"There was a shadow in Jake and the Neverland Pirates!"

We celebrated Groundhog Day this past week with light and shadow studies.  We began the week with discussions on shadows. Our conversation began by asking the children what they know about shadows.  Many of the kiddos were right on track with their knowledge.  One of our youngest children added to the conversation by telling us that there are shadows in Jake and the Neverland Pirates TV show. Which is completely accurate! This time of year is always so much fun because everyone is more confident to raise their hand and add to the conversation!

The conversation led into the introduction of the words transparent, translucent and opaque.  All three words descried how light travels through objects.  A quick review: transparent means that light easily travels through an object (such as  glass), translucent means that light still travels through but appears blurry (such as fabric) and opaque means that light cannot travel through (such as light being blocked by a person) which creates shadows! 

The children had many opportunities to use flashlights to create shadows in the classroom. The children also created shadow drawings with animal figurines, traced their friends' shadows outside with chalk and had a shadow dance party!  

On Wednesday and Thursday, the children voted for whether or not the groundhog would see his shadow.  The votes were about even and we even got to watch the groundhog live! It turns out the bright sunny day created a groundhog shadow meaning six more weeks of winter! Which is good news for the preschoolers who are patiently waiting for some snow to play in! 

Lastly, new month = new Artist of the Month! The children were introduced to Qi Baishi, a Chinese painter who was honored for his whimsical and playful watercolor paintings of birds, monkeys, shrimp, fish and cherry blossoms! Inspired by his work, the children used a blow painting technique to create cherry blossom branches and used their fingers or q-tips to make small flower blossoms. The result was nothing short of beautiful! Stop in and see the children's artwork up on the bulletin board! 

What's Up Next?

On to Valentine's Day! The children will be discussing friendship and what it means to be a good friend. The children will also begin to create their valentine's for friends.  Valentine's Day celebrations will be on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 14th and 15th!

Vote for Us!
It's that time again to vote for your favorite local businesses (including your favorite preschool!).  We were voted Burlington's favorite preschool for 2016 and we would love to be your favorite again this year! Click here to vote! Don't forget, for your votes to count, you must nominate at least 10 businesses before hitting the submit button.  You can nominate us under "Local Services" and scroll down to "Daycare/Preschool." Voting ends on February 15th so don't delay. And remember to share this with your friends, family and neighbors! Thank you for supporting our small, local preschool!

Upcoming Dates and Reminders:

February 12: Cookie decorating at Whole Foods - Woburn, please RSVP via Evite!
February 20: SEE closed in observance of President's Day
March 1: March Tuition is due

Pictures from the week:   

Tracing Animal Shadows

So much fun with the spotlight! 

Using a blow painting technique to create branches

Adding some pretty blossoms!

The end result! Come on in and check it out!

As always, thanks for reading our blog! Don't forget to use the link above to vote for us as your favorite preschool!

Go Pats!!!
Joanna