September 23-27, 2019

We had a very exciting start to our week - we met our "families" during community time on Monday! We made banners together to represent each family that are now displayed in the cafeteria. Throughout the year, we will meet with our families to do a variety of activities together. This is such a wonderful community building activity for all the students and it is heartwarming to see the relationships that develop between the older and younger students.

We began working with scissors in class this week. The boys and girls learned the proper way to hold scissors and how to cut on the dotted line. This is a tough skill for young children to master, but with a lot of practice, they will be pros in no time!

A big focus in Pre-K is following multi-step directions. We work on this almost every day in a variety of scenarios. This week, we completed a worksheet where the students had to color a picture using a key. We explained the directions first to the whole group and discussed what needed to be done to complete the paper correctly. Then, the children reiterated what we discussed. Finally, they went to their tables to complete the paper on their own.

On Thursday afternoon, we had an extra special treat - our 8th graders came to our classroom to teach us Spanish!  While the Spanish program at HCA is only for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade, Senora Vintimilla, our Spanish teacher, asked if the Pre-K could partner with the older students once a month to learn some Spanish! The 8th graders are acting as the teachers and reading Spanish story books to the Pre-K students and introducing basic Spanish vocabulary. They even colored some Spanish worksheets together. This will be a great way to introduce the younger students to the Spanish language and the boys and girls LOVED every second of it!

Looking ahead:

• Next Friday, October 4 (rain date Monday, October 7) will be the Blessing of the Animals at HCA at 8:15 am. Feel free to join us and bring your pet along! 
• There will be no show and tell next week. Our next show and tell will be on Monday, October 7. The topic will be "something that begins with /s/."
• Class photos will be on Wednesday, October 9 - please have your child wear his/her class t-shirts that he/she received on the first day of school. Individual photos will be on Thursday, October 10. More information on packages will be sent home soon.

"What's gonna work? Teamwork!"
Kaleo, Lucas, and Panos were so proud of
the factory they built together!

Have a great weekend!

Be sure to follow us on Instagram @hcadrexelhillec!

September 16-20, 2019

Have you heard how we say good morning every day? It's up to the students to choose!  The boys and girls line and can decide whether they would like to high five, give a hug, or dance it out to start the day. It's brings a smile to everyone's face each morning and is the perfect way to start our day!

We started off this week celebrating Sydney's birthday! Thanks to Sydney's family for sending in cupcakes as a special treat!

We began working on our handwriting lessons this week. In Pre-K, we begin by learning how to hold a pencil properly and form each line correctly. First, we started learning how to write top to bottom lines. Check out their "skills!"

Then, the boys and girls took what they learned and practice tracing and writing top to bottom lines in their handwriting books - just like the big kids do!

In science class this week, we took a nature walk and enjoyed the beautiful weather! The boys and girls looked for things that were alive - trees, flowers, and animals. We even spotted the moon and some signs that fall is on its way. The students also worked on walking with a partner and listening to directions as a group. It was a great walk and they are already looking forward to the next time!

The "force" was with us for our first show and tell!

The boys and girls did a wonderful job sharing their favorite things and telling us about them. Please remember that show and tell will be on every "day 6." The topic will be posted here each week.

Looking ahead:

• Our next show and tell will be on Friday, September 27. The topic will be "my family." Please send your child in with a picture of your family and have him/her prepared to name each family member and one thing that you all like to do together. If you do not have a picture, your child may draw a picture of his/her family.
• The HCA Early Childhood Division has its own Instagram account!  Follow us @hcadrexelhillec!

We ended the week with another birthday!
Happy birthday, Jennah!  Thanks for the treats!

Have a great weekend!

September 4-13, 2019

We've had a great start to our year in Pre-K!

HCA Class of 2029

We have spent a lot of time since our first day getting to know one another, learning our rules and routines, and, of course, playing together and having fun!

Friends are the best!

First time checking out books from the library

Check out our self-portraits that we made in art class!

Lunch is delicious!

Morning play time in Kindergarten

The boys and girls have even been working with some of the materials in our classroom!

Matching colors with Color Box 2

Pouring

Tweezing

Working with the screwdriver set

Puzzles are our favorite!

Matching capital and lowercase letters
with the Insta-Learn Board

Looking ahead:

• Rest towels will be sent home every Friday to be washed. Please be sure to return them on Mondays.
• Next week, we will have gym class on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
• Next Thursday, September 19, will be our first show and tell. The topic will be "My Favorite Thing." For this week, children should be prepared to stand in front of the class and tell what item they chose to share and why it is their favorite thing.
• Scholastic Book Club orders will be due on Friday, September 20. Please refer to the email that was sent for details. 

Have a great weekend!