For the past few weeks, our class has been learning about oceans. Along the way, they’ve been working hard to create an art mural (along with Miss Sue and Miss Robyn’s class) in the hallway. The artwork on our mural is considered “process art”. The art is done for the process as opposed to the product. Meaning, the goal is not necessarily for each child to have a perfect product when they are finished, but instead, to have new and interesting experiences actually creating the art. In addition, the children also represented some of the new ideas they learned about ocean plants and animals through their artwork on the mural. For example, after learning about some of the plants in the ocean, children used real ocean sponges to dab paint onto seaweed cutouts for the mural. Throughout the week, we also talked a lot about starfish and the suckers on their five arms. To convey this information on their artwork, children painted bubble wrap and then pressed star-shaped paper onto it to create “sucker” prints on their starfish. Fish were also a significant topic these past weeks. We learned that some fish are brightly colored so that it is easier for them to blend into their surroundings and hide from enemies. The children made colorful confetti fish to represent this information on our mural. To make the confetti fish, children worked to paint fish cutouts with glue and then put them in a Ziploc bag. They then sprinkled confetti in the bag, closed it, and shook it. The results were the fabulous fish you see on our mural. Be sure to check out the rest of the ever-evolving ocean mural right across the hall from our classroom!

This past week, we also focused on rhyming. We read quite a few rhyming books in which we were able to predict the rhymes. We matched ocean picture cards to their rhyming pairs. We even solved ocean riddles by listening to clues and hearing rhymes. Finally, we practiced producing rhymes by singing a silly song: “An

[ip] lies over the ocean, an [ip] lies over the sea. An [ip] lies over the ocean, now think of an [ip] word for me!” The children are really improving on their rhyming skills! At home or in the car, try playing a rhyming game with your child. Pick a simple word like “ship” or “whale” and take turns thinking of rhyming words. See who can be the last to think of a rhyming word. You might just be surprised!

This week, we will be learning about gardens. We will also be transplanting our vegetable and flower plants into our classroom gardens, behind the playground (as long as the rain holds off)! The last two weeks of school, as the year winds down, we will be revisiting some of our favorite activities from the year. Our “favorites” theme, is sure to be tons of fun!

Thanks, as always, for your support,

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