The holiday season is here and in full swing at the preschool.  Here are a few quick reminders about what we will look forward to over December

Grandparent’s Day – Friday, December 9^th – MINIMUM DAY: NOON DISMISSAL

Rooms 1 & 2 will perform with the upper campus in our auditorium, while Rooms 3, 4, & 5 will present at the preschool.

All Grandparents should plan on parking at our Garfield Parking Lot located at 1492 N Garfield Ave., Pasadena, CA. 91104.

The preschool parking lot will be reserved for handicapped parking and drop-off/pick-up only.

Rooms 1 & 2 Grandparents will head to the auditorium.

Auditorium doors open at 9:45 AM, and the program will start at 10:00 AM. The performance will end by roughly 10:45 AM allowing grandparents with children on both sides time to walk over to the preschool. Grandparents will also have a chance to visit the classrooms post-performance at 11 AM.

Rooms 3, 4, & 5 Grandparents will head to the preschool.

Preschool doors will open at 10:00 AM for grandparents to visit the classrooms, and the kiddos will perform at 11 AM.

This is a MINIMUM DAY; Grandparents are welcome to take students post-performances. If a grandparent or other adult will pick up your kiddo, please use the link below to fill out our Grandparents Day 2022 – Pick Up form. Children will only be released to grandparents or other adults with permission from parents.

CLICK HERE: GRANDPARENT’S DAY 2022 – PICK UP FORM

*Please be sure to complete this form by Wednesday, December 7^th.

Happy Birthday Jesus! – FRIDAY, December 9^th from 6 to 7:30 PM

Happy Birthday Jesus is an EVENING EVENT for the first time; this annual preschool tradition will take place on the PCS main campus in the auditorium. Each classroom has been preparing seasonal songs to share with our families.

Event Schedule:

• 5:30 PM – Students are dropped off to be organized, and auditorium doors open.
  • Rooms 4 & 5 will be dropped off in the auditorium’s lobby.Rooms 1, 2, & 3 will be dropped off in the kindergarten classrooms.
  • Parents continue into the auditorium to find seats.
• 6:00 PM – Preschool performance.
• 6:45 PM – Cookie decorating and fellowship time.
• 7:30 PM – Event ends.

Each classroom will be hosting cookie decorating tables. This is a wonderful way to earn some MVP hours. Room Parents will send out details of how you can help support by donating supplies, setting up, cleaning up, or helping monitor/host during decorating.

*There will not be an additional event on Saturday, December 10^th.

Preschool Christmas Chapel – Thursday, December 15^th

It is time for our Preschool Christmas chapel! All the classes will gather together to worship and experience the Nativity Story with Mr. Tim. This is one of our favorite chapels of the year as we remember the reason for the season.

PJs and Hot Cocoa Days – Tuesday, December 20^th & Wednesday, December 21^st

One of our favorite Christmas traditions at preschool is our PJs and Hot Cocoa Days! We love getting cozy and watching a classic Christmas short such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas or Charlie Brown’s Christmas Special. Add a little popcorn, a warm cup of cocoa, and a class full of friends, and it makes for a beautiful time together.

Wednesday, December 21^st – MINIMUM DAY: NOON DISMISSAL

Thursday, December 22^nd through Wednesday, January 4^th

From our preschool family to yours…

We wish you a bright and merry Christmas break, may your time away be blessed and full of seasonal family fun! We can’t wait to see everyone again in the New Year.

Thursday, January 5^th – Preschool Resumes

Speech and Language Screenings – Tue., Nov. 8^th, Wed., Nov. 9^th, & Thurs., Nov. 10^th

Speech and language pathologists from Jabberdogs will provide screenings for receptive and expressive language, voice, articulation, and fluency at the preschool for $35. If you are interested in participating, please complete and return the Permission Slip by Friday, November 4^th. (Permission slips are available at the preschool front desk.)

Preschool Chapel – Wednesday, Nov. 9^th

This month’s chapel will focus on the story of Noah’s Ark. The children adore this story and its emphasis on family, animals, and listening to God. We can hardly wait to worship and praise God together.

Community Helpers – Pasadena Police Department K9 Unit Visit – Fri., Nov. 11^th

We are so excited to have another visit from the Pasadena Police Department but this time from the furry division. The K9 Unit will be with us to show how officers and trained dogs work together. This is the first time we have had a K9 Unit visit, and we are thrilled.

Veterans Day – Friday, Nov. 11^th

PRESCHOOL OPEN

The preschool will be open for Veterans Day. We are thankful and eternally grateful to all the men and women who have served our country and look forward to honoring their sacrifice and service.

Farm Days – Friday, Nov. 18^th

Older Pod Field Trip to Underwood Family Farms

Mark your calendars! Rooms 1, 2, & 3 will be going on our traditional fall field trip to Underwood Family Farm this year; yay!

Information, permission slips, and parent sign-ups will be available in your classrooms the first week in November.

Younger Pod On-site Field Trip

We will continue the Harvest celebration on-site for Rooms 4 & 5 with a visit from a few animal pals.

*If you are a Tuesday/Thursday family, please be sure to speak with your classroom teachers and the preschool office regarding how you can join in our farm day fun.

Stone Soup Days – Monday, Nov. 21^st & Tuesday, Nov. 22^nd

Stone Soup Days are one of the most significant preschool events of the year. Based on the beloved children’s book Stone Soup, each child brings a vegetable/food item to class to contribute to the community/class pot of soup. Your classroom teachers or Room Parents will let you know the details of how you can pitch in and be a part of this beautiful preschool annual tradition.

Wednesday, November 23^rd

MINIMUM DAY – 12 PM DISMISSAL

The day before our Preschool Thanksgiving Break is a Minimum Day. Therefore, the preschool will close promptly at 12 PM.

Thanksgiving Break – Thursday, November 24^th – Friday, November 25^th

PRESCHOOL CLOSED

The preschool will be closed for Thanksgiving Break in the second half of the 4^th week of November. We hope and pray that everyone has a fantastic time off, reflecting on what they are thankful for.

From our preschool family to yours’…

May God continue to bless, protect, guide, and grace you all with His presence, mercy, and love now and in the coming year. Amen.

October is here and we have so much to do and look forward to…

Preschool Chapel – Thursday, October 6^th

Our second chapel of the year is here! For our first chapel together we focused on the Creation Story. We are now moving on to Adam and Eve and discussing the power of choices, consequences, and God’s love.

Parent Site Work Day – Saturday, October 8^th 

Parent Site Work Day is just around the corner!

Don’t miss out on your chance to help our preschool, build community, and earn those MVP hours.

There are two ways to participate in this year’s event.

1. Donate materials/supplies. (Every $20 spent is worth 1 hr. of MVP.)
2. Help at the event. (Pssst…volunteering to work at this event is worth double hours. Work 2 and receive 4. ) 

We will be cleaning classrooms, power washing the patios, turning the sand, sanding, painting, and more. Please use the SignUp.com link below to join in all the fun.

We’re using SignUp.com to organize. Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link to see our SignUp on SignUp.com: https://signup.com/go/XiKuMdN

2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.

3) Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.

Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone.

Teacher In-Service Day – Friday, October 14^th 

It is time for a teacher in-service day. 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 that we do in service of the children and families.

Police Officer Visit – Tuesday, October 18^th

The community helper visits carry on with our local Pasadena Police Department sending a car, motorcycle, and even McGruff the crime dog! We look forward to seeing the vehicles, officers, and having a short presentation focusing on child safety.

The Great Shake Out – Thursday, October 20^th

Once again the main campus and preschool will participate in the Great California ShakeOut. This will be a full earthquake drill involving practicing “Bunnies in the Hole” aka duck & cover as well as a muster onto the main campus for an official headcount.

The elementary/Jr high will also be involved in a pantomime of pretend injuries and other disaster-related activities. The preschoolers, however, will muster on the big field grass where we will read books, sing songs, and possibly have a snack before returning to the preschool campus to resume our day.

Parent-Teacher Conferences – Friday, October 21^st

Fall Conferences are here! We will be sitting down to discuss the kiddos and all we’ve done and plans for the days ahead. Please use the classroom links below to find your classroom information and sign-ups.

Room 1 Click Here

Room 2 Click Here

Room 3 Click Here

Room 4 Click Here

Room 5 Click Here

Childcare will be provided for all our current preschoolers. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to accommodate sibling care at this time.

Candid Student Photos – Tues., Oct. 25^th & Wed., Oct. 26th

They’re back! We will once again be taking Candid Photos of all the kiddos at the preschool this year. These photos are different from traditional school photos as they are meant to catch the kids in action. Our photographer, Adrea Scheidler, is a PCS mom with many years of experience capturing those adorable preschool smiles. Once photos have been taken, Ms. Adrea will provide families with individual links for viewing and purchasing options.

Fire Station 36 Visit – Wednesday, October 26^th

We are having a special visit from our Local Fire Station 36. They will be making a stop at the preschool with the truck, crew, and a few surprises. We can hardly wait to see it all in person. Hurry, hurry, drive the firetruck!

One of our favorite preschool firefighter songs is Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Firetruck.

Click Here for the lyrics

Apple Pumpkin Days – Thursday, October 27^th – Friday, October 28^th

Our annual tradition of Apple Pumpkin Days is just around the corner. We will be celebrating this year’s harvest season during the last week of October with special themed books, activities, and treats. Be sure to watch for emails from your classroom teachers or Room Parents about how you can help support this fun filled fall tradition.

Communication – Emails, phone calls, Procare messages…

We work hard at staying connected and will do our best to respond to parent communications during our regular operation hours from 7am until 6pm.

While parents are welcome to send us emails, Procare messages or leave voicemails at any time, outside of emergencies, our staff will respond once they are on campus.

Volunteering at the Preschool

Will you be volunteering on campus this year?

If you are planning on helping out in the classroom or during a special event, we will need a signed Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement on file for you.

Click Here to view the Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement

Hard copies will be available in the Preschool Office

COMING SOON!

Older Pod Field Trip to Underwood Family Farms – Fri., Nov. 18th

Mark your calendars! Room 1, 2, & 3 will be going on our traditional fall field trip to Underwood Family Farm this year, yay! It has been three years since we have been able to enjoy this amazing outing and we can’t wait. More details will be released throughout the month.

Room 4 & 5 will enjoy Farm Days here on site with special farm animal guests.

We are already four weeks into another school year and having a great time! You might say we’re “Fall”ing into the fun!

Preschool Chapel – Friday, September 9^th

Our first chapel of the year is here! For our first chapel together we focused on the Creation Story. God made the mountains, God made the sea, God made the animals and God made you and me!

Art with Ms. Angela

We have officially started having art with Ms. Angela in our Art Studio. Each classroom has a special pull out time to go visit Ms. Angela and explore, create, and express their own individual artistic skills.

MVP and the Parent Teacher Fellowship at the Preschool

The MVP program is in full swing. Many families have started to sign up to volunteer or donate. We are so grateful for the generosity of our families and their willingness to bless us. There will be many more opportunities to participate over the year ahead including:

• Parent Sight Work Day – Saturday, October 8^th
• Apple Pumpkin Days – October 27^th and 28^th
• Stone Soup Days – November 21^st and 22^nd
• Happy Birthday Jesus – Saturday, December 10^th

These are just a few of our larger preschool events but there will also be smaller classroom opportunities for volunteering or donation. Our amazing teaching staff will keep you informed of how you can participate.

Another wonderful way to participate at the preschool is to become a Room Parent. Room Parents are instrumental in helping spread information about various volunteer opportunities as well as gentle reminders of upcoming events. Room Parents aren’t expected to do it all but they do add another layer to classroom communication and clarity. If you are interested in becoming a Room Parent, please be sure to speak with your classroom teachers. We will be holding our first Room Parent Meeting soon.

CLICK HERE to see this year’s MVP Program Guidelines.

CLICK HERE to see MVP Service Tracking information.

*Please note that the donation amount is $20 = 1 hr. We apologize for the confusion for anyone who might have given already this school year. We inadvertently posted the older donation rate of $15 = 1hr.

• Keep it Quick – Long drop-offs and pick-ups are hard on the kids and classrooms. If you need to speak with a teacher, please arrange a time to do so outside of drop-offs and pick-ups as they will be focused on the children in the environment.
• Siblings – We love seeing everyone’s older/younger sisters/brothers but this is a gentle reminder that if they don’t attend the preschool, they can’t play at the preschool. As a licensed facility, we are only permitted to have children who are currently in our care play at the center during our regular hours of operation. This includes playing in the yard or classrooms. We thank everyone in advance for helping us follow this mandated rule.
• Kids and Cars – Please also remember that children under seven can’t be left alone in a car unless under the supervision of a person 12 years old if: 1) The keys are in the ignition or the car is running, or 2) There is a significant risk to the child. If you have a complicated situation and need assistance during drop-off/pick-up, please give us a call and one of our administration team will help.
• Physical Signatures – It is very important that each child is signed in and out of their classroom each day. Be sure to take the time to physically sign the sheet and please be sure your signature is legible. This is another licensing requirement that our center is mandated to follow.

Thanks for helping us make our days at preschool safe, healthy, and happy.

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 2^nd through Friday, May 6^th

The first week of May is Teacher & Staff Appreciation week. We love our teachers, and would love for them to feel all of the gratitude, care and appreciation that we have for them. Click the link below and read over the weekly schedule listing out all of the ways that we will be sharing our love with them during the week. If you would like to participate, please choose which day or days you would like to bless your teachers!

Your fabulous teachers will love all of these SURPRISES during the week. If you would like some help in knowing some of their favorite things please check out their Preschool Teacher Favorite Things Pages 

Preschool Chapel – Friday, May 13^th

Our Fruit of the Spirit for the month of May is Goodness. We will be discussing 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.

Preschool Family Picnic – Saturday, May 14^th

We invite you to join the fun at our annual end of year picnic! Families will enjoy bounce houses, water play, glitter tattoos, crafts, snow cones, spending time with friends, meeting new families, and more! Please join us for all the fun!

Where:   PCS Field (Please park in the Garfield Parking Lot at 1492 N. Garfield Ave.)
When:    Saturday, May 14th

Time:    11:00 am – 1:00 pm

RSVP:    Please RSVP by Friday, May 6th                                                           

Please submit your RSVP here —–> Preschool Family Picnic RSVP FORM

Cost:     $5.00 per person (Fee includes all activities and a hot dog lunch)        

Payments can be made in the Preschool Office prior to the event or at the door. We are only able to process Cash or Checks for this event. Checks can be made out to PCS.      

Looking forward to a fun day together!!

End of the Year Pizza Parties – Monday, May 23^rd & Tuesday, May 24^th 

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

Aloha Days! – Wednesday, May 25^th & Thursday, May 26^th – MINIMUM DAYS

For our last two days of preschool this year, we felt that aloha was the perfect sentiment. Hello to summer, goodbye to our year together, and of course I love you. On both Wednesday and Thursday we invite all the kids to dress in their brightest, most tropical, and Hawaiian best. We will be celebrating the conclusion of our year with special photo ops at drop off and much more.

Preschool Promotion – Wednesday, May 25^th @ 6PM

This year has been amazing! While we did face challenges, it has been a truly fantastic year spent together at the preschool. 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 that is here at PCS or beyond.  

This year, we will be hosting our traditional in-person promotion ceremony. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for your invitation with all the details. 

Preschool Closed – Friday, May 27^th through Friday, June 3^rd 

The preschool will be closed to students for cleaning and summer prep. 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 6^th 

Our first session of Fun in the Sun: Out to Sea! will kick off Monday, June 6^th. 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 be joining the “Fun in the Sun” summer camp this year? 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 with care 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. Due to limited spaces in our lot, quick drop-offs and pick-ups are ideal.

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

We pray you all have a marvelous Easter weekend! May God bless your Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday celebrations as you reflect on the sacrifice and power of our God.

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

¹⁰ 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

24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ 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? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” ⁸ Then they remembered his words. Luke 24:1-8