CREATION, PART 1--

  This week, we will begin part one of three on the creation. This week, our Bible story is God created Light and Day and Night. For our art time, we will sponge paint a sheet which is half black for night and half white for day with stars. We will glue a paper moon and sponge paint shining stars to the dark sky.  On the light sky, we will stamp a bright, shining sun with yellow paint. During our opening time, we have yellow, shining suns on sticks which we will string paint with orange, yellow, and red blended together with the strands of yarn.  During our opening time music and movement, we will spin our twirlers and pretend to fly like birds, swim like fish, stomp like elephants, and hop like bunnies and kangaroos.  For our snack, we will have a cheese slice and pretzels.

   For circle time, we will sing "This Little Light of Mine," "Give Me Oil in My Lamp, (with a picture on a stick of an oil lamp)" "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (with emphasis on "out came the sun and dried up all the rain") and "Twinkle Star." We have a creation rhyme called "God Made Everything" (words below) which we will also learn. We have another nursery rhyme for this week with stick puppets as we say "Hey Diddle, Diddle the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon . . ."
  For storytime this week, we have "Goodnight Sun, Hello Moon" by Karen Viola about a bunny family as their day goes by. As the pages are turned, the sun gets smaller and then a moon appears at the end. "Someone to Love, Story of Creation" by Marilyn Lashbrook is our second story about all that God created.

GOD MADE EVERYTHING

God made the sun (hold arms in circle over head)

Up in the sky. (point up)
God made the fish (put palms together and wiggle hands back and forth)
and the birds that fly. (Place hands under arms and flap up and down)
God made the lion. ("Roar")
God made the lamb. ("Baa")
God made our world. (Hold arms out and turn in a circle)
See how happy I am? (Clap and smile)

Have a wonderful week,

Mrs. Shelly

JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN

  Last week was a fun Valentine week as can be seen in the above pictures.  We were blessed with some snow to play in, and the children enjoyed posing in their King and Queen of Hearts crowns which they decorated.

  This week, our focus is on the Bible story, "Jesus Welcomes the Little Children."  For snack, we plan to serve grapes and pretzels.  For art time, we will paint salt dough heart shaped ornaments to hang up, which say, "Jesus Loves (child's name).  We will also have a special new song using our felt board with a picture of Jesus and the children and the letters J-E-S-U-S spelled out in bright red letters.  The song is to the tune of B-I-N-G-O and goes:

I have a friend who's always there

and Jesus is His name-o

J-E-S-U-S, J-E-S-U-S, J-E-S-U-S,

And Jesus is His name-o.

  Other songs will be "Jesus Loves the Little Children," "Whole World in His Hands," "This Old Man," and "2 Little Eyes."

  Our secondary theme this week will be transportation.  During opening time, we will roll various toy cars over our ink pad and then to our paper to show the tire tracks.  During circle time, we have pictures of a junky car, ice cream truck, and school bus while we sing "Little Hunk of Tin."  Also, we will learn "The Car Song," words below:

HUNK OF TIN

(Tune: I'm a Little Acorn Brown)

I'm a little hunk of tin.

Nobody knows what shape I'm in.

Got four wheels and a tank of gas.

I can go, but not too fast.

I'm a little ice cream truck.

I wibble, wobble like a duck.

Got four wheels and lot of cream,

I make children shout and scream.

I'm a little yellow bus,

Newly painted, not a spot of rust,

Brand new wheels and kids inside

Hold on tight for a happy ride.

CHORUS:

Honk, honk (pull ear)

Rattle, rattle (shake head)

Crash, crash (push chin)

Beep, beep (push nose)

THE CAR SONG

(Tune: When Johnny Comes Marching Home)

We like to travel in our car,

Hurrah, hurrah.

A car can take us near or far,

Hurrah, hurrah.

We buckle up before we go,

Whether we're going fast or slow,

So we'll all be safer while riding in our car!

  Storytime this week includes, "My Somebody Special" by Sarah Weeks is about a preschool full of different animal children.  One by one, the door opens, and we figure out which animal parent goes with which animal child.  Our second book is "Cars, Rushing! Honking! Zooming!" by Patricia Hubbell which shows a variety of vehicles and all the places they go.

  We are hoping to play outside this week if it is not too muddy.

  Have a nice week!

Mrs. Shelly

  This week will be our Valentine party week.  Each child should bring 9 Valentine cards to exchange with friends.  A special thank you to those who signed up to bring special treats this week.  During opening time at the blue table, we will decorate our Valentine take-home sacks using Valentine stamps and colors.  We will have pink and red balloons for music and movement time this week, along with our bubbles.  Our Bible story is "The Good Samaritan" and how he showed kindness when others passed on by.  We will sing "This is My Commandment," "Jesus Loves Me," "ABC Song," and "I'm a Little Valentine." 
  Our special craft this week is decorating our King and Queen of Hearts crowns with felt and paper hearts and confetti.  We will add nursery rhymes into our lesson this week with "Old King Cole" and "The Queen of Hearts."  While we sing the "Old King Cole" song using our felt board, we will add pictures of the king, pipe, bowl, and fiddlers three.  I will show a picture of the "Queen of Hearts" rhyme as we learn that.
  Storytime this week will include "Guess How Much I Love You" by Sam McBratney about Big and Little Nutbrown Hare who compete for loving the most.  "Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse!" by Laura Numeroff is about the "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" mouse and his special activities on Valentine's Day.
  I was excited about our light snow fall, which provided our class with a cooler full of nice clean snow.  This week, we will have snow play at our blue table using our rice table items.  We should have enough mittens for all the children, but you may send mittens from home just in case.
  Hope you have a very special Valentine's Day and share God's love,
Mrs. Shelly

MARY & MARTHA & MANNERS

  This week, we will continue our Valentine preparations with pink and red balloons with our bubbles for music and movement time.  Our Bible story is about Mary and Martha who were Jesus' special friends and how Jesus commended Mary for her devotion to Him.  We will sing "This Little Light of Mine," "I Have a Little Heart" (words below), "I'm a Little Valentine" (words below), "5 Pretty Valentines" (words below), and "Into My Heart" (words below).  Also, for the 5 Pretty Valentines, I have 5 real valentines we will use for our visual.  For our craft time, we will make heart sun catchers using clear contact paper for the children to decorate with small red hearts.

I HAVE A LITTLE HEART
I have a little heart
I keep my Jesus in
I take Him out and (kiss, kiss, kiss)
and share Him with my friends.

I have a little heart
The Devil can't come in
and if he knocks upon my heart,
I'll punch him in the chin.

I'M A LITTLE VALENTINE
(I'm a Little Teapot)
I'm a little Valentine
Red and white
with ribbons and lace,
I'm a beautiful sight.
I can say I love you
On Valentine's Day
Just put me in an envelope
and give me away.

5 PRETTY VALENTINES (fingerplay)
Five pretty Valentines waiting at the store.
(name) bought one and then there were four.
Four pretty Valentines shaped like a "V"
(name) bought one and then there were three.
Three pretty Valentines said "I love you"
(name) bought one and then there were two.
Two pretty Valentines, this was so much fun.
(name) bought one and then there was one.
One pretty Valentine sitting on the shelf.
I felt sorry for it, so I bought it for myself.

INTO MY HEART
Into my heart, into my heart.
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
Come in today, come in to stay.
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

Rule in my heart, rule in my heart.
Be King of my heart, Lord Jesus.
Make this you throne, rule there alone.
Be King of my heart, Lord Jesus.

  During opening time at the blue table, we will continue to decorate our Valentine cards by using a celery stalk to stamp a rose and leaves for the front of our card.  We will also have cut up celery sticks as a snack with yogurt and Goldfish.
  Our storytime this week includes "How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You" by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague, about all the mamas and papas who always love their little dinosaurs even as their patience is tested, and how much the little unruly dinosaurs truly love their parents.  This book series is always a favorite with the large dinosaur pictures.  Our second story is "My Heart is Like a Zoo" by Michael Hall, about 20 animals in the zoo who were drawn using more than 300 heart shapes.  Some of these animals are familiar and some will be new for the children.

Next week will be our Valentine celebration.  Please remember to bring eight (8) Valentine cards for your child to exchange.  Also, a sign up for snack, drink, and fruit will be posted on our door to sign up to bring special treats for next week.

Have a wonderful week!
Mrs. Shelly