First Day!

Pictures from the first day are uploaded here on picassa.

What an incredible, fun day we had! We played, built things, ate snacks, played on the playground with the other 3s classes, read books ("How Do Dinosaurs Go To School?" & "The Kissing Hand") and painted...

I really can't say enough great things about this class! One thing I had been really nervous about was getting these sweet little ones to walk in a line, safely... Katie suggested that everyone hold their own hands and blow bubbles as they walk. What a great idea!! Our class did such a great job walking down the hallway that we were complimented by every teacher that saw us - including Mrs. Thurman (the head of school)!! I was filled with pride :)

The kids learned that when I say "Stop, look and listen" they stop what they are doing, turn and look at me and listen to what I'm going to say. Usually, I would say "Give me five!" and everyone learned to raise their hand so I can come by and give them a "High-five" before they lined up.

Another phrase a few kids learned to use was "STOP! I don't like that!" This is a great phrase to use when someone is doing something that they don't like. It works in several different ways - 1) The child no longer feel like the victim (2) the offending child almost always stops at least for a second (3) it signals a teacher that help is needed.

Mrs. McCay and I will be helping your child "use his or her words" and help solve problems independently.

Here's to a great start of a new year!!!! :D

Pictures from "Meet The Teacher!"

It was great meeting most of the kids and parents today!
I've uploaded some of the pictures we took to picassa.

Remider: Meet The Teachers on Friday!

I am holding a Meet The Teacher/Orientation Day on Friday, August 28th because I feel it will be helpful for the children to meet in a small group and visit the classroom before the first day of school. This is an opportunity for you and your child to visit the classroom, meet the teachers(myself & Mrs. McCay) and other students. The girls' classroom visit will be 10:30am-11:15am and the boys' visit will be 11:30am-12:15pm. The playground will be open for you and your child to visit after our classroom visit. You will receive your child's class folder which will be filled with important information for you to take home and review.

Monday's Daily Schedule

Here is an idea of how Mondays will look:

Click on the schedule for a larger view.

Items To Save For Our Class:

We love having these items on hand for fun projects and activities throughout the year:

• paper towel and toilet paper tubes
• gently worn costumes (that you don’t want anymore) for dress-up – VERY popular!
• empty tissue boxes (needed in February)
  
• odd sewing items: lace, trim, sequins, beads, rickrack, felt, buttons, etc
• wrapping paper scraps, extra occasion cards
• cardboard egg cartons
• yarn, ribbon scraps

THANK YOU!

Book Recomendations: Three Helpful Stories About Managing Big Emotions

The Way I Feel Pack:
The Caldecott Honor-winning When Sophie Gets Angry shows that everyone gets out of control sometimes, and a little solitude can help. Sophie is upset because her little sister grabbed her toy and made her fall over. She's ready to roar, but instead makes the choice to go outside. Climbing a favorite tree and listening to the birds, she is able to calm down. And when she finally comes home, she isn't angry anymore.

The Way I Feel is a perennial bestseller that helps children identify their stressful feelings—and think about constructive ways of managing them. Playful rhymes and evocative illustrations describe jealousy, disappointment, anger, and more, and remind kids that it's not okay to hit, yell, or hurt other people. Also included is a note to parents on how to talk about feelings with children.

Strong emotions can be overwhelming to young children—and they can be difficult to talk about. But discussing the situation of a character in a story is not threatening and can be an excellent way to introduce these issues. Keep these books on hand for times when children need to talk about how to cool down!

Available online through scholastic book clubs for only $10.00(for all 3 books!)

Book Recommendation: The Kissing Hand

Say Goodbye to Separation Anxiety with This Best-Selling Book & Read-Along CD

Perhaps no story has helped children with separation anxiety more than this heartwarming classic about a little raccoon going off to school for the first time and worried about missing his mama. Luckily for him, she's got a special way of helping him feel close to her even when they're apart: She puts a special kiss in his hand that he can hold on to all day long. With adorable illustrations, this reassuring story is a must-have for every child. Plus, the read-along CD included with this set lets children enjoy the story whenever they need a little reassurance.

Available in Scholastic's SeeSaw September Catalog for $7.00

Scholastic Book Orders Now Available Online!

Scholastic now offers parents the option to order books online. When you do this, not only do you get a great bargain and earn books for our classroom!!

Ordering online is fairly simple:

1. Go to the parent sign in at Scholastic.com
2. *Click "Don't have a User Name and Password?"
   
3. *Click "If you have a 5-digit code from your child’s teacher,
   click here to register."
4. *Enter "1FBVH" for the 5-digit code
5. *Create your account, click submit
   
6. Browse the available catalogs by clicking on the "place an order" button for the catalog you want to view.
   
7. Once you find a book you would like to order, change 0 to 1 (or how ever many) then click the "Update Qty." button
8. When you are finished shopping, click the "checkout" button at the top of the page.
9. Once you've entered your payment information, the books will be ordered and then shipped directly to our classroom. Once I receive the books, I will give them to your child(or put them in his/her backpack).
10. Yeah! You've now helped build our classroom library(by earning points for our class) at the same time you added to yours at home :) THANK YOU!!

*These steps are for the first time you log on only

IMPORTANCE OF PLAY Simple Steps by Karen Miller

Dramatic play, pretend or make-believe is very important in early childhood and starts to show up in children’s play in the toddler years. This kind of play is enjoyable for children and also extremely valuable for their development.

Children play out scenes with emotional weight. They cast themselves in adult roles. Instead of being the baby being tucked into bed, they are the parent doing the tucking in and reassuring. Instead of being the child getting a shot, they are the doctor giving the shot. This helps children come to terms with their feelings in such situations. When a child doesn’t have much power in real life, being powerful in pretend play has great appeal.

Emotional

Children who have had much experience taking on different roles are better at empathy. They practice this skill when they engage in role-play.

Social

Dramatic play develops friendships.

Language

Children begin to practice language skills when they play make-believe together. They learn new words, gestures and facial expressions to communicate. Children who have had a lot of experience playing out their own scenes and stories are better able to follow the story line, or plot, in a book.

Cognitive

Children learn the use of symbols in their play. Toys are symbols of real objects, they represent something the child has seen. A steering wheel for instance will prompt a child to a certain kind of play. Later she might use a paper plate as a steering wheel or just move her hands in a steering motion. When children have had lots of experience creating and using their own symbols in play they will be better prepared for using other peoples symbols, like letters and numbers.

What will we be learning about this year?

I noticed that once I could talk to my son about the new things he would be learning in his new class, he became more excited about going. His anxiety level dropped some and he became curious about school again (instead of telling me he was not going because he doesn't know his new teacher).

As a parent, I know you are interested in the things your child will be learning and it will help you at home to reinforce the things we do at school. So, here is a general list of our Units of Study. All of the 3s teachers at St. Matthew's focus on these but the way we teach them may vary.

• All About Me (Feelings, Emotions, 5 Senses)
• Farm (A petting zoo will come to St. Matthew's so the kids can see and touch live farm animals!)
• Fire Safety (Firemen and their firetruck will be visiting St. Matthew's to discuss Fire Safety. The kids will be able to tour the firetruck at this time!)
• Fall Fun (Bats, Spiders, Pumpkins, Apples, Harvest)
• We Are Thankful
• Christmas
• Winter
• Nursery Rhymes & Fairy Tales
• I Love You
• Community Helpers (There is a "Career Day" where the kids get to dress up as what they want to be when they grow up.)
  
• Transportation (The 3s classes have a "Road Rally" where this kids bring their bikes to school and have lots of fun!)
• Animal Homes (The "Reptile Man" will be visiting St. Matthew's and the kids will be able to see live reptiles up close!)
• Circus (Doodlebug, the clown will give a special performance for the 3s classes!)
• Mother’s Are Special (The class will host a special Mother's Day Tea for all you mommies!)
  
• Summer Fun

Separation Anxiety in Preschoolers

I would like to know if your child is having anxiety about going to school and how are you helping him/her cope. CJ, my four year old son, was adamant that he was not going back to school because he doesn't want a new teacher nor does he want to meet the new kids in his class. That was until I started talking to him about the neat things he was going to learn about in PreK - things like space, cowboys, Indians and dinosaurs. I told him I felt a little sorry for the girls in his class because it seemed like they would be learning mostly "boy" things. Apparently, that is what he needed to hear! Suddenly, he became very interested in his new class and wanted know all about it. Of course, he did tell me that he is not coming into my classroom since there will be new kids in there too. One baby step at a time I guess ;)

• Are you talking with your child about what s/he can expect in school?
• Will your child met with his/her teacher(me) in advance?
• Does your child have any ways to cope with meeting new people and being separated from you?
• Does s/he know what s/he can do when feeling scared or overwhelmed?
  
• Are you reading any books about school? (Such as "The Kissing Hand")
  
• Are you practicing/pretending what it will be like at school? This helped my son a lot last year. I would pretend to be his teacher and we would practice meeting each other for the first time. We also practiced saying good-bye and I told him "mommy goes away, but mommy will always come back!"
  

Welcome Letter

My name is Elizabeth Bonura and I am very excited to begin my 2nd year on the St. Matthew's teaching staff. I would like to welcome you and your wonderful child to this Monday/Wednesday/Friday three-year old class. My assistant teacher is Hollee McCay and we are looking forward to meeting your child!

On Wednesday August 26 there is a parent orientation meeting at 6:30pm in the Church Sanctuary. This orientation is for all St. Matthew's parents. It is a perfect time to learn about the many different opportunities available for you to be involved with your child's school!

I am holding a Meet The Teacher/Orientation Day on Friday August 28th because I feel it will be helpful for the children to meet in a small group and visit the classroom before the first day of school. This is an opportunity for you and your child to visit the classroom, meet the teachers(myself & Mrs. McCay) and other students. and theThe girls' classroom visit will be 10:30am-11:15am boys' visit will be 11:30am-12:15pm. The playground will be open for you and your child to visit after our classroom visit. You will receive your child's class folder which will be filled with important information for you to take home and review.

Our first day of school is Monday, August 31st from 9:00am to 12:00pm.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me at ebonura@stmatthewsschoolaustin.com.