Term 2 Week 3 - Our Muscles

The week may have been short but we still managed to muscle it all together..!!!
Our focus was on…….our muscles.
Even I discovered some very interesting facts about muscles……how when we blink we use the muscles in our eyelids, when we sleep our muscles help us to breathe, and basically how our muscles help us to do just about everything there is to do from lifting a feather to lifting a heavy box, from tiptoeing to walking and standing to sitting…..!!!
We each felt the muscles in our arms and clenched our fists real tight to pretend to be like weightlifters, we rolled our tongues in and out our mouths…..and discussed muscles that we often take completely for granted!
In life skills we used wool and plastic needles and sewed hair onto a face outline – of course feeling our muscles tighten up each time it was exerted and felt the difference as it relaxed at the end of a stitch. The children then got to create their own beautiful faces.
We wish Daniela a very happy 4th birthday and a very big thank you to Daniela and her family for the donation of a beautiful toy and book on the occasion of her birthday.
We are on day 41 of our World Cup 2010 countdown….and are so excited for our impending outing to THE STADIUM - yay…!!....but we will have to fill you in on that next week..!!
So…watch this space……until we chat again…
With love Morah Mandy

Term 2 Week 2 - The Heart

Hi…this week has been PUMPING……!!! We kicked off exploring our HEART…, where it is, what it does, what it looks like, and how to keep it healthy. We were lucky enough to have a stethoscope at hand and each child got a chance to listen to their own heartbeat or that of their friend.
Although most of the children believe that their heart is the shape of a love heart cut-out, they were amazed to see how a heart really looks and delighted to discover that by making a fist you can establish as to the size of their own hearts.
They enjoyed feeling their hearts beating at a resting rate and then to feel the difference in their heartbeat after they had done some exercise, and we dicussed how important it is to exercise regularly.
In life skills we spooned, mixed and rolled dough to make delicious heart-shaped biscuits which we then decorated with red icing and sprinkles, this activity was met with much enthusiasm by all!!
We also got to make a beautiful heart worksheet as we discussed the difference between rough and smooth.
We are building up a tactile body cut out, and will build onto him/her each week as we learn about a new body part.
Our letter focus of the week was ‘i’ – the children loved glueing their little pieces of styrofoam(ice) onto cardboard to create their very own little igloos.
We have also started our countdown to the Soccer World Cup and are currently sitting at day 48….and have been discussing counting in a descending order!
Thank you to those of you who have sent books from home…the children absolutely love bringing their books from home for me to read and to show to their classmates.
Thank you for a fun week…..watch this space……..until we chat again!
With love Morah Mandy

Term 2: Week 1 Welcome Back...

Welcome Back to a funfilled term! The children have settled well and are very eager to explore their day. There was great excitement from all the children on their return to school when they saw all the new materials set out for them - as soon as they arrive at school in the mornings, before their bags are even in their lockers, they are already so excited to tell me as to which materials they are going to work with that day. Our news of the week was about Pesach and our wonderful holidays....a great deal of fun seemed to have been had by all!
We are now discussing our bodies and how to keep fit and healthy and what foods are better than others - and we look forward to you sending us some lovely books that we can put to good use at ringtime.
Our term is loaded with fun and excitement, so watch this space.....until we chat again......!
With love Morah Mandy