The toddlers have settled in very nicely. They come into the classroom ready to play! Routines have set in and they seem so comfortable in the class. It is amazing how nicely they sit at circle time and how enthusiastic they are to participate in all activities. A favourite song of theirs is the "roly poly" song and most of them are able to sing along with the teachers and do all the actions. We look forward to getting to know their little personalities even more as the year goes on!

re-inacting the story "Big Pumpkin"

Our Creative Arts Preschool class has been happily emerged in wonderful and challenging artistic and dramatic endeavours this fall. Due to the intimate and cozy nature of a smaller class, we have been able to complete complicated projects with many steps. We have used many classic children's books like Eric Carle's The Hungary Caterpillar, and Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild things Are. For the school play about World Stories we used a book about Anansi, an African folk character. We designed clay spiders, and created a colourful oil pastel drawing of Anansi. Our drama component for that week consisted of spider songs, and poems complete with mini-spider rings to wear. Some of our other projects have included leaf prints, watercolour paintings, sculpted bowls with fruit, and chalk pastel work. In drama we have re-told our stories using props, poems, music, and creative movement. We also use games. One example was a game where the children would run to place their feet on coloured pieces of felt when they given a colour to find. Our Halloween book "The Big Pumpkin", was acted out with full costume and speaking parts for all. The children have all become close and also enjoy the free play time at the beginning of class. Thanks to the internet we have even been able to play some stories online and our most recent book, "Who I Be", had a lovely CD with music to accompany it. We look forward to many more weeks of this spirited and friendly group.

Fabulous Photos!

The Creative Arts After School program is off to a great start. For so many of the returning students - GMCAPS is like a second home. Our new friends have received a warm welcome and fit right in with our little creative community. We too, have been reviewing the elements of art. The children had an opportunity to choose one of the seven elements (shape, space, line, texture, value, form, colour) and the medium they wanted to work with. The results, like the children themselves, are amazing!
We also spent some time last week taking outdoor photographs that we later printed - then attached to pieces of wood with an acrylic medium. This week the children will remove the paper backing by rubbing with a wet cloth, revealing the transferred image. We can't wait to see the finished product.

Stay tuned!

Say cheese!

The Creative Arts Kindergarten children are having a great year so far. The lunch pick ups from Corpus Christie, Mutchmor and First Ave are underway. The Bank street construction has definitely been a bit of an obstacle but we have come up with safe and creative ways to get to school. It has also allowed the children to see many machines in action. There have been a few children that have eaten both their school snack and lunch before getting to creative arts - so please remember to put snack and lunch in separate containers. The children love the social aspect of the lunch room. Lots of chatting, laughing, sharing and eating takes place at the tables.

Nature has been strongly represented in our art projects so far this year. What better way to explore the elements of art than by using objects found in our everyday lives. The fairy houses were a big hit. The children were over the moon to see tiny footprints and fairy dust - proof that the beds, hammocks, swings and bathtubs so lovingly created, had been visited by some little winged friends.

In drama, the children were given the opportunity to imagine how they might move if they had wings of their own. We have enjoyed lots of cooperative games, some creative movement and had a lot of fun dramatizing the story "The Enormous Potato".

The year really is off to a magical start!

The year is off to a fabulous start!

The children in our Creative Arts Preschool program are enjoying their Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. The children are playing well together and from the get-go, have been producing great works of art that consist of many steps. So far we have used watercolours, pastels (both chalk and oil) tempera paint, acrylic paint and plasticine. We are looking forward to trying other mediums in the future.
During the drama portion of the day, the entire group participates enthusiastically and offers their own feedback on the activities which are being presented.

This year at Good Morning our three year olds have all become acquainted with each other and have settled in nicely to the routines and program. We have a lively, curious, social group who have enjoyed all aspects of the room especially the carpet toys, manipulative table and sensory bin. They are eager to come to the art table, engage in cooperative play with their peers and participate in circle. We have been exploring themes like "All about me", "Apples" and most recently talking about ,"Harvest-Thanksgiving", and "Fall." The children are excited to soon be taking their turns at Show-and-tell. We still have spots to fill in this three morning a week time slot and would love to have more friends join us.

Art in the Classroom

Two year old's had fun painting these paper bag pumpkins to help get them in the Halloween spirit...
Melanie encourage the three year old's to create these spectacular multi media farms as well as a 3-D farm that has been gracing our hallway for the past week.

The 2's and 3's loved painting leaves to make these vibrant prints....it's one of my old favorites we do every year The school-aged kids made these uber Cool Cats with a watercolour background and then used Sharpies to design their felines...

Cool cats sitting on a wall...love them!

Three year old morning children had alot of patience to create these pumpkin mosaics....they are each so unique as all your children are.

Melanie explored the Element of Value with the Kindergarten children and they created these spooky houses in the moonlight with watercolour paints.

" Peep Peep", said the chick. The two's made these footprint chicks that are ready for your art gallery at home.

Thanks for checking in and seeing what all of your children have been creating over the past 2 weeks. Let us know what you think and leave a comment below.

Karen

It has been a very busy month and I can't believe we are into the Halloween activities already. The children have been exploring, learning, creating and developing new friendships and bonds with the teachers. Sorry for the sideways pictures but here is a little 3 year old happily playing in the big black truck. The gross motor room has been a buzz with activity as the children been challenging their co-ordination, movement, abilities and some times the teachers nerves.

Happy sliders rush to the top and slide their way down a roller coaster, a water slide and sometimes an airplane as they use their imaginations to maneuver around the play structure.

Halloween set-up was done on Thursday to ready for the upcoming week of festivities and this little girl didn't take long discovering the costumes and she transformed herself into someone else as she went trick-or-treating in the classroom.

The barn has been transformed into a Haunted House (preschool style) but it didn't keep out this little happy man.

We were talking about the Farm with the preschool children this week and these hilarious cows were created by the 3's and they are even anatomically correct.

If you have a 2 year old you have likely heard about our friend Little Mouse. This is a simple colour game of hide and seek and the children squeal with delight every time Little Mouse is found.

"Little Mouse, Little Mouse, Are you in the green house?"

Our 2's got a little sensory experience as Melanie painted their little feet for footprint chicks. Do you think it tickles? Check out that smile!!

We will be having special activities in all of our programs next week for Halloween so get your little ghouls and goblins prepared with their costumes and we look forward to seeing them.

Thanks for checking in....Karen