Ivan decorating a bell for the Christmas card for
the Christmas Service

Grace and Lizzie adding polka-dots to our Christmas Card

Kenzie decorating her bell

Practicing for our Christmas Program

We are getting really good at playing the hand bells

Look at us!!!

Mrs Rouland brought a tree for us to decorate today

Everyone enjoyed helping!!!

The children did a great job practicing the hand bells.  As you can see from the pictures the bells are different colors and we hold up cards with colors on it---and the children ring their bell IF they see their color on the card!!!  Ask your child what color his/her bell is....   It is super cute to watch and you will enjoy seeing them play the bells at the Christmas Program.  Next week we are going to practice in the church to help the children understand what it is like to stand on the altar.

We also have been busy decorating our Christmas tree and making decorations for our classroom.

We will continue learning about Advent and why we celebrate Advent.

We also are starting a unit on Gingerbread ... we read the Gingerbread Man today and we will begin making Gingerbread Houses in class.  I will put a sign up sheet outside our classroom if anyone would like to bring supplies and/or help in our classroom the day we make our houses.  I'm going to plan for making the gingerbread house on the 14th at 10 am.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Dec 11 th:  Christmas Program(4pm)-- please have your child at church by 3:40.  We will meet in the church basement.  Also please bring 2 dozen cookies with you that day to share at the reception afterwards.

Dec 21st:  Christmas Party- 10 am

And if you can not make it to the party please join us at pick up time in the classroom to see your child's Gingerbread House!!!

Also the 21st is the beginning of Christmas break.  Class will resume Jan 4th

SPECIAL REQUEST:

Does anyone have Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett??  I would love to borrow it!  I would really appreciate it, as the library copies are ALL checked out and on reserve.

Practicing for our Christmas program with Mrs. Hoehner's class

Kenzie waiting with her handbell

everyone doing a great job

Ivan checking out his bell

singing.... Tap, Tap, Tap
a great song for following direction

snack helpers

great team work!!!

making snowflakes

Look what I made!!!

working hard cutting!!!

We are beginning our Advent season!  Advent is a time of preparing and waiting......

waiting for someone very special to arrive!!! Ask your child if he/she knows who we are waiting for...... Today during Jesus Time we began learning about Advent.

We talked about what Advent means, showed the children an Advent wreath and sang a few Advent songs:

Light One Candle:

Light one candle for hope

One bright candle for hope

He brings hope to every heart-He comes! He comes!

Advent is a time to wait

(tune of : Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)

Advent is a time to wait, not quite time to celebrate

Light the candles one by one, 'til this Advent time is done.

Christmas Day will soon be here, time for joy and time for cheer.

Please remember to bring in a donation for a Christmas service project(mitten tree)

and mark your calendars for the Christmas Program:

Dec 11th at 4pm

We talked about what Advent means

making our Indian headbands

everyone was working hard

great job with the scissors

group time-we were talking about what kind of food
we have at our houses for Thanksgiving

everyone wanted to share what they eat at their house

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

we made trail mix for snack

snack time

During Jesus time...we marched around the walls of Jericho

On the 7th day..... we blew our "trumpets"!!

And the walls came tumbling down!!!

The children had so much fun ..... we did it again!!

Blow your trumpets!!!

Dancing to music

Mrs. Rouland dancing with the children

HAPPY THANKSGIVING:

What a wonderful day!!  The children are very excited for Thanksgiving... and enjoyed sharing what they eat at their own houses.  We heard things from turkey and mashed potatoes to hot dogs!!!
We made Indian headbands which the children enjoyed wearing throughout the day.
We also shared a special snack.  The children got to choose their own items to add to their baggies to make their own trail mix.  We got to choose from a variety of cereals and a special treat...marshmallows!!!  The children thought this was great and really enjoyed the marshmallows.
During Jesus time we finished the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho.  We made trumpets from toilet paper rolls and used block to make the walls of Jericho.  The children especially enjoyed "acting" the story out .  I think this also helped them remember the story..... ask your child what happened after the people marched around the city on the 7th day/ 7 times when Joshua told the people to "shout" and "blow your trumpets!! " I'm sure they will say, " The walls came tumbling down!!"  God is great!
And during music time, Mrs Rouland played music and talked with the children about fast music and slow music....
When the music is fast... you dance fast.  When the music is slow.... you dance slow.  And then when there is NO
music .... you freeze!!  The children LOVED this and everyone had a great time dancing!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!
"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever."
Psalm 107:1