News from PreK

Hello! As we get started on a new school year together, please understand that we will be spending most of the day outside in our lovely space. Dressing in clothes that can get messy, are comfortable and weather appropriate is of the utmost importance.  Our Mud Kitchen is a very active space as well as our Art Areas. We will be outside, rain or shine, to help the children see that each day can be beautiful, not just sunny days. Rainy play quickly becomes a favorite for most once they see how the playground transforms into a new, wet world. If any signs of thunder or lightning occur, we will take shelter inside.

In other news, the Hess PreK veterans helped the new students learn some of the routines and the new classmates jumped into their class jobs like old pros. Our class jobs are Librarian, Care Giver, Hose Helper, Door Holder, Teacher's Helper, Class Counter, Frog Feeder, Table Washer and Garbage Grabbers. The jobs cycle through the class and are changed on a weekly basis to ensure that everyone gets a chance to be part of taking care of their space and their peers. Responsibilities help them gain ownership of our classroom as well as foster autonomy as they grow. 

The class enjoyed reading their own favorite book to the class and hearing their classmates' favorites.  I see the children already getting to know one another after this first week. Each Friday, we have a question of the day that gives the children an opportunity to compare and contrast themselves and their peers. This week we asked "How Many People Live In Your House?" The children used math manipulatives to count out each house member, then compared those to the other households.  Math in PreK includes learning about more, less, and the same, as well as using objects to represent amounts.

This week we also introduced (reintroduced for some) The Color Monster, A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas to guide our Social Emotional studies through self awareness and self expression. Social and Emotional development is not only a year long focus, but should also be a life long focus. We use Positive Discipline as a framework for our teaching at Hess Academy and The Color Monster, A Story About Emotions fits in beautifully. The class took to the character quickly and it has already opened up conversations about their own feelings. To help the children learn their classmates' names, we made a book that will come home with your child for a night. Keep an eye out for Hess PreK Class: Rocking In Their School Shoes!