I cannot believe the first month of school has passed us and now we are moving into the fall. It’s been a busy month in all our classrooms. Here are some highlights from the month of September:
The Infant room has been spending a lot of time outside exploring nature. On the playground, they have been enjoying the sandbox and water tables. The infants have also been exploring the textures of leaves and bringing instruments outside to put on a show for our resident birds! Some of our friends had a blast with paint and got to take a bath in the sink; how fun!
In our Younger Toddler room, the children have been spending as much time outside as possible, adventuring in our extensive outdoor spaces. They have particularly loved exploring our gardens! The children have also been enjoying playing instruments in the classroom as well putting on musical shows for their friends and teachers.
During the second week of school OT learned more about their peers and teachers. With new faces in the room this was the perfect way to get to know each other and explore our differences and similarities. OT chose their own construction paper, and added on their googly eyes, yarn hair, nose, and mouth! During this activity we heard wonderful conversations of peers identifying different facial features and comparing their portraits with each other. This was a great way for OT to further develop growth in self-concept, creativity, and fine motor skills! The toddlers also went for a few trips into the woods exploring the fields just past the tree line.
Preschool kept busy this month engaging in fun and games on the playground and enjoying our final outdoor picnic lunches of the season. One special rainy day, Preschool got to go upstairs to the special big church room to play and we had a blast showing off our gymnastics, yoga, and dancing skills. We continue to build on our gross motor and fine motor skills through daily imaginative play in the classroom and through exciting art projects. Some of September’s project highlights included rainbow suncatchers and beaded bracelets. We are excited to dive into our fall unit as October begins! We will be focusing on the changing of the seasons and the harvesting of pumpkins, apples, gourds, and more!
Throughout the last couple of weeks, our preschool friends found two monarch caterpillars in the garden. They brought them inside the classroom to our bug tent. The children watched as the caterpillars ate lots of Milkweed leaves in preparation to forming a chrysalis. Although one hatched during our off-week between school sessions, the preschoolers checked each day to see if anything was happening. During the last week of September, the second chrysalis hatched and the children got to set free a female Monarch butterfly; they named her Pepper! We talked about our hopes of Pepper making the journey all the way to Mexico to continue on her multi-generational journey all the way back to Vermont!
In the garden, our radishes are ready and the children have been helping pick them most days at school. We have been cutting them up to sample as we learn about this root vegetable. The children have all decided that they are spicy, especially the black radishes! That being said, we all still love giving them a taste anytime we get the chance.
ONE Arts Community School 