2 new rhymes

The Key to the Kingdom

Here is the key to the Kingdom
Here is the Kingdom
In the kingdom, there is a town
In the town, there is a hill
On the hill, there is a street
On the street, there is a house
In the house, there is a room
In the room, there is a bed
On the bed, there is a basket,
In the basket there is a blanket
Under the blanket, there is a baby!
Baby under the blanket
blanket in the basket
basket on the bed
bed in the room
room in the house
house on the street
street on the hill
hill in the town
town in the kingdom
Here is the key to the Kingdom!

(this is a bit tricky, but is a lot of fun - ask your children to show you all the actions!)

Red

Red is an apple
Red is a rose
Red is the colour of my
frozen, icy nose

What is your favourite......

Survey says........
Ash class has started taking polls! The children started by asking each other what their favourite colour leaf is - and then they record the names on their graph! This is a great way for the children to learn more about eachother, practise writing their names, and make observations and conclusions about what they find out. We just started doing it and we couldn't keep up with everyone who wanted a graph to fill in! Throughout the year, Ash class will explore making all sorts of graphs, using names, pictures and tallies. The children have lots of fun doing them - ask them about it at home. Some of the children wanted one to do at home, so you may find one in your child's backpack...Get ready to answer some questions!

Morning outdoor play

It has been great to start our mornings outside again. We begin with yoga poses and exercises - while balancing on the small ledge. Then we do various active exercises, usually combined with counting of some kind. We may so some art, play a game or do an activity such as hopscotch or skipping. Tomorrow we will do some tree rubbings, which we will then use for an art activity once we come up to the classroom. For the past 2 days, we played Red Light, Green Light, and the children had a lot of fun. Many of them initiated their own game, even once we were done as a group! There will be lots more games to come!

Three Billy Goats Gruff

I told their first oral story - Three Billy Goats Gruff. They were all excited - and some of them know it and were ready to join in with words and actions. We will tell it again, and see if any of the children would like to tell part or all of it to the class. Ask your child if they would like to tell you the story! Storytelling is a wonderful art, and is beneficial in so many ways. Encourage your children to tell you stories they hear.

What are those things wiggling in the soil?

We had a look at our worms yesterday! The children were very intrigued. We talked about why worms were good for our soil and what they actually do! We  also discussed how we need to care for them, and observed their tunnels. Today, children were independently going over to the worms, and someone rushed over to me to show me a tunnel! We will continue to observe them, feed them, draw them and write about them.

Some more rhymes

Peas Porridge Hot (an old time favourite)
Peas Porridge hot
Peas Porridge cold
Peas porridge in the pot
Nine days old

Some like it hot
Some like it cold
Some like it in the pot
Nine days old

We often do this rhyme with movements, which get progressively harder, ie, first clapping, then marching, then both at the same time - the crossover claps with the feet moving are the hardest ! ( I call it brain gym!)

Crackers and Crumbs (often done with movements)
Crackers and crumbs
Crackers and crumbs
These are my fingers
These are my thumbs

These are my eyes
These are my ears
They will all grow big in the next 10 years

Hickory Dickory Dock  (also a favourite - often done with movements and other variations)
Hickory Dickory Dock
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one
The mouse ran down
Hickory Dickory Dock

Little Mousie Brown
Up up the candlestick
Went little mousie brown
He climbed to the top
And couldn't get back down
He yelled, "Grandma, Grandma"
But Grandma was in town.
So he curled himself up
And rolled back down

The Moon is Round
The moon is round
As round can be
Two eyes, a nose
and a mouth like me!

It's a chesnut
What's this thing here
prickly green?
Open it up, so I can see.
It's a chesnut,
brown and shiny,
I can hold it right behind me.
Oops, I dropped it -
Wipe off the dirt
And put a cherry on top
For a squirrel's dessert!

This poem was created by Mr. Canrinus, their gym and outdoor science teacher. Personally, I think it's a winner and should win an award of some kind :)

A new September rhyme

Golden is the garden
Golden is the glen,
Golden, golden, golden
September's here again!

Golden in the tree-tops
Golden in the sky
Golden, golden, golden,
September's going by!

Getting to know eachother

Ash class is off to a great start! We are getting to know eachother  and learning the routines of the classroom. You may still see some tears, but do not worry, slowly they will be gone. We must be patient and let every child have their own experiences. Thank you for all of your support in helping the transitions happen as smoothly as possible. Everyday, we are conducting interviews of eachother to learn more about each student. The children ask questions to the interviewee and we write down their answers. When we are done, the child being interviewed draws a picture and we hang it up in the classroom.

The Rose Ceremony was a lovely way to end the week! The weather was perfect and the children sang so beautifully. Here are the words to the song we sang together:

Love's Great Circle
We are dancing love's great circle
We are dancing love's great circle
We are dancing love's great circle
Family one and all

We will live in peace together (3X)
Family one and all

We will speak in truth and listen (3X)
Family one and all

We will heal our hurt and sadness (3X)
Family one and all

We will live in celebration (3X)
Family one and all

Ash class always ends our day with a poem:

All my doing now has ended
What I've learned I'll put to rest.
Always knowing, always seeing,
That I've done my very best.

You can practise singing our tidy up song with your children at home (especially when you want them to tidy up! :)

Tick tock goes the clock
What does it have to say
Time to pick up the toys
And put them all away!

Welcome Ash Class 2014/15

Welcome Ash Class 2014/15! We are excited to meet you all and are looking forward to a great year!
We have had a great start, with lots of smiling faces every morning - and not worry if you still see some tears...this is normal! It is harder for some children than others to leave their parents, especially if it is for the first time.  Once the routine settles in, they will be off to the races!
We begin every morning with 3 poems:

In this circle here we stand,
quiet mouths and quiet hands
Feet together, straight as can be,
As we count, 1,2,3!

Below is the earth
Above is the sky
Here are my friends
And here am I!

I touch the sky
I touch my feet
I clap my hands on every beat
without a sound
I turn around
And this new day
I happily greet!

We read a book called the Kissing Hand, and then we talked about how Chester felt when he started school. Then each child had a chance to express how they felt on their first day of school, and we wrote each child's answer down.  We got all sorts of answers, such as scared, nervous, sad, lonely, happy, and excited. It is always nice to be able to acknowledge their feelings, so they can feel them and move on when they are ready. We talked about getting a kissing hand from our moms or dads before going to school. Ask your children to tell you what a kissing hand is and it may be nice to give one to your child before they go to school!

We are looking forward to a colourful fall together!