All About Owls and the Morning Greeting Apron

This week we learned all about owls. Some of our new vocabulary words included talons, nocturnal, owlets and roost. We read non-fiction books to learn about owls, and fiction books to hear stories with owl characters. We loved "Owl Babies" and created our own owl baby art project. We talked about the feelings the owlets had in the story and the zones they were in when they were worried, scared and happy. 

We introduced the letters M and N and the numbers 8 and 9. 

We added a new morning greeting routine to our group time. Each morning, a different boy wears the greeting apron. He greets each classmate by name and that classmate chooses if they want a high five, a fist bump, and handshake, a hug, or just a hello. It has quickly become a very special part of our day! 

Our social skills lessons were about feelings. We specifically talked about feeling happy and sad. We practiced looking at faces and bodies to tell if someone was happy or sad. Children who accurately identify emotions tend to be less aggressive and more accepted by peers - our students don't always "read faces" accurately or look at faces for important clues. 
Next Wednesday is Halloween and a half day of school. Children may bring their costume to school - we will put them on here and participate in a parade at 9:30. Afterward, we will have some treats and activities in the room. 
Next Thursday, Nov. 1 is our Field Trip to the WL Outdoor Center. Students need to dress for both inside and outside activities and should bring a bag lunch and drink - we will eat at the Outdoor Center before returning to school.