February Fun (Brown-Prestas)

Dear Parents,

The Solar System

If your child is talking about the sun, the moon, the planets, and astronauts at home, it is because we are studying the solar system this month. We have been matching really cool planet models with picture cards and labels, putting space puzzles together, looking at books on space, doing the space shuttle “take off” and “landing” (even though the Space Shuttle has been retired), glueing paper planets and the sun on posterboard and writing their names, filling rocket balloons with air on the play deck, and discussing the latest space expedition to Mars with the Perseverance Rover and the Mars helicopter which the scientists hope will be able to take many photographs as well as collect Martian soil samples.

Some interesting books on the solar system include:

The Solar System by Jill McDonald

The Magic School Bus-Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole

Me and My Place in Space by Joan Sweeney

The International Space Station by Franklin M. Branley

Nasa has an informative, educational website for children. It is: Nasa KIds’ Club at nasa.gov.kids

Our Fun Planet Song

(Sung to the tune of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”)

The planets revolve around the sun, hooray, hooray

The planets revolve around the sun, hooray, hooray,

The planets revolve around the sun and spin on their axes everyone,

And they all go spinning around and around they go!

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, hooray, hooray,

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, hooray, hooray,

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, all whirling and twirling among the stars

And they all go spinning around and around they go!

Jupiter and Saturn are next in line, hooray, hooray,

Jupiter and Saturn are next in line, hooray,hooray,

Jupiter and Saturn are next in line,

Uranus and Neptune make it fine

And they all go spinning around and around they go!

Sewing Activities

The children have been enjoying working with many sewing activities. On the shelf we have lacing cards, a tray with an embroidery hoop and a piece of fabric to learn how to put the fabric on the hoop, a tray with a large and small needle and cord to learn how to thread them, a tray with a large button to practice sewing on a button, a tray with yarn and pieces of burlap material to sew on a stencil outline, and a tray with buttons and fabric to sew on a button.

All these materials help children with concentration, patience, and eye-hand coordination.

Thank You

Thank you to all parents for bringing in such delicious fruit and vegetables for snack. We appreciate your generosity!

Thanks to all parents for sending in snow gear! The children have enjoyed playing outside in the snow and ice.

Happy Winter and Looking Forward to Spring,

Ms. Jean Prestas and Mrs. Katie Brown