Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Keeping warm in K1

What’s happened at HEDP-
A brief recap of November



•    On December 1st in 1955 Rosa Parks decided she would no longer be subjected to unequal and unjust treatment.  Mrs. Parks' actions sparked the Montgomery bus boycott which became a major catalyst in the Civil Rights Movement.  To commemorate this historic moment K-1 read "The Crayon Box That Talked" by Shane DeRolf, about the diversity and acceptance of others.  K-1 made their own "box of crayons" expressing each child's uniqueness and our community as a whole. Please take time to view our "box of crayons" that is displayed in the hallway.

•    As a class we discussed and learned about harvest and squirrels. The children realized that between September and December the squirrels have seemed to disappear and one student asked, “Do squirrels hibernate like bears?” This question kicked off our squirrel study. The children learned that while we have started to see less tree squirrels they do not hibernate in the winter they stay active all year round, but in the winter they stay in their nests to conserve their body heat. Ask your children some other interesting facts about squirrels. The children made their own squirrels using the information learned and the squirrels are scurrying about the classroom walls!

•    The K-1 class has continued to earn “caring chains” by completing caring and kid acts to their peers and we are proud to announce that they have completed our challenge and earned a caring chain party! We will be celebrating on December 9th with a special snack of pizza and popsicles as well as a cooperative game of soccer! Please continue to congratulate and encourage your child’s caring behaviors.


Interactive Classroom- A look into the projects happening at Extended Day-


-We have jumped into winter at HEDP!! The
K-1 children have all made predictions about when the first snow will occur. Their predictions have been added to our “Snow Poll.”

-We will be learning about the Inuit culture and children will be constructing igloo’s using sugar cubes to replicate the homes of Inuit people during the cold season in the Arctic Tundra.

-We will be transforming an area of our classroom into a “Winter Wonderland Village.” The children will be using an assortment of materials such as craft sticks, cotton balls, Q-tips, pine cones, glitter and clay to create the homes and scenery for the winter wonderland.

-Continuing our “Fresh Fridays” we will be cooking an array of holiday treats on Fridays.


Holiday Happenings at HEDP- Donations Through December 17th
Horizons for Homeless Children was founded in 1988 as an independent, non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to serving young homeless children and their families. Horizons for Homeless Children touches the lives of more than 2,700 young homeless children each week in Massachusetts through Play spaces (educational and recreational spaces) in shelters and 175 children through its three Community Children's Centers, Boston's only comprehensive, full-time early education and childcare centers specifically for young homeless children.  In addition to direct service, we advocate on behalf of young homeless children and their families with policy makers and provide training and technical assistance to related service providers. 

Horizons for Homeless Children is supported primarily by charitable gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations. Every gift helps!
For more information please feel free to contact Scott at www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org
•    ART SUPPLIES
•    Paint (watercolor, school paint, and finger paint, all in larger sizes), paintbrushes, paint daubers and large sized crayons and markers
•    Craft supplies (glitter, craft sticks, pompoms, colored pipe cleaners, feathers, buttons, gallon and regular size glue bottles, Crayola Model Magic Clay, Play-Doh and rolling pins, cookie cutters, stencils, wiggle eyes )
•    Paper (easel, finger paint, construction, shiny, tissue paper, contact paper, poster board, butcher roll paper , preschool lined)
•    Large rolls of paper and paper rack
•    Stickers, Magnetic letters and shapes
•    Felt board and story pieces
•    Child safe scissors - round edge, plastic
•    Waterproof smocks
•    Water based stamp pads with stamps
•    Tape: masking tape, colored tape, scotch tape
•    Dry erase markers
•    Ballpoint pens
Books
•    Multi-Cultural
•    Diverse family types
•    Children/adults with diverse abilities
•    Books without words
•    Spanish books
•    Spanish/English books
•    Board books
•    Books with grandparents
•    Big Books for group story times
•    Books on tape
Computer Equipment / Electronics--New or Gently Used
•    Laminating film rolls
•    CD/Tape Players (shock proof if possible)
•    Cordless electric drills
•    Digital camera
•    used cell phones
Help HEDP support Horizons for Homeless Children Donations Through December 17th











We wish you and your family a New Year filled with all the best!  
Warmly, HEDP PreK and K1 Teaching Team

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