Pp is for pumpkin

 

This week we celebrate the upcoming holiday with Pp is for pumpkin.

Our KDI for the week is Emotions-Children recognize, label and regulate their feelings. Using jack o lantern faces to practice with, we give names to our emotions with nuance, not just happy or sad. We also practice changing our faces to fit different feelings.

Table Activities- This week table activities include pumpkin slime, creating a jack o lantern, pumpkin puzzles, a pumpkin sensory bin, making a bead pumpkin, pumpkin playdoh, pounding golf tees into a pumpkin and Halloween clay mats.

Small Group- Our small group activities this week include using our senses to explore pumpkins, painting our own pumpkin, adding "Pp is for pumpkin" to our journal and trick or treating to the other classroom door with masks on. We plan to trick or treat on Thursday, just so you know. I won't say too much about it in class if you are a 3 day person and can't come on Thursday- you are always welcome to come if you are able! On Thursday, kids can also wear a costume if they wish.

Jesus Time- This week our story takes place when Moses is an old man. Moses was raised to adulthood in the palace of the Pharaoh, as an adopted prince of Egypt. He knew his heritage as an Israelite and when he once saw how the slave masters treated the Israelites, he grabbed two of them, killed them and buried them. Others saw what he did and he ran away from Egypt. He ended up settling in a wilderness area called Midian. There he married a Midianite woman named Zipporah, whose father, Jethro, was a believer and a priest. Moses became a shepherd. One day while Moses was out watching the flocks, a bush appeared to be on fire without burning up. Moses approached the bush and God called out to him. Moses was terrified!! God told him that he had been chosen to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of slavery. Moses came up with many excuses why it should not be him. Finally, he agreed to go with his brother Aaron as his spokesman. Moses approached Pharaoh and asked him to let the Israelites go. Pharaoh laughed at him and said "NO!" Moses showed his several miracles to show the power of the one true God, but Pharaoh's wisemen could replicate them, so he would not give in to Moses. Moses warned him that plagues were on their way to make Pharaoh change his mind, but Pharaoh would not listen. God then sent 10 plagues, each attacking the pagan gods of the Egyptians in some way- the first plague was turning all water into blood. When Pharaoh asked Moses to have his God turn it back and he would let the Israelites go. Moses prayed, the water returned and Pharaoh changed his mind. This is the pattern that was set for the next eight plagues which consist of frogs everywhere, lice or gnats, flies, sickness of livestock, boils, hail, locust and darkness. During each plague, Pharaoh promises to release the Israelites when the plague is taken away and each time he goes back on the promise. Finally the last plague comes, this is the worst of them all. Each household will loose it's firstborn's life. The Israelites are instructed to dress for traveling, make bread without yeast, kill a young lamb and take its blood and paint it over the top of and down the sides of the doorway, that way the angel of death will Passover their home. After this plague, the Pharaoh commands the Israelites to leave. As they walk out of Egypt, thousands of them, with goods and livestock also, Pharaoh once again changes his mind. He leads his army against them and the Israelites are trapped between Pharaoh's army and the Red Sea. God miraculously opens a way for the Israelites to walk on dry land through the Red Sea. As soon as the Israelites are safely on the other side and the Egyptians start to follow, God allows the sea to come crashing back down, drowning the army that would have slaughtered the Israelites. It's a lot of story, we'll see how much the little ones understand. God fights our battles for us to free us from the slavery of sin! He sent us our Savior in Jesus, who stood up to the devil and won our freedom by sacrificing His own innocent life, and stands resurrected!

Large Group- This week we plan to do pumpkin tossing, bowling, a Halloween obstacle course and playing with pumpkins outside.

Books of the Week- "Pumpkinheads" by Wendell Minor, "Too Many Pumpkins" by Linda White and "Pumpkins! Pumpkins!" by Jeanne Titherington.

Almost everyone has signed up for a Parent/Teacher conference, Thank you!! If you still need to sign up, here's the link Parent Teacher Conference!

And we made it through 1st quarter!! We will still spend as much time as possible outside, so send warm clothing and boots if necessary! 

Have a pumpkin-tastic week!!