The plants have grown so much over the past week and a half and the children look forward to coming in and seeing the growth each day. Each one of us take turns watering each plant which helps to teach responsibility. We are hoping that once the plants get too large for the containers they are in now, we are able to transplant them into a larger planter to be outside for the spring time. With the rate of their growth right now, they will outgrow their containers by next week!! We have come to the conclusion, we are great farmers.

 

As mentioned last blog, February was dental month, and Dr. Belcher made a visit to our school and taught the children the importance of brushing, flossing, and keeping our teeth strong through the foods we eat. The children asked very good questions which showed their interest in dental hygiene and got hand on tools that were brought in to help them learn how to brush their teeth. Dr. Belcher brought in goodie bags for each child to help them continue with brushing their teeth and we encourage them to brush their teeth every morning when they get here if they haven't already done so, and after each meal to keep their teeth clean and prevent from cavities. This was a presentation that the children will take away a life long lesson from.
 

We don't only plant seeds to grow in dirt, we plant seeds with children to help our "family" grow in the school. We now have our license to have infants starting at the age of 6 weeks. This helps the process of learning begin at an earlier age and the children will develop skills in the classroom that will be used in their everyday lifestyle. The older children are very excited to get infants in the building so they can help in the progression of the young ones. We have already seen how this has begun to evolve with the toddlers in the primary classroom. The older children help find work for the younger ones and they are always there to listen to them say their numbers, sounds and continents. It is very exciting as a teacher to see the love and consideration each child has for the next no matter the age, gender or different personality. Our "family" has done nothing but mesh from day one and it continues to grow through the seeds we have planted and as we continue to water the roots, we will continue to bloom for a flourishing future.

There has been a lot going on in the news that we have been discussing with the children the past week that has really gotten them to think about others. With the earthquake in Haiti, the children have learned that not everyone is as fortunate as we are to have food, clothes on our back, and a home to live in, not to mention all the material things that bring joy to our lives. Haiti is a country that almost all of the children in the classroom have learned by doing the maps we have in our cultural area in the classroom. This has helped the children be able to have a general idea of where in the world such tragedies are taking place. Not only have the children been so eager to learn the different countries and one child even learning the states of the United States, but they have been asking to learn the different flags of each country. The flags are what symbolizes each country and to have the children recognize them and name them is such an accomplishment.

 

Reading lists are a HUGE deal in the primary classroom. We begin teaching the children the sounds of all the letters of the alphabet. This includes blending sounds such as "oy," "er," and "ch." This prepares the children to start the reading process and once they catch on, there is no stopping them. Sam, the little boy in the picture to the left reads 3 and 4 books a day and is able to mark them off his reading list. They are to be able to read the book with no stops or difficulties before moving on. Not only have the children been excited about their progress but we are ecstatic to see how far they have come from learning the sound "a," creating words with the movable alphabet such as "cat," and then begin to read books with 2 to 4 words on the page: Mat sat. Mat sat on cat. Before we know it, the children will be reading the Junie B. Jones books at nap time instead of me!

 

Just as we have been discussing the tragedy in Haiti with the children, we have talked about the upcoming holiday, Valentine's Day. We have been making Valentine's Day cards for the people in Nursing homes. We do not want those people to be forgotten and so we are sending our love to them this holiday and the upcoming year by sending our personalized cards to them. We are hoping to get a chance in the next few months to coordinate a field trip to a Nursing home where the children would be able to play games, sing songs and do art projects with the residents of the home. We just want to brighten their days and let them know even the youngest of us think of others and their needs.

 

This month is National Dental Month so we are encouraging all children to bring in toothbrushes and toothpaste to brush their teeth in the morning if they haven't done so before arriving, and also after each meal so we can have good hygiene. Dr. Belcher from Belcher Dentistry will be coming over to talk with the children about dental hygiene and what it means to take care of our teeth. We are all looking forward to hearing what he has to say. Please check backwith us for more updates on the progress in the classroom and what else has been happening in the news that affects the world no matter what country it is in. We all want to give back to others that are less fortunate so we will continue to help our community and around the globe as much as we can!