Pre-K 4    Week of January 31, 2022

 “Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn. ” ~ O. Fred Donaldson

Please Read All The Reminders

If you or your child is experiencing fever, fatigue, congestion, headache, or any other covid-like symptoms, please remain home and obtain a negative result before coming to the school building. If you or your child tests positive and were present any day of the school week, please notify the teacher. Remote work is always available for students at any time.

Please remember to bring sleeping mats to school.

As always, please make sure to read the OLQM school blog for additional updates and information located HERE!

Contact info:

MrTaraza@olqmnyc.org (I usually try to reply within the same day).

 If there are any questions regarding the 3-K/Pre-K for all program that can not be answered by the office or classroom teacher, please feel free to contact the

Help Line at 888-227-8175

*This week we are adding an additional focus on extending the transportation unit as well while we are building up to our unit of Light. Our children have shown much interest and love for this unit so we will provide more opportunities to deepen student knowledge on the subject. For more information on the extension on transportation, click here for the lesson plan.*

Unit Topic:

Light

Essential Question:

How and why do we use different kinds of light?

Focus Question for The Week:

What kind of lights are around us?

Foundational Text for The Week:

All About Light by Lisa Trumbauer

Focused Learning Activity for The Week

Translucent/Opaque Collage: (Mitten Sun Catcher)

Translucent/Opaque Collage:

 

Tape a piece of clear contact paper, sticky side out, to a window. Invite children to add collage pieces to the paper to create a sun catcher. As the children work, talk with them about the different types of materials they add. Are the materials translucent or opaque? Introduce these vocabulary words to the children and use them as children create the collage.

Glow In The Dark Light Bulbs

SMALL GROUP

 

(10-15 minutes):

 

Invite children to make glow in the dark light bulbs. Children will work with pieces of cotton and glue them onto cardstock. Apply glow in the dark paint to brush and paint on top of the cotton.

 

Materials:

Cardstock

Cotton

Glow in The Dark Paint.

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed

PK.PDH.1. Uses senses to assist and guide learning.

PK.PDH.5. Demonstrates eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills

Lessons and Activities for The Week

Blocks

Provide an assortment of blocks with different sizes. shapes. and textures for building sizable structures. Add clipboard for children to plan a structure then build it.

Art

Introduce children to light and dark color mixing techniques. Big Ideas: How can we make shades /colors lighter or darker?

Science

Add artificial light sources for children to investigate in the science area. Include materials for children to explore how light bends/reflects. (Flash lights, Lightbulb, tin foil, mirror)

Math

Introduce unifix cubes in the math center. Teacher will work with children to figure out different ways to make a ten. Children will find how many and continue counting up to ten.

Library

Introduce new unit books to the library and invite children to explore the new theme about lights.

Writing

Provide children with a variety of tools that they can use for drwaing and writing including paper, stencils, pencils, markers, crayons.

Sensory

Students will be able to play with their individual containers of play-doh and make transportation related vehicles using playdough mats.

For more information on the Lesson Plan, click HERE!

To view this weeks' foundational text, please click HERE!

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me at MrTaraza@olqmnyc.org or email Mrs. Zogka at MrsZogka@olqmnyc.org. 

If there are any questions regarding the Pre-K for All program that cannot be answered by the office or classroom teacher, please feel free to contact the Help Line at 888-227-8175

                      Pre-K 4    Week of January 24, 2022

 Every child deserves a champion—an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.

- Rita Pierson

Please Read All The Reminders

If you or your child is experiencing fever, fatigue, congestion, headache, or any other covid-like symptoms, please remain home and obtain a negative result before coming to the school building. If you or your child tests positive and were present any day of the school week, please notify the teacher. Remote work is always available for students at any time.

Please remember to bring sleeping mats to school.

As always, please make sure to read the OLQM school blog for additional updates and information located HERE!

Contact info:

MrTaraza@olqmnyc.org (I usually try to reply within the same day).

 If there are any questions regarding the 3-K/Pre-K for all program that can not be answered by the office or classroom teacher, please feel free to contact the

Help Line at 888-227-8175

Unit Topic:

Transportation

Essential Question:

How does my community use various modes of transportation?

Focus Question for The Week:

How do we stay safe when using transportation?

Foundational Text for The Week:

Go! Go! Go! Stop!

Focused Learning Activity for The Week

Traffic Lights

Invite children to the art area to make traffic lights.

 

Questions:

 

- What do you know about a traffic light? What are the 3 colors of a traffic light? What does each light tell us?

 

- Why do we need traffic lights?

 

Materials:

 

Scissors

Crayons

Glue

Popsicle Stick

Cardboard Car

Invite children to paint a large box to transform into a vehicle for pretend play. Children may add decorations of their choice from the art area to customize the vehicle any way they would like. 

Materials:

Paint

Paint Brush

Box

Scissors

Glue

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed

PK.AC.2 Demonstrates that they are building background knowledge

PK.PDH.5. Demonstrates eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills

PK.SCI.11. Develops a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

Lessons and Activities for The Week

Blocks

Add hard hats for children to wear when they are building and invite them to pretend they are working on a construction site, doing roadwork, or repairing train tracks. Remind them that hard hats help keep people safe.

Art

Provide children with recycled materials to craft various modes of transportation.

Science

Draw roads or a simple map on a paper plate. Supply a magnetic wand and a small car that has some metal pieces. Invite children to explore how to place the wand under the paper plate and use it to move the car around the roads. Discuss why the car moves.

Math

 Provide strings or cubes as well as an assortment of vehicles and invite children to measure vehicles. Invite children to compare the sizes of the vehicles: Which is biggest? Smallest? Heaviest? Lightest?

Library

Select a few of the books the class currently enjoys and create a graph for children to share which book they like best. Encourage children to share what they like about their favorite book.

Writing

Share with children the purpose of a license plate and use the term license plate frequently as you play with the children. Show the children a sample license plate (or a picture) and provide paper and materials for them to create their own. Children can write letters and numbers on their license plates or use letter and/or number stamps or stickers.

Sensory

Students will be able to play with their individual containers of play-doh and make transportation related vehicles using playdough mats.

For more information on the Lesson Plan, click HERE!

To view this weeks' foundational text, please click HERE!

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me at MrTaraza@olqmnyc.org or email Mrs. Zogka at MrsZogka@olqmnyc.org. 

If there are any questions regarding the Pre-K for All program that cannot be answered by the office or classroom teacher, please feel free to contact the Help Line at 888-227-8175

                     Pre-K 4    Week of January 17, 2022

Please Read All The Reminders

Tuesday, January 18th is National Winnie the Pooh Day.

If you or your child is experiencing fever, fatigue, congestion, headache, or any other covid-like symptoms, please remain home and obtain a negative result before coming to the school building. If you or your child tests positive and were present any day of the school week, please notify the teacher. Remote work is always available for students at any time.

Please remember to bring sleeping mats to school.

As always, please make sure to read the OLQM school blog for additional updates and information located HERE!

Contact info:

MrTaraza@olqmnyc.org (I usually try to reply within the same day).

 If there are any questions regarding the 3-K/Pre-K for all program that can not be answered by the office or classroom teacher, please feel free to contact the

Help Line at 888-227-8175

Unit Topic:

Transportation

Essential Question:

How does my community use various modes of transportation?

Focus Question for The Week:

Who operates vehicles in my community?

Foundational Text for The Week:

School Bus by Donald Crews

Whose Truck by Toni Buzzeo & Jim Datz

Focused Learning Activity for The Week

Observe, Draw, & Build.

Invite children to observe various vehicles outside and then draw what they see. Ask children what they notice about the vehicles as well as why the different parts of the vehicles are important and helpful. After children have completed their drawings, invite them to use art materials to create a 3D version of the vehicle they observed.

 

Big Questions

 

• Why did you choose this?

• What does it do?

• Who drives this?

Cardboard Tube Space Shuttles

Provide recycled materials (e.g., cardboard tubes, buttons, tops, etc.) as well as tape and/or glue and invite children to build Spacecrafts. Provide pictures of vehicles for the children to reference and encourage them to develop a plan for building before they begin. Have them consider what they will make and what materials they will need.

 

Materials

 

• Cardboard tube

• White paint

• Paintbrush

• Scissors

• Hot glue/gun

• Markers, stickers, or pain

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed

PK.PDH.5. Demonstrates eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills

PK.SCI.11. Develops a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

Lessons and Activities for The Week

Blocks

Add hard hats for children to wear when they are building and invite them to pretend they are working on a construction site, doing roadwork, or repairing train tracks. Remind them that hard hats help keep people safe.

Art

Provide children with recycled materials to craft various modes of transportation.

Science

Draw roads or a simple map on a paper plate. Supply a magnetic wand and a small car that has some metal pieces. Invite children to explore how to place the wand under the paper plate and use it to move the car around the roads. Discuss why the car moves.

Math

 Provide strings or cubes as well as an assortment of vehicles and invite children to measure vehicles. Invite children to compare the sizes of the vehicles: Which is biggest? Smallest? Heaviest? Lightest?

Library

Select a few of the books the class currently enjoys and create a graph for children to share which book they like best. Encourage children to share what they like about their favorite book.

Writing

Share with children the purpose of a license plate and use the term license plate frequently as you play with the children. Show the children a sample license plate (or a picture) and provide paper and materials for them to create their own. Children can write letters and numbers on their license plates or use letter and/or number stamps or stickers.

Sensory

Students will be able to play with their individual containers of play-doh and make transportation related vehicles using playdough mats.

For more information on the Lesson Plan, click HERE!

To view this weeks' foundational text, please click HERE! and HERE!

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me at MrTaraza@olqmnyc.org or email Mrs. Zogka at MrsZogka@olqmnyc.org. 

If there are any questions regarding the Pre-K for All program that cannot be answered by the office or classroom teacher, please feel free to contact the Help Line at 888-227-8175

 Pre-K 4    Week of January 10, 2022

Please Read All The Reminders

Thursday, January 13, 2022. National Rubber Ducky Day

Doors will close at 8:15 AM --no entrance of students or parents after that time.

If your child will be late or they have a medical appointment please keep them home as per the opening plan. 

Parents who may need to speak to a teacher will be requested to set up a mutually agreeable time for a phone/Zoom conference.

Under New York State and City Health codes all Pre-K and Kindergarten students are required to have an annual Flu shot by December 31st. Students will be required to remain at home until proof is provided that your child has received the Flu vaccine. 

If you or your child is experiencing fever, fatigue, congestion, headache, or any other covid like symptoms, please remain home and obtain a negative result before coming to the school building. Remote work is always available for students at any time.

As always, please make sure to read the OLQM school blog for additional updates and information located HERE!

Contact info:

MrTaraza@olqmnyc.org (I usually try to reply within the same day).

 If there are any questions regarding the 3-K/Pre-K for all program that can not be answered by the office or classroom teacher, please feel free to contact the

Help Line at 888-227-8175

Unit Topic:

Transportation

Essential Question:

How does my community use various modes of transportation?

Focus Question for The Week:

How are various modes of transportation similar and different?

Foundational Text for The Week:

I Really Want to See You, Grandma

 

Focused Learning Activity for The Week

DIY Train Tracks

Invite children to explore how trains move by making tracks on the table. 

• Print a photo of train tracks and tape it near the block area.
• Set out a bowl of craft sticks and glue.
• Encourage children to arrange the sticks to build train tracks.
• If desired, glue the sticks together.

Big Questions

• How did you make train tracks?
• How many sticks did you use?
• Could you make a straight track? A curved track?
• What could you make to go on the train track?

TOILET PAPER ROLL CAR CRAFT

Provide recycled materials (e.g., cardboard tubes, buttons, tops, etc.) as well as tape and/or glue and invite children to build vehicles. Provide pictures of vehicles for the children to reference and encourage them to develop a plan for building before they begin. Have them consider what they will make and what materials they will need.

Materials

• Toilet paper tube (or cardboard tube cut in half)
• White paint
• Paintbrush
• Scissors
• Hot glue/gun
• 4 lids or pouch caps
• Markers, stickers, or paint

Instructions

• 1.  Cut a U shape in the cardboard tube to make the opening for toys to sit in the car. Fold the U up and cut it again to make it smaller.

  2.  Paint the toilet paper tube white and set it out to dry.

  3.  Let kids decorate their cars with markers, stickers or paint.

  4.  Hot glue the wheels on and it’s ready to play with. Vroom Vroom!

Pre-K Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed

PK.PDH.5. Demonstrates eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills

PK.SCI.11. [K-2-ETS1-2.] Develops a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem

Lessons and Activities for The Week

Blocks

Provide students with street signs, people, and trees to help students think about what is in thier community. Teacher will encourage students to describe roles of people in thier community and why they are important.

Art

Provide children with recycled materials to craft various modes of transportation.

Science

Provide sample sketches of ramps for children. Encourage them to build a ramp and see how far they can make objects travel on the ramp. Encourage them to measure the distance to see how they can change the ramp to make it travel shorter or longer distance.

Math

 Provide children with sorting cards to sort different modes of transportation into groups. Children will learn to sort land, air, and water transport methods. After sorting encourage children to count how many objects they've sorted.

Library

Students are encouraged to look at two non-fiction books about transportation and compare and contrast what they see.

Writing

Provide children with crayons, markers, and pencils to draw a picture of their favorite mode of transportation. Include an assortment of sketches for tracing to encourage children to draw using thier favorite stencils.

Sensory

Students will be able to play with their individual containers of play-doh.

For more information on the Lesson Plan, click HERE!

To view this weeks' foundational text, please click HERE!

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me at MrTaraza@olqmnyc.org or email Mrs. Zogka at MrsZogka@olqmnyc.org. 

If there are any questions regarding the Pre-K for All program that cannot be answered by the office or classroom teacher, please feel free to contact the Help Line at 888-227-8175