Utopia Preschool

Today is our last full day of school of the 2018-2019 school year! Most of the materials are put away, the art is off the walls, and things are being sent home. Today the children talked what they would miss the most about preschool and about ways they could keep in touch with friends if they are going to different schools next year. Bri: I’ll miss the arts and crafts. Grayson: I’m gonna miss the teachers. Kennedy: I’ll miss all my friends. Ellie: If you go to kindergarten, you could come back to visit. And maybe you might go to the same kindergarten. Dylan: You could go on a play date and ask your mom to watch a movie together. Cassidy P: I’ll say hi to you when I’m next door. Colin: You could write each other a letter! As the children move on and continue growing up, we hope that the memories and lessons they’ve learned in preschool with last them a lifetime! The relationships they’ve built here are the foundation to building close friendships, resilience, and lots of love ...

During  outside time, the Koala group found a bee next to the big legos! They all carefully gathered around the bee and shared their thoughts: Grayson: Maybe he lost his family and can’t find his bee hive! Garrison: Don’t hurt him! Matteo: I think he’s fighting with another bee. I see the other one not moving... Paige: Sometimes bees sting other bees and then they lose their stingers and die  The children seemed very concerned about the bee as it fluttered it’s wings but could not fly. The teacher also brought up how it looked like one of its legs was injured because the bee was dragging it’s body to move around. The children continued to remind others to be gentle with the bee and they hoped it would recover soon! Paige: Maybe it likes blocks and is looking at the castle like ‘Ooh! This is a nice place to live!’

During group time, one child was asked to get under the blanket & stay quiet while their friends would guess who’s missing. They enjoyed the game so much a small group of kids continued playing in the Quiet Area. In the House Area, Teacher Andrea assisted the children with designing accessories using streamers, ribbon and decorative tape to attach to their clothes.

Today, the children made pinwheels with Irene’s mom, Lisa. The children folded the square piece of paper, added beads to their straw and thats it! Earlier in the year we introduced the children to pinwheels to help encourage mindful breathing. Pinwheels are a great way to help children practice their breathing because it acts as a visual aid. Thanks Lisa for the pinwheel actvity!

Today we made our own bowling alley in the block area! In small groups of two and three, the children built their own version of a bowling lane to roll their balls down. Though the whole area was loud, full and busy, the children did such a great job sharing space, taking turns, and trying out each other’s creations. This focused engagement is a culmination of all the hard work all our students have built throughout the year. They have learned to respect each other, while strengthening manipulative skills as they play and problem solve together! It is such a joy to see how much they have grown this year.

We are almost a week away from graduation! The children have been working hard practicing songs and dances to perform. They practiced the song Sing, and   teacher Andrea taught them some moves! She welcomed children to the front to practice sharing the moves in front of a crowd! We can’t wait for all of our friends and families to watch! Thanks Teacher Andrea!

Finally the day has come for our field trip to CuriOdyssey! With the children ready to go in their matching blue t-shirts, we buckled their seatbelts on the bus, and set off to our exciting destination. Once we got there, we took a group photo and provided snacks for the children to fuel them up for their adventure. At CuriOdyssey, the children were in awe of all the different science exhibits and activities. They immersed themselves in building with different materials, STEM puzzles, exploring different geometric shapes and textures, observing rescued animals, and much more! Even with all there was to do at CuriOdyssey, some of the children still said their favorite part of the field trip was the bus ride! Thank you so much to all the teachers and chaperones for making this field trip fun and safe for everyone! We truly appreciate it!

The children collaborated their ideas when they worked with blocks, drew pictures and decorated them with tape and stickers. We also took turns showing our tumbling moves and cheering our friends on.

Throughout the year, Teacher Andrea has been working with the children in developing their drawing skills, specifically drawing themselves. This week, the graduates have been working on drawing themselves with marker and then painting over it. It’s amazing to see how their skills have developed and how detailed their work is becoming! Their portraits will be up at graduation!

Today Sam’s mom, Andrea, visited our classroom! She read a book called Scat the Cat at Group Time which identified different colors and got the children involved by clapping every time Scat’s color changed. Afterward, the children made their own version of the book using colored paper, googly eyes, popsicle sticks, stickers and markers! The children were so excited that a few of them read their books to their peers during group time. Thank you Sam’s mom for prepping such an engaging activity for the children!