Part of the Sun Cycle (like Summer Solstice or Harvest Moon)

Samhain, or Halloween, is the ending and beginning of the year. The veil is thin now between the world of the seen and the unseen, the living and the dead. Death does not end our connection to those we love. The ancestors, the beloved dead, remain part of the community, and at this time of year they speak to us and visit us again, offering guidance, closure, and aid.

Many religions look for justice beyond death-when we live we will be rewarded or entirely punished for our actions. The justice of the goddess is more subtle. She offers us chances to learn and grow. If we don't learn, she continues to present us with the same lessons, over and over, in more and more extreme forms.

Maybe the ultimate justice is this: we all die. No one escapes, no matter how much wealth they may acquire or how much power they may wield. Life is short and precious. Our time here is limited, and not to be wasted.

On Samhain, we create an alter with pictures of our Beloved Dead. We set our lights to guide them home, and food for offerings. We give gifts of candy and sweets to children, who are the ancestors returning.
Call upon the Dead to help the living make choices that will protect the mainstays of life, sustain future generations and bring healing and renewal to the earth.

Oh my goodness these are good! The dough is so good I don't know if there will be any left for the kids party :)

2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1 and 1/2 stick salted butter, softened (3/4c.)
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla

cream butter and salt

blend in egg and van

blend in flour and salt just until combined

gather in ball, wrap in plastic, refrigerate for an hour

roll on floured surface to 1/4in. cut with cookie cutters, bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 325 degrees for 13-15 min careful not to brown

Teacher Banu is ready for the Party!!!

We practice making a line so that we will know what to do when we get to kindergarten :)


One behind the other

Move up in the line filling in the gaps

go to the end of the line after your turn or when lining up

Along with colder weather comes shoes that are a little harder to manage. I highly encourage independence here at preschool away from home to give these little ones a sense of self confidence that will help them have a much more enjoyable transition to kindergarten. You as a parent can help as well by choosing shoes that are easier for them to handle and teaching them to put them on themselves. I know it takes a little more time when you are trying to rush out the door but it is well worth it when you see the "I did it myself!" smile on their faces :) Yes you'll have to tie them if laces are involved but having them put them on is a HUGE step.

Sam and Anthony's Robots


Sleeping or meat market?

Short vids but cute. my battery was dying.

ghosts 1 from Jeremy Firth on Vimeo.

Ghosts 2 from Jeremy Firth on Vimeo.

Ghosts 3 from Jeremy Firth on Vimeo.

Thomas is a pro at cutting. Here he demonstrates how to correctly hold scissors. Tell your kids to keep that thumb on top, they ALL wanna flip thier hand over. Instead, encourage them to move the paper where they need it with the other hand while keeping scissor hand in the correct position. Notice Cassidy doing that very thing in the next photo.



Here is Safi's Shape witch. Instead of just drilling your kids with books or flashcards, draw the shapes, have them cut them out and glue them into a picture like this witch for Halloween. Many kids color the front of what they want to glue with the gluestick. Notice if your child does this and help them understand where to put the glue and why. Now you are learning lots of different things, having fun and spending time with them :)

Safi doesn't normally dig yogurt but these whips are a yummy treat half frozen :)

Forgot to put these up. I'm sure you saw your child's but here are some others to peek at. This is a fun and easy project you can do with your child anytime. Paper, glue, and odds and ends around the house. Literally sometimes I just start randomly walking around the house opening closests, drawers, cupboards, poking aound in the office amazed at what I find that can be used in simple art projects like "make a monster"

This month's artist was Pablo Picasso. Here are a few of the kids' copies :) Do this with your child at home from time to time even if you are not coping a famous artist. Have them copy something so as to build the brain connection between eye and hand.

Hand washing: An easy way to prevent infection
Hand washing is a simple habit that can help keep you healthy. Learn the benefits of good hand hygiene, when to wash your hands and how to clean them properly.
By Mayo Clinic staff

Hand washing is a simple habit, something most people do without thinking. Yet hand washing, when done properly, is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick. This simple habit requires only soap and warm water or an ALCOHOL-BASED hand sanitizer — a cleanser that doesn't require water. Do you know the benefits of good hand hygiene and when and how to wash your hands properly?
For more of this article go to : http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hand-washing/HQ00407

All the clases had a great time with this gross motor skill game. Pics AND vids below

towel race 1 from Jeremy Firth on Vimeo.

Untitled from Jeremy Firth on Vimeo.

grill cheese and tomato soup with some festival paperware and candles doesnt take much time but makes kids feel special :)

I took the girls for a special treat. We all got "kids scoops". I wanted 2 flavors so yeah I got 2 scoops but as they were kids scoops I thought they'd be small. Here is what I got! No wonder American kids are unhealthy! Sad.

In preschool I serve water for our drink at snack time because ALL of us dont drink enough and I try to serve a variety of healthy and "unhealthy" snacks. Be aware of we are teaching our children in the way of eating habits as we cannot and should not rely on the outside world, especially in America (even with the "healthy" choices at McDonalds...whatever!!)

Here is a good guidline from crossfitkids

Sane nutrition for kids in 150 words

Our goal with kids isn't to get them on the zone, but to get them to think and make good choices about what they eat. Our goal is to teach them very basic concepts, sugar is bad, protein is good and you need to eat some in every meal. Nuts and seeds are good fats. Eat them, don't avoid them. Pasta, white bread, and white rice are not that good for you, stuff that's red, yellow, green and found in the fruit and vegetable aisle is good for you. Eat a lot of it.

Look at your plate, make a fist, eat that much meat every meal; turn your hand over and fill it with nuts and seeds, eat that much good fat, fill the rest of your plate with stuff you found in the fruit and vegetable aisle. Fill your plate this way at every meal, don't eat more.