We have had an exciting week at Camellia including the Boxtales performance that the children really loved! We have another exciting event coming up - International Day on May 9th. Each classroom represents a continent and we work with the children to provide food and fare from that continent. Our continent is North America and we need a lot of parent helpers Wednesday, May 9th from 9-11am. Please let us know if you can help, we would greatly appreciate it!                      

Thank you Ginkgo families for a lovely Special Friends Night.  It was very heart warming to watch how excited the children were to share the classroom with you.  We saw pride and love in the children's eyes as they invited you into the classroom and shared their favorite activities.  This love of learning is something the teachers experience on a daily basis and we were so happy you were able to share it with us.  Now our energies will be focused on our garden, International Day and other end of the year activities.     

 
Somebody in Jacaranda labeled every country in Africa! A few of the third years have taken on this challenge and are enjoying getting to know all the unusual sounding names of the countries: Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Djibouti and Swaziland, which they think is the most fun to say. We also learned that people in Swaziland (and South Africa) call traffic lights, robots! Other interesting facts about Africa: giraffes have purple tongues, the water goes down the drain in the opposite direction and there are different constellations in the night sky!                   

 In preparation for hosting their friends at Special Friends night, the children were perfecting their skills by using many materials in the classroom. They used material like: Africa puzzle map, word building, food preparation, and metal insets. Through our Special Friends Night, we were all able to see how important special friends are.  We thank you for your concern and understanding. Thank you for the conversations that stimulate our brains, for the silly times we laugh out loud, for all the time you spend with us, and all the kind thoughts you send. Thank you for being a very special friend and allowing us to be your host.     

There has been a buzz of excitement in the Magnolia classroom. The children were very enthusiastic and proud to share some of their favorite works with their special friends.  Some children commented that they want to share longer works because it requires more focus and concentration. Magnolia has also been fascinated with learning about the planets. The Family of the Sun has been a popular choice to sing in the class. One child has decided to make models of the planets using metal insets and his own creativity.  The teachers want to thank you for your continued support and helping us adjust to the new pick up procedures.                  

This week we added insect cards to the classroom. We've also been working on "how to observe someone's work" in Grace and Courtesy. Outside we've been searching for insects. At circle we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and have been singing The Tiny Caterpillar. Words to the song are "The tiny caterpillar crawled upon a leaf. Spun a little chrysalis then fell fast asleep. While she was sleeping she dreamt that she could fly. Later when she woke up she was a butterfly. Reminder to bring sunscreen for your child.