Join us this February at the annual Pasadena Preschool Fair! The fair will feature local preschools, preschool-oriented vendors, music, activities, and more!
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November 2018 Preschool News and Calendar of Events
November kicks off LOADS of fun in preschool…from Apple and Pumpkin Day celebrations to Thanksgiving and Christmas; there is no shortage of holiday fun over the next few months.
NOVEMBER CURRICULUM
Our November curriculum will focus on friendship, farm life, harvest, and Thanksgiving. Our older pod will take a BIG field trip to Underwood Farms and of course, we spend time reading the book Stone Soup to prepare for our annual Stone Soup celebration!
Click the link to find out which skills we will be focusing on. Please remember that the skills listed are the overarching objectives to be learned by the end of Pre-K. In general, our two year olds will begin investigations with these skills, three year olds will explore and and expand on these skills, while the Pre-K students (entering kindergarten next fall) will refine and gain mastery. As always, social-emotional and spiritual learning is at the forefront of all that we do in preschool as it is the basis of being able to learn successfully
HOUSEKEEPING:
Just a reminder that we are CLOSED in observance of Veteran’s Day – November 12
THANK YOU to all the parents who helped at our Site Work Day. The yard and classrooms look absolutely beautiful!
Fall weather brings cooler temperatures (well…hopefully anyway!). Please be sure to update your child’s cubby box with season-appropriate clothing and send a sweater during cooler days. The playground can be chilly in the mornings.
NEWS, NOTES & MORE
Eligible for TK/K in 2019-2020? Be sure to attend the Kindergarten Meet and Greet on Saturday, November 10th. This is for PCS preschool students only and is a fabulous opportunity to meet the PCS teachers and visit the classrooms WITH your students!
*see notes in Admissions Section for more info.
Staffing Updates:
Welcome back, Mrs. Joy! Mrs. Joy will be returning from maternity leave to her position as Assistant Director on November 5th. Ms. Sheri (who has been doing a fabulous job at our desk!) will be heading to the Younger Pod as their Outdoor Curriculum Specialist.
Sadly, we will be saying goodbye to Ms. I-Chieh (our long term substitute in the Younger Pod) as she has accepted a full time job beginning November 5th. She will be missed, but we are so proud of her for securing a full time teaching position!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Please be sure to mark your calendars for Saturday, December 15th from 10-12. This is our annual HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS party! The children will sing a selection of songs for you on the PCS stage and then everyone will enjoy crafts, games, lunch and more on the PCS courts.
Saturday, November 3 – Fall Family Festival – JOIN THE FUN! There are games, prizes, rides, and more…fun for the whole family! Tickets are available at the door.
Wednesday, November 7 – Annual Playopolis Toy Sale – Our annual toy sale begins next week and will run for 1 week. Get an early start to Christmas shopping; proceeds benefit our school!
November 15 – PCS orchestra visits preschool – the PCS orchestra will play a selection of songs and demonstrate their instruments to the students
Friday, November 16 – Older Pod Field Trip to Underwood Farms
Please remember to fill out your forms and make your payment through Smart Tuition. Thank you in advance to all the chaperones who will be helping to make this field trip a great success!
PARENT TEACHER FELLOWSHIP (PTF):
CLASSROOM TEACHER TREATS:
November 16 – Parents of Room 3 – Look for emails from your Room Parents.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Volunteer opportunities are available! CLICK HERE to register for all-school events through signup.com!
Meal Train Opportunities! (2 MVP HOURS EACH MEAL PROVIDED)
BABIES, BABIES, BABIES! This year, have about TWELVE (and counting!) families welcoming new members to their family! Please help us bless them with a meal.
The Samuel Family
The Zambrano Family
MVP Booklets/Hours: All families should have received their YELLOW MVP booklet. PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU DIDN’T RECEIVE ONE.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TEACHERS!!!
November 27 – Ms. Pam
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Click Here for FULL 2018-2019 Calendar
November 3 – Fall Family Festival – JOIN THE FUN!
November 12 – Veteran’s Day – School Closed
November 15 – PCS Observation Day and PCS Orchestra to play at Preschool
November 16 – Underwood Family Farms Older Pod Field Trip
November 19 & 20 – Stone Soup Days (lunch provided)
November 21 – 23 – Thanksgiving Break – School Closed
December 6 – PCS Observation Day (tell your friends!)
Saturday, December 8 – PCS Christmas Breakfast & Kids-only Christmas Store
December 14 – Grandparents’ Day / Minimum Day
December 15 – Happy Birthday Jesus Party – (attendance HIGHLY encouraged!)
December 18 & 19 – PJ and Hot Cocoa Day – wear your PJs!
December 19 – Minimum Day
December 20 – January 4 – Christmas Holidays
January 7 – School Resumes
ADMISSIONS & RE-ENROLLMENT INFO
Admissions season has begun (hard to believe, I know!!)
If your child is TK eligible (age 5 by Dec. 31 2019) or Kindergarten eligible (age 5 by Aug. 31 2019) for the 2019-2020 school year, we encourage you to attend the specical PCS Preschool Family Meet and Greet on November 10th. RSVP to Betty St. Peter.
You may also opt to attend a PCS Observation Day! Our next one is November 15. Tell your friends about us, too! We LOVE referrals 🙂 Sign up here: http://www.pasadenachristian.org/admissions/tour.cfm
**If your kinder-eligible child does not attend 5 days per week, be sure to check out our monthly skills sheets and chat with the teachers about readiness activities you can do at home to ensure your child is kindergarten-ready** 🙂
TK/K Enrollment: For current preschool families entering PCS TK/K in the fall, there is no separate application…simply fill out the Intent to Enroll form which will be distributed in December.
Preschool Re-enrollment – You will receive an “Intent to Enroll” form at the beginning of December asking you to choose your desired program (2, 3 or 5 days) for 2019-2020 . Please watch for this form as we create enrollment packages based on this form
Referrals: Do you have friends who would enjoy our school? Send them our way! If you love them, we will love them too!!! Applications for 2019-2020 are available on our website for new students.
The Doctor is In!
Room 1 friends had a blast in our dramatic play: Curious George Goes to the Hospital! Our play area, which is based off the 1966 book by Margret and H. A. Rey, helps us practice being kind and caring of others as well as understanding body awareness. It all began after the friends first heard Curious George’s adventure on audio story and it has become a classroom favorite ever since! We brainstormed what we would need in a hospital and even participated in painting parts of the scenery as relayed in the original story! Check out the ways we have been growing in our knowledge of the way God made our bodies and how we can demonstrate love as we attend to the needs of others!
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” Ephesians 4:32
Fun in Room 5
Greetings Room 5 Families!
We have been very busy in Room 5 getting to know each other, learning our new jobs, and even learning the fruits of spirit! Although our little ones are small they are definitely mighty and eager to learn new things everyday. We are learning how to take turns (self control), use our words and show kindness with our friends. It is hard for a two year old to use their words so we are there to help them navigate through any problem or struggle they come into contact with so they are more confident in the struggles they face later on.
We have also been using our muscles in the big yard by climbing outside on the structure, riding bikes in the bike area, and running with friends. We are working with our sorting cups, play dough, and building with different types of blocks.
Blessings!
Enjoy the pictures below! 🙂
Great Shake Out Earthquake Drill
PCS participated in the Great California Shake Out Earthquake Drill again this year and it was another successful event! After 2 minutes of simulating the duck and cover position (we call it Bunny in the Hole), we headed up to the big field to “safety”. While the preschoolers enjoyed a snack and songs, the elementary students and staff simulated everything from broken bones to a pretend fire in the science lab. A few teachers were “trapped” in classrooms and several people were taken to “triage” for assessment. While we pray we never need to use these skills, it is affirming to know we are well prepared in the event of an emergency!
Beary Blessed Bear Day
A couple weeks ago we had a beary special, beary exciting day! Bear Day!! Our kiddos had been studying all about Corduroy and his many adventures. We retold his story, learned how to located the beginning, middle, and end of a story, and painted his buttons. We also read numerous books about bears. The students got so into Bear facts we brainstormed how to extend our learning. And what do you know that brainstorming led to the organization of our beary amazing Bear day. We ate Teddy Grahams for snack. We brought bears from home to love on all day. We made Corduroy button picture frames. We sat for photos with our special Bear friends. We constructed Bear hats. We created Bear dens from cardboard packing material. Whew! We were beary exhausted!! Take a look at all our bear-tastic adventures…
APPLES
Dear parents, thank you for bringing all the delicious apples! Your generous contributions made this apple galore an exciting successful apple filled venture with many different activities to do with your children. We have done apple tasting, made apple dumplings, and most recently made apple sauce.
On September 27th and 28th the children participated in apple tasting and charting. On October 3rd and 4th we made apple dumplings and they were able to follow direction such as spreading the dough, placing the apple in the center, shaking the cinnamon and sugar, wrapping the apple with the dough, and enjoying a delicious dessert after lunch. On October 10th and 11th we made apple sauce and the children were chopping the apples into small piece with butter knives. We are looking forward to a lot more fun activities this school year.
