On Tuesday, December 20th, Magic Garden celebrated their annual Pajama Day and Winter Solstice Sing-Along! Decked out in cozy PJs, the boys and girls welcomed family and friends to sing wintery favorites like, “Little Cabin in the Woods,” “Frosty the Snowman” and Jingle Bells.” Each classroom crafted decorations and props! After, all the students feasted on delicious cookies. Yum! Many thanks to Miss Gail and Matt Murphy (Benjamin’s Dad), for leading the entire school!
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Starlight and Twilight December Happenings
Starlight
December is truly upon us, and with it, a plethora of seasonal stories and music!!
In addition to Magic Garden’s (tried and true) faves such as Frosty the Snowman (with songs performed by Kenny Loggins) and an interactive version of The Snowman, we are introducing books, which Debbie Leopold (former Magic Garden parent and Lincoln Library’s Children’s Librarian), kindly loaned us and which are featured at The Concord Museum’s Family and Literacy Tree Exhibit . As well as the new and wonderful discoveries we have made in Finding Winnie and Strictly no Elephants, we are revisiting classic children’s literature such as Make Way for Ducklings, Last Stop on Market Street and Caps for Sale. Some of our time indoors, has been well spent on simple art activities related to a selection of the Exhibit’s stories, such as Hoot and Peep and Swatch. It has been thrilling to hear that many of our Families have visited the Museum’s stunning and inspiring annual event.
Twilight
The Twilight children are looking forward to welcoming winter; with an emphasis on light. Our investigation of lights and color continued indoors this month. The children used flashlights to create shadows on the walls and to light up their play areas. They also experimented by using tea lights to illuminate their Magna Tile structures. What fun!
Next, the children will be practicing songs for a January collaborative sing-a-long, with the Lincoln Council on Aging. So exciting!
Sunshine Scoop and Starburst December Happenings
Sunshine Scoop
The Sunshine kiddos have kicked off Magic Garden’s annual Rosie’s Place Drive. This is our seventh year and we couldn’t be prouder of the amazing work our students and families have accomplished. Great job, everyone! Rosie’s Place, a sanctuary for women coping with homelessness and poverty, is a community staple. The Sunshine Rooms leads Magic Garden in collecting donations of toiletries, non-perishable food and much more. Equally vital are the lessons of empathy and goodwill!
First, the students collected cardboard boxes and distributed them to all the classrooms (LEAP and Lincoln Public Schools have also partnered with us). Next, each group decorated their donation box in numerous manners. Some chose collage and others paint (art content strand). How beautiful! As the generous donations appeared, the children counted and sorted them (mathematics content strand). Later, utilizing the goods, they embarked on an upper and lower case letter hunt (literacy content strand). A great deal of learning and a very worthy cause!
Lately, Social Studies and historical figures have become a curriculum centerpiece. During a playground romp, several students heard an overhead roar and observed airplanes jetting through the sky. So…the Sunshine Class explored the world of pilot and pioneer, Amelia Earhart. Using a globe, the boys and girls identified her famous over-the-ocean flights. Also, they examined photos of biplanes and the legendary ticker-tape parade held in Amelia’s honor. Did you know that she drove a yellow convertible? Did you know that she named her first plane “Friendship”? Our Sunshiners do! Up next? A foray into the work of Jane Goodall. The first female scientist to study chimpanzees may spark a new unit concerning jungles, Africa, and the creatures themselves.
Stay tuned!
Starburst Happenings
All the Starburst friends are focusing on, well, being super friends! They utilized their own super powers to practice several skills. This includes using kind words and gentle hands, as well as listening ears. These friends certainly are true heroes of Magic Garden!
The boys and girls worked very hard preparing for Magic Garden’s Annual Friendship Feast. The kiddos helped to bake pumpkin pies and delicious loaves of cornbread. Yummy. Next, they crafted their very own placemats. With jazz music playing, all the Pre-K students ventured into the hallway for our traditional feast. Everyone was stuffed and new friendships were made.
Story time is always treasured in the Starburst Classroom. Some favorite selections include: I Can be a Super Friend by Lisa Grant and Rochelle Lentini, How to be a Friend by Lauren Brown and I Will Surprise My Friend by Mo Willems. In addition, the Starburst children created a wonderful friendship tree and took part in a friendship marble painting exercise. What fun!
The Starburst scientists have been hard at work, learning about the world of bats. These creatures are quite fascinating. After devouring numerous non-fiction selections of literature, the pupils concocted their own bats during Choice Time. Later, they even built a small bat cave in the house area. So much awesome learning!
Coming soon: the Starburst girls and boys will be taking a close look at what occurs at Stonehenge in England and Newgrange, Ireland, during the Winter Solstice. Wow!