Learning About Fire Safety

Today the preschoolers learned about fire safety with our friends Firefighter Mike and Ranger John. The children were taught how to help prevent forest fires by not playing with fire making tools by Ranger John. Firefighter Mike (who visits five times a year to talk about fire safety) brought in a smoke detector (called a "fire protector" at first by a few kids) and taught us what to do when you hear a smoke alarm. Firefighter Mike was very impressed by how much the preschoolers already knew! The excitement of another "special guest" had the kids wiggling in anticipation . . . Smokey the Bear! Many preschoolers and a few older toddlers lined up to give hugs and 'high fives' to Smokey before we said goodbye to Firefighter Mike and Ranger John. A big thanks to our fire safety instructors! We look forward to Firefighter Mike's next visit in October!

So much to do . . .

. . . so little time! The days are flying by as we settle into the year. This week Bob, Heather, and Amanda welcomed SMCC interns Allyson and Jen as well as the Fall 2008 Bowdoin interns from Sam Putnam's psychology class. Please join us in welcoming them and feel free to introduce yourselves. We are excited to have them in the classroom . . . but not as excited as the preschoolers apparently! They have been asking us "when are the interns coming?" They love seeing fresh faces and having energetic college students to play with!

The weeks ahead bring apple picking, a Bunraku Puppet Show, leaf gathering, monarch butterflies emerging, pumpkin picking at Wolfe's Neck Farm, sunflowers, fire safety with Smokey the Bear, a visit to the Highlands Living Center, the start of PSO's Kinder Konzerts, weather changes (we have already noticed a need for sweatshirts and long pants outside), a Halloween parade and; of course, lots of baking! The time will surely keep on slipping by with so much activity . . . it'll be Thanksgiving before we know it!

**We have planned a few field trips and scheduled some special guest visitors in the upcoming months so please keep checking the calendar link for updates, times, and expenses.**

Week 3 Update

We can't believe this is the end of the third week of Preschool! All the children have settled in quite nicely and are interacting well together. They are enjoying their small group activities, and look forward to what 'project' they will be doing next. This week we "walked on air", learned about colors, shapes and patterns. As required both by the State and the Center's wellness policies Preschool age children are required at least 1-hour of quiet time each day. After an hour those who are awake may look at books, share mats with one another, or as in the case this week work on a quiet project while the other are still sleeping. A beautiful collage was created with various materials soon to be displayed in the classroom.
Our schedule is getting busier and we will continue to keep you informed through the white board and the blog. We have reserved the 12-passenger van for three dates this fall in which Bob will be taking the older Preschoolers to the Highlands Living Center. All the visits are planned for Friday's. We will leave the center at 10:00AM and plan on returning by lunch. The dates of our scheduled visits are as follows: October 10, November 14, and December 12. Beginning next week the Preschool room will begin hosting two interns from Southern Maine Community College's Early Childhood Program. Allison will be here on Tuesday's and Jennifer will be here on Thursday's throughout the semester. Also next week we will be conducting our student orientation for Sam's Psych class. The Bowdoin interns will be here on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays' . Next week we have a new Preschooler joining our room. He and Mom plan to visit on Friday and beginning the following week he will be here on Thursday and Friday's.
Many thanks to Jen T. for providing us with the information regarding the Bunraku Bay Puppet Troupe. The are planning a performance on campus Thursday evening September 18. We contacted the head of the Asian Studies Department, she in turn contacted the Troupe and the have agreed to come to the center at 10:30 on the 18th to do a special performance for the preschoolers. You can obtain more information about the group by going on their website at www.bunraku.org.

Cookin' Up A Storm!

Today the preschoolers showed their flare for baking! The menu for afternoon snack called for Apple Oatmeal Maple muffins and zucchini bread, made from fresh zuchini from Bob's garden. The preschoolers were involved in just about every step. Shredding zucchini, measuring ingredients, pouring, stiring, shaking, smelling; and after the breads were made, EATING! The two cooking groups are full of blossoming chefs. Afternoon snack was enjoyed by all with the preschoolers proudly stating; "I made this!". Below are the recipies we used today!

____________________________________________________________________ Zuchini Bread -------- From the kitchen of: Anne Marie Parlin
(yields 2 loaves, 8 1/2 X 4 1/2)
3 Eggs
1 C. sugar
1 C. oil
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 C. loosely packed, grated zucchini
2 C. flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Beat eggs until frothy. Beat in sugar, oil, and vanilla. Beat about 5 mins. Stir in zucchini and dry ingredients. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans(small pans). Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour. Cool 10 mins. and remove from pans.
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Apple Oatmeal Maple Muffins -------------- (yields 12 muffins)

1 1/2 C. oats
1 C. whole wheat flour
1/3 C. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1 C. milk
2 tbsp. oil
2 tsp. baking powder
2-3 apples - peeled, cored, and chopped

Mix together ingredients and scoop into lined muffin tins.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 mins.
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September has Arrived!

This labor day monday has been busy although our numbers were down significantly. Many of you opted to spend the day with your child(ren) but for those of you who were unable to your child had a day filled with excitement and many activities. Only our third week in the new year's program, all have settled in nicely and are comfortable in their environment. All are enjoying our new small group format. Monday is for math activities, Tuesday is science, Wednesday is our cooking day, Thursday is music and movement and Friday is our free choice day. Last week we had several walking field trips on the campus proper. Our visits included an elevator ride to the top of Coles Towder, the Bowdoin College library, and play time at the quad.

Welcome!

The BCCC Preschool 2008-2009 academic year has officially begun!

This month we have had a great time getting to know new friends and welcoming back old friends. We are very excited about the upcoming academic year and have made a few changes to the curriculum that we have already begun to incorperate. The children have been divided into three groups for daily small group activities:

Monday = Math
Tuesday = Science
Wednesday = Cooking
Thursday = Music
Friday = Free Day (Group Leader's Choice)

This was done with the hopes that it would create a special bond among the children in each group and give them the opportunity to get to know friends that they may not play with regularly. So far the small groups has been recieved with RAVE reviews! The children are so excited and proud of their groups! One child said to his parents after the first day of small groups "I made the team!!" Already we have seen the preschoolers sit with their groups at lunch and they are brainstorming "names" for themselves. A few suggestions have been "The Green Eagles", "The Princess Balerinas" and "The Pirates". We will be settling on group names by next month.

The groups will be shifted on a trimester basis so the children get the opportunity to bond with everyone in the class over the course of the year. We will keep you updated on the progress of this new venture in small groups!

We have truely enjoyed the beginning of this new year and are looking forward to working with you, the parents, in the months to come! Feel free to bring any questions or concerns to anyone of us - we are here to help. We hope this first Blog entry begins an open dialog that will bring about positive results!