October 2008

We are off to a great start! Fall offers so many possibilities for fun learning activities: changing weather, brightly colored leaves, apples, pumpkins, and so much more. Take time to enjoy this season with your child... walking, talking and discovering will provide special moments together. Encourage your child to bring to school any reminders of the season that you find when you are out in this variable fall weather.

REMEMBER:
There will be no school on Monday, October 13 (Columbus Day)
&
Tuesday, October 21:
Parent Information Night (parents only), 6:30 - 7:30 pm

A Note About Halloween...

We take advantage of fall and Halloween to talk about real and pretend with the children. We use a non-threatening exposure to Halloween traditions to help prepare the children for some of the more frightening customs they may encounter during this holiday. The benefits of dressing up include opportunities for role-playing, creative expression, imagination, and language development.

It's time to prepare for our Halloween Treat Street. An imaginary street is created on the 3rd floor of the church. The rooms on that floor will be occupied by parents who are willing to provide treats for the preschool children who will be trick-or-treating. The parents are asked to decorate the outside of the doors (houses). Now doesn't that sound like fun? We think so! Watch the bulletin boards for our Treat Street and Halloween party sign-up sheets.

The children will be creating their own trick-or-treat bags as a preschool art project. Many of the children enjoy dressing up on party day; but some do not. Please do not force your child to do so. We have discovered creative ways of accommodating children who do not wish to dress up. For instance, a child may be the "classroom photographer", taking pictures of the other children with a pretend camera. If a child's costume is simply left with a staff member, a reluctant child may eventually choose to wear it.

Many preschoolers become frightened when they see "monsters", "witches", "devils", "ghosts", etc. Please guide your child's selection of a costume. Something less frightening is more appropriate. If you are unsure whether something is appropriate, please talk to your child's teacher. From past experience we have found that it is best if masks are not worn by the parents in our 3rd floor "houses". For obvious safety reasons, burning candles may not be placed in pumpkins.

Halloween Party Schedule

T-TH Classes: Thursday, October 30
MWF Classes: Friday, October 31

Illness

While it may seem as if some children are coming to school sick; many are, in fact, suffering from (non-contagious) seasonal allergies.

School pictures will be taken on:

Monday, October 20 (preschool, pre-K, PM multi-age)
Tuesday, October 21 (preschool, multi-age, Tuesday Two-By-Two)
Thursday, October 23 (Thursday Two-By-Two & a make-up day for other classes)

Remember: Siblings may be included. Just pick up an extra form from the information table.

Remember to save Campbell's Labels For Education!

Show-And-Tell

Show-and-Tell is the first full week of the month. When the first day of the month falls in the middle of the week, show-and-tell will be the following week. October's theme (October 6 - 10) is something that your child has made.

Parking

Handicap-designated parking spaces may be used by preschool families on Monday - Friday.

Just a few reminders...

Encourage your child to go to the bathroom before preschool begins.
Please put your child's name on sweaters, coats, boots, & jackets to avoid mixing up similar or identical items.
Due to health and safety concerns, treats & snacks must be brought to school in unopened packages. Fruits and vegetables will be washed by the staff before being distributed.
Adults are not permitted to use the women's rest room in the preschool wing during preschool hours (8:30 AM - 4:00 PM). It is used for our preschoolers during this time. There are restrooms in Fellowship Hall and on the 2nd floor.
Watch the bulletin boards for volunteer opportunities!

We have a few openings in our preschool, pre-K and multi-age classes and one opening in our Thursday Two-By-Two class. Feel free to take copies of our Preschool Handbook for anyone who may be interested. Families may add the extended hour (MWF classes only) at any time throughout the school year.

Once again we have Rita Phelps and Cella Anderson volunteering in our Two-By-Two classes. Helen Peterson is volunteering in the pre-K class on Wednesday mornings. We are so grateful to have these women commit time each week to read, play and talk with your children.

A Note About the Weekly Schedule of Activities...

We send these schedules home so that you know what is happening in your child's classroom and also to help you talk with your child about his/her preschool experiences. Although we plan our lessons and activities carefully and in advance, we must remain flexible and make adjustments and changes according to the needs of the children, and to take advantage of those "teachable" moments. We may not always get to everything on the schedule.

Can you come?

We hope that you will consider joining many of our preschool staff for the Jerry Jacoby concert next Wednesday. You may come for the program only, or for dinner and the program. Where else can you feed an entire family for $10.00 and a roast pork dinner at that? Mr. Jacoby combines comedy, music and "antics" for this family-friendly entertainment! We hope to see you there! See the sign-up sheets on the preschool bulletin boards.

How do you like our web site? We also have an e-mail address: preschool@firstcovpreschool.org

We would like to add more "parent comments" to the web site. If your child and/or family have had positive experiences that you would be willing to share, you may e-mail them to us or write them down and send them to preschool with your child. You need not include your name or your child's name, if that is your preference.