Notes

As the new year begins, the children seem happy to be back to their nursery school routine, eager to be with each other again and to sample and enjoy both some familiar exercises and the many new activities which we brought in over the holiday break. We like to make sure that we have lots of fun and interesting work choices filling our shelves in January because we are sometimes unable to play outdoors due to cold and/or inclement weather.

January always ushers in a period of excitement for our students despite the fact that it can be dreary and dull. This is because it is the month of the Dinosaurs, a very popular unit of study for sure. In every classroom, as with our other units, there will be baskets of museum quality dinosaurs, and the children will gradually be learning about 15 to 20 different kinds of these mysterious creatures. We will be talking about the ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex, the plated and slow-moving Stegosaurus, the flying Pteranodon, the speedy Velociraptor, the honking Parasaurolophus, the sail-backed Dimetrodon, the spiked and plated Ankylosaurus, the diving and swimming Plesiosaurus, the very tall treetop-eating Apatosaurus and the three-horned Triceratops to name just a few. We will also be distinguishing between carnivores, herbivores and omnivores and talking about the various theories as to why the dinosaurs disappeared. The children are always so fascinated with dinosaur study, and they are able to retain a lot of information about them, probably because of what is available to them in the classroom, but also because of what they may be exposed to on TV or computer shows. Some have also been able to visit some really good local dinosaur exhibits. Our students really love working with the baskets of dinosaurs, often with a friend or friends. These interactions can foster imaginative and enjoyable social exchanges between the children.

There are dinosaurs in every area if the classroom including dinosaur puzzles in Sensorial, and dinosaur fiction and non- fiction books in our library, dinosaur sorting, counting and stamping in Math, dinosaur matching and tracing in Language, and dinosaur rubbing, pinch and pulling, stenciling, painting, sponging, “dot-arting” and coloring at the art table.

There are many new and fun Practical Life activities coming in this month. We will be starting mirror polishing and also shaving cream, a real favorite where the children wet a table with a sponge and we add a large dab of shaving cream. They can then make letters, numbers, pictures or any design they want with their fingers/hands. Basting continues and, as a follow-up, we will be bringing the smaller version of basting using eye-droppers. There will also be weaving and whisking soapy water.

Our skating penguins have also returned. On a small block of real ice in a mold, the children try to balance three tiny penguins moving on that ice. It is harder than it looks, but they readily and happily accept the challenge! Again, these exercises are so valuable in terms of enhancing large and small motor control as well as the development of organizational skills and concentration. Their self-confidence also continues to grow as they as they sample and successfully complete the many tasks in Practical Life.

Sensorial will feature more work with shapes including making designs by repeating shapes. We will also be introducing both the triangle and large hexagon boxes which are a little more complex in that they are multi-pieced and the children can create different shapes by putting together the many triangles that are contained in both boxes. Those shapes include the rhombus, parallelogram and trapezoid. Also in January we talk about life in the city, and we will bring in our skyline blocks so that the children can build their own skylines on the rug. Since the NewYork skyline is so visible in winter, many of them have familiarity with what a skyline looks like and many have also traveled to New York City.

Martin Luther King Day is on January 20th this year, and we will be talking about his messages of non-violence, peace and respect for all. These ideas relate nicely to our ongoing Peace curriculum. We have some lovely stories and pictures that we share in preparation for the day.

At the very end of the month another learning theme is that of animal hibernation and life underground. We have some interesting fictional stories about animals who sleep in the winter. We will also reference our bulbs which are still lying underground as well as other things found underground such as rocks, insects, leaves, worms, acorns, etc. This lesson is in preparation for the legend associated with Groundhog Day on February 2. The children will be eagerly awaiting the news of whether or not Parkside Pete, our groundhog in residence, will see his shadow or not, thus signaling an extended winter or an early spring. On circle we dramatically reenact with props (stuffed groundhog, ground cover, flashlight) the groundhog crawling up from under the ground as he or she attempts to figure out if spring has arrived.

We have been striving since September to help the children learn not only how to care for themselves and their environment, but also how to connect and interact with each other in a positive manner. “Snack for Two” returns to our classrooms, and it becomes a natural follow-up to our efforts. We demonstrate the activity on circle, calling on a child to join the teacher and set up and then share a snack and a cup of water. After circle at work time, each child will have the opportunity to invite someone to join he or she for snack at a specially prepared snack table and shelf containing the snack (mini-pretzels), cups, a pitcher of water, placemats and a tiny vase with a flower. The child who invites or the “host”, will set up the table and serve the snack. When the two have finished, both help clear and clean the table. The time spent together allows the children to practice courtesy and good manners, and it can also encourage new friendships and foster conversations. The teachers will often hear, as they pass by, some of the wonderfully interesting, innocent and sometimes adult conversations that are taking place. It is true that many times the two who are snacking together are not necessarily best friends, but that is part of the fun of it as we watch sweet interactions between classmates quietly take place.

We are happy to be back, and we wish all of our families the best in 2025 as we hope for happiness, health and peace in the new year!

“With the new year comes

new strength and new thoughts."

Eleanor Roosevelt