Fall 2009 O.D.N.S. Events
O.D.N.S. is off to a fine start as we find ourselves moving into the month of October. Our curriculum focuses on the beauty of the season and the changes taking place in nature. What better way is there to experience this subject than through outdoor walks in the village. Weather permitting some of us will have an outing to Glen Falls Park to enjoy a picnic-style snack.
The Pre-K class will begin their monthly walks to the Williamsville library for story time and to choose books for their classroom. Once all of these students reach their 5th birthday, they will go as a class to sign-up for their own library card – a milestone in their young lives.
We look forward to meeting parents at an Open House on Tuesday, October 6, at 7:00 p.m. Each teacher will present a computerized slide show in their classrooms featuring their students in action during the first month of school…. and boy do they move! Thank goodness for digital photography.
Toward the end of October we will decorate our classrooms with child-friendly Halloween artwork and celebrate with costume parties on October 29 and 30.
Dad's Pancake Breakfast - March 2009
We flipped, we fried, and we filled ‑ our stomachs that is! On Wednesday, March 11, Open Door hosted yet another annual “Dad’s Pancake Breakfast.”
The students, along with their dads or another guest, prepared a wonderful breakfast comprised of pancakes, sausage, and orange juice. Everyone worked together to make pancake batter, cook and flip pancakes, fry sausage, mix orange juice, fill syrup containers, slice butter, make placemats, and set the tables. The reward for this hard work… eating the breakfast!!!! The aroma of these delicious creations filled the halls. Smiles, conversation, and syrup dripping down the faces of happy participants could be seen throughout Fillmore Hall. The dads left Open Door with full stomachs, a smile on their faces, and perhaps a drip of syrup on their ties, knowing it was a wonderful morning and a lasting memory spent with their child.
Jackson Pollock Day - March 2009
Every year, during the last two weeks of March, the 4-year-old classes at Open Door Nursery School learn all about the creative and expressive world of ART! The children experiment with colors, shapes, textures, and designs, and use different techniques and tools to create many different art projects that reflect the styles of some of the most famous artists in the world. On March 27, the children participated in "Jackson Pollock Day." We covered the floor of Fillmore Hall entirely with protective paper, and then placed large fabric sheets on the floors. The children, completely covered in smocks, were each given a different color container of paint and a brush. While listening to classical music, the children walked around the blank canvas in silence, splattering paint in random patterns, just as Jackson Pollock used to do to create his masterpieces. On a special day in May, this beautiful reproduction will be displayed in the classroom at the annual Art Show and Spring Concert, along with many other pieces of art that the children have created for this special end of the year event!
More Learning Experiences in 2008 - 2009
Some of our classes covered a unit on the rainforest that have some people claiming, “It’s a jungle down there!” We kicked off the unit with a visit from Jeff Musial of Nickel City Reptiles and Exotics. Jeff not only brings his expertise on animals he brings a menagerie of animals with him, many of them native to the rainforest. He never fails to delight the children with his humorous and educational presentation. During this unit, Mrs. Amuso, Mrs. Loos, and Mrs. Cullen transform their classrooms into rainforest habitats with the help of the children’s exceptional artwork.
Our 3-year-olds covered a unit on bears that culminated with a Teddy Bear Picnic and dramatic presentation of “Goldilocks and the 3 Bears” complete with dialogue, costumes, and props. The children never tire of staging this production and everyone participates in some way or another. What fun!