Utopia Preschool

Because of the excellent turnout and cooperative weather, this year’s Halloween parade was a huge success. There were so many superstars that graced the Utopia contingent – Princess Tiana, Iron Man, Bumblebee, Yoshi, Snow White, Spider-man, Thomas the Train, Jango Fett, Batgirl, Daphne, and so many more! We had fun walking around the playground, out to the sidewalk, and into Alma Via, where we visited our dear friends. Thanks to all the residents for filling our homemade goodie bags. The parade ended with thirty happy Utopians returning to the playground and back into the classroom. Piggybacking on last week’s science lessons, we continued our exploration of tide pools. Our scientific inquiry focused on the students’ ability to notice details and wonder about future outcomes. Once again, if you happen to visit any Bay Area beaches (although this might be tricky due to the unpredictable weather), please take home any shells and bring them to school. Also, if you have any books th...

Come one, come all. Everyone is invited, in costume or not (preferably in), to join the school wide Halloween parade on Friday, Oct. 29. All Broncos, from Pre-K to 8 th grade, will be garbed in spooky and funny outfits, and our parade should be a hilarious spookfest! Remember, this will be a regular school day for Utopia. The parade will begin at 1:05. Last week’s lessons on birds have provided us with memorable teachable moments. We have now left the skies and turned out attention to the seas. Our focus this coming week will be on tide pools and the creatures that inhabit them. The children will learn about these bodies of water that are quite common in the numerous beaches of the Bay Area. If you have the opportunity, please visit our beautiful beaches and observe the tide pools with your children. Collect seashells and seaweeds, and have your kids bring them to class. The trip to the pumpkin patch was a success. We went on a hayride and took the...

We began the week by learning a new skill – syllable counting. The students had fun clapping and chanting the syllables of their respective names: “Ti – mo – thy” “Scar –lett” “Ni – cho – las” By playing this syllable counting game with them, the children recognized that a word is composed of different sounds that are put together. These sounds are called phonemes. You can certainly play the same game with your kids at home. Just chant and clap to the different syllables of your favorite words. As an art project, we asked each children to decorate the first letter of their names. Taking it a step further, we asked them to think of other words that began with the same letter. Though we talked about these related words, we focused on the sound each letter makes. Expect cute little works of Ms or Ys in your child’s compilation of work. What would our week be like without food? This Friday morning, Charlie Maranon, Gabriella’s dad, graciously sha...

During the week, teachers Tina and Michelle took their Pre-K students and worked in their respective small groups. The children are becoming accustomed to their little families in school. Birds! With help from the California Academy of Sciences, we were introduced to a brand new curriculum focusing on our avian friends. The activity in which the kids were engrossed was focused on nest building. They collected dried grass, twigs, and dried leaves from the yard. Then they combined these natural materials and constructed bird homes as part of our arts and crafts session. We also discussed different characteristics of birds while doing this hands-on activity. Mud! Also part of our science curriculum, we experimented with mud. Our curious apprentices gathered soil and mixed it with water. They hoped to use that mud to make sure that their natural materials – grass, twigs, and leaves – would stick together and solidify their aforementioned nests. The smiling...

Junior Scientists Utopia and California Academy of Sciences A consultant from the California Academy of Sciences is working closely with Utopia in building the basic skill of scientific inquiry among the students. For the next few weeks, we have on loan from the Academy of Sciences materials that would inspire the children to make observations, ask questions, make and test predictions, and share the learning with other people. Out first unit is Busy Birds. Here is an excerpt of a big group discussion conducted by Lee, the consultant from the Academy of Sciences: Teacher: How do birds move? Children flapping wings, “I’m a carnivore” T: Where do birds live? Children: nest (as they are still flapping wings) T: What do birds do in their nests? Children: sit on the eggs T: Why? Children: to keep warm to hatch T: What do you know about nests? Children: made of sticks, wood Children: birds eat worms Children: little nest Children: Where are the eggs? T: What do they do in the nest? Children: ...

We talked about the different kinds of emotions. Students shared what makes them happy, sad, mad, and excited. Being happy, sad, excited, and mad are emotions that are normal. It was interesting to note that the children thought that being mad was not okay. We talked about it in class, and we concluded that being mad is normal and is okay. Hurting someone because you are mad, however, is not acceptable. As we continue to explore our feelings, we will continue to talk about different emotions and behavior. Play Dough We made our very own play dough in school this week. The children measured, poured, and mixed the ingredients, and the teachers cooked the dough until it was soft and pliable. We enjoyed kneading and shaping the dough into different shapes. Garden Harvest We harvested several ears of corn from our vegetable garden. They were cooked and served for lunch last week. The children are eagerly anticipating the harvest of the other garden vegetables. Pa...

The play structure was finally ready to use this week. The Pre-k students had the opportunity to use it and they loved it! It was challenging for most to swing on the monkey bars, but that didn’t stop them from trying. For safety, I check if the child knows how to fall on both feet with knees bent, before I let them try the bars. Chef of the Week was a success. Yvonne (Elisa’s mom) helped the children prepare Elmo pizzas using English muffin, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Olives, cherry tomatoes, and cheddar cheese were used to make Elmo’s eyes, nose, and mouth. If you are wondering why your child’s lunch seems untouched today, the pizza was prepared right before lunch and some children ate their very own creation. With the cooking success today, we are looking forward to our regular parent cooking activities. YUM! For the first few weeks of school, we will talk about how to be a good friend and how to be safe in school. This week we talked about th...

We apologize for the delayed posting. We tried posting this last week and we thought we were successful. We only found out later that it didn't make it to our pre-k blog. Hopefully, the second try is a charm. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Happy first week of school! Going back to school can be both exciting and overwhelming for young children. It will take some time for them to adjust to their teachers, their classmates, and the new environment. Please help them with the transition by dropping them in school on time and picking them up on time. Making Good Choices Independence is one of our goals in Utopia. Please consider this when helping your child choose the clothes to wear and food to bring for lunch. The teachers will always be there to assist but we want to empower your child by allowing him to choose what food to eat and how much food to eat. Small portions of a variety of food from the different food groups work best. Curriculum We use emergent...

End of the Year Potluck Luau Our end of the year potluck is only days away! Our party will start early so feel free to join us as early as you would like! We will eat around 11:30. We would love more people to join our decorating committee so sign up if you can help out! See you June 30th! *Summer session begins July 6th* Spirit week was so much fun! We were all so comfy on pajama day! On backwards day we had a special surprise! Alex’s dad Ted is a police officer and he and his partner came in a police car and motorcycle! We sat in the police car and on the motorcycle! We had so much fun! Alex and Austin on the motorcycle Our new friend Logan Our special snack on pajama day Watch the road Talia! Our Group Police Shot

June 4th, 2010 - This week we started putting together a classroom cookbook. Each student told a teacher about a recipe that they love to eat and know how to make. The titles of each student’s dish is posted on the parent board. Every family should have received a recipe form. We are asking all families to return the form with either the recipe for the dish your student told us OR a family-favorite recipe. PLEASE RETURN YOUR RECIPE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE – NO LATER THAN TUESDAY 6/8 . We only have a few weeks left and we need to put the book together and ensure that all families receive one. - We made a classroom quilt this week! Each student decorated a piece of felt with fabric markers and puffy paint. All students were asked to draw something that made them happy – many chose to draw their families. We are planning on putting the quilt together and hanging it by the end of the year potluck. - Starting Wednesday June 9th drop off and pick up will be through our side gates . One of the te...