This week in the 4's Nov. 4, 2011
Snow in October! What a trick!
Here in the fours we are working on learning about Fall leaves and why they change colors and fall to the ground. The fours made leaves with green on one side for a summer leaf and beautiful fall colors to represent autumn on the other. Outside on the playground, the fours are busy collecting leaves and acorns to bring home as treasures. We have also been singing songs about leaves falling on our heads and changing colors. The children also noticed that many words rhyme with fall, such as call, ball, wall, hall, mall and tall.
With Thanksgiving coming up, we also read some books about the first Thanksgiving. We talked about how the Pilgrims came to the New World and how the Native Americans helped them learn to farm and hunt.
In conjunction with our Thanksgiving curriculum, the Bruce Museum paid us a visit. They talked to us about the Woodland period 500 years ago and how the Native Americans lived their lives. Melanie from the museum told us that Thanksgiving was a big dinner with the Pilgrims and Native Americans to celebrate the New World (for the Pilgrims), freedom and the harvest.We learned that the children had special chores like gathering nuts and berries for the family, and were the ones that dug out the canoes from trees to make them smooth and deep enough for people to sit in. This was done with sea shells! We also saw some artifacts and models of things from those times, such as a wig-wam (Native American house) and cooking pots and baskets that they might have used, all made from things in nature. We also got to touch different kinds of animal skins which they used to keep warm.
We have been playing with our pattern games, identifying and creating patterns, the beginning of the mastery of life-long maathematical skills. Stringing beads, using colored blocks and building with Legos can all be used to understand the concept. See if you and your child can identify patters as you go throughout your day. There are patterns everywhere! We even found them in our clothing and on the soles of our shoes!
Cantor Janet came on Tuesday to sing with us. We are learning Hebrew phrases, like Shem Sheli (my name is)... in song. It is so much fun.
As the weather is changing, please dress your child for the outdoors appropriately. The fours are the first ones outside in the morning, and it can be quite chilly.
Have a great weekend. Shabbat Shalom to all!
