Utopia Preschool

It is the comfiest day of the year: Pajama Day! Some of us wore onesies, matching tops and bottoms, slippers, and night gowns. This made Nap Time feel like a big sleepover party.

At the writing table, the children have put been using mirrors, markers and blank faces to draw their own facial features! At Group Time, Teacher Andrea had the children sit in a big circle and each give them a turn to share the color(s) of their eyes and hair! They noticed that our class is full of many different colors! They then used this information to add the details to their drawings. Some friends began to draw the faces and bodies of their best friends and family members!

Last week in the gym the children played red light, green light. Today the children continued this game outside. They also came up with two new color for lights with new actions. We wrote a sign on the wall with the color and what action goes with it so they could refer to it. We talked about how to spell the actions and worked on letter recognition. Then the children took turns playing red light, green light and worked on all the different actions as well as moving safely with friends.

At the end of every PE class, Teacher Sharon lets the children pet her service dog, Angel. She is very gentle and so sweet! Each child gets a moment of 2-on-1 time as Sharon makes sure to compliment them on their hard work at PE that day. It is the best way to end our busy, movement sessions!

We were able to use the gym and do all sorts of games and activities during our rainy afternoon. A few children worked on an alphabet train puzzle singing the ABC song to find out which puzzle piece came next. Some children decided to draw pictures for their family and a large group of children played two new games called Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light, Blue Light, Purple Light and What Time Is It Mr. Wolf?

This week is going to be a wet one! When it rains we have a few options. Sometimes we go to the gym and get lots of space to run around. Sometimes we go to the hall across the yard. Yesterday the children played tea party while in Caroll Hall. Today, some children continued that play. However, Caroll Hall has lots of space! Children have playdough to exercise their hands. We bring over paper and markers to support their interest in art. We bring over the balls we use in P.E. to support their interest in physical activity and encourage gross motor movement. We also bring megablocks and puzzles to support spatial awareness.  Children can still explore different materials, but also have time to run around with their friends!

This week we have been utilizing our indoor spaces to stay dry from the rain. In Caroll Hall, the children set up a tea party called the Hello Kitty Cafe. Alanna, Emery, Isaiah,  and Violet took turns pouring each other lemonade, apple juice, and three different types of pie! This activity supports language development and social interactions as the children take on different roles in their pretend play.

Today the children were introduced to clay! Teacher Linette invited each group to come to the table and simply explore the material. The children flattened, pinched and asked questions about clay such as “What is clay for?” Linette explained to them that you can model clay into different shapes and create art! She also talked to them about how the heat on our hands helps make the clay softer the longer we use it. She asked them how the clay feels in their hands: Callum: Sticky Violet: Poofy, squishy and hard. Makes my hands soft and hot Isaiah: Soft After taking time to get acquainted with the clay, the children will be able to mold their own pieces and decorate them!

Today a small group of children went upstairs to look at the 7th graders drawings of plants, trees and rooted vegetables. We talked about what they observed in their drawings and compared it to what some of our friends have already drawn in our classroom. Afterwards they worked together, made a collaborative drawing of parts of the plant and what helps them grow

The sandbox is always a very popular spot during outside time. Today, the children were digging tons of holes. Most of the time their goal is to dig all the way to the bottom of the sandbox. Cassidy was busy digging her hole when Ryan and Grayson entered the sandbox. Ryan and Grayson began digging their own holes too. Eventually Ryan asked Grayson, “Can you help me dig to the wood (bottom of sandbox)?” Grayson gladly helped him dig a deep hole. This eventually led to them helping Elliott with the tube in the sandbox. They all worked together to make sure the tube was sturdy and can hold all the sand they wanted to put inside.

Today in the Block Area, many of the children chose to make different buildings they have seen in their city. Dylan chose to make the San Francisco Ferry Building, with the help of his friend Isaiah. Together they stacked the blocks to create the clock tower! They were both so careful as the tower got higher amd higher. Callum chose to make a nearby boat, while Kazu, Lars, and Robbie built their houses! They each added their own versions of rooms, walls, and roofs. Elon chose to make his blue apartment building out of Magnetiles.