The new playground has arrived!!

Now...to put it together ;0)  Just need a bit of a thaw!  Still, it's exciting to see it there!

Next session begins next week!

We will start our first session of 2014 next week on Tuesday, January 7th - I do not know when we'll be going to Florida so I thought we'd jump right back!  We have a new friend joining us this session - his name is Kian & he is 3 years old :0)  I look forward to seeing everyone again!!
Love,
Miss Shannon & Miss Jaime

Our huge snowman!  What a wet & beautiful snow we had in December!

A former student makes the front page!

I had Kortney (the elf in front!) in preschool when we ran Rock Bridge Playschool many years ago :0)  I was so happy to see her on the front page of the paper today!  She will graduate this year...does this make me old??!  I love seeing what my students are up to as they grow up...

 Rock Bridge High School students give gifts to elementary kids in need

Nick Schnelle/Tribune

Please see http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/education/rock-bridge-high-school-students-give-gifts-to-elementary-kids/article_4398c294-68de-11e3-9f39-10604b9f6eda.html for full article

Last day for 2013!

Working on matching number symbals with units, also ordering numbers

We will miss everyone so much - maybe we'll have a playday during our break so we can keep in touch, or even a mom's night out :0)  We're hoping to get to Florida for a few weeks as well, so when our plans are squared away I'll let you all know when our next session will begin.  Also - big news - Jamie Deters (Gigi & Zach's big sister) will be co-teaching with me next semester!  She is Abbie's age (19) & is very experienced!

Ok, on to the pictures....

My big Zach came today & brought some legos!  Zach D. has been requesting that he come, and also to bring legos - so here he is :0)  They were both a bit hit!

Lots of cooperative play as everyone is really getting to know each other better - love it :0)

Ruth came to visit today for the first time & did great!  She is Silas's little sister...and we were so glad to have Silas back for our last day, too - we've missed him!

Time to feed the birds - these are pinecones smeared in peanut butter & rolled in bird seed - Josie's has already been devoured by the birds at our house!

Gigi counting who is here today - we sing a little song at circle time as we count how many boys we have, girls, all together, etc.  Basic math & graphing.

Rachel & Mandolin

Everyone loved sound matching bingo - and these 3 played game after game after game, taking turns being the 'caller'

Ruth working with the geoboards

A trip to the free paper place over Thanksgiving break yielded some great new paper for painting!

All dressed up!

Just enough snow left for snowballs

the girls were so busy playing today I tried letting them stay inside w/ Abbie - they were still playing bingo!

It's Isaac the snow angel!

Oh, December....

Can you believe it?!  And to think my kiwi friends are missing their warm New Zealand summer so they can visit us!  Here is one of my favorite poems about December...

I heard a bird sing in the dark of December,

A beautiful thing, and sweet to remember.

"We're closer to spring than we were in September!"

I heard a bird sing in the dark of December.

Ezra getting into the block play - and with a new haircut!

These two work so well together :0)

The mermaids are being attacked by a fierce tiger!!  Thank you to Rachel & Isaac for sharing more dress ups!

Ian & his sisters Emmaline & Corin came to visit this week!

making stained glass with colored leaves

Emmaline squishes playdough while Mandolin works on her stained glass

Zach made a cool cave for his dinosaur - with some soldiers to guard it

May I take your order?

leaves blowing in the wind

mmmm, turkey sandwiches for lunch!  Just right for the week after Thanksgiving :0)

Ella has her first loose tooth...can you tell?

Next mitten coming up for Rachel!

Lots of large branches were down near the creek this week - and we had some awesome workers who just started doing clean up!  I made a comment about how strong they were - and Zach said, "That's called teamwork!"

That's Corin (Ian & Emmaline's big sis, age 13) helping with that huge branch

The new playground has been ordered - but these guys can find fun anywhere!  There was a little talk of the fulcrum under the teeter totter but mostly just lots of fun ;0)

It was just starting to spit rain when it started snowing cattail seeds!

Welcome to Jude Matthias!  He was born the day before Thanksgiving :0)

Big brother Silas & big sister Ruthie!  Hopefully they will be able to join us this coming week for our last day of prek in 2013!