Rr is for reptiles!

 

This week we are listening for the sound of the letter Rr and learning about reptiles!

Our KDI of the week is classifying- children classify materials, actions, people and events. We will be putting that into practice as we learn what traits make a reptile and classify animals as reptiles or not reptiles.

Table Activities- Our table activities for the week include a bubbling alligator swamp, making reptiles out of pattern blocks, making bead snakes, coloring reptile pictures, playing with slimy snakes, reptiles in playdoh, playing with reptiles in their biomes (environments in which they live) and a snake matching game.

Small Group- We will put our scissors skills to use in decorating and cutting a paper plate snake, exploring reptiles by looking at snake skin, turtle shells, a replica of a reptile egg and visiting with a real reptile, Norbert the bearded dragon (6-8 grade class pet), adding an Rr is for reptile page to our journal and making a mosaic turtle shell.

Jesus Time- This week we jump ahead in history. The descendants of Jacob or Israel are still living in Egypt, but the ruling Pharaoh is not familiar with the story of Joseph and how he saved Egypt from starvation. The Israelite people, as they are called, have become numerous and they are healthy and strong. They have always kept their traditions and religion separate from the Egyptians. The Pharaoh begins to worry that if an enemy fights against Egypt and the Israelites take the enemy's side, Egypt could be decimated. He decides to persecute the Israelites. He make them slaves of Egypt. He gives them the task of building bricks. They are worked hard, given little and they still are a strong people. Then he comes up with the wicked plan of trying to keep the Israelites down by instructing the Egyptian midwives to drown any boy babies that the Israelites have. He thinks this will weaken them and break them down. A woman named Jochebed becomes pregnant and she keeps her pregnancy a secret. When she gives birth, she only has Israelite midwives attend her. She gives birth to a baby boy and she hides him. When he is about 3 months old, he is getting too difficult to hide, so she makes a basket, coats it with tar and makes it waterproof. She then sends her older daughter, Miriam, to watch as she places the baby and basket in the water of the Nile River. The boat basket floats downstream to where the Pharaoh's daughter and her maids are bathing. The princess hears the baby crying and tells her maid to fetch the basket. She instantly wants to keep the baby. Miriam appears and asks her if she needs to have a nurse help her care for the baby. When the princess says yes, she runs and gets her mother. The Egyptian princess names the baby Moses, which means "drawn out of the water". Moses' own mother gets to care for him for the first five years of his life. She makes Moses aware of who he is and tells him the stories of God's deliverance and that he is part of God's chosen people through Abraham. At the age of five, Moses goes and lives in the palace with the Egyptian princess as his mother and learns about Egypt, it's beliefs and government. God is preparing him for the role he will ask him to take on many years from now. God has us in his hands, even when seemingly awful things are happening around us, he's got a plan. Jeremiah tells us in Jeremiah 29:11  "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Those who know the Lord as Savior can be comforted to know that God's got a plan for you!!

Large Group- This week in large group we will practice some reptilian movements, find reptiles hidden on the playground, make a pool noodle snake and observe Norbert.

Books of the Week- "Verdi" by Janell Cannon, and "Reptiles and Amphibian" by Roger Priddy.

Remember to sign up for Parent Teacher conferences at this link Parent Teacher Conference

This conference will be just checking up on the transition to the new year, any concerns I or Mrs. Fager may have and any concerns you may have. We will have another conference in February and that conference will have results of some informal assessments- just seeing where they are as far as number and letter recognition, math concepts, independence and kindergarten readiness for those getting ready to move on from preschool. If none of the available times work for you, let me know and we can set something else up. We will be meeting in the preschool classroom, so you can park in the front and come in the same door you drop your kiddos off at! 

Also remember that tomorrow, Monday, October 19, is picture day. There is no cost. You will receive a digital copy of the photo and then you can take that and order pictures wherever you would like! Thanks to Mrs. Sordahl, our kindergarten teacher, for doing this. We decided to go this route this year for a couple reasons, COVID was one, also the cost that Lifetouch charges for photos is pretty high and last year, we had to have them reprinted several times as they came to us spotty and not well done. Hopefully, this works out for us better!

Have a great week!