We praise God for another great week here at school! 

We began our day with morning prayer and praise like always.  Back in the classroom, we had morning meeting.  During morning meeting we read Clifford's First Snow Day. We noticed that the illustrations give us clues to the story.  The words didn't have to tell us how Clifford was safe because the illustrations did!  

After morning meeting, we took a quick trip to the ice machine.  We observed the ice and noticed the cubes are frozen together!  We wondered: how do they stay frozen in large pieces? 

We then went to the gym.  I was unable to take pictures because we used my phone for a dance party! 

After gym and snack, we had a fire drill.  The friends did a fantastic job during the fire drill. 

Free choice time 

During the fire drill, we noticed all of the ice on the ground.  Some of the friends chose to draw pictures of the ice.  We worked to label our pictures.  This was an opportunity to engage in meaningful writing practice! 

We then put butcher paper by the window for anyone who wanted to observe the ice outside and draw a picture of it. 

Some of the friends chose to work on the fence.  They made a sign and a label for the fence as well!  This was, again, another opportunity to engage in meaningful wiring practice. 

The friends used the letter cookie cutters in the play doh to make words.  

"This says cat!" 

During Jesus time we learned that no matter how we feel, Jesus always loves us!  If we feel angry, Jesus loves us.  If we feel sad, Jesus loves us!  If we feel happy, Jesus loves us!  His love for us never ends! Praise God for the love of Jesus Christ that sent Him to the cross to die and rise again to save us from our sins! 

This morning in the gym we had a freeze dance party!  Freeze dance is fun, good exercise, and helps increase inhibitory control.  (Inhibitory control is an important part of executive function skills.  Learn more about executive function here)  

After stretches and snack, we gathered for small group time.  

The friends worked together to identify letters and make words. 

They also strengthened their fine motor skills and creative expression with play doh. 

The friends continued to play hide and seek with the gems.  This increases counting, subitizing, and the ability to understand that numbers can be composed and decomposed to make new numbers.  This lays a strong foundation for future learning of addition and subtraction.  

The friends also worked to make books.  Children's writing develops over time.  Success for some of the friends is writing controlled scribbles and attributing meaning.  Success for other friends is using phonetic spelling when writing.  Success for some fiends is writing strings of letters and attributing meaning.  Still other friends find success as they use letter like forms to express themselves when writing.  It is important to provide many open ended wiring experiences so that children have the opportunity to grow and develop their writing skills. 

Free choice 

The friends worked to make. gate for snow park.  This provided many opportunities for engineering, problem solving, collaboration, and persistence.  

"How can we get it to stand up?" 

"Let's try tape!  Tape will help it stand up!" 

"I am making a small gate over here." 

Some friends chose to continue in the play doh. . .

while other friends continued writing. 

I put some other materials out for the children to use.  I did not tell them what to do, but allowed their critical thinking and problem solving skills to develop as they used trial and error to figure out how to make the gate stand. 

Today is Ash Wednesday.  This signifies the beginning of Lent. 

QUESTION: Would you please explain the significance of Ash Wednesday? I've seen some people in the past with black ash crosses on their foreheads.

ANSWER: Lutheran Worship: History and Practice, a commentary on Lutheran Worship, one of our Synod's hymnals, says this about ashes on Ash Wednesday: "Other customs may be used, particularly the imposition of ashes on those who wish it. This ancient act is a gesture of repentance and a powerful reminder about the meaning of the day.

Ashes can symbolize dust-to-dustness and remind worshipers of the need for cleansing, scrubbing and purifying. If they are applied during an act of kneeling, the very posture of defeat and submission expresses humility before God."

The use of ashes on Ash Wednesday is a more recent custom among most LCMS congregations, although some have done it for decades. The ashes are usually derived from the burned palms from the previous Palm Sunday.

Experience will show, however, that in obtaining ashes this way, it doesn't take many ashes to "ash" a whole congregation. Like sin, they are very dirty and go a long way. One palm leaf will produce enough ashes for several years.

Usually the pastor takes the ashes on the end of his thumb and makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of each worshiper, saying these words: "Remember: you are dust, and to dust you shall return." This follows most effectively prior (or as part of) the Service Corporate Confession and Absolution on pages 290-291 of the Lutheran Service Book.

For more information, read about the significance of Lent.

Library time with our 8th grade buddies.  We did not check out books today, but we will next week. 

Pumpkin iron in the gym! 

Free choice time 

Meaingful print refers to words that are important to children.  Our friends love reading the letters in their friends names.  Because this print is meaningful to them, it will create a deeper pathway in the brain and will enhance information retention. 

We observed the ice and snow outside. 

"I am drawing ice people!" 

"Oh no! The ice people are melting!" 

The ice people appeared in our stories!  

Children's writing has progressive stages.  Although the children are not writing conventionally, they are actively writing.  Learn more about children's writing progression here.

"We are building a house to protect the animals from the snow!" 

"Watch this animal balance.  He might fall!  Oh no!" 

Legos strengthen fine motor skills and engage creative thinking, problem solving, and persistence! 

The friends collaborated to create this large structure!