissolving in the water---- amazing!!
We had three flavors: watermelon, orange, and lime.

After chilling for two hours, the jiggly treats were ready to eat! We ate them outside after playing in the sprinklers for a while... and as they were digging in, I overheard one camper say, "This is the best day ever!"

Wednesday: Pancake Day
We used a simple, dairy-free pancake recipe, using flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, water, oil, and vanilla. As you can see, the campers were able to do most of the prep work on their own. Way to go!

And after the cooked on the hot plate, it was time for toppings!
Cinnamon? Syrup? Bananas? Blueberries? Strawberries? Choices!!!!

Thursday: Fruit Kebab Day
While parents generously supplied the materials for the previous three recipes, the Camp provided us with materials for the kebabs:

Yes, you counted correctly: one strawberry per child! Throw in some pineapple, and these kebabs are, well, in need of something MORE.
Enter my assistant: she picked up some blueberries and watermelon to flesh out these tasty treats. Add in some leftover cheese from snack earlier this week, and we've got some nice lookin' food on a stick!

We brought them to Central Park for a refreshing treat on a hot and humid day. . .

After making all of these wonderfully delicious dishes, the campers reflected the following day about the ingredients and steps involved in each of our recipes. The campers drew pictures of some of the ingredients on one side of the paper, and illustrated steps on the opposite side. We also encouraged them to add words to describe some of their symbols and depictions. Today, they glued together each page and also added front and back covers. The cookbooks were created and assembled entirely by each child. We are so proud of their work.....Hooray!

Here is Janet's weekly Science Update:
We had a very tasty experiement today: we made our own solutions. We noticed that the mixture we added to the water disolved as soon as we poured it in. We also noticed that the water changed color almost immediately. The special mixture was Kool-Aid. The children had to opportunity to observe with a sense that they haven't yet explored with during science: taste. They each received different sized measuring spoons and were able to see after one scoop how the scoop affected the color of the solution they made. Through this experiment they discovered tactile sensitivity and they also started to think in terms of cause and effect. Finally, they were given an opportunity to touch, look at, and taste the Kool-Aid mixture without being told what it was. Some ideas:
Isabelle- It tastes like grapes.
Madeleine- It feels soft. It tastes kind of like sugar cherries.
Teddy- It feels soft.
Frankie- It looks like sand.
Carly- It tastes like grapes.
Jake- It tastes like sand.
Jaan- It tastes like strawberry.
Enrique- It smells like strawberries.
James: It tastes like grapes.
Riley- It tastes like medicine.
Tommy-It tastes like grape sugar.
Olivia- It tastes sweet.
Bennett- It feels like sand. It tastes like medicine
William- It tastes like candy.
Lara- It tastes like cherry.

They also got to write their own names on our chart and we recorded the amount of scoops they used to make their solution a dark red.

Here are some photos of general 'food play.' We have lots of plastic food for pretend play, and one camper enjoyed making a fork disappear inside the hollow toy carrot.... surprise!

Assorted photos from the rest of our week below.
Next week's theme: Let's Go Camping!

Splish Splash

2009-07-11T10:03:00.024-04:00

Our camp theme this week was 'Splish Splash: Water Exploration,' and with the help of Janet, we used science to explore and understand diffusion. The children were given water and chose a color of water color to mix it with, using pipettes. They observed what happened when they dropped a small drop of colored water onto a paper towel. Some children were using the magnifying glasses to watch the process more closely. A lot of the children noticed that the paper changed colors, while other children noticed that the water was spreading out. This was a great experiment for observational skills, cause and effect thinking, and fine motor skills.
Next week we will explore our sense of taste.... mm!

Oh paper plates..... so useful, so many applications, so budget-friendly.
Continuing our study of all things water, we used paper plates to represent atoms and molecules. Much like a puzzle is made up of small pieces, so too is water, specifically the molecules. Continuing the analogy, we learned that water is made from tiny pieces, called atoms, named hydrogen and oxygen.

One camper surprisingly drew a diagram for the class showing the shape they make when they all connect, and even drew 'connecting lines' between the atoms, apparantly representing electrons..... AMAZING!!! We realized that a water molecule looks like Mickey Mouse.

Using small plates for the hydrogen atoms, and a large plate for oxygen, they children set out to decorate their atoms and then connect them using tape to make the appropriate shape. Since the hydrogen atoms are the same, the children decorated their plates as such, making similar designs on each of the two.

Finally, the campers connected each of their molecules together, making sure that one of their hydrogens was touching someone else's oxygen. Voila! H20 !

Water Color painting:
Using tubes filled with watercolor paint, each with a sponge on one end, the campers experimented with spreading the paint as it was squeezed onto the paper.

After reading 'A House For Hermit Crab' by Eric Carle, we used our creative claws to design our own shell houses. In the book, Hermit Crab travels through the sea, encountering interesting animals that he uses to decorate his shell. The sea urchin provided protection, lampfish light, and a sea anemoene just 'cos they're pretty. Some of the campers added ocean items like coral and seaweed, while others added their own colorful touches.

On Monday, we experimented with paint by blowing on it through a straw. A bit reminiscent of our fireworks art from last week, and also of Pink Floyd shows circa '68. . . . flashback!!!

Okay, this is really cool:
The children invented this ball-through-the-rings game. It all began with three campers tossing a ball around, and then one by one, other campers added hula hoops to make each toss a bit more challenging...5 minutes later, we've got a camper-created game, and it's awesome!

On Tuesday, a one-woman puppet show entertained the campers. One story was about a bird who needed help harvesting wheat and making bread, but none of her 'friends' wanted to help her. Later, after bird did all the work herself, her lazy 'friends' showed up and said they'd help her eat the bread..... I think she shared it with them, but I probably would have told them all to get lost.
The other story was about an spiritual monkey and a crocodile.

Oh how we love our wading pool.... so refreshing on a summer day!

Scenes from Wild West Playground, Friday:

Hot Dog Party !

Here are assorted photos from our week.
Next week's theme: Sizzlin Summer In The Kitchen

White, Blue, Red

2009-07-05T08:49:00.010-04:00

This week's theme: red white and blue! We've been playing with toys, paint, and activities using these colors all week! One morning for freeplay, I had set out felt, paper, and glue, and one child began making an American flag, and then others joined in....making flags from all over the world. For reference, we used a flag matching game I made during the school year. It was amazing watching them make these flags, especially because it grew out of an open ended felt activity. See if you can identify some of the flags flying below!

We loved making flags so much, we even made them.....

....at the easel, or with elastic bands....

We even used crinkle paper and glitter to make awesome American flags!

On Thursday we made a delicious red white and blue snack. Using strawberries, yogurt, blueberries, and crushed graham crackers, the campers celebrate the colors of America with this tasty treat!

*KABOOM*
We made two different types of fireworks for our (early) 4th of July celebration. Campers squeezed drops of sparkle paint onto black paper and then used toothpicks to 'drag' the paint outwards from the drop, creating an exploring effect. We also used paint in spray bottles to make beautiful firework designs at the easel!

We had a red white and blue scavenger hunt, where campers had to find Cuisenaire rods hidden around the classroom, and then drop it off at the appropriate table.
Rules:
1) Slow walking feet at all times
2) You may return one block at a time
3) Block must be returned to red white or blue table.

Our playground garden has just grown green beans and radishes!!

Snapshots from our trip to Wild West Playground in Central Park:

Scenes from the latest production of the "Spongebob Squarepants Show Movie!"
Seems that Spongebob saw a shooting star, and then the star fell to the ground, and Spongebob stepped on it. Now the star is stuck to his foot and it apparantly gives Spongebob magical climbing flying and skiing abilities. Note: In this performance, there are two Spongebobs, and a Patrick.

And now, here's Janet with an update about our awesome Science class!

We learned about Static Electricity by rubbing our hands together and causing friction and heat. Then we explored static electricity by rubbing balloons against our hair and body using large and fine motor movement. We held the balloons over materials to see if the static electricity would attract the materials and if the materials got stuck to the balloon. We had a discussion to see what materials didn't stick to the balloon and why they didn't.

Bennett -Our hands have different kind of energy. The tin paper didn't stick.
Tommy- It's sticking. The decorating play things were not sticking on the balloon.
Riley- It is not sticking.The rainbow things stick.
Carly - The sprinkles stick.
Kosmo- The sparkles stick on the balloon.
Noah-The sparkles sticked on my balloon.
Caroline- The buttons did not stick.
Dylan- The sparkles and the sprinkles stick on my balloon
Olivia- The silver paper stuck to my balloon.

Q: Why didn't they stick?
Kosmo- They didn't stick because no one put glue on them.
Tommy- The buttons weren't attractive to the electricity because electricity only works.
Bennett- I have three questions: 1. The first one is one I already asked. 2. When I put the sparkle on the balloon it stuck on my nose because my nose has electricity to bring big things. I thought my nose had mucus and mucus had electricity. 3. They didn't stick to the buttons because they have holes.

We also talked about our sand clay they made last week. They told me they played with it seashells. " Bennett said, "The sand felt like mushy bananas." Noah and Riley said,"It felt like play dough."

And here's what happens when charged balloons are near hair:

Thanks, Janet!
We celebrated Riley's birthday this week, Happy Birthday Riley! She brought in a delicious treat that she helped make at home.. mmm!

We took out some surfboards on Thursday, to catch some killer waves! We practiced balancing, paddling, and floating while listening to the Beach Boys.. .. we even got sprayed by some big waves, too!

Here are some assorted photos from freeplay and playground. Enjoy!
Next week's theme: Splish Splash! A Water Adventure

Fun @ The Beach

2009-06-28T11:08:00.015-04:00

Holy Hot Dogs! We had our first Hot Dog picnic on Friday...... ketchup or mustard?

Surfin' CPS! On Thursday we made surfboards and took them out to sea to catch some tasty waves! While listening to classic Beach Boys songs, we practiced paddling out, balancing, hanging ten, and waxing our boards. We even got a little wet from all those humongous waves (via spray bottles).

Shiver me timbers!!! A pirate ship docked at our playground on Friday, and oh my goodness did the campers have fun! A treasure chest, pirate hats, shields, cannons...... arrrrghh!!!

The ocean is filled with many wondrous animals... and this week we took a look at many of them. Using paper bags, paper plates, newspaper, pipe cleaners, ribbon, construction paper, and drawing materials, the campers created many awesome ocean animals, such as squids, jellyfish, octopuses, fish, sharks, and whales! Creativity was all around, and we loved hanging their results on the bulletin boards.

Our 'Fun in the Sun' theme meant a lot of sand play in our sensory table. We also made arts and crafts projects using sand and shells.... and there were even a few mermaid appearances.

This week, we played 'Sink or Float?' After talking about water, and all the different places that we find it (the ocean, bathroom, our bodies) we discussed the difference between sinking and floating. Why do some things sink while others float? Do bigger things sink? Can something small sink too? Let's find out! We collected an assortment of objects, examined them, and then guessed: sink or float? There were many surprises......! The campers were able to 'make' some things sink by placing heavier objects on top of them.... amazing!

Science Update!
We revisited our grass seed box to see how grass would grow if coins were placed over the seeds. Results below:

Assorted photos from our week--- enjoy!
Next week's theme: Red White & Blue

Green Thumbs

2009-06-19T16:25:00.011-04:00

We've had so much fun this week! Hopefully your campers have been telling you about all the fun stuff we do all day, but in case they are shy on details, here is a breakdown:

Here's a simple camp equation: oreo's + pudding + gummi worms = (yum)dirt cups.
A messy yet delicious treat for us to enjoy at the end of the day!

Earlier in the week, we decorated our own flower pots and then planted some seeds: wildflowers, or forget-me-nots. Some have started to sprout already! The campers have been doing a great job taking care of their seeds, making sure they have just enough water and plenty of sunlight.

With Janet on Monday, we began a sprouting-related science experiment. After planting some seeds in our box of dirt, we placed coins over them, and tried to imagine what will happen to the coins when the plants attempt to grow. We check the box daily to see if anything has changed... nothing yet!!

Open Ended Art Activity!! We took potential trash (styrofoam packaging material) and let the campers turn it into something much more interesting. We used paint, pipe cleaners, small styrofoam balls, and toothpicks, to make some truly unique creations.... check them out on our bulletin board!

OK---- the sprinklers provide some serious fun during our camp day! Some of the campers stand under the water almost meditatively, while others enjoy filling up buckets and... well... the photos tell the rest!

We sure have some super sculptors in our camp group! Check out some of their wooden-and-magnatile creations! They could seriously play with these for hours.

We had a lot of fun dancing... Adelaida let us pick the songs we wanted! We did the twist, rockin' robin, and a few new ones... we also had fun playing freeze dance to some classic Motown grooves.

Here are some other photos from our week. Next week's theme is Fun In The Sun. Remember to meet us at the pool on Monday morning! 87th St ! Enjoy the weekend...

Last Chapter / New Beginning

2009-06-14T09:25:00.005-04:00

Our beach party, I am thrilled to say, was a major hit, and the entire class was present. We had such a great time spending our last day at CPS together, and everyone was wearing a big smile during our party.

We had a 'beach freeplay' to start, where the children could decorate a bucket hat, sandal box, or make a lei. There were also beach animals in the sensory table to play with, as well as an aquarium. Afterward, we shared a delicious beach breakfast together, and then moved outdoors to play some games together: beach bowling, shell scavenger hunt, water the fish relay.

We concluded the party by singing some of our favorite songs for our friends and family: With A Little Help From My Friends, and the new Columbus Preschool Song (lyrics below, to the tune of Mrs. Robinson).

And here's to you, Columbus Preschool
We had more fun than you could ever know
Woa woa woa
Yes it's true we say goodbye today
And if we could we'd love to stay and play
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey

Singing at our beach party on Wednesday afternoon
We sure loved eating all those cupcakes!
Laugh together, play together, if we had to choose
These preschool memories we'd never want to lose

Where have you gone, Alex and Darla?
Our classroom wished you could have been here too
Woo woo woo
But Benji, Drew, and Amanda stayed
And helped us to create and grow and play
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey

When I look back, we had a truly amazing year together. Ladybugs, wild things, airplanes, presidents, ducks, plants, dinosaurs, a trip to the post office, the Queen of Colors, sensory hike, yoga, music, dance, freeplay, playground........ so many memories!

We asked some of the children to reflect on their favorite memories from the school year:

Bayla: I like gym, because I like doing flip overs.

C.J.: I like library because lots of books. I like dinosaur books!

Eddie: My favorite thing is playground because I like to run around. I like to use cars and bikes to go super fast!

Jake: I like about school because I like soccer because I have so much fun and sometimes [Drew] comes in and I give you a big hug.

Christian: My favorite is goodbye because sometimes mom and dad come.

Spencer: My favorite part of school is freeplay. My favorite is magnet blocks because you can build and play.

Kosmo: My favorite part is soccer because sometimes I fall and that's funny!

Ariana: My favorite part is playground. Me and Will play super heroes.

Will: My favorite part is when I was making the sun [for our beach party].

Frankie: My favorite part of school was playing freeplay, 'cause you can dress up in dramatic play.

Kurt: I can play in the playground. I can play hyena with my friend C.J.

Dylan: When it's time to say goodbye 'cause my mom picks me up for special playdates. I used to like making letters.

(Caroline, Carly, Phobe, Christopher, Ella, feel free to submit your thoughts and I can put them on the web page!)

I have seen each child grow in their own way during the school year, and I only wish I could continue to watch their progress next year. Thanks for being a great team of families-- I couldn't have asked for a better group!

PS there is a lost and found on top of the cubbies--- many umbrullas, items of clothing, lost toys, etc--- stop by to claim what may be yours!

Thanks again, all the best,

Drew

Going To The Beach!

2009-06-06T13:15:00.007-04:00

We've been hard at work to prepare for our beach party on Wednesday! The children have bene decorating their t-shirts using spray fabric paint (easier than traditional tie-dye, and more creative control!). They also constructed palm trees from scratch, painted a giant sun, and began making umbrellas for shade on the beach..... awesome!!!

Two birthday celebrations this week! Happy Birthday, Carly and Spencer!

On Tuesday, we were fortunate to feature Mr. Gibson, Spencer's karate instructor. Together, they helped us learn some basic poses, moves, and ideas. The preschoolers really enjoyed the demonstration and participation, especially when Spencer broke a wooden board with his bare hand!!! (Mr. Gibson made sure we knew to only attempt that with him, or another black belt!)
We practiced making warrior faces, exercising our bodies, and had a great time! Everyone was also invited to come to a free class with Mr. Gibson at his studio. Thanks, Spencer + Mr. Gibson!

We also learned about 'big cats' with CJ and his dad. Now we can tell the difference between leopards and jaguars (the latter has small spots within the circular spots on their fur), and we know the proper name for a female lion (lioness). We played with some of these big cats (hyenas, too!) during freeplay... .Thanks, CJ!

Happy weekend, everyone!

A Bird In The Hand Is....

2009-05-24T09:20:00.006-04:00

...well, totally COOL !

[Disclaimer, this post is all about ducks. If for some reason you have a fear of ducks, or anything adorable, please close your web browser now.]

On Friday, the children got to hold the ducks!
Surely an unforgettable experience for the children, and the ducks! According to one baby duck, "Peep, peeeep!"

To catch you up since Saturday, the first day where a duck had completely emerged from its shell, here are some photos documenting their development.
Summary, 12 eggs:
7 live ducks
2 ducks fully hatched, then died
2 ducks began hatching but did not finish
1 egg showed no signs of hatching/development

Early last week, we moved a table close to the tank, to allow for a closer observation of the ducks. We used crayons, markers, and tempera paint. Some of their representations are hanging our door.. they look great!

Beginning on Thursday, the children started to work on their designs for our 'duck playground.' Using large paper, the children drew plans to illustrate their ideas for playground apparatus. Their ideas included: slides, swings, a trampoline ("to help the ducks learn how to fly"), and a rocketship (like the one featured in the apropos book "It's My Turn," which we read earlier that day).

On Friday morning, the children marked off our construction zone, and began to work in the center of our classroom. Using our large blocks, they built the playground for the ducks to use for fun and exercise. This was the first time the ducks were able to come out of the tank- freedom! !

The children had to ensure that the playground was secure and safe: no openings in the perimeter, and sturdy, balanced use of the blocks.

The ducks enjoyed running and jumping around parts of the playground, and usually stuck together, like a seven-headed yellow ball of softness.

We have enjoyed watching the ducks grow, eat, sleep, play, and poop! They drink about 2 jars of water daily. Next week, we will bid farewell to our friends, as they make the trip out to Long Island for their return to the farm from whence they came (circle of life?)

Here are a few other photos from last week:

Return of the Magnatiles!
The children practically salivate over these awesome building materials. They are great for encouraging sharing, understanding geometry, and visual planning.

Friday's weather was undeniably beautiful, so we were able to take a trip to a local playground in Central Park. Hippos are so cool!
Reasons why this is a great playground:

1. Walk there in 10 minutes
2. Clean, recently renovated
3. Climbing areas offer more challenging tasks
4. Open and airy, sunny and shady spots
5. Hippos and a rowboat!

Let's Play Hatch

2009-05-17T08:21:00.014-04:00

The hatching.... has BEGUN!!!
Exciting? YES!!!
After twenty-six days of incubation, some ducklings began to bust out of their eggs, and declare to the world, "Here I am, let's party!"
We learned on Friday that our ducks were actually 'supposed' to hatch a few days before the 28th day, so they began the hatching process right on time.
I've checked in with the eggs during the weekend, and as for progress since Friday, well, you'll see in the morning. . . !

The children helped to prepare the duck tank, where they will be moved one day after fully hatching. Food, water, and lots of wood chips (bark from fir trees). The children were amused by the idea that the ducks would go to the bathroom anywhere on the tank floor.

Ella's X-Ray: Last week, Ella showed the class what she's really made of! She used our light table to tell the class about her old x-ray, and how she was able to make body straighter. On the x-ray, she showed us her collarbone and backbone, and some children noticed her cheeks and ears, which were also visible! Afterward, a few children wanted to make drawings of her skeleton.

The final step for our clay creations: Mod Podge! By applying a layer of this thick white material, the children were able to seal and protect their sculptures (the ones displayed at the art show). Goes on white, dries clear! This is interesting because a few children were hesitant to apply the Podge, since it looks like white paint. After much reassurance by their teacher, they can then watch it magically change to a cool clear shiny coat.

Our garden goodies have been growing! I'm sure you've seen our windowsills, teeming with fresh grass, wildflower sprouts, basil, rosemary, mint and lavender. We've also planted green bean seeds and strawberry seeds. Along with other classes, we have planted cucumbers and lettuce on our playground garden (aka 'The Butterfly Garden"). This garden has yielded a few new discoveries for the children, including ants (two kinds), centipedes, earthworms, and butterflies. We've also used the community garden for additional exploring. Armed with magnifying glasses, clipboards, and books, the children set out to observe, represent, and enjoy!

The children had a lot to say about our field trip / sensory hike last Thursday:
Kurt: I like the pet turtle, because the head goes in and out.
Will: I liked the centipede. It was a little one.
Eddie: My favorite part was when all of you closed your eyes and you were hearing the birds, crickets, and waterfalls.
Christopher Vullo: I heard crickets, and some swans.
Christian: I liked the cave. There was a bear inside!
and Ella: The field trip was long because the bus got lost a little.

Enjoy the rest!

Sensory Hike

2009-05-09T10:49:00.010-04:00

On Thursday, we went up to Teatown Lake Reservation [www.teatown.org] for a Sensory Hike. We were encouraged to use our eyes, ears, noses, and hands to explore particular experiences along our hike. Can you hear a bird? How does this tree stump feel, and why does it have horizontal lines? How does this leaf smell? (see below)

We hiked through the woods, along the 'blue path,' for an hour, before returning to the main lodge for some lunch (with a bear!)
The children were prepared for heavy rain all day, but fortunately the rain arrived once we returned to school.

Muddy boots, sunshine, turtles... keep reading!

Well hello, little worm! We made friends with an inchworm!

Log turning...... not something city kids do very often. You never know what you'll find under a log, and in our experience, we found many tiny insects, including a bright red spider.. COOL!

We took a nice break near a pond, and a fowl friend swam right up to the dock! We think it was looking for food, but it sure didn't mind having a large group of preschoolers nearby.

Phew, what's that smell? ? Ahh yes.... skunk cabbage! Christian's face says it all.

How can you tell if a field trip was successful? The bus photos below say it all. Most of us were exhausted!!
Enjoy the rest...
[Remember that you've been invited to observe our dance class next Friday]

What's Up, Duck?

2009-05-02T10:09:00.007-04:00

Although you can't tell by looking at them, our twelve duck eggs are undergoing some major transformations while resting in our incubator. On Friday, we were able to see what's going on inside the eggs, through a process called 'candling.' The modern update of this process involves using a flashlight (instead of a candle flame) to illuminate the inside of the egg, to observe whether the embryo has been developing properly. We candled a few, and breathed a sigh of relief knowing that they were well on their way to a successful hatch (sixteen more days). Below, you will also see photos of the children working on our 'counting systems' to keep track of the incubation. One method involves counting forward from 1 to 28 (length of incubation) on a chart, using feathers to mark each new day, and another involves counting backwards from 28, to see how many days are left. For this, the children made a paper chain, with each link representing one day. At the beginning of each day, one of the children puts a feather in the chart, and then cuts off another paper link at the end of the day.

Just as our ducks have been growing, so too have our seeds! Each student began by decorating a flower pot, and then began the preparation process: first, a soil sleeve was placed inside the pot (for easy future repotting), and then a small layer of gravel was placed at the bottom. Next of course comes the soil, patted down and filled almost to the top. Then the children chose between planting grass or wild flower seeds. If grass was chosen, the seeds were sprinkled over the top of the soil and then covered by a small layer of additional soil. If the latter were chosen, the children had to use their finger to make holes in the soil, which they dropped a few wild flower seeds into, and then covered with soil. Lastly, and most importantly, the children quenched the seed's thirst with water, and found a sunny spot on our windowsills for them to grow. Three days later, I think you know what happened.... be sure to check them out!

The children also assisted with repotting some smell-tastic herbs for our classroom! Let your sniffer discover the wonderful scents of lavendar, basil, spearmint, and rosemary.... mm! We will use our herbs to make something delicious (basil in a tomato sauce? mint in iced tea?) We are also planting green beans in our playground garden, alongside Mckenzie's cucumbers, and Tracy's lettuce.

Here are some more snapshots from our art show preparation. The children have been working really hard, and we are very proud of them. Don't forget to come see Art Show on Thursday evening!! As if you needed any other incentive besides seeing amazing preschool art, there will be wine, cheese, and shmoozing!

Enjoy the rest!