Nn is for noodles.

 

This week we are having fun with noodles and numbers! 

The KDI we are concentrating on this week is counting- Children count things. We'll be counting noodles, making number shapes out of noodles and stringing numbers of noodles.

Table Activities- Table activities this week include playing with cooked noodles, painting with dry spaghetti paint brushes, exploring in a dry noodle sensory bin, making noodle numbers, practicing fine motor skills by threading dry spaghetti in colanders, making noodle necklaces, and combining playdough and dry noodles.

Small Group - This week we will be making a noodle sculpture, counting noodles, adding Nn is for noodles to our journals, and making a noodle dish.

Large Group- On Monday, we'll use our large group time to trick or treat to the other classrooms, we'll also play with pool noodle beads and dance to "Noodle Dance".

Books of the Week- "Noodles" by Sarah Weeks and "Today is Monday" by Eric Carle.

Bible Story- This week we are skipping way ahead historically. I wanted to finish up Old Testament stories so we can do Christmas stories when it gets close to Christmas. I also chose stories that had a child as part of them to give my students someone like them to relate to in our stories. This week our story is about a young girl and a soldier named Naaman. Israel had been at war with Naaman's country and this young girl was captured and became a servant for Naaman's wife. At this time, Elisha was a prophet in Israel and his ability to heal people was well known in Israel. Naaman became sick with leprosy and the servant girl mentioned to his wife that he should go and see the prophet Elisha in Israel because he would be able to heal Naaman. Naaman went to his king and asked him to write to the king of Israel on his behalf, the king did and Naaman traveled to Israel with gold, silver and valuable sets of clothing. The king of Israel was panicked! He thought the king of Aram was picking a fight with him, how was he supposed to heal Naaman?! Elisha heard about this and told the king to send Naaman to him, he would heal him. Naaman came to Elisha's house and Elisha sent out his servant to tell Naaman to go and wash himself in the Jordan River seven times and he would be cleansed. Naaman was insulted- the prophet himself hadn't come out to see him, the Jordan River was filthy compared to the rivers in his home country, he wasn't going to do it!! His servants came to him and asked, "If the prophet had asked you to do a difficult thing, you would have done it! Just wash and be cleansed!" So Naaman was convinced, he went to the Jordan River and washed himself seven times and his skin was made fresh and clean, like an infant's! Now Naaman knew that the God Elisha served was the one, true God. He went back to Elisha's house and confessed his faith and offered Elisha the treasure to thank him for healing him. Elisha would not accept it because it was the LORD who healed Naaman. Naaman then asked for as much earth as his mules could carry because he was no longer going to worship the false gods of his country, but only the one, true God of Israel and he wanted the ground of Israel to worship on. He asked Elisha if he could be forgiven for helping his king walk into the temple of his false god, but Naaman himself wouldn't worship. Elisha told him to go in peace. 

One small suggestion from one small girl who was taken as a prisoner made it possible for a powerful enemy soldier to become a believer! Who knows what one word of witness can make happen! The Holy Spirit works in amazing ways! Never count any effort out!

Some pictures from this week's fun- I apologize for the lack of afternoon pics- I remember in the morning, but then the day gets rolling and I get to the end and have forgotten to take pictures in the afternoon!

Hh is for Halloween!

 

This week is Hh is for Halloween- nothing spooky! Mostly pumpkins and dressing up. We will be listening and looking for the sound of Hh. 

The KDI for the week is empathy. Children demonstrate empathy towards others. We will be using the faces seen on jack o'lanterns to see if we can tell feelings through facial expressions. How do we look when we feel happy, sad, scared, angry, surprised, etc.? Can we tell when our friends feel those emotions? How do we act towards them depending on how they are feeling? As parents, we know that preschoolers are very ego-centric or self centered. This week we are going to try to focus outside ourselves and on others.

Table Activities- This week our table activities include pumpkin slime, pumpkin sensory bin, pumpkin play dough, golf tees and pumpkins, create a pumpkin, pumpkin puzzles, dot painting, clay mats and using tongs to move pumpkin candy.

Small Group Activities- We will make a bead pumpkin, explore the inside and outside of a pumpkin, add Hh is for Halloween to our journal and decorate a small pumpkin with tissue paper.

Large Group Activities- This week we will bowl with pumpkins, wash the squash and dance to some fun music.

Books of the Week- "Pumpkin Heads" by Wendell Minor and "Pumpkin Jack" by Will Hubbell and "The Pumpkin Patch Parable" by Liz Curtis Higgs.

Bible Story- This week we hear about David and Goliath. Samuel from our story this week is Israel's last judge. Israel decides they want a king, like the nations around them. God gives them the chance to have a king and they choose a man named Saul. Samuel anoints him king and he leads Israel for a time. While he is ruling, Israel is a war with the country of Philistia. The army of Israel and the army of the Philistines are camped on hilltops with a valley between them. Each day several times, a giant of a man, some say 9 feet tall, comes out of the Philistine camp and challenges the Israelite army. He mocks the one, true God and calls his people cowards. No one from the Israelite army challenges him, they hide in their tents when he comes out! 

One day, a boy named David(who Samuel had already anointed as the next king) comes to visit his brothers who are in the army. He brings food and supplies. While he is there, Goliath, the giant, comes out and challenges the army. He is shocked!! This is how the army reacts to a man mocking the one true God? He decides he will fight the giant. His big brothers are embarrassed, their little pipsqueak of a brother is going to fight the giant? They are also a bit ashamed that they are not challenging him. Word reaches King Saul that a young boy is willing to challenge the giant. He calls David to his tent and questions him. David tells him he is a shepherd and there are times he has fought off bears or lions to protect his flock. God has been with him and kept him safe! King Saul tries to convince him to wear his armor to protect him. David refuses, he can't even move with it on! 

Goliath comes out with a sword and helmet, a shield bearer stands in front of him with a shield to protect him. David comes out with no armor, a slingshot and 5 smooth stones. Goliath laughs, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks? Come, I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and beasts of the field!" David replies, "You come at me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come in the name of the Lord God of Israel who you have mocked! Today the Lord will give you into my hands, as well as the rest of the Philistine army! All will know it is the Lord who gives you into our hands, not by sword or spear!" 

David took one smooth stone, put it in his slingshot and it hit Goliath in the forehead, sunk in and the giant fell down dead! The Israelite army routed the rest of the Philistine army through the power of the Lord!

God is with us, there is no room for fear! We look around at the world and feel overwhelmed at times, but our God is so much greater!! May we be encouraged to know God will never leave us or forsake us!

Pictures from our painting week-