"WHERE WOULD YOUR ROCKET TAKE YOU?"

Dear Friends, Families and Blog-Followers,

Good evening!!

For the past two days, we have been working on lots of new theme-related projects, begun measuring the growth of our amaryllis, (three inches as of Monday), and spent plenty of time, outdoors.

New outer space-related activities include making paper mache "planets", "space crafts" from recycleables -- reduce, re-use-recycle -- , tree ornaments using "rocket", "helmet" and "Saturn" cut-outs, (with a language component), "All About Me" Robot posters, and drawings depicting day and night.

Guided by many of our high-schoolers and older friends, the children "walked the Moon's surface", (sponges, pillows and blankets), played a "solar system" question and answer game and visited many of our learning centers -- the kids, wearing oxygen tanks made out of two-liter plastic bottles and colored duct tape -- are especially enjoying the rocket ship, located in the dramatic play area.

With visuals provided by the laptop and music supplied by both Amy and technology (:)), we have been partying in our own little "world"!!

Because the weather has been delightful, we have noticed many insects, outdoors, taken an investigative walk, with Mrs. Dolham, and filled ghost-patterned bags, with leaves, for use as yard decorations.

I showed the Butterflies and Puppies a glass bottle, filled with part water, part vegetable oil, food coloring and foil balls, which looked like planets floating in space -- and -- thanks to Miss Downing, the book area has been moved, closer to the piano, and a "quiet space" fashioned out of wood, has been added -- (the chocolate chip cookies were actually made for our friends from the Maintenance Department, who have continued to help us with building projects, both big and small -- thank you!!)

We have been dancing and singing, ("Joe and the Button Factory", "Tooty Ta", "Hokey Pokey" and "Johnny Uses One Hammer"), for example, and, of course, reading books!!

Mrs. Goell read "What a Wonderful World" written by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele and illustrated by Ashley Bryan and "Little Cloud Little Cloud" by Eric Carle and re-introduced "The Parade of Colors", to the group.

Liz read "When the Fly Flew In" authored by Lisa Westberg Peters with pictures by Brad Sneed and I read, accompanied by a plush moose, "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" -- I am planning to read several of Laura Numeroff's and Felicia Bond's books, this week, with friends, "the mouse", "the pig" and "the cat"!!

And, very importantly, a "Very Happy Birthday" to Mary Ellen Devlin!!

May you all have an enjoyable and safe day, tomorrow, and we all look forward to seeing you on Thursday morning!! :)

Lots of Love, Miss Peacock XOXO :) :)