Author: PCSPreschool

Now Accepting Applications for 2017-2018

Dear Parents,

Applications for NEW students for the 2017-2018 school year are now available online. If you have a non-enrolled sibling who you would like to enroll for NEXT school year, please complete the online application as soon as possible. If you already applied for this year, but did not get in or chose to defer, your application will be automatically rolled over for guaranteed acceptance in the summer and fall.
Please note that siblings have priority placement through the end of December. We will begin offering placement to outside families in January, at which time all applications will be taken and placed based on availability in the order they are received.
Students need to be at least two years old on or before August 21st. On occasion, we can hold spaces for students turning two after the start of school, so please talk with Kristin about the possibility of a late-enrollment.
If your child is currently enrolled, you do not have to apply again. You will receive an “intent to enroll” form in December to hold your child’s space for the following year.
P.S. If you have friends who would be interested in our school, please send them our way. Applications are open and tours are filling up. Spaces will be very limited for new students, so encourage them to apply early.

Save the Date: Vision Screenings

Pasadena Christian Preschool will be offering free vision screenings for our Older Pod students (Room 1, 2 & 3) on Tuesday, September 27th and Wednesday, September 28th 2016.
Why are vision screenings important?  Early detection and intervention of vision issues help children to be successful in their overall development and well-being.
Vision screenings are important and can benefit children by detecting any eye conditions early on. Often, due to lack of prior screenings, vision problems aren’t diagnosed  until the elementary school years.
Please use this information to help aid your child’s vision health and have your child participate in the Elks vision screening offered at school. Or, schedule a vision screening with your pediatric optometrist.
Here’s a quick list of some ways to identify if your child is having vision problems:
  • Squinting
  • Eyes turning inward or outward
  • Headaches
  • Holding reading material or pictures closer than normal
  • Rubbing eyes
  • Turning or tilting head to use one eye only
We are looking forward to your child’s participation in these screenings. Permission forms are required. Please be on the lookout for permission forms in your email and in the front office.
Author: Maria Esquivel  CSULA Child Development Intern.

Apples Everywhere! 

Room 5 has done a lot of art exploration with our Apple theme! We mixed cinnamon paint with sparkles and oats last week to decorate our classroom, and this week we are getting bubbly with baking soda and colored vinegar! We worked on our pincer grasp by sprinkling baking soda onto our apple cut-outs and used fine tip brushes to paint our glittery colored vinegar over it. Then we watched the reaction fizz! The joys of art and science combined as we created our fizzy apple art this week. 
lol 

Room 5’s First Month!

Can you believe we have just finished our first month of preschool?! We have been working and playing so hard in Room 5 that the time has flown by. Our youngsters have been hard at work learning their new classroom routine, making friendships, and discovering all the excitement that their new school has to offer. 

One of our themes this month is apples, so naturally we got to make art through apple stamping! Fine motor skills, visual arts, and messy fun abound in this activity.  The good times and creativity never seem to stop flowing here! 
It’s been an incredibly blessed first month in Room 5 and the teachers in here are incredibly grateful for the loving and enthusiastic families we get to work with each day.

Abstract Sand Art

This was a great art project for creating line forms through an unconventional method. The older pod children learned what a line is in art. They then used the glue as the tool for making the lines across their paper. To trace our glue lines, they then used their fine motor skills and pincer skills to sprinkle the sand and retrace their lines. They loved it for the process and the sensory experience!

The younger pod also created this art project, but for them it was much more of an exploratory art project. Allowing them to just dig in….
These make a great abstract line and movement piece. Enjoy!

September 2016 News & Calendar of Events

Dear Parents,

What a great start to the year! Our little ones have settled in so well and we are so proud of them. We are also extremely pleased by how all of our mommies and daddies have made drop offs “short and sweet.” We know it is so hard to separate from a crying child, but separating with a sincere “I love you” and “I will be back soon” actually makes the transition quicker, smoother, and easier on everyone. Thank you so much for your cooperation.

In the News:

Room Parent Meeting: You are invited to attend our Room Parent meeting on Wednesday, August 31st at 8:15 a.m. in the PCS Library if you signed up to be a Room Parent, or if you would simply like more information prior to “committing”.

Back to School Night: PLEASE plan to attend Back to School Night on Friday, September 9th from 7-8:00 p.m. This is a very important evening in which the teachers will share classroom schedules, routines, policies, etc. Adults only please.

Volunteer Opportunities: PCS uses Signup.com to track MVP volunteer hours. While you can volunteer for any PCS event to earn credit, the first preschool event is the Site Work Day in which we deep clean classrooms, freshen the yard, etc. DOUBLE hours are earned for cleaning and yardwork, so this is a great event to kick off the year. Check it out! http://signup.com/go/JYJYGF

Grandparents’ Day: If you would like us to send a personal invitation to your child’s grandparent to attend our annual Grandparents’ Day (event date:December 9th) celebration, please complete and return the attached invitation request form asap. Thanks!

Enrollment at PCS: We love personal referrals! Do you have a friend who would enjoy our school? Pass the word…online applications for NEW students for 2017-2018 open on October 1st. Don’t worry…your space is safe! You will receive an ‘intent to enroll’ form mid-year to confirm your desired program :-).

Calendar

Wednesday, August 31 – 8:15 a.m. – Room Parent Meeting (PCS Library)

Monday, Sept. 5 – Labor Day – No School

Friday, Sept. 9 – Back to School Night – 7:00 pm – Plan to attend.

Thursday, Sept. 15 – Magazine Drive Kick-off

Tuesday & Wednesday, Sept. 27 & 28 – Elks Vision Screening

Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 11 & 12 – Speech Screenings

Thursday & Friday, Oct. 13 & 14 – Preschool Photo Day

Friday, Oct. 14 – MOONLIGHT MAGIC! (aka Parent’s Night Out!)

Saturday, Oct. 22 – Site Work Day

Friday, Oct. 28 – Parent Teacher Conferences – No School

Saturday, November 12th  – Fall Festival! This a FUN family event!!!

*Calendar correction: We will be open October 27th.

Welcome to Room 3! 

Welcome to Room 3! It’s the end of the first week of school and the fun has just only begun. As the children become accustomed to their new environment, their willingness to have fun and explore their room and school will begin to surface. Right now, the children are enjoying the myriad of activities and toys inside the classroom and outside. Please look forward to the other exciting activities and events that we have in store for the children as the year goes on. 

Painting Elmer The Elephant

In the art studio this week we looked at the story “Elmer The Elephant,” by David Mckee. This book has agreat message: although we may all look different, we all have the same hearts and feelings. It also reminds us that we shouldn’t exclude those who are different. It celebrates in a beautiful way individuality. Although God made us all to look different, we all come from the same creator. What a great reminder to start the new school year. YAY! 

The children then learned about patchwork and painted their very own “Elmer” using sponges as a painting tool.

Volunteer Opportunities for PCS/PS Parents!

Looking to fulfill your volunteer hours? Sign up here!

Site Work Day – October 22nd from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (food donations should be brought in from 8:00 – 9:00 that morning)

Description: help us deep clean classrooms and freshen the yard by hauling in new mulch and tilling sand. DOUBLE HOURS are available for those who volunteer to work. Single hours are available for food donations (1 hour per $10 contributed).

Nature in the Classroom

Play is an essential area of development as children grow, especially during early childhood. Through play-based activities children are allowed opportunities to enrich cognitive skills, physical development, language, and social skills. With the help of appropriate materials, children can continue to develop these skills in the classroom. The use of natural materials in the early education classroom helps enhance the relationship children have with their environment. Natural elements encourage curiosity within the environment and expose children to build connections with living things around them.

Such materials include:

 Wood blocks

 Sand

 Water

 Rocks

 Pinecones

 Plants, flowers, gardens

 Wood chips

 Sea shells

Natural materials also serve as open materials in which children can further explore. Teachers can use these materials for open-ended activities in the classroom. As children continue to become interested in materials, teachers can continue to build on the activities. Teachers can plan and expand using these open-ended materials to create new opportunities for exploration as well as learning.

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Author: Jessica Panameno, CSULA Child Development Intern