Overdue Post 2

Okay so this is the last post that I can make until Tuesday because the preschool started spring break before we did. Anyways. So it was a pretty non interesting day. The kids came in and they played until circle time. They read "Happy Easter Little Critter" by Mercer Mayer. They talked about their daily project. They made their projects and played until time to go to the rumpus room. Then they came back to the room and played until the second circle time and then they cleaned up and ate snack and left. Then the afternoon class came in and pretty much did the same thing. I left at the normal time.

Man this one was short but sadly I don't have a lot to say about it. Sorry!

Until next time
Annie
~Tuesday March 18, 2008~

Overdue Post

Woah so it's been forever since I wrote one of these. Anyways. Well the day started like any other day. I got there just before the kids started coming in. The morning kids don't really seem like they want to talk to me or play with me much, so I just stood in the background and talked to some of them and watched them play. They played until it was circle time.

During circle time they talked about the normal stuff (the month, day, yada, yada, yada) and they talked about eggs (chicken eggs, eggs from other aminals). They also talked about their daily projects, which was to make Easter bags. They read "Chickens Aren't the Only Ones" by Ruth Heller. After circle time, the kids played and did their daily projects until it was time to go the the rumpus room.

I was surprised at the rumpus room because a little girl who normally didn't talk to me or anything wanted me to play ball with her, so of course I did. It was pretty fun. The kids are so cute. Anyways. After they got back to the room, it was time to play for a little bit before time for their second circle thinger. During their second circle time, they talked more about eggs and they read the story "Bunny Cakes" by Rosemary Wells. Then the helpers got snack out and the kids ate it and went either home or to lunch bunch.

After lunch bunch, the kids started coming in. The afternoon class seems to like to play with me a little more than the morning class. I think that it might be because they're more awake than the morning class or something. They played until it was circle time. They read the books and talked about helpers and all that fun stuffs. Then they went and played some more until it was time to go to the rumpus room. They came back and played until clean up and they had their second circle and snack. Then I had to take my leave.

Until next time
Annie
~Thursday, March 13, 2008~

Shiney Raindrops!

Hola! So. Today wasn't really all that amazingly interesting in the morning. I got there before the kids so I got to help out with getting stuff together and hang out. Then the kids started coming in. We were missing a lot of kids either because of the weather or because they were sick. There was roughly about 5 or 6 kids missing in the morning class, which doesn't really leave a lot of kids left. So once the kids got there, they played until their first circle time. When they got to circle time, they talked about the normal stuff like the day and month and pattern and weather and yada yada yada. They read the book, "Peterkin's Wet Walk" by Emilie Boon. The theme was raining, which I found very entertaining because there was still a TON of snow on the ground. They talked about their daily projects which were to glue together an umbrella and put one shiney raindrop on it and some clouds and stuff like that. Then they were allowed to go and play and be merry until it was time to go to the rumpus room.

None of the kids really seemed to want to play anything with me today. They all seemed pretty tired, which i can understand because of the time change and what not. Once they got back to the room, they played until it was the second circle time. Once there, they read the book, "Caught in the Rain" by Beatrize Ferra and Michele Sambin. While they were doing that, the helpers set up snack and then the kids were allowed to go and eat their snack and get ready to go either home or to lunch bunch.

After l;unch, the afternoon kids came in. They like me to play with them. My goal of the day was to get the little girl who is always really quiet (it seems) to talk more about anything I could think of asking her about. And it worked. So wohoo to me. I got her to just go on and on and on and on about her favorite color and if she likes big dogs or little dogs. As I said. Random stuff of doom (it's very doomfull). Then it was circle time, where the kids talked about the month and day and all that other good stuff and read their book and talked about their daily project. Then they went to play and the kids all wanted me to play with them. So I built a rocket with them out of blocks and a tower and a little town and I colored with them and made snowmen out of play dough and played house.

Then, we went to the rumpus room where they wanted to play hide-and-seek and tag. I've noticed that there is a difference in some of the kids. The kids who are smaller and have shorter legs like to play hide-and-seek, while the kids who are taller and have longer legs like to play tag. Interesting little observation I think. Anyways. After we got back, they played some and did circle time and got ready for snack and then sadly, I had to go. But I told them I'd come and play with them again on Thursday.

Pictures: 11
Notes: None really

Peace
Annie
(sort of long one this time)

Time!!!!!

Right so. Today was a short one because it was Friday. When I got there, the kids weren't there (for once this week).. The teachers asked me if I would help them make their science project for Monday, which was making carts thingers. After I was done with that, I just hung out with the teachers till the kids came in. They seemed very excited that I was there. They missed me (makes me feel all warm and fuzzy). They wanted to play with me, which I did, until it was time to go to the rumpus room.

When we got to the rumpus room, they wanted me to play hide-and-seek. It seems like their favorite game. After we got back, the kids played some more and I helped to get the daily project together. They were making clocks. I really wanted to make one, but I didn't. Because I already know how to tell time and stuffs. And I was busy helping the kids get their projects done. After the kids were done, I helped the teachers clean up and get snack time ready. Then, I take my leave (very dramatic, no?). It was a rather short day today.

Pictures: 4
Notes: None really

Until next time
Annie
~Friday March 7, 2008~

AMINALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hola! Today was awesome. I got to play with the kids that I haven't seen in like, forEVER (meaning about.....*counts* a week). The morning class was VERY out of it. That's one of the things I've noticed. The morning class is far less playful as the afternoon class and they don't really seem to want to do anything. Especilly today. They were WAY out of hand. Some of the kids were so tired and some of them were angry because they were tired and hungry (or something. That's what happens with my little sister, so I guess it happens with other 3 year olds). Anyways. so I got there roughly around the same time as the kids were getting there. They wanted me to play with them. Some of the kids were excited to see me. Some of them didn't really care either way. The kids wanted me to build things with them and to play with play dough and color and play house with them. After a while of that, it was time for circle time. I've come to love circle time. It's a small break to write things down that's going on and to watch the kids without them wanting me to come and play with them. Don't get me wrong. I love playing with them, but it's also interesting to just sit back and watch them interact with the teachers and fellow students and how they deal with their surroundings.

This week's theme is "on the farm". They talked about the different animals on the farm and what the baby animals are called and what they sound like and what the mommy and daddy animals are called. Then they talked about what they would be doing as their daily project, which was making cows and putting "hay" with them. They were to put all the parts of the cows were they were supposed to go and make a face and spots for the cow. The kids were really whiney during circle time actually, which really stressed the teachers out. So while they were helping the kids with their daily projects, I kind of kept an eye on the kids and broke up some arguments and helped to make things right until it was time to clean up and go to the rumpus room.

While at the rumpus room, the kids didn't really want to do anything with me, so again, I just kept a watchful eye on the kids, taking them to the bathroom and to get drinks of water, comforting some kids who fell. That sort of thing. Then it was time to go back and I stayed behind with a little boy who needed to go to the bathroom before we left and I took him upstairs to the room and played some more with the kids. While I was making some notes in my notebook, two of the kids came over and wanted to talk to me. They sat next to me and asked what I was doing and all that other stuff. And I told them that I was making some notes for school and they asked why and I told them so that I could tell my teachers about them. They seemed to like that idea.

After that, it was time to clean up and get ready for circle time and for snack. They read the story "Barnyard Banter" by Denise Fleming. The kids really seemed to like the book. Then the helpers helped to get the snack ready and the kids went to eat their snack and get ready to go home. Then it was time for the lunch bunch.

After lunch bunch was over, the kids started coming in. There was a little girl who came in first, before the teachers came in even (I like to eat in the room that I'll be in during the afternoon classes so that I can get there on time and so that I can have my time to look at the stuff that I wrote down and yada yada yada). Her mother seemed very pleased with the fact that I was there (judging on the "Thank goodness you're here!"). Apparently, her daughter had talked about me constantly for the last 3 days straight. She wasn't the only one. The twins wanted to play with me too. And another little girl who seems to have grown an attachment for me (she is small, but when she hugged me, she almost knocked me off my feet). They wanted me to color with them and play with the play dough and do all kinds of stuff with them. And me being me, I couldn't deny. Then it was circle time.

They talked about the month, day, pattern (shamrocks and kites) and the helpers and all that other good stuff. They talked about the baby animals and the fact that goats have twins. This brought up that there where twins in the class and that one of the little girls had twin brothers or sisters or both or something. There were twins related to her. Anyways. After all that, they talked about what they would be doing for the day and how to do the project and then they were sent on their marry way. The kids who weren't doing their projects wanted me to come and play with them. I loved it really. The littlest girl who has grown the attachment for me wanted to do everything with me. She was telling me about what she was making and how she was making it and what color she liked the best and why there was a sticker on my jacket (duct tape). Then it was time to clean up.

The littlest girl asked me to help her take off her little play dress thing (she was a pretty princess like Cinderella and Ariel). Then she thanked me and walked off, saying something about "Ms. Annie". Now I mention this because it leads to something I found very interesting. When she walked away, one of the teachers was asking if she was talking to me and if she had been talking to me all day. I told her that she had been talking to me a lot (because she had) and she just gave me this "hm." look which, of course, made me ask why. She said that the littlest girl didn't really talk to anyone. She's the youngest of three and everyone talks for her or something, so she doesn't really talk. But it's interesting that I've only been there a few weeks and she's already talking to me and interacting with me a lot. That got me thinking what would make her comfortable to be talking to me so soon. But I didn't really have time to ponder this because she came back and gave me a huge hug (I'm feelin the love dudes and dudettes). Then it was time for the rumpus room.

The kids wanted to play the normal tag and hide-and-seek and tackle Ms. Annie. But while I was playing with them, I was keeping an eye on the other kids because the teachers seemed a bit frazzled and I wanted to be actually helpful to them other than entertaining the kids. After that, we came back and got the snack ready and I had to say good bye. It was very sad. The kids all said good bye and I got a lot of hugs. The littlest girl made me promise to come play with her again, along with some of the other girls and even some of the boys (the boys seem to be really warming up to me, now that they know I like more than just playing with the house and princess dresses and stuff).

Pictures: Um....*counts* 20....woah!
Notes: When finished, put pictures on the site thinger of doomfull doomness

Until next time!
Annie
~Thursday March 6, 2008~

Day of Learning Amazement

So. Today was different than all of the other days that I've been in to the preschool. First off, it's Wensday (A.K.A Annie's day of getting much appreciated sleep). I did not go Tuesday, so I decided to go in on a day that I normally don't go in to help out with the kids. Today, was not a play day. It was a learning day where the kids were to learn things and stuffs that would help them someday to be mature, responsible, intelligent adults (or something along the lines of that). When I got in, the teachers told me about what I was going to be doing with the kids and how I could help out at all the different centers.

Now I'm sure that you're asking yourself, "Self. What is Annie talking about with all this talk about "centers" and "learning" and "mature young adults" (maybe that's just for the teachers and kids of TGS)." Well allow me to explain. You see, there are 5 learning centers. At each one, the kids are to do something different. They revolve around either the thing that they learned how to do that day or around a letter (for their little folder things). The letter of the day was "S" so the kids brought things that starts with the letter "S" and they do little activities in their folder things that involve the letter "S" and all that other "S" related things (it's very fancy. I tell ya).

Anyways

So. After attempting to absorb all that information, the kids start to file in. They remember me. They pounced me. Apparently, they missed me (I found this out while attempting to stand upright because they all attacked me). Anyways. So after they all got there and, they talked for a little bit and then it was rumpus room time (this class has first dibs on the rumpus room). After returning, they went to circle time and they talked about the day and month and pattern and all that other good stuff. they talked about the author of the daily book. The author was Dick Bruna. All of Dick Bruna's books are small and square and the same size and whatever. The books are called "Miffy" who is a bunny or a kitty (I can't remember which one. I think it's a bunny). The Miffy book they read today was about Miffy counting.

After they were done talking about their month and stuff, they talk about the centers that they're going to do. At center 1 and 2, they were to make little abacuses using 5 beads of 5 different colors to make a total of 25 beads. They talked about what abacuses are and what people use them for and when they were used to most and all that informational stuff. Then they talked about centers 3, 4 and 5. Center 3 was where the kids did their "S" things. Center 4 was the computer and center 5 was where they used abacuses to add things together.

While sitting with the teacher and helping her sort beads out, one of the little boys came over and wanted to talk to her because he was very upset. Apparently, he wasn't able to make a perfect "S" and that made him all unhappy and he had spent a lot of time working on doing just that. The teacher told him that, at his age and what grade he's in, he shouldn't be able to make a perfect "S". Even teachers can't make perfect "S"s. He seemed okay with that and he went along with what was going on. I had to leave then because of classes and whatnot.

Pictures: none. It was a learning day silly.
Note: When pictures are done being scanned, put them on the site or something

Until next time
Annie
~Wensday March 5, 2008~