Changes

We have lots of changes coming for next year in preschool. Sadly, Marie will not be teaching next year. We have been teaching together for the past 6 years and have had so much fun teaching together! This will be a big change for both of us! But, I will be teaching preschool with my good friend, Pam Kirkwood next year at my house.  We will have a lot of the same fun things and follow the same schedule. I just don’t have as great of a back yard as Marie... but who does?!  

 

I would like to introduce you to our new teacher Miss Pam for the 2014/15 school year:

Miss Pam is super excited to get to teach with the wonderful Miss Donna next year. Miss Donna has been the preschool teacher for two of her three children. Miss Pam started her working career as a nanny up in Seattle and has continued to work with children as a para-educator in the reading and math rooms for the North Thurston school district. Miss Pam has even subbed in the DD preschool rooms at Seven Oaks elementary school and loved singing in circle time with all the little ones. Now, to allow more time for her budding photography business and driving her children all of the places they need to go, Miss Pam is ready to try her best to fill the void that Miss Marie will be leaving. Just thinking about all of the arts & crafts, songs & games, and huge fun smiles in store for her, makes Miss Pam wish it could be September already!

Welcome to A to Z Learning Tree

We hope this blog tells you a little about what we do at preschool. 

Miss Donna and Miss Marie have been teaching preschool together since 2008.  We love preschool!  No other "job" could be quite as fun and entertaining. 

Our preschool is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays with two sessions each day.  The morning session is 9:15-11:45 and the afternoon session is 12:15-2:45. 

Check out the posts below to see what we learn and do in preschool.

Opening Table

We begin our preschool day with a fun gathering activity at the table.  These activities strenthen fine motor skills and encourage creativity-- but don't tell the children they are learning, they just think it's fun!  Just a few of our activities include:

 

1.  Building robots with magnets and metal cans

 

2.  Digging in buckets of beans and rice

3.  Sorting or creating patterns with colored noodles and tweezers

5. Playing with magnets and metal balls

6.  Gak (how far can you stretch it!?)

 

7.  Shaving cream  (sometimes we drive cars through it too)

8.  Coloring on chalkboards

 

9.  Our favorite-- playdough

 

Circle Time

After we finish with opening table, we sit on the rug for Circle Time for about 20 minutes.  Later after snack, we have another Circle Time.  Each day we go over the calendar, weather and the Letter of the Day (or whatever concept we are discussing that day).  We talk about the days of the week, the months of the year and count the days of the month. 



 

Children take turns bringing something for show and tell.  This is their favorite part!  They love to ask and answer questions.  

 

We also read stories, sing songs, dance, do movement activities, play musical instruments, practice writing letters, and other fun activities. 



V is for volcano-- we made a volcano during circle time.

Crafts

Each preschool day we do two craft projects.  Children love to create and learn concepts through art.  Art projects help reinforce the alphabet concepts we are learning as well as good practice for writing and cutting skills.  We use different mediums-- tempera paint, watercolors, markers, crayons, pencils, glue, different textured papers, beads, contact paper, and any ordinary household items that can be made into something extraordinary.  Our favorite projects are the ones where we can get messy.  There are so many fun crafts to make!

 

A project isn't complete until it has your name written on it.

Cooking

We do a lot of cooking in preschool.  It gives us a chance to use all our senses-- smelling and tasting the ingredients is half the fun!

First you add all the ingredients.



Stir it together.



It's even better when you work together with a friend. 

 We have made all kinds of foods: muffins, cookies, pizza, waffles, fruit salad, lemonade and, one of our favorites, homemade bread.

 

Of course, the best part is eating our hard work!  Yum!



Playtime

Playtime is an important part of preschool.  At this stage, children are forming relationships and learning how to get along with others.  They are learning how to share, take turns and work out conflicts.  They also have great imaginations.  We encourage building friendships and creative play.