Welcome Back to School!!

Hola!!  Feliz Viernes!!  I am sure that you are all completely excited and also exhausted after this first week of school.  There is so much to do to prepare your classrooms for the start of the new year, and I just can't WAIT to see them (and you) all this month!!  I will be coming in for clase de musica in each school throughout the month of September.  During my visit, I will be ready with my camera to capture all of the wonderful "ideas de inspiracion" that I see you guys doing to share with the Pine Village Community.  I will also have the Monthly Classroom Checklists to hand out, and will be checking in with everyone about portfolios and curriculum.  HASTA PRONTO!!

A few reminders:

• Use the Curriculum Binders for Ideas de Inspiracion!!  There are Spanish Games, Sensory Table Ideas, the EEC Guidelines and "All About Me" Ideas too! I hope that the Curriculum Calendar Template was user friendly and easy to use.  Any feedback will be helpful! While you guys are busy implementing ideas, I am busy getting October Curriculum written for you!!  So stay tuned for the next month's ideas of inspiration!!  The calendar templates are done for the year so be sure to check for them in your inboxes on a monthly basis.  I can't wait to see your Curriculum calendars hung on your Curriculum Walls when I come to the schools for a visit!!  Yay!!

• Portfolios:  Use the checklist in the Curriculum Binders to ensure you collect samples for each child each month.  I have already sent the copies and the binders to all of the schools so you will be all set for the start of the year.  I saw that Maria (PreK teacher in Kendall Square) has already put the sheets of paper in each child's portfolio.  Yay!!  Use whatever system works best for you to collect the samples.  I noticed several teachers in Kendall also put their portfolio projects on their curriculum!  What an awesome start to the year!!  

• Don't forget about our new Youtube Channel of CANCIONES en espanol as a resource!  Pine Village Preschool Youtube Channel! Click HERE!   http://www.youtube.com/user/Pinevillagepreschool/videos?flow=grid&view=1  It is a great way to get inspiration for Circle Time Songs, Movement Songs and MORE!!  You can do a search on the site for what you're looking for (i.e. "Buenos Dias") Or you can go directly to the PLAYLISTS to see it organized by topic.  

• Make good use of your Planning Time!   We are working hard to try to get at least an hour of planning time for each teacher a week.  You can prep materials for the week, clean toys, rotate classroom materials, write your curriculum calendars, work on bulletin boards, re-arrange your classroom, prepare the Spanish Vocabulary for the month/week and of course, work on your portfolios.  Doing a little at a time makes big jobs much easier!  

• Professional Development:  We are having our first REQUIRED professional development night on Tuesday, September 18th at 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM in our NEWTON SCHOOL (NOT THE MAIN OFFICE).  We will provide dinner, go over important EEC safety regulations and also discuss PVP benefits.   The Professional Development Calendar for the year is almost done and will be sent out shortly.  Be on the lookout!

El equipo de administración y directoras estamos muy emocionados para este año escolar!!  Estamos muy afortunados tener un equipo de maestros tan talentosos, cariñosos e inteligentes!!  Estamos aqui para uds. como un apoyo y un recurso.  Gracias a uds. por todo su trabajo duro y por su amor de Pine Village!!

Homemade Light Box

As we are getting ready for vacation, and prepping for September, I wanted to share my adaptation of a homemade light box!!  There are so many ways to make a light table/light box for your classroom, and it doesn't have to cost a lot of  money!!

  

I started with a clear box from Target, and lined it with Parchment Paper to diffuse the light. I decided to leave the large sides open so my girls could see the light spinning too.  Also, I originally was thinking of using an Under Bed Storage box, but this size box worked out great for our needs since it's the perfect height for my girls to stand at.  :-)

 

I was originally going to put "holiday" lights inside, but because I was doing this for my home, I decided to break out a spinning disco light that I had laying around from the store "5 Below."  (It was $5.)  

When you turn on the light, then the fun starts!!

The colors were so bright, yet nicely diffused by the parchment paper.

My girls had so much fun banging on the Light Box, and watching the colorful lights!  As they get older, then I will put solid lights inside, and other transparent items to explore on the light box.  I am sharing this idea with you to get inspired for creating your own new materials for your classroom!  The ideas are endless!  Check out some of these links to my blog for more ideas...

Homemade Light Table and Props

Teacher Made Materials

Do It Yourself Ideas

Homemade Felt Boards


Espero que pases unas vacaciones muy buenas!! Nos vemos en septiembre!!

Jacie

MATH JARS RAFFLE

This is an AMAZING idea that I came across from one of my favorite Bloggers at www.teachpreschool.org.

I am going to raffle off a collection of 24 empty glass baby food jars to any Preschool or Pre-K teacher who is interested in starting this collection in their classroom!!  Please email me by noon on Friday, August 24th, and I will draw your name out of a bag to see who the winner of this start-up collection is!!   I will have the clean jars waiting for you in your classroom when you return in September, ready to be filled with treasures!!  This is a GREAT WAY to incorporate more math in your Preschool orPre-K classroom!  Thank you Deborah at Teach Preschool for the inspiration!!

Magic Foam Letters

MAGIC FOAM LETTERS

I recently discovered that when you dip foam letters into water, they stick to just about anything.  They stick to the wall, the toy shelf, and most excitingly for my baby girls, to the window in their Nana's house!  

I grabbed a bucket of water, and we spent a long time dipping the letters in the water, then putting them all over the place.  

They are still so young that they liked to pull them off of the window and put them in their mouths...but they LOVED it!

My daughter Sedona, worked on writing her name!! (not really).  :-)

Have fun trying this with your students...especially with the toddlers!!  Try surprising them by putting them magically all over the classroom and they have to go on a letter hunt!!  The possibilities are endless!!  Be creative and have fun!!!

Jacie

Spotlight on South End

Here's a look into our gorgeous South End school!

Bolsas de Vocabulario!!

Check out this unique way to have the children review some of the vocabulary AND use full sentences in Spanish!!!  

Cut up all of the vocabulary cards, and place in an individual brown bag that the children can decorate.

Have them pull out a card at random and then they have to say what the word is in a full sentence.  "yo tengo la bandera."  for example.  Love it!!

CAJAS DE CURRICULO

The South End School starting to create their Curriculum Boxes when they opened their doors 3 years ago.  They have a wonderful collection of materials, books and activities by theme for each box. Here's an example of how YOU can create your Curriculum Boxes too!!!

Bulletin Boards in the South End

ENJOY YOUR LAST WEEK BEFORE VACATION!!  

Jacie

Spotlight on Porter Square

Let's take a look at some of the highlights from our beautiful school in Porter Square!!!

Great Systems!!

Here's a cool way to take attendance with the children's names!!

Each teacher was in charge of doing all of the prep for each week of the summer!  They had a sign up list that seemed to really work!!!

SPAIN

PERU

 CUBA

Puerto Rico

VENEZUELA

GRACIAS A UDS!!!  Se ve tan linda la escuela!!

Jacie