Mad Scientist Week!

 Preschool 2 played scientists today while exploring movement, in a nonconventional way! They were predicting which objects would move faster down the slide through shaving cream. It is always fun to add a little mess into learning! We are excited to see what else this week will bring.

 

KBC Field Day

 Today was Field Day for our KBC cadets! They did bean bag toss, balance beam, bases, catch and other outdoor activities with their friends. This whole summer has been about learning new group skills and team work. These will be a great asset to what they are getting ready to embark on! We are so proud of everything they are already prepared for!

Pre K Learning Tables

 Leanring tables are still in full swing in Pre K 2 this summer! We have shifted from Frogstreet to Kindergarten Boot Camp. This morning they were coloring by number and counting bears, all a part of  number recognition. These friends are ready for big things!

Chopped Jr for our Infants!

 It is Chopped Jr Week here at AOSL and we are loving all the sweet treats and sweet faces. Out Infant 2 chefs were exploring kitchen utensils this morning. Some of these babies have never even seen or held these before and they were so curious as to what to do with them. Besides putting them in their mouths, they were also wildly playing music with them. We love to introduce our infants to new ideas and concepts in order for them to be able to use their own experiences to figure things out! 

Outdoor Time with Infant One

Our Infant One class had a beautiful outside time this morning. They got to enjoy the normal routine of the classroom activities in the sunshine with each other. Infants experience so many sensory opportunities while outside. This is important for their development and own understanding of the things around them. 

 

Toddler Circle Time

 

Toddler 4 was busy this morning learning about "ants" during circle time. They loved it so much in fact, they were hugging the photo card. Circle time at this age may look different day to day, however, staying consistent with how it is achieved is key! Part of this ages' circle time is not just about the curriculum they are learning, but also about the body control and practicing the daily routine. 

Life Cycle

 Our Pre K One class has some new friends in their room this morning. They are being joined by a few caterpillars who are getting ready to turn themselves into beautiful butterflies. They stay in this jar for up to a week before the process begins. The kids are excited to see the cycle they go through and hopefully watch it all happen! We will update you when they ready to be released!

Earth Day Planting

 

Our Preschool 4 class was busy planting wild flowers for our new green house. With it being Earth Day week, they are learning about the process of seed to flower. They were letting each friend either pack with dirt, plant the seed and then water. Allowing the class to partner up with each other allows for them to learn team building and good communication skills. Planning a garden and being responsible for it also promotes a sense of purpose for them. They are excited to watch their seedlings grow into beautiful flowers.

Friendships at AOSL

The majority of our students have been here since they were infants. They continue to make new friends along the way and build stronger relationships with the friends they have been with for multiple years. The importance of building friendships at a young age will help them with confidence and resolving conflict. We love to watch our friend grow together! 

 

Puzzling Pieces

 Preschool 4 was engaging their cognition skills! Having the kids make their own choice and use their own strategy to piece together an object is further helping them with their cognition and knowledge. There are many different levels of "puzzles" that can be used for different age groups. This particular age group, 4 years, are able to see what a picture looks like and then independently put it together in front of them. Way to go Preschool 4!

Building a Community

Pre K One is busy learning about the aspects of community this week. Building, signs, roads, vehicles, safety and more. They are using different textures and objects to create and make a community the way they perceive it. Play dough is a great way for them to use small motor skills to manipulate it into different things. Roads, bridges and houses are the examples shown here. 

 

 

 We had a fun Mardi Gras yesterday! All of our friends loved being in our parade to celebrate! All of our older kids had necklaces, masks and more. Our infants had a fun photo shoot backdrop! We love to do these small events and include the whole school to build a sense of community. It is not often we get our Pre K classes and infant classes together. Any chance we get to incorporate it, we do! 

Fitness Fun!

 January and February are focused on Fitness Fanatics here at the Academy! In recognition of that, we have had workouts set out for fun at pick-up, we have a 28 day challenge for the month of February that all of our classrooms are participating in, and today we had a special event that I know was enjoyed by all! Today's special guest was from Kido-Kinetics! In our enrichment room, he sat out a workout that required lots of hand and foot coordination. They even learned the techniques behind throwing a frisbee! The kids loved being active and having new challenges presented to them. I loved to witness the strong communities as they cheered each other on and coached their friends!