Utopia Preschool

Finally, we have a real sandbox! The children helped us unload lots bags of sand to fill it up, then we were able to play! We came up with some rules to make sure that our time in the sandbox was fun and safe:  1) Only four kids at time  2) Keep sand inside the sandbox 3) Keep sand off our friends bodies and heads  4) Empty your shoes and put away your sand tools before leaving 

To celebrate Valentine's Day this year, the children have been making heart decorations for the classroom! We also asked the children how they show love to those around them.  Lorelai: You can give them a hug. Rylie: Helping others. Being kind. Mateo: Giving a high five! Chloe: Draw a picture Raegan: You can hug them! Colette: Play with them Ynez: Give a kiss Donovan: You can hug them. And you can play with them/ Kara: Give a kiss and a hug Fiona: Give them a present! Something they like. Kate: Tell them! Franco: Play with them. Kattaleya: Give them kisses Cian: I love Daddy. Rian: I love Mama! Emily: Sit next to them. 

We are learning all about people and moments in Black History that have changed our world for the better. This week was about Madam CJ Walker, a businesswoman and inventor who sought a cure for hair loss, specifically for Black Women. To learn about hair, we talked about ways we all take care of our own hair, and observed how all of our hair is different! The children used string, pipe cleaners, crayons, and markers to choose their own unique texture and color of their hair.  We also created a Hair Salon outside for the children to take care of one another's hair, and how to communicate with one another. Through these explorations, the children are learning about self identity and celebrating what makes us different. They are also working on a skills like writing, fine motor development, social emotional awareness and community building.     Jude, Donovan, and Mateo take care of Rian's hair at the barbershop Avree and Fiona get highlights at the Salon Pamela asks for "4 ...

Donovan: Down to his house! Fiona: Jupiter. Cause the moon comes out and the sun is shining through the moon. Chloe: It lives in the water. Cause I watch The Hungry Caterpillar and I see the sun go down and close it's eyes. Arden: To the zoo! She sees a giraffe. Cian: Get dark. And we can sleep.  Rylie: Maybe Jupiter? Cause that's his home. Rian: In the sand. Cause in the beach, there sand.  Ismael: In the ocean? Cause I've seen it in shells. Charlie: I don't know. I only know where the stars go in the day. It's too bright in the morning so we can't see them. Jude: Down. It's sleeping! [It goes down to] places to explore. Like in the woods. Kattaleya: It goes down because we have to sleep.  Pamela: Down here in the ground. So it can sleep, then we can see.  Lorelai: In the water. It goes somewhere else to wake up, then it goes up again to wake up someone else.  Emily: I think it goes behind the houses, down low. Because I seen it in the window. It goes down ...

With all the rain we received this month, the weather was all the children were talking about! We decided to take the children on a Rain Walk to look at the weather up close. Before the walk, we talked about special clothes and tools we use when it rains, like umbrellas, raincoats, hoods, boots, and windshield wipers. Then we went on our way! On our walk, we asked the children to pay attention to their senses: What did they See, Hear, Smell, and Feel? Afterwards, the children drew pictures of their observations. We also collected rainfall in cups to measure how much rain was falling each day. This activity supports the children's understanding of nature, our local environment, language development, fine motor skills, and numbers.  Avree, Mikey and Kattaleya jump in a puddle during the walk     Our Rainboots. We're the different and the same!  Teacher Mary collecting hail during the storm  Colin, Franco, and Donovan observing plants covered in raindrops  Mak...

After all the rain and wind this week, we were finally able to get some fresh air! The children were surprised to see so many branches, leaves, and debris that had collected on our yard. Many of them asked to help sweep it up and collect it into a large pile. This started some conversations about our environment and the weather. Lorelai asked, "What happens to the birds when there's a storm? Their house might fall down!" Other children noticed that with the ground being wet, their chalk drawings were a lot brighter and looked more like paint!  We expect more rain to come in the coming weeks. We hope to use this opportunity to investigate and learn with the children about the weather and world around us.   Charlie, Colin, and Fiona help sweep the debris from the big storm Aaron, Donovan, Charlie, Lorelai, Raegan and Colin use chalk to make drawings on the wet ground. They walk on top of Colin's chalk line, like following a treasure map.          ...

Our Christmas performance is next week and the children have been practicing almost everyday! Thank you to Miss Jessica (Jude's Mom) for choreographing our dance moves, and for being an excellent teacher! See you all on performance night, 12/14! 

Waking up from Nap Time is a busy part of our day! The children are expected to complete many steps before going to play. To help with this process, the children have an "After Nap Checklist" to look at as they get ready. This supports their understanding of following step-by-step instructions, focus, independence, and self care. When they finish all their tasks, they said "I did it!" and are ready to go outside to play.  Pamela puts on her shoes after waking up from nap  Chloe rolls up her cozy, unicorn sleeping bag Fiona folds her blanket all on her own Charlie folds her sleeping bag after waking up  Raegan puts away her bedding before bringing it to her nap cubby After packing up his bedding, Jude finds his shoes, mask box, and All About Me page   Lorelai and Avree strike a pose in their area, which is all cleaned up! "I'm all done!"