October 28th, 2013
Dear Families,
We are getting so excited to have our Halloween party this Wednesday, the 30th! We hope
to see you all there at arrival to come in, listen to some songs, take some pictures and enjoy. If
your preschooler would also like to wear ther costume on Thursday (the actual date of Halloween)
they are welcome to do so!
Just a bit of housekeeping:
-Please check your child's folder and REMOVE all papers every night!
-November book orders went home last week. Orders are due Tuesday 10/29.
-Thank you to all who attended our curriculum night last week! It was so nice to see you!
A few highlights this week:
This week we will be busy, busy, busy in the A.C.P!
In addition to our usual centers and group activities,
the children will get to participate in a few special
activities. On Thursday, we will welcome Ms. Fay's 10year-old son, Chris, to our class. Chris will be helping
the kids in the science center, where they will cut
open a pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and insides.
This activity will provide a fun way for the kids to
use their scientific inquiry skills in order to make
predictions, investigate and form conclusions about
what is inside a pumpkin. It will also be a messy
sensory experience!
Preschool Halloween Party!
On Friday, the PM class will host the 8th grade
th
Spanish class as a special activity. The 8 graders Boo! Our class costume party will take place on
will tell us a little bit about “Dia de los Muertos” or Wednesday, October 30th during class time. Kids
“Day of the Dead,” which is celebrated in Mexico. The can dress in costume!
preschoolers and 8th graders will team up to decorate When: Wednesday, October 30th
some (kid-friendly) paper skulls to display in the
Where: Preschool Room 139 at Marie Murphy
school!
Time: Walk-in at arrival and dismissal as usual!
9:00-9:30 for AM parents, 9:00-11:10 for AM
preschoolers and party planners
Tom Turkey!
This week you will all receive your November
family homework assignment- hide Tom Turkey!
Cut out and disguise the turkey that you
received. Work with your preschooler to make it
original and have fun! Please bring Tom back to
our classroom by Monday, November 4th. He (or
she) can hide out here!
12:30-1:00 for AM parents, 12:30-2:45 for PM
preschoolers and party planners
Center
Blocks
Activities
Why are these activities so important?
Haunted houses
Creative play; turn taking; strengthening
Spooky blocks with witches, ghosts, fine and gross motor skills; task
monsters, etc.
persistence and problem solving
Table Toys and
Games
Halloween BINGO
Pumpkin Color sorting/Number
game
Monster Memory game
Visual discrimination; measurement and
size; turn taking with a peer; hand-eye
coordination
Dramatic Play
Kitchen with plates, pots, cups and
utensils
Play menus and a cash register for
restaurant play
Developing language and social skills;
socialization and building friendships;
imaginative and pretend play; sharing
materials and turn taking
Writing
Dry-erase boards with tracing,
matching and visual discrimination
Fine motor skills; early literacy;
language development
Library
Magazines, non-fiction and narrative Book-handling skills; social interactions;
stories
imaginative and pretend play; early
Halloween-themed books
literacy
Sensory
Sand, shovels and spooky objects to Sensory; fine motor development; volume
dig and discover!
and measurement; science conceptsPumpkin playdough, green rotini
sink/float, solid/liquid, hard/soft; sharing
“stems”
materials with peers
Snack
Self-serve during center time
Self-help; language development and
social skills
Art
Stained glass owls
Paint at the easel
Expressing creativity; developing fine
motor skills; Applying new knowledge
Tech
Ipad as listening center:
-Go Away Big Green Monster
-Mickey Mouse Halloween
-Monster at the End of this Book
Turn taking; developing hand-eye
coordination and fine motor skills;
practicing various cognitive skills
(literacy, math, science concepts)
Science
Color paddles and objects to view
Pumpkin exploration (Thursday)
Exploring cause and effect; making
observations; turn taking with peers
Listening
See tech. center description!
Language development; book-handling
skills; practicing literacy concepts
Important Dates:
October Birthdays:
10/14: Columbus Day- No School
10/23-10/25: No Preschool
10/30: Halloween Parties
19th- Ariel (PM) 24th- Mia (PM)
24th- Alexa (PM) 26th- Haley (AM)