March showers bring April flowers and so much more to preschool! Hello Spring!

Easter Cross Decorating

Help us enhance the decoration of our preschool over the next few weeks as we celebrate and commemorate the significance of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Everyone is invited to bring a flower to add to our cross. Please stop by the cross and tuck your special floral donation into the ropes that twine its entire breadth and width.

Week of the Young Child – Monday, April 7^th – Friday, April 11^th

Every year, we celebrate the wonderful children we serve and the unique world they inhabit with exciting, week-long festivities. Each day will have its particular theme and events to look forward to. This week is a national celebration highlighting the significance of this fundamental and transformative period of life. Oh, to be a young child! Parents are welcome to participate and volunteer; please check with your class to see how you can get involved.

CLICK HERE for the Week of the Young Child Daily Themes & Events

Elks Vision Screening – Wed, April 9^th, Thurs, April 10^th, & Fri, April 11^th

The Elks Vision Screening is a free service provided to preschool children throughout California and Hawaii. This screening will take place on campus, in the Art Studio, as a special event for our students. Teachers will help facilitate the screening by guiding students and assisting during the screening process. If you are interested in participating in this program, please fill out a vision screening form with the Front Desk at either drop-off or pick-up. Children need a Vision Screening Form to participate. Hard copies will be available at the preschool.

Easter Egg Hunts – Wednesday, April 16^th and Thursday, April 17^th

We will host Egg Hunts on the two days leading up to Good Friday. Each classroom will sponsor and organize our Wednesday egg hunt, while the PCS Admissions Department will sponsor our Thursday event.

We look forward to both days and celebrating the season with this fantastic annual tradition. Parents are welcome to sign up to participate in each event. Please see your individual classroom teachers for more details.

Preschool Chapel – Thursday, April 17^th

Our Fruit of the Spirit for April is Faithfulness. What a perfect fruit to reflect God’s plan and promise through His son Jesus Christ. We will read and discuss what transpired on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.

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

Good Friday and Easter Monday– Fri., April 18^th & Mon., Apr. 21^st, PRESCHOOL CLOSED

We will celebrate the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ by reflecting on the gift that the cross represents for all of us.

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

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2

Easter Sunday – Sunday, April 20^th

 ²⁴On 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

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:5-6

Hallelujah, He is risen!!

Summer Camp Registration

Will you join this year’s “Fun in the Sun” summer camp? If so, please ensure that you submit your registration forms promptly. Spaces are filling up fast! Summer camp is FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE, including outside families, so don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of the fun at the preschool this summer.

CLICK HERE for the Preschool Summer Registration Packet

CLICK HERE for the Kinder Camp Registration Packet

If you have already signed up, look for more camp-specific information over the months ahead.

As we cruise toward the end of the year, we wanted to share a few helpful hints, reminders, and requests.

DOORS & KIDS – Many of our kiddos want to be helpful and open doors; this is great if a parent or a teacher is present, but potentially dangerous if they aren’t. We want to avoid accidents or injuries.

When dropping off or picking up, please ensure you are with your child before they attempt to open or pass through any of our doors, especially those leading to our parking lot.

SIGNING IN – As a state-licensed facility, we are required to have physical signatures for children upon drop-off and pick-up. Please ensure you sign in and out each day. The preschool will be held responsible and potentially fined for every missing signature.

PLAYING AT PICK-UP, CLASSROOM RATIOS, AND TEACHER RESPONSIBILITIES – When picking up at the end of the day, please be mindful of the other students and teachers who may still be present in the environment.

Our fantastic staff is legally responsible for the children who are still signed in for the day but, due to ratios and other concerns, cannot watch children who have been signed out, especially if they are from another class. That is why we ask adults to limit the time spent in classrooms and passing through our outdoor spaces, patios, and yards.

Additionally, as a licensed facility, we are prohibited from allowing older and younger siblings who aren’t enrolled in the preschool to play in our environment during our regular hours of operation. While siblings are welcome to come for drop-off and pick-up, they must always stay with their adults while in the preschool.

Families are welcome to take a moment in the lobby to visit the turtles, look at or borrow a book from our lending library, check out the “Zany Zoo” on your way out, or enjoy the swing. When enjoying the swing, please be mindful of the parking lot and the cross traffic.

April 7^th – Deadline for MVP Hours

April 7^th-11^th –  Week of the Young Child

April 9^th-11^th – Elks Vision Screening

April 18^th – Good Friday: PRESCHOOL CLOSED

April 21^st – Easter Monday: PRESCHOOL CLOSED

April 21^st – 25^th – PCS Main Campus Spring Break

April 22^nd – 25^th – PRESCHOOL OPEN

May 2^nd – Open House

May 17^th – Preschool Family Picnic

May 26^th – Memorial Day: PRESCHOOL CLOSED

May 28^th – Preschool Promotion (Rooms 1 & 2): MINIMUM DAY

May 29^th – Last Day of Preschool: MINIMUM DAY

May 30^th – June 6^th – PRESCHOOL CLOSED

June 9^th – First Day of Summer Camp

July 4^th – CAMP CLOSED

July 31^st – Last Day of Camp

August 1^st – August 19^th – PRESCHOOL CLOSED

August 18^th – Back to School Night

August 19^th – Preschool Meet & Greet

August 20^th – First Day of School

Grandparent’s Day – Friday, December 10^th – MINIMUM DAY: NOON DISMISSAL

Grandparent’s Day is back! Room 1 & 2 will be performing with the upper campus in our auditorium while Room’s 3, 4, & 5 will be presenting at the preschool.

All Grandparents should plan on parking at our Garfield Parking Lot located at 1492 N Garfield Ave., Pasadena, CA. 91104. UPDATED: Auditorium doors open at 9:45am and the program starts at 10am. Preschool doors open at 10am and programs will start at 10:30am. The preschool parking lot will be reserved for handicap parking and drop-off/pick-up only.

Room 1 & 2 Grandparents will head to the auditorium.

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

This is a MINIMUM DAY, Grandparents are welcome to take students post performances. We will send out a form to fill out prior to the day so we know who is going with whom.

Happy Birthday Jesus! – Saturday, December 11th

Happy Birthday Jesus is back in-person, hooray! 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 all of our families.

Event Schedule:

• 9:30am – Students are dropped off at the preschool to be organized by teachers.
  • Parents continue onto the auditorium to find seats.
• 10:00am – Preschool performance.
• 11:00am – Activities for children and families on the upper playground.
• 12:00pm – Event ends.

Each classroom will be providing both a craft and game booth. This can be a wonderful way to earn some MVP hours. Room Parents will be sending out details of how you can help support this wonderful event.

PJs and Hot Cocoa Days – Thursday, December 16^th & Friday, December 17^th

One of our favorite Christmas traditions at preschool are 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, a class full of friends and it makes for a wonderful time together.

Preschool Christmas Chapel – Thursday, December 16^th

On our last day together prior to the Christmas break, we will celebrate the reason for the season in our traditional preschool Christmas chapel. The classes will each enjoy a group chapel time with me, Mr. Tim. Hooray!

Friday, December 17^th – MINIMUM DAY: NOON DISMISSAL

Monday, December 20^th through Monday, January 3^rd

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.

Tuesday, January 4^th – Preschool Resumes

NEWS & REMINDERS

Fire Fighter Presentation – Friday October 1^st

We are so thrilled to announce a very special visit from Battalion Chief Jeff Ragusa, one of our Rm 1 Dads. Jeff is going to bring his personal gear and show all of our kids how firefighters prepare and stay safe when battling fires.

We are so appreciative of the amazing work that Jeff does and his willingness to come and share with us. The kids love seeing heroes in action and it’s even better when we know that hero personally.

Candid Student Photos – Wednesday, October 6^th & Thursday, October 7^th

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 the 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, Adrea will provide families with individual links for viewing and purchasing options.

Preschool Chapel – Thursday, October 7^th

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

Parent Site Work Day – Saturday, October 9^th 

Parent Site Work Day is your chance to help our preschool, build community, and earn those MVP hours.  

We will be cleaning classrooms, refreshing the woodchips, turning the sand, building a bridge and more. Please use the SignUp.com link below to join in all the fun.

We’re using SignUp.com (the leading online SignUp and reminder tool) 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/dpCjVEK 

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.

Fire Station 38 Visit – Monday, October 11^th

The preschool will be continuing our firefighting theme with a visit from our Local Fire Station 38. 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.

Use the link below to see the full lyrics.

Teacher In-Service Day – Friday, October 15^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.

The Great Shake Out – Thursday, October 21^st

Once again the main campus and preschool will participate in the Great California Shake Out. 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 22^nd

We are so happy to be able to have in-person conferences once again this year. Please keep your eyes peeled for classroom emails with the specific details and SignUp.com links for you to use.

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

Police Officer Visit – Wednesday, October 27^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.

Apple Pumpkin Days – Thursday, October 28^th – Friday, October 29^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.

We are including a links to the Pasadena Christian School’s Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement for your reference and use as well as the 2021-2022 MVP Program Info Sheet so you know how you can complete your hours this year.

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.

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

Dr. Seuss wrote more than 46 children’s books and stories that have shaped and continue to impact the world of early childhood literature. We will be celebrating him at preschool by reading a few of his books this year. Thank you Dr. Seuss for firing our imaginations, our love of rhyme, and introducing us to the worlds inside of books.

Just for your enjoyment, here are links to two famous Dr. Seuss books that Mr. Tim recorded when we went to distance learning a year ago. Enjoy!

Mr. Tim Reads:

The Cat in the Hat

Green Eggs and Ham

Summer Camp Registration – DUE: Friday, March 12^th

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 are still limited by our smaller class sizes. Summer camp is FIRST COME FIRST SERVE so don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of the fun at the preschool this summer.

St. Patrick’s Day – Wednesday, March 17^th

With a touch of the blarney, we will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year with leprechauns, shamrocks, and so much more. The story of St. Patrick is also a wonderful time to talk about God’s commandment for us to spread the gospel with 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

Happy New Year! We are so happy to be back together at preschool in 2021. Here are a few quick reminders about what we will be looking forward to this month.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Mon., Jan. 18^th – PRESCHOOL CLOSED

We will be celebrating the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., along with the rest of the nation, by taking the day to remember and reflect on his service and sacrifice. At the preschool, we approach the concept of social justice at an age appropriate level by acknowledging the meaningful contributions of historical figures such as MLK but more specifically by reflecting on the love and nature of God. God teaches us that we are all created in His image (Gen. 1:26), that we are all one in Christ Jesus (Eph. 5:21),  that we are called to stand for others (Prob. 31:8-9), and most importantly to love God and each other. (Matt. 22:37-39, Jhn. 15:12).

Snow Days – Thurs., Jan. 28^th & Fri., Jan. 29^th

We wanted to let you know that we have postponed our Snow Days due to the high possibility of rain on both Thursday & Friday this week. Currently, we are hoping to reschedule for next Thursday & Friday, February 4th & 5th. We are praying that the weather improves for us next week as well as that Arctic Glacier, the company providing the snow, will be able to accommodate our new dates. As soon as we have confirmed those new days, we will let everyone know. UPDATED 01/25/2021

We are so excited to announce an on-site field trip for this winter, Snow Days! Starting on Thursday, January 28^th, we are turning the back end of the preschool parking lot into our very own winter wonderland with actual snow! The snow will be provided by an outside company, Arctic Glacier, who specializes in snow/ice events. Each classroom will have an opportunity to explore the frosty fun as an extension of their classroom’s yard time.

We recommend bundling up your little ones on those days and sending snow appropriate clothes and footwear plus sending extra clothes to change into after the event. Each classroom will have a half hour window of time to play in the snow on both Thursday and Friday.

*This event will be postponed if the forecast calls for rain on either of our planned days.

Christmas Time is here!!! We are very excited for all that will happen over the three weeks we are together in December. Here are a few quick reminders about what we will be looking forward too.

Grandparent’s Day – December 11^th – FULL DAY of PRESCHOOL

This year we aren’t able to celebrate our grandparents as we normally would be inviting them to visit us on campus but we will be working on a special surprise to share with them. Since our esteemed elders won’t be on campus to visit and take the children with them, we have opted to extend our day to a normal full day of preschool. Next year, Lord willing, we will return to the customary minimum day that permits grandparents to visit and take students as well as allow staff to setup for Happy Birthday Jesus the following day.

Happy Birthday Jesus! – Wednesday, December 9^th & Thursday, December 10^th

We will be celebrating Happy Birthday Jesus with student only school festivities this season. As always, each classroom has selected a couple of holiday songs to present but this year we will be sharing them by means of virtual performance. The children will perform their songs here at the preschool, we will record each classroom, and share their special Christmas jingles via the Preschool Blog.

It is our prayer that by this time next year, we will all be together again for our usual Saturday, full family, event.

PJs and Hot Cocoa Days – Thursday, December 17^th & Friday, December 18^th

One of our favorite Christmas traditions at preschool are 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 wonderful time together.

Preschool Christmas Chapel – Friday, December 18^th

On our last day together prior to the Christmas break, we will celebrate the reason for the season in our traditional preschool Christmas chapel. The classes will each enjoy an individual chapel time with me, Mr. Tim.

Friday, December 18^th – MINIMUM DAY – NOON DISMISSAL

Monday, December 21^st through Monday, 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.

Tuesday, January 5^th – Preschool Resumes