"WELCOME HOME, SPRINT AND BUDDY!!"

Dear Friends, Families and Blog Followers,

Yes -- it is true -- our infamous pair of turtles, Sprint and Buddy, will be coming home, to our new CDC, shortly -- we have so missed our amphibious friends!!

And -- we move further and further along into well-structured days, which include the patience and calm of our Post Grad, Amy, as well as scheduled visits from high-school students from both Minuteman's Career and Technical High School and Lexington High School.

"Fieldtripping" -- (please do not forget -- we pick pumpkins and apples and eat cider doughnuts on Tuesday!!) -- is in full swing!!

While Liz and I are using a calendar, now, with the "Puppies" -- (thank you, Liz!!) -- with the "Butterflies", Kelly has re-introduced the Circle Center, and is reinforcing letter and number recognition, letter sounds, one-to-one correspondence, rhyming words, colors, shapes, weather, and, much more -- additionally, I recently purchased color-mixing charts which will back-up learning, with fun, during meetings.

On Friday, the children enjoyed a wonderful mix of activities, such as keyboarding Fall and Autumn-themed words, shaping our pumpkiny, home-made play-dough, making "spider webs", completing "The Royal Family" and our multi-media group collages, (which fosters teamwork, sensory stimulation and fine motor-skill development), doing puzzles and playing in the many learning centers.

A high-light was, indeed, the huge, stand-up "Jack-O-Lantern" bean bag toss game, for outdoor use, built for the CDC, by our friends in Carpentry!! Thank you, Amy, for your undaunted assistance -- everyone "made their marks" by "signing" a thank you card for the High-Schoolers in said Shop -- our valued resources continue to be a great asset to our Center, and, the enthusiasm that the Shop Teachers and their Students have shown truly speak to the uniqueness of the Program.

And, snacks and lunches brought over from the "Big School" are being well-received!!

Two favorite interactive songs that Liz often sings during Circle-Time, which surely get the kids moving, are "Jump Up and Down!!" and "Turn Around!!" -- I re-read "The Dot", written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, and, as I was heading-out the door, on Friday afternoon, Liz was surrounded by our group of story-loving little friends.

Please note that, although our first order has yet to arrive, it is on its way, and, more Scholastic offerings are in your mailboxes, along with Unicef collection boxes for Halloween and Pumpkin Hill's directions for growing really, really big pumpkins and toasting pumpkin seeds!!

For those of you with children in Lexington's Public School System, please know that contributions are being accepted, at said schools, for our beloved troops -- participation in the "FLAGS" program offers youngsters credit for community service -- and -- a local dentist is offering to buy back Halloween candy, to, as well, be sent to the people stationed overseas.

If anyone has any questions about Scholastic book ordering, Unicef collections, "FLAGS" and/or the candy buy-back, please see me -- thank you!!!!

We continue to decorate for and enjoy the season!!

Love Miss Peacock, (Maria), always on behalf of Miss Downing, (Kelly), Mrs. Dolham, (Liz), Mrs. Goell, (Tammy) and (Miss) Sashi XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO.