Aa is for apple.

This week we are having fun with apples and the look and sound of the letter Aa.

Our KDI of the week is sense of competence- children feel they are competent. This week we will work on independence and letting kids explore things they may not have before. Playing at the orchard, picking apples, dissecting apples, and trying apple products they may not have tried before.

Table Activities- This week we will explore mini apple orchards, real apple explore, cutting apple shapes, color sort to apple trees, apple printing, apple water bin and apple pie playdough.

Small Group- This week we will dissect an apple and see it's different parts, add Aa is for apple to our journal and experiment with exploding apples.

Large Group- We will have an apple water bin outside, gather apples in bushel baskets and let apples roll in gutters.

Books of the Week- "The Apple Pie Tree" by Zoe Hall and "The Apples on the Tree" by Steve Metzger.

On Tuesday, September 20th, we have our field trip to Erie Orchards. If you are not attending, we do not have school that day at Zion. We will meet at the orchard at 10:45 for our 11:00 tour and wagon ride.

Bible Story- Our Bible story this week is the story of Joseph. Last week we heard about Jacob and his trickery to receive the blessing instead of his brother Esau. Jacob's life was filled with trickery and consequences of that original trick. He had 12 sons from 4 different women. Joseph was his favorite and he was obvious in his favoritism. He bought Joseph a special multi-color coat which his brothers were jealous of. Joseph himself had several dreams which he shared with his brothers that showed him ruling over them. His brothers were jealous and that jealousy turned violent. One day Joseph was sent by his father to check up on his brothers. When they saw him coming, they plotted to kill him. One brother knew that was a bad idea, so they threw him in an empty well and eventually decided to sell him to some traveling merchants. They took Joseph to Egypt where he was sold as a slave to a military man named Potiphar. Joseph's brothers returned home and told their father that he had died. Jacob mourned for Joseph, his favorite son. Joseph continued to honor God even in those horrible circumstances. He was an honest slave, did his best and was elevated to a high position in Potiphar's household. Potiphar's wife liked Joseph and told lies about him when he wouldn't do what she wanted him to do. Potiphar believed the lies and had Joseph thrown into prison. There he also was a prisoner who served his God. Next week we will see how Joseph went from being in prison to being second in command of all of Egypt. Joseph honored God in his life no matter what his circumstance. He continued to live the life of a believer and knew God was with him no matter what. God is with us always too! No matter what the situation, believers know that they go through nothing alone, God is always by our side!

Pictures from construction week-

Cc is for construction

 

This week we will look at and listen for the sound of Cc as we build and construct with materials from our classroom and use construction tools.

Our KDI of the week is Problem Solving- Children solve problems encountered in play. As we work to build together, different people have different ideas. How do we work together? How can we use our words to make ourselves understood? How should we express frustration when things don't go our way? Lots of building and problem solving this week.

Table Activities- This week we build with blocks, toothpicks and marshmallows, craft sticks and glue. We experiment with tools, screwing screws and pounding golf tees. We use playdough to make tool cookies and leave tracks in playdough with construction vehicles. We can play with water, funnels, buckets and pipettes and dirt, rocks, sand and building materials in a bin.

Small Group- This week we will build patterns with colored craft sticks, build with sugar cubes, add Cc is for construction to our journals and use various materials to construct.

Large Group- Sandbox play and building with cardboard.

Books of the Week- "Builders and Breakers" by Steve Light, "Diggersaurs" by Machael Whaite and "Diggers, Dozers, Dumpers" by Hope Vestergaard.

Bible Story- This week we hear about Abraham's grandson, Jacob. Abraham had one son named Isaac. Isaac and his wife Rebekah had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Esau was the older son and Isaac's favorite. He was an outdoorsman, a hunter and took his birthright lightly. Jacob was a shepherd and stayed closer to home. He was his mother's favorite. Once when Esau was out hunting, he returned famished. He agreed to trade his birthright for a bowl of pottage that Jacob was preparing. He ate and promptly forgot about his bargain. 

    Isaac grew old and wanted to give his sons their blessings- Esau his birthright as older son and Jacob a lesser blessing. Jacob and his mother, Rebekah conspired to trick Isaac into giving Jacob the older son's blessing. Isaac was blind. He had called Esau to him and instructed him to go out and hunt, bring back some game meat and prepare it for him in his favorite way and he would bless him. Rebekah overheard. She had Jacob go kill one of his goats, prepared it for Isaac and Jacob took the skin of the goat and tied it to his arms and tucked it in the neck of the clothes he was wearing (which were Esau's). This way he would feel and smell like Esau. He took the stew to his father and pretended to be Esau. Isaac was suspicious, Esau had come and gone so quickly and the man before him sounded like Jacob. Jacob continued to lie to his father and received the blessing. Not long after, Esau returned. Isaac was confused, he had already given his blessing, what did he have left for Esau? Esau was outraged!! He would find and kill this usurper, Jacob! Rebekah encouraged Jacob to run away to her brother and stay there so Esau would not kill him. Jacob ran and slept in the wilderness on his journey, using a rock for a pillow. There he had a dream of a ladder reaching up into heaven and angels going up and down it. At the top stood the Lord. He promised Jacob that a Savior would come through his family. Jacob woke up and anointed the rock to remember that God was in this place. 

God was with Jacob even though Jacob didn't do the right thing. Sometimes these stories are so hard to understand. But they are stories of a faithful God who keeps his promises, no matter what we humans do. He kept his promise to send his son and he'll keep his promise to come again!

Some pictures from our tree week!