{"id":295475,"date":"2025-10-24T14:28:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T05:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isnedu.org\/?post_type=nagano-campus&p=295475"},"modified":"2025-10-24T14:30:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T05:30:05","slug":"%f0%9f%8c%9f-a-head-start-to-christmas","status":"publish","type":"nagano-campus","link":"https:\/\/isnedu.org\/en\/nagano-campus\/%f0%9f%8c%9f-a-head-start-to-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udf1f Nagano Shooting Stars: A Head Start to Christmas! (October 20th-24th)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This week we began something new \u2014 shortened nap time! \ud83d\ude34 The children now rest quietly for 30 minutes, and then enjoy afternoon activities<\/strong> until 2:30. With the extra time, we\u2019ve jumped right into rehearsals for our Christmas play! \ud83c\udf84<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve started practicing Scene One: \u201cThe Argument\u201d<\/strong>, and everyone is curious to find out what happens next. Each child will have their own lines and actions, so we\u2019ll need to practice lots! \ud83c\udfad We\u2019re also using our creativity \u2014 mixing and matching ideas to design our own unique princes and princesses. \ud83d\udc51 We can\u2019t wait to share our final performance with you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Floating Flowers and Kind Wishes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We also learned a bit about Loy Krathong<\/strong>, a beautiful festival from Thailand. \ud83c\udf38 People make floating flower baskets and send them down the river, letting go of sadness, anger, and bad luck as they float away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We practiced our cutting skills<\/strong> by making our own paper versions of these floating baskets \u2014 they turned out so lovely and colorful!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udd24 Fantastic Phonics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In phonics, we practiced CVCC words<\/strong> (like hand<\/em>, tent, send)<\/strong> and worked on identifying middle vowel sounds<\/strong>.
We read \u201cA Nap and a Map\u201d<\/em> \u2014 please read it again together at home! \ud83c\udfe1\ud83d\udcd8<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also began exploring the \u201csh<\/strong>\u201d sound, spelling words such as ship<\/strong>, shop<\/strong>, and fish<\/strong>. \ud83d\udc1f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udca1 Phonics Game of the Week:<\/strong>
Write some red words<\/em>, green words<\/em>, or target vocabulary<\/em> on slips of paper and hide them around the house<\/strong>!
Then go on a word hunt<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n