Highlands Css Poetry Winners!

Back in action, we are in full swing

Finishing up winter, and dreaming of spring

But winter can't leave without the white stuff ya know!

Oh didn't you hear, our classroom made SNOW!

On Tuesday morning we received great news

Thanks to arctic birds that make a great muse

We won the lottery? Nope guess again!

We won the poetry contest, with our poem Penguin!

We finished up animals, hibernation and more

We move on to history, MLK, presidents in store

So little time for all we must do

Hearts are here soon, cupid will be too!

I guess hard at work, all my cupids will be

To keep up with learning, and make things for family

We continue to have fun, chugging along and improving

Our goals, curriculum and abilities keep moving!

I hope you see progress and happy kids glowing

I know I see change and each of them growing!

Thanks for all the you do in the classroom and more...

See you next week. NOW for pictures galore!!!!

Pretending to be a penguin

Wadddddle wadddle!

We made puffy paint to make our polar bears!

Love your bear Peyton!

Corey kept saying "ewwwwww"

Looking for things we "like"....for a project.

Someone LOVES puffy paint and cotton balls...makes my teeth hurt to think of it!

Cheese!

She threw it at me and laughed!

Sensory time! Shaving cream is awesome.

Measuring and making our snow

We started with a small batch....not enough to share

Some kiddos did NOT like the texture!

Corey kept making snowballs and burying his hand.

Hand is gone.... "Oh no my hand!"

Abbie enjoys sweeping it OFF the table and onto her lap....that makes us giggle wildly!

The cleanup pile on the floor became extended sensory time for Ms. Abbie.

She threw it up in the air several times! Talk about time on task...she sat here through art class...40 minutes!!!

Working on the iPad. We use Verbal Victor right now but are always looking for better "choice making" ideas.

Very motivated to do this activity.

Great time on task/and eye contact.  Need a stand for the iPad.

 As part of literacy week we participated in a parade with the kiddos all around school.  Our book was A Bad Case of the Stripes, by David Shannon!  Great story.  Check it out by clicking the link.

This was the book we chose with the other CSS K-3 room.  I love the drawing and want to keep it in the room!

Chris was the flag

Andre was the blue face with purple spots!

Lining up for the parade!

Hey Peyton you have a bad case of stripes man!

Ms. Krystal was much more apt to get into it...I refuse to paint my face!   ( Hey I break out bad!)

David was a bit leery of all the costumes...

Abbie holding our sign!

Go Abbie you look awesome!!!!!!   Thanks to her parents for making home made face paints too!

Ready to march!

...Ms....Kathy? You look....ummm  ( Abbie was really confused by Kathy's face!)

March Matthew!!

Matthew loves the snow too!

We made a pool of it on Thursday since it was our "Friday fun day" early.

As usual our jokester Chris....stuck in a tub.

Corey was sprinkling snow on Abbie....these too enjoyed this for about 45 minutes.  They played beautiful together! Love the interaction.

Our Poem:Penguin
Black, white, nice
Lives on ice
Dives down deep
On oceans they sleep
Orange beaks chirp
On fish they slurp
Watch out there
It's a POLAR BEAR
Swim so fast
Oceans so vast
Slide for fun
Waddle not run
Mate for life
Means only one wife
Dad holds the egg
Mom hunts for food instead
They cannot fly
Although they try
Black, white, nice
lives on ice.

I have several parents concerned with how much their child was involved with this poem.  Poetry is more than just rhyming words together in our classroom.  Poetry to me, is a bunch of meaningless words thrown together to become art.  In our class, participation, sitting in circle, touching animals we pass around, glueing up words, listening and looking at me speak, all of these and more are ways that your child helped make this poem.  Yes we have 5 verbal children who when I would say the word, "nice" could pick the word "ice" from three words and know it was a rhyming word.  That being said, a non-verbal child, who comes up and glues the word "deep" on the chart, is not any less a participant.  Everything is individualized, and based on your child's individual abilities, strengths and needs.  I am so proud to teach and involve every single one of them.

Parent Question Of The Week:

"How do I increase services and how much is my child really getting?" 

Parents that wish to increase their child services in any area need to put this in writing and get it to me so I can approach the team and call a meeting.  This is a good question and you know questions are always welcome!!!  As far as how much service your child receives, when it comes to PT, OT and Speech, I can tell you how much time your child gets on an individual basis and it will be equivalent to what you see on the IEP.  However, if you have specific questions about what is occurring during this time, it is best to contact the professional in that area who is servicing and working with your kiddo!  Hope this helps!

 Video of the Week!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YSa7-aZqiE&list=PL95DE65F162D37F50

Class Challenge of the week?

Not eating the fake snow...oh yeah and painting wiggly faces of children who have sensory integration issues!!!!!! It was hilarious and fun.