Wow this was one busy week!
The weather kept us on our toes.  Monday weather pulled us outside all day with a picnic and outside work in the afternoon.  Tuesday we had fun under the clouds and sprinkles.  On Wednesday the pouring rain kept us in for our first indoor recess, which the children enjoyed, as we pull out different toys and games.  Thursday was just right for the harvest festival, and the cool air and breezes kept us moving on Friday. During Monday art the children were introduced to still life painting, which many famous artists created.  Still life paintings typically use food or flowers for subjects (Picasso’s Still Life with Pitcher and Apples & van Gogh’s Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers).  As we focused on the harvest season this week, our subject matter was harvest vegetables; carrots, potatoes, and winter squashes.    Throughout the week all of the children had the opportunity to paint their own still life art.
The excitement of the week made bodies and mouths want to move, so circle times included lots of moving songs, some short discussions about the seasons and the harvest when we pick the last of the fruits and vegetables and put the gardens to sleep until spring, and a few engaging stories.  Our songs this week included, “Four Seasons Every Year” (A Lyn original), “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” “The Hokey Pokey,” “Jump Jim Joe,” and “Way Up High in the Apple Tree.”  We read The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear by Audrey Wood, and Big Bad Bruce by Bill Pete. On Wednesday morning many of the children helped to mix up some pumpkin muffins for the harvest festival on Thursday.  They put the liners in the tins, cracked eggs, and opened the pumpkin, then they measured, poured, and mixed.  When the batter was ready, they scooped it into the tins to bake.  Boy, were they yummy! For Wednesday lunch the afternoon students were treated to a super special Scorpio’s pizza party by the Hanson-Phillip’s family.  Everyone was so excited!  They loved their pizza, salad, and vegetable sticks so much that many of them had seconds and thirds.  When they were full of pizza all of the children made thank you pictures, many featuring pizza, themselves, or the Hanson-Phillip’s family. Thursday morning passed quickly as the children drew pictures of themselves and their friends on their Sunnybrook T-shirts, popped pop-corn, and fit in some work.  When it was time, everyone was ready and excited to get outside to enjoy the Harvest Festival snacks, games, and art activities.  Some children enjoyed snacks right away, others tossed bean bags, balanced mini pumpkins on their heads, hopped in a sack race, played ring the pumpkin, or did a bean scooping race.  Some children created leaf rubbings or did apple, carrot, celery, and squash prints.  The children enjoyed showing their families the games and activities.  Thank you to everyone who sent in a snack or was able to come participate. Afternoon students had the privilege of meeting Sue Rouillard, who subbed while Lyn attended a meeting. Sue spent two years as a teacher at Sunnybrook in 2011-2012 & 2012-2013.  We are excited to have her join us again as a third teacher on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings for the remainder of the year.

For Friday science we studied apples, more specifically, we TASTED apples!  We sampled Gala, Cortland, Macintosh, Fuji, and Granny Smith.  Some were tart and some were sweet.  The children had lots of good describing words.  They compared the coloring, size, flavor, and texture of the apples and they each picked a favorite.  It was a yummy study!