Black Bears 2 Newsletter: January 2020

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year, Pre-k 2 family!! All of our students had a great time in learning, playing, and growing together in the first semester!  What an amazing adventures we just had at Sunset in 2019! So many memories…!!! Hooray!! I would like to thank you all for your support for class needs, participating in holiday parties, and working with your student at home. 

December Highlights: we studied the holidays around the world during the 4 seasons each year and focused on the holidays around world in December particularly. We talked about how people around the world celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, including their traditions and foods. We learned Christmas songs in both English and Chinese and performed at the Winter Program. We also made and decorated Christmas cookies, built and decorated gingerbread houses, created a Santa Wish List, made our passports to be world travelers, and made Denmark Woven Hearts and Kwanzaa Lights. Please ask your student how many candles are for Kwanzaa, what colors they are, and what the colors represent. You may also ask how many candles for Hanukkah and how many candles light up for each of eight days. In addition, we read a book “The Elf on the Shelf” and found that our own Elf might move around by himself at night in our room!? Our kids liked to find Elf every morning. Oh, Elf is over there!!! He moved last night when we were not here in our room!!!

 In STEM, we learned about recycle, reduce, and reuse. We talked about what 3Rs are, why we recycle, how recycling works, Recycle Every Day, and Earth Day Every Day. We also played with Learn to Recycle Activity Boxes, using 6 boxes labeled with different types of recyclables, and sorting the 48 items to be recycled into the appropriate boxes. At the end of the theme, we played with many plastic containers; then found the recycling numbers 1 – 7 on the containers, sorted them out into the appropriate grocery paper bags by the recycling numbers, counted how many containers in each bag, and collected data. Finally, we drew a bar graph named “Recycle the Plastic Containers”. The graph is posted on the wall of hallway. Through this activity, we learned about numbers, sorting, counting, collecting data, drawing graph, and recycling.

In Math, we reviewed and studied the names and properties of 2D and 3D shapes; used 2D and 3D shapes to make/build things; and transformed 2D shapes to 3D shapes, e.g., Gingerbread Houses and New Year Hats.

In literacy, we studied Letters Mm and Dd and their sounds, made Sight Words Booklet, and found rhyming words in poems and books. In reading, we read many books about holidays and recycling.

The themes of January:
Week 1: New Year’s Fun
Week 2: Winter Fun
Week 3: Winter Animals and Hibernation
Week 4: Chinese New Year, The Year of Mouse
Week 5: Art Studio (Different Methods of Art)

STEM: States of Matter                           

Math: Measuring and Comparing

Literacy: Letters Gg, Oo, Ll, and Ff and their sounds; Sight words booklets; Beginning Reading;
                Plot of a story

Special Day:
01/01  Logan’s birthday
01/16  Abbi’s birthday
01/20  Isaac’s birthday
01/25 Chinese New Year, The year of Mouse

Best regards,

-Ms. Guoli