Posts in category: Beach Manor School Newsletters

During the month of October Ms. Sammy and Ms. Kendall’s MDO classes will continue with the world of senses-smelling, tasting, touching, listening, and observing.  There will be lots of cooking, crafts, and songs.  Our youngest children have adjusted beautifully to school and each other.

            If you thought September was fun, October is better if you are three.  It is also quite busy.  Ms. Harden, Ms. Karen’s, and Ms. Bailey’s classes go on a safari this month and study jungle animals.  During the next three weeks they become experts on animal behavior and can easily mimic the antics of chimps, lions, and elephants.  For many of the children a visit to the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk would be a marvelous reinforcement of the animals they are studying.  It is also a wonderful way to spend a warm fall day.  The threes finish the month with stories and crafts relating to Halloween.

             Ms. Ivonne and Ms. Kara classes will finish their alphabet unit before turning their attention to Fall.  They take a brief look at squirrels and their preparations for winter.  The children learn fun finger plays and poems before leaping into their Halloween Unit. The teachers really get to into the spirit of the season and have some wonderful things planned. A quick study of shapes and colors is also at hand as they get quite involved in finger-painting and mixing with different mediums.  Of course, the month ends with stories, crafts, poems, and songs about Halloween.  This holiday seems to be created for four-year olds.  Letter and number recognition as well as phonics instruction continue on an individual basis.

             Ms., Stephanie PreK class look at our world from a geographical and environmental angle.  The children are introduced to some basic geographical concepts using habitats as a motif.  By mid-month the children are learning about the fragility of various habitats and interdependence between the environment and its inhabitants.  An investigation of endangered species concludes the unit. 

            Ms. Jessica class will end the transportation unit with a brief study of the Solar system and our planet earth.  We finish with a wonderful astronaut party!  While amongst the stars, we study constellations and mythology behind several star groups.  Hopefully they will be able to find the Big Dipper on Halloween night.  We will, of course, devote a week to pumpkins and scarecrows.  Intertwined with all this fun, the children will continue to learn math and phonics facts.

             Spanish this month your child will continue to learn about los colores and numeros. They will also start to introduce themselves in Spanish as well. It’s an exciting month as your little one becomes more confident communicating what they have learn so far.

2’s – The two’s will be learning All About Me through sensory experiences.  They will talk about their hair, eyes, muscles, etc.  Our teachers will focus on gross motor skills such as how to do puzzles and lacing.

3’s – The three-year old’s will start off the year with a quick look at apples.  They will learn about Johnny Appleseed, eat, paint and color apples. This will be followed by an in-depth study of shapes and colors.  The grand finale will be a shape hunt at the end of the month.

4’s – The four-year old’s class devotes September to the alphabet – Sounds boring, but not the way we do it!  This first month of letter and sound identification is an introduction for some and reinforcement or even review for others.  This kind of unit provides tremendous opportunities for music, poems, foods, gross and fine motor experiences.    

Pre-K’s – Pre-Kindergarten classes will also be doing a quick review of the alphabet and consonant sounds.  One of the advantages of beginning the year with an alphabet overview is the opportunity it gives the teacher to assess fine motor skills and strengthen cutting and gluing abilities.  Ms. Stephanie can’t wait to show the alphabet in a whole new way!

K’s – Ms. Jessica’s Kindergarten class will spend most of September studying the history of transportation.  The unit is divided into three areas – land, sea, and air. We have added a STEM program to our kindergarten class.  The focus will be on problem solving and critical thinking through math and science during hands on experiments.  We can’t wait to see where these kids go with it!

Spanish will kick off the new school year learning about numeros, colores and how to introduce yourself.

Our Mother’s Day Out children finish the year learning about Spring and the Beach while the threes and PreK classes will study Dr. Seuss and his zany characters. The Cat in the Hat and all his friends Thigwick, Bartholomew Cubbins, Horton and Yertle become our vehicles for learning. Rhymes, math, crafts, and songs all focus on the Seuss themes during these last days. It all ends with the notorious Breakfast at Beach Manor featuring Green Eggs and Ham (of course)! The children have a grand time with all of this while an incredible amount of learning takes place. The Four-year-old classes will be introduced to the accomplished children’s writer and animator Mo Willems. The humor in his books will capture imaginations and the cartoon illustrations are delightful for little eyes.

Kindergarten classes will focus on the history of Virginia and will continue with creative writing and independent work. Graduation will be held on Friday, June 12th at 9:30am. Bring your camera and tissues. This is a nostalgic moment for many of us!! They spend their last few weeks together preparing for first grade.

The month of May takes most classes outside. Ms. Sammy and Ms. Kendall continue to help our youngest children with the exciting process of learning.  The children learn about shapes and how they surround us every day.

The three-year-old classes investigate Spring with its blossoms and the creepy crawlies that seem to accompany them.  The four-year-old’s swing into the trees as they begin a study of the local birds.  You will be truly impressed with the depth and scope of your child’s knowledge as he/she learns to identify fifteen to twenty different species of our feathered friends. The study ends with a fantastic bird party –pass the worms, please.  Ms. Diane’s PreK classes will discover the world of insect; their focus will be on where they live and what they eat.   

Kindergarten has an exciting month. The children learn about the stages of plant development, butterfly development, and frog development using a complete hands-on approach. The kindergarten room has become a laboratory where seeds sprout; caterpillars spin cocoons, and tadpoles metamorphose into frogs. If anyone finds tadpoles or frogs eggs send them in! The children’s academic progress amazes me. Many are now learning long vowel sounds and spelling! As spring progresses, we plan to incorporate creative writing into each week’s lesson. As these masterpieces come home it is important that you be extremely positive in your comments. Please don’t make any suggestions. Creative writing is a very personal and sensitive process. A careless remark can be devastating.

Spanish in May is all about the places we can go! Casa, Escuela, Playa, Parque, and Hospital.

Ms. Sammy and Ms. Kendall continue helping our youngest with the exciting process of learning. Our two’s have grown and matured at an impressive rate. This month they will introduce the children to the colors all around us! They will explore color through food, animals, textures, and lots of books.

The three-year-old classes will be introduced to Eric Carle, the celebrated children’s author. His books are delightful, and the children will enjoy not only his emotional characters, but also his colorful and crafty illustrative techniques. Lots of cooking this month, thanks to Walter the baker.

Our four classes will study Dr. Seuss and his zany characters. The Cat in the Hat and all of his friends—Thigwick, Bartholomew Cubbins, Horton and Yertle become our vehicles for learning. Rhymes, math, crafts, and songs all focus on the Seuss themes during these last days. It all ends with the notorious Breakfast at Beach Manor featuring Green Eggs and Ham (of course)! The children have a grand time with all of this while an incredible amount of learning takes place.

The Pre-K classes will hit the trail and learn about horses. This is an exciting unit for the children, complete with pony rides and a cookout around the campfire (pretend of course!).

Ms. Price’s Kindergarten class will go around the world. It’s a full month’s trip, as we learn about children in other countries. The emphasis of study is the dress, food, homes, and customs of countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia. If any of you have traveled and can share pictures or items with the class, please call me or your child’s teacher.

Spanish: The weather is warming up; it’s time to get outside and learn all about animals (La Granja). Ms. Maria will continue reviewing colores y numeros. This is going to be a fun month, who doesn’t love animals.

The month of March takes most classes outside. Ms. Sammy and Ms. Kendall continue to help our youngest children with the exciting process of learning. The children will explore the concept of opposites as they compare and contrast the world around us!

Our three-year old’s will begin the month with an in-depth analysis of several nursery tales. The Three Pigs, The Three Bears, and The Gingerbread Man highlight this unit with much puppetry and cooking. We even grow a beanstalk for Jack to climb! The threes end the month with Little Red Riding Hood and homemade bread baked by the Little Red Hen herself!

The four-year olds discover the world of Beatrix Potter. After they are thoroughly entranced by Benjamin Bunny, Peter Rabbit, and Jemimah Puddle Duck, they have a marvelous English tea party. We have a good bit of fun with this unit while introducing the children to some excellent literature. Because Beatrix Potter’s books are so delightfully illustrated, reading her stories to your children at home will help reinforce her world in their minds.

Ms. Diane’s PreK students will study about our feathered Birds of Prey. You will be truly impressed with the depth and scope of your child’s knowledge as he/she learns to identify several species of our feathered friends. The study ends with a fantastic bird party –pass the worms, please.

The kindergarten class will now take a trip back in time to the age of reptiles and study dinosaurs. These budding paleontologists learn to identify close to twenty-five dinosaurs before attending a dinosaur hunt at the end of the month. This is one of our favorite studies and the children love it.

Spanish, Ms. Maria will be teaching our Ninos (kids) all about Ropas (clothes) along with different expressions and opinions about clothes.

Ms. Sammy and Ms. Kendall, our pillars of patience will introduce the many adventures of Pete the Cat. These best-selling picture books present the wiry Pete with his white shoes and eclectic friends showing that it’s cool to be you. With boundless poise, creativity, and energy, our MDO ladies do an exceptional job with her charges. With easel painting, sponge, and spin art not to mention our backed papers this is a grand time for our youngest.

The three-year old’s wave good-bye to the Farm and turn their focus to one of their favorite topics—food! They learn about nutrition and become expert dietitians. Our goal is to help the children learn about “good” foods and their source. This unit involves quite a bit of cooking and sampling with each food group. They will make bread, taste meatballs and fish sticks, enjoy some fruit and vegetables, and finish the month with a delicious Nutrition Party. It’s a terrific (and fattening) month for the threes,

The four-year old’s are in for a treat this month because it’s BEAR MONTH! From Corduroy, Pooh and Paddington to pandas and polar bears, they investigate bears, their habits, and their habitats.

Ms. Diane’s class are digging out from their snowbank. After they turn in their meteorologists’ badges, PreK will cover the hodgepodge of February: Ground Hog Day, Lincoln and Washington’s birthdays, Valentine’s Day, and Chinese New Year. It’s a great time for the children to learn a bit about our country’s history, the Pledge of Allegiance and those anecdotes about George and Abe. Busy!

The kindergarten classes will study Dr. Seuss and his zany characters. The Cat in the Hat and all his friends–Thigwick, Bartholomew Cubbins, Horton, and Yertle become our vehicles for learning. Rhymes, math, crafts, and songs all focus on Seuss themes during these winter days. It all ends with the notorious breakfast a Beach Manor featuring Green Eggs and Ham (of course!). The children have a grand time with all of this while an incredible amount of learning takes place.

Spanish, Ms. Maria will continue to review La Famailia, Los Coloers y numeros. They will also learn to identify body parts and put them into practice every day. Don’t be surprised if you hear your little ones saying Estos son mis ojos “These are eyes”.

2’s – Ms. Sammy and Ms. Kendall’s little ones have grown and matured at an impressive rate. January our MDO’s will spend their time enjoying “Fun with Food”. They will make Cinnamon Pretzels, play with dough (and spaghetti), paint with fruit and sample many tasty and healthy treats. Ms. Sammy and Ms. Kendall both do an exceptional job with their charges, and their patience is never ending.

3’s – The three-year olds spend a week settling in and reviewing their alphabet and number concepts. Then they will be introduced to life on the farm. The focus of this unit is farm animals and their products. Although the school doesn’t take field trips, I’d like to suggest a trip to a dairy where the children can see a working dairy. The petting zoo at the Virginia Zoo also has many farm animals the children can touch and feed. As the children become more aware of their environment their curiosity deepens. These studies are designed to help them understand and organize their world.

4’s– The four-year-old classes hit the trail as they learn about horses, cowboys, and rodeos. In keeping with developmental levels, the fours will enjoy stories about the Wild West. The unit ends as the children enjoy a “rodeo,” Beach Manor style. Letter and number recognition as well as phonics continue an individual basis.

PreK– The Pre-kindergarten class investigate the weather—clouds, rainbows, snowflakes, wind and the four seasons. This unit has been designed to be quite hands on, scientific approach to the causes of different types of weather. Letter and number recognition as well as phonics instruction continue an individual basis.

K– The kindergarteners take a good look at themselves this month. Ms. Price will introduce the children to the various systems of the human body. The children start by studying their skin and move right into the most important muscle—their heart. This is a detailed unit, and it is incredible how many facts our five- and six-year-olds absorb and retain. Much time is also spent on handwriting, math facts, and the concepts of fractions.

Spanish – Nuevo Ano, New Month! January our little ones will learn all about “La Familia”. Ms. Maria will introduce family members, Mama, Papa, Este es mi Hermano. It won’t be long before they are teaching all of you about La Familia.

All classes will devote the month of December to holiday preparations. The children will make crafts and learn songs appropriate for each celebration. In addition to letters and numbers this month’s activities will include making and wrapping their gifts for you.