Pre-K Newsletter for the Week of: November 9-13    

  This week in Pre-K, our focus was on the our solar system, the sun, and the inner planets; Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. On Monday, we began to transform our imaginative play area into a space station complete with our very own rocket ship! The kids made a space mural, hung silver star paper, and decorated with pictures of space shuttles and the planets. Several of the kids even helped to put together the rocket tent, and make cardboard space helmets! Another popular activity this week was the comet throw; each child made a tinfoil comet to throw out on the playground, the kids had a blast, and we learned that comets are like dirty balls of snow and ice with tail of burning gas! We also learned a variety of space songs to help us remember the order of the planets and, since many of the songs and books still include Pluto; we discussed how Pluto, Eris, and Ceres are categorized as dwarf planets. We also read a new class favorite several times, Poor Pluto! a book about Pluto being downgraded from planet to dwarf planet. Next week, we will continue out into our solar system learning about the gas giants, deep space objects, and space exploration. It should be quite an exciting week!    

Books we read:  The Universe; The Sun Is My Favorite Star, Space Boy, The Solar System, Stars! Stars! Stars!, The Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Astrobunnies, The Blow-up Solar System, What's Out There?, The Earth and The Moon, The Air We Breathe

Morning Circle: Each day, graphic of spotlighted planet mounted on board with label till all nine are represented. Under cutout of planets, the planet checklist. After reading about the specific planet, answer these questions together: Is this planet big or small? Rock or gas? Hot or cold? How many moons? (The moons can be represented by sequins or small cutouts so kids can count them themselves.)

Monday: Read about the sun and a general overview of the solar system. We made space necklaces using foam moon and star beads and plastic lacing material.

Tuesday: Mercury: Intro. to the Solar System. Tin foil comets.  Cut strips of crepe paper, Easter grass, yarn to about the same size. Have children tape ends into middle of the foil, then crumple foil into a ball with the ends on the inside to make a comet. Take children outside to see how far they can make their comets go. They can mark their landings with chalk.

NO SCHOOL--VETERAN’S DAY 

Thursday: Venus. Solar system mural for our imaginative play area.

Friday: Earth: EVERYBODY PROJECT: Make swirl painted earths, mount on black paper. Take down "I am Grateful to the Earth for . . ." words. Sensory table: Salt map dough moon/make craters in the surface; let dry over the weekend.