The Big Slides - Water Wednesday!!

Today was the first of four Big Slide Water Wednesdays! 

Starting today, every other Wednesday, Memphis Bounce will grace our campus

with two large blow-ups including water. 

3/4K will be the first group to go down the slides- 

and run through the large slip n'slide between 8:45/9:45 a.m. 

(upcoming dates are: July 1, July 15, and July 29)

Butterfly Introduction - the Botanic Gardens!

This afternoon the Memphis Botanic Gardens made a visit to teach us about butterflies!

We learned about the life cycle of a butterfly - egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly.

We learned that butterfly wings have symmetry; both wings look exactly the same. 

We learned that butterflies taste with their feet and suck nectar with a proboscis.

We then practiced eating nectar like a butterfly, with our hands behind our backs and a straw to suck nectar (a teaspoon of sugar water).

We are waiting on our jars of caterpillars to arrive from Insect Lore so we can observe the butterfly metamorphosis.

Bug Hunt in the Garden

Today we took a trip to the garden in search of bugs!!

We turned over rocks and found roly polies,

worms, 

and a big stink bug and counted his 6 legs and 2 large antennae.

Week 3 - Gardens and Bugs!!

Gardens and Bugs!

Week 3 - June 15 - 19  Exploring the Garden and Identifying Bugs

This week we go into the garden - not for fruits and vegetables that we explored in Week Two; this time for bugs - those creepy, crawly insects that live among the plants and thrive in the soil under rocks in the garden. We'll build upon our 5 senses that we explored in Week 1, as we examine all we find. 

The Botanic Gardens will visit on Tuesday AFTERNOON! If your child would like to participate in the presentation on Butterflies, please be advised of the following times: 

2:15 – 3 :00   3/4K             

3:00 – 3:45    K     

*Presentations are in the Family Room

June 15:  Bug Hunt in the Garden

• 9:00 - 9:30   3K
• 9:45 - 10:15    4K1+2
• 10:30 - 11:00   K1+2     

June 16   Butterflies - Botanic Gardens

Two jars of caterpillars will arrive via InsectLore for children to observe as they eat, grow, and transform to chrysalis and then butterfly! This transformation parallels the tadpole transformation taking place in Mrs. Ashley's 4K1 room.  We'll read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and The Pollywog and Caterpillar by Jack Kent. 

June 17     Water Wednesday - Big Slides!!

Memphis Bounce visits with a large blow-up Slip and Slide and Water Slide! 

Please send your child in a swimsuit with a towel and change of clothes!! 

We'll apply sunscreen throughout the morning. 

Please label all items!!

June 18    Scientist Steve Owens presents Bugs!

Father of 4K student Stella Owens brings microscopes, a slide presentation and bugs!!

June 19    Sprout Houses and Bird Feeders
Create mini-greenhouses with seeds, water and ziploc bags and bird feeders with pinecones, birdseed and lard!

Kindergarten "Brain Break"

Each day after lunch, the rising Kindergarten classes have a brain break.
We dim the lights, the children lay quietly on the carpet, and I read to them. 

Last week we finished Ramona the Pest, by Beverly Cleary. Ramona is a spirited five year-old excited to begin Kindergarten. We completed the 8 chapter book in 8 days!!

On Thursday we began Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White. This classic tale of friendship and life on the farm builds upon our weekly themes of farms and gardens;
 it also demonstrates the traits and the value of true friends.

Farmer Buchanan + the Hens

On Friday, we wrapped our week of Farm to Table with 

(Chef, Farmer, Husband, Father) Buchanan 

and the two family hens, Curly and Eggy!!

Children were able to feed the chickens, 

pet them,

and peel and taste hard-boiled eggs!

They also learned about what chickens eat, where they live - both on farms, in backyards and in the wild, and how they call to one another.

Worms and Dirt with the Botanic Gardens!

On Friday, we had our first of three visits from the Botanic Gardens this summer.
The topic? Worms and Dirt.

We learned how worms are an important part of healthy soil in the garden. 

We touched a worm - 

We colored pictures of worm tunnels under the earth,

and took magnetic worms on a walk through them.

Next came the worm races!

Students laid on the floor with hands behind their backs

racing peers to the other side of the room.