Mary Had a Little Lamb - First Baptist Ch Of...

Mary Had a Little LambMary had a little lamb!

It's fleece was white as snow!And everywhere that Mary went!

The lamb was sure to go!He followed her to school one day!

Which was against the rule!It made the children laugh and play

To see a lamb at school!And when the teacher turned it out!

But it lingered near!And waited patiently about

Until Mary did appear!Why does he love Mary so?The eager children cried!

Why Mary loves that lamb you know!The teacher did reply!

Time is passing by so quickly and our Little Lambs

are growing right before our eyes.

In the month of February the Little Lambs 1 will

focus on *"Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear I Love You".

Exploring objects with the hands, eyes and ears,

exploring and noticing how things are the same and

different and exploring picture books and

magazines are a few of the Key Developmental

Indicators that will be encountered.

Teddy Bear Song(sung to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb")

(Child's Name) has a teddy bear,Teddy bear, teddy bear

(Child's Name) has a teddy bearIt's brown and furry all over.

(change last line to fit description of child's teddy bear.)

We will be asking parents to bring in their child's

favorite Teddy Bear throughout the month.


Whose fleece was white as snow!Everywhere that Mary went!

That lamb was sure to go!It followed her to school one day!

Everything was new!The children were surprised to see!

That lamb was really you!


Whose fleece was white as snow!Everywhere that Mary went!

That lamb was sure to go!It followed her to school one day!

Which was against the rules!It made the children laugh and play!

To see a lamb at school!Bobby had a billy goat!

Whose legs were stout and strong!And everywhere that Bobby went!

That goat would ‘tag along’!It followed him to school!

That same day that Mary’s lamb was there!Mary’s lamb upset the ink well!

Bobby’s goat ate the teacher’s chair!

We will continue with language development

through nursery rhymes, this month with an

intentional focus on, “Baa! Baa! Black Sheep!”,

“Mary had a Little Lamb!” and “Little Bo Peep!”

Little Bo PeepLittle Bo Peep has lost her sheep!

And doesn’t know where to find them!She’ll look for them and bring them home!

Staying always close beside them!

Baa! Baa! Black SheepBY MOTHER GOOSEBaa! Baa! Black sheep!Have you any wool?

Yes sir!Yes sir!

Three bags full!One for the master!

And one for the dame!And one for the little boy!Who lives down the lane!

We will continue our one-on-one rituals while

changing diapers and during feeding times, singing

songs and recite nursery rhymes and finger plays.

During our “Awake and Alert” Time, we will have a

puppet show for the Little Lambs.

Teddy Bear Song(sung to the tune "You Are My Sunshine")

You are my teddy bear!My only teddy bear!You make me smile!You are my friend!

You'll never know dear!How much I like you!

I'm so glad you are my Teddy bear!

Five Little Teddy BearsOne little Teddy Bear!Wondering what to do!Along came another!

Then there were two!Two little Teddy Bears!

Climbing up a tree!Along came another!

Then there were three!Three little Teddy Bears!

Ate an apple core!Along came another!

Then there were four!Four little Teddy Bears!Found honey in a hive!Along came another!

Then there were five!

* Wondering about history of those beloved Teddy Bears?

Mary Bellis provides the following information, which I hope

you find interesting.

Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United

States, is the person responsible for giving the teddy bear his

name. On November 14, 1902, Roosevelt was helping settle a

border dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana. During his

spare time he attended a bear hunt in Mississippi. During the

hunt, Roosevelt came upon a wounded young bear and ordered

the mercy killing of the animal. The Washington Post ran a

editorial cartoon created by the political cartoonist Clifford K.

Berryman that illustrated the event. The cartoon was called

"Drawing the Line in Mississippi" and depicted both state line

dispute and the bear hunt. At first Berryman drew the bear as a

fierce animal, the bear had just killed a hunting dog. Later,

Berryman redrew the bear to make it a cuddly cub. The

cartoon and the story it told became popular and within a year,

the cartoon bear became a toy for children called the teddy

bear.

Who made the first toy bear called teddy bear?

Well there are several stories, this is the most popular one:

Morris Michtom made the first official toy bear called the

teddy bear. Michtom owned a small novelty and candy store in

Brooklyn, New York. His wife Rose was making toy bears for

sale in their store. Michtom sent Roosevelt a bear and asked

permission to use the teddy bear name. Roosevelt said yes.

Michtom and a company called Butler Brothers, began to

mass-produce the teddy bear. Within a year Michtom started

his own company called the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company.

Be well!

Leola, Kristi, Venicia and Shea

I Can Hear, Smell and TouchI can hear my name!

And the sounds around me!I can hear the song!

And music around me!I can smell the food I eat!

I can smell the scents around me!I can touch this instrument!

And hear what I play!I can touch everything with my hands!

January’s theme was “I Can Hear, Smell and

Touch.” We explored these senses using instruments,

shakers, a variety of textured materials and scented

materials. We continued to sing throughout the

month and many stories were read. It is good to see

how interested and attentive your Little Lambs are

during these activities.

In the month of February, the theme is “I Can

Move.” The Little Lambs move the whole and

parts of their bodies to explore objects, pull up,

crawl and shift. Some of our Little Lambs are

walking. We will engage in some exercises

to help strengthen the children’s bodies;

crawling through a tunnel, dancing to music,

using walkers and rolling balls.

We will offer jumbo crayons for the use and

refinement of fine motor skills and use edible paint

to do some Valentine’s Day projects.

10 Little HeartsOne little, two little, three little hearts!Four little, five little, six little hearts!

Seven little, eight little, nine little hearts! Bring love on Valentine's Day!

The Little Lambs continue to grasp food and feed

themselves. Also, we will introduce sippy cups. If

you have not yet done so, please provide a sippy cup

for your child.

Head! Shoulders! Knees! and Toes!Head, shoulders, knees and toes!

Knees and toes!Head, shoulders, knees and toes!

Knees and toes!And eyes and ears and mouth and nose!

Head, shoulders, knees and toes!Knees and toes!

Two little feet! Ten little toes! Two little feet!Ten little toes!

Leave their impressions today!Soon they will wear two little shoes!And be running and jumping at play!

Two little feet!Too little time!

Before they are walking to school!Kicking a rock, or skipping a rope!Wading a puddle or jumping a pool!

Happy February!

Ms. Wendy, Ms. Lajuan

and Ms. Sara

CRUNCH! CRUNCH!I eat carrots for lunch!

MUNCH! MUNCH!Rabbit eats them by the

bunch!TICK! TOCK!

I hear the clock!SCRAPE! SCRAPE!A key is in the lock!

BOW! WOW!The dog barks!

MOO! MOO!Calls the cow!

MEW! MEW!Begs the cat at her bowl!

EEK! EEK!Squeaks the mouse from

his hole!All these noises!

Calling to me!I'll turn them into poetry!

NOISE POETRY

The Valentine's Song(sung to the tune “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)

Valentines say, "I love you!""I love you!" "I love you!"

Valentines say, "I love you!""I really, really do!"

This month marks important dates for the

Caterpillars. Parent Teacher Conversations and

Conferences, Groundhog’s Day, Valentine’s Day and

Chinese and Vietnamese New Year.

If You Want to Show Your Love(sung to the tune “If You’re Happy and You Know It)

If you want to show your love!Share a smile!


If you want to show your love!If you want to show your love!If you want to show your love!

Share a smile!

If you want to show your love!Lend a hand!



Lend a hand!

If you want to show your love!Use kind words!



Use kind words!

February is known as the “Month de l’Amour.” We

will be talking about Love. Our theme this month is

“I Love You” we will emphasis love expressions

such as blowing kisses, give each other hugs,

waving goodbye or hello to one another.

Our toddlers really seem to enjoy the seasonal songs

and finger-plays.

10 Little Hearts One little, two little, three little hearts!Four little, five little, six little hearts!


Love, Love, Love (sung to the tune “Three Blind Mice")

Love! Love! Love!Love! Love! Love!See how it grows!See how it grows!

I love my friends and they me!We love each other, that’s plain to see!

There's plenty of love in our School Family!Love! Love! Love!Love! Love! Love!

The Love Bug It begins with a grin !

(smile broadly)

It turns to giggle!(put both hands on mouth and giggle)

You start to laugh!(throw head back and laugh out loud)

Your legs start to wiggle!(put feet in the air and shake)

You look all around for someone to hug!(move eyes back and forth)

What can you do?(shrug shoulders)

You've caught the love bug!(hug another child or yourself)

ACHOOO!

We will also have some special treats for our little

ones.

Sincerely,

Ms. Yelli, Ms. Tyree, Ms. Loan

Happy New Years! We started 2016 “ Down on the

Farm” exploring animal sounds, homes and families.

By the end of the month, they were “moo-ing”,

“baa-ing” and “cock-a-doodle do-ing” all over the

place.

February is here and we will be learning about

“Things We Love” people, places, food and some of

our favorite objects and materials as well. We will

be using pictures to create artwork and collages of

things and people we love. The Koala Babies’

caregivers would like to ask parents to send in

family photos of the children’s close relatives and

siblings.

If You Want to Show Your Love(sung to the tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)




Share a smile!




Lend a hand!




Use kind words!

We will begin to learn Sign Language for “I love

you” and we will also encourage and practice saying

it verbally.

“FAMILY”(sung to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Let's all live in peace!Let's play in harmony!

Red, yellow, brown, or white!We're all one family!

The Koala Babies will celebrate Black History

Month.

Friends! Friends! 1,2,3!Friends!Friends!1, 2, 3!

All of my friends are here with me!(Name) is my friend!(Name) is my friend!(Name) is my friend!(Name) is my friend!

Friends!Friends!

1,2,3!All of my friends are here with me!

In the spirit of Valentine's Day we will incorporate

hearts into our learning as well. We will explain the

shape and what is stands for. We will read “ Happy

Valentine's Day Mouse.” The Koala Babies will be

having a Valentine's Day Party and Dance which

parents are welcome to attend. The celebration will

include exchanging Valentines, enjoying treats and

dancing until we cannot dance any more. We ask

the children to come dressed in their best red and/or

pink for the dance. You can also just send the

clothing in and we will change them before the

party.

H-E-A-R-T(sung to the tune of “Bingo!”)

There is a shape!It stands for love!

And "heart" is its name!H-E-A-R-TH-E-A-R-TH-E-A-R-T

And "heart" is its name.

The Valentine's SongValentines s(sung to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)

ay, "I love you!""I love you!" "I love you!"

Valentines say, "I love you!""I really, really do!"

Now that all our Koala Babies are up and moving

we won't just be going for walks, we will also be

heading to the backyard for the playground! Also,

we will be transitioning from our sippy cups to open

mouth cups. This is exciting and maybe quite

messy, so, we ask our parents to please supply

ample amounts of extra clothing. We continue to

thank you for all your help and support.

Ms. Shontee, Ms, Nee Nee and Ms. Stefanie

We are going into a new LOVE filled month!

January was spent learning all about the season of

Winter; frigid air, animals who live in cold places,

and things that should be worn to help keep us warm

during the winter season. The most popular activity

was touching and feeling artificial snow and making

small snowmen and snowballs at our water table.

Also in January, some our little ones celebrated their

second Birthday! Happy Birthday Aaron, (January

7), Henry Scott, (January 20) and Belis, (January

22). February Birthday celebrations will include

Brianne, (February 10) Wren, (February 16) and Ms.

Nina, (February 25).

10 Little HeartsOne little, two little, three little hearts!Four little, five little, six little hearts!


The theme for February will be "Love Is In The

Air". During this month the children will talk about

Love. We will talk about God's love, family love,

and self-love. We will also focus on African





Until next time!

Ms. Tanganyika Ms. Nina

Ms. Delia

American History. We will celebrate Valentine’s Day

with a Valentine’s Day Dance and Card Exchange on

Friday February 12. Please be sure to look out for

further information.

“FAMILY”(sung to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Let's all live in peace!Let's play in harmony!

Red, yellow, brown, or white!We're all one family!

Our Winter PTCC will be held February 8. Sign up

sheets are available at the Parent Table.

As always, thank you so much for your continued

support of the day-to-day running of the Polar Bear

School Family!

Hello February! The past month was full of

transitions for the Brown Bears. We started toilet

learning and are learning family style dining;

amongst other things. Activities that we enjoyed

throughout the month of January include painting

snow, making snowmen, experiencing the cold

through ice play, practicing our colors, and learning

new nursery rhymes.

As we enter the month of February, our theme is

“Love is in the Air.” Our goals as we progress

though the month will include hearing rhyming

words, focusing on family and who we love, and

Black History Month. The objectives during the

month are participating in listening and responding,

responding and identifying pictures and photos, and

expressing emotions. We will also spend time

working on the concept of same/different and the

number of things.

Nursery rhymes that we will incorporate in our

classroom include:

I Love You, You Love Me“I love you!You love me!

We're a happy family!With a great big hug!

And a kiss from me to you!Won't you say you love me too?”

If You Love Me and You Know It Clap Your Hands“If you love me and you know it!

Clap your hands.If you love me and you know it!

Clap your hands.If you love me and you know it!

Then your face will surely show it!If you love me and you know it!

Clap your hands.”

Five Little Speckled Frogs“Five little speckled frogs!

Sat on a speckled log!Eating some most delicious grubs!

Yum!Yum!

One jumped into the pool!Where it was nice and cool!

Now there are four green speckled frogs!Glub!Glub!”

(Repeat song counting down to one speckled frog)

Throughout the month of February, the Brown Bears

will read many books, such as: “The Valentine

Bears” by Eve Bunting, “Love is a Special Way of

Feeling” by Joan Anglund, “Be My Valentine” by

Charles Schulz, “Ten Tiny Fairies” by Dawn Bentley

and Heather Cahoon, “Ten Little Ladybugs” by

Melanie Gerth, “Opposites” by Sandra Boynton,

“The Foot Book” by Dr. Suess, and “Go, Dog, Go”

by P.D. Eastman.

In addition to what we will be focusing on in the

month of February, we are also looking forward to

International Day. We will continue to focus and

learn more about our country through art, music, and

reading.

Through planned and prepared activities we will

encounter many of the Key Developmental

Indicators including:

Expressing initiative

Distinguishing 'me' from others

Solving problems encountered in exploration and play

Doing things for and by themselves

Expressing emotions

Showing empathy toward the feelings and needs of others

Developing social play

Imitating and pretending

Exploring building and art materials

Responding to and identifying pictures and photographs

Moving the whole body (rolling, crawling, cruising,

walking, running, balancing)

Listening to music

Responding to music

Listening and responding

Participating in communication give - and – take

Communicating verbally

Exploring picture, books, and magazines

Enjoying stories, rhymes, and songs, Exploring objects with

hands, feet, mouth, ears, eyes, Exploring and noticing how

things are the same or different

Experiencing 'more'

Experiencing one-to-one correspondence

Exploring the number of things

Observing people and things from various perspectives

Anticipating familiar events

Noticing the beginning and ending of a time interval

Experiencing 'fast' and 'slow'

Repeating an action to make something happen again,

experiencing cause and effect

We will continue to go outside, weather permitting,

even if it is only for a shorter period of time. Brown

Bears’ parents, please dress your children warmly in

winter coats, hats, and gloves. Please label

hats and gloves. Thank you for your

continued support and collaboration!

Wishing you all a Happy February!

Ms. Caterina, Ms. Elizabeth, and Ms. LiPing

Happy February!

Winter is already under way. In January, the Busy

Bees enjoyed creating art work whose theme was

“Everything Snow”. They painted snowflakes, snow

storms, made penguins, and snowman. They gathered

at the window sharing the experience of staring up at

the sky trying to see the weather!

The Martin Luther King Peace March was a success

and enjoyed by the children. We celebrated with a

special live performance in the Fellowship Hall

before the Peace March.

In February the Busy Bees will take a look at

“Giants”. Giants come in many forms. This unit

explores everything from Fairy Tale giants to

dinosaurs to tall building to mountains. It’s a great

unit for teaching perspective.

Busy BeesSome of our activities will include bead patterns,

stringing a big, bigger, and biggest pattern, building

a tower taller than they are and smaller, painting

their favorite animal giant and more as the children

indicate interest expanding on planned and prepared

lessons as well as contribute their own ideas.

Some of the books that will be read around which

Language and Communication Key Developmental

Indicators will be encountered include:

The Ant and the Elephant

Digging up Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs Dance

The Little Mouse

The Selfish Giant

The Key Developmental Indicators that will guide

our lesson planning will include:

- Sense of self- identifying me from others

- Creating representation- exploring building

and art materials

- Exploring objects- noticing how things are the

same or different

THE GIANT CARROTOnce there was a gigantic carrot!

The farmer tried to pull it out!But it didn’t work!

Then the farmer called over a grandmother!They pulled and pulled!With all their might!But it didn’t work!

Then the grandmother called over a little girl!

And the little girl, the grandmother and the farmer pulled the carrot!

But it didn’t work!Then the little girl called the cat over then the cat, the little girl, the grandmother and

the farmer pulled and pulled!But it still didn’t work!

Then the cat called the dog over then the dog, the cat, the little girl, the grandmother and the farmer tried to pull the carrot out!

But it didn’t work!Then the dog called the beetle!

And with one big thug!The carrot came flying out of the ground!

And they made a soup out of it!

Some of our other activities will include celebrating

Black History month, exploring some of the

amazing individuals who contributed their gifts and

talents.

Making ValentinesToday we’re making Valentines!With scissors, paint and glue!When yours is dry and ready,

I’ll be sending it to you!I’ll put it in an envelope!

I’ll write your name in red!I’ll sign it hugs and kisses!

From your very “Best Forever Friend!”

The Busy Bee’s Valentine’s Day Celebration will be

held on February 12, at 3:00 PM. Ice cream and

everything red, will be served and exchanging cards,

parents are invited.

10 Little Hearts(sung to: "One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians")

One little, two little, three little hearts!Four little, five little, six little hearts!

Seven little, eight little, nine little hearts!Bring love on Valentine's Day!

Love Is A CircleLove is a circle!

Round and round!(make a circling motion with arm)

Love goes up!(raise arms up)

And Love comes down!(lower arms)

Love is on the inside!(pull hands inward towards chest)

Trying to get out!(pull hands away from chest)

Love is whirling and twirling about!(move hands in a spinning motion)

Our mid-year conferences will take place on 10

February.

Notes from Ms. Evelyn

Congratulations to Rose’s parents for having a baby

girl. Her name is Nora Grace. She was born on 4th of

January. Joy and blessings

Ms. Bernita and Ms. Evelyn

InchwormsLOVE SOMEBODY

Love somebody, yes I doLove somebody, yes I doLove somebody, yes I do

Love somebody,But!

I won't tell you who!

Welcome month of Love!

Roses are red, violets are blue, we love your

children as much as you do!

10 Little Hearts(sung to: "One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians")

One little, two little, three little hearts!Four little, five little, six little hearts!

Seven little, eight little, nine little hearts!Bring love on Valentine's Day!

Love Is A CircleLove is a circle!

Round and round!(make a circling motion with arm)

Love goes up!(raise arms up)

And Love comes down!(lower arms)

Love is on the inside!(pull hands inward towards chest)

Trying to get out!(pull hands away from chest)

Love is whirling and twirling about!(move hands in a spinning motion)

This month we will continue learning the letters in

our names, colors and shapes. The children have

begun the toilet learning process. We will continue

to encourage the children to use the toilet and begin

using underpants instead of diapers. We will

continue Family Style Dining at lunch. The children

doing very well with passing and the food to one

another and saying “Please” and “Thank you”.

We would like to remind you of the Parent/Teacher

Conferences, Thursday, 11 February. Please be sure

to sign-up.

I Love You So!I'm glad it's Valentine's Day today!

It's a special day, you know!It gives me an extra chance!

To say, "I love you so"!

We will also have a Valentine Day Party Friday, 12

February.

Happy Birthday

Halima 2/7

Happy Valentines Day!

Ms. Shanna

Ms. Halima

http://www.preschooleducation.com/svalentine.shtml

LadyBugsThe Rose is Red! The Violet is Blue!

The rose is red!The violet’s blue!

The honey’s sweet!And so are you!

Thou art my love!And I am thine!

I drew thee to be my Valentine!The lot was cast and then I drew!And fortune said it should be you!

February is a month when we express our emotions

to the ones that we love with cards, candy, flowers,

kind words or a simple hug!

In January, the goals set for the children were “New

Beginnings!” and “Reviewing Past Activities!” The

children reviewed the letters in their names focusing

letter on the first of their name through books, and

songs about the alphabet. We have begun toilet

learning and the children are practicing healthy

habits in the bathroom. The class is using “Family

Style” dining at mealtimes where the children serve

themselves portions of food and pour their own

milk. We are also learning a new lunch prayer.

We will carry January’s theme of “Winter and Ice”

into February continuing to explore water, and ice

elements as well as how to stay healthy while

enjoying the cold weather.

Other themes that the Lady Bugs will explore in

February include:

“Emotions”, “Healthy Bodies” and “Famous

Americans”.

Goals and objectives around which lessons will be

planned and prepared include practicing good

nutrition learning about the food groups and the

importance of eating healthy and getting enough

exercise. The children will think of ways to show

their love to people who are important to them.

Key Developmental Indicators that will be

encountered are self-identifying emotions and

expressing how they feel towards loved ones.

Gross motor-body awareness skills such as running,

jumping, “skating “ on paper and exercising

movements will be incorporated as daily activities.

Language-learning/saying words and phrases from

songs and poems related to themes.

Reading/writing- Valentine cards.

H-E-A-R-T(sung to: "B-I-N-G-O")

To show you like your special friends!Just give them each a heart!

H-E-A-R-T!H-E-A-R-T!H-E-A-R-T!

Each heart says I like you!

Practicing personal and healthy behaviors – doing

things for themselves, serving self at mealtimes and

toilet training.

Some of the activities the children will participate in

are: Communication, Language and Circle Activities

– The children will communicate verbally reasons

why we say “I love you” to special people. Talk

about what we need to stay healthy, (food, water,

sleep, exercise, and fresh air).

Listening and responding to weather questions,

“What is a shadow?” “How do you make a

shadow?” and “Is today a shadow day?”

HERE'S A LITTLE GROUNDHOG(sung to "I'm A Little Teapot")

Here's a little groundhog!Furry and brown!He's popping up!To look around!

If he sees his shadow!Down he'll go!

Then six more weeks of winter!OH, NO!

Math – Number heart puzzles.

Creative/art activities – Magic Valentine crayon

rubbings. Use various art materials making holders

for Valentines. Shadow play using light.

Large motor – Circle game “Heart, Heart, who’s got

the heart?

Dramatic Play – Playing Post Office and visiting the

Doctor’s.

Five pretty valentines!With lace galore!

I gave one to__________(insert child's name)

And then there were four!Four pretty valentines!

So lovely to see,!I gave one to __________!

(insert name of another child)

And then there were three!

Three pretty valentines!Just made for each of you!

I gave one to ___________!

(insert name of another child)

And then there were two!Two pretty valentines!

Having so much fun!I gave one

to____________!(insert name of another child)

And then there was one!One little valentine!Waiting for a special

someone!I gave it

to____________!(insert name of another child)

And then there were none!

Five Pretty Valentines

On Friday February 12th, the Lady Bugs will have a

little Valentine celebration where they will exchange

Valentine cards. A list will be given with the

children’s names. We will not ask for the parents to

provide goodies for this activity, the teachers will

provide them. The children will need to bring in

Valentine cards on or before Friday the 12th.

Mark your calendars for our second Parent/Teacher

Conversations and Conferences which will be on

Friday February 19th.

We would like too express our love and appreciation

to our Lady Bug families as we wish them a HAPPY

VALENTINE’S DAY!

Ms. Jackson and Ms. Ximena

FirefliesRoses are red!

Violets are blue!But no flower in this world!

Is as beautiful as you!The rose is red!The violet’s blue!Sugar is sweet!And so are you!

The Fireflies have been learning all about directions,

prepositions, and locations in the month of January.

We had lots of fun describing where materials were

in the classroom, learning sign language for our left

and right sides, and driving our cars all over the

gym.

Five Green DragonsFive green dragons making such a roar!

One danced away and then there were four!Four green dragons dancing around a tree!

One danced away and then there were three!Three green dragons dancing around you!

One danced away and then there were two!Two green dragons dancing in the sun!

One danced away and then there was one!One green dragon having lots of fun!

She danced away and then there were none!

In addition to the ideas that will be encountered and

explored by virtue of the fact that it is February;

Black History Month, American Heart Month,

CandelMass Day, Ground Hog’s Day, Ice Cream for

Breakfast Day, Superbowl Sunday, Mardi Gras, Ash

Wednesday, Lent, Valentine’s Day, Random Acts of

Kindness Day, President’s Day, Love Your Pet Day,

International Dog Biscuit Day, the big idea for

February is “It’s Nursery Rhyme Time!”

WAKE UP SONG(sung to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star")

Wake up, Groundhog!Time to see!

What the weather is going to be!Time to stretch!Time to think!Time to eat!

And time to drink!Wake up Groundhog!

Time to see!What the weather is going to be!

It's a Special Day(sung to: “If You're Happy and You Know It”)

It's a very, very special day today!(clap twice)

It's a very, very special day today!(clap twice)

Today is Presidents' Day!When we shout and say,

"Have a happy, happy, happy, happy, today!" (clap twice)

Rhymers Are Readers: The Importance of Nursery Rhymes

Most everyone was taught a nursery rhyme when

they were a child. If you weren't taught nursery

rhymes, you have probably heard at least one

nursery rhyme in your lifetime. Many people may

not understand the importance of nursery rhymes

and may think they are a waste of time. Nursery

rhymes actually help to improve your child's

language skills.

My Little StarSweetheart, you’re my little star!

How I love the way you are!And I wonder what you’ll be!As I bounce you on my knee!

Sweetheart, you’re my little star!How I love the way you are!

Start reading nursery rhymes to your child when

they are a baby; three months is a good age to start.

Reciting nursery rhymes to your baby will help them

understand the grammatical structure of language

and learn to read. Several studies have been done on

nursery rhymes that have proven that nursery rhyme

activities really do help children understand the

language.

A Wonderful Woman Lived in a ShoeA wonderful woman who lived in a shoe!

She had so many children!She knew exactly what to do!

She held them!She rocked them!

And tucked them in bed!“I love you!”“I love you!”

Is what she said!

Cognitive Development

Since nursery rhymes are patterns, they help children learn easy recall and memorization. Nursery rhymes usually tell a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. This teaches children that events happen in sequence, and they begin to learn how to understand stories and follow along. Nursery rhymes use patterns and sequence, so children begin to learn simple math skills as they recite them. Many rhymes also use numbers, counting, and other math words that children need to learn, such as size and weight. Nursery rhymes also introduce alliteration (“GoosieGoosie Gander”), onomatopoeia (“Baa Baa Black Sheep”), and imaginative imagery. Children hear these rhymes and act out what they imagine the characters are doing.

Peter, Peter Pumpkin EaterPeter, Peter Pumpkin Eater!

Had a friend he loved to greet!He treated him (her) with kind respect!

And in the morning hugged her (his) neck!

Language Development

When children hear nursery rhymes, they hear the sounds vowels and consonants make. They learn how to put these sounds together to make words. They also practice pitch, volume, and voice inflection, as well as the rhythm of language. For example, listen to how you sound when you ask questions. Do you sound different when you tell a story? In nursery rhymes, children hear new words that they would not hear in everyday language (like fetch

and pail in “Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water”).

Nursery rhymes are short and easy to repeat, so they

become some of a child’s first sentences.

Star Light! Star Bright!Star light!

Star bright!First star I see tonight!

I wish I may!I wish I might!

Have the wish I wish tonight!

Social/Emotional Development

Sharing nursery rhymes provides a safe and secure bond between parents and children. Positive physical touch between a parent and a child or between children, for example, during clapping rhymes, is important for social development. Funny nursery rhymes allow children to develop a sense of humor. Nursery rhyme characters experience many different emotions. This can help children identify their own emotions and understand the real emotions of others. When children act out the nursery rhyme stories they hear, they learn to imagine, be creative, and express themselves.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little StarTwinkle, twinkle little star!

What a wonderful child you are!With bright eyes and round cheeks!

You’re my wonderful friend from your head to your feet!

Twinkle, twinkle little star!What a wonderful child you are!

Physical Development Children develop their mouth and tongue muscles by using the different sounds in the rhyme. Rhymes that involve movement help with coordination.

In dramatic play, children use their whole bodies to

act out the nursery rhymes they hear.

Jack be BimbleJack be nimble!Jack be quick!

Jack jump over the candlestick!Jill, be nimble and jump it too!If jack can do it, so can you!

Jack was NimbleJack was nimble!Jack was quick!

Jack jumped over the candlestick!Jack kept jumping much too close!

Now his pants smell like burnt toast!

Make time to rhyme!

Ms. Erin and Ms. Katrina

Small ScholarsWe made it through our first month of 2016! It’s safe to say we

are fully “back in the swing of things,” if not better than when

we left. Throughout the month we learned about several dances,

some that came easier to us than others, we looked at directions,

such as left and right, and we also explored some letters and the

sounds they represent. The Small Scholars also brought in some

awesome letter posters that created an opportunity for the

children to teach one another and garner a deeper understanding

of the lessons. As these posters are now our walls, not only do we have some added creative décor, but to

create visual touch points for the children to reference and absorb what is being taught.

As we enter February, we will further explore our creativity by learning about some of the great artists who

have contributed some of their own creativity into our world. Through our theme ”Salvador Owli and Picas-

Whoo” children will be able to appreciate the creative arts, understand that people have diverse

characteristics, interests, and abilities, express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel

through two- and three-dimensional art, understand past, present, and future, and observe the materials and

processes in their environment. As art can be understood through various mediums we will primarily focus

on visual arts. It is through this theme that we aspire to challenge the children to use ordinary materials in

extraordinary ways, further develop their fine motor skills and prewriting skills, explore their individuality,

and continue conversation about diversity.

We will look at some more conventionally famous artist such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Claude

Monet*, and Henri Matisse. Additionally, we will also look at artist who embody an often under represented

community. These artists include Gordon Parks, Emma Amos, Jacob Lawrence, Betye Saar, and Kara

Walker, five of many amazing Black visual artists who contribute (have contributed) thought provoking

work that sheds light on a culture that is faced with many obstacles still. We will explore the techniques used

by these artists, the controversial new ideas they contributed to the world of art, and the social impact they

created on their communities.

* Claude Monet was born in 1840 on November 14 in Paris. He grew up in LeHaver, near the sea. Even when he

was young he was a very good artist. His pictures were so good that an art supply store let him hang his pictures in

their window.

Monet's parents did not want him to become an artist because they thought he would not make a good living. That

did not stop him ;at the urging and with the encouragement of his friend, Eugene Boudin who invited Monet on an

expedition to paint with him at the ocean, Monet decided to become an artist at the age of 18 and when he was 20,

he studied are at an inexpensive art school in Paris.

At the beginning of his career, Monet used dark colors, as he did in the 'Studio Corner' marked by black shades. His

painting evokes Courbet and the Realist School.

From 1860 on, Monet abandoned dark colors and worked from a palette limited to pure light colors. In 1905,

answering a question about his colors, he wrote :

"As for the colors I use, what's so interesting about that? I don't think one could paint better or more brightly

with another palette. The most important thing is to know how to use the colors. Their choice is a matter of habit.

In short, I use white lead, cadmium yellow, vermilion, madder, cobalt blue and chrome green. That's all."

The children will study several of Monet’s most famous works

with the intention of encountering the key developmental

indicators of making and expressing choices, plans, and

decisions, describing objects, events, and relations, comparing

attributes, arranging several things one after another in a series

or pattern and describing the relationships, exploring and

describing similarities, differences, and the attributes of things,

distinguishing and describing shapes, sorting and matching,

using and describing something in several ways, holding more

than one attribute in mind at a time, distinguishing between

"some" and "all", describing characteristics something does not

possess or what class it does not belong to, relating models,

pictures, and photographs to real places and things, making

models out of clay, blocks, and other materials and drawing and

painting and to introduce the following art vocabulary in

preparation of their own painting.

Analogous colors: any set of three or five colors that are closely related in hue(s).

Brushstroke: The mark left by a loaded (filled) brush on a surface. Brushstrokes can be

distinguished by their direction, thickness, TEXTURE, and quality. Some artists purposefully

obscure individual brushstrokes to achieve a smooth surface. Other artists make their brushstrokes

obvious to reveal the process of painting or to express movement or emotion.

Complementary colors: two colors directly opposite one another on the color wheel. When placed

next to one another, complementary colors are intensified and often appear to vibrate. When mixed,

brown or gray is created. Red and green, blue and orange, and yellow and violet have the greatest

degree of contrast. Red-violet and yellow-green, red-orange and blue-green, and yellow-orange and

blue-violet are also complementary colors.

Composition: the arrangement of the design elements within the design area; the ordering of visual

and emotional experience to give unity and consistency to a work of art and to allow the observer to

comprehend its meaning.

Impressionism: an art movement in which painters attempted to capture candid glimpses of their

subjects through spontaneous brushwork and an emphasis on the momentary effects of light on color.

Landscape: a painting, drawing or photograph which depicts outdoor scenery. They typically include

trees, streams, buildings, crops, mountains, wildlife, rivers and forests.

Value: the lightness or darkness of a color; contrasts between light and dark.

Waterscape: A painting of or including a body of water. It might otherwise be called a marine

picture, a seascape, or a riverscape, etc.

Warm color: Colors whose relative visual temperature makes them seem warm. Warm colors or

hues include red-violet, red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, and yellow.

Oh and how could we mention February and not mention Valentine’s Day?! In celebration of Valentine’s

Day we will participate in a card exchange. But before we exchange cards we need a cute mailbox to store

them in! We ask that children bring in a shoe box (or something similar) to be decorated no later than

Tuesday, February 9. Also, on Friday, February 12 we will have a Valentine’s Day party, where we will

exchange cards, share yummy treats, and bask in love. With that we ask that parents look above the cubbies,

in front of the calendar, and sign up for what they will be able to contribute.



I love my friends and they me!We love each other,!That’s plain to see!


As always we thank our amazing home families for all that they

do to ensure the Small Scholars success. We can’t wait to see

what February brings.

Peace, Love, and Art,

Ms. Gaby and Mr. Ron

Butterflies“Supposing I said there was a planet without schools or teachers,

where study was unknown, and yet the inhabitants – doing nothing

but living and walking about – came to know all things, to carry in

their minds the whole of learning; would you not think I was

romancing? Well, just this, which seems so fanciful as to be nothing

but the invention of a fertile imagination, is a reality. It is the child’s

way of learning. This is the path he follows. He learns everything

without knowing he is learning it, and in doing so passes little by

little from the unconscious to the conscious, treading always in the

paths of joy and love.” -Maria Montessori, MD

The children are indeed growing in their regard for themselves and each. In questions asked or in kind

words offered, a deeper awareness of others perspective can be observed in verbal and non-verbal

situations.





As we explore themes of “Love” and “Friendship” this month, I invite children to bring pictures from home

of representations of this, such as a likeness of them and a grandparent, or them and a favorite pet, or them

and sibling and so on. We will have group discussion on why this person or animal is important to them and

how they feel about them.

As we work together with you in the education of your children, the following ideas can help in building

kindness and compassion in our students:

1. Acknowledge when your child does something kind or when you observe someone else

doing something kind

2. Treat children with respect.

3. Show children how to help someone in need.

4. You are your child’s first model, they are watching you; model positive action.

5. Be patient with your little ones, for kindness and compassion are learned in challenging

situations.

6. Teach your children how to watch others’ facial

expressions.

7. Believe that your children are capable of being kind.

The children will have opportunity to use their observation

skills to find heart shapes in nature. This may include a heart-

shaped stone, heart-shaped ice, or creating a heart-shaped

snowball.

ROSES are REDRoses are red!

Violets are blue!I am so blessed!

To have a friend like you! (point to a friend and say their name!)

We will collaborate with our Bluebird friends in making a special Valentine’s snack, measuring and mixing

together, creating a sense of community. We will have a Valentine’s exchange as well, with a list of all our

friends’ name provided.

The children will have ample opportunity to use creativity in stamping hearts onto white cloth to use as

placemats or improving cutting skills in folding paper to cut hearts.

In self-care, the children continue to practice and improve skills in zipping their jackets, pulling mittens on

the hands, etc. in order to explore the landscape of snow outdoors. We continue testing the properties of

snow, ice, and water in classroom experiments as well as continuing our study of animals that hibernate in

winter. The children are in the process of creating a habitat mural on paper depicting animals who live in

Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Toward the end of the month, our focus will turn toward the continent of Europe, locating this continent on

the map, creating a sand outline, and identifying and recreating some of the great structures of Europe with

various construction materials, including Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tower, Neuchwanstein Castle, or St. Basil’s

Cathedral.

We continue to build our awareness of the seasons with seasonal matching cards as well as a song that

includes the months of the year.

Months of the Year(to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")

January.. February... March... and April...May... June... July... August... and September...

October.... November... and December...These are the twelve months of the year.

We continue to introduce phonetic sound baskets with objects beginning with the same letter.

Ms. Elise, Ms. Manisha and Ms. Yoland

Blue BirdsFebruary is the month most associated with hearts, flowers and

friendship. The class will be exploring acts of kindness and

what makes a friend.

"Averting war is the work of politicians; establishing peace is

the work of education." Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori recognized children as the redeeming factor

in the evolution of humankind. In order to bring about a world of peace and tolerance, where war is an

absurdity, it is important to focus and teach peace early. The children in the Blue Bird School Family will

think together about peace as small acts of kindness that can be offered on a daily basis. Small acts of

kindness can be achieved by helping to clean up, a hug, the peace rose and a simple smile.

“Peace begins with a smile.” BL Mother Teresa

We will continue exploring Winter Animal Cards at Circle Time. February’s animals will include a ground

hog, coyote, and a chickadee.

We will continue to incorporate actions (modeling) and words of kindness, such as “Please”, “Thank you”

and asking a friend “Are you OK?”

Books that will be read in a group include “Love, From the Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle and

“Everyday Graces: A Child’s Book of Good Manners” by Karen Santorum and Sam Torode.

This month’s cooking project will involve making "smore friendship mix". Ingredients include Quaker heart

cereal, pretzels, peanuts, Valentine M&M’s, and alphabet crackers.

Valentine art will be done with children using "pom-pons", and fabric paint to create beautiful lunch napkins

for themselves!

Reminders for this month:

Please make sure children have appropriate clothing for the cold weather. Please make sure their "extra cloth

bins" are replenished as needed.

School will be closed on February 15 for Presidents Day!

Sign-up sheet for Parent Teacher Conversations and Conferences are available at the Parent’s Table.

Regards,

Ms. Sarla and Ms. Carmen

MAKING PEACEMaggie Clark

January flew by, and now February is upon

us. Last month we welcomed our new

student, Lila, as a Roaring Lions, and she

has settled in wonderfully our class.

The Roaring Lions have been hard at work

on their Literacy and Math workbooks. We

continue to work on upper and lower case

letter recognition and formation on lined

paper, and we are moving forward to

isolate beginning and ending sounds. We

are working to distinguish between

alliteration and rhyming, using books,

songs and written words to help us tell

them apart. Some children are even

beginning to sound out simple words, or

try some phonetic spelling of their own.

We have been using many gross motor

activities and games such as, playing letter

bingo, tossing letter bean bags, making

giant letters with our bodies, and going on

letter hunts, to engage the children with

their whole bodies.

Our literacy and character education areas

of study overlap heavily this month with

Valentine's Day

approaching soon. We

will be expanding our

conflict resolution

skills to include making

apology notes, and

creating cards to show love

for one another. We will

also make more drawn and

written plans before

we choose a plan-

do-review space,

do a science

experiment or start a

building project. We have

placed many more writing

materials throughout the

classroom to encourage the

children to bring all that

they are learning about

letters, numbers, and

written communication

throughout their play

scenarios.

We will have a

Valentine's Day party

in our classroom on

Friday, February 12 at 3:30. Each child is

asked to bring a shoebox (or box of similar

size) to school no later than 2/9 for us to make

mailboxes. The children may either buy or

make valentines for their friends, and we will

be delivering cards to each child's mailbox

throughout the day. This is a great opportunity

for the children to practice writing and reading

their friends names, which we have been

working on throughout the year.

There will also be a party sign-up sheet posted

for food items on our parent board at the

beginning of the month.

This month we will expand our math and

science studies to include using more

descriptive language about directions,

measurements, and comparisons. We will use

sound boxes, scent trays, and various art

projects to distinguish between senses, and

how we are experiencing the world around us.

We will also discuss the changes in nature that

we notice around us, and those that are soon to

come as we are *hopefully* able to spend

more time outside, and less time in the gym.

Sending you all warm wishes!

- Ms. Amanda

Roaring Lions

Sea TurtlesHello Sea Turtle parents!

I hope everyone has enjoyed the chilly, but

wonderful weather that we had throughout the

month of January. The new year has come and gone

and I have been so pleasantly surprised with the

growth all of your children have shown over the

course of the past month. I can't wait to see what the

rest of 2016 has in store for the Sea Turtles!

During the month of January our themes focused on

the different animals and areas that are associated

with the Arctic regions of the world. Our classroom

became a real life globe that had the North and

South poles come alive with different creatures that

live in both regions, including polar bears, penguins

and seals.

With the turn of the calendar also came the

opportunity to finally crack open or workbooks and

get down to business. Our themes in math included

working on position words such as above, below,

between, before and after. We also started one to one

correspondence and identifying different

numbers. We will continue to build on these skills

into February and focus on new themes such as

patterns and three dimensional objects.

Keep your eyes open for this month’s

share ideas to be posted on the parent

bored outside of the classroom. The

share ideas for February will focus

on the many different themes and

holidays that are celebrated

during the month. Not sure

who came up with the idea to

have February to have the fewest

days in any month on the

calendar, because there is so

much going on!

Our first week of the month will

focus on taking care of our

teeth and the importance of

brushing our teeth twice a

day. This theme aligns with

the National Pediatric

Dental Awareness month.

Last year, we were able to have the “Tooth Fairy”

talk to most of the classes about the importance of

eating healthy and taking care of one the most

important parts of our body, our teeth!

Obviously, we can’t forget the most important

holiday in February, Valentine’s Day! Our party will

fall on Friday the 12th at 3:30 P.M. The theme for

our party will be all about the color RED. We will

use various red fruits to make smoothies during our

party as well as other treats. Our class will also take

part in a valentine exchange amongst our class. The

class list of names has been sent in an email a few

weeks ago, so be sure to use that to start making

your valentines soon!

Other themes for the month will include celebrating

Black History, as well as President’s Day.

This month we finally get to celebrate some of our

Sea Turtle friends turning the big “5”! Be sure to

wish Atticus (2/6) and Jordan (2/9) a happy

birthday!

Happy February!

Mr. Ryan and Ms. Maria

Little ExplorersWow! January surely came and went fast and our

Little Explores are right along with the

tide! January was full of exciting moments such as,

welcoming Mr. Kaz to the School Family, studying

about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. listening to stories

and discussing our dreams about the future during

Circle Time. Prior to FBCC CDC’s Annual Peace

March, a gathering of our School Families heard a

re-enactment of Dr. King’s "I have a dream speech".

The children also began the study of ice and snow.

They explored building igloos in Block Area with

white paper covered blocks, role playing and

brewing hot chocolate in the Creative

Kitchen, modeled and displayed what to wear in

cold weather in the dress-up, discovered creative

ways to melt ice at the water table and enjoyed a

make believe "snow vortex" in our sensory play. It

was exciting to finish up our unit with not only our

first snowfall of the season, but a world-record

blizzard! We hope everyone stayed safe and warm

during those snowy days.

In February, we will open up our hearts and minds to

the concept of care. We will also discuss a few

African American inventors and their inventions in

honor of Black History month. The children will be

encouraged to participate in caring for themselves

and others, the earth, and the preservation of our

history. We will discuss how to care for each of

these topics and why it is so important. We will also

discuss African American inventors and

a few inventions we still use today.

We will have rollers and hair

accessories in dress-up, create traffic

lights in art and a medical kit in

the dramatic play area.

The children will be

encourage to journal their

ideas on ways to care for the

world around them and also any

ideas they have or would like to

create. In honor of caring others,

we will be writing letters "to our

"beary" good friends" and

creating mailboxes leading up

to our "Pals Day Out" social

gathering.

Children must learn and

understand the color of

someone's skin doesn't make

them worth any more or any less than someone else.

Children in the upper grade levels study slavery,

abolition, segregation, and prominent black figures,

but this type of instruction should begin as early as

preschool. Black history activities designed for

preschoolers help children grasp the concept of

equality. Here, learn several ways to introduce black

history in a fun and engaging way.

Black Inventors

Black inventors have contributed many things to

society. If children can see, touch, and play with

these inventions, they're more likely to appreciate

them. Create a playroom for the week or for the day

filled only with things invented by black people.

Explain to the children that someone with dark skin

invented everything in the room, and let them

explore. Here are some things to include in your

room:

Corn planter toy (corn planter invented by

Henry Blair)

Ironing board toy (ironing board invented by

Sarah Boone)

Toy Lawn Mower (lawn mower invented by

John A. Burr)

Paints (Invented by George Washington

Carver)

http://www.brighthub.com/education/early-childhood/articles/100748.aspx



Keyboard (Player piano invented by Joseph

Dickinson)

Toy Guitar (Guitar invented by Robert

Flemming Jr.)

Bicycle (Bicycle frame invented by Issac

Johnson)

Stampers (Hand stamp invented by W.B.

Purvis)

Baby Buggy (Invented by W.H. Richardson)

Toy Cell Phones (Invented by Henry Sampson)

Toy refrigerator (refrigerator invented by J.

Standard)

On February 12, we will be having a "Pals Day Out"

social gathering. Each child will be requested to

bring the following: boys- a teddy bear and neck

tie, girls- a teddy bear and scarf. Continue to follow

up on the parent board for any additional

information.

Our Parent Teacher Conversations and Conferences

will be on 25 February. Please indicate your time

preference on the sign-up sheet on the Parent

Teacher.

Continue to check the parent boards daily for any

upcoming announcements.

Best regards,

Ms. Bindu and Mr. Kaz

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