Desert Bloom Montessori

2009-05-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

I rarely use recipes when I cook but this one is pretty close to what we did! I also added roasted garlic salt which gives it a nice smokey flavor.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS
In an electric food processor, combine garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, and lemon juice. Process until the mixture is smooth. Add roasted peppers and cilantro; process until the peppers are finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer hummus to small bowl, cover and chill until you are ready to serve.

2009-05-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

Making Hummus was a big hit with the kids. We passed around each ingredient so they could smell or taste it first. We blended it up and surprisingly all the kids were great sports. We served it with Pita and carrot sticks and some of the children even asked for seconds. We did sit on the tile so everyone could see but my floor was freshly mopped so no worries....

2009-05-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a lovely Mother's day!

2009-05-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

2009-05-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

2009-05-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

This is Dallin's new face when I ask him to smile...let's hope it wears off soon!

Yellow is for School Bus!

2009-05-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

We are studying "yellow" this month and since the kids all know this color we have been looking for different shades of yellow in the environment. Last week we received a visit fom a real school bus. The kids were so excited to take their picture on it.

Color Mixing Activity!!

2009-04-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

Here is one of our new activities in the classroom. It is a primary color mixing experiment that is worked on by the children independently. They mix and make new colors by adding combinations of red, blue and yellow. Then they dip coffee filters in the bowls to absorb the colored liquid. This is an extention to the "Mouse Paint" activity we did a few weeks ago!

2009-04-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

Next Wednesday is Picture Day! Please dress your child in bright spring clothing! You will be able to view your child's photo before ordering. We are very lucky to have Ms. Jill Rich coming to take personal and class photos...she is super talented. Check out her gallery website at www.jillrichphotography.com

2009-04-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

The egg hunt went very well except for the ridiculous wind that day that made it difficult to hide the eggs. We had 131 eggs including a special golden egg. The children were able to open them and look at their prizes before we cleaned up for snack. They were all very grateful but next year we will do without the prize egg as some of them are still talking about the fact that they didn't find it.

2009-04-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

2009-04-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

Reminder: Registration forms are due Friday. A $50.00 deposit is required to hold your child's spot. This will go toward your child's August tuition. A $30 supply fee is due by July 29th. Thank you

2009-03-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

Many of our parents were not able to make our most recent Show Me Night so I thought I would post some pictures of the activities that have been keeping us busy.

2009-03-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

symbol/quantity matching

sink or float?

sock matching

2009-03-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

Math activities, beautiful stones for counting mystery numbers, Shamrock counting, color matching to "Mouse paint " and language sequencing activities

2009-03-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

our language shelf, labeling the classroom, "n" tracing, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom activity, letter sound and picture matching and shamrock lacing!

2009-03-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

playdough, shamrock tonging, dry poring with green lentils 1-3, shamrock tracing and pricking, wet pouring 1-3

Welcome back from Spring break!

2009-03-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

my novelist...Mateo

Keyan was very fascinated with this pricking work

We had a busy day today! Ms. Stacie, Dalton, Jordyn and Kamil were all out today. The children were excited to be back to work...well most of them. Many of them seem to be battling with allergies and a few of them complained about being hungry....we had an early snack and then worked all the way through work time. We are excited that Ms. Stacie will be back Tuesday!

2009-03-13T12:46:00.001-07:00

2009-03-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Enjoy your spring break everyone!!! Registration packets will be mailed to your house!

2009-03-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

Check out our shadows

group shot

2009-03-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Park Day #2

2009-03-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Mateo's beautiful smile

Happy hanging monkeys

best buddies

Kamil looks so cool!

What a cutie!

2009-03-09T16:49:00.001-07:00

We are in need of the following donations:

table salt
small glass jars with lids
sidewalk chalk
shamrock stickers
river stones
gold spray paint
planting soil
vegetable or flower seeds
small plants or flowers for gardening
1 small watering can
child sized gardening gloves
gardening rakes and shovels
small pots
loaves of white bread for our cooking project
corn startch
cream of tartar for playdough

We have many fun and exciting activities planned.
Thank you for your generosity!!!

2009-03-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

Reminder: Thursday night is Show Me Night! We are hoping that all of our families will be able to attend. This is an opportunity for you to see the things your child has been working on this month! Drop in from 6:30-7:30 PM
Hope to see you there. Siblings are always welcome!

2009-03-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

Here are some new St. Patrick's day works!

We made beautiful rainbows that we hung on our classroom walls for decoration. First the children did some rain dancing!

This is our new salt grinding rainbow jar work. Not only is it very beautiful but it really works their arm muscles for better handwriting strength. We could really use donations of salt and clean baby food or jam sized jars with lids! This work is very popular and a challenging activity at that!

This is our rainbow color matching work. The children have to lace ten small poly beads onto the pipe cleaners and stick them into the clouds (white florist foam) This work takes quite a bit of hand, eye coordination. This would be a fun activity to make at home.

A finished rainbow completed by Ella!

2009-02-18T11:25:00.000-08:00

Today we made rice crispy treats for our cooking project! Yummy!

2009-02-18T11:23:00.000-08:00

Mateo's younger brother, Simon, came for a visit today. The children were all very excited to play with him!

2009-02-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

Our Valentine's Day Party!!

sibling love

The kids helped to decorate the tables

Ms. Stacie's pretty roses

2009-02-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

Team Work!

2009-02-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

Hadley preparing the juicer for orange squeezing!

Dallin modeling hygeine!

Park Day

2009-02-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

2009-02-18T11:04:00.000-08:00

2009-02-04T16:42:00.000-08:00

Ella showing off her eye hand coordination....can you believe she just turned 3 in November!

2009-02-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

A valenpillar in progress...check out that concentration!

2009-02-04T16:24:00.000-08:00

Lily Brown ( Keyan's little sister) came for a short visit today...she is such a great baby!

Mateo doing an extention with the long red rods!

This is our heart punching work!

2009-02-04T16:19:00.000-08:00

Ella decided she did not like the fresh lemonade as much as she liked the Orange juice!

Isn't this picture of Emily breathtaking!

2009-02-04T16:15:00.000-08:00

Mateo started movable alphabet this month...here he is working on the "at" word family...he was so proud!

Love is in the Air!

2009-02-04T16:05:00.000-08:00

cute cupcake mats

math shelves

language shelves

New Additions!

2009-02-04T15:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some new additions to our classroom....

A new practical life rack...

A new bench pad!

New curtains

Valentine's Day Decorations!

2009-01-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

2009-01-14T14:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we made sparkly play dough....here is Keyan playing with the finished product today!

2009-01-13T12:18:00.001-08:00

Happy 4th birthday to Grant!!!

2009-01-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

Waiting......

finally the finished product!

2009-01-13T12:08:00.000-08:00

school sweethearts

laying out the cookies

2009-01-13T12:03:00.000-08:00

Ms. Stacie let them lick their fingers when their turn was over...then it was off to wash hands!

What is with My son's face in this picture...not quite sure?

making chocolate chip cookies

2009-01-13T11:59:00.000-08:00

waiting for a turn

so sweet

Our January cooking projects!

2009-01-13T11:53:00.000-08:00

W decided to make play dough that resembled snow!

I love this shot of Katelyn...she is growing up so fast

Dalton pouring the water

Mateo mixing up the slimy stuff

Puttin some ingredients into the sauce pan...the stove was not on!

2009-01-13T11:50:00.000-08:00

Mateo's Birthday Party!!

2009-01-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

What a smile

Party snack!

Here is Mateo choosing out of the birthday bag...he was just a tad bit excited..lol!

Here is his four year old award

2009-01-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

I love this picture of Keyan

Katelyn tracing a New Year's wish in Chinese

"J" cut and paste

"J" tracing

"J" stamping

2009-01-13T11:31:00.000-08:00

snowflake stamping...originally it was to decorate the mittens but the kids ended up cutting the individual snowflakes out. As Maria Montessori said " follow the child..."

Counters for various math activities include icicles and snowballs

A close up of the penguin math...they have numbers on their bellies

Using a garlic press to squeeze water out of tiny pieces of sponge!

This work is pretty challenging...they put straight pins through the holes in this cheese shaker.

2009-01-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

The very popular salt work....very messy!

Tonging pom poms but with a new skill...patterning!

Tweezing snowman

spooning snowballs

This is a new math activity using felt penguins and felt fish

January workers!

2009-01-13T11:22:00.000-08:00

December party day!

2009-01-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely party and book exchange in December. We made sugar cookie snowmen to decorate and watched a Christmas movie. I did take individual pictures of each child and their "snowman" but they take so long to download. If you would like them sent to your personal e-mail please e-mail me at allianthon@hotmail.com and specify which ones you would like. Thanks again!

I love this picture as it really looks like we had real snow! The kids decorated the backyard with styrafoam!

2008-12-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

We are collecting canned food and toys through next week. We have only collected 2 cans as of yet so please check your pantries and see if there is any thing you can spare. Thanks

2008-12-12T11:31:00.000-08:00

January tuition is due December 19th but may be postdated for January 1st if needed. Happy Holidays!

Parent Teacher conferences!

2008-12-12T11:28:00.000-08:00

Parent teacher conferences are on Friday from 9-11 AM. We will have childcare if you need to bring your little ones with you. They usually last 20 minutes each and we will have a sign up sheet by the front door on Monday. If you need to set up a phone conference please sign up under that category.

2008-12-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

Just to let everyone know on Saturdays at the outdoor SanTan mall they are giving complimentary carriage rides and snow is falling over their play area every half hour. Don't miss this!

2008-12-12T11:19:00.000-08:00

Here are our growing chickies....Banana....Nugget.......and Tender! Banana is the oldest yellow one and she is almost completely covered in feathers and will be laying eggs in about 15 weeks. The other 2 are 1 week old and simply adorable. We have built a rather large chicken coop and will put them in the backyard when the weather warms up a bit and they have more feathers!

2008-12-12T11:17:00.000-08:00

It was to cold to play outside so Ms. Stacie took some adorable group pictures. Dalton wasn't cooperating...lol!

2008-12-12T11:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Emily! I put the bow from her gift in her hair that day. She looks so beautiful! Big 4 year old now!

2008-12-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

A Santa's boot to hold their colored pencils. We use these when we do worksheets together.

The star dropper work. They like it when I change the color of the water.

present matching worksheet!

miniature ornaments to decorate our classroom Christmas tree!

2008-12-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

scooping glittery ornament balls into a muffin tin

Dalton gratingsoap which he then gives to the person doing the bubble whipping work!

Mateo happened to be the one whipping the bubbles! " Ms. Allisol this work is my very favorite"

Katelyn showing off the snowflakes she stamped. After they paint they place their wet art on the drying rack!

Tonging pom poms...I like how they look like ornaments on the little tree trays! This is Kamil's favorite work this month.

2008-12-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

Here are the dreidels we are learning to spin

Present tweezing

pouring jingle bells in little reindeer mugs

sorting reindeer by color with pinchers

Tree ornament stamping by number

Sorry I am behind on blogging this month but we have all been sick with colds lately and when Dallin is sick he wants to be held. We have been very busy in the classroom this December!

2008-12-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

1-9 icicle counting...brrrrr!

Ella's new haircut!

You will see these friendship pins coming home on their shirts this month!

A miniature nativity set that the can set up on the green felt roll!

A 1-25 countdown to Xmas work...so cute the numbers are printed on little red wooden hearts that hang on the tree!

Here is a sneak peek at some of the Holiday works in our classroom! I have many more pictures to upload so check back often this month!

2008-11-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

Do any of you parents know how to make button holes on your sewing machine? I want to make this buttoning work for the kids but my machine does not do button holes. Anyone sew anymore? Post a comment and let me know. This is just too cute to pass up!

2008-11-14T11:44:00.000-08:00

Today was a happy day in preschool. We spent the morning singing silly songs which the kids loved. Some of them were laughing so hard I thought one of them might wet their pants. I can actually be quite funny when no one else is watching. Hadley finally was able to chisel away one of the buried shark's teeth that I brought back from Hawaii. Who knew it would be such a big hit with them. I need to order another one as they enjoyed it way to much! I had a child tell me I make awesome works which was nice to hear on a Friday...it made me want to make some more. I am getting the cutest little turkey craft ready for them next week and we also have a new Thanksgiving chart that they can fill out on their snack day. I'll snap a picture of it soon. Have a happy weekend and if you happen to go to the grocery store we still need donations of zuchinis and mini marshmallows. We are going through them pretty fast around here:)

2008-11-13T12:31:00.000-08:00

Katelyn sewing

Jordyn loved the tea pot work. It even has colored water.

Dallin has been spending more time in the classroom lately but his attention span is still on the short side!

Here is the cube that we made in class! Dalton recognized the word cube from the movie "Transformers"and he thought it was very cool that we could make one in class!

2008-11-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

Cutting open the Sharks teeth ( from Hawaii)

Katelyn sewing on a straight line. She realized sewing can be frustrating!

Kamil really loved this painting work.

Using a tea pot

Hadley tonging leaves

2008-11-13T12:14:00.000-08:00

Science shelf: Nut cracking- always a favorite!

Math Shelf- leaf stamping 1-5

Here is the beautiful tea pot I brought home from Hawaii.

Emotions cards, tweezing kernels from an Indian corn cob, nut cracking as it lays on the shelf. Bead stringing, nuts and bolts, learning to lace, sewing on a stright line, digging out sharks teeth.

Math shelf: Counting turkey feathers, skip counting, leaf counting, fraction shapes.

Fall Activities in the classroom

2008-11-13T12:02:00.000-08:00

New works in sensorial include: turkey feather color matching, making 3 dimemsional shapes with marshmallows and toothpicks, and fractions.

New language activities include: a-e sound and picture matching, names of farm animals, 3 letter farm animal book, parts of a turkey 3 part cards.

sound of the week shelf, letter sound tracing, napkin folding, parts of a farmer . Soon to come playdough with leaf cookie cutters. Letter "f" basket with many different things inside.

Fall necklace work, tee pee painting, corn cob gluing!

New Practical life: leaf pasta tonging, pouring with a tea pot, clamping sunflower clothespins, spooning corn kernels, sorting mini silverware, the velcro frame, tweezing corn kernels and shell necklace scooping.

More turkey day songs!

2008-11-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

We learned about turkeys today in preschool. Ask your child about the turkey's waddle, smoot, spur and tail fan. They were so excited to learn what turkey's eat....insects, seeds, fruit, grain and slugs...eeeew! We also talked about what we were most grateful for. Some of their answers were: toys, Jesus, Sea World, playing outside and Ms. Allison's train table. Their answers were super cute. Look for an art project coming home later this month that talks about what they are grateful for! Until then here are more songs to sing.....

Funny Bird

The turkey is a funny bird,His head goes wobble, wobble.All he know is just one word,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble.

Five Fat Turkeys
Five fat turkeys short and plump.The first one hid way high upon a stump.The second one said, "We should run, run, run"The third one said, "or we'll be done."The fourth one said, "I don't want to be dinner."The fifth one said I wish I were thinner!"

Mr. Turkey (Sung To: "Are You Sleeping"
Mr. Turkey, Mr. TurkeyRun away, run away.If you are not careful,You will be a mouthful,On Thanksgiving Day,On Thanksgiving Day.
Hello Mr. Turkey
Hello Mr. Turkey, how are you, how are you? (clap twice)Hello Mr. Turkey how are you, how are you? (clap twice)With a gobble, gobble, gobble and a wobble, wobble, wobble (clap twice)Hello Mr. Turkey how are you how are you?

Turkey Song
I have a turkey, big and fat.He spreads his wings and walks like that. (walk like a penguin or waddle)His daily corn he would not miss.And when he talks, he talks like this: "gobble, gobble, gobble."

Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie Yummy (Sung To Peanut, Peanut Butter and Jelly)
First you take the pumpkin and you pick it, You pick it, you pick it, pick it, pick it. Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie Yummy! Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie Yummy! Then you take the pumpkin and you carve it, You carve it, you carve it, carve it, carve it. Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie Yummy! Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie Yummy! Next you take the spices and you mix it, You mix it, you mix it, mix it, mix it. Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie Yummy! Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie Yummy! You put it in the oven and you wait, You wait, you wait, you wait, you wait. Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie Yummy! Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie Yummy! You take it out the oven and you bite it,You bite it, you bite it, bite it, bite it And you chew it, you chew it, chew it, chew it, chew it. (Sing like your mouth is full)Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie Yummy! Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie Yummy!

Mr. Turkey
Mr. Turkey's tail is big and wide (spread fingers wide),He swings it when he walks (move fingers around),His neck is long (stand on tip toes and stretch neck and head up),His chin is red (stroke chin),And he gobbles when he talks(open and close hands while gobbling)
Turkey on the Fence
Mr. turkey sat on the backyard fence while he sang this happy song.Oh the children are coming to the country gobble, gobbleAnd I know I'll be happy So-oon, gobble, gobble, gobbleOh How I love Thanksgiving Day!

A Thanksgiving Song (Sung To: Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
The Pilgrims sailed away, far across the sea.They came to America, so they could be free.The Native Americans, helped them plant the corn.Then they shared a great big feast, Thanksgiving Day was born!

Ted the Turkey (Sung To: I'm A Little Teapot)
I'm a little turkey, my name is Ted.Here are my feathers, here is my head.Gobble, gobble, gobble, is what I sayGobble, gobble, gobble, It's thanksgiving Day!
The Gobble Chant
Gobble, Gobble is the sound (repeat),Of the turkey fat and round (repeat),Thanksgiving Day will soon be here (repeat)Then he will dis-a-ppear (repeat)

Turkey - My Darling(Sung To: Skip To My Lou My Darling)
Turkey in the red barn, arn, arn, arn (Repeat Three Times)Turkey in the barn my darlingTurkey in the Brown Straw, ha, ha, ha (Repeat Three Times)Turkey in the straw my darlingTurkey in the blue sky, high, high, high (Repeat Three Times)Turkey in the sky my darlingTurkey in the white snow, ho, ho, ho (Repeat Three Times)Turkey in the snow my darlingTurkey in the green tree, hee, hee, hee (Repeat Three Times)Turkey in the tree my darling
Five Pilgrims
Five Pilgrims fish in the morn (act like casting and reeling in fish)Five Indians help them plant corn (bend down and plant corn)The Indians bring the corn (hold up one hand)The Pilgrims bring the meat. (hold up the other hand)Ten new friends sit down to eat. (put hands together)
The Old Road
This old road is hard and bumpy,The Five fat turkeys are wild and jumpy,Driver driver not so jerky,Or you'll make us loose a turkey,Driver, driver! Stop I say!One fat turkey got away!This old road is hard and bumpy,The Four fat turkeys are wild and jumpy,Driver driver not so jerky,Or you'll make us loose a turkey,Driver, driver! Stop I say!One fat turkey got away!This old road is hard and bumpy,The Three fat turkeys are wild and jumpy,Driver driver not so jerky,Or you'll make us loose a turkey,Driver, driver! Stop I say!One fat turkey got away!This old road is hard and bumpy,The Two fat turkeys are wild and jumpy,Driver driver not so jerky,Or you'll make us loose a turkey,Driver, driver! Stop I say!One fat turkey got away!This old road is hard and bumpy,The fat turkeys is wild and jumpy,Driver driver not so jerky,Or you'll make us loose the turkey,Driver, driver! Stop I say!Let's save this turkey for Thanksgiving Day!
Mr. Turkey
Gobble, gobble, Mr. TurkeyAll around the big farm yard!Wobble, wobble, Mr. TurkeyBut you better stand your guard!Gobble, wobble, gobble, wobbleFarmer Jones has plans for you!Better keep one strut ahead Or you'll turn into turkey stew!

Gobble, Gobble
(Sung To: Clementine) Gobble, gobble, said the turkey (Use Hands and Gobble)Soon twill be Thanksgiving Day (Hold up one finger and shake)The way they treat me (Hold arms up),They're going to eat me (Shrug),Guess I'd better run away! (Run in place and gobble)
Thank God For Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a happy day And we say thank you God Thanksgiving Day is a happy day And we say thank you God

Thanksgiving (Sung To: Where is Thumpkin)
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Here it comes, here it comes. Turkey on the table, turkey on the table. Mmm-good, mmm-good. Cornbread muffins, chestnut stuffing, Pumpkin pie, ten feet high. We were so much thinner, before we came to dinner. Me-oh-my, me-oh-my!

Thanksgiving Feast
(Sung To:Are you sleeping?) We eat turkey, we eat turkey Oh so good, oh so good Always on Thanksgiving, always on Thanksgiving Yum,yum,yum... yum,yum,yum We eat pumpkin pie, we eat pumpkin pie Oh so good, oh so good Always on Thanksgiving, always on Thanksgiving Yum,yum,yum... yum,yum,yum We eat yams, we eat yams Oh so good, oh so good Always on Thanksgiving, always on Thanksgiving Yum,yum,yum... yum,yum,yum We eat mashed potatoes, we eat mashed potatoes Oh so good, oh so good Always on Thanksgiving, always on Thanksgiving Yum,yum,yum... yum,yum,yum Let your children make up their own verses

All the Little Turkeys
(Sung To: Shortnin' Bread)
See all the turkeys up in the tree, All the little turkeys try to hide from me. All the little turkeys go gobble, gobble, All the little turkeys go just like this All the little turkeys go wobble, wobble,All the little turkeys go just like this..
Ran Away On Thanksgving Day
The potatoe ran away, on Thanksgiving Day, He said "they'll make mashed potatoes of me if I should stay!" The pumpkin ran away, on Thanksgiving Day, He said "they'll make a pie of me if I should stay!" The turkey ran away, on Thanksgiving Day, He said "they'll make a feast of me if I should stay!" The cabbage ran away, on Thanksgiving Day, He said "they'll make slaw of me if I should stay!" The cranberry ran away, on Thanksgiving Day, He said "they'll make a sauce of me if I should stay!"
Turkey on Thanksgiving
Turkey in the barnyard what does he say? Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble all day. Turkey on the table what do I say? Yummy, yummy, yummy in my tummy all day. Turkey in my tummy what do I say? I ate too much on Thanksgiving Day.

Mr. Turkey (Sung To: Clementine)
Mr. Turkey, Mr. TurkeyGe nice and fat!We are waiting for Thanksgiving, Now what do you think of that?
Ten Days of Thanksgiving
On the first day of Thanksgiving the natives gave to me.A pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.On the second day of Thanksgiving the natives gave to me Two turkey gobblers, and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch. On the third day of Thanksgiving the natives gave to meThree Native headdresses, two turkey gobblers, and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch. On the fourth day of Thanksgiving, the natives gave to meFour cornucopias, three Native headdresses, two turkey gobblers, and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch. On the fifth day of Thanksgiving, the natives gave to meFive bows and arrows, four cornucopias, three Native headdresses, two turkey gobblers, and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch. On the sixth day of Thanksgiving, the natives gave to me Six pairs of moccasins, five bows and arrows, four cornucopias, three Native headdresses, two turkey gobblers, and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch. On the seventh day of Thanksgiving, the natives gave to meSeven Native teepees, six pairs of moccasins, five bows and arrows, four cornucopias, three Native headdresses, two turkey gobblers, and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch. On the eighth day of Thanksgiving, the natives gave to meEight woven blankets, seven Native teepees, six pairs of moccasins, five bows and arrows, four cornucopias, three Native headdresses, two turkey gobblers, and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.On the ninth day of Thanksgiving, the natives gave to me Nine ears of corn, eight woven blankets, seven Native teepees, six pairs of moccasins, five bows and arrows, four cornucopias, three Native headdresses, two turkey gobblers, and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch. On the tenth day of Thanksgiving, the natives gave to meTen native tom-toms, nine ears of corn, eight woven blankets, seven Native teepees, six pairs of moccasins, five bows and arrows, four cornucopias, three Native headdresses, two turkey gobblers, and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch!
Good Morning Mr. Turkey
Good Morning Mr. Turkey, Thanksgiving's almost here (wave good morning) And I've come to tell you, you'd better disappear. (wave away turkey) Mother doesn't know it, nor does Farmer Gray (put one finger to lips and shhh!)Shhhh I've opened up the gate so you can run away (Open a gate and wave) Run away, run away, run away. (wave good-bye)
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving hurray, hurray, hurray, Aren't you glad your not a turkey on Thanksgiving Day

Turkey Wore His Rainbow Feathers (Sung To: Mary Wore Her Red Dress)
Turkey wore his red feather, red feather, red feather. Turkey wore his red feather, all day long! Turkey wore his orange feather, orange feather, orange feather. Turkey wore his orange feather, all day long. Turkey wore his yellow feather, yellow feather, yellow feather. Turkey wore his yellow feather, all day long. Turkey wore his green feather, green feather, green feather. Turkey wore his green feather, all day long. Turkey wore his blue feather, blue feather, blue feather. Turkey wore his blue feather, all day long. Turkey wore his purple feather, purple feather, purple feather. Turkey wore his purple feather, all day long. Last line: Turkey wore his rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers. Turkey wore his rainbow feathers, all Thanksgiving long!
Mr. Turkey Run Away
Mr. Turkey, Mr. Turkey, Run away, run away, If you aren't careful, You will be a mouthful, On Thanksgiving Day, On Thanksgiving Day!
Turkey Song
I heard Mr. Turkey say gobble, Soon 'twill be Thanksgiving Day gobble, gobble, gobble Some folks think that it's great fun But I think that I will run And hide until the day is done gobble, gobble, gobble!!
Pilgrims Are Coming To Celebrate (Sung to: The Ants Go Marching
The pilgrims are coming to celebrate, Hurrah, Hurrah The pilgrims are coming to celebrate, Thanksgiving Day The pilgrims are coming so don't be late They'll sing and dance to celebrate And we'll all have fun so don't be late!

Let's Be Thankful
(Sung To: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) Let's be thankful for this day For our friends and our play Let's be thankful; let's be glad For our food and the things we have Let's give thanks for you and me And our home and family.

Gobble Song
(Sing To: Did You Ever See a Lassie?) Oh, gobble, gobble, gobble, fat turkeys, fat turkeys. Oh, gobble, gobble, gobble, fat turkeys are we. We walk very proudly and gobble so loudly, Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble. Oh, gobble, gobble, gobble, fat turkeys are we.

Thank You Song
(Sung To: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star) Thank you for the sun so bright, Thank you for the moon at night, Thank you for my family, Thanks for friends who play with me, Thanks for everything I see, I am thankful, yes siree

Glad I'm Not A Turkey
(Sung To: Did You Ever See A Lassie) I'm glad I'm not a turkey, a turkey, a turkey, I'm glad I'm not a turkey on Thanksgiving Day They stuff you and bake you, and then they will taste you I'm glad I'm not a turkey on Thanksgiving Day!

Mr. Turkey (Sung To: Frere Jacque)
Mr. Turkey, Mr. Turkey, Run away, run away, You better be careful, Or you'll be a mouthful On Thanksgiving Day.

2008-11-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

Imagine 7 hours on the plane with this toddler!

Thanksgiving is near!

2008-11-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the words to the Thanksgiving songs we will be singing! "Giving Thanks" song (TUNE: Itsy Bitsy Spider)
First we give thanks for the food that we've been given (hold one hand like a bowl and the other like a spoon; pretend to eat)
Then we give thanks for the houses that we live in. (Put hands, fingertips together, over head to represent a house)
And we give thanks for the sun that shines above (Point with finger to sky and look up)
But mostly we give thanks for the people that we love. (Cross hands on chest and rock back and forth slightly as if you are giving/receiving a hug.)
"Turkey Pokey" (TUNE: Hokey Pokey)
You put your right wing in
You take your right wing out
You put your right wing in and you shake it all about.
You do the turkey pokey and you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!
Other verses:
Left wing
Drumsticks (legs)
Stuffing (tummy)
Wattle (head/neck)
Tail feathers (behind!!)
Turkey body (whole self)
"Wobble Wobble, Gobble, Gobble"
NOTE: I don't have a familiar tune for this.

With a wobble, wobble, wobble (wobble your hips back and forth)
And a gobble, gobble, gobble (place thumb and forefinger to lips like a beak)
All the turkeys spread their feathers on Thanksgiving Day (spread hands with fingers out and fan like a turkey tail)
When they see the farmer comin' (put hand to forehead as if looking into the distance)
All the turkeys start a'runnin' (pretend to run in place)
And they say, "You cannot catch me on Thanksgiving Day!" (shake finger while singing)
We do this several times in a row and try to do it faster each time.

Happy Veteran's Day!!

2008-11-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

I missed you all on my trip but I was able to get home in the middle of preschool on Friday so it was a sweet treat to see all your little ones and their sweet smiling faces! Hawaii was a blast although there is definately no place like home. As some of you already know I had to have a wisdom tooth pulled (unexpectedly) on Monday(Veteran's Day) so I hope your holiday was more fun than mine lol! The kids were great today and they are very excited about the gifts I brought them back from Hawaii. I will try to post some new pictures later on this week. It is good to be back!

2008-10-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

silly smiles

2008-10-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

The Boy's

Keyan was a surfer!
Kamil was Spiderman and Dalton was the "RED" Power Ranger!

Mateo was a pumpkin that liked to say "BOO!"

Grant was a transformer!

I cannot even begin to spell the specific name! lol

Our Halloween Party 2008!

2008-10-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

The girls!

Hadley as Super Woman and Katelyn as a butterfly!

Emily the horse

Ella the butterfly

2008-10-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

A few of the children have expressed an interest in making playdough at home so I thought I would post the recipe on the blog. I guess I figured everyone made their own playdough but I have come to find out that perhaps only the crazy teacher types do:)

Homemade Playdough
1 c. flour
1/2 cup salt
1 T. cooking oil
1 T. cream of tartar
1 c. water
Food coloring of your choice
Add-ins of your choice (i.e. spices, extracts, glitter, etc.)
Stir ingredients together well. Just measure them into the saucepan you will be using to cook the dough, but mix them well before heating up the pan. Over medium heat cook the dough, stirring constantly until it forms a ball. (NOTE: When it starts to pull away from the sides somewhat and clump together and most of the "wet-looking" parts look dry, it's ready to remove from the pan.) Turn dough onto a board (or the countertop) and knead until very smooth. (NOTE: It will be pretty warm to the touch, but try to knead it until it becomes a nice, smooth ball. If it feels sticky, you can work a little more flour into it and it will be fine.) Cool. Store in a covered plastic container OR in a sealed ziploc bag. (ANOTHER NOTE: This dough does seem to always stick in the saucepan somewhat. I have tried spraying the pan first, but I still have a crusty residue on the pan when I'm finished. I am used to this now and just plan on soaking the pan after I make a batch. I just wanted you to know about that though so you wouldn't think you had goofed something up if that happens.)
When I add spices, I usually start with about a teaspoon (though I never actually use a spoon). I just shake a bunch in until I think it's going to produce the desired level of scent. (I like a LOT of scent.) If you are adding an extract like vanilla or peppermint, for example, probably just a teaspoon will be enough, but you can experiment with a little more than that. Also add gradually if you are doing glitter. I would still start with only about a teaspoon and go from there.

Pumpkin Carving!

2008-10-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

The kids had a wonderful time carving pumpkins. Thank you to all our wonderful parents for donating pumpkins. We really appreciated it. Too bad they couldn't last longer here in good ol' Arizona!

2008-10-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

This week at line time we are singing a few new songs. As usual, I have pulled together some props to go with them. The first song/fingerplay is probably familiar to most. It is "Five Little Pumpkins". In case you are not familiar, here are the words we use:
"Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, "Oh my! It's getting late!"
The second one said, "There are bats in the air!"
The third one said, "But we don't care!"
The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run!"
The fifth one said, "We're ready for some fun!"
WHOOOOSSSSHHH went the wind and OUT went the light
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight."
Enjoy this song with your child!

2008-10-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Pancakes and pajama day!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2008-10-09T10:29:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin pancakes were a big hit. The kids were even surprisingly excited about the pumpkin plates that I bought for this special day ! The pancakes were yummy and we even cut apples in the shape of pumpkins! I found this recipe online if you want to try it:

2 cups of your favorite dry pancake mix
1 egg
1& 1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree ( fresh or canned)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

mix all ingredients until smooth and cook on hot griddle
serve with syrup or honey

yum, yum!

Fall Fun!

2008-10-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

It seems like we did quite a bit of cooking this past week! We started out making homemade Frankenstein playdough from scratch which was alot of fun. The kids enjoyed playing with Halloween cookie cutters too!

Pumpkin scrubbing!

2008-10-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

We started pumpkin scrubbing today with the help of Katelyn's subtle nudging! It was a bit hit with the 2nd year students. We also cut a pumpkin in half and looked at the rind, strings and slippery seeds. Even though the pumpkin was on the smaller side it sure had a ton of seeds! We had a great first day of "d" week! If your child forgot to bring something today you can always bring something later this week. Thanks to everyone who has brought in pumpkins this month for carving! We will be carving them later this week!

2008-10-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

2008-10-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

I love these pictures of Keyan. He was so engrossed in this work. He looks so adorable in red...what a cutie!

2008-10-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

Grant cleaning the sensorial shelf

tonging insects

using a dust pan

2008-10-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

This is our spooky spider craft. We put black paper in a shoe box with 3 paint covered marbles and each child shook it up leaving a spider web! Hadley painting a stencil
This is an easy way to practice writing without frustrating your young child. Place some cornmeal or craft sand in a shallow dish or tray and let them practice writing sounds or numbers. If they make a mistake they just shake it and start again.

Here is emily doing a challenging circular puzzle

October!

2008-10-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

I made these puppets to go along with our " 5 little pumpkins sitting on a gate" chant. We say it together at group time but the children can also practice it with the puppets at worktime. This has been very popular with the kids! It is a wonderful oral language activity and it also challenges their memory.
Here is Mateo using the puppets. "Miss Allisol I like the big pumpkin" he always tells me!
Kamil sorting spiders by color.
Grant using the smallest pouring work.

Katelyn doing a water transfer activity.

The Science Shelf

2008-09-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our science shelf. The first two pictures are from a beautiful pumpkin sequencing work that a parent of one of my old students made for me. It has real photos from a pumpkin patch mounted and laminated on card stock that show what all the pumpkin stages look like " for real" as the kids have told me! On the same tray is a make your own pumpkin booklet that has been very popular with the kids the last few days. The next photo is of a counting work and the forth is how our seed work looks on the shelf. The last picture is of the music we have been listening to lately. I try to introduce the children to different genres of music and currently we are listening to the English Patient Soundtrack which is a beautiful instrumental collection with Hungarian influences. The children like listening to different music every week during work time and sometimes I find them humming the tune!

On a lighter note today I had to leave the classroom for a moment to turn off some water that a child had left running so I asked an older student to offer the children help if it was needed while I was away. As I walked off I heard them kick into "Ms. Allison" mode as they asked another student to "Please choose some work to do". It was pretty funny to think that they really are watching and lastening to everything I do and say. Atleast they were polite...right?

Box House

2008-09-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

I recently bought a new couch for my living room and it came in a huge box....you know the kind that will just sit on the side of the house and deteriorate because the husband won't cut it apart and place it in the recycle bin! I decided to let the children use it as a play house at recess this week. Ms. Stacie cut out windows, a door and even a sun roof! The kids were all pretty jazzed about it. I love the bottom picture which shows the love affair my son is having with Keyen! He loves to follow him around the yard and he mentions his name atleast 4 times a day...so cute!

Shaving Cream

2008-09-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

The toddlers had a wonderful time today exploring shaving cream. They loved putting their hands in it and feeling it between their fingers! As an added bonus they smelled great when they were finished. Aren't you glad it was on my carpet and not yours? lol

2008-09-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

Counting skeletons....many of the kids can count very high but we are working on matching the numeral symbol to the correct quantity. Here they use the sandpaper numbers one at a time and count out the correct number of skeletons to match. The Montessori lingo here is "This says five.....this is five."

We are learning about seeds! Here the children put the pictures in order to show how the seed grows! This is a popular sequencing work in our classroom right now. Sequencing is very important in higher brain function. A simple work like this is an easy activity to make and practice at home. Just laminate some pictures and put velcro circles on them....they can do it again and again!

Here are some Lima beans that I soaked overnight. The children were able to discect them and remove their seed casing (we called it seed skin in class). The seeds had already started to grow inside! Some of the kids loved this and some thought it was disgusting...lol!

2008-09-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

Jack-o-lantern pricking...this takes quite a bit of concentration and endurance.

Sorting spiders by color with a pair of tweezers for difficulty and finger strengthening.
Mateo after finishing a work...he was very pleased with his latest accomplishment. He is such a focused child. Someone could fall over on him during work time and he wouldn't even look up!

Skeleton stenciling....they love learning about their bones....

2008-09-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

This is our new pumpkin addition lesson. You roll the pumpkin dice and see how many pumpkins you need. Then you mix them together to see how many you get. The vocabulary lingo is as follows: six pumpkins together with three pumpkins is the same as nine pumpkins. Later as their skill level increases it becomes 6 + 3=9.

2008-09-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

name writing
Parts of a Jack-o-lantern books
Sponge squeezing
Using an eye dropper
Painting a pumpkin
These are all Practical life activities that not only teach the young child a skill but are strong preparations for future handwriting.

2008-09-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the books we will be reading in October:

Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne TitheringtonIt’s Pumpkin Time by Zoe HallApples and Pumpkins by Anne RockwellBig Pumpkin by Erica SilvermanThe Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven KrollGrandma’s Smile by Elaine MooreThe Great Pumpkin Switch by Megan McDonaldFive Little Pumpkins by Iris Van RynbachJeb’s Scarecrow Pumpkin Patch by Jana DillonThe Pumpkin Patch by Elizabeth KingThe Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda WilliamsThe Pumpkin Fair by Eve BuntingThe Pumpkin Book by Gail GibbonsPumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George LevensonThe Vanishing Pumpkin by Tony JohnsonMousekin’s Golden House by Edna MillerThe Big, Big Pumpkin by Joan LexauGrowing Pumpkins by Melvin BergerIt’s Pumpkin TimePicking Apples and PumpkinsPumpkin Day, Pumpkin NightGrow a Pumpkin PieThe Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin by Jan and Stan Berenstain

2008-09-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

So I think I may have jumped the gun so to speak. Everyone in my house knows that October is my favorite month in Preschool. The kids have settled down nicely into a routine by then and most of the wrinkles have been worked out ! I was up late last night setting up new activities for the kids when I realized that October is yet a week and a half away! So forgive me but we are ready to learn about pumpkins now....so we will! You should have seen the children's faces today as they walked into our classroom and saw all the new Halloween activities waiting for them. It was worth all the extra effort I put out. In Montessori Halloween is a celebration of Botany and Harvest time! We learn about real things like seeds, pumpkins, bones, dress up and seasonal changes in culture. We do not learn about make believe monsters or vampires. Children between the ages of 3-6 are still processing the difference between make believe and reality. Plus many of the Halloween decorations in the stores these days can be scary or confusing tho little people. My son is already showing anxiety when we take him to Sam's Club or the grocery store as he is afraid of the scary noises and decorations. Here at school we will not be experiencing anything that I feel is "scary". We will, however, be learning quite a bit about harvest and pumpkins. If you have anything at home that you think would support our studies please send them in. We especially welcome Halloween books! Thanks for your support!