Face Paint, Farms & Fun

This week was our last full school week of the school year.  It's hard to believe graduation and recitals are just a few days away!  While we managed to get some work done, this week was jam packed with fun.

We began on Monday with a special presentation from author Jolie Della Valle.  She read her latest picture book, Georgie and the Ants in the Pants.  The children sang and danced along with the author as she played her ukulele.  Afterwards, children who ordered the book had the opportunity of having it signed.

There were several birthdays celebrated at The Children's Academy this week.  Children enjoyed the yummy snacks shared as well as fabulous face painting.  Take a look at some of the exceptional art work that decorated the faces and arms of Academy students.

The week came to a close with our annual field trip to Green Meadows Farm.  We appreciate all of you for braving the drive and heat to enjoy a hands on experience with farm animals.  The interaction began in the parking lot when a Little Room student spotted a fuzzy caterpillar on the pavement.  Shortly thereafter, two more were found!  I overheard one student say, "I wonder if they will go into a chrysalis soon."  And just like that, we can see our students really have internalized and learned the life cycle of a butterfly.

There were bunnies, goats, chickens and piglets to pet, as well!

And we mustn't forget the milking of Buttercup the cow.

We hope the children enjoyed the trip & the eventful week.  We wish you all a safe & enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.  See you Tuesday!  

Blooming with Thanks

This week was another full five days at the Children's Academy.  There was a whole lot going on in every classroom, and it's impossible to catch every amazing moment we get to witness as teachers.  However, below you will see some goings-on in the Transitional Room.

Students working nicely together with sensorial materials.

A child hard at work with the movable alphabet!  This particular activity helps provide a foundation for letter & sound recognition, spelling and phonetic reading.  

To help the students visualize the process of a plant's growth and life cycle, Mrs. Benson facilitated a fascinating science project.   Below you will see the day's class helper placing white petaled flowers in beakers filled with water and food coloring.  After two days, the children got to observe the flowers' petals change color as a result of the plant absorbing colored water!  I think it's safe to say these kids now fully understand the roles of each part of a flower.  

Before and after...

  

Our Friday was filled with much thanks and appreciation.  We had the pleasure of spending the day with several Children's Academy alumni.  It's always lovely to see them visit the school.  Now matter how much they grow, the Children's Academy is always their home away from home.  

And last, but certainly not least, we Children's Academy staff were treated to a beautiful luncheon with delicious food, decorations, as well as extremely thoughtful cards and gifts.  Your warm words, generous donations, and volunteering in classrooms were greatly appreciated!   

As educators and child care providers, we are fortunate to have such thoughtful adults parenting the students we work with every day.  We see those same positive traits filter down to each of your children.  It is because of that we are able to create such positive experiences and memories in our school.  The truth is, we are also very appreciative of each and every one of you for allowing us the opportunity to care for and educate your young ones.  We honestly look forward to coming to work and leave every afternoon feeling fulfilled, knowing we get to see each of them grow in their own unique way.  We are all a lucky bunch.

Conversation Corner

Welcome to our first Conversation Corner piece!  The following was sent by Asmi's mom.

Words of wisdom are often shared while we are going to bed so that we can procrastinate on sleeping. But often we have very interesting conversations about how our day went.

Asmi: “You know mama, the garbage truck takes the garbage from our house”.

Mama: “Oh really, did you see the truck take away the garbage”

Asmi: “No, I know”. “The garbage doesn't vanish. It goes to a land-fill”.

Mama: “I didn't know this. Thank you for sharing with me Asmi”.

Asmi: “At the landfill, they dig a hole and put all the garbage inside and then cover it with mud”.

Mama: “Oh that is where the garbage goes, inside a hole covered with mud”.

Asmi: “yes”. 

We love hearing conversations like these both as parents and Children's Academy staff.  Thanks for participating :)  If you'd like to share something your young one has said for our monthly Conversation Corner post, please email them to me! 

You Scream, We Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

It may have been Friday the 13th, but Children's Academy students had some good luck today!  Our yearly ice cream truck visit, made possible by PACA, brought lots of excitment and cold treats for Academy students.  The ice pops and ice cream were a big hit.  What better way to kick off the weekend?

Aside from the ice cream truck, children have been very busy in their classrooms.  There were recitals and graduation songs to practice, graduation pictures, and plenty of work to do.  Here is a glimpse into the big wide world of math a la Montessori.  By utilizing Montessori bead work, these students are gaining knowledge and understanding of abstract concepts in concrete ways.

As always, our week was a mixture of fun and learning.   We look forward to next week's adventures & wish everyone an enjoyable weekend!  :) 

Butterflies, Beans & All Things In Between

There sure is a lot going on at the Academy these days!  In the past couple of weeks, the children learned, both from books and firsthand observation, the life cycle of a butterfly.  They watched eagerly as the very hungry caterpillars in their classrooms got larger and larger, evolving into the chrysalis stage and ultimately emerging as gorgeous butterflies.  When a pocket of clarity presented itself in this week's gloomy skies, students released the butterflies into nature.  Just take a look at our very own Mrs. Tschopp guiding the flying insects into the air like a pro while the children look on!

The Children's Academy is also undergoing a full on lesson in botany.  As weeks progress, Academy students will learn about the life cycles of plants.  While some Academy staff admittedly have questionable green thumbs (myself in particular), children have enjoyed and will continue to observe the growth of the vegetables we have planted.  Each classroom has a small vegetable farm (pictured below) with carrots, onions and radishes.  In the Transitional Room, Mrs. Benson has also planted lima beans and peas (pictured below).  Transitional Room students measure their growth regularly and will compare their growth rates by means of charting.  Fingers crossed for all our sprouts!