This week, we successfully wrapped up our “Building a Classroom Community” unit! It was a joy to watch your children get to know one another, learn our classroom routines, and practice being great friends. It’s been so heartwarming to see new friendships blossom, and we’ve built a strong foundation for a year of learning and fun together.

A New Adventure: Our Ball Study

We’ve noticed how fascinated the children are with balls. They’re curious about all kinds of balls—what they’re made of, what’s inside them, how they’re used, and how high they can bounce. This curiosity has inspired our next project: a deep dive into the world of balls!

To make this study a success, we’d love your help in gathering a collection of different balls or games that include balls. If you’re able to, please send the items you have at home as early as Monday, 09/22. We’ll take excellent care of them and return them to you once our study is complete.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Sports balls: baseball, basketball, football, golf ball, soccer ball, tennis ball, volleyball, racquetball, kickball, ping-pong® ball, pool (billiard) ball

• Other fun balls: beach ball, bowling ball, sensory balls, cotton ball, crystal ball, doggie ball, Koosh® ball, marble, WIFFLE® ball

• Games that incorporate balls: a small soccer set; a ball pit, a marble run – anything you think preschoolers might enjoy! 

What Your Child Will Learn

Our “Ball Study” is much more than just playing games. It’s a hands-on way for your child to explore key concepts across many subjects.

• Science, Math, and Technology: Children will become little scientists as they investigate how balls move, predict outcomes, and test their ideas. They will learn about concepts like size, weight, and material, which are the foundations of early math.

• Literacy and the Arts: We will expand our vocabulary by describing balls, their textures, and their sounds. Children will also express their observations and ideas through drawing, painting, and other creative projects.

• Social-Emotional Skills: Playing with balls together teaches valuable life skills, like sharing, taking turns, and cooperating with friends. This unit will help your child build confidence and independence.

• Physical Development: From kicking a soccer ball to sorting small marbles, children will develop both their gross motor skills and fine motor skills in a fun, active way.

Ways to Play and Learn at Home

Your involvement makes a huge difference! Here are some fun ways you can continue the “Ball Study” at home:

• Wonder together. Play with different balls and ask open-ended questions, such as, “I wonder what’s inside a tennis ball?” or “How far do you think we can throw this beach ball?” This encourages your child to think like an investigator.

• Use your senses. Please encourage your child to describe balls using their senses. “What does it look like? How does it feel? What sound does it make?”

• Go on a ball hunt. See how many different types of balls you can find around your house or neighborhood. You can also play a game in the car by naming words that have the word “ball” in them (e.g., fireball, baseball).

Thank you for being such an important part of our classroom community! We can’t wait to see what discoveries we make together. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on our progress, and we have a special event planned at the end of the study—stay tuned for details!

Read-A-Thon

The Read-A-Thon officially began today!! Get your students signed up by using this link: Fundhub Link and enter our school identifier:64ecc2649f4c7. You can start logging those reading minutes after school!

Spirit Week Next Week

Monday – PJ DAY/comfy clothes – Wear your PJs.
Tuesday – Movie Character Day – Dress like your character.
Wednesday – Pink Out – Wear as much pink as you can.
Thursday – Fashion Disaster – Wear your ugliest mismatched outfit.
Friday – Superhero Day – Dress like your favorite Superhero.

As always, thank you for all your support! Enjoy the long weekend with your adorable littles!

Kindly,

The Preschool Team