Utopia Preschool

The letter of the week is T and we are exploring Trains! The children have several opportunities to learn and work with trains all week. We started the week with a visit from Edith's family who read us a book about trains and brought a model train for the children to observe! The Dragonfly Group saw how the train moved fast and slow, forward and reverse. Edith's grandpa explained how different trains worked and showed us photos of all the model trains he has made! After, we practiced moving like a train together, and talked about the parts of a train like the engine, cars and caboose!  At the Writing Table, the children drew and cut out train cars. We encouraged the children to write the word "Train" and draw details on their train, like animals, people, windows, and words! Practicing with scissors helps develop strong fine motor skills used to write. We also made a Lego Train at the Art Table and drew long lines using the train and markers.  This focus on trains has ...

Happy Fun Run Friday!!! We had a great time at the Fun Run today. The children (and parents) got their morning workout in while simultaneously supporting our school! A special thank you to all of our fans and volunteers who helped check off laps, pour water and cheer on our runners! And last, but definitely not least, a BIG thank you to all of our students and families for fundraising enough money for us to reach our main goal of a  L I G H T U P  Dance Party ! More details coming soon! 

The letter of the week is H and the children are learning about their hair! We set up the Writing Table with mirrors, paper, permanent markers, and photos of the children. We asked them to look at their reflection, draw what they saw, and write the word "HAIR" on their paper.  We also asked the children to describe what their hair looks like and tell us how they take care of their hair, like what hairstyle they have, how they fix or wash it, or if they go somewhere to get it cut. We love writing down their exact quotes and hearing their thoughts out loud! It's fascinating to hear their ideas, but also gives us an understanding of how they see themselves.  Read the children's quotes below!  Is your hair long or short? What color is your hair? How do you style it or take care of your hair?  Benji : I have a mullet! That's when it gets long in the back and that's how you grow a tail. But someone cut my tail when I got a haircut. That's cause I was too tickly....

The children are exploring measuring in the classroom in several ways. In the Science Area, they explored rulers as they measured plants and stems, and recorded their findings with markers and paper. With building materials, the children have been stacking and building with blocks to compare to their height. The children have also been counting how many blocks they've used to build their towers! These activities support the children's curiosity in how things grow, their own identities (how tall am I?), and early math skills like counting and number recognition! It also supports understanding of cause and effect as they build their towers and watch them fall.  Stacking wooden and foam blocks horizontally to compare heights      Using rulers to measure flower stems in the Science Area A child carefully stacks her blocks while playing outdoors  This child counts to "4" after stacking his blocks in the gym These children worked together to stack their blocks vertica...