Dear Parents, Hello, my name is Margaret Weber and as many of you know I have been a student teacher in the

classroom since February. I have really en oyed getting to know and work with your children. I will be your child!s teacher during the week of "#ril $%&May $nd on 'uesday and 'hursday for my teacher in charge week. I would like to take this o##ortunity to introduce myself to you. I have worked in the child develo#ment field for twenty&three years. I have a (" in #sychology and will graduate this s#ring with an ") in child develo#ment. I started a grou# child care business with my mother in *++, and then went down to having a family child care business when my mother suffered a brain aneurysm in *+++. In the s#ring of $--%, I closed my family child care business, married my husband and moved to Florida. .nce I was settled in Florida I began working in one of the /&*$ month infant rooms at one of the child develo#ment centers on MacDill "ir Force (ase. I loved working with that age grou# and u# until now infants and toddlers has been my main focus. In late $-*$, my husband received word that he was acce#ted for a ob #romotion that would take us to "##le 0alley. During the first half of $-*$ I reali1ed that it was going to be difficult to find a 2uality ob in the child develo#ment field in the high desert. )o with much su##ort from my husband I enrolled in two online classes from 3ortham#ton 4ommunity 4ollege in Pennsylvania. In early $-*5, I became eligible for 4alifornia tuition rates and enrolled in 0ictor 0alley 4ommunity 4ollege where I have maintained a 6.- 7P" and became a member of Phi 'heta 8a##a Honor )ociety. My goal is to find a #osition in a )tate Preschool setting or to work one on one with the 1ero to three age grou# in an 9arly Intervention #rogram. My ultimate goal is to go on and receive my master!s degree in child develo#ment. 'he theme that I chose for my teacher in charge week is bears in the s#ring time. .ne of the goals I have for the children is to learn that there is diversity among bears, to learn that bears live in different #laces around the world. "nother goal I have for the children is to gain knowledge of bears, their habits: the different characteristics of bears and to gain knowledge about the different environments that bears live in. 'hrough #lanned activities as well as through #lay children will gain skills in language ; literacy, math, science, and #hysical develo#ment. 4hildren will be learning how #olar bears stay warm in the arctic through a science activity. 'hey will get to learn math skills through a math activity with 7oldilocks and more. 'he knowledge that I want the children to gain during this week is to learn about the different ty#es of bears and where they live. I want the children to gain knowledge on what bears eat as well as

when they eat more to #re#are for hibernation in the winter. I want the children to gain knowledge on bears waking u# in the s#ring after a long winter of hibernating, how they gather food, and the differences between the ty#es of bears. I want the children to gain an understanding that bears are not the cute cuddly teddy bears that many of us have had at one time. For a fun activity the children with have the o##ortunity to have a Teddy Bears Picnic in

On Friday May 2nd, the children will have a pajama day so please bring your child dressed in their pajamas.
the dramatic #lay area. I would like to invite families to become involved with their child!s learning. )#end some time at your local library and read books to your children. " #ossible list of bear books includes: Brown Bear Brown Bear by (ill Martin <=., ; 9ric 4arle: Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael =osen ; Helen .>enbury, then after reading the book create a bear hunt for you and your child to go on. .ther books include, Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear? (y@ (ill Martin <r. and 9ric 4arle, Old Bear by@ 8evin Henkes, Bear Feels Scared by@ 8arma Wilson and <ane 4ha#man. 'his is ust a small list of a##ro#riate #reschool books. "lso here is a list of songs and #oems that you can sing or say with your children in the car or around home.
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear Teddy bear, teddy bear, Turn around! Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch the ground! Teddy bear, teddy bear, ump up high! Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch the s!y! Teddy bear, teddy bear, Bend down low! Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch you toes! Teddy bear, teddy bear, Turn out the light! Teddy bear, teddy bear, "ay good night! The Bear #ent Over the Mountain $"ung to% For &e's a olly (ood Fellow) The bear went over the mountain, The bear went over the mountain, The bear went over the mountain, To see what he could see To see what he could see, To see what he could see The other side o* the mountain, The other side o* the mountain, The other side o* the mountain, #as all that he could see #as all that he could see, #as all that he could see, The other side o* the mountain, #as all that he could see!

+ittle Bear ,re you sleeping ,re you sleeping little bear - little bear .ou will sleep all winter Through the cold, cold winter ...little bear little bear. ,re you sleeping, are you sleeping. . .little bear - little bear. .ou will wa!e in springtime. . .in the warm, warm springtime +ittle bear, little bear!

/o the Bear &unt 0hant +i!e most songs o* this sort, there are many di**erent versions. &ere are some

sample lyrics, but *eel *ree t1(oing on a Bear &unt1 +yrics o ma!e up your own. That2s part o* the *un. (oing on a Bear &unt $tap legs in wal!ing rhythm) (onna catch a big one 32m not a*raid #hats that up ahead? (shade eyes) Oh no! Tall grass 0an2t go over it $hands high) 0an2t go under it $hands low) (otta go through it Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish (wave arms back and forth) 4epeat all o* the above, and replace the part in italics with , wide river "plish splash, splish splash, splish splash, splish splash $swimming motions) .uc!y mud "5uish, s5uish, s5uish, s5uish, s5uish, s5uish, s5uish, squish (stepping motions)

, dar! *orest "tumble, trip, stumble, trip, stumble, trip, stumble, trip , big snowstorm &oo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo (wave arm, cover face) , dar! cave Tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe (tiptoe stepping motions) #hat2s that6 Fu77y *ur Big eyes #et nose Sharp teeth Its a bear! ac! through the cave Tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe $tiptoe stepping motions, double time) $4etrace steps at double time) #e2re not going on a bear hunt again!

'hank you for your su##ort. )incerely, Ms. Margaret