AsheBridge Children's Academy

Classroom Pictures

2012-01-26T10:56:00.001-05:00

We haven't hung the posters or decorations yet so the walls are still bare until next week.

A 3-year old room

A toddler room

Fall Fun

2011-11-10T22:14:00.009-05:00

Some of the toddlers had a great time playing in a big pile of leaves today!

P is for painting pumpkins

2011-10-24T12:37:00.000-04:00

Artwork inspired by Georges Seurat

2011-10-19T10:38:00.000-04:00

X is for x-ray!

2011-10-12T16:15:00.000-04:00

We were all amazed by the incredible x-rays that Mrs. Jennifer brought from the vet hospital to supplement our classroom learning this week. Kids were amazed by the bones of dogs, cats, birds, and even a turtle! They thought one of the hawk x-rays looked exactly like a pteranodon and one of the dogs looked like a dinosaur. We saw that some pets ate things that were not food. A dog ate a box of staples, a cat ate a sewing needle, and another dog ate some coins. By far, the most unusual one was the dog that swallowed a spoon when he got carried away eating some spaghettios... the kids decided that was probably a bad choice for the dog to eat!

Big big block tower

2011-10-03T16:21:00.000-04:00

Painting with textured balls

2011-09-30T16:08:00.000-04:00

Stringing macaroni necklaces

2011-09-28T16:19:00.001-04:00

Experimenting with bubbles

2011-09-27T16:12:00.000-04:00

Journaling in Pre-K

2011-09-21T16:17:00.002-04:00

Henri Matisse inspired our collages!

2011-09-12T12:44:00.000-04:00

Preparing for the first day of school

2011-08-15T18:29:00.000-04:00

The first day of school brings excitement and sometimes apprehension or a variety of different emotions. Some children dive in and have a great time from the moment they enter the classroom, while others are more reserved and take time to adjust to new surroundings. We are all educators, but we are also parents with our share of teary-eyed transitions to school. There are several things you can do to help make the transition to a new school/classroom smooth:

Speak excitedly about school without dwelling on it. Books about school are a great way to bring up the subject without going overboard. We’re fans of the Berenstain Bears and Clifford, though there are many other good ones too.
Never tell your child that you will miss him/her during school. Your child already has personal emotions and it is unfair to be weighed down with yours as well. I have had several children in the past who were very emotional because they were convinced that the parents were sitting at work/home bawling in despair because they missed the child so much. If your child brings up the subject, acknowledge the feeling but avoid returning it. "I know sweetie and I love you. I'll be back soon. Have a great day!"
Keep your own emotions in check – happy or sad! It’s okay to shed a tear or dance with joy in the parking lot! Just try to hold it together and remain calm until you leave.
Always K.I.S.S. goodbye. That stands for Keep It Short and Sweet. Come into the classroom, help put belongings away in the cubby, give a hug, and then step out of the room. Even if your child is weepy, rest assured that nobody cries all day and that every day will become easier for both of you.

The summer fun continues!

2011-08-03T21:30:00.000-04:00

We've had so much fun the lately creating 2-D and 3-D art. Teachers brought plates of paint outside and kids walked through the red, yellow, and blue to make colored footprints all over gigantic sheets of paper. The older kids worked on blending the primary colors to create new colors as they sloshed through the paint.

Everybody has also been experimenting with using different kinds of painting tools rather than just paintbrushes. Forks were definitely the favorite tool so far with toothbrushes coming in at a close second.

Help us welcome our new friends that joined us this week - Kielana, Jozlyn, and Destiny!

Welcome New Friends!

2011-07-21T20:06:00.000-04:00

Help us wish a warm welcome to Brittany, Emma, Ayden, and Jackson!

Dress-up fun in the 3-4 year old summer camp

2011-07-20T11:34:00.002-04:00

Finger painting in the Toddler Class

2011-07-19T11:33:00.000-04:00

It got a little messy!

A Castle in the 2's Class!

2011-07-18T11:28:00.000-04:00

New Friends!

2011-07-11T17:44:00.000-04:00

July brings us lots of new faces! Help us welcome Mrs. Mary Ellen to the Three's class and our new friends Joey (Pre-K), Olivia (Two's) and Katelyn (Two's).

Summer Break

2011-07-01T22:20:00.000-04:00

Have a safe and happy 4th of July! We'll see you back for more summer camp fun after the short break.

Let's Go Camping! 3-D Projects

2011-06-29T15:31:00.000-04:00

This project was especially fun because they were given lots of art supplies and asked to make "something about camping" that they thought would be fun. The kids worked together and ended up making the same thing - tents, campfires, leaves, and people!

Pet Rocks!

2011-06-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

Ten Little Fish

2011-06-16T18:10:00.001-04:00

Don't worry, they're toy fish! We did lots of math while figuring out how many fish were left in the water.

At the Carwash

2011-06-15T12:33:00.000-04:00

Under the Bridge

2011-06-13T20:25:00.000-04:00

We talked about streams and the things that you can find in them. They needed to figure out how to cross a stream without stepping on the fish, frogs, turtles, and bugs. The kids decided that a bridge would be the best bet because rocks, sticks, and leaves might be too slippery. They took turns with different types of blocks (wooden, foam, lego, and window) and built bridges over pieces of fabric (the stream). In the movement room, they used the balance beams to navigate the roaring waters of a river.

It's in the Bag!

2011-06-10T20:25:00.000-04:00

We had a great time playing "it's in the bag" today! We placed different dress-up items in a bag and each child chose a few items without peeking. They put them on and acted out a role with the outfit on. Everybody laughed and laughed, then paraded around in the outfits.

Water Play!

2011-06-09T16:22:00.000-04:00

White Mud

2011-06-07T16:22:00.000-04:00

Use hand graters to shred one bar of Ivory soap
Shred one roll of toilet paper
Mix together with warm water until it gets foamy and looks like whipped cream

Summer Fun!

2011-05-31T20:52:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a hot one today! Everybody went outside early and we had lots of fun with the water tables. This week, we are talking about being "green" so we can take care of our planet.

Happy last day of school!

2011-05-27T20:50:00.000-04:00

Fun fun day in Pre-K today! We had a nice graduation party and wished everyone a great summer and a fabulous time in kindergarten.

Super fabulous last week of school!

2011-05-24T17:45:00.001-04:00

Come on summer fun! We're having a great week, wrapping up and reviewing all the things we've learned through the year. The older kids are having a great time talking about things they couldn't do in September that are second nature now.

We brought an extra water table outside and had a blast splashing around this morning before it got too hot. It was 94 at lunchtime, much too hot for May! Really quite nice this morning on the playground though.

A fabulous week!

2011-05-13T23:35:00.000-04:00

We had an amazing week at AsheBridge Children's Academy! The Pre-K kids are gearing up for their graduation celebration and picnic. The Preschoolers have been learning about farming and made some really awesome wooly sheep and muddy pigs. Preschoolers and toddlers have been doing some really amazing things in the art studio so be sure to check out their work!

SPCA Presentation

2011-05-12T15:56:00.000-04:00

The SPCA of Wake County came to school to teach children about pet care.

A Crane!

2011-04-27T21:50:00.000-04:00

We had a great time watching the crane remove the old AC unit from the roof and replace it with a brand new one today!

Georgia O'Keeffe Inspired Watercolors

2011-04-20T20:41:00.001-04:00

We experimented with liquid watercolors on heavy watercolor paper to see how the colors blended and made interesting designs. After the paper dried, pieces were cut and assembled into beautiful flowers.

Magician Clown Show

2011-04-13T18:38:00.003-04:00

Fun with Sidewalk Chalk

2011-04-07T09:12:00.001-04:00

Welcome!

2011-04-05T18:02:00.001-04:00

Welcome to AsheBridge, Sean! We're so happy you're here!

Puppets!

2011-03-30T10:14:00.000-04:00

Ms. Katherine's friends played with puppets while talking about spring and farm animals.

Happy Birthday Ms. Katherine!

2011-03-29T13:57:00.001-04:00

A Beautiful Spring Day!

2011-03-23T17:06:00.001-04:00

Abstract painting inspired by Jackson Pollock

2011-03-22T20:38:00.000-04:00

We looked at Mural by Jackson Pollock and talked about how the colors swirled together. He used large paintbrushes and lots of paint on a gigantic canvas. We saw splashes, dribbles, smudges, and splats of paint. Do you think these were mistakes or accidents? How did the colors come together to make pretty art?

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

2011-03-02T21:09:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! Several classes had a birthday party for Dr. Seuss today and everybody made silly "Cat in the Hat" hats.

Playing Restaurant

2011-02-17T21:12:00.000-05:00

The Preschool class has been learning about places in our community that we get food from. They've had a lot of fun playing restaurant with different friends playing the roles of shopper, cook, wait staff, cleaners, and family members. It was a great way to practice writing words as they took the food orders. Today, they practiced ordering pizza and it was a good thing they had learned their address so the delivery people knew where to bring the food. We've been so impressed with how quickly they're learning to read and write new words!

Tanagram Construction

2011-02-08T21:14:00.001-05:00

Ms. Shaista's friends were using the Tanagram pieces and built in 3-D instead of just flat designs on the table.

Franz Kline, artist of the month

2011-02-01T21:16:00.001-05:00

Today we learned about the artist of the month, Franz Kline, and studied one of his paintings called The Chief. Everyone talked about how he took lines of black paint and turned them into a beautiful picture. Everyone used black strips of paper in a random design to make their own version. Check out the artists' board in the lobby to see their work!

Music Class with Ms. Angel

2011-01-17T21:18:00.000-05:00

In music classes today, Ms. Angel taught each class new songs about stars, the planets, and astronauts. They also used various instruments with the beat of each song. It was fun to see how each class learned the new lyrics quickly and had a great time.

Astronauts!

2011-01-13T21:18:00.001-05:00

Check out the life-sized astronauts in the hallway to the older classrooms! Kids were traced on paper, astronaut helmets added, cut out, and painted in the art studio. While they were on their important space mission, they practiced being scientists in space. They observed school pets and drew what they were doing. It was lots of fun and a great experience that spanned so many developmental areas.

Observations

2011-01-07T21:20:00.000-05:00

This morning I spent a few minutes in the Preschool & Jr. Kindergarten classroom and was delighted with what I saw!

The Preschool children were happily playing in centers. In my short time in the classroom, I saw the construction of a very elaborate log cabin in block center. In dramatic play, I was served a pretend meal of a cheese sandwich with lettuce and bacon (no tomatoes, thank you) and a glass of pretend milk. I hoped the pretend cake would be ready but was told it wasn't finished cooking! While the children were happily playing in canters, Ms. Shaista was working one-on-one with a child in writing center.

In the Jr. Kindergarten class, children were doing a group reading activity. One child came up to the front and read a book about "O-words" to the class. It was amazing to see how every child was so attentive to the story being read. Ms. Dana and the children clapped for the reader at the end of each page, then quickly quieted down so he could continue with the next page.

New Friends

2010-12-24T21:21:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our two new furry friends! Come on down to the Science Room to meet "Vanilla" (white and tan) and "Chocolate" (brown).

2010-12-17T21:22:00.000-05:00

What a fabulous week we've had! After spending the last few weeks learning about different winter holidays and how Christmas is celebrated in different parts of the world, we had a holiday party today. We had a secret holiday book exchange and everyone had a new book to take home.

2010-12-09T21:23:00.000-05:00

The children in the Preschool and Jr. Kindergarten classes have been having a blast exploring opposites. They used a large cardboard box to play in/out, above/below, left/right, and light/dark. The night/dark part of the game was especially enjoyed as they recalled a game played in October when they learned about nocturnal/diurnal animals. Each class also did sink/float experiments by first making predictions and then graphing their results.

2010-11-30T21:24:00.000-05:00

Everyone be sure to say hello to our new friends, Chase and Shriya in the Beginner's class and Jack in the Young Preschool class.

2010-11-24T21:24:00.000-05:00

Children spent a lot of time this week thinking about the things they were thankful for. I was really impressed with the (unprompted) thankfulness for family members. There were also quite a few mentions of good food, especially mac & cheese! A huge turkey decorated the lobby and each child helped by making a tail feather for him. The feathers were decorated beautifully with pictures and great words of thanks. Have a great holiday and we will see everyone on Monday!

2010-11-15T21:26:00.000-05:00

What fun we had in music class today! In small groups, the children practiced holding their pretend violins and moved their bows correctly over the strings. They were really excited to learn that bows are usually made from real horse hair. After, they practiced maintaining a steady beat while singing.

2010-11-12T21:27:00.000-05:00

The Science Lab got a very exciting addition today - a new children's microscope! Everyone was astonished by how easy it was to use and spent their lab time checking out slides with insects and spiders.

2010-11-01T21:30:00.000-04:00

We had our first ballet class today. The children enjoyed themselves so much! Both the Preschool and Jr. Kindergarten boys tried to convince her that ballet is just for girls, but when it was explained that the girls needed dance partners with strong muscles, they immediately changed their tune! Most of each class today was spent playing with the various positions and working on stretching and balance exercises.

2010-10-26T21:27:00.000-04:00

Welcome Ms.Dana to the Jr. Kindergarten class! Ms. Dana graduated from ECU with a degree in Special Education. She is certified to teach K-12 in both regular and special education classrooms. She lives in Raleigh with her husband and two sons.

2010-10-22T21:29:00.000-04:00

The Town of Cary Fire Department visited AsheBridge Children's Academy and helped the children learn about fire safety. We gathered to watch Mr. Chad the firefighter put on his equipment. He explained that the equipment was like a costume so we shouldn't be frightened by it. There is always a friendly firefighter underneath! The children practiced "Stop, Drop and Roll" and talked about how to dial 911 in the event of an emergency. They really enjoyed learning that to escape from a smoke-filled room, they'd need to crawl on their hands and knees like babies. When we were finished crawling, we got a tour of the truck itself. Every compartment was opened and we saw hoses, ladders, air tanks, rescue equipment, and all sorts of tools. They demonstrated the various different sirens and alarms that the truck can make. Finally, the children got to climb inside the truck and check out the inside. It was a very exciting and memorable experience that we can't wait to have again.

2010-10-14T21:28:00.000-04:00

AsheBridge Children's Academy announces the proud arrival of our first pets. We have adopted two budgerigars, also called parakeets. The children in the Preschool and Jr. Kindergarten classes learned that "budgies" are native to Australia and so native Australian names were selected. The blue budgie is named Koorie, and the yellow budgie is named Tiki. The children are taking advantage of this amazing opportunity to not only learn about the responsibility of caring for birds, but also to learn about Australia. They will be doing various research projects to investigate the people, terrain, climates, wildlife, and art forms common to both native and modern Australia. The older children will give a presentation about Australia later this year. We are all very excited to learn some amazing new things.

2010-10-01T21:28:00.000-04:00

The Jr. Kindergarten class has been studying American Sign Language for a few weeks and has astounded all of us with their quick understanding of how it is used. They have made a connection with their literacy experiences by using invented spelling to communicate simple words in sign language. They were also spelling the simple sight words they'd been working on. Not only was their use of sign language incredible to all of us, but they also understood the individual letters their classmates were signing and were able to mentally put together the signed letters to understand the words being communicated. We are so early in the school year and can only imagine the things that they'll be doing over the rest of the school year!