Preschool
Mrs. Helten
Preschool Newsletter
April 2010
Happy Easter, everyone! I’m sorry this is a little late, but with the break and all, the first of the month just snuck up on me. So here we go with only one more month left of school after this one.
This week we will be learning about plants. Students in PS will be finger-painting a geranium and planting flower seeds of their own. PK students will be planting flowers, watching over their purple beans that they planted last week and learning about roots and what they do. Mrs. Stithem will be doing the lesson on roots. PS will be going to Hillside Nursery on Thurs. to learn about how plants grow and will be coming home with a flower to plant at home. PK will be going to Botanical Gardens on Fri. We will begin our visit with a plant skit that goes through all the things that a plant needs in order to live. We will then have a self-guided tour of the Gardens. The plant theme will continue for another day next week for the PK class. We will be watching a film that shows how seeds travel from one place to another and will be placing a bean and a kernel of corn into a baggie (with a wet paper towel) and will track in a journal how these to seeds change over several days.
The week of April 12-16 is Early Childhood Week. This week is celebrated all over the country! We make this week very special and very full. Each of these extra activities will have a separate note coming home about it. Please do everything you can to come to each and every one of them.
Tuesday
Tuesday we will have a car seat check sponsored by the Derby Police Dept. Officer Matt Liston (our officer that visited us in Sept. about Stranger Danger) will be set up in front of the preschool beginning at 11:15. As you come through to pick-up your child, Officer Liston will take only a few moments to check all of your car seats to make sure that they are appropriate for your child’s age and secured correctly in your car. It doesn’t take long and is well worth the time. If you are a M-W-F person, you are welcome to come by during that time and have your car seats checked, as well. Officer Liston will be at the Preschool until he is finished with everyone. No one will be turned away.
Wednesday
Donuts for Dads will be on Wednesday from 7:30 am to 8:30 am. Dads are asked to come to school, with their child, and share a donut, some juice/milk, and read a book together. You may come anytime during that time and leave when you are done. T-Th students are included in this! If a dad is not able to come, an uncle, older brother, or even a male neighbor can come instead. Please come even if dad is away on military call.
Thursday
Christmas in April is our special activity on Thursday. All PK and PS students are invited to come!! M-W-F people will be just getting an extra day. Parents are encouraged to come with children, but it is not necessary that a parent come. You need to bring your child to the school gym, that day, and bring them inside. There will be a sign-in table that will have nametags and slips to sign up for the door prizes on. There will be many fun centers that revolve around Christmas. Examples are making Christmas tree cookies, putting cotton on Santa’s beard, coloring, and making a gingerbread man. Santa and his elves will be there for the children to see. I just want you to know that Santa is actually Patrick Flanagan and he is from the St. Anne’s parish. He and his elves have a group called C.L.A.U.S. He insists that he will have a stuffed animal for every child and will be visiting with every child. You may visit Santa’s website at www.clausinc.org. He is doing a lot for nothing but the love of Jesus and children! Amazing man!!
Friday
Friday is Kindergarten Round-up day, so there is no school for PK. If you had previously signed up for Family Movie Night, that will begin at 6:00 pm that evening. More info will coming to you on e-mail, if you have signed up already.
In addition to Early Childhood Week, we will also begin our study of caterpillars. I should receive our real caterpillars before that week starts and will have those for the children to watch grow, spin their chrysalis, and emerge as beautiful Painted Lady butterflies. We will keep the butterflies in a cage in our room for a couple of weeks and will then release them into the school yard. PS will be painting egg cartons into caterpillars and PK will be making name caterpillars with the help of Mrs. Ramsey’s 4th grade class.
Following caterpillar week will be butterfly week. We will continue to finish a couple of projects from the week before and will be making a few new things to bring home. Watch for those!
Earth Day is on Thurs. April 22nd. The PK class will have an Earth Day celebration with Mrs. Griswold’s 1st grade class on Wed. April 21st. The 1st graders will be in charge of six different centers that will be outside near the butterfly garden, if the weather behaves itself. If not, we will hold our Day in Neumann Hall. The entire day is still in the planning stages, so I will let you know what we will be doing as soon as everything is finalized.
The final week of April we will be talking and learning about zoo animals. The week will start with field trips for both classes. I need to point out two important things about the field trips. It is absolutely necessary that you return the permission slip and $ needed by the date on the permission slip. If your slip and money are not returned in time, I regret that your child will not be able to attend the trip. We have to leave so early and I must have one check ready ahead of time, so it has to be in on time. The second thing is that we will be leaving early for the trips. The Education Dept. of the zoo gives us a special class before we go into the zoo. If we are not there on time, they will not give the class to us. So, we will LEAVE at the time listed on the slip. If you are not at school and ready to go at that time, we will NOT be able to wait for you. You are welcome to bring your child to the zoo on your own, but we must be at the zoo and in the Education building before the time of our class start time of 9:00 am. Please note that we will not return either day until 1:00 pm and that each child needs to have a SACK lunch with a disposable drink. We do not want lunch box because it is very inconvenient to carry things like that around with us. Be sure to check the weather for the day to make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.
Both classes will be doing a cutting activity to show what animals they either saw at the zoo or put animals in categories according to their coverings. PK will end that wee with our final trip to the Kindergarten class. We will be going to Mrs. Applebee’s room.
Our ground breaking ceremony for our new school will be on Sun. April 25th at 3:00 pm. I will be there! Please come by and see the layout of the new school and be a part of the wonderful celebration. You have all work so very hard to get the new school. Thank you for all you have done!!
Picture orders were due before Spring break. If you have not returned your packet yet, please do so right away.
We are in our last month of reading for the Book It program. New tickets to record your books read were sent our last week. Please get those back as soon as you can. I have to see a majority of the class reading in order to register us for the drawing of the prizes that Pizza Hut is giving away.
PK class is trying a new program that I thought looked interesting called Handwriting without Tears. It is a very hands-on approach to learning how to form capital letters. There is no actual handwriting done, but rather has a letter building component, a play-doh building component, and a music component to name a few. I am giving some of the components a try and will decide if we will continue with it next year. So far the children really love doing it. Ask them about it!
Keep reading! Keep Jesus in your hearts!
A look ahead:
Mon. May 3rd – Brenda from El Paso Animal Clinic visits
Tues. May 4th – Humane Society visits
Wed. May 5th – Math Walk for PK
Mon. & Tues. May 10th & 11th – Letter People Day
Wed. May 19th – Wacky Wednesday
Thurs. May 20th – Field Day and Splash party (also last day)
Fri. May 21st – Great Plains Nature Center field trip and last day
Mon. – Thurs. May 24-27th – DIAL-3 Screenings
Classroom Information:
Teacher's Aide: I want to let you know that Judy Hough will be our teacher's aide for this year.
Class List: This year, I will not be making a separate class list for you. You should be all be receiving a school directory that will have everyone's phone numbers and addresses in it. The directory can be helpful for many reasons.
Snacks/Show & Tell: You received a copy of the September snack/show & tell calendar with the letter that was sent out at the beginning of August. Each child will be assigned a day that they may bring snacks. We are going to continue the practice of if you are assigned snack during the third week of school, in a particular month, I am asking that you make the snack a healthy snack. What is a healthy snack? Something with no sugar would be nice. Fresh fruits, vegetables, or yogurt would be good choices. We are having more and more children that have health issues that I think it is important to scale back on the sweets. You may send a healthy snack anytime during the month, of course! During the other weeks of the month the snack may be something of your choice, but I would appreciate no messy snacks such as cupcakes (leave these for their birthday treats). Having milk (1% is the only choice for this year) to go with our snack has worked well, so this year we are going to be having milk again. Unfortunately, there is a small cost for the milk. We are asking that you pay the entire year's fee during the first week of school. Three-year-olds will cost $20.00 and four-year-olds will cost $28.00. We are charging a flat fee, which will help us not to have extra paperwork to have this program. Free or reduced milk is not available for preschoolers. That special program begins when the children are in kindergarten. If your child is allergic to milk or they don't like milk, please send a drink of your choice with them daily. It is also helpful if you send me a note right away saying that you don't wish to have milk provided for your child. That way I will not give them any. Milks will start on their first day of school. Please provide snacks for sixteen children for the 4-year-old class (and two teachers J ) and sixteen for the 3-year-old class (and two teachers J ). It helps if you can send napkins also. It is always nice if you can send snacks that are connected to the theme of the week, but is not necessary. The day that your child brings snack is also the day that they may bring a show & tell. Please limit what they bring to one thing. We don't have much time for show & tell. They may choose what they bring. No weapons of any kind, please. Just use your good judgement.
Late Fees: This year we will be continuing with a couple of late fees. Your monthly tuition check is due on the fifteen day of each month. If we do not receive your payment (unless arrangements have be made in advance with the office) by the twentieth of the month a $5 late fee will be added. The other late fee applies to picking students up at the end of the day. School ends at 11:30 am. If your child has not been picked up by five minutes after dismissal of the session, you will be assessed a $3 late fee. This fee will be added to the next month's tuition amount. I will be keeping close records of this. The school and I appreciate promptness in payment and in picking up students after class.
Drop-off procedure: The procedure for bringing your child to school will be as follows. I keep the front door of the preschool closed until 8:50 am. Once you see that I have opened the door, you may bring your child in. Please wait for the door to open (if we don't have a storm door on the front, you may check the door. I will unlock it at 8:50 each morning). I am working to get things ready for the day clear up to that time. I would appreciate you delivering your child into the room the first few weeks of school. They feel more comfortable with you bringing them in at first. When coming up to the building, please stay on the sidewalk and porch. No cutting across the grass, please! You may come into the room with your child, or leave them at the door. Please do not linger in the room. I know it is hard to let go of your little ones, but it can become very distracting for everyone when parents stay in the room to visit or just hang out. This year, I plan to shut and lock the door at 9:10 am. I am doing this for safety reasons. It will be very helpful if you can have your child to class before that time. If students arrive after the 9:10 time, they will not be able to start the morning activity. The things we do during that time are very beneficial and I know that everyone will want their children to be a part of it.
Beginning of the Day Procedure: Our procedure inside the room becomes very familiar to the children rather quickly. They will know what to do after a couple of days. Please let them do all of the things for themselves. That way they will learn. They put their folder into the basket at the door, find their name stick and place it in the attendance chart, and put their bookbags and/or coats into the closet. They then go directly to their seats to work on a morning activity. You will learn more about these things when I have a newsletter that goes over all of our daily activities and why they are important and what we learn from them. That newsletter will be coming out in the middle of September. Please check your child's bookbag and pockets before leaving home to make sure that they don't have any extra toys in them. We have plenty of things for them to play with here and it is best to leave their special toys at home. The person whose day it is to have show & tell can, of course, have that in their bookbags.
Picking up Procedure: When picking up your child, you will be able to usually find us in the back of the preschool in the playground. We will go out if I can stand to be out. So, please be sure and have the appropriate clothing for your child. Hats and gloves are a must in the winter. There is a sidewalk that goes along the side of our building and leads to the back playground. You may enter through the gate whenever you arrive. Please make sure the gate is closed behind you. Either you or your child may go into the school and get their bookbags. You may want to go with them until they feel comfortable going in by themselves. Please ask any extra children that you bring with you at pick up time to not bother anything in the room. Not the toys, not the chalkboard, nothing, please! Once you have your child's bookbag, you may leave though the back gate. I leave the front door locked when we go outside and would like for it to stay that way. That way no one leaves without me being able to see him or her. Thanks for your help on this. Your other children in your family are welcome and I encourage you to bring them with you to the playground. I know it is an extra effort to get them out and put them back into the vehicle and even have to fight with crying kids when you leave, but when you think of all the things that could happen to the little ones while you are gone, I am sure you can understand why I would rather see them with you. Please remember what precious gifts of God these children are to us. If it has rained and the main school is using the parking lot for recess, we are asking that you park over in front of the old rectory and walk over to get your child. That way we are not taking a chance of hurting any of the recess children. They are precious gifts, too.
Folders: Your child will have a folder that they need to bring each and every day to school. That is where I look for notes from you and where I will be putting anything coming from school in. Please put your tuition envelopes in their folders. I don't look into their bookbags.
Beary Special Board: Each student, throughout the year, will be able to bring pictures, ribbons, and other things that tell us about them for the Beary Special board. I will send you a reminder note only a few days before it is your turn. Your child's items will be placed on the board the next day that you return. Please return these items on time, as I have a set schedule so that everyone will have a chance. It is disappointing to the children if they don't see their things up there. They will remain on the board for about a week and then I will send them back to you in your child's folder. The note will give you ideas of what you might want to send.
Take-Home Packets: In the middle of September, I will be sending a take-home packet with your child. I have made several different kinds that I think you and your child will enjoy. I have also been able to purchase some new ones with Turkey Bingo money. When I send the packet home, you may keep it for two weeks. I am keeping record of who has what and who has not turned them in. The packets have an activity that you and your child can do together at home. The packets target several different age-appropriate skills that need to be worked on at this age. Such skills would be listening and following directions, counting, being read to, sorting, and many others. I would really appreciate it if you would make sure that materials such as crayons, glue, manipulatives, books, pencils, and other such items be returned in the packet and be in the condition that they were in when given to you. I have purchased some of these things to put these packets together with my own money and would appreciate it if you would make sure it comes back with everything in it. This helps me and helps the next family be able to enjoy the packet as well. Have a special place for the packet to set out of the way of younger siblings and pets. As I mentioned before, keep the packet for two weeks and then return it. By the middle of the next month, I will be sending out a new packet for you to enjoy. If you don't see the packets come out for a longer period of time, it is due to the fact that I have not received all of the packets back. I wait for all of the packets to be returned before sending them out again. Please remember to return the packets on time so that we can all enjoy them. Have fun!!
Sack Activities: Each month I will also be sending out a sack activity. You will receive a brown sack that has a poem on the front. Inside the sack is a sheet with many different suggestions of things you and your child can do that relate to the topic of the poem. I thought they sounded like a lot of fun. You see and let me know!!
Religion Lessons: Each week we will be having a religion lesson. I wanted to explain the cards and pages that the children will be bringing home. The three-year-old class will be bringing a postcard home each week. The first week they will also be bringing home an envelope that these cards can be stored in. The four-year-old class will be bringing a scripture page home each week. The first week they will also be bringing home a folder for them to store their pages in. Each postcard and scripture page has the story that we have learned about from the lesson on the back. It also has a family activity along with a prayer on the back. Following each lesson we will be making a craft that will remind your child about the lesson. I have found that the children are very interested in our lessons about God and Jesus. I have no problems with squirmy ones during this time. They give me their undivided attention. It is amazing how they are sponges when it comes to religion. I love it!! Because of this, it is important that you spend a few minutes with your child during the week to talk about what they have learned and read over the postcards and scripture pages. They love to tell you about what they know. It is wonderful to hear a child's perspective on Jesus. It will make you smile!
Good Shepherd Atrium: In addition to the cards/pages from our religion lessons, we are also blessed with having a Good Shepherd atrium. Three-year-olds will go to atrium once a week, while the four-year-olds will go twice a week. Explanation of what the atrium is can be rather complicated. I intend to make a separate sheet that explains it, but for now please know that it is a religion program where children are allowed to manipulate figures and objects to learn the many wonderful stories about Jesus and learn about what we are doing during our Mass. The children love it and I love seeing them work in the atrium.
First Day of School: The first day of school will be Monday, August 25. This has not changed, like everything else. Please check your letters that you received in July for the one day of that week that your child will be attending. I will be making the snack for everyone during that first week. Don't forget to bring the postcard that you either have, or will be receiving soon. I have a special prize for all children that remember them. Regular class schedule will begin on Tuesday, September 2.
Class Newsletter & Other Communications: At the beginning of each month you can expect to see a newsletter telling you about the activities we will be involved in during that month. I do my best to have them out during the first week of the month. This year I am shooting for delivering all of the newsletters via the Internet through e-mail. In order to accomplish this, I will need each of you to write your home or office e-mail address on a sheet of paper on or before the first week of school. If you do not have access to e-mail, I will be happy to send you a paper copy. I hope they will help you to stay informed about what we are doing in class. I will send a reminder note to help you to remember to check your e-mail for the newsletter. If you are not receiving the newsletter (we had several problems in the past, and I hope it has been corrected) through your e-mail, you can always check the parish website at www.stmarysderby.com.
You will go under the school heading, then staff heading, and lastly click on my picture and the most current copy should come up. In addition to the newsletters, each couple of months you will also be receiving a copy of information that will help you as a parent to work with your preschooler. Every other month, the three-year-old parents will receive a copy of the Parent-Child Magazine. At this time, the St. Mary Preschool is providing the magazines to you. Scholastic Books publish the magazine. I think it is a great tool for each of you to have while raising children. We want to be your partner in making a good life for your child.
Pictures: Individual and group pictures are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 10 and Tues., Oct. 14. More information will come closer to the time of the pictures.
Book Orders: Each month your child will be bringing home a book order from Scholastic Books. Please do not feel that you must order books. However, Scholastic offers a wide variety of good children's literature and they are very affordable. When you place an order with Scholastic, you are helping me to accumulate points that allow me to get books for our classroom for free. You would think that with all of the books that I have that that would be enough! But, no! I always love having more. The children really enjoy being able to get books of their own, too. If you don't want to order, you may just discard the order form. On the back of the form you will find the date that I will need your order and money returned by. You will need to send a check with the order (NO cash, please) made payable to Scholastic Book Club.
Enrollment Forms: When you come for Open House, you will receive a packet of forms that includes a copy of the enrollment form that you completed in the spring. Please look it over and make any corrections to it. It is VERY important that I have current phone numbers for both parents, emergency people, and childcare providers. Please make sure that your current e-mail address is on the bottom of the back of the form. Return the corrected form to school as soon as you can. If there are no changes, write “No Changes” across the front of the form and return that.
VIRTUS training: We do have two different VIRTUS trainings available to you. The first is Saturday, August 16 from 9am-12pm and the second is on Saturday, September 20 from 9am-12pm. Both will be held in the Knights' Hall at the Faith Center. Remember that you will not be able to help with classroom activities or even drive for field trips, if you have not completed this training. Please make time for both parents to attend one of the trainings. I need you all!!
I know that this is a huge amount of information to get at one time. Please read this letter a couple of times to be sure you have everything down. Also, please have both parents read it so that when either mom or dad bring or pick up your child, you will both know what the routine is. It is even a good idea to share the letter, or at least the information, with your childcare provider or grandparents. It is difficult when they don't know how to drop-off or pick-up properly.
I am getting excited about school starting and think this will be a great year! Our room is will be clean and ready to go soon. I have several new things organized for this year. We will have some new themes and some of the old ones, too. There are places to see and things to talk about that are always fun. I hope you enjoy them. I am looking forward to having many chances for you to be in the room and helping with activities. It is a researched, proven fact that children who have parents that are involved in their education are in fact the most successful students in school. You are your child's first and most important teacher. I am only here to help you along the way!! Please call me if you have any questions. I am looking forward to Open House Night. See you all there!!
Marcia Helten
Preschool Teacher
722-7205 (home)
788-3151 (school)
