"I Was Made for Sunny Days" by The Weepies

"Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak

In honor of Maurice Sendak, this week Miss Becca will read Where the Wild Things Are in Open Play Story Time!

I have been reading many articles about this great man and heavy influence on my teaching philosophy.  His honest, wild style is, and will be, missed.  Among my reading, I found this great article with quotations from Mr. Sendak.  Here's my favorite:

“Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, 'Dear Jim: I loved your card.' Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, 'Jim loved your card so much he ate it.' That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.”

Read the rest of the article here.

Bring your wild thing to Open Play this Thursday to hear Miss Becca read Where the Wild Things Are at 3:30 PM.  "Let the Wild Rumpus Start!"

"Hard To Be Cool (In A Minivan)" by Oak Ridge Boys

"Bark, George" by Jules Feiffer

Here's another classic for our book of the week!  It's one of my favorites, Bark, George by Jules Feiffer. This simply illustrated story follows a frustrated mother dog and her puppy, George.  The problem: George won't bark.  Every time his mother asks him to bark, he makes the sound of another animal.  After having enough of George's moos, quacks, meows, and oinks, George's mother takes him to vet.  You and your little one will get a kick out of seeing just how frazzled George's mom becomes.  As the vet examines George, he discovers that the noises are coming from animals in George's belly.  The simple illustrations are hilarious as the vets pulls out a cow, duck, cat, and pig!  It's a great chance to quiz your little one on animal sounds and a better chance for a few laughs!  Finally, after reaching in and pulling out a cow, George lets out a rewarding "Arf!"  It's a fun read with a surprise ending adults and kids are sure to love.  I won't ruin the end, so you'll have to come out to Open Play this Thursday at 3:30 to see what happens!

See you at Open Play this Thursday at 3:30 at Bubbles Academy for Miss Becca's Story Time!  See you there!!  Arf Arf!

"Ooby Dooby" by Roy Orbison

“I’ll Be Your Friend” by Miriam Moss and Lynne Chapman

Everyone loves a new friend-- how about four new friends?! I’ll Be Your Friend by Miriam Moss and Lynne Chapman is a heart-warming story reflecting on the value of friendships and the feelings of living in a new place.

Everyone knows the anxious feeling before having a birthday party and the feeling of being in a place where you’re looking for a friend. In I’ll Be Your Friend, Smudge is counting down the days to his birthday with his friend Stripe. Smudge is new to the area and does not have a big group of friends to invite to his birthday party, which makes him sad. Stripe tries his best to cheer Smudge up by helping him build a fabulous tree house, and this is where the adventure of new friendships begin!  This read takes you and your little one along for a journey in friendship making, life changes, and happy outcomes.

Will Smudge have friends come to his big birthday party? Come along on Smudge’s journey at Open Play this Thursday at 3:30 to hear our special guest reader Miss Megan read I’ll Be Your Friend!

Bubble Bees: Building Community

Now that your children are beginning to feel independent and comfortable in the classroom, it's time for them to start making friends!  Socialization is one of the most important areas of development for your little one.  They are transitioning from parallel to cooperative play.  We encourage this transition by playing with them during open choice. Our teachers are trained to model cooperative play and encourage them to try it with one another.   As we play, we take time to introduce students to each other.  Listen during Open Choice and you'll probably hear Miss Kristi or Mr. Matt asking your little ones to tell another child their name or to give a high five.  These are the early steps of friendship and the building blocks of our classroom community! Check out some of these great community building activities from last week:

We also encourage community by asking them to share supplies at art.  Each week we make our own painting, but we all use the same paint trays.  Sharing supplies develops their negotiation skills and really lays the foundation of friendship.

Snack Time is more than just fuel to get your little ones through mid-morning.  It's a secret community meeting.  While Miss Becca or Miss Victoria reads a story, your little ones are encouraged to share their  thoughts on what's happening in the story.  We often ask our students to raise their hands if they can relate to the story.  Things like "raise your hand if you like to go to the park, too."   We not only pratice  that new skill of hand raising, but your little ones get to see visual proof of what they have in common with their classmates!

 I can't wait to see what friendships blossom this Spring!