Utopia Preschool

We are so proud of the children for putting on an incredible performance at this year's holiday show! They went on that stage with so much bravery and confidence in front of a huge room of people - and absolutely nailed it! To celebrate, we had a movie night in our classroom before they performed. Great job Utopia! 

This week the children are writing letters to Santa, asking for what they want for Christmas! Here are some of their responses: Regine - Can I please have a Wednesday Adams dress, Ladybug uniform, and a toy house. My dad should get a rainbow pillow. Apollo - Fighter red web shooter Surya - Rattlesnake Vincent - Star Wars Darth Vader  Mia - Book Diego - Carro and gatos  Geronimo - A cute dog, Batmobile car, and Batman toy Jaylen - Puppy Isla - Cat toy Makena - Pink, rainbow unicorn purse with chocolate candy. That's it!  Logan - Robot Asher - Can I please have a toy phone because the one I have at home keeps malfunctioning Rhys - Puzzles Avery - Yellow jump rope and chewy chocolate chip cookies Liam - A big blankie Gigi - A toy that transforms from a dog to a cat Isabella - A pink bike with rainbows and a basket. And a toy phone too. Cayden - Monster  Kalina - A Wednesday Adams dress and a doll Layla - A dolly Kenzo - A cat!  

This week, two families visited our classroom for stories and a special activity!  On Monday, Surya's mom, Trang, read us one of their favorite books: The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?  by Mo Willems. This silly story discusses sharing, politeness, and using friendly words. After reading the book together, Trang led a painting activity where children painted their hands to look like the characters of the story! Thank you Trang for planning such a thoughtful and engaging activity for the children.                                                     On Tuesday, Rhys' Dad, Erik came by to read one of their favorite stories, Sunday Pancakes  by Maya Tatsukawa. We got to try some real pancakes, just like the story. Elizabeth and Erik cooked some fresh pancakes  Afterwards, Erik showed the kids his talent of juggling! The chi...

This week we are creating a Gratitude Tree to express all of the people, places, and things in our life that bring us happiness! The children painted a leaf for their tree, then the teachers helped them write down their responses. We are grateful to spend time together everyday!

This week at the Art Table the children are creating Mark Rothko-inspired paintings. This style uses color blocking and bold hues that cover the entire page! We set up easels at the art table, with a variety of paint brushes and colors for the children to express their ideas onto paper. This simple act of painting not only allows the children to be creative, but helps develop strong fine motor skills.  It also teaches the children to focus on a specific task for extended amounts of time, to wait for their painting to dry, and to compare and contrast!  Many of the children returned to the table each day to make multiple paintings. Each painting is unique and different, just like each of us. We love seeing their pride when their work is completed.  Special thank you to Melissa, Avery's mom, for telling us about Mark Rothko!     Below are some of Rothko's actual works!  Mark Rothko,  Orange and Tan , 1954