August 2019 – Pasadena Christian Preschool

Welcome new families and welcome back old friends! It is such a pleasure having all of our little ones back with us for this new school year and we are excited to welcome so many new “Littles” to our school as well. It has been an extremely smooth start to the school year and we attribute that to you as parents, who have helped make the adjustment quick and easy for our students. You have done a great job assuring your little ones that you love them and that you will be back, then handing them to the teachers and separating quickly. These short goodbyes actually reduce stress for the children and allow the kiddos to process their emotions so they can gain their confidence and independence to feel secure at school. Well done parents!

SEPTEMBER CURRICULUM

August has been a whirlwind of all things “new” – from new classrooms, teachers, and routines to new friends and entering new developmental stages. We have been getting to know our classrooms, enjoying so many exciting back to school activities, engaging in fun play and learning experiences, and so much more!

What are we learning this month?

CLICK HERE FOR THE SEPTEMBER SKILLS SHEET!!

The Skills Sheets outline skills and outcomes that we will work on each month. The outcomes listed on the sheets are the desired outcome to achieve by the time a child leaves for kindergarten. Since the Skills Sheets are the same for all classes, each age group (2 year olds, 3 year olds, and Pre-K students) has specific age-appropriate goals and objectives that fall under each final outcome. For instance, when we introduce letters each month, the goal for 2 year olds will be to “gain awareness” of letters, whereas the goal for Pre-k students will be to identify and recognize the name and sound of each letter. Your child’s Developmental Profile will outline their progress towards these outcomes and will be given to you in October during parent conferences, and additionally in February and May.

As a developmental, play-based school, we believe that a strong curriculum develops the whole child: physical/motor, spiritual, social-emotional, cognitive/academic. Our program supports the development of the whole child through daily routines, self-help activities, large and small group direct instruction, music and movement, story time, free play, independent activities, outdoor play, and more. At the forefront of learning in preschool is the development of a child’s social-emotional skills: learning to share, care, thrive in a community setting, talk, listen, focus, gain independence, ask questions, investigate, observe, clean-up, wash up, use the potty, etc. These are all critical skills for future success. Many of these social-emotional skills are developed through daily routines, interactions, conversations, etc. In addition to social-emotional development, we also want to stimulate students’ development in the other domains. All activities, whether in the form of free play or teacher-directed, are intentionally planned.

BEGINNING OF THE YEAR HOUSEKEEPING:

Classroom Sign-in Logs: Per state licensing, a FULL SIGNATURE is required on our classroom sign-in logs. We can be fined for non-compliance, so please help us stay in compliance by signing your full signature each day.

Drop-Offs: Thank you for continuing to drop off quickly in the mornings, especially during “rush hour” (7:45-9:00). Please be sure to greet the teacher with your child in the morning to ensure the teacher is aware of his/her arrival. Students should never be dropped off to an empty classroom or left on the yard with another classroom. In addition, please do not let your child go ahead of you into a classroom unattended in the morning while you are checking in.

Siblings at School: Just a gentle reminder that if you bring a non-enrolled sibling to school during drop-off and pick-up, please keep them within arms reach at all times. By law, they not be left unattended on the yard, in the car, or in the classrooms, even if you think you will be “just a second.” We appreciate your cooperation!

Parking Lot: In a perfect world, we would have a giant parking lot with ample space for everyone. Unfortunately, our parking lot is small and hard to maneuver. To help us through the morning rush, please drive slowly, park carefully, and keep your morning drop-offs (especially between 7:50-9:00) very short. The parking lot is nearly VACANT until about 7:47am! Come early and avoid the rush!

NEWS, NOTES & MORE

Tell Your Friends! If you have friends who are interested in enrolling for the 2020-2021 school year, online applications will be available on the PCS website beginning in October. Please tell your friends to call for a tour or attend an Observation Day, and apply EARLY to get on our applicant list. Be sure they tell us who referred them! We LOVE our word-of-mouth referrals!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Back to School Night- Thursday, August 29th from 7:00 – 8:00 pm. Adults only, please. If you are not able to attend, a packet will be placed in your child’s mailbox.

Preschool Picture Day – Fall candid/yard photos with Adrea Scheidler Photography will be held October 2 – 4. Teachers will post photo schedules prior to the photography session. Traditional preschool portraits (all students) and “Graduate” photos (rising TK/K) with LifeTouch will be taken in the spring.

Moonlight Magic – October 11 – 6:00 – 9:00 – There will be three Moonlight Magic events this year: Oct. 11, Feb. 7 and March 6. This is YOUR chance to have a night on the town (or in the quiet of your own home watching Netflix!) while your little ones are safe in our care enjoying flashlight parties, pajama dance-offs, pizza and a movie. ONLINE REGISTRATION is required, so sign up early (look for flyers coming soon)! Elementary-aged siblings may attend the BYH Moonlight Magic on the same night.

Site Work Day – Saturday, October 12 – DOUBLE MVP Hours for “labor” 1 MVP per donated item! CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER! Help us deep clean cubbies, beautify the garden, till the sandbox, haul in our fresh new mulch, and re-organize our preschool library!

Elks Vision Screening – October 17 & 18 – Elks Vision will be here on September 27 & 28 to conduct vision screenings of our students. Permission slips will be placed in your child’s mailbox in October.

October 24 – Teacher In-Service Day – No Students

October 25 – Parent Teacher Conferences – No Students – Please note that we require all parents to attend our fall conferences. During this conference, you will receive your child’s first Developmental Profile and will have a chance to discuss your child’s progress with his/her teacher.

PARENT TEACHER FELLOWSHIP (PTF):

ROOM PARENT & PTF LEADERSHIP SIGN UP! PLEASE CLICK HERE if you are interested in serving on a committee or as a Room Parent. Thank you!

ROOM PARENT & COMMITTEE MEETING!!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 @ 8:15 a.m. (LOC: PARENT LOUNGE @ the PCS LIBRARY)

If you signed up to be a Room Parent or to serve on a committee, or if you are interested in volunteering but want more information, please attend our Room Parent Meeting to get the ‘scoop’ on what is expected, upcoming events, etc. The gate to PCS will be open through 8:15 a.m. – if running late, enter through the PCS main office.

MVP Booklets/Hours: All families will receive a YELLOW MVP booklet at Back to School Night. Please record your volunteer hours in these books. You can have your hours signed off by the office staff, Room Parents, volunteer coordinators of specific events, PTF Reps, etc. Every family is required to complete 10 hours (or 20 hours if you have students at the elem/jr. high) before the end of the school year. ALL FAMILIES (INCLUDING ROOM PARENTS/COMMITTEE LEADERS) MUST TURN IN BOOKLETS TO GET CREDIT!

TEACHER TREATS:

September 27 – Parents of Room 1

October 18 – Parents of Room 2

Never expected, but always appreciated, Teacher Treats are a way to show your love and appreciation for our teachers. Each classroom is assigned two Fridays per school year to bring in treats for the preschool staff. Keep an eye out for information from your Room Parents!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

Volunteer opportunities are available! CLICK HERE to register for all-school events through signup.com!

Meal Train Opportunities! (2 MVP HOURS)

Aaron and Jen Johnson (parents of Silas Johnson – Rm 4)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TEACHERS!!!

September 3 – Ms. Wendy

September 19 – Mrs. Silvia

September 26 – Mrs. Thelma

CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

August 29 – Back to School Night, 7 p.m. – Minimum Day, Dismiss at 12:00

August 30 – Labor Day Break – School Closed

September 2 – Labor Day Observance – No School