Snail’s Pace Race on the Patio

This past month our friends played a life-size version of the children’s board game, Snail’s Pace Race on the Patio with Ms. Kristen.

Why are “games” and “play” such a vital part of early childhood education? Nothing answers that question better than seeing the range of skills being developed in such fun and practical ways as this.

While we play we are developing social emotional skills–engaging in cooperative play, delegating roles, taking turns, regulating our own emotions, developing self-confidence and laying the groundwork for character development and sportsmanship. This fun and engaging game also increases our attention span as we pay attention to each role of the color cube. One-to-one correspondence is one of the most challenging early math foundations and this is a way to reinforce the concept visually and pragmatically.

Week of the Young Child

We celebrated all of our extraordinary children through a fun week filled with dress up days and special activities. Enjoy!

Silly hat and sock day 👒🧦
Pajama and bring a stuffy day 🧸
We got to cook and eat pancakes!
Classroom color day! (Can you guess what color we were?)
Favorite fruit day! We enjoyed a special fruit salad for snack 🍇🍊🍓🍋🍌🍏
Summer day! ☀️ We ate popsicles outside while laying on our beach towels and watched a special show with popcorn! 🍿

News and Reminders 2023

It’s hard to believe it’s already the last month of the school year! We feel so blessed to have been together since August and are excited by everything we will do over the next four weeks of May.

Teacher Appreciation Week – Monday, May 1st through Friday, May 5th

The first week of May is Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week. Our fantastic teachers and staff do a tremendous job, and we look forward to showing them our gratitude.

Click Here to See the Appreciation Week Schedule

Please feel free to take a peek at your teacher’s Favorite Things Pages for inspiration too.

Click Here to See the Teacher’s Favorite Things Pages

*Participation is entirely optional but greatly appreciated.

Preschool Chapel – Friday, May 5th

Our Fruit of the Spirit for the month of May is Goodness. We will discuss what happened after Christ rose from the tomb and how God sent us a special helper, the Holy Spirit, to guide us as we follow Jesus.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Preschool Family Picnic – Saturday, May 13th

You’re invited to join us for our annual end-of-the-year picnic! Families will enjoy water play, glitter tattoos, crafts, snow cones, popcorn, spending time with friends, meeting new families, and more. So please join us for all the fun!

  • WHEN: Saturday, May 13th, 11 AM to 1 PM
  • WHERE: PCS Field – Parking: Garfield Lot @ 1492 N. Garfield Ave.
  • COST: $5.00 (per person), includes a hotdog lunch & all activities.
  • RSVP: Please RSVP by Friday, May 5th

Payments can be made in the Preschool Office prior to the event. A few additional tickets will be available at the gate on the day of the picnic. Cash, checks, or FACTs billing are all accepted.

We’re looking forward to a fantastic time together! 

End of the Year Pizza Parties – Monday, May 22nd & Tuesday, May 23rd 

The last week of preschool will kick off with our traditional classroom Pizza Parties. Of course, the preschool will provide pizza, but there will be classroom sign-ups for additional side items such as fruit, paper goods, and table décor. The classrooms will be sharing those sign-ups towards the middle of May.

Aloha Days! – Wednesday, May 24th & Thursday, May 25th – MINIMUM DAYS

We felt that aloha was the perfect sentiment for the last two days of our preschool year. So, hello to summer, goodbye to our year together, and of course, I love you.

We invite all the kids to dress in their brightest, most tropical, and Hawaiian best on Wednesday and Thursday. In addition, we will celebrate our year’s conclusion with special photo ops at drop-off and much more.

Preschool Promotion for Rooms 1 & 2 – Wednesday, May 24th @ 6PM

This year has been amazing! It is a blessing to watch the children grow up, and we are excited to celebrate those students who will be moving on to the next phase of school, whether here at PCS or beyond.  

This year, we will host our traditional promotion ceremony on the main campus in the auditorium from 6 to 7 PM. The Room 1 & 2 kiddos have been rehearsing some adorable songs and can hardly wait to share them.

Keep your eyes peeled for your invitation with all the details. 

Preschool Closed – Friday, May 26th through Friday, June 2nd 

The preschool will be closed to students for cleaning and summer prep. However, the preschool office will be open to answer questions and help with any summer paperwork that may still need to be done prior to the start of camp.

First Day of Fun in the Sun Summer Camp – Monday, June 5th 

Our first session of Fun in the Sun: Treasure Island! & Kinder Camp will kick off Monday, June 5th. Summers at the preschool are chock-full of good times and new adventures; we can hardly wait to get started. 

Summer Camp Registration 

Will you join this year’s “Fun in the Sun” summer camp? If so, be sure to turn in your summer camp registration forms ASAP. Spaces are filling up fast, and we only have a few left. Summer camp is FIRST COME FIRST SERVE, so don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of the fun at preschool this summer.

Just a friendly reminder of our Preschool Parking Lot Rules/Requests

  1. Please drive carefully, keeping an eye on speed and kiddos in the lot.
  2. Children should be directed to stay on the sidewalk during pick-up and drop-off except when accessing their vehicles. Little people are very hard to spot between cars.
  3. Our lot’s limited spaces make quick drop-offs and pick-ups ideal.

Thanks for helping us keep our little ones safe, healthy, and happy.

Trader Joe’s on the Patio

Older Pod has been enjoying a Trader Joe’s dramatic play area on The Patio with Ms. Kristen!

As we play, we learn to share space, take turns with materials, delegate roles, and collaborate with our peers. Dramatic play is vital in the development of creativity through the use of imagination. Most evidently, this particular dramatic play is helping us develop communication skills and teamwork. We are also gaining knowledge of the world around us— learning fruits and vegetables, increasing phonological awareness through print, practicing exchanging money for goods, assigning numerical values to things, and counting.

Check out our friends hard at work!

THANK YOU to the many families who contributed recycled goods and THANK YOU to our favorite local grocery store—Trader Joe’s!

MARCH BLESSINGS

March was a wet and cold month, we had not seen so much rain. It was truly a blessing to enjoy the delightful weather.

ENJOYING THE RAIN, DIGING IN THE WET SAND, RUNNING AND JUMPING IN THE PUDDLES.
“BEST TIME EVER”
After the rain we went scavenging for worms in the garden.
After reading “LITTLE BLUE AND LITTLE YELLOW,” we had the kids explore blue and yellow playdough. The kids were able to connect the book to the experience they had while squeezing both colors together.
“BELL PEPPER PRINTS LOOK LIKE CLOVERS“
“OOBLICK,” the mixture between corn starch and water. It’s a messy but rewarding and therapeutic activity. We gave the kids yellow and blue to support the color of the month.
Thank you parents for reading and cooking with the kids, spending time in class gives the kids a sense of trust, enjoyment and also gives you a chance to see what your child is like at school.
“GREEN EGGS AND HAM,” by Dr. Seus
Green eggs and ham anyone?
We also read the book “HOW TO CATCH A LEPRECHAUN,” in this story the leprechaun goes down a rainbow slide. We painted our own versions of rainbows with water color paint.
Science for these kids can be so simple and gratifying. Put milk on a plate, add drops of food color and let them dip a cotton swab with down into one of the colors and presto.
SCIENCE: Let the children lay out some colorful Skittles on a plate, add some warm water and watch them enjoy the colors bleeding out. The kids were mesmerized and their comments were interesting. These activities open doors for interaction, new vocabulary and language.

Holy Week ✝️🕊️🐣

We’ve had a fun and eventful week in Room 3! The children enjoyed Easter art projects, Bible stories, and chapel. We even found some bunnies up in the loft!

One of our families was able to come in and do a fun cooking project with the class. We learned how to make rice balls and ate them all, yum!

Pizza party! 🍕

Since it’s finally starting to feel like Spring, we got to enjoy lots of outside time, including a picnic snack and a special music and movement activity.

Another one of our wonderful parents led us in song and dance.
Hopping even higher than bunnies 🐰

Last but not least, our Easter chapel!

News and Reminders 2023

Holy Week – Mon., April 3rd to Thurs., April 6th

Help us decorate our preschool cross for Holy Week. Everyone is invited to bring a flower to add to our cross throughout the week. Please stop by the cross and add your special floral donation by tucking it into the ropes that twine the entire width and breadth of the cross.  

Preschool Chapel – Thursday, April 6th

Our Fruit of the Spirit for the month of April is Faithfulness. What a perfect fruit to reflect God’s plan and promise through His son Jesus Christ. We will read and discuss what transpired on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

Good Friday and Easter Monday– Fri., Apr. 7th & Mon., Apr. 10th, PRESCHOOL CLOSED

We will celebrate the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ by reflecting on the gift that the cross represents for all of us.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2

Easter Sunday – Sunday, April 9th

 24On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words. Luke 24:1-8

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:5-6

Hallelujah, He is risen!!

Elks Vision Screening – Thursday, April 13th & Friday, April 14th

The Elks Vision Screening is a free service provided to preschool children throughout California and Hawaii. This screening will happen on campus, in the Art Studio, as a special pullout for our students. Teachers will help facilitate the screening by shepherding students as well as assisting during the screening process. If you are interested in participating in this program, be sure to fill out a vision screening form with the Front Desk at either drop off or pick up. Children need a Vision Screening Form to be able to participate. Hard copies will be available at the preschool, or you are welcome to use the link below.

Click Here for Vision Screening Information

Click Here for Vision Screening Form

Week of the Young Child – Monday, April 17th – Friday, April 21st

Every year we celebrate the wonderful little people we serve and the unique world they inhabit with exciting week-long festivities. Each day will have its own particular theme and events to look forward to. This week is a national celebration that focuses on acknowledging this fundamental and transformative period of life. Oh, to be a young child! Parents are welcome to participate and volunteer; please be sure to check with your class to see how you can join in.

CLICK HERE for the Week of the Young Child Daily Themes & Events

PCS Association Meeting – Monday, April 17th @ 7 PM

Join us for this year’s annual PCS Association Meeting, all member of the PCS community is welcome to participate. We will be recognizing staff members for their years of service as well as voting for new board members. This year, we will also be discussing PCS’s safety protocols and the measures we take.

Open House – Friday, April 21st, MINIMUM DAY 12 NOON DISMISSAL

We are hosting Open House at the preschool from 6 PM to 7:30 PM; this is a drop by event. Each classroom will be working hard to spruce up and prepare for a visit from all of our families. We are excited to share the life and happenings of our campus and can’t wait to see everyone. This is also a wonderful opportunity to visit our elementary campus too. They will be hosting their Open House from 6:30 PM to 8 PM.

Summer Camp Registration

Will you join this year’s “Fun in the Sun” summer camp? If so, be sure to turn in your summer camp registration forms ASAP. Spaces are filling up fast! Summer camp is FIRST COME FIRST SERVE, including outside families, so don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of the fun at the preschool this summer.

CLICK HERE for Preschool Summer Registration Packet

CLICK HERE for Kinder Camp Registration Packet

If you have already signed-up, keep a look out for more camp-specific information over the months ahead.

As we cruise toward the end of the year, we wanted to share a few helpful hints, reminders, and requests.

DOORS & KIDS – Many of our kiddos want to be helpful and open doors; this is great if a parent or a teacher is present, but potentially dangerous if they aren’t. We want to avoid accidents or injuries.

When dropping off or picking up, please be sure you are with your child before they attempt to open or pass through any of our doors, especially the doors leading to our parking lot.

SIGNING IN – As a state-licensed facility, we are required to have physical signatures for children at drop off and pick up. Please be sure you are signing in and out each day. The preschool will be held responsible and potentially fined for every missing signature.

PLAYING at PICK-UP, CLASSROOM RATIOS, and TEACHER RESPONSIBILITIES – When you are picking up at the end of the day, we would ask that you be mindful of the other students and teachers that may still be present in the environment. Our amazing staff is legally responsible for the children who are still signed in for the day but, due to ratios and other concerns, are not able to watch children who have been signed out, especially if they are from another class. That is why we would ask adults to limit the amount of time spent passing through our outdoor spaces, both our patios and yard.

You are welcome to take a moment in the lobby to visit the turtles, look at or borrow a book from our lending library, or check out the “Zany Zoo” on your way out.

May 6th – PCS Gala

May 13th – Preschool Family Picnic

May 24th – Preschool Promotion: MINIMUM DAY

May 25th – Last Day of Preschool: MINIMUM DAY

May 26th – June 3rdPRESCHOOL CLOSED

June 5th – First Day of Summer Camp

July 3rd & 4thCAMP CLOSED

July 27th – Last Day of Camp

July 28th – August 11thPRESCHOOL CLOSED

August 14th – Back to School Night

August 15th – Preschool Meet & Greet

August 16th – First Day of School

News and Reminders 2023

Can you believe that it’s already March? We are about to spring into spring and can hardly wait to see what hatches around the preschool.

Dr. Seuss’ Birthday – Thursday, March 2nd

Did you know that Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham using only 50 words?

Published in 1960, the book’s origin started as a wager between Random House publisher/co-founder Bennett Cerf and Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss.  “Bennett Cerf bet me I couldn’t write a book using 50 words or less, and I wanted to show him that I could.” – Dr. Seuss

Over the past 60 years, Dr. Seuss’ books and stories have shaped and continue to impact the world of early childhood literature. We will be celebrating him and his contributions at preschool by reading several of his books this year. Thank you, Dr. Seuss, for firing our imaginations, and our love of rhyme, and introducing us to the worlds inside of books.

Mid-Year DRDPs

Classrooms will be sending out our mid-year reports via email for all the kiddos. Be sure to take a look. Teachers will be happy to chat with parents who would like to discuss the year’s progress so far and the future

Preschool Chapel – Friday, March 10th

Our Fruit of the Spirit for the month of March is Gentleness. We will be exploring what it means to be gentle and reading the Parable of the Lost Sheep.

As it is March, we will also discuss St. Patrick, his ministry, and how he used the clover to explain the nature of the trinity, three in one. Chapel is always a wonderful time spent together in worship, fellowship, and the praise of the Lord.

Summer Camp Registration – DUE: Friday, March 10th

Will you be joining us for Preschool Fun in the Sun or Kinder Camp this year?

If so, be sure to turn in your summer camp registration forms ASAP. Summer camp is FIRST COME FIRST SERVE, so don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of the fun at the preschool this summer.

Click Here for:

Preschool Fun in the Sun Registration

Kinder Camp

*Hard copies of our summer registration packets are available in the preschool lobby.

St. Patrick’s Day – Thursday, March 17th

With a touch of the blarney, we will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year with leprechauns, shamrocks, and so much more. The story of St. Patrick is also a wonderful time to talk about the call to spread the gospel with the world.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

MAKE-UP Picture Days – Monday, March 27th

Did you miss our first picture days, or are you hoping for a redo? Make-up Picture day will be our last chance to officially capture those preschool smiles. Please let us know if you need your picture taken by stopping by the front desk.

*Tuesday/Thursday friends are welcome to drop by to take their picture too.

Teacher In-service Day – Fri., March 31stPRESCHOOL CLOSED

Our last Teacher In-service Day of the year. These days are crucial and provided us the much needed time for training, planning, preparation, and cleaning that can’t be achieved while the children are on campus. We are grateful for these opportunities to grow and improve all that we do in service of the children and families.

April 7th & 10th – Good Friday & Easter Monday: PRESCHOOL CLOSED

April 21st – Open House: MINIMUM DAY

May 6th – PCS Gala

May 13th – Preschool Family Picnic

May 24th – Preschool Promotion: MINIMUM DAY

May 25th – Last Day of Preschool: MINIMUM DAY

May 26th – June 3rdPRESCHOOL CLOSED

June 5th – First Day of Summer Camp

July 3rd & 4thCAMP CLOSED

July 27th – Last Day of Camp

July 28th – August 11thPRESCHOOL CLOSED

August 14th – Back to School Night

August 15th – Preschool Meet & Greet

August 16th – First Day of School