Hearing Screenings March 15 & 16

We are offering free hearing screenings to our preschool students on March 15th and 16th. Hearing is critical to optimal speech development and we want to be sure none of our little ones slip through cracks due to undiagnosed hearing concerns. Click here for a fantastic article that outlines speech development and the expected speech milestones in early childhood.

While we hope all of our little ones will participate in the screening, we would especially encourage those who exhibit any of the following characteristics:

Mild or moderate speech delay
Often “ignores” or seems oblivious to verbal commands or external noises
Consistently asks to have things repeated
Has trouble following age-appropriate multi-step directions
Particularly sensitive to loud noises
Particularly sensitive to noises of high and/or low frequencies
Has difficulty with receptive language
Has trouble with comprehension (ie. Can’t retell or recall parts of an age-appropriate story)

Please be sure to fill out a permission form so your child can receive this free benefit.
Early detection and intervention is key to success during the preschool years.

All Aboard!!

We have been having a wonderful time in Room 3 studying transportation with an emphasis on trains. From reading books about trains, playing with Thomas and other train toys, to watching train clips on YouTube, we have been learning so much. As has become our tradition in Room 3, we added to our train knowledge and experiences by taking a ride on the Gold Line. It was a fantastic trip that included our local Sierra Madre Train Station, the beautiful Los Angeles Union Station, and culminated with a stop at Olivera Street, and the oldest house in LA. The kids were enthralled by the entire trip from the first ticket purchase to the last sound of the train’s warning bells on the station platform. We want to acknowledge and give a special thank you to all the parents who came along and made this trip possible, we couldn’t have done it without you.

To the Train!

At the beautiful Union Station Los Angeles.

Heading over to Olvera Street and the Avila Adobe.

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Lunch and heading back home.

It truly was a marvelous adventure and we can’t wait to see what we’ll do next!

Talking to Children About Anxiety

Many children face anxiety at some point or another. Let’s face it…we have ALL experienced some sort of anxiety from time to time. According to AnxietyBC, anxiety is actually a ‘good’ thing, as it helps us to prepare for danger, triggers our “flight-fight-freeze” response, and even stimulates a physical response in the form of increased energy to help us run away or fend off danger.

That said, children can often display heightened anxiety in situations that parents may perceive as ‘unwarranted’ (i.e. watching a “not scary” movie, loud noises, visiting new places, meeting new people, etc.).

Teaching children to recognize and understand anxiety is key to helping them work through and effectively manage their moments of worry.

Check out the following articles to help your child understand and recognize their own anxiety.

Talking to Your Child or Teen About Anxiety

9 Things Every Parent with an Anxious Child Should Try

If your child experiences unhealthy and/or overly persistent anxiety, be sure to see your pediatrician or family therapist. Persistent anxiety may be a sign that it is rooted in something deeper such as possible stress, side effects of medication, or nutritional reactions (i.e. consuming a triggering food such as gluten, artificial dyes, too much sugar, etc.).

March 2016 News & Calendar of Events

What a “Love-ly” February we had celebrating Valentine’s Day and God’s love for us! All of our classrooms enjoyed Valentine’s Parties, heart/love themed cooking experiences, creating heart-felt cards, and more! With spring and Easter just around the corner, March will be just as fun!

In the News:

RE-ENROLLMENT BEGINS MARCH 1! Please be on the lookout for your Online Re-Enrollment email from Betty St. Peter in the admissions department, which will be going out this week. Online re-enrollment is a breeze! Simply click on the link to your personalized enrollment package, update necessary information, and submit payment for the registration and facilities fees. Please be sure your enrollment package correlates to your DESIRED schedule of attendance. If it does not match, please inform us PRIOR to starting so we can fix the error.

New Applications for 2016-2017 – Did you know that your referrals are a primary source of new students? We are SO honored and we can’t thank you enough for the confidence and praise! Please spread the word that applications are now being accepted for next year. The younger pod is already on a waiting list, but there are just a few spaces left in Rooms 1, 2 and 3.

Summer Registration – Just a reminder that summer registration is under way. Reserve now, pay later… please submit by April 8^th to guarantee your spot and to have tuition billed to your statement.

Kinder Camp Registration – Please note that Kinder Camp requires a 1/3 deposit with your registration forms. The remaining 2/3 can be billed in 2 increments.

Drop offs – Want to make your drop-offs quicker, easier and less stressful? Did you know the parking lot is nearly EMPTY at 7:53am, but FULL by 8:02? Backing up your drop off by just a few minutes will allow you to get in and out quickly…AND you will still have time to swing through a Starbucks before your next destination! 😉

Mom’s Club Preschool Fair – PCS had the honor of hosting the Mom’s Club Preschool Fair on our campus on Saturday, February 6^th. Over 45 preschools and other vendors came to market their schools while preschool-seeking families enjoyed a one-stop-preschool-shop! Thanks to all who contributed to the fair by donating water and baked goods!

Calendar:

Saturday, March 5 – Jog-a-thon

Tuesday (15) & Wednesday (16) – Hearing Assessments (permission required)

Tuesday, March 22 – Association Meeting – Please plan to attend this important evening

Wednesday (23) & Thursday (24) – Classroom Easter Parties

Friday, March 25 – Good Friday – NO SCHOOL

March 28 – April 1 – Preschool is OPEN; PCS is closed for Spring Break

April 11 – 15 – Week of the Young Child – Details to follow

Friday, April 29 – Moonlight Magic; Golf Auction

Friday, May 6 – Open House @ 6:30 – MINIMUM Day

Saturday, May 28 – Preschool Family Year End Picnic

Thursday, June 2 – Preschool Promotion Ceremony (rising TK/K students)

Friday, June 3 – Last day of school

Monday, June 13 – Summer camp begins!

As always, keep current with the preschool blog! www.pasadenachristianschool.com and by reading the PCS Weekly!

Moonlight Magic

What could be more fun than going to preschool during the day? Going at night! Dressed in pajamas, the kids (and teachers!) played flashlight hide-and-seek, had a flashlight and bubble dance party, ate pizza, then enjoyed a popcorn and a movie! We hope the parents enjoyed their night on the town, but we are pretty sure our night in was WAY more fun!!!

Busy and Blessed in Room 5!

The friends in Room 5 have been hard at work as they grow more and more each day in their skills and abilities. Everyone’s success in potty training has skyrocketed in the past weeks! Their excitement and support of one another in their bathroom triumphs has done most of the work for us- these youngsters really know how to rally each other! We thank the Lord each day for blessing us with the happy and compassionate children who have bonded so well in this class. We owe it to their loving families that they care for themselves and others with such sincerity.

Our Valentine’s Day party was a sweet success!

And everyone remains very engaged honing their math, social/emotional, and fine motor skills in the dramatic play bakery!

KODAK Digital Still Camera

We are getting ready for March with a brand new feature in our sensory table…

Green sand! The class dyed their own sensory sand green with Mrs. Erin and poured it into the sensory table. They are having a blast using the sifting scoopers to pour and measure the sand, sort through the coins and gems, and practice those early math and science foundations!

We are also integrating Bible foundations through art and storytelling. While we read about Noah’s Ark and God’s Promise at circle time, we created several beautiful rainbow murals for our classroom! We used ordering and sequencing with the song “Make God’s Rainbow Bright” to memorize the colors of the rainbow in order. We worked on color matching and building listening skills as everyone collaborated to make each rainbow.

The blessings of the Lord just keep raining down upon us, showering our classroom with love and laughter each day. As the friends in Room 5 become just that- we are blessed to see the bonds begin to form between our happy classmates and know they will cherish these friendships forever. Thank you to all the parents who have helped out so much to make this month so spectacular for these little ones at school!

“For the fullness of His grace, we have all received one blessing after another.” John 1:16

Our Worshiping Wee Ones

Room 4 has been having a praise, worship, and prayer time before resting our heads. Our worship time has been lead by our newest teacher in the younger pod, Ms Wendy. The kiddos have looked forward to this time each day. They enthusiasticly raise their hands, close their eyes and praise Him. It is one of the most beautiful sights to behold!

Positively Medieval!

Staying true to our emergent curriculum, which builds on the interest of the child, we are embracing all things medieval! Our Room 1 friends have expressed interest in castles, knights and princesses; therefore, we are doing our best to make this endeavor not just a thematic unit, but rather an authentic learning experience. We are facilitating conversations to keep their interest alive and to also think deeper about these topics. How do you explain the Middle Ages to a 5 year old, you ask? You let them explore the art, culture, architecture, customs, and don’t forget the fairy tales!

Exploring the literature…

Building together…

Collaborating to create…

Telling stories through pictures…

Cultivating artistic expression…

Measuring in our math small group…

Exploring vocabulary and concepts associated with size…

Identifying shapes and writing numbers…

Developing a strong sense of symbolism through micro-dramatic play…

“This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?” Isaiah 66:1

Our prayer is that as we continue to discuss these topics, your child will know who The King of Kings is. More than anything, we want them to develop a reverent love for God so that His resting place will be in their heart.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Wayne Thiebaud Creations in the Art Studio…

This week the children were introduced to the American painter Wayne Thiebaud. Wayne is widely known for his colorful use of pastel paints in depicting commonplace objects such as cakes, pastries, hot dogs and ice cream cones. The children created their very own cake. They put their imagination hats on to become a pastry chef while painting in the colors that Wayne would have used. Wayne lives in Arizona and is 95 years old.

A Walk Through A Snowy Day!

The children in Room 2 went on a field trip to the Discovery Cube to check out their Storyland Exhibit that featured A Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats. They enjoyed a story time and activity. The story read was The Mitten, by Jan Brett. They made their own mitten to place their animals in.

The children then got to explore the exhibit.

At the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Tree the children had to match the upper case letter with the lower case letter.

For The Snowy Day. the snow crunched under their feet. They got to make snowmen and snow angels.

They learned about gardening in a Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Abuela had lots of activities in different languages. When you opened a window children sang a song in a different language. They heard Welcome in different languages and got to play with magnetic pieces on a New York landscape.

One story that was new to the teachers and children was Tuesday. It is a wordless book about a day in a town when it rains frogs! The children got to tell time on a giant clock tower and had a chance to report the news on a television.