Hello Families,

What a fun and busy week we had! From our Peter Pan field trip to exploring oak trees and acorns, the children learned, played, and discovered so much together.

We started our week in the best way with a special field trip to see the Peter Pan musical!

The children were full of excitement as we rode the bus and watched the show. Everyone enjoyed the music, the dancing, and all the fun on stage. It was a happy and magical day for everyone!

When we went back to school, the children journaled about their favorite part of the musical, drawing pictures and sharing what they liked best.

After that, we continued our Tree Exploration by learning all about oak trees!

We went on a nature walk around our school to look for real oak trees. The children carried clipboards, looked closely, and drew what they saw. They noticed the trunks, branches, and leaves and collected acorns to bring back to the classroom. Back in the classroom, we used magnifying glasses to observe the bark, branches, and acorns, noticing their shapes, textures, and colors. When we opened a few acorns, we found tiny seeds inside and even a little worm visitor in one of them. We carefully placed the worm in a Ziploc bag and observed it too, just like real scientists.

We read the book “From Acorn to Oak Tree” by Emma Carlson-Byrne to learn more about how oak trees grow. The story helped us understand the life cycle of an oak tree in a simple and beautiful way. After reading, the children took turns talking about what happens to an acorn as it grows. Then, we used picture cards to show each stage of the tree’s life. Together, the children placed the cards in order, first the seed, then the sprout, the small tree, and finally the big oak tree with acorns.

After learning about the life cycle of the tree, we read another story, “Acorn Was a Little Wild” by Jen Arena. It was a fun and wonderful book that told the story of an acorn’s adventure and how it became a big oak tree. The children were very excited and enjoyed listening to the story. It helped them understand the life cycle of the oak tree in another way, through the acorn’s own journey. After that, the children were invited to close their eyes and imagine how it would feel to be a tree. Quietly, they began to share what they imagined, what it would be like to grow tall, feel the sun, and hear the wind.  Then, we all became oak trees together. The children stretched their arms wide to represent the branches and moved gently as the “wind” blew through their leaves. Some imagined children climbing their branches and playing around them. The room filled with soft laughter and calm movement as we turned our classroom into a little oak forest through drama and imagination. 

Math through Play and Discovery

During our math exploration, we played a “Roll and Fill the Oak Tree” game. On a big piece of butcher paper, trees were drawn, and each child rolled a die to see how many acorns to add to their tree. They counted, matched numbers, and watched their trees fill up!

The children also learned about patterns after reading the book “Pitter Pattern” by Joyce Hesselberth.

We also used a balance scale to compare acorns with pieces of oak bark, discovering which was heavier or lighter.

We played many fun math games this week that helped us practice counting, number recognition and learning about shapes.

Exploring Art and Nature.

As we already learned, the rings show how old a tree is. For our art project, the children drew tree rings with a black marker and then painted them with watercolors. The colors made the rings bright and beautiful, just like the inside of a real tree trunk.

With this project, we also combined our math learning. We talked about the shape of a circle and where we can find circles in nature. Each child counted the rings on their paper to find out how old their tree was. Everyone was proud to be a “tree scientist” and an artist at the same time.

Next, we created Acorn Pop Art. The children cut out the two parts of the acorn, the top and the bottom. For the top, they used brown paper and made patterns with oil pastels to represent the scales on the acorn’s cap. Then, they decorated the bottom part with bright oil pastel colors. Finally, they glued everything onto a piece of cardstock, which they had already colored with oil pastels to make a beautiful background. Every acorn turned out unique and full of creativity.

Another fun project was when the children explored a new way of painting. Each child held a paintbrush, but instead of using it in the usual way, they had to push an acorn around on their paper to make lines and shapes. This activity helped strengthen their hand coordination and focus. It took patience, and each artwork turned out different and beautiful! When the paintings dried, the children used a glue gun to attach real acorns to their artwork, making each piece even more special.

National Colour Day!

On October 22, we heard from the morning announcements that it was National Color Day, and we were so excited to celebrate! During journal time, the children used many bright colors and talked about the ones they like best. Most of them made beautiful rainbows and shared their favorite colors with friends.

Stories and Letters !

As we do every week, some of the children shared their own stories, and then we all helped act them out together. Our classroom was full of imagination, laughter, and creativity as their stories came to life.

We continued learning our letters and sounds through the Secret Stories. One of the favorite activities this week was a fun letter hunt. Post-it notes with vowels were placed around the classroom, and as each sound was called out, the children ran to find the correct letter.

We also played musical chairs to practice our letter recognition and sounds. We tried it in two fun ways. In the first version, everyone had a chair, and one child at a time was chosen to say a letter and its sound. In the second version, we removed one chair at a time, and the child left standing had to say the letter and sound. It was such a joyful way to learn while playing.

Learning to Tie Our Shoelaces!

Earlier this week, we began learning how to tie our shoelaces. There was a lot of excitement as we practiced looping, crossing, and pulling the laces. It’s a little tricky for my young friends, but we’re practicing, and little by little, we’ll get there.

A Special Visit from the Big Kids!

This week, we had a very special visit from Miss Mary’s 6th and 7th graders. They have been working on a project to create children’s books as part of learning about narrative writing.

The final step of their project was to share their stories with the younger kids. We all got together in the preschool classroom, and the older students proudly presented their books to an eager and happy audience.

It was such a special moment for everyone and a beautiful reminder of how our school comes together, big kids and little kids learning, sharing, and celebrating stories as one community.

Oak Tree Celebration!

Our Oak Tree Celebration was inspired by the book that we read, “In the Middle of Fall” by Kevin Henkes. This celebration was the perfect way to wrap up our week of oak tree learning and discoveries. The children took oak leaves and tossed them high into the air, watching them swirl and dance around. The room was filled with movement, laughter, and joy as we celebrated the beauty of fall and our oak tree learning.

It was a week full of learning and laughter.

I can’t wait to see what next week brings!

Love,

Ms.Yana

This week, the classroom was filled with curiosity, laughter, and discovery as we continued our Tree Exploration by learning all about apples — one of the most special gifts that trees give us! Through observation, art, storytelling, and hands-on investigations, the children expressed their ideas, asked thoughtful questions, and explored the many wonders of apples.

Discovering Apples Through Our Senses

The week began with the story Apples by Dr. Seuss. The children were inspired by the funny characters balancing apples on their heads and couldn’t wait to try it themselves! Giggles filled the room as everyone took turns balancing one apple—and some even managed two! It was a joyful and playful way to begin our exploration.

Later that morning, the children used special child-safe knives to slice apples carefully. They concentrated deeply, strengthening fine motor skills and building independence. Together, they observed, touched, smelled, and tasted apples of different colors—red, green, and yellow—and then recorded their preferences. Each child wrote their name on a Post-it note and placed it on the class chart. The results showed that yellow apples were the top favorite!

In their journals, the children drew and wrote about their apple discoveries, describing how the apples looked, felt, and tasted.

The Life of an Apple Tree

Curiosity led the children to wonder where apples come from. Together, they investigated the life cycle of an apple tree—from seed to sprout to blossom and fruit. Using picture cards, the children sequenced each stage and shared their thoughts using words like first, next, then, and finally.

The story Apples, Apples, Apples by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace helped them discover that bees play an important role in helping blossoms turn into apples. For art, the children created apple trees using a variety of materials. They made trunks from wrapping paper, lunch bags, or tissue paper, then used brushes and sponges to add green paint for the leaves. With Q-tips, they added tiny apples in red, yellow, or both—each tree unique and full of color!

Mathematical Explorations

In math, the children explored the idea of wholes and parts using apples. On the table were a whole apple, one cut in half, and one cut into fourths, each labeled to show how parts make a whole.

They discovered that two half-cups and four quarter-cups both fill one whole cup by using rice at the exploration table. The children scooped the rice with measuring cups—first using halves, then quarters—to see how many it took to fill one whole cup. This hands-on experience helped them understand fractions in a meaningful and playful way.

Using a balance scale, the children compared weights, placing an apple on one side and stones or other loose parts on the other to see which was heavier or lighter.

For another joyful math experience, each child’s height was measured on butcher paper, and the children used apple stamps in red, yellow, and green paint to see how many apples tall they were. Many created their own patterns—two yellow, one red, two green—showing creativity and mathematical thinking through play.

Through art, new math ideas began to grow.

The children painted using real apples as stamps to create an apple tree to decorate our hallway, choosing red, yellow, and green paint to represent the different kinds of apples. When the painting was finished, we tried to count how many apples they had stamped—but everyone had a different number! This led to a thoughtful group discussion about how to count them correctly. The children shared their ideas—some suggested counting by color, while others thought we should group them. Together, we decided to place the apples in small circles to help organize and count them more easily.

Afterward, the children used connecting cubes to represent the groups. When all the cubes were joined together, we counted again and found that the total number of apples was 38. It was a joyful moment of teamwork and discovery.

Sensory and Balance Exploration

The Water Table turned into a fun balance station this week! The children used cardboard tubes and tried to balance apples on top. There was laughter and focus as they worked to keep the apples steady, building fine motor skills, coordination, and concentration through play.

Apple Investigation and Literacy

During the apple investigation, the children used magnifying glasses to look closely at apples cut in half. They observed the seeds, stem, flesh, core, and skin, and then matched small labeled sticks to the correct parts of the fruit. Through this hands-on exploration, they learned where each part belongs and made playful connections between science and literacy as some children tried to read the labels on their own.

In their journals, the children wrote about how their apples tasted. Some wrote, “My apple tasted sweet,” while others said, “My apple tasted sour.” Their words captured their observations just like real scientists and authors!

Another joyful literacy moment came when the children used their bodies to form letters. Working in pairs and small groups, they stretched, curved, and moved on the floor to create the shapes of different letters. Laughter filled the room as they practiced forming letters in this playful, full-body way.

Dr. Seuss-Inspired Art

To connect the Dr. Seuss book “Ten Apples Up On Top!” with art and literacy, the children created their own apple-stacking portraits. Each child glued one picture of themselves on paper and stacked apples one on top of another, just like in the story. They colored their apples red, yellow, or green and wrote one letter of their name on each apple. It was a joyful way to combine art, creativity, and early writing.

What Happens to Apples?

The science investigation this week was called What Happens to Apples? The children used magnifying glasses to look closely at apple slices and made predictions about what would happen if the slices were left in different liquids. First, they squeezed fresh lemons to get the juice, then poured the lemon juice and vinegar into clear containers. One apple slice was left without any liquid to see what would happen. They smelled the vinegar, tasted the lemon juice, and observed the apples throughout the day.

When they asked to taste the lemon, their reactions were priceless—some made funny faces, others burst into laughter!

By the end of the day, the children noticed that the apples turned brown because of something called oxidation, but the slice in lemon juice stayed the lightest. Lemon juice has acid that slows down this change.

Before going home, the children kept asking to taste all the apples—even the ones soaked in vinegar and lemon—because they wanted to find out how different they would taste. Their curiosity and joy made this experiment truly unforgettable.

The Star Inside the Apple 

As part of our apple exploration, the children listened to the story “How the Apple Got Its Star.” Puppets helped bring the tale to life, sparking curiosity and a sense of wonder. When an apple was cut horizontally, a surprise was revealed inside—a perfect little star at the center! Excitement filled the room as the children counted the seeds and talked about what the star might mean. The discovery led to a short math exploration as the children observed the star. They counted, compared, and shared their ideas about shapes found in nature. The children used the star part of the apple to make star prints on black paper, creating their own starry night. Later, they joyfully retold the story with the puppets, bringing their own words and imagination to the tale.

Apple Pie Celebration

At the beginning of the week, the children voted on what they wanted to make—applesauce or apple pies. Everyone chose apple pies! To celebrate the end of the Apple Exploration, the children made their own little apple pies right in the classroom.

They helped measure and mix the ingredients, counted, and followed each step carefully. As the pies baked, the classroom filled with the warm, sweet smell of apples and cinnamon. Many children were asked to take their pies home to share with their families—a lovely way to show their love and kindness.

A special Story Time

The librarian from the Elmhurst Public Library visited our school, and we gathered in Ms. Soraya’s and Ms. Efi’s classroom for a special story time. We enjoyed two wonderful books together, sang, and danced. Some of the children were happy to find their siblings there and sat together, smiling and enjoying the moment. It was a joyful morning filled with stories, movement, and laughter.

Collaborative Art with Our Friends

TTo celebrate National Boss’s Day, Ms. Dimitra invited us to her classroom, where all the children worked together to create a big poster to thank Ms. Marianthi and Ms. Maria for everything they do for us. The children shared ideas, drew, and added color with enthusiasm. It was a joyful moment of collaboration and appreciation, filled with laughter and creativity.

Storytelling and the Author’s Chair

This week, the birthday boy Darius shared his story with the class! He sat proudly in the Author’s Chair while his story was read aloud, and then everyone helped act it out with excitement and laughter. A new tradition is beginning—when a child has a birthday, they can share a story with the class if they wish. It’s a joyful way to celebrate creativity and special moments together.

Wonder and Joy

As part of the Tree Exploration, the week of Apple Discoveries was filled with wonder, joy, and learning. The children observed, asked questions, shared discoveries, and expressed their ideas through art, writing, and play—just as true explorers do every day in the classroom.

I can’t wait to see what discoveries next week will bring.

Love,

Ms. Yana

The Wonder of Trees Continues

This week, our classroom was filled with excitement, discovery, and creativity as we continued our study of trees and the changing seasons.

Sprouting Seeds

We began the week by checking our bean seeds from last week’s experiment. The children were full of anticipation as they looked closely at their Ziploc bags on the sunny window. “What do you think might have happened?” I asked. With joyful surprise, we discovered that some beans had sprouted! Tiny white roots were beginning to grow, and the children’s faces lit up with wonder. This observation sparked thoughtful conversations about what helps seeds grow and how we can care for living things.

What Makes a Leaf Green?

Our curiosity led us to a new big word — chlorophyll! We learned that leaves are like little kitchens for the tree, and chlorophyll is the special part that helps them use sunlight to make food. The children were amazed to imagine every leaf “cooking” for the tree using sunshine, water, and air.

Hidden Colors in the Leaves

After learning about chlorophyll, we wondered — are leaves always green inside? To find out, we crushed autumn leaves, placed them in small cups with rubbing alcohol, and added coffee filters. The next day, we were amazed to see beautiful hidden colors — reds, yellows, and browns — appearing on the filters! The children discovered that every leaf carries its secret fall colors, waiting for its moment to shine.

The Changing Seasons of a Tree

Through photos and discussion, we explored how trees change throughout the year.

In winter, trees rest because there isn’t much sunlight. The chlorophyll disappears, and the leaves fall while the tree saves energy.

In spring, the trees “wake up.” Buds appear, the sun returns, and new green leaves start to grow again.

In summer, trees are full of energy, with green leaves working hard to make food using sunlight and water — just like we eat to stay strong!

We placed one small plant in the sunlight and another in the dark, predicting which would grow better. The children observed closely and realized how essential sunlight is for life. Even when a tree looks bare in winter, it’s still alive, patiently waiting for the next season.

Letter and Literacy Explorations  

Our letter of the week was U, and we explored it in many fun and active ways! The children first traced the letter in the air and then gently on their friends’ backs — turning the classroom into a joyful game of movement and laughter. Working in pairs helped them build social connections, cooperation, and body awareness, and of course, brought lots of giggles!  

We also practiced the letter using boards and dry-erase markers, as well as dot markers. These activities supported fine motor development, hand–eye coordination, and letter recognition as the children proudly practiced forming the letter “U” again and again.

Books We Read

To connect literacy with our seasonal studies, we enjoyed several wonderful stories this week:

• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves by Lucille Colandro
  
• From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
  
• Three Make Perfect Pets by Paul Czajak
  
• A Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell DePalma
  
• Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
  

The children especially loved retelling There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves, laughing as they remembered each silly thing the old lady swallowed! With props and story cards, they practiced sequencing, predicting, and storytelling in playful and expressive ways.

Tap the Magic Tree was another favorite. The children were enchanted by the way the book invited them to “tap,” “shake,” and “blow” to make the tree change with the seasons. They eagerly joined in, turning each page into an interactive experience that made the magic of nature come alive right in our classroom.

Math Adventures

Mathematical thinking continues to be an important and joyful part of our daily learning. We approach math as something we can play with, explore, and understand deeply through hands-on experiences. 

This week, we used natural materials such as twigs and acorns to practice one-to-one counting, comparing quantities, and noticing that the arrangement doesn’t change the number. The children discovered that whether objects are in a line or a circle, the number stays the same. They also learned that separating materials into smaller groups helps us count carefully without repeating.

We made patterns with acorns and twigs, played math games with cards, and went on a Number Path Adventure! The children rolled a die, counted the dots, moved along the path, and talked about what number they were on and what came next. These joyful activities helped them build number sense, logical thinking, and confidence with counting.

Art and Fine Motor Projects

In art, we explored creativity through fall-inspired projects that strengthened fine motor skills and coordination.

Using paper plates with holes around the edges, the children used small sticks as “needles,” weaving yarn around their plates. This weaving supported hand strength, focus, and bilateral coordination, all important foundations for early writing.

Next, we used real leaves as stamps, dipping them in paint to decorate the woven plates.

For another fall art project, the children drew tree trunks and then used brushes and combs to create beautiful textures with autumn colors.

We also worked on a fun art project about the four seasons!

Each child had a piece of cardstock divided into four parts labeled fall, winter, spring, and summer. In each square, they drew and decorated a tree to show how it changes through the year. The children used real crushed leaves, pom-poms, and cotton balls — their creativity made each season come to life!

Dramatic Play and Storytelling

The children continued to express themselves through storytelling and puppet play. Some shared their own imaginative stories, and the group worked together to act them out, turning ideas into joyful mini-performances that celebrated creativity and collaboration.

Field Trip to Wagner Farm

The highlight of our week was our field trip to Wagner Farm! It was a fun day filled with learning and laughter. The children had the chance to grind corn to feed the chickens, explore the barn, and meet many farm animals. They even petted a gentle cow and learned interesting facts from our tour guide. We also saw small, cute pigs and experienced the sights, sounds, and smells of real farm life.

It was a wonderful day of exploration, connection, and discovery in nature.

Free Play Moments

Wonder and Joy

This week was full of wonder as the children explored sprouting seeds, hidden leaf colors, counting, and farm life. Through curiosity and creativity, they deepened their understanding of the world, growing just like the trees they love to study.

I look forward to another week of discovery and joy together.

Enjoy your long weekend!

Love,

Ms. Yana

Hello, wonderful families!

Our tree study continued this week as we moved from exploring what trees are to what they need in order to grow. The children showed so much curiosity, thoughtful answers, and excitement as they began to think like real dendrologists.

Seeds and Roots

We began the week with the book “Beginning Growing Trees”. This sparked an engaging discussion: What happens first when a seed begins to grow? The children quickly and cleverly answered that seeds grow roots first so that the plant or tree can be strong and stable.

To explore this idea practically, the children placed soaked paper towels and bean seeds inside Ziploc bags. After setting up their mini “seed experiments,” each child shared their thoughts on what they believed would happen underground as the roots began to grow. One cute response was, “From this bean seed, a fairy will grow.”They then drew their seed predictions, and the bags with their drawings are now taped to our classroom windows so everyone can observe the exciting changes day by day. The children’s anticipation is contagious—we can’t wait to see those first roots appear!

What Do Trees Need?

As part of our study, the children explored a set of materials to decide which ones a tree truly needs in order to grow. On the table were soil, water, a picture of the sun, and a blank card to represent space. Mixed in were a few unusual objects—a domino, a screw, and a stapler.

After thoughtful discussion, the children sorted the objects into two categories on our classroom graph: what trees need and what trees don’t need. This experience gave them a clear and concrete way to think about the needs of living things, while also practicing sorting, categorizing, and explaining their thinking.

Evergreen and Deciduous Trees

We also began to notice the differences between evergreen and deciduous trees. Using real branches—a pine branch and a maple branch—the children observed closely and shared their ideas. They quickly noticed that the evergreen pine branch stayed green, while the maple branch was starting to lose its leaves, which had turned yellow.

Through observation and discussion, the children learned that evergreen trees keep their leaves all year, while deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall. The children then sorted and counted the leaves from the two different branches and created a graph to show which group had more and which had fewer.

After finishing our exploration and graph, we created a special project together. We filled a large container with soil and “planted” the pine and maple branches so they stood upright like little trees. Around them, we added pieces of bark and small toy animals. This became a miniature forest where the children could play, imagine, and extend their learning. Pretending to be under the trees they had just studied made the experience even more meaningful and memorable.

In art, the children used sticks and cardboard to create their own trees. Some added leaves to show evergreen trees, while others left their branches bare to represent deciduous trees. Their pride and creativity showed as they made their own versions of what they had learned.

Literacy and Story Connections

We enhanced our tree study with story time. We read “Trees” by Greg Paprocki, which introduced the children to trees in a fun and visual way. In “Our Tree Named Steve” by Alan Zweibel, children learn that a tree can be an integral part of a family’s story and memories. We also enjoyed “Time to Make Art” by Jeff Mack, which celebrated creativity and inspired the children to see art as a joyful part of their learning. We ended with “Strega Nona” by Tomie dePaola, a beloved classic that added warmth, community, and imagination to our week.

Sunflower Explorations

One of our students brought in a beautiful sunflower from a family walk at a sunflower farm, opening up new learning opportunities. With magnifying glasses in hand, the children observed the sunflower closely. They looked carefully at the stem, the leaves, and the patterns in the center of the flower. We learned that sunflowers follow the sun as they grow, and the children were amazed at the idea that sunflowers can move to find the light. This led to imaginative conversations, as some children wondered if tiny fairies might be living inside the sunflower.

Together, we wondered what those tiny dots inside the sunflower’s center were, and we discovered that they are seeds that can grow into new plants. The children carefully removed some fresh seeds from the sunflower, and along with some seeds with hard shells, we planted them. Now we are waiting to see our very own sunflowers grow.

Math naturally joined our sunflower study. The children measured the length of sunflower leaves with connecting blocks. We also reviewed the word “margin” and measured the margin of the leaves using sunflower seeds. This hands-on math made learning joyful and meaningful.

Fire Safety Visit

We were so excited to welcome the Des Plaines Fire Department to our school for Fire Prevention Week. The firefighters spoke with the children about how to stay safe and what to do in case of a fire emergency.

They then ended the visit outside in the school parking lot, where the firefighters gave us a tour of the fire truck. The children were fascinated to see the tools, hoses, and equipment up close, and they loved asking questions. Thank you to the Des Plaines Fire Department for teaching us so much and for letting us explore their truck.

Caring and Helping Others

With the opportunity of our school’s Bake Sale, we talked about October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The children understood that we can help by being kind, by offering our presence, and also by raising money so scientists can discover medicines to make people better. One of the sweetest moments was when some children said they would donate their own cookies so people could feel better. Their simple and caring hearts reminded us how even the smallest acts of love can make a big difference.  Then, we made oat bites for the Bake Sale, turning kindness into action while also practicing math through measuring and mixing.

We also went to the school bake sale, and the children, full of excitement, shopped and helped with the fundraising. Thank you to our parents for supporting them.

This week was full of curiosity, kindness, and discovery. From seeds and sunflowers to graphs, art, fire safety, and baking, the children are growing in knowledge and joy each day.

I can’t wait to see what new wonders next week will bring.

Love,

Ms.Yana