Mrs. Oldham’s classroom did a lesson about plant growth. They planted Marigold seeds and learned that soil, water and sun make seeds grow. The children learned to be responsible for their plants by watering them every day. The plants grew very big and the children were excited to take them home. In the Creative Art Domain, the children painted on the easel and then described what they had created. In Literacy, the focus was on Eric Carle books: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear, Let's Paint a Rainbow and Will You Be My Friend? The last letters of the alphabet museum letters were finished - Y and Z
Ms. Tanner’s class did a lesson on pond life and learned about the life cycle of a frog. In Creative Arts, the children made frogs and turtles and expressed themselves with easel paintings. In Language Development and the Literacy Domains, they worked on opposites, letters Y and Z, and finished up letter sounds. In the Mathematics Domain, the class learned about numbers in the teens and counting by 10's. The class enjoyed working on gifts for Mother's Day and talked about why moms are so special.
Mrs. Peterson’s class began by making Mother's Day gifts with the theme - I Love You to the Moon and Back. Then on May 9th, the Monarch Butterflies arrived! Each week the children observed and drew the different stages of the Monarch butterfly in a journal. They also made a life cycle model that included: eggs, small larvae (caterpillars), large caterpillars, chrysalis, and a butterfly that pumps its wings to emerge into a beautiful Monarch. They expanded their language development by learning the words "metamorphosis" and "molting". On May 29th and the 30th, the twelve Monarch butterflies were released into the world to their natural habitat.
The month concluded with a special visit from Officer Craig from the East Providence Police Department. He discussed his duties as an officer and what to do if a stranger talks to you. He asked the children, "When do you call 9-1-1?” Officer Craig showed the children his "tool" belt that included pepper spray and handcuffs. He also explained about the shortage of female police officers and their importance in effective law enforcement.