Kindie Room 103 Stars

💛Thank you, Mrs. Oles!💛

I would like to offer a personal note of thanks to Room 103's afternoon teacher, Mrs. Oles! She has worked hard to ensure your children have had a positive and safe learning environment. And, even in the short period she was in the classroom, she grew very fond of your little ones. I know she will have a special place in her heart for each one of them! I have been so grateful for her professionalism, dedication and support as we started the new school year. I know we will all miss her dearly, but we wish her all the best as she begins a new adventure.

Self-Regulation in the Classroom

Over the past few weeks, we have been working to promote Self-Regulation in the classroom.

What is Self-Regulation?

According to Dr. Stuart Shanker, self-regulation refers to how people manage energy expenditure, recovery and restoration in order to enhance growth. Effective self-regulation requires learning to recognize and respond to stress in all its many facets, positive as well as negative, hidden as well as overt, minor as well as traumatic or toxic.

Our goal is to have students that are calm, alert - and happy! To that end we have been working on classroom routines and expectations so that children feel safe and can look forward to play-based learning in a calm environment.

Our little ones are becoming accustomed to talking about the Zones of Regulation and identifying what zone they are in:

Blue - Sad, Tired
Green - Happy, Calm and Alert
Yellow - Silly
Red - Angry, Very Upset

We are helping them learn how they can get into the optimal zone - the Green Zone - by:

identifying the zone they're in
belly breathing
meditating
taking a break
going for a movement break
using words to express their feelings
drawing a picture/writing a letter

How can you support Self-Regulation?

Talk about the Zones of Regulation with your child
Minimize their stress at school by

practicing packing/unpacking their backpacks and lunch bags
labelling all snacks and lunches 1, 2 ,3
practicing putting on velcro shoes independently
practicing doing up zippers and buttons

Applesauce

What a busy week at school! On Thursday, we enjoyed a special treat - homemade (school made?) APPLESAUCE. As a class, we talked about how we usually have a recipe and how a recipe has a list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions. Together we came up with instructions and recorded them on chart paper. Then we got to work! After washing their hands each child brought their apple to our preparation table. Apples had to be peeled and sliced. (Sharp tools were restricted to adult use only!) Did you know a plastic knife effectively cuts large apple chunks into tiny pieces? Into the crockpot, stirring in water and cinnamon, and then wait while the apples cook! What a beautiful smell in our classroom! Finally at Snack #3, the children were able to enjoy the fruits of their labour.😊

Here is our recipe:

Simple Slow-Cooker Applesauce

Ingredients

3 lbs apples

1/2 cup water

Cinnamon to taste

1. Wash hands!

2. Peel apples.

3. Cut apples into small pieces.

4. Place apples into crockpot.

5. Stir.

6. Add water and cinnamon.

7. Stir.

8. Cook on high for about 2 1/2 hours.

9. Take lid off slow cooker so sauce may cool.

10. Eat it up!

🎜Songs, Poems and Chants🎝

Our students LOVE music. You may have heard them singing a number of new songs at home.
We would like to share them with you.

Jesus' Love

Jesus' love is bubbling over.

Alleluia!

💗

Love Is Something If You Give It Away

Love is something if you give it away,
give it away, give it away!
Oh, love is something if you give it away,
you'll end up having more.

It's just like a magic penny,
hold it tight and you won't have any.
Lend it spend it and you'll have so many,
they'll roll right over the floor!

Love is something if you give it away,
give it away, give it away!
Oh, love is something if you give it away,
you'll end up having more.

Leaves are Falling

(tune of Jingle Bells)

Leaves are falling,

Leaves are falling,

One fell on my nose!

Leaves are falling,

One fell on my toes!

Leaves are falling,

One fell on my head!

Leaves are falling,

Yellow, orange and red!

Way Up High In The Apple Tree

Way up high in the apple tree,

Five little apples smiling down at me.

I shook that tree as hard as I could,

Down came an apple,

Mmm, it was good!

Way up high in the apple tree,

Four little apples smiling down at me ...

No little apples smiling down at me.
🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎

Elephants Have Wrinkles

Elephants have wrinkles, wrinkles, wrinkles,
Elephants have wrinkles, wrinkles everywhere!

On their toes, on their toes,
No one knows why, i, i, i ...

Elephants have wrinkles, wrinkles, wrinkles,
Elephants have wrinkles, wrinkles everywhere!

On their knees, on their knees,
On their toes, on their toes,
No one knows why, i, i, i ...

Elephants have wrinkles, wrinkles, wrinkles,
Elephants have wrinkles, wrinkles everywhere!
On their hips ...
On their ears ...
On their trunks ...

On their teeth!
On their teeth - that's RIDICULOUS!

On their trunks,
On their ears,
On their hips,
On their knees,
On their toes,
No one knows why, i, i, i ...

Elephants have wrinkles, wrinkles, wrinkles,
Elephants have wrinkles, wrinkles everywhere!

🐘