New and Reminders 2024

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.

Mid-Year Developmental Profiles

Classrooms have sent out our mid-year reports via email for all the kiddos. Be sure to take a look. Teachers will happily chat with parents who want to discuss the year’s progress and future.

Dr. Seuss’ Birthday – Saturday, March 2^nd

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

Published in 1960, the book originated 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 early childhood literature. We will celebrate 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.

MAKE-UP Picture Days – Monday, March 4^th

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

*Tuesday/Thursday friends are welcome to drop by and take their pictures, too.

Preschool Chapel – Friday, March 8^th

Our Fruit of the Spirit for March is Gentleness. We will explore what it means to be gentle and read 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.

Teacher In-Service Day – Monday, March 11^th – PRESCHOOL CLOSED

Our last Teacher In-service Day of the year. These days are crucial and provide 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 we do in service to the children and families.

The main campus will be CLOSED for their Mini-Spring Break on Monday, March 11th, and Tuesday, March 12^th.

PRESCHOOL OPEN – Tuesday, March 12^th

Summer Camp Registration – DUE: Friday, March 15^th

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

If so, be sure to turn in your summer camp registration forms ASAP. Don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of the fun at the preschool this summer and to divide your summer tuition into two payments.

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 – Sunday, March 17^th

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

March 29^th – Good Friday: PRESCHOOL CLOSED

April 1^st – Easter Monday: PRESCHOOL CLOSED

April 1^st – 5^th – PCS Main Campus Spring Break

April 2^nd – 5^th – PRESCHOOL OPEN & Week of the Young Child

April 12^th – Deadline for MVP Hours

May 10^th – Open House

May 11^th – PCS Gala

May 18^th – Preschool Family Picnic

May 27^th – Memorial Day: PRESCHOOL CLOSED

May 29^th – Preschool Promotion: MINIMUM DAY

May 30^th – Last Day of Preschool: MINIMUM DAY

May 31^st – June 7^th – PRESCHOOL CLOSED

June 10^th – First Day of Summer Camp

July 4^th & 5^th – CAMP CLOSED

August 1^st – Last Day of Camp

August 2^nd – August 20^th – PRESCHOOL CLOSED

August 19^th – Back to School Night

August 20^th – Preschool Meet & Greet

August 21^st – First Day of School

Valentine’s Parties

February is a busy month with lots to celebrate. One of the things that we get to celebrate is love!

We learn about God’s love and about loving each other

Each year we have parties to celebrate and share that love with each other. Here are a few photos of our Valentines week

We cut strawberries and crushed graham crackers for our morning snack.

We also did some crafts with hearts and stickers! Room 3 loves stickers. ❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🩷

The colors of the month are red, pink and white and our art reflected that.

We also had a couple of parent volunteers come in and they helped with snack and craft and special stories for the day. The class loved having them here!

Our afternoon snack was a special snack mix with very berry Cheerios, craisins, raisins and square pretzels.

We also had fun in our classroom and on the patio!

Fun Run!

Thank you to all our families that participated in our fundraiser. We reached our goal of $25,000 and then some! The children enjoyed running with their parents and siblings.

Thanks for a great time!

FUN RUN “2024”

We had a fun and exciting time at our FUN RUN event.

Thank you to all the parents who came and helped the kids stay together and directed them to stay in one track of the field. Also, Thank you for assisting in hydrating their little bodies and much needed water breaks. 🥰

Full STEAM Ahead!

To close out the month of February, our friends in Rooms 1, 2, and 3 have been enjoying a train dramatic play area on The Older Pod Patio.

Looking at the materials used–cardboard boxes and crates, it may seem unintentional or even unfinished but it is quite the opposite. This simplified interpretation of a train helps children build the capacity for abstract and symbolic thinking. Using objects to stand for something prepares children’s minds for comprehending things like using letter symbols to represent words and ideas. Practicing representational thinking in a pretend play setting is vital for a child’s development.

Check out how our friends take on roles and engage in this exciting activity.

Happy Chinese New Year!

In celebration of Chinese New Year, we’ve enjoyed a few thematic activities on The Older Pod Patio.

For a bit of S.T.E.A.M., we enjoyed red and gold playdough.

At our sensory table, we utilized rice, chopsticks and spoons to scoop, fill and pour.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

We used tearing to strengthen our fine motor muscles and create hearts of gold.

A Beary Lovely Picnic on The Patio

Here’s a look at how our friends in Rooms 1, 2 and 3 are enjoying our Bear Picnic Party on The Older Pod Patio. We never underestimate the importance of stuffed animals. This classic toy— the teddy bear, is used to help act out/narrate scenarios, process emotions, bring comfort and open our imagination to worlds of fun.

This type of activity is essential for cognitive development and helps educators assess how children are processing their emotions and their growing knowledge of the world around them.

“Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14

❄️Snow much Fun❄️

Snow Day has become a tradition for the preschool and it is one of our favorites! In January part of our curriculum is winter and the cold weather. We learn about how people and animals live in and adapt to the cold.

Snow days are a way for us Californians to experience cold and snow and ice in a way that is fun and play based. Here are a few pictures of the snow day fun from those days!

We got to watch them spray the snow! It was very exciting

The sleds were very popular and they stayed busy the whole yard time. Thanks to the parent volunteers who helped man the sleds ! 🛷

We love snow day and we appreciate everyone who made it possible!

We also enjoyed the snow as it was melting

Looking forward to the next play based adventure!

News and Reminders 2024

We adore the month of love and are looking forward to all the exciting things that will happen over the next four weeks!

FUN RUN – Friday, February 2^nd

The preschool is thrilled to participate in this year’s FUN RUN event!

WHEN: Fri., Feb. 2^nd from 10:15 AM to 11:00 AM

WHERE: The PCS Field or Auditorium

Tuesday/Thursday, friends are welcome to join us, with a parent, for the event itself.

All the kiddos will have a special FUN RUN shirt to wear on the day of the event. To avoid any mishaps with the t-shirts, classrooms will hold onto the T-shirts and put them on the children the day of. Tuesday/Thursday friends will have the option of taking their T-shirts home on Thursday.

Parents are welcome to join us for the FUN RUN by coming to the preschool prior to the event and walking over with the kiddos or by signing in through the main campus front office and meeting us at the field. MVP Hours are available for helping at the FUN RUN.

The children will be encouraged but not required to run/participate.

Preschool Chapel – Thursday, February 8^th

It is the month of love, and we focus on where love comes from. After all, G.O.D. is L.O.V.E. We look forward to coming together to worship and celebrate the love of God for each of us and our love for Him and each other.

1 John 4:7-12

Valentine’s Day Parties – Tues., Feb. 13^th & Wed., Feb 14^th

Each classroom will celebrate the holiday with special festivities on both Tuesday, February 13^th, and Wednesday, February 14^th. Please be sure to keep a look out for classroom-specific details about what they’ll be doing. This includes how each classroom will handle Valentine’s Day favors.

Here are a few quick suggestions…
Avoid edible treats. Instead, themed pencils, crayons, erasers, stickers, or other small items would be a great gift idea.
Simple and small is always best.
On the cards, sign – To: My Friend From: Your Child’s Name
Due to flux schedules, not all the kids know each other, but it is easier to give to everyone than to figure out who comes on which day. The classrooms will provide a total head count for each room.
Avoid the “Boy/Girl” Valentine trap. Allow your child to select the Valentine’s they wish to give instead of worrying about how many boys and girls there are. The kids get so much more out of the reflected diversity of their peers’ interests and the things they want to give.
There is no obligation to give out Valentine’s cards/treats, but you are welcome to participate as you see fit.

Teacher In-service Day – Fri., Feb. 16^th – PRESCHOOL CLOSED

Teacher In-service Days are crucial and provide 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 to the children and families.

Presidents’ Day – Mon., Feb. 19^th – PRESCHOOL CLOSED

While we don’t typically do a deep study of American history or civics as a part of the preschool experience, we are happy to celebrate two of our nation’s most influential leaders and the role presidents play in shaping and guiding our country.

Let us raise standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God. – George Washington

My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right. – Abraham Lincoln

Picture Days – Wed., Feb. 21^st & Thurs., Feb. 22^nd

It is time to capture those adorable preschool smiles once again! Preschool Picture Days have arrived.

The preschool will host School Pictures from Julie Lilly Photography on Wednesday, February 21^st, and Thursday, February 22^nd. Your child will be photographed only on the listed days. Please look out for more information from your child’s teachers about which day has been assigned to you.

Families will receive an envelope for their child’s picture purchases the week before Picture Days (February 12th-16th). Please complete and return to the preschool office on or before Picture Day.

Please let us know if you have any questions; we are happy to help!!

Staying Healthy at Preschool

We want to thank all of our families for their support and understanding as we navigate the winter months and the challenges of keeping our preschool healthy and safe. A few things to keep in mind…

If you notice your child is under the weather or displaying any signs or symptoms of potential illness, please exercise caution, keep them home, and monitor their condition. While most preschool illnesses are common and pass quickly, some are much more concerning, such as RSV.

State regulations also remind us that children may not attend school if they have had a fever, vomited, or had diarrhea in the last 24 hours. This means if your child experiences any of these conditions, they must stay home from school the following day and may return to school the day after. For example, if they have a fever on Monday, the potential first day back would be Wednesday. The same standard holds true if a child is sent home from school with any of these issues.

Please know that our team will be monitoring our kiddos, and we will contact families if we spot signs or symptoms while they’re on campus. Conversely, we appreciate parent support in our staff’s discernment regarding a child’s presence at school. Often, sick children may be cleared by a doctor to return to school but may present minor symptoms such as a lingering cough or runny nose.

Our team greatly appreciates parent notification when their child is out due to illness. It’s essential for tracking, informing other families if needed, and potentially preventing further spread. Those notifications also give us peace of mind and allow us to keep you in our prayers.