Posts in category: Greenbrier Manor School Newsletters

2’s, 3’s, 4’s, PreK and Kindergarten classes devote the month of December to holiday preparations, both Christmas and Hanukkah. All the children will make crafts and sing songs appropriate for each celebration. In addition to letters and numbers, this month’s activities will include making and wrapping their gifts for you, baking and preparing for holiday parties. Kindergarten will add in the study of orchestra instruments. This is designed to help them appreciate the music they will hear throughout the holiday season. If any of you want to share your expertise in this area, please let us know!

2’s– Ms. Erika and Ms. Karen’s young charges have made incredible progress. It’s wonderful to me how quickly two-year olds seem to grow. They studied themselves in September and were introduced to the world of senses in October. Now they plan to talk about families and how we all relate, then explore their homes. It’s a gradual evolution away from an awareness of themselves towards an awareness of their environment. Great things are happening here. It’s exciting!

3’s– The three-year-old classes go on 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 would be a marvelous reinforcement of the animals they are studying. It’s also a wonderful way to spend a warm fall day. The Threes finish the month with stories and crafts relating to Thanksgiving.

4’s– Our four-year-old classes hit the trail as they learn about horses, cowboys, and rodeos. This is an exciting unit that combines the factual information on horses with delightful stories of the American cowboy. In keeping with their developmental levels, the Fours will enjoy stories about the Wild West. Letter and number recognition as well as phonics instruction continue on an individual basis.

PreK– The pre-K class becomes environmentally aware as they focus on habitats and endangered species. The children are taught about the fragility of various ecosystems as well as the types of animals that can inhabit them.

K- The kindergarten class explores nature as the original Americans found it. We learn what the Native Americans discovered when they arrived on this continent and how they adapted their lifestyles to their environment. The emphasis is on the culture, clothes, and lives of different tribes around the continent.

2’s- Last month the 2 year old classes with Ms. Erika and Ms. Karen were introduced to themselves. Now we extend the idea and focus on the senses. There will be lots of cooking, crafting, and singing. Our youngest children have adjusted beautifully to school and each other.

3’s- If you thought September was fun, October is better if you are three! It is also quite busy. Ms. Alicia, Ms. Adrieen and Ms. Mickey introduce the children to the people in their neighborhood. Firemen, policemen, doctors, and dentists will be a focus this month. The Threes finish the month with stories and crafts relating to Halloween.

4’s- Ms. Cindi, Ms. Iris and Ms. Meg’s classes will finish their alphabet unit mid-month. They then will do a quick study of shapes and secondary colors. They get quite involved in finger-painting and color mixing with different mediums. The month ends, of course, 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.

PreK– Ms. Michelle’s pre-kindergarten class will become ecologically aware as they study tropical rainforests. The focus of this unit is to teach them about the different inhabitants of the rain forests and the various layers of the forest canopy where they live. It’s exciting to realize just how much young children absorb and understand from their unit studies. This is one of their favorites. Letter and number recognition as well as phonics instruction continue on an individual basis.

K- The kindergarten class will end the transportation unit and begin to study the solar system and our planet, Earth. We finish with a wonderful astronaut party complete with space food. While amongst the stars, we study the constellations and the mythology behind each star group. 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, Ms. Tracy hopes to communicate a few math and phonics facts.

2’s-During this month, our two-year-old classes look at themselves in a unit we have named “It’s All About Me” (of course it is). They look closely at themselves from head to toe. They will learn how they relate to their environment by consciously exploring it. For many of these children this is their first experience away from home. We plan to make it a wonderful, fun, and positive one. Their days are filled with many sensory experiences as they look at themselves and talk about their eyes, hair, muscles, etc. In addition to individualized papers and art projects we have included activity days. These are the times when the teacher works with each child on fine and gross motor skills such as how to do puzzles or lace a shoe. Although every day may not produce a craft or paper, be assured that your teacher works individually with each child on various activities.

3’s & PreK- The three-year old’s settle into the routine of school very nicely. Because apples, school, teachers, and September seem to go together, the threes begin the year with a quick look at apples. They will learn about Johnny Appleseed, eat, paint, and color apples. It is an extremely fun unit and gives the children a chance to experiment with many different mediums. This will be followed by an in-depth study of shapes and colors. The children will paint, cut, color, and eat in a variety of shapes and colors. The grand finale will be a Shape and Color Hunt. (Like an Easter egg hunt only we hunt paper shapes, not eggs).

4’s- The four-year-old classes devote September to the alphabet—Sound boring? —Not the way they do it! This first month of letter and sound identification is an introduction for some and reinforcement or even a review for others. The four-year-old parents should have received a detailed calendar of events for the month of September. If you did not, let us know. This kind of unit provides tremendous opportunities for music, poems, foods, and gross and fine motor experiences. Try to help your child remember bubble (B), glitter (G), and ice cream (I) day.
Michelle’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.

K – The kindergarten class spends most of September studying the history of transportation. The unit is divided into three areas—land, sea, and air. Toward the end of the month, you should look for a transportation book that your child has worked on all month! Our kindergarteners will also make stop signs and rubber band-propelled boats…it’s a very busy month!

2’s- Our Twos finish the year learning about summer. Their verbal skills shine as we talk about beach trips, jellyfish and watermelon. Their fine-motor skills continue to improve as we make a colorful sun catcher and a special Father’s Day craft.

3’s & PreK- Our Threes and Pre-K will begin learning about Cat in the Hat and all his friends. Thigwick, Bartholomew Cubbins, Horton, and Yertle become our vehicles for learning. It all ends with the notorious Breakfast at Greenbrier 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.

4’s 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.

K- As our Kindergarteners prepare for their final ceremony, they review all they have learned from the unit studies this year. They will be illustrating and writing about their favorite unit. Ms. Tracy’s class will graduate on Friday, June 6th @ 9:15 Bring your camera and tissues. This is a nostalgic moment for many of us!

2’s– The month of May takes most classes outside. Ms. Erika and Ms. Karen will dive into the many shapes that make up the world around them. They will explore individual shapes as well as what can be made when we put the shapes together. Get ready for lots of fun, food, games, books, and crafts to reinforce the shape of the day!!

3’s– The three-year-olds anticipate the warm weather and investigate spring. They’ll look at plants, bugs, ants and perhaps even a worm or two – all the creepy crawlies that are starting to emerge in their world. The three’s growing awareness of their world is fascinating and delightful to watch.

4’s– Our four-year-olds 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 last days. The children have a grand time with all of this while an incredible amount of learning takes place.

PreK– Our Pre-K class hits the trail as they learn about horses, the different types and parts of one of man’s oldest animal friends. Letter and number recognition as well as phonics instruction continue on an individual basis.

K– Kindergarten has an exciting month! Ms. Garlow’s children learn about the stages of plant development, butterfly development, and frog development using a complete hands-on approach. The kindergarten room becomes a laboratory where seeds sprout; caterpillars spin cocoons, and tadpoles metamorphize into frogs.

2’s– Ms Erika and Karen, our pillars of patience, begin April with an in-depth study of words and their opposites to our two-year old classes. With easel painting, sponge printing, spin art and backed papers, this is a grand time for our youngest.

3’s– Our three-year olds begin April with nursery tales. The children explore classic stories as they grow Jack’s beanstalk, peek at the troll under the Billy goat’s bridge, and visit the three bears.

4’s– The four-year olds depart from their fantasy world of make-believe and explore the fascinating world of our feathered friends. As local birds migrate back into the area, they should be able to identify most of them. Cindi, Brittney, and Kelly teach them the characteristics of twenty-five different species and help them create an amazing bird book. We’ll end with yet another party, complete with worms and seeds!

PreK– Ms. Michelle’s pre-K class moves down the food chain to investigate insects. Bugs fascinate children and Michelle uses their curiosity to educate them about useful and harmful insects. The high point of this unit materializes in May when we get to watch ants tunnel.

K– The kindergarten class takes a trip back in time to the age of reptiles and studies 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 units, and the children love it. 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 for improvement and don’t even think of mentioning spelling. Creative writing is a very personal and sensitive process. A careless remark can be devastating.

2’s– Ms Erika and Ms Karen will introduce the children to the colors all around us! They will explore color through food, animals, textures and lots of books. It will be a truly exciting month for our littlest ones!

3’s– 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. There will be lots of cooking this month—Thanks to Jack and his Mama and Walter the baker!

4’s– Cindi, Meg, and Kelly’s four-year-olds 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 habitats. Some activities you might hear about include packing Paddington’s suitcase, painting Pooh, and ultimately our teddy bear picnic. The fours indulge in fantasy to their heart’s content.

PreK- Ms. Michelle’s pre-kindergarten class investigates weather – clouds, rainbows, snowflakes, and wind. This unit is designed to be a hands-on, scientific approach to the causes of different types of weather. Letter and number recognition as well as phonics instruction continue on an individual basis.

K- The kindergarten class goes around the world. It’s a full month’s trip, and we learn about children from other countries. The emphasis of study is on the dress, food, homes, and customs of children from countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and of course North America! If any of you have traveled and can share pictures or souvenirs with the class, please let Tracy know.

2’s – Ms. Erika and Ms. Karen continue to help our youngest children with the exciting process of learning. 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.

3’s – Our three-year-olds 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 working dairy farm. 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-olds travel to Farmer MacGregor’s Garden. They will study nature from a more imaginary viewpoint. Taking a leap into fantasy, Cindi, Meg, and Kelly introduce the children to the world of Beatrix Potter. After they are thoroughly entranced by Benjamin Bunny, Peter Rabbit, and Jemima 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 them aloud to your child at home will help reinforce her world in their minds.

PreK – Ms. Michelle’s class cover the hodgepodge of February – Ground Hog Day, Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthdays, Valentine’s Day and the Chinese New Year. It’s a great time for them to learn a bit of our country’s history, the pledge of allegiance, and those anecdotes about George and Abe. Busy!

K – The kindergarten class finishes rhyming using the stories of Dr. Seuss. Ms. Tracy Garlow introduces the children to the various systems of the human body. They will focus on themselves and learn about our similarities. They begin by studying their skin and work their way through the body systems to the heart (the most important part!).

2’s- Ms. Erika and Karen’s Two’s have grown and matured at an impressive rate. These children will explore 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, Loretta and Karen do an exceptional job with their charges.

3’s- The three-year-olds are introduced to the main food groups through a delicious study of nutrition. Adrieen, Alicia and Mickey hope to teach the children about “good” foods and their sources. This unit involves quite a bit of cooking and sampling with each food group. They’ll make French fries, fruit salad and finger-paint with pudding. It’s a terrific and “fattening” month for the Threes!

4’s- The four-year-olds discover the fanciful world of dragons and unicorns this month. Medieval knights and castles come alive for them, and they will find that most dragons are rather sensitive and lovable creatures. The children finish the unit with a royal ball fit for any king or queen. The fours indulge in fantasy to their heart’s content!

PreK- The Pre-K class become environmentally aware as they focus their attention on our feathered friends. Ms. Michelle’s Pre-K class will study birds, birds of prey in particular. Children will learn why the hawk has a hooked beak and toes with strong, curved talons. Where does the Osprey live and what do they eat?

K- The kindergarten class will practice rhyming using the stories of Dr. Seuss. This is a fun time to rhyme in silly ways. The Cat in the Hat, the Lorax, and Thidwick become our vehicles for learning. Math, crafts and songs all focus on Seuss themes. It all ends with the renowned “Breakfast at Greenbrier 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.