Happy St. Patrick's Day

     St. Patrick's Day is a special holiday for people of Irish descent to celebrate their heritage.  It is filled with joy and fun traditions, that even those who are not Irish enjoy celebrating!

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     SMART START readers learned about St. Patrick's Day during circle time. We read many stories surrounding the holiday and the country of Ireland.  The children especially loved learning about leprechauns, rainbows and gold coins!  

     St. Patrick's Day is celebrated each year on March 17th.  Since we have incorporated Spanish into our preschool curriculum, SMART START amigos learned that March in Spanish is "Marzo" and seventeen is "diecisiete."  The perfect way to blend Spanish and Irish studies!

     Our star pupils were eager to learn about the country of Ireland.  During circle time, we read an interesting book about Ireland, the country's traditional foods and customs such as, Irish step dancing.  SMART START friends also enjoyed learning a twist on the classic song, "One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians" and sang, "One Little, Two Little, Three Little Shamrocks." Lastly, the children learned about the map of Ireland and colored it in using green and orange markers.  

     A St. Patrick's celebration is not complete without shamrocks!  Shamrocks are the national emblem of Ireland. We incorporated shamrocks into our learning activities and games.  The children practiced opposites such as, big and small, up and down, left and right and high and low.  We also discussed four leaf clovers and how they are thought to bring luck according to Irish culture.  Estudiantes learned that good luck in Spanish is, "Buena suerte."

     SMART START engineers were ready to get to work and design a comfortable home for Leo the Leprechaun. They put on construction hats and aprons before they began the process.  Safety first! Busy builders used three large cardboard boxes, green/verde paint with paint brushes, glue, green/verde and gold/oro glitter, paper tubes, cut felt and metallic paper, ribbon, pipe cleaners, festive colors of crayons, markers and bonkers. Everyone worked well together on this collaborative project! 

     Upon completion of Leo the Leprechaun's house, the children were on the lookout for him.  They set out to the outdoor classroom with nets in hand. Leo was nowhere to be found. The children went back inside to search the school. All anxiously awaiting Leo's arrival!

     The children were super excited and surprised when they shined the flashlight inside Leo's house one morning and spotted something!  Leo the Leprechaun had visited and left a bag of treats for all to share. He was delighted with the cozy home that the students made for him! The festive treats were enjoyed during our St.Patrick's Day celebration.

     St. Patrick's Day is famous for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  To integrate this fun Irish theme into our unit, we gathered on our rainbow rug and played a game of musical pot of gold/oro. The children also enjoyed engaging in pretend play, acting as leprechauns searching for their pot of gold!  Luck of the Irish!

     SMART START mathematicians were excited to play a new game.  While enhancing their memory , counting and number recognition skills, pupils had fun finding the number card that corresponded with how many shamrocks they counted. 

Click below to check out more St. Patrick's Day fun at   SMART START!

     

💚 Mary and Francesca 💚

Winter Fun at SMART START

     SMART START has fully embraced one of New England's finest seasons...WINTER!  The children have enjoyed playing outdoors in the snow, as well as engaging in activities indoors. Here is a glimpse of all our exciting Winter happenings below!

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     Our young learners became quite animated while listening to the classic, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear by Eric Carle.  Miss Francesca read aloud to the children as they gathered around the table and felt board.  When she said the animal name, whoever was holding that animal placed it on the felt board. Pupils identified and acted out each animal and made corresponding sounds with ease....roaring, trumpeting, hissing, snarling!   This book invites preschoolers to join in and chant the rhythmic words while igniting their imaginations for pretend play. 

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     Winter and its cold temperatures here in New England lend itself to fun-filled learning for preschoolers. SMART START sensory explorers were eager to dive into this frigid hands-on activity.  They wore safety goggles and worked with small hand held tools to chip away at the ice. While engaging many senses,  students thoroughly experienced this cold, slippery texture. This activity served as a great method of bringing the elements of Winter indoors, as well as put a different variation on ice exploration! 

     Not all ice activities have to be cold and slippery!  SMART START friends enjoyed playing a classic game, "Don't Break The Ice." Children paired together as they hammered away with their ice picks.  The ultimate goal is to knock out only one ice cube at a time until the penguin falls. A great deal of strategizing while working on hand eye coordination, fine motor skills and more.  A fun way to squeeze in learning and development!

     Friends took part in another timeless game, "Tic Tac Toe."  SMART START's Winter version consisted of wooden bears and trees.  The object is to get three of your pieces in a row, whether it be horizontally, vertically or diagonally!  "Tic Tac Toe" reinforces strategizing, spatial awareness, fine motor skills and more. When the children play together they are also developing sportsmanship.  We encourage supportive phrases such as, "good game" and "nice job". Although SMART START provides a strong academic foundation for your child, it is just as important that we instill in them our S.M.A.R.T character building blocks: Service, Mindfulness, Achievement, Respect and Trust.

     Winter themed books have been read throughout the season. Whether they are listening to a story during circle time, reading independently or with a friend, reading is a favorite subject here at school.  It is always a special treat when we can bring reading into our outdoor classroom-even all bundled up! Students are always captivated by the content, ask intelligent and age appropriate questions and use their imaginations.

 
     SMART START meteorologists have been learning about and studying our chilly temperatures and weather patterns here in Massachusetts.  We have a large thermometer here at school that the students can manually use to move the temperature up and down each day. Our pupils have acquired knowledge and skills during our weather unit and have used them accordingly.

     Winter friends love to play in our outdoor classroom! Running free in our winter wonderland while exploring nature is exhilarating and so beneficial for their health and wellness. Children are always excited to make snow angels, snowmen, snowballs, go sledding and more. Charlotte and Caroline enjoyed much of the fun. We are thankful that we have willing helpers when it comes to shoveling the snow.  It is important that our walkways and steps are cleared for everyone's safety! Thank you SMART START shovelers!

 
     SMART START bakers took to the kitchen to make the most delicious treat.  With their chef hats and aprons on and hands washed, they were ready to make sugar cookies!  Once the cookies were baked and cooled, it was time for decorating. Each used their own tray filled with ingredients to create.  Ingredients included: frosting, coconut, snowflake sprinkles and blue crystal sprinkles. The tasty cookies looked beautiful!

     A snowman is a quintessential part of the Winter season. SMART START artists created their very own snowman using felt, stickers, bonkers, glitter, snowman eyes, mouth, nose and hat!  They proudly held up their colorful and smiley snowmen for a quick snapshot to display their hard work. All enjoyed building a snowman tower out of wooden pieces, playing with snowman puppets and other related activities.

     When the weather is too cold to go outside, we take our preschool energy and gross motor activities into our gym. We decided to have an indoor snowball toss as a special way to work on hand-eye coordination, gross motor, cooperative skills and more!

     Another game we played in our gym was "Snowball Says.", a spin on the classic game, "Simon Says." The children had a blast and did exceptionally well following directions. We also brought out a parachute and created our own winter storm: shaking for wind, tossing snowballs for snow.  We love incorporating new activities to challenge our students as their listening skills and all areas of development are vastly improving.

     Miss Francesca did an entertaining rendition of The Hat by Jan Brett.  Our attentive audience  was fascinated by the story and loved the interactive aspect! A hat was passed around during the story and students filled the hat with the animals along the way.  Just like the book, our hat here at SMART START helped to keep the animals cozy and warm!

     Artic animals was one of our larger learning units this Winter. We discussed where artic animals live in the world, their habitats, diet, characteristics and more. Each SMART START engineer designed and built a home for two artic animals that they chose from an assortment of figurines. Supplies used to construct the habitats included: blue paper plates to resemble water, white plates for snow, Styrofoam cups for igloos and added on foam snowflakes, doilies, molded clay, blue yarn, mini foam cubes for ice, glue and more. As educators, it was amazing that with little assistance, the children transformed every day products into their own unique artic habitat. Creative hands-on learning at its finest!

Click below to see more Winter fun at SMART START!

💙 Mary and Francesca 💙

Happy International Women's Day

     Happy International Women's Day to all the incredibly strong women out there.  Keep on following your dreams, fighting the fight, supporting each other, loving endlessly, working hard and being the best version of yourself!

     We are honored to take part in your child's care and education.  We believe that if provided with the knowledge and skills needed they will become successful and change the world!

💙 Mary and Francesca 💙

All About Me Featuring Isla

     Isla was our next "All About Me" presenter! She was so excited to share and did a magnificent job displaying her poster to the class .While Isla just celebrated her second birthday, she has tremendous confidence and is comfortable speaking in front of her peers.  It was a delight listening to and watching her as the star for "All About Me."

Here are some fun facts we learned about Isla:

Favorite color -  Blue

Favorite animal -  Dog 🐶

Favorite food - Chicken wings 🐔

Favorite thing to do - Wear my Elsa dress 👗

Favorite place to visit - Vermont 🏖

When I grow up I want to be -  Runner 🏃

If I had one wish, I would wish for - to be able to eat lollipops all the time 🍭

     Isla was thrilled when she was given the "Student of the Month" award. She was happy to share in the excitement with her big sister, Emma, and honored to bring it home. Thank you for sharing your "All About Me" poster with us, Isla!  We loved learning more about you!

     Happy 2nd birthday, Isla!  Isla was overjoyed to celebrate her birthday with friends here at school!  She brought in delicious cupcakes and goody bags for all to enjoy!  Friends gave Isla a special birthday present and sang "Happy Birthday!"  Isla, you have been a wonderful addition to our SMART START family.  You are a sweet, loving and smart young girl.   We love watching you grow and learn.  May all your birthday wishes come true, Isla!

     Thank you for participating in this extended learning activity with your child(ren)!  We appreciate all you do!

💙 Mary and Francesca 💙

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

     "Today you are You, that is truer than true.  There is no one alive that is Youer than You"- Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You!  Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!  Our young learners here at SMART START have been celebrating at school in honor of his birthday.  Not only did Dr. Seuss provide both the young and old with countless stories and laughs, he instilled many important and inspiring messages in our hearts  He has taught us to be the best version of ourselves, embrace who we are, live in the moment and that you can do anything you put your mind to.  We love Dr. Seuss here at SMART START and incorporate his work into our curriculum throughout the year.

     Our bookshelf was filled with many of the Dr. Seuss classics. Our eager readers thoroughly enjoyed books such as, The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, The Foot Book, ABC, Hop on Pop and more during our story time, as well as independently or with a friend.  They loved the silly rhymes, words and illustrations!

     SMART START friends read the story, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and followed it up with an exciting One Fish, Two Fish game.  While Miss Francesca read the book, the children had to hold up their card whenever she said what was on their card.  They did extremely well with this listening game and shared many giggles.

     Thanks to Dr. Seuss', Bartholomew and the Oobleck, we reserved a special day to read this entertaining story and make our very own oobleck!  The perfect sensory activity for our hands-on learners!  Students worked together to create this sticky and slimy solution by mixing a few ingredients together - water, cornstarch and food coloring.  Once the oobleck creation was formed, we used this time to incorporate a simple language arts activity. Each placed plastic letters inside the oobleck to spell words from a few of Dr. Seuss' books such as Hop on Pop, Fox in a Box and Green Eggs and Ham.  A job well done with letter identification, letter sounds and rhyming!

    

     Thanks to an unseasonably warm day, we enjoyed story time in our outdoor classroom! Always a special treat for circle time! All listened intently as Miss Molly read, Horton Hears A Who . Afterwards, we headed back indoors to complete a Dr. Seuss math worksheet.  Students had to draw a circle around the total number of Dr. Seuss characters in each row.  Fabulous work!

Click below to see Dr. Seuss fun at SMART START!

     Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!  Thank you for making us laugh, challenge our creative thinking and believe that we are all born to stand out!

💙 Mary and Francesca 💙

Construction Week and Handyman Field Trip

     SMART START handy helpers have been busy learning about construction work and what it entails. The children put their newly acquired skills and muscles to good use while assisting in projects here at school.  With a rise and focus on engineering in our school systems and enrichment programs, we wanted to dive into this area of learning and development from an exciting, hands- on and educational angle.  We invited our local expert, Glen the Andover Handyman, for our on site field trip to educate our young learners about the profession.

     Our SMART START engineers absolutely loved our arts and crafts project for the construction learning unit! They used a variety of recyclables that we have been collecting here at school to construct their very own creation.  Towers, castles, airplanes and more were built by utilizing toy tools and red, yellow, blue and green electrical tape to fix the pieces together.  Once this process was complete, our SMART START artists put on the finishing touches using their creative ability. They used bonkers and markers to add splashes of color and drizzled glue to hold colored tissue and construction paper. Our students were extremely proud of their masterpieces, each unique and special!

     The children had a blast as SMART START transformed into a mini construction site! We hung yellow caution tape and signs, placed cones around and dispersed  tools throughout the "site." Our SMART START workers each wore a hard hat because safety comes first on the job!

     To further enrich our unit of study we utilized puzzles, magnet books, figurines, toy tools, different types of vehicles and large wooden and cardboard building blocks.  As always, we focus on enhancing the literacy skills of our young learners and read various books about construction workers/engineers/handy workers.  Our pupils enjoyed learning about these community helpers and what they do to serve our communities. Intelligent and appropriate questions were asked during our open discussions, as well as during circle time, scheduled activities and free play.  Knowledge is power and our students certainly crave it!  We are so proud of them and constantly in awe of their continued progress.  

     It is only fitting that we took our SMART START helpers to our outdoor classroom. They used dump trucks and bull dozers to load and unload mulch, added new flowers to our play structure and tightened a few loose screws with their tools.  We are so grateful to have such helpful and skilled children here at school!

     Glen, the Andover Handyman, was a big hit at SMART START!  The children wore their SMART START t-shirts and hard hats and patiently awaited Glen's arrival.  They were excited to see and learn about all the tools in his tool box and even more eager to look at his big truck outside!  Glen explained how he loads and unloads work related items in the back when he is going to and from a job.  Our young learners were quick to ask questions related to topics Glen covered and even shared stories about how they are handy helpers around their own homes!

     SMART START handy helpers and our local expert Glen worked hard during the field as they built and fixed things here at school. Projects included building a new playhouse castle, installing a new toilet seat with a built in potty, fixing the doorbell and several of our learning toys.  The children were thrilled to work alongside Glen and he was delighted with his assistants.  Not only did our pupils have fun tackling all these tasks with Glen, they learned quite a bit while doing so which added to a big boost in confidence levels!

     Hands-on learning is the perfect way for children to make connections and develop skills to use in real world situations.  While our SMART START engineers are deep in thought, working hard and most importantly having fun at play, they are fostering critical thinking and problem solving skills and more. Authentic learning at its best!

Click below to see Construction Week Fun at SMART START!

     Thank you for your continued support of our on site field trip enrichment program.  The children are thoroughly enjoying our focus on local community helpers and we hope our success continues
moving forward.

                                                       

💙 Mary and Francesca 💙