St Patricks Day History

 At AOFC we love celebrating all holidays with fun decor, crafts, and activities which encompas all the aspects of the holiday that is being celebrated.  March is fast approaching and so here are some facts about the History of  St. Patricks Day, who he was and why we celebrate it. St Patrick's Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. St Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland and it't national apostle. The Irish have been observing this day as a religous holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patricks Day,  which falls during the season of Lent, Irish families would attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. People would dance, feast and drink on the tradional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.  Over the next 35 years, Irish patriotism among American immigrants flourished, and these groups would hold annual parades featuring bagpipes and drums. In 1848 several New York Irish Aid societies decided to unite to form one officeal New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade. Today, that parade is the world's oldest parade and the largest in the United States, with over 150,000 participants. We love celebrating St. Patrick's day at AOFC as well as learning the history of it! 

Drawing her leprechaun for the door! 

That is one tricky leprechaun!

Concentrating so hard! 

Hand print pots of gold! 

Magical little leprechans on the Irish flag! 

Look at those awesome St. Patricks day leprechans! 

Dentist Visit

 Today at AOFC we had a super fun vist from a dental hygentist from Snodgrass and King Pediatric Dentistry as well as a vist from CHOMP the purple crocodile with awesome teeth! The kids learned all about the special instruments used to clean their teeth, the number of teeth they have, and the right way to brush their teeth! They also gave a thumbs up to all the healthy food like, broccoli, carrots, milk and a thumbs down to doughnuts, candy bars and soda which are not always the best choice when it comes to your teeth!  Finally a vist from CHOMP the dino gave out hugs and high fives as well as a reminder to brush and floss twice a day! We loved learning what to do keep our teeth healthy and shiny! 

Listening to the dental hygenist! 

Lots of friends like juice!

It's not good for your teeth so thumbs down! 

Chomp getting his teeth brushed!

Hi Chomp! 

Getting lots of hugs! 

The right way to brush! 

Counting his teeth! We have 20 teeth in our mouth! 

Writing Skills

 Writing is a very important skill that our kids in Pre K One and Pre K Two classes work on so that when they get to Kindergarten they can easily trace words, shapes, and numbers as well as write their name. Holding a pencil correctly is also important because the way it is held impacts the way the letters are written so our teachers are using different techniques to help each child be successful when learning to write.  It is exciting to see a child write their name for the first time or trace a letter that was difficult using a pencil that is held correctly and that success is what our Pre K teachers strive for each day.

Working on the letter J! 

Look at that awesome pencil hold!

Such good writing! 

Look at that name! 

Good Work!

So Proud!

Groundhog Day

 There are two burning questions that have been floating around our AOFC classrooms today, Will He?! or Won't He?! why are we asking such questions, well its Groundhog day and its up to Punxsutawney Phil to answer whether or not he will see his shadow! Unfortunately for us, Phil did see his shadow which means that we are going to have 6 more weeks of winter but thankfully he only has a 39% success rate so we might get lucky on the weather.  Our Prek and Preschool classes had fun making a Groundhog craft and voting whether or not Phil would see his shadow today. Fingers crossed his prediction doesn't last the full 6 weeks! Happy Groundhog Day!

Voting on the Will he?! or Won't he?! question!

Looks like she said yes! 

Cute Groundhog Craft!

Working hard to put her Groundhog together! 

The results are in: No he won't see his shadow according to Pre K 2 votes!

Showing off her finished craft! So cute! 

February- Love month

 At AOFC we are bringing in the month of Love otherwise known as February, with lots of snuggles, hearts, Valentines and most importantly LOVE! We love all our families and sweet kids that enter our classrooms each day with love and kisses and end each day with love and kisses from mommies, daddy's, and teachers.  Our educators take pride in teaching as well as loving on their kids, giving them positive affirmations and modeling kindness towards others.  XOXO from our AOFC family! 

Drawing a picture and writing who she loves! 

Who does he love?

Hearts! 

More hearts! 

Buddies! 

Sweet friends!

The really do love each other! 

Twin love! 

Loving on her babies! 

Three Little Pigs house challenge

 In our Preschool 3 class this week they were learning about fairy tales and tall tales.  Ms Isis, the PS 3 lead educator, divided the students at tables so they could try building their own versions of The Three Little Pigs houses using, sticks, straws and bricks(legos).  Each table worked on building the sturdiest version of each house so when Ms Isis came by to "blow their house down" it was either going to stay up or fall down. The students at the table with sticks had a house made of not only sticks but tape as well, the house made of straw included both tape and some yarn and finally the brick table used legos to make sure their house wasn't going anywhere.   The houses built by the students stayed up despite the effort of Ms Isis to blow each one down and everyone lived happily ever after!! 

The team building the house made of sticks! 

The beginning of the straw house! 

Their awesome house made of sticks! 

Admiring their work! 

The house made of bricks wasn't going anywhere! 

Using a little tape on the house made of sticks! 

 

Dressing for the weather

 As I am sure you have noticed our weather day to day continually changes and sometimes it doesn't even reflect the same season!  That is why it's important to make sure that each child is dressed appropriately for the changing weather conditions. Obviously, with it being winter and certain days being definitely colder than others, dressing in layers is very important so that the child stays warm but does not over heat. Wearing breathable layers under winter gear is important as it keeps skin covered but each layer can be removed should the conditions change. Covering exposed skin to the elements with gloves and hats as well as a coat will make winter outside time much more enjoyable for the child. On days where the weather fluctuates, long sleeves and even a light jacket are fine for outdoor play.  No matter the changing weather, our AOFC kids love to be outdoors and knowing what to wear allows them the opportunity to have fun while being able to adapt to the fluctuating temperatures.

Got on her hat and coat to keep warm! 

Wearing gloves keeps her hands warm! 

So cozy! 

Ears are covered! 

No jackets necessary today! 

Some long sleeves and some short sleeves! 

He is ready to play!