In the spirit of October and all things spooky, scary, and creepy, Pre-K 108 will be listening to books with the same theme. This week, we’ve already spent two days listening to Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Peter Brown. Creepy Carrots is about a young Jasper Rabbit who has had more than his fair share of carrots in Crackenhopper Field. Things start to turn creepy when the carrots stand their ground… The pre-k students really enjoyed listening to Creepy Carrots. After listening to the story, our kids had the opportunity to make their own Creepy Carrot in the art center. We used recycled paper rolls and masking take to craft the carrot form. Strips of green construction paper were stuck in to represent the stem. Afterwards, our kids used orange paint to give the carrot its color. As they waited for the carrots to dry, the next step was to make the carrots CREEPY! They used their fine motor skills to make cut the carrots’ eyes, mouth, eyebrows, and teeth. Making these creepy carrots allow our students to make a special connection to the book and the characters. Not only do they get to enjoy a wonderfully written book, but they can also create something from the book that they can be proud of. Mr. Andy worked in groups of four with the students as they made their creepy carrots. Students were introduced to the materials and shown how to properly use scissors, glue, and markers. When they were done, they were shown how to put things back. The time spent in small groups is more meaningful. Children who need attention are getting the attention they need. If a child needs help properly holding scissors, in a small group, the right grip is shown and they can practice it right away. Stay tuned next week as things may get a bit SLIMEY!
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Now that we are over a month into the school year, our pre-k students are starting to get the hang of things. They know the routine and schedule of the day. Any slight changes to it, they won't hesitate to let you know that something has changed. The year kicks off with a lot of Mo Willems read alouds. His books are very easy to keep up with and fun for children to interact along as we read. There are three series of his that we are focusing on; The Pigeon, Elephant and Piggie, and the Cat the Cat series. The characters are engaging and memorable, therefore it's fairly easy to introduce the different thinking maps through Mo Willems books. We introduced the bubble map to find words to describe the Pigeon using the two Pigeon books; The Pigeon Needs a Bath and The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog. As I read each book, I point out certain actions the Pigeon does. As a class, we do our best to find words to describe his actions. We also discuss the physical features we notice about the Pigeon to add to our map. In our frame of reference, the way we knew about the information on the map are written in two different colors. The blue indicates the information that was teacher assisted. The red indicates information the students came up with on their own. Although it is early in the year and a select few participate in the making of this map, all students can enjoy a wonderful story about the Pigeon and his quirkiness. After creating the map, students had the choice of going to the art center where they would make their own paper Pigeon. Four students chose the art center where the teacher drew the different shapes that formed the Pigeon and the students were responsible for cutting them out and pasting them together. Below are photos of the art center work from today. Other children will have the opportunity this week to make their own Pigeon. We continue to have students join the art center to make their own paper pigeon. Many of our kids have fallen in love the ambitious bird and are eager to make their variation. One student insisted to make another to take home.
In a small group, this is a great way to introduce our art center materials to our students. For a project like this, our students are handling scissors, glue, glue sticks, and markers. They learn how to use the materials with care and learn how to put it away when they're done. For me, I can see where students are at with their fine motor skills. I can demonstrate and practice with kids how to properly hold a scissor when cutting paper. They'll learn the importance of capping materials such as glue sticks and markers while working towards making something they are genuinely interested in. Our first in-classroom bulletin board is complete. It is titled "Hand Drawn Selfies." The concept behind it is to display our students' self-portraits. The self-portrait for our pre-k kids is very important to observe their growth and development over the course of the year. Your children will draw a self portrait in September, December, March, and June. We'll be able to see their progress simply by looking at their drawing and their ability to write their name. Pre-K was introduced to this concept as a whole group. But their drawings took place in a smaller setting during play centers. As kids chose which center to engage in, Mr. Andy called small groups of 1-3 kids to come to the writing center to work on their portrait. This activity was also a great way to see which children could write their names. For those who cannot, we'll be sending home name writing sheets for them to work on at home. In the past, kids drew their self portraits all at once. I found that many students tend to rush the process when they noticed their friends were done. In a smaller setting, the teacher can spend time with the students and encourage them if they hit a block. Here is the photo gallery of the Hand Drawn Selfie process. Click and see if you can find your child!
After being with Annie for two years and experiencing all the story telling we attempted to tell via photo booths, I had an idea on how I was eventually going to pop the question someday. The ring was selected weeks before the date and place of the proposal. The time and location had to be special. The day after our two year anniversary, Saturday August 29th at the American Museum of Natural History. The AMNH had a photo booth and it's one of the many museums we enjoyed spending our weekends at. To throw her off, I made remarks on how I had to save up a lot to make the big purchase and shamelessly allowed her to pay for meals. The remarks were a success as she believed it would be the next year the big question would be asked. I expressed interest (which may or may not have been a lie) in watching one of the documentary movies about space that was narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson shown at the museum. She agreed to attend. I didn't think I would be nervous about the whole ordeal. I was anxious about having the ring at home and it not being on the hand it was meant for. When the day was a week away, there were no feelings of nervousness. On the day before, still nothing. The night before was different. It was hard for me to sleep. I had woken up every hour, anxious for the day to commence. The most nerve wrecking part had been transporting the ring via subway. I was checking my pockets every other stop. Annie noticed and asked what was wrong at some point, to which I responded "Just checking for my keys..." I didn't think I would be so nervous but I was. To lure Annie to the place where the question would be popped, I pitched an idea for our next photo booth story. Here are some of the stories we've told via photo booth snaps. We would start off with a picture of a happy couple. The next picture was the couple kissing. Then the male's attention would be distracted by an off screen female to which he'd make an obnoxious nod of approval with his female companion looking at him in disgust. The story would conclude with her hands forcibly wrapped around his neck. Annie approved of the story. When we got to the museum, she was a tired and hungry. The dangerous combination can lead a woman to become angry. When those feelings are fused together, one can become what is known as hangry. To mend the hanginess, we stopped by the food court to eat. Although she was hangy, her hanger would not cloud her judgement to spend $9.00 on a subpar sandwich. She was willing to battle it through. I was worried the hanger of my companion would take away from the big moment. She wanted to get the story over with...so was I. Before the first happy couple picture was snapped, I pulled out the ring from my pocket and got it ready for the next shot. I told her there would be a change of plans....and it happened.
Towards the end of the previous school year, P.S. 244Q staff, students, and families were filled with school spirit. The button craze was at an all time high as we had successfully fund-raised enough money to get our playground a wooden shed full of blocks. These blocks were brought in to allow our kids to explore their imagination through play. Now my attention has shifted back to my classroom. Master Andy's Yunglings are back on the priority radar and what better way to promote class spirit than with t-shirts! With a new logo I designed a t-shirt on CustomInk as the prototype to see how it looked. It looked fantastic. Not only will the t-shirt promote class spirit, but it'll also promote our DonorsChoose.org page. One Summer day, I wore the shirt during my visit to the Queens Museum, Queens Zoo, and the NY Hall of Science. While going through Flushing Meadows Corona Park, my shirt caught the attention of Liz Gonzalez of Telemundo 47 during a park event. She appreciated the Star Wars referenced and further appreciated the t-shirt when she learned it was for my class and students. We took a picture and Liz signed a photo dedicating it to the Yunglings. Now you can get your very own Master Andy's Yunglings shirt through a t-shirt fund raising website called SpreadSpirit by RusheOrderTees.com. I've redesigned the shirt and you can order it now! The shirts are $25 each and any profits made will go towards our classroom DonorsChoose page. Please check out the link below and spread the news to family, friends, coworkers, and anyone else willing to support the Yunglings! Click Here to order Master Andy's Yunglings T-shirts! Thank you families of Pre-K 108. This year passed by unbelievably fast and it is still surreal for me. The first day seemed as if it were last week and it felt as if graduation was the next. Thank you so much your cooperation and help. Our students would not have experienced all the wonderful projects we did without your amazing support. This year’s families were all-star helpers. I am very grateful to have been your children’s pre-k teacher and equally thankful for the support the parents showed.
I don't see this as the end. It's a new beginning for your children as they transition into the new grade with a new teacher. Wherever you and your children’s endeavors take them, whether it's in a new school or new state, I wish everyone the best of luck. I do request anyone who has pictures from graduation pictures to please e-mail them to me at [email protected]. Thank you all again. Have a wonderful summer! The P.S. 244Q Health and Wellness Week kicked off with Jedi Night! Earlier last month, a DonorsChoose.org project, Young Jedi Academy at TALES, was created in hopes of starting a new fitness after school program that incorporates Star Wars elements. The project received media recognition from Pix 11 News and the Village Voice. With tremendous support from Star Wars fans and amazing parents, the project was fully funded. Unfortunately, DonorsChoose is on its summer ordering break and the materials will not be ordered until the next school year. We had to make with what we had but we still had tons of fun with the Health and Wellness trail run of Young Jedi Academy. The multi-purpose room was set up for kids to engage in stretching, reflex exercise, obstacle course run, breathing cool down, and light saber choreography. When a previous student saw the Pix 11 story, he was so excited, he grabbed his lightsaber to show off his own moves! Video provided by his mother and permission granted to share! June 8th, 2015, 4:45-5:30 was Jedi Night at TALES. A CAPA class was invited and a few families attended as well. Ms. Esther, Mr. Andy, and Ms. Tina were the Jedi Masters for the evening, training Padawan younglings the way of the Force. Jedi Night began with some stretching led by Ms. Esther. The padawans found space in the middle of the multi-purpose room to warm up. Afterwards, our students all grabbed a cup and ball to practice their reflex. When the reflex exercises were complete, our students ran the obstacle course to increase their endurance. They jumped over hurdles, balanced walked, crawled through tunnels, and scooter wheeled through another tunnel. When every student had a chance to complete the course, we gathered in the center to cool down with breathing exercises. StretchReflexEnduranceAfter the students cooled down with breathing, it was time for the moment they've all been waiting for...lightsabers! Since there were three plastic practice lightsabers, each Master took a small group to practice choreography/sparring. All of the young padawans had an absolute blast...some more prone to the Dark Side than others. Every child had a chance to go at it with a master, even a part took advantage of the opportunity! Lightsaber Choreography Jedi Night was a success! Moving forward, we hope it will develop into an after school enrichment program. A few parents came up to me afterwards with some questions about the potential program. One question raised was about the age it will target. We hope to gather students from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. Selection has yet to be determined, but just like the other TALES enrichment classes, it will be free.
Another parent was concerned about safety. There's always a concern with safety when children are engaging in any physical activity. Since this is a very unique approach to fitness, safety will be taken into great consideration. Kids will be taught how to use equipment with care and caution. The physical activities would be geared towards the age appropriateness of the students. Thank you to all those who attended Jedi Night at TALES as part of our Health and Wellness Week. May the Force be with you! With the recent bad press about another local school and its poor handling of a carnival even, the invitation to another school's carnival was reluctantly accepted. The last trip scheduled for our pre-k kids was supposed to be Young Chef's Academy, but the principal of P.S. 219, Mr. Wright, invited our pre-k kids to attend his school's carnival on Wednesday, June 3rd. Mr. Wright had explained to me that he didn't see us as a separate school. We're all under the same district serving the same community. He believes schools should be a shared space whose goal is to better serve the families of their community. I really believe Mr. W had a wonderful way of seeing it as our school is also trying to work towards not only educating our students and their families, but the families in our community that do not attend our school. When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by the school safety agent, Agent Regolski and then Mr. Wright. He escorted us to the younger students' playground, where I kids were blown away by the giant bouncy house and giant inflated slide. The teachers were overwhelmed by the beautiful outdoor space for their pre-k students. Our kids enjoyed the time spent at the carnival, their jungle gym, and the Gatorade provided by the school! Our students really enjoyed the carnival. I would like to thank A.N., J.W., and Z.M.'s mom on chaperoning for us. And a big thanks to Mr. Wright and P.S. 219 for inviting us to their carnival. I hope our this experience will further build our relationship with P.S. 219. The reason for the invitation was because his school would have two separate areas for the carnival. The bigger section for the older students (1st grade and up) and a smaller area for the younger children (pre-k and kindergarten). P.S. 219 did not have enough Kindergarten and Pre-K classes to fully utilize the carnival, therefore, Mr. Wright extended the invitation to other district 25 schools to join in on the fun. Our principal, Mr. Groff, accepted for pre-k! What a Memorial Day weekend! Sunday in particular. I started the morning with a run in Kissena Park. The day was filled with milestones. One birthday party for two wonderful kids turning 5 and the wedding of one of my close friends who also happens to be my coworker. I stopped by the birthday party of A.N. and N.S. Originally, the celebration was organized by A.N.'s family. All of her classmates were invited. N.S.'s birthday was earlier this month so they coordinated to combine the celebration for both kids. The turn out was amazing. 13 out of 18 pre-k 108 kids showed up to celebrate. It was a wonderful party on a beautiful day in the park. Our safety agent, Agent Minter, also showed up to show support. It's so wonderful for our kids to meet and interact with each other outside the classroom. Parents can see how their children behave around their friends and they can also get to know the other parents. Kids need to get out on the weekend. You can see the big smile on their faces when they meet up with their friends they see throughout the week on their day off from school. By 2:00, I had to depart. "Where are you going Mr. Andy?" A.N. asked. "I have to leave to go to a wedding." I replied "Who are you marrying?" She questioned. After explaining to her that it was a close friend's wedding, I left. I heard more kids arrived afterwards and I'm glad they did. Off to Saint Andrew Church! Annie and I arrived to witness Rita Tautonico and Johnny Esposito become man and wife. The reception took place at a beautiful venue, Marina Del Ray, by the water. The evening was as beautiful as the day. Great times and memories were created with loved ones and friends. We ate amazing food, danced to awesome music, and celebrated with familiar faces as well as strangers. At the wedding, the familiar faces were Mrs. Yvonne, Ms. Mark, Ms. Brittany, Mrs. Belanich, and Ms. Tautonico (Mrs. Esposito now). I am extremely happy for Rita and I'm honored to celebrate this joyous moment with her. Although Rita and Johnny had the best night, I came in second, catching the garter! What does that mean, again? A wonderful surprise occurred Tuesday. I learned that instead of receiving gifts for A.N. and N.S., the parents agreed to collect money to donate to the class's DonorsChoose projects instead. The birthday fund helped complete our Young Jedi at TALES project and helped the INKED: Color the Pre-K World! project reach its halfway mark. What an amazing act of generosity. I am so grateful to have such wonderful students and parents! Thank you all!
When I first saw this LEGO AD, I fell in love with it. LEGO bricks help promote creativity and use of a child's imagination. When progressive school teacher told me she got rid of her LEGOs because her kids became "LEGO obsessed," it irked me because they weren't obsessed with the bricks. They became obsessed with the mini figurines, which took away from the child's imagination. When a child creates, no matter what medium it is, you have no idea what is going through their minds. Take a closer look at what your children (be it your own kids or students) builds. What you see as bricks thrown together may be something totally different to them. I wanted to recreate this ad with the things my kids create in the class. Thanks to my friend, Sophia Chan, I am able to do so. This is one of my students, B.D. During arrival, table toys are set out for students to engage in while others arrive and as we wait for breakfast. He went to the table with the DUPLO LEGO blocks. He made this. What do you see? It looks like just a collection of LEGO bricks put together, until you ask him what he sees. At the same table, J.W. was building away on his own away on his own creation. He immediately called to my attention but he had made. "Look! Mr. Andy, I make helicopter! As I began to think back at past situations where children use their imagination to guide their thinking, my friend, Sophia, was given more pictures to Photoshop. After our ice cream making unit, our children's play was heavily influenced by their fascination with ice cream. Here, Z.M. used the Community Playthings outlast blocks to build an ice cream shop. Ms. Chin "purchases" a cone for $1. Take a closer look. Z.M. improvises and pretends the cone and ball is the delicious tasty treat. This type of imagination use occurs in any situation. Kinetic sand is a favorite among our students. The sand is therapeutic. Even adults are mesmerized by it. Many children like to pretend to make pizza or bake sweet treat. Here, D.Y. use one of molding cup to create his own cupcake. He's no longer a kid in school playing with sand. In his mind, D.Y. became a baker using the tools a baker needs to bake a cupcake. The next creation from a child's imagination was constructed using magna-tiles. J.L. used these tiles to create a very interesting build. As soon as I saw it, I asked him what he made. I saw something immediately, but didn't want to influence or interfere with his thinking.
"It's a spaceship." He answered. Yes! That's what I saw! His creation reminded me of something from the Star Wars universe...the Millennium Falcon! Take a look! |
CategoriesAuthorCurrently in my eighth year of teaching Pre-K at an early childhood elementary school. Archives
October 2022
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