Just whipped up some play dough for the kids and thought I’d share this easy recipe for making it at home. Give it a try!
What You Need:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- Food coloring
Add food coloring to water. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Pour in to a saucepan or frying pan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until it forms a soft ball. Let the mixture cool. Knead slightly. Add food extracts (almond, vanilla, lemon, or peppermint) to add scent, if desired. Store in an air-tight container. Play 
Hello and Happy New Year!
Last week was a wonderful week back at school. It was great to have our class back together again after a long Christmas break! We started our week by learning all about reptiles. What makes a creature a reptile? Reptiles have scaly skin (made of the same protein that our fingernails are made of!), are cold-blooded, and lay eggs. The kiddos took home ‘pet reptiles’, made handprint dinosaurs, pretended to be baby dinosaurs hatching out of eggs, and made their own Pastasaurus.
We’ll continue learning about dinosaurs this week, but we’ll also take a closer look at rocks and fossils. Don’t forget to help your child find a rock outside to bring in – we’ll be making pet rocks this week!
We’ll wrap up this unit with a field trip to Texas Memorial Museum on Thursday, January 26. Click the ‘Field Trip Drivers’ link on the menu above to sign up to be a driver or rider!
Also mark your calendars for Donuts for Dad! On Thursday, February 2 at 8:30 in the morning, we’ll celebrate our Dads with donuts and coffee in our classroom. Dads can join us in chapel afterwards!
Have a great week!
Hailey
…and the teacher is getting excited!
I LOVE the Christmas season and cannot wait to share it with your little ones.
I hope that everyone has enjoyed a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday. Florida has been wonderful – there is no place like home – and I’ve certainly been feeling thankful to have a job that I love in a school that I love in a city that I love! It feels good to be surrounded by the St. Matthews kiddos and families
When we return to school on Tuesday, November 29th we will begin our study of Children Around the World. We’ll be learning about the lifestyles and Christmas traditions of children and families in the United States and all around the world. I look forward to learning about family traditions and encourage you to talk with your children about how Christmas is celebrated in your homes.
Friday, December 2nd is our first field trip! We’ll be the audience for the 9:45AM performance of Holiday Heroes at Zachary Scott theatre.
See you all Tuesday!
We are about to begin our study of the wild things of Africa! Lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras – every day will be a safari in Room 1. If you have traveled to Africa and have pictures or stories to share, please let me know!
Tuesday also marks the beginning of learning letters with Barker Dog! We will learn our letters in the developmentally appropriate order suggested by Handwriting Without Tears and will so begin with the letter ‘L’.
Mystery Readers begins this week! Please see the Mystery Readers schedule to sign up!
On the first day of school, we read a story about a little green monster who comes to school and does not know any of the rules. We then discussed the importance of having class agreements so that we are able to do all of the wonderful things that Pre-K should be able to do – painting, playing, singing, learning, building. As an extension of this story, we “painted” Monster Toast and enjoyed a colorful snack to remind us of the day the monster came to school!
To make Monster Toast, you need:
- milk or cream
- food coloring
- bread
In small jars or cups, mix about a 1/4 cup of milk/cream with a few drops of food coloring to turn the milk a bright color. Using paint brushes, “paint” a monster face onto the bread. Toast. You’ll notice the painted colors become more vibrant and monster-like in the toasting process! Enjoy!!
Room 1 is swimming its way through our water unit here in Pre-K. We have learned about the water cycle (have you seen our necklaces?), painted and sparkled our own Rainbow Fish, and created beautiful visions of Earth, our water planet, as seen from outer space.
Friday, September 23 will be BOAT DAY, a beloved St. Matthew’s Pre-K tradition! We will begin at 9:05 right after drop-off. Parents are, of course, welcome to stay!
Before Boat Day, we need you to help your child make a boat that floats. We will fill the sensory table with water and students will take turns floating the boats they’ve created at home. Suggested construction materials include:
- milk cartons
- plastic containers
- ivory soap
- styrofoam
- cork
- wood
Get creative! Feel free to use other materials of your choice and/or to include sails, flags, sailors or pirates, etc. Boat Day and the construction of the boat should be FUN and HANDS-ON for your child, reinforcing our study of water and how things float. While you should feel free to get as fancy as you like, a child-friendly creation from simple household materials will easily do the trick!
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
Check out the Classroom Photos page to see us in action!
Hello Parents!
I hope that all of you have received my back-to-school letter regarding Meet & Greet visits August 23, 24, and 25. If not, please contact me as soon as possible. Mrs. McCay and I are looking forward to getting to know you and your child next week and over the course of the year. Enjoy these last precious days of summer and get ready for an exciting year together!
