Gingerbread houses

Last week our classroom built and decorated gingerbread houses! It was amazing to watch the patience and care that went into each house. We started out by reading a book entitled Making a Gingerbread House. After we read, we sequenced the events of building a house and then had some fun! Students used graham crackers and icing to glue their houses onto empty milk carton. Then we added marshmallows, M&M's, licorice, sno-caps, spice drops, hershey kisses and other assorted festive candies. Each student completely decorated their house on their own, with minimal help from staff.

This week, the houses were put on display for staff to cast their votes for their favorite house. Listening to staff talk this week, it is a tough competition. Results will be posted outside the classroom Friday morning and awards will be given. We will be sending the gingerbread houses home on Friday for families to enjoy during the holidays. (Just a reminder...please don't eat the gingerbread houses...they are fully edible, but have been on display in the building and may be exposed to germs and are now unsafe to eat.)

We hope you enjoy your child's gingerbread house as much as we enjoyed watching them make it!

It's been awhile!

It has been a long time since our classroom has posted anything, but we are back and ready to post! It has been an exciting year so far. There are 11 new friends in our classroom and they have all made the new transition very well. We also have 4 new staff members in the classroom this year.

Continue to check back weekly for new pictures and updates on classroom activities. I will be working hard within the next couple of weeks to get photos of all our new friends and staff posted.

Week 35

As we wrap up the first week of the last month of school, Mrs. P.'s class has begun counting down the days to summer! With just ten days left, students have been busy reviewing what we've learned here in school this year, and concluding our lessons regarding England and equestrianism.

On Tuesday, Mrs. P.'s class was treated to a trip to the Rush Equicenter at the William and Mildred Levine Ranch. Students were given a tour of the beautiful farm where therapy horses live and work, and participated in an "I Spy" search using various sight words they learned during this past unit. Mrs. P.'s class would like to thank our new friends at the equicenter for the informative and fun day!

Mrs. P.'s class would also like to thank and wish the best of luck to Ms. Jeanne who has been student teaching in our classroom for the past five weeks. It was a wonderful experience having Ms. Jeanne here with us, and we will take her lessons with us everywhere we go! Especially one of her last lessons with us: how to make a delicious "horse" trail mix!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Just ten more days until summer!

After a short week, Mrs. P.'s class has found itself at the end May and beginning our final month of school! Can anyone believe it? It seems like just yesterday our class was learning about Germany and rowing, the first country and sport our Olympics-themed classroom learned about. Now finishing May, students have learned about eight different countries and sports, including the 2012 Summer Olympics' host: England. For those students who will be here at SHC this summer, we are looking forward to enjoying some of the summer games together and cheering on the USA in the various events we learned about over this past year.

Mrs. P.'s class would like to thank our friends from Alhambra for the wonderful pizza lunch and dance we were treated to this past Friday. Students had a great time enjoying a special meal together and getting down with a DJ for afternoon. Thank you!

On Tuesday June 5th, Mrs. P.'s class will wrap up our ongoing lesson on equestrianism at the Rush Equicenter at the William & Mildred Levine Ranch. Please make sure students dress appropriately for the weather and outdoors and please wear your sunscreen, whether rain or shine!

Weeks 32 & 33

The past two weeks have been exciting here in Mrs. P.'s class! Over the course of the past month, students have been learning about seeds and gardening with Miss Jeanne, a student teacher our classroom welcomed in the beginning of May. After reading a sequencing story about gardening, students had the chance to put their lesson to work by planting their own strawberry plants in the school garden and potting their own cosmo flowers in small containers. Each day students have been working as a team to tend to their garden and flowers with water and care, transporting water to the plants to help them grow.

We have also been busy learning about this month's country and sport, England and equestrianism! In SPOT group this week, students made a healthy, British snack: tea and strawberry-banana creamcheese sandwiches! Students worked together to prepare lemonade (as seasoned professionals, from last summer's lemonade stand) and make mini-sandwiches, amounting to one fabulous British tea party, Mrs. P. style!

Check out the wonderful work students have been doing in ceramics class! Our work in ceramics has only improved as the year has progressed, and every student should be proud of their patience and hard work.

Week 31

Two weeks into May, Mrs. P.'s class has been busy learning about this month's country and sport of concentration, England and equestrianism! Having been introduced to our British friends and summer Olympic hosts on the East side of the Atlantic, students have added five new sight words to our 2011-2012 list: England, equestrian, saddle, horse, saddle and racing! Please practice the flashcards sent homewith these words on them, as Mrs. P. will be quizzing her Olympians at random throughout the month of May!

This month in woodworking, students have been completing various different projects that have been sent home. Some students have been completing wooden canisters, while others have been putting finishing coats of paint on abstract objects they've constructed. Beautiful work kids!

We had the opportunity to enjoy some great weather this week! Let's hope that it continues into the summer months ahead!

This week we wished a very happy birthday to two of Mrs. P.'s Olympians: Emily Hood and Jon McKernan! Happy birthday from everyone at SHC!

We hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend and wish everyone at home a Happy Mother's Day! We appreciate all of the work that you do and hope you enjoy the special gifts your students prepared for you here at school!

Week 30

What a crazy week we shared here in Mrs. P.'s room! After hosting our friends from both the Harley School and the Press Radio Club, Mrs. P.'s class managed to fit in two field trips into this week. Thursday, our class was treated to a Pizza Hut lunch, as our originally scheduled date was postponed for a freak snowday!

Friday, our class visited the Strong Museum of Play, to check out the museum's Wizard of Oz exhibit. Students got to see all of their favorite characters from the story we shared here in class, as well as ride the Wicked Witch's tycoon-spinning bike, walk down the yellow brick road, and speak into a magic microphone which made them sound like the Great Wizard himself! What a wonderful time!

We have come to the end of another month, wrapping up our lessons on Egypt and track and field. In SPOT group this week, we made a healthy snack using a traditional Egyptian food: hummus! Students worked together to scoop the centers of cut cucumbers out and fill them with various types of hummus, topping them with chopped sweet peppers. Yum!



Stay tuned for our next country and sport of study... Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

The Annual Press Radio Awards

On May 2nd, the School of the Holy Childhood welcomed our friends from the Rochester Press Radio Club for our annual award ceremony! One of Mrs. P.'s very own Olympians, Nic Dammen, was the proud recipient of the Speech Award for his hard work and improvement with his communication skills. Congratulations Nic!

Nic received a trophy with Spike.

Way to go Nic!

The School of the Holy Childhood's favorite therapy dog, Buddy and his owner Mike received an award as well for the outstanding services and companionship they bring to our classrooms. Mrs. P.'s class would like to congratulate both Buddy and Mike for their big win, and say thank you for all of the joy your visits bring to our room.

SHC and Harley visits!

On April 27th, Mrs. P.'s class had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Harley School in Brighton! Mrs. P.'s class was thrilled to make some new friends, play games and share the great experience of spreading mulch and seeds in their school garden. We are very grateful to our new friends and would love to visit them again sometime soon.

On Tuesday May 1st, the School of the Holy Childhood welcomed our friends from the Harley School here in Henrietta! Students shared lunch together before splitting up into two groups to play kickball and dance. We loved welcoming our new friends here at school and showing them just what a special place Holy Childhood is.

A big thank you to the Harley School from all of us here at SHC. We were delighted to meet you and look forward to more fun times with you in the future!