News and Reminders 2023

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 – Thursday, March 2^nd

Did you know that Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham using only 50 words?

Published in 1960, the book’s origin started as a wager between Random House publisher/co-founder Bennett Cerf and Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss. “Bennett Cerf bet me I couldn’t write a book using 50 words or less, and I wanted to show him that I could.” – Dr. Seuss

Over the past 60 years, Dr. Seuss’ books and stories have shaped and continue to impact the world of early childhood literature. We will be celebrating him and his contributions at preschool by reading several of his books this year. Thank you, Dr. Seuss, for firing our imaginations, and our love of rhyme, and introducing us to the worlds inside of books.

Mid-Year DRDPs

Classrooms will be sending out our mid-year reports via email for all the kiddos. Be sure to take a look. Teachers will be happy to chat with parents who would like to discuss the year’s progress so far and the future

Preschool Chapel – Friday, March 10^th

Our Fruit of the Spirit for the month of March is Gentleness. We will be exploring what it means to be gentle and reading the Parable of the Lost Sheep.

As it is March, we will also discuss St. Patrick, his ministry, and how he used the clover to explain the nature of the trinity, three in one. Chapel is always a wonderful time spent together in worship, fellowship, and the praise of the Lord.

Summer Camp Registration – DUE: Friday, March 10^th

Will you be joining us for Preschool Fun in the Sun or Kinder Camp this year?

If so, be sure to turn in your summer camp registration forms ASAP. 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.

Click Here for:

Preschool Fun in the Sun Registration

Kinder Camp

*Hard copies of our summer registration packets are available in the preschool lobby.

St. Patrick’s Day – Thursday, 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 the call 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

MAKE-UP Picture Days – Monday, March 27^th

Did you miss our first picture days, or are you hoping for a redo? Make-up Picture day will be our last chance to officially capture those preschool smiles. Please let us know if you need your picture taken by stopping by the front desk.

*Tuesday/Thursday friends are welcome to drop by to take their picture too.

Teacher In-service Day – Fri., March 31^st – PRESCHOOL CLOSED

Our last Teacher In-service Day of the year. These days are crucial and provided 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.

April 7^th & 10^th – Good Friday & Easter Monday: PRESCHOOL CLOSED

April 21^st – Open House: MINIMUM DAY

May 6^th – PCS Gala

May 13^th – Preschool Family Picnic

May 24^th – Preschool Promotion: MINIMUM DAY

May 25^th – Last Day of Preschool: MINIMUM DAY

May 26^th – June 3^rd – PRESCHOOL CLOSED

June 5^th – First Day of Summer Camp

July 3^rd & 4^th – CAMP CLOSED

July 27^th – Last Day of Camp

July 28^th – August 11^th – PRESCHOOL CLOSED

August 14^th – Back to School Night

August 15^th – Preschool Meet & Greet

August 16^th – First Day of School

YOUNG FRIENDSHIPS

February the month known to many as the month for love and friendship.

As a class we remind all of our kids to be kind and gentle with each other. Its not an easy task to learn , as adults we are still learning how to be kind and gentle. Here are some scenarios we experience in class. “ He took my toy away,” as teachers we assist both parties in resolving the conflict by either providing appropriate words to use with each other or assisting them in finding other options. Another option would be using a timer and taking turns with the object. You would be surprised by the outcome.

“PARTY TIME” Love was all around, valentine’s were given to each and every child and a we had a special snacks provided by our generous parents.

Throwback to Snow Days ❄️

With Winter coming to an end, we wanted to reminisce on all the fun we had during snow days! Our friends in Room 3 got to enjoy the fresh snow first thing in the morning. We rode sleds on the slide, learned how to make snow balls, colored snow, and even had a mini snowball fight with our teachers! Thank you to the office for another great year of snow exploration! ☃️🛷❄️

The Curiosity Approach: Valentine’s Week on the Patio

The curiosity approach is an early childhood teaching method that aims to ignite a child’s natural curiosity and imagination. As adults and teachers we sometimes are too quick to model how we want materials used, find ourselves leading play by making suggestions and guiding children through activities we have prepared for them. It is important to take a step back and remember just how capable children are to think for themselves, make their own choices and direct their own learning. We want to equip children with the confidence to make good choices and explore the world around them in safe and enriching ways.

Room 1 was the first to arrive at this Valentine inspired activity. With interests peaked, our older 4 year olds began picking up the materials at this table. They were wide-eyed and curiously asked, “What do we do here?” and “What do we do with this?” With no adult direction, they started picking apart the flower petals, cutting the stems–dissecting the flowers! What better way to learn the parts of a flower than to be given the freedom to do what every child instinctually wants to do–take it apart to explore it! Of course with an activity like this comes the discussion of caring for nature so things can continue to grow. But in this moment and with these roses that have already been plucked from the ground, we are the ones growing–growing in our knowledge of the world around us, growing in life science, and growing in personal discovery.

Check out the way our little ones used the petals to color the water, make observations with magnifying glasses, and discuss their step-by-step process with friends.

A very special THANK YOU to David’s mommy for donating these roses to The Patio for us to explore all week long! We LOVED them!

A Beary Lovely Tea Party

Our friends have been enjoying a Beary Lovely Tea Party on the older pod patio. We are getting the most out of our playtime by using our imagination, practicing important social-emotional skills and developing language.

How unbearably sweet to see our friends care for their teddy bears in such loving ways.

“Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14

New and Reminders 2023

FUN RUN – Friday, February 3^rd

The preschool is thrilled to participate in this year’s FUN RUN event!

WHEN: Fri., Feb. 3^rd from 9:45 AM to 10:45 AM

WHERE: The PCS Field

Tuesday/Thursday, friends are welcome to join us, with a parent, for the event itself.

All the kiddos will have a special FUN RUN shirt to wear on the day of the event. To avoid any mishaps with the t-shirts, classrooms will hold onto the t-shirts and put them on the children the day of. Tuesday/Thursday friends will have the option of taking their t-shirts home on Thursday.

Parents are welcome to join us for the FUN RUN by coming to the preschool prior to the event and walking over with the kiddos or by signing in through the main campus front office and meeting us at the field. MVP Hours are available for helping at the FUN RUN.

The children will be encouraged but not required to run.

Preschool Chapel – Thursday, February 9^th

It is the month of love, and we focus on where love comes from. After all, G.O.D. is L.O.V.E. We look forward to coming together to worship and celebrate the love of God for each of us and our love for Him and each other.

1 John 4:7-12

Valentine’s Day Parties – Mon., Feb. 13^th & Tues., Feb 14^th

Each classroom will celebrate the holiday with special festivities on both Monday, February 13^th, and Tuesday, February 14^th. Please be sure to keep a look out for classroom-specific details about what they’ll be doing. This includes how each classroom will handle Valentine’s Day favors.

Here are a few quick suggestions…

♥Avoid edible treats. Instead, themed pencils, crayons, erasers, stickers, or other small items would be a great gift idea.

♥Simple and small is always best.

♥On the cards, sign – To: My Friend From: Your Child’s Name

♥Due to flux schedules, not all the kids know each other, but it makes it easier to give to everyone vs. figuring out who comes on which day. The classrooms will provide a total head count for each room.

♥Avoid the “Boy/Girl” Valentine trap. Allow your child to select the Valentine’s they wish to give vs. worrying about how many boys and girls there are. The kids get so much more out of the reflected diversity of their peers’ interests and the things they want to give.

♥There is no obligation to give out Valentine’s cards/treats, but you are welcome to participate as you see fit.

Teacher In-service Day – Fri., Feb. 17^th – PRESCHOOL CLOSED

Teacher In-service 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 to the children and families.

Presidents’ Day – Mon., Feb. 20^th – PRESCHOOL CLOSED

While we don’t typically do a deep study of American history or civics as a part of the preschool experience, we are happy to celebrate two of our nation’s most influential leaders and the role presidents play in shaping and guiding our country.

Let us raise standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God. – George Washington

My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right. – Abraham Lincoln

Picture Days – Tues., Feb. 21^st & Wed., Feb. 22^nd

It is time to capture those adorable preschool smiles once again! Preschool Picture Days have arrived.

The preschool will be hosting School Pictures from Julie Lilly Photography on Tuesday, February 21^st & Wednesday, February 22^nd. Your child will be photographed only on the listed days. Please look out for more information from your child’s teachers about which day has been assigned to you.

The week prior to Picture Days (February 13^th-16^th), parents will be receiving an envelope for their child’s pictures purchases. Please complete and return to the preschool office on Picture Day.

Please let us know if you have any questions; we are happy to help!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2022

We want to wish you a blessed and happy Christmas. Let us all remember that Christmas is a time to spend with your loved ones and be thankful for the miracle of Christmas.

MAKING OUR PARENTS GIFT AND TREE DECORATIONS

Pajama Day is always a fun activity for everyone even the teachers.

On behalf of Ms. Silvia, Mariza and Arda we want to wish all a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year 2023.

SNOW DAYS AT PCS

Fun things we did before our two fun days with snow at PCS. We read books about snow such as “ What do snowmen do at night,” “ The Snowy Day,” “ The Jacket I Wear In The Snow,” “The First Day of Winter,” and “All You Need for a Snowman.”

With this book “WHAT DO SNOWMAN DO AT NIGHT,” many of our kiddos had their own idea on what snowman did at night. Some kids Said; “ They don’t sleep.” or “ They don’t play because they can’t move. “That’s silly.” “ If you give them hot coco they are going to melt.”

We identified arctic animals and played with ice in the sensory bins, observed and discussed with the kids what happened to ice when it was under the sun. We painted Beanies on the easel and used our fine motor skills to put pompoms on our snowman shaped bottles.

The Kids got creative with our large, medium and small boxes, they built high, sorted boxes by size or by decorations. Their creativity had many different forms, angles and kinds of snowman.

Ice block truck and a snow making machine.

Learning through art

From snowmen to penguins-our room 5 friends are learning how to follow directions when placing the parts of the snowman or penguin on the paper.

We have been talking a lot about our head being on the top of our body, our feet on the bottom of our body and our arms on the sides of our bodies.

Each friend did a great job at their own stage of development. Enjoy!

News and Reminders 2023

News & Reminders

Happy New Year! We are so excited to be back together at preschool in 2023. Here are a few quick reminders about what we will look forward to this month.

Intent to Enroll 2023-2024 – DUE: Friday, Jan. 27^th

Will you be joining us next school year? Intent to Enroll forms are going out through Parent Mailboxes in the classroom, and we would love to know.

To reserve your space in the 2023-2024 program, please return your Intent to Enroll form to the preschool office no later than Friday, January 27, 2023. Online re-enrollment will begin in February. You are guaranteed your current schedule provided you submit your form by the deadline. Please note that schedule changes are based on classroom availability and are processed in the order they are received. You will be notified in early February if your request for a schedule change was approved or placed on waitlist status. Summer Camp registration will be available in February.

Please note that this form is only an intent to enroll and is solely for the purposes of tentatively reserving your child’s space and generating your child’s online re-enrollment records. Your child’s space will be secured upon receipt of your online re-enrollment package and payment of the registration fee during the re-enrollment period.

Preschool Chapel – Friday, Jan. 13^th

This month’s chapel will focus on the visit of the magi as well as revisiting the details of the nativity story. So often, we see depictions of the magi worshiping Jesus at the stable, but it took them a whole additional year to find him! We can’t wait to explore the story and see what other details we are able to parse out regarding their auspicious arrival and the gifts they bring.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Mon., Jan. 16^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, John 15:12).

Snow Days – Thurs., Jan. 26^th & Fri., Jan. 27^th

We are excited to announce an on-site field trip to the snow this winter! Starting on Thursday, January 26^th, we are turning the yard into a winter wonderland with actual snow! The snow will be provided by an outside company, Arctic Glacier, which 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 extra clothes to change into after the event.

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

Coming soon…

Picture Days – Tuesday, Feb. 21^st & Wednesday, Feb. 22^nd

It is time to capture those adorable preschool smiles once again! Preschool picture days have arrived.

The preschool will be hosting School Pictures from Julie Lilly Photography on Tuesday, Feb. 21^st, and Wednesday, Feb. 22^nd. Your child will be photographed only on one of the listed days. Please look out for more information from your child’s teachers about which day has been assigned to you.