Hello everyone! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
It’s a beautiful morning here at Blossom!
One Elephant decided to play. Can you guess where he is at?
Anna has something special to share. Have you ever seen a llama?
Kat has another task she’s working on. She is matching dolls to clothes.
Do you have something you can match?
Hope everyone has a great day!
The Blossom Staff
Good morning everyone!
It’s busy around here… singing makes it more fun!
Won’t you sing along? To the tune off “Here we go round the mulberry bush.”
“This is the way we vacuum the floor, vacuum the floor, vacuum the floor. This is the way we vacuum the floor so it is nice and clean!”
“This is the way we sweep the deck, sweep the deck, sweep the deck. This is the way we sweep the deck so it is nice and clean! “
(Sarah is kind of silly.)
“This is the way we dance and sing, dance and sing, dance and sing. This is the way we dance and sing on a sunny day!”
Kat’s job is a little different.
She is using a sewing machine to make masks and repair dress up clothes when she isn’t with the children. What tools do you use?
The Sunflower House children have a special project, dandelion tea! What tools do you see here?
We are closed tomorrow and will be back on Monday. Have a wonderful day and fabulous weekend!
The Blossom Staff
Good morning everyone!
When you look out your window what do you see?
Debbie found someone to help with the chores…
It’s always good to have some help taking the recycling out!
Carey has a question for you today.
Has anyone had a chance to make slime/gak? Darian and her group made a batch.
Here’s another spring song from Joe!
Hope everyone gets to play in the sun today! Remember tomorrow is “Wear your Blossom shirt Day” if you have one! If not, maybe you could wear something bright yellow?
Have a great day everyone!
The Blossom Staff!
Good morning everyone! Today we have laughter, clucks, and centipedes to share.
Chickens flap their wings when they are excited. Did you know chickens can fly for short distances? The Blossom chickens would rather have grass or bugs though.
Transition preschool can help with bugs…be careful though!
Liz has a favorite story to share.
And Joey has a song for us today!
Have a great day everyone!
The Blossom Staff
Hope everyone had a great weekend! We are all looking forward to a beautiful sunny day!
This morning Rebecca says hello…
Anna has a toddler favorite. Can you find a spider in your house? Debbie has one that lives in her window sill. Maybe you do too?
Andrea and the Lilac/Daisy children talked a bit about floating and sinking. Oops, one friend really wanted to get involved and almost blocked the screen!
Ashley has a job chart to share. Would it be helpful to have one at home?
Darian has a nursery rhyme to share.
We are hoping to do some gardening today. Spinach, radishes, carrots, peas, potatoes, lettuce, and kale can all be planted. Do you have a garden? What might you plant?
Lightning has radish tops as a treat this morning, from Coleen!
Remember it’s “Mac and Cheese Monday!”
Have a good day!
The Blossom Staff.
P.S. We would like to invite everyone who has a Blossom t-shirt to wear theirs on Thursday. The last order placed is here and being held for families currently not attending.
Good Morning! There are circle time videos available for Joe and Rachel on the Kinderprep Circle post and one for Liz on the preschool post.
This morning we are starting of with a short song from Heather. Many of the classrooms sing this before meals.
Sarah has a special tradition for Friday’s.
And Matthew has a silly song to share
Getting back to insects, look what Joe found! Not a good place for a picnic…
Here is a science challenge for the weekend. What can you find that sinks in water? What floats? Make a guess and then test it out.
And finally we would like to invite you to “Mac and Cheese Monday!”
When: Most Monday’s between 11:00-12:00 AM
Here’s Coleen’s recipe if you would like to try it out:
2.5 Tablespoons butter
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 Teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper
1/2 Teaspoon garlic
1/2 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/2 Teaspoon cumin
3 Cups milk
3/4 Pound/3 Cups grated cheese (approximate), 3 or so different ones; mozzarella, Swiss, provolone, parmesan and cheddar
1 pound pasta
Optional stir in’s: ham/bacon, cooked vegetables such as onions, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach or other groovy vegetables.
Make the white sauce. Melt butter (low-medium heat), and then whisk in flour, salt, pepper, garlic, Dijon mustard, and cumin. When a thick paste forms slowly whisk in milk. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
Cook pasta and drain.
Mix sauce and pasta and place into greased baking pans. Add optional ingredients if desired.
Bake 30 to 45 minutes in 350 F oven.
Have a great weekend everyone! We will be back on Monday!
The Blossom Staff
Hello everyone! There were a few wet snowflakes at Blossom this morning! Did you see any where you are?
We’ve been doing lots of cleaning. The Buttercup children love to help. A little soap, a little water…they don’t need to know the surface has already been cleaned!
Ms. Liz’s son is participating from home!
Lauren has found some bugs in the garden. Joe has found some as well. He will share those tomorrow!
Continuing the insect theme, Liz has a favorite story to share!
Rachel has a mystery to solve. What do you think?
Mr Joe has something for you to try.
Take care all!
The Blossom Staff
Hello everyone! Have you been outside yet? What is the weather like in your neighborhood? Can you guess what day it is?
Nauttasha has a song for us! Sing along if you like…it is an easy one to learn.
Here’s a greeting from Maddy!
What pets do you have at home? Do you help take care of them?
Lauren and Melissa have activities for you!
And here’s a challenge. Can you guess what song Kat is playing on her violin?
The Kinderprep and Preschool groups are planting in the garden. Wheat is being planted in preparation for an activity late summer/early fall. The plan is to grind the wheat into flour and then make bread. Just like in the Little Red Hen!
One version of this story can be checked out from the Washington Overdrive Library digitally. It can be found here.
Are you practicing stewardship at home? What kinds of things can you do to help out?
Thanks for coming to visit and have a great Wednesday!
The Blossom Staff
Hello everyone! Thank you for coming to visit and for the feedback you’ve shared via email. As mentioned in other places, we are still in the process of working out “kinks.” By the end of the week we hope to have something posted from all of our teachers. Stay tuned!
This morning Debbie discovered some visitors at the Sunflower House.
Maybe there will be ducklings? We will have to watch and see! In the meantime, can you waddle like a duck?
Andrea has found something in the garden to share…
Erin has a greeting,
And Sarah has something for you to look for!
Rachel has a problem. Lets see how she solves it!
And to wrap up for today, Keri and Ian have some stories and a special guest to share…
Do you have a favorite book to recommend? Please post in comments if you’d like to share.
P.S. Here is a favorite from the Lilac class!
Welcome to Kinderprep Circle!
Each circle for Transition Preschool starts with these songs and then is followed by a story or two. What will you read today?
Circle time from Lorie to come soon!
Please join us for a short story and a favorite song…
Preschool circle starts with welcome songs, talking about what day it is and what the weather is like. Next there is a story and/or song. Circle time ends with a short discussion about what the center choices are and any special events. Perhaps we will spend some time in the garden. What will you do today?
Story time with Alli after the children earned a heart for sitting “criss cross applesauce”. Sometimes our friends get excited putting hearts on the chart and it ends up sideways!
And here’s Ashley for the Treehouse group.
Melissa does circle too!
Hello everyone! We hope this finds you well! This is a Work in Progress so please be patient as we navigate the technology and work at connecting with the teachers who are not here. Our goal is to have greetings from the teachers to help maintain bonds between children and teachers, as well as to provide challenges and activities for you and your child. Leave comments if you are inspired to do so. We miss you all!
Greetings from Carey and Lorie
Do you need an activity for today? A Blossom favorite is goop. Goop is solid when kneaded in the hand but liquid and oozy if just held. Give it a try!
To make a small batch mix 1 1/2 cups cornstarch with 1 cup of water. Add liquid watercolor, food coloring, or jello for color. Adjust water and cornstarch as necessary. Good for all ages.
Ms. Kat has an art project for you to try too!
The Kinderprep children are planting grass seeds; these grow quickly. Do you have something that you can plant at home? If so, be sure to write down the date. Then you can record how many days it took for the plant to poke its little “head” through the dirt. This is called tracking the time it takes for a seed to GERMINATE. That’s a big word!
And to wrap things up today music with Mr. Joe!
A team of Blossom teachers role model circle time practices.
Thank you so much for finding alternative childcare for President’s Day! We value this time for teacher training and work hard to make the most of it. We opened the day with a focus on music. Teachers were challenged with creating a song using a familiar tune (e.g. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) for a transition during the day (e.g. washing hands). You’ll find a few samples below to try at home. Afterwards, our Music Enrichment teacher, Joe, presented on how rhythm and movement are beneficial to the developing mind, and we discussed how to use a new planning form to help teachers incorporate what he does into their own practices with the children. Our focus turned to Intentional Teaching; this included team study groups and presentations. The second half of the day included a Love & Logic workshop with a trainer, as well as time to meet, reflect and set goals for more intentional teaching.
Using the same approach at home and school has the potential for powerful results. To facilitate this, we are brainstorming ways to introduce Love & Logic techniques for parents to try at home with a platform for program supervisors and other parents to give feedback. Our intention is to ask the teachers to favor that particular technique during that period of time. We’re thinking about beginning with “How to say ‘Yes’ with freedom phrases”. We’d love to hear if this is something you’d be interested in AND if you have ideas on a platform for this idea.
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A few samples of our transition songs:
To the tune of “Row, Row, Row, Your Boat” – Handwashing
Wash, wash, wash, your hands,
Wash them ‘til they’re clean.
Tops and bottoms, all around, even in between.
Wash, wash, wash your hands.
Wash them ‘til they’re clean
Wet, then soap, scrub, and rinse,
Dry and then you’re clean.
To the tune of “Itsy-bitsy Spider” – Meals
Take an itsy-bitsy try bite,
Put it in your mouth,
See how you feel about it
And you might find out,
That you really like it and even if you don’t
You took an itsy bitsy try bite
And you should feel proud.
We are pleased to honor Darian Haven as Blossom’s Employee of the Fall Quarter. When hired three years ago, Darian accepted a position as a support teacher in our Kinder-prep program. Since that time, finishing degrees in Economics and Early Childhood Education, is a testament to how committed this teacher is to professional development. In this short period of time, Darian has contributed to our center’s reputation as a place where both children and their families are welcomed, valued and nurtured throughout their experience.
Through reflective feedback in meetings and attention to team building, Darian works to ensure the Kinder-prep program is aligned with the vision of the center as a whole. A love for nature and learning through play are prioritized in Darian’s work with children. So is orienting new employees to the teaching team while helping them grow in confidence. This support is instrumental in ensuring a safe, consistent and loving atmosphere for our children. It has also helped new teachers transition in and out of cold winters in the forest and rainy springs in the garden. The way in which Darian manages children’s behavior is so natural, situations that may become problems are often avoided. It is the same with adults. As managing rainy weeks turns into months, Darian calmly re-directs any frustrations through modeling a process of problem solving. Maintaining a strong role in a teaching team, while balancing co-worker needs with those of the parents and children is a valued talent.
Consistent and confidant with classroom management, Darian communicates expectations in a respectful and positive manner. Children benefit from boundaries and skillful guidance; for example, potential conflicts are avoided through seamless redirection. Darian is keenly aware of when children need space to work through frustrations and when it’s necessary to intervene. When intervening, the language is that of an experienced professional trained in developmentally appropriate practice. Darian possesses a genuine respect for the children as individuals; this is demonstrated through a commitment to listen intently, get to the root of challenges, and help in navigating through issues. No matter how busy or bumpy the day, Darian remains child-centered and flexible enough to follow their lead.
Committed to nurturing children while providing a quality education, Darian understands that excellence in communication and professionalism are integral to doing so. It is a pleasure to honor Darian as our Employee of the Fall Quarter.
When snow or icy conditions are predicted, we closely monitor the weather. Most often, decisions are made in the early morning rather than the night before to factor in the most current conditions.
In our preschool and kinder-prep classrooms at Blossom, we use the Super Friend program along with our Second Step Curriculum to teach Social-Emotional skills to the children. We also teach that we are stewards of our community. Participating in the Stigma Stomp is our way of reaching out to help bring healing programs to all of Whatcom County through NAMI Whatcom. We call on Blossom families and teachers—current and past, to join together as Super Friends to stomp out stigma! We encourage you to wear super hero costumes or make a quick cape, like our very own Debbie and Erin!
Clifford seemed like an appropriate choice for a cape…Point here is that anything will work.
Bring strollers, leash up your dogs and wear whatever you’re comfortable in.
Tutus are an easy, fun option as Rachel and Darian demonstrate. Joey is certainly pulling off the green wig, and Erin is sporting a cape like Debbie above.
Anything goes—it’s Bellingham!
Kindness is Cooler! In the picture below, a current student assists a new student by showing him around the outdoor playground. He led the new student up the stairs and to the slide, helping build connections and creating a wonderful start to the school year.
Visit the Bellingham Public Library to check out, Kindness is Cooler, Mrs Ruler by Margery Cuyler and other kindness related books for preschool aged children.
Hello families!
Summer’s here, and many of you are opening up your children's closets and finding that last year’s summer wear doesn’t quite fit. As part of our school-wide commitment to stewardship, Blossom is looking at ways we can act as stewards not just of our campus, but of our community as a whole. While there are many different kinds of stewardship, one of the easiest, most accessible and just plain fun ways to do this is through a children's clothing swap!
On Wednesday, July 17th (Early learning campus) and Thursday, July 18th (Treehouse and Sunflower campus), we will be hosting a clothing swap from 4-6pm. We’re asking families to bring in any summer clothing they feel they don’t need any more two days prior to the event. This can include swimsuits, light cotton shirts or dresses, shorts, socks, water shoes -- any and all clothing is welcome, but preferably clothes that are in wearable condition and appropriate for a school environment.
Some of the clothing will be kept as extras for students at Blossom, but the majority will be donated to a local children’s consignment store called Little Bugs, in partnership with Lydia Place. Lydia Place is a local non-profit aimed at supporting homeless families in Whatcom County, and they’ve partnered with Little Bugs to the effect that families who qualify for Lydia Place’s services can get children’s clothing at no cost.
Little Bugs is looking for:
-Lighter summer wear
-Swimsuits
-Baby gear
-Shoes/sneakers
P.S. -- While we’re primarily focusing on children’s clothing, feel free to bring in some of your own summer wear! Clothing swaps are a great way to build community for kids and adults alike!
