Rocks by Mason and Levi

The children of the preschool room made gorgeous paintings of rocks on canvas to contribute to the school wide Columbia River Gorge mural project.  These paintings were printed onto cards, and will be available Wednesday afternoon during our Garden Party for purchase.  Each package of 12 cards made by your preschooler is $20.00.  The proceeds go to fund future curriculum connected art endeavors.

“These are adorable with the sophistication to use for my professional and personal correspondence!”  -Mom of a Corbett Preschool Artist

Little Ants

We are little ants,

we are all in a line,

hunting for some food;

and that’s what we find!

We’ll be in your…

garbage, your dishes, your cake, and your pans,

your cupboards, your ketchup, your cartons, and cans,

your sugar, your syrup, your left-over stew.

Anything you can eat,

We can eat too!

There are a few supplies still to sign-up for that are posted outside the classroom.  Also, we need two people to be designated as photographers.  Please send an email to mrousse@corbett.k12.or.us if interested.

Thank you and we are looking forward to the end of the year party!

Ms. Rousse and Ms. Mitchell

May 22^nd, Tuesday Our teachers will take a professional development day to attend a workshop. However, in the preschool, the show will go on with a much loved group of teachers and assistants who have joined our preschool class throughout the school year.

May 25^th, Friday This day is a regular school day to make-up class time in coordination with the Corbett School District. Families who would usually attend Friday school are welcome to join. However, this will not be a Fun Friday schedule for the children as we will be on our school day schedule.

May 28^th, Monday The preschool will be closed for Memorial Day.

May 30^th, Wednesday This day is our end of the year celebration around our garden study. The fun begins at 2pm and ends promptly at 3pm. All children in the preschool are welcome and encouraged to attend with their parents from 2pm to 3pm.  RSVP by sending an email to mrousse@corbett.k12.or.us.

June 1^st Friday The last day for preschool is a HALF day ending at 12pm.  We will enjoy ice cream with the rest of the Corbett Grade School.  Extended care will begin at 12:00pm and end promptly at 3:00pm.

We’ve been learning big things about tiny creatures.  Our preschoolers began by looking up-close at ants and how they live in a colony. As the children began drawing their observations from the ant farm, we gave them the language in morning meeting to label the three main body parts of an ant (head, thorax, abdomen).  The new vocabulary was put to the tune of head, shoulders, knees and toes…ask your preschooler to sing it!

In math, we grouped children into ants representing each main body part.  The child representing the head held a pair of antennae pipe cleaners.  We counted the ant children with the rule 3 children = 1 ant.  We sang more songs, marched around our morning meeting carpet, and ended with counting the sets of ant body parts in our colony, starting with the bright, neon antennae.

Then, Munching Mike rolled into the classroom on a metal machine that made ants appear giant!  The class worked together, drawing real and imaginary insects inspired by the projected images of ants.  Lucy Lamp Light sprinkled a light show here and there with timelapse video clips of the great work ants accomplish as they work together.  We made connections between our classroom and an ant colony by starting new jobs with pairs of children, and noticing we walk in lines just like the ants!

On the playground ants started becoming famous!  On Tuesday, one group of children invited ants to enjoy a s’more around their pretend campfire.  This was, of course, under the slide; a sort of tent for our campground.  We noticed them on the sidewalk, the pavement around the playground, and even right outside our very own classroom door.

Keep up with your kiddos and check out this article (or pod cast).

http://askabiologist.asu.edu/podcasts/ant-math

http://askabiologist.asu.edu/?q=node/130

http://askabiologist.asu.edu/explore/ant_farm

Our snack shelf is quite bare!  If you are out and about please pick up a snack or two for the Corbett Preschool.  Our favorites have been:

• apples
• apple sauce (any fruit sauce!)
• string cheese
• bagels and cream cheese
• baby carrots
• crackers
• vegetables and hummus
• something creative and store bought for us to try

We used our last pack of costco baby wipes last week, and would greatly appreciate another box.

May 22^nd, Tuesday Our teachers will take a professional development day to attend a workshop. However, in the preschool, the show will go on with a much loved group of teachers and assistants who have joined our preschool class throughout the school year.

May 25^th, Friday This day is a regular school day to make-up class time in coordination with the Corbett School District. Families who would usually attend Friday school are welcome to join. However, this will not be a Fun Friday schedule for the children as we will be on our school day schedule.

May 28^th, Monday The preschool will be closed for Memorial Day.

May 30^th, Wednesday This day is our end of the year celebration around our garden study. The fun begins at 2pm and ends promptly at 3pm. All children in the preschool are welcome and encouraged to attend with their parents from 2pm to 3pm.  RSVP by sending an email to mrousse@corbett.k12.or.us and look for a sign-up sheet next week to support this project with materials.

June 1^st Friday The last day for preschool is a HALF day ending at 12pm. We will enjoy ice cream with the rest of the Corbett Grade School.  Extended care will begin at 12:00pm and end promptly at 3:00pm.

11:30am for half day preschool

3:00pm for full day preschool

After the specified time, extended care begins for each respective group at $4/hour.

Wednesday, May 16th
3:40-4:15
Trillium Room

Please add your name to the RSVP sheet on the Trillium
Room door by May,10 if you plan to attend.

*Child -care will be provided by high school students in the
gym and east playground.

Hope to see there!