Spotlight on Brighton - Dominican Republic

The amazing teachers in Brighton have been having so much fun on their travels in the Dominican Republic!!  Check out what they have been up to over the past week!!  

With three classrooms in use throughout the summer, they turned the toddler room into the Airport, the Preschool room was turned into the Dominican Music room, and the Pre-K class was converted into the marine life room!!  It was a great, creative use of the space!!!

Alicia and Karina dressed up in the colors of the Dominican flag to introduce the theme to the class!!  It's a great way to connect with the country!!

Alicia set up a circle time outside to introduce the topic!

Alicia did some magic on her computer turning Denise into the "Capitana", and the teachers are all "las azafatas!!"  HILARIOUS and SO CREATIVE!!!  

The toddler room as the AEROPUERTO. Great place to get your passports stamped. 

During the simulation, the teachers go over all of the safety rules!!  

A trip wouldn't be complete without complimentary beverage service.  

It looks like sometimes they have turbulence on this airplane!!!  

Special visitors from the Berklee College of Music volunteered their time to come in to play traditional latin american music with the "Bandolo" and "Tiple."  Maybe you know of a parent volunteer to do something similar???

My girls went up to have a turn to play the instruments too!!  :-)  

Dramatic Area

Bulletin Boards!!

Preschool: Music room

Maru's Pre-K class Bulletin Board, flags and art project!!

They also celebrated with a 4th of July party!!

Be Inspired!!

Jacie

Spotlight on Needham - Chile

I just HAD to share these beautiful pictures of the Needham school of their travels to Chile!!

Flags and kites!!

Dramatic Play area!!

Math:  Individual Patrones!!!

Chile Bulletin Board!!  

Another Chile  Bulletin Board with group and individual projects.  

Math/Language:  Comparing the US and Chilean flags.

Simulating the Airplane ride to Chile!!  Check out those beautiful mountains!!

Enjoy your journeys!!!

Be Inspired!!

Jacie

Extending your Classroom to your WINDOWS!!!

Some of our schools are lucky enough to have some big beautiful windows on the inside and outside of their schools.  Here are some ways that you can make the most of your VENTANAS en los dos lugares!!!  

Needham:

Use them to create a bulletin board of art!!

Use them for doing planting of real seeds!!

Use them for changing out the decor for the season!!

Porter Square 

Use them for marketing the school!!

Use them for displaying information about what you're learning about in the month!!

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Kendall Square:  

Use them for hanging art (like these silhouettes that Denise did last year)

Use them for making creative bulletin boards!!

South End

Use them as an extension of your dramatic play area!!

Use them for marketing the school too!

Brighton:

Use them for displaying the children's art!!

Morning Message for Pre-K

Britni (Pre-K teacher in Newton) recently started doing Morning Messages in her circle time.  A Morning Message is a daily message written by the teacher for the class and highlights one aspect of the learning day ahead.  It's a highly effective technique for welcoming students into the classroom and generating their excitement and sensed of competence as they begin the day.  It can also help set the tone for the day and be used to reinforce a wide range of academic skills.   

Check out these samples from Britni and Katie's Pre-K classroom in Newton!

Ohdra in Porter does a shortened version of a Morning Message for her preschoolers.  They take turns writing in the letters on her dry erase board.  She also reviews simply the words of the week that they are studying.  (i.e. Dr Seuss, Eric Carle, Arte)

Here's a sample using images that can help non-readers start to connect the image with the word.

ENJOY!!

Be Inspired!!

Jacie