The theme of this week was OCEAN and/ or WATER and oh what fun we had!

We started off the week watering our lovely garden and our newly planted bean plants.  WOW!  Everything looks super green and has grown so much.  The ladybugs really have a green thumb and before long we will have a harvest to share.  After gardening the ladybugs used damp sidewalk chalk to draw an ocean scenery with fish, waves and a big round sun.

Even though Austin is not on the coast we have a little piece of the ocean in our classroom.  We made a wave bottle and it was a huge hit, the kids loved it!  To make the wave bottle we filled a 2 litter bottle 1/2 way with blue tinted water, then the ladybugs each put in a small fish shape and the some glitter.  We then poured in mineral oil and twisted on the lid.  The ladybugs were all very excited to see their fish swim and watch the wave move back and fourth.  The wave bottles will stay in the classroom, but please come take a peek as the kids are so proud to show off their new creation.

We closed our week with a fun "going fishing" snack, we built fishing poles out of pretzel sticks, used cream cheese for the bait and goldfish for fish. It was a great way to end a week.  Remember... Monday we will all meet for our spring conference.  We can't wait to talk about all the ways your child has grown!

See ya Monday!
Ms. Tammy and Ms. Shannon

 Reduce Reuse Recycle and Rethink!

What a wonderful week we have had talking about all of the ways to take care of our beautiful planet.  We started off the week making a terrarium out of small water bottles. The kids used small scoops to put dirt and a sunflower seed inside the bottle. Hopefully you found a sunny window to help them grow!  We also spent time in the garden this week, the ladybugs enjoyed digging, watering and caring for our lovely garden and they do it well!

Later we created the earth out of the children's hands with blue and green paint.  Painting is one of our favorite ways to create!  After the paint dried we discussed ways we could take care of our planet.  We can recycle, reuse items, use less water, grow food and rethink our choices.

As always we had a great week and we are looking forward to a week of ocean and sea animals. 

Our spring conference are coming up on Monday, May 6th.  If you have anything you would like to discuss please let us know. 


Have a great weekend!
Ms. Tammy & Ms. Shannon

Texas’s unpredictable spring temperatures didn’t disappoint this week, as the Ladybugs talked about and got to experience different types of weather. They donned sunglasses and hats, carried umbrellas, wore boots, wrapped scarves around their necks, and pulled mittens on their hands. They were prepared for anything!

Each morning, the Ladybugs worked on their own weather wheels, so at home, they can record the daily--or in this week’s case--hourly changes in the weather. On Tuesday, we read The Little Cloud by Eric Carle. We talked about how the wind moves clouds across the sky. After that, we made our own clouds by gluing mounds of fluffy cotton balls to paper. We turned our creations into wind socks by taping curling ribbon along the edge. Learning to use tape was thrilling! Also that day, the Ladybugs painted rainbows using a comb at the easel. Because that afternoon was so hot, the Ladybugs filled their watering cans and gave our garden a drink. Boy, have our tomato plants gotten tall!

On Wednesday, we talked about hot and sunny weather. The Ladybugs squished yellow, orange, and red paint under plastic wrap to create their own sun impressions. What fun it was to watch their faces press the paint through the plastic wrap and then look at their hands, amazed that their fingers were still clean! The children came up with their own ideas on how to make the project more fun. Some drove toy trains, maneuvered rolls of masking tape, or rolled rubber balls over the plastic wrap, too, and the paint mixed together beautifully underneath.

What a surprise on Thursday morning! After two days of sunny warmth, the rain came right on cue. That day we read A Rainy Day by Lola Schaefer and The Rain Came Down by David Shannon. The first book is a simple explanation of the benefits of rain, but the second book explains how rain can wreak havoc on our daily routines. The Ladybugs painted rain clouds at the easel by mixing white and black paint with spongy brushes. After playing with an authentic bamboo rain stick in our room that morning, they filled toilet paper tubes with rice and beads to make their own version. Ms. Kristin also had plastic rain sticks in music class, where we sang “Rain, Rain, Go Away.”

Next week, the Ladybugs will learn all about the new three R’s—reduce, reuse, and recycle—as we celebrate Earth Day. Until then, have a wonderful weekend with those smart Little Ladybugs!

Love,
Ms. Shannon and Ms. Tammy

It’s official—the Ladybugs LOVED transportation week! From the books to the art to Wheel Day, our three days together were a huge hit.

On Tuesday, we talked with the Ladybugs about all the different modes of moving we could muster. We looked at Richard Scarry’s Hop Aboard, Here we Go! and shared who had ridden on boats, trains, or airplanes. We talked about what mode of transportation we use to get to school.  The Ladybugs tore red, yellow, and green construction paper into bits and glued them to paper stoplights. The next time you pass a stoplight you may want to ask your Ladybug what to do: stop, slow, or go! The children also drove toy cars through sand and pebbles in our sensory table, noticing that the faster they pushed their cars, the louder the noise they made. They stamped the letters of their names onto “license plates” that we later used on their vehicles at Wheel Day.

We began the day on Wednesday by fashioning little airplanes out of clothespins, popsicle sticks, and glue. We lined up our chairs and pretended we were riding on a school bus while we sang, “The Wheels on the Bus.” Then, the Ladybugs used foam brushes and yellow paint to coat egg cartons for an exciting school bus craft (which you will receive next week!). Then, we lined our table with paper and dotted it with brown paint “mud puddles” through which the Ladybugs drove toy cars. Making tracks was awesome! 

Finally, it was Wheel Day. What fun to drive our own vehicles—or our friends’—around the track in Fellowship Hall. Also that day, we glued boats out of bowls, straws, and foam paper, and sang, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” We read, If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen, in which a boy invents the most amazing car fit with a swimming pool, automatic snack bar, and the ability to float, submerge, take off, and fly! The Ladybugs painted paper plates red, and watched the letters S-T-O-P magically appear! (We had written STOP on the plates beforehand with white crayon!) What a terrific week!

Thank you so much parents, first for all of the egg cartons you donated, and most of all for hauling your children’s bikes, trikes, and scooters to school on Thursday. We really appreciate your enthusiasm, and we can assure you, your kiddos do, too!

Next week, the Ladybugs will learn all about weather, which has certainly kept us on our toes this Spring. Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,
Ms. Shannon and Ms. Tammy

Bugs bugs and more bugs!  This week the ladybugs learned all about different kinds of insects.

On Tuesday we explored the cool earth with wiggle bugs, we dug holes and made homes for our new bug friends.  In art we made beautiful caterpillars out of cardboard egg cartons.  We painted them green, glued on wiggly eyes and attached pipe cleaners for their antenna.  These ladybugs really love to paint!  After lunch we made a butterfly for a snack by placing a carrot in the center of our plate with apple slices around it for wings and stick pretzel for the antenna.  All of the ladybugs loved it!  We wrapped up the day reading and singing "I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee."

On Wednesday we started off the day by rolling colored paint on the easel paper with brand new roller brushes, we all enjoyed trying them out.  At snack we had a really fun snack of "ants on a log" and then we headed to chapel where Pastor Amy told us a story about how ladybugs saved her garden!  Wow!  A few of the ladybugs retold the story later that day.  After chapel we watched the rain and made spiders out of circles and long strips of paper, we folded the long strips back and forth to make them look like little legs.  These little guys are hanging out in the hall for all to enjoy.  Throughout the day we sang the "ants go marching" and the ladybugs love it! Wednesday was a great day.

On Thursday we had school pictures, and we made ladybugs with paint using our feet. We sang bug songs with Ms. Kristin and played Simon says. What a great week!  

I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Love,
Ms. Shannon and Ms. Tammy
 

The sweet Little Ladybugs were so happy to see one another after Spring Break, and they settled right back into our routine. We talked about birds this week--their nests, their feathers, and their wings.

The Ladybugs started their week Tuesday morning by making bird feeders. They strung Cheerios onto pipe cleaners, which you may hang outside a window—it won’t take long for a feathered friend to find it! That day we read In My Nest by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich and looked at photographs of birds making nests out of sticks and leaves. The Ladybugs made their own nests out of clay and covered them with bits of dried moss. Also that day, the children painted with feathers and played with toy birds in the sensory table. We spent a lot of time in our garden, watering, weeding, and checking on our flowers. The Ladybugs were thrilled to discover blooming passion vines and baby strawberries on our bushes!

On Wednesday, the Ladybugs practiced their scissor skills by cutting bits of yarn. We stuffed the scraps into our suet holder and hung it outside for passing birds to use in their nests. After chapel, the Ladybugs glued pom poms together to make their own little birds, which happen to fit perfectly in their clay nests. We read Birds by Kevin Henkes and talked about how we can see and hear birds every time we step outside.

We finished making paper plate robins Thursday morning, and read All About Birds: A Guide for Children by Cathryn Sill. The Ladybugs glued feathers to paper masks, so that they could pretend they were birds. We also talked about this week’s life lesson—if your food falls on the floor, put it in the trash can.

Next week is Easter week at Grace Garden! We will talk about bunnies and eggs and all the delights of the season. We will have a class Easter egg hunt on Thursday morning, March 28. Please bring in EIGHT plastic eggs filled with goodies such as small crackers (like Cheddar Bunnies!), stickers, band-aids, tattoos, or other small toys that would not present a choking hazard. The Ladybugs will make their own “baskets” during class early in the week. Thank you!

Have a wonderful weekend in this spring weather. We’ll see you Tuesday!

Love,
Ms. Shannon and Ms. Tammy

Spring was in the air in the Ladybug room this week, as we learned how nature graces us during the season. We talked about spring showers and umbrellas, green grass and colorful flowers, eggs hatching baby animals, and saying goodbye to cooler temperatures.

The Ladybugs started the week Tuesday by learning that spring is a time of new growth. The grass turns green, and leaves and flowers start to grow again. To celebrate the return of color to our yards, the children painted special flower pots, which they filled with impatiens plants. How fun it is to scoop dirt! We took our leftover plants out to the garden, where we planted them to share with the rest of our school.

Also that day, we discussed how we needed to begin again, by giving our room a spring cleaning. The children sprayed water bottles onto our back doors and then wiped the glass. They also dusted the room with Swiffer wands and swept with little hand brooms and dustpans. Despite what they tell you, the Ladybugs love to clean!

On Wednesday, the Ladybugs learned about daffodils, and how their bulbs sprout new beautiful flowers every spring. They made their very own versions of daffodils using egg cartons. Also that day, our friends pretended they were the strong March wind by swinging scarves from side to side, and they sponge-painted green leaf shapes at the easel.

Our talks turned to butterflies Thursday morning, as the Ladybugs drew with markers on coffee filters and then sprayed them with water. The pretty marks bled into soft colors. We later wrapped them with pipe cleaners and turned them into butterflies! The Ladybugs also painted evening spring skies with lines of primary colors and cotton balls for clouds, of course. It was an amazing week!

We hope all of you have a peaceful, fun-filled Spring Break with your families. We will miss those Ladybugs, but look forward to hearing their exciting stories when they return. We will also look forward to all of the events spring brings to Grace Garden including our Easter egg hunt on the Thursday before Easter!

Much love to you all,
Ms. Shannon and Ms. Tammy

Yee haw!

This week the little ladybugs learned about the great state they live in.  Most of our ladybugs already knew they live in Austin, Texas, these guys are so smart!  We also discussed cowboys, cowgirls, horses, longhorns and everything in between!

We started off Tuesday by ripping red, white and blue paper into tiny pieces, and then we glued them onto a Texas flag.  The kids also used their matching skills to match the paper to the corresponding color on the flag, and they did a great job!  Please take a look at our flags hanging on the back window.  Later we squirted red, white and blue paint onto paper, folded the paper in half and when the ladybugs opened the paper, what a surprise! They each created a beautiful design! We ended the week making a tissue paper bluebonnet.  We used our fingers to rip the tissue paper and glue them on paper to make the state flower of Texas, bluebonnets.

Oh boy! On Thursday we celebrated Texas's birthday with a party.  We wore western clothes, rode pretend horses, sang “Home, Home on the Range” and made cupcakes topped with berries to look like the Texas flag.  What a glorious week filled with fun and friendship. Next week we discover the season of spring.

Have a wonderful weekend and see you all on Tuesday.
Ms. Tammy & Ms. Shannon

Say cheese!  This week in the ladybug classroom we focused on dental health! 

We started off the week reading Visit to the Dentist by Bernstein...This story really started the ball rolling about what a dentist is, what they do and what happens when we go see a dentist.  The ladybugs love to answer questions about what they do at home and with their families.  It's really cute to hear what they have to say.  We also talked about our teeth and how to keep them healthy; some ladybugs were a little worried to hear they will loose baby teeth and grow adult teeth, but we assured them this will not happen for a long time.  We also introduced the topic of good foods!  What they are and what they do for our bodies and our teeth.
 
After we ate our snacks the ladybugs learned about dental floss. Some said they have used it and others wanted to try but we used the floss to make beautiful abstract pictures with purple paint on bright yellow paper, each ladybug took their time and enjoyed putting the floss into the paint and on their paper to make a super creative design.  Look for these hanging in the hall.
 
On Wenesday the ladybugs were very busy!  We Read another great book about going to the dentist called Visiting the Dentist by C. Gillian.  We learned two new songs about brushing our teeth; one song in chapel with Pastor Paul and another in our classroom which goes like this, "Brush brush brush your teeth!  Brush them twice a day, brush brush brush your teeth, brush them night and day! These sweet ladybugs love to sing!  We even made a tooth brush out of paper with the words of the song on the toothbrush.   Just after lunch we talked about foods that are good for our bodies and teeth.  Look for our chart inside the classroom!  Finally, we tried out our new tooth brushes in the mirror; we hope they are just as popular at home. These ladybugs love to keep their teeth clean.
 
Ending our week, we tasted our yummy homemade apple sauce, painted a giant tooth with white paint and learned new fun songs with Ms. Kristin!  What a fabulous week! Get your boots and hats ready for next week while we explore the great state of TEXAS and celebrate its birthday!
 
Enjoy your weekend!
Ms. Tammy & Ms. Shannon