KNOX — A statement in the February 2012 Knox Nursery School article referred to our “snow-starved winter,” and how different outdoor play time was without snow!  Frigid, bone-chilling, freezing, arctic cold — words being used to describe February 2015.  As for the outdoor play, it is almost nonexistent due to the frigid (there’s that word again) temperatures and wind chill.  

Not to worry though as both classes have had a variety of winter projects to do inside.  For the 3-year-olds, two favorite arctic animals, the polar bear and penguin, made for exciting reading followed with crafts of each. In keeping with the winter theme, sparkling, six-pointed glitter-covered snowflakes hang randomly from the ceiling.

Although there’s been an abundance of snow, the light fluffy flakes did not have the packing capabilities needed to build snowmen. Instead we made our snowmen inside. Circles painted with a mixture of white glue and shaving cream dried into white, puffy snowmen! 

The 3-year-olds had great fun making pinecone birdfeeders as tasty treats for our feathered friends using peanut butter and birdseed.

January is the month we introduce the 4-year-olds to the “Pledge of Allegiance” and the proper way to salute the flag.  A book that accompanied the words of the pledge with colorful pictures of our country helped the kids understand the meaning of the words they speak.

Within a couple of weeks, many were reciting the pledge like old pros. We remembered Dr. Martin Luther King by reading books that explained the important role he played in America’s history. Just as he had a dream, each 4-year-old offered his or her own wish for a better world.

Two unscheduled snow days and a scheduled weeklong winter break left us with precious little class time for February. Nonetheless, we managed time for groundhogs, a couple of alphabet letters, Abraham Lincoln, colors, shapes, and numbers. Oh yes, we also celebrated Valentine’s Day complete with a Valentine card exchange and heart-shaped cookie decorating.

On to March and spring!

We are accepting applications for our classes of 3- and 4-year olds for the 2015-16 school year. For more information and to request an application, please call the school at 872-2015.