Preschool Press

 

January 27, 2020

Hello Preschool Families,

We have had a busy week!  We have been completing projects, learning about rhyming and doing lots of inside exercise and movement!  We are looking forward to our whole school open house on Sunday, January 26.  The classrooms will be open around noon after the 10:30 all school Mass.  We hope to see all of our preschool families!

Religion

Our religion lesson this week is “Jesus Is Found in the Temple”.  This story provides the opportunity for us to review what to do if we are lost and to remember God loves us like our parents and families!

Language

This week we will learn about Groundhogs in preparation for Groundhog day.  We will learn about the lives of groundhogs, hear groundhog stories and enjoy and bring home a groundhog poem.

Reminders

Preschool conferences January 29^th, 30^th and 31^st.

No Preschool on January 30^th and 31^st.

 

 

 

Dear Families,

Thank you for your understanding this week as we all faced snow challenges, school delays, and modifications to our routine!

We had a wonderful Open House Thursday evening with many new families inquiring about our school. Thank you to our amazing parent volunteers who assisted with the evening.

We look forward to meeting with you during conference week. You can expect your date and time confirmation by Wednesday, January 22^nd.

Our sweet student with his “Reading Glasses”.

 NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY, JANUARY 20^th.

Due to our shortened days last week, we were unable to complete some of our curriculum. Therefore, next week will include the following:

RELIGION:

The children will hear the story The Holy Family Goes to Egypt.  This story teaches that God is always watching over us and taking care of and protecting us. We will thank God for his protection.

 STEM:

This week we will do an “ice melting experiment.” Using several different ingredients such as water, sand, salt, oil, and vinegar, we will make predictions as to what we think might melt the ice the fastest, and then test our predictions!

 DATES TO REMEMBER

• All school Mass on Sunday, January 26^th at 10:30am, and an all school open house will follow. This would be a great opportunity to visit Kindergarten and the main school!
• Preschool conferences January 29^th, 30^th and 31^st.
• Please return the book orders by Monday, January 27^th.

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Families,

The next few weeks of January will be busy!  There is no school on Monday, Jan. 20th as we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his tireless work for equality in our world.  We are looking forward to parent teacher conferences Jan. 29th – Jan. 31^st.  Please return your sign up sheets by January 13^th. We will do our best to accommodate your preferred time.

*For up to date information regarding any weather related school closures or late starts, please be sure and check the St. John School website or Facebook page.*  

LANGUAGE ARTS:

We will be learning the letter and sound of Kk, and creating a K craft.

RELIGION:

The children will hear the story The Holy Family Goes to Egypt.  This story teaches that God is always watching over us and taking care of and protecting us. We will thank God for his protection.

SPANISH:

Winter Vocabulary

Tengo frio= I am cold

Tengo calor= I am hot

Nieve= snow

Abrigo= coat

Bufanda=scarf

Guantes=gloves

Botas=boots

Song: “Los Pollitos”

STEM:

Last week we made “snow” using a simple recipe of baking soda and shaving cream. This week we will do an “ice melting experiment.” Using several different ingredients such as water, sand, salt, oil, vinegar and ice melt, we will make predictions as to what we think might melt the ice the fastest, and then test our predictions!

DATES TO REMEMBER

• Preschool and Kindergarten Open House on Thursday, January 16^th at 7pm. This is for new families interested in attending St. John School.
• All school Mass on Sunday, January 26^th at 10:30am, and an all school open house will follow. This would be a great opportunity to visit Kindergarten and the main school!
• Preschool conferences January 29^th, 30^th and 31^st.

Dear Preschool Families,

Our preschoolers gave a beautiful concert performance last night. We are very proud of them. They are natural entertainers!

We would like to say how thankful we are for your beautiful Christmas cards, gifts, delicious cookies, candy and treats!   Your thoughtfulness and generosity are appreciated! We can truly say that working with your children is the best gift of all! They bring us joy and laughter each and everyday.

We wish you all a Holy Christmas and a Happy New Year, and look forward to seeing you back at school on Monday, January 6^th, 2020!

 

Just a Few Reminders

• Preschool and Kindergarten Open House will be held the evening of January 16^th. This is only for new families that are interested in St. John Preschool/Kindergarten.
• NO SCHOOL or XDC on January 20^th
• January 26^th – All School Mass at 10:30. This starts the beginning of Catholic Schools Week. Check the St. John School website for more information.

• Preschool Conferences will be held January 29^th – 31^st.

More information will follow upon our return to school. Please note that there will be NO Preschool on January 30^th & 31^st.

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Preschool families,

We have had a busy week! The children worked on many holiday projects; learned about the Christmas Story, visited the church, made observations and predictions while peppermint candies melted in cold and hot water, learned about the letter “Ii”, and learned strategies for how to handle strong feelings and emotions. WOW!

This coming week will too, be filled with many fun activities and special projects. Therefore, our curriculum looks a little different!  (Please note that the January snack calendar will come home before break as well.)

Here is what you can expect:

Monday: We will finish completing our holiday projects.

Tuesday: We will be visiting our 4^th grade buddies and gifting them with a special handmade bookmark that your children made.

Wednesday: We will rehearse in the church for our Christmas concert.

Thursday: A dance instructor from the American Dance Institute will be here to teach the children a special ballet lesson!

Christmas Concert at 6pm in the church.  Please see below for important information and details.

Friday: Last day of school. AM Preschool only.  NO PM Preschool!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Thursday evening at 6pm is our Christmas Concert in the church. Please drop your child off between 5:15 -5:30 at preschool. The teachers will supervise while you head over to the church and find a seat.

While this is a joyous performance opportunity, in an effort to promote performance etiquette, uphold the dignity of the student singers, and assist in maintaining a sense of order and reverence within our sacred space, we respectfully request that:

• Adults please enter the temple through the vestibule doors (west doors) of the church.
• The side entrances to the church are reserved for student performers only.
• Seating in church pews only. Please no seating on the floor or standing near the altar or risers.
• Please refrain from approaching the risers to take pictures/videos before or during student performances.

So that you may enjoy the live performance and not be distracted by your mobile device, the school has contracted with a photographer to take still pictures of the performances. Parent and professional photographer, Alessandra Brescia, has generously agreed to take pictures during the student performance and will provide a link for free download.

WHEN THE CONCERT IS OVER PLEASE PICK YOUR CHILD UP AT PRESCHOOL. PLEASE WAIT OUTSIDE THE DOOR AND WE WILL DISMISS YOUR CHILD TO YOU.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know. We look forward to seeing you!

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT JANUARY DATES

We will be conferencing once again in January. More information on signing up for these will be available after Christmas break. However, we wanted to let you know of the dates so that you can make arrangements now. 

Conference Dates:

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29^TH: EVENING ONLY

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30^TH: ALL DAY AND EVENING NO PRESCHOOL

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31^ST:  MORNING CONFERENCES ONLY – NO PRESCHOOL

PLEASE TALK WITH DAYCARE IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF CHILD CARE ON THURSDAY OR FRIDAY, AS THERE WILL BE NO AM OR PM PRESCHOOL ON THESE DAYS.  

 

 

Dear Families,

We hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving spent sharing time with loved ones and friends. Welcome to December!  Your children have been busy this week learning about the Advent wreath and the Story of Jesus’ birth. They will be bringing home their very own Advent wreaths to share.

Please read on to learn more about what we will be learning next week. Thank you. 

LANGUAGE: This week we will focus on the letter “Ii” and will make an “Ii” sound craft.

RELIGION:

Today we learned about St. Nicholas. Next week we will visit St. John’s Church to view the crèche, the scene of Jesus’ birth. We will pray and read The Christmas Story.

SECOND STEP: Unit 4 Speaking Up Assertively

Coping with other people’s rude or unsafe behavior is very difficult for young children and often prompts strong feelings. Learning to calm down and to speak assertively in response is an important skill for children to have.

STEM:

Morning Preschoolers will become engineers and construct “trees” using toothpicks and gumdrops.

Afternoon Preschoolers will be conducting a “Peppermint Water” Science activity.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

The preschoolers will have their traditional Christmas Program on Thursday, December 19th at 6:00 pm in our Church.

We will send out a more detailed message next week with specifics regarding arrival and departure from the Church, seating, and photography.

REMINDERS

• Please fill out the intent to enroll form for next year. This is ONLY for students planning to return to Preschool.
• On Friday, December 20th school will be dismissed at Noon. Therefore there is NO PM Preschool.

 

November 25^th, 2019

 

Dear Families,

Saint John Preschool wishes you all a blessed and bountiful Thanksgiving! We are so thankful and blessed to be a part of your children’s educational journey and appreciate your continued support.

 

We want to THANK YOU for all of your generous donations to the St. Vincent de Paul food drive. According to the 6^th grade class, preschool has donated the most food of any class! Great Job!

 

There are only two days of school next week, Monday and Tuesday. Therefore, next week we will be reviewing letters and sounds learned thus far, finishing crafts, learning about Native American homes, singing new songs, and spending time with our 4^th grade buddies!

 

REMINDERS

• No school on November 27, 28, and 29 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
• December Book Order forms were sent home today. We ask that you please place your orders by 3^rd to ensure delivery by Christmas.
• MARK YOUR CALENDARS! December 19^th will be our Christmas Concert in the Church at 6pm. More information will follow.
• NO PM Preschool on December 20^th. This is a half-day for the entire school.
• December Snack Calendars were sent home today.

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Families,

November is well underway and as we near Thanksgiving we are reminded of our many blessings. This week in preschool we will focus on the following:

LANGUAGE ARTS

Our letter of the week is Gg. We will learn the sound and reinforce it with a G craft.

RELIGION

Our theme this week is Thankfulness. We will read Thank You, Thanksgiving and talk about Thanksgiving as a day for thanking God and our family for everything!

CULTURAL STUDIES

The children will learn facts about Native Americans and will create an art project and read stories to celebrate the richness and beauty of their culture.

Watch this video about The Wampanoag with your family:

 

 

SECOND STEP

Different Feelings

In early childhood, children begin to recognize that people can feel and think different things about the same situation. This skill is an important part of social perspective taking. Without this understanding, children will not consider the existence of any perspective other than their own and therefor not develop the appropriate empathy towards others.

STEM

For our STEM lesson this week we will do a “dancing corn” experiment using baking soda and vinegar and play a Pumpkin Pie math game.

FOOD DRIVE

We continue to collect food for the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank. Please send in non-perishable items for our neighbors in need.  Thank You!

MUSIC

The children are learning to sing “TURKEY TIME” this time of year. Below are the lyrics:

Turkey time, pumpkin pie.

Frosty weather in the sky.

Families gather round

For Thanksgiving Day.

 

On that first Thanksgiving Day,

The Indians brought the meat.

The Pilgrims brought the vegetables,

And they all sat down to eat.

 

(Repeat: Turkey time, pumpkin pie…)

 

Each year on this day of thanks,

The people that we love.

Gather round to thank the Lord,

For blessings from above.

 

(Repeat:  Turkey time, pumpkin pie…)

REMINDERS

• Picture Make – Up and Retake Day will be November 20^th from 8:30 – 9:30am in Egan Hall.
• NO SCHOOL November 27^th-29^th for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
• You are invited to help put packets of goodies together for our homeless neighbors on Tuesday, November 15^th from 6:30-8:30pm in Egan Hall.

 Dear Families,

It was so lovely to meet with you last week.  It’s fun getting to know everyone and learning more about your delightful children.  Thanks for your support.

We are very busy in preschool, as “the holidays” have begun.

We are learning new songs and poems, reading Thanksgiving stories and making Thanksgiving art and crafts.

RELIGION

The children will hear the story of the Good Samaritan. They will discuss ways to show love to others. They will identify others as neighbors and describe ways to help.

SPANISH

We will review greetings, colors, numbers, Adonde esta? (Where is?) Como te llamas? (What is your name?)

We will learn: Me gusta (I like) No me gusta (I don’t like)

Food Vocabulary:

Pan: Bread

Arroz: Rice

Frijoles: beans

Sopa: soup

Pavo: Turkey

Papas: Potatoes

Frutas: Fruits

Vegetales: Vegetables

Pastel: Cake

FOOD DRIVE

The classes of St. John’s school will continue to collect food for the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank, which is located in Quigley.  Please send in non-perishable items for our neighbors in need.

SUPPORT THE HOMELESS

Please remember to donate items  for the Homeless Project that the 4th graders have organized.

Requested Items:

• Socks, gloves, hats for adults and children (small enough to fit in gallon Ziploc bags)
• Individually packaged food items such as granola bars, crackers, tuna packs, instant oatmeal, fruit leather
• Gently used, or new, children’s books (small enough to fit in gallon Ziploc bags)
• Hand wipes (travel size – no liquid hand sanitizer, please)
• Soap, shampoo, deodorant (travel size)
• Individual tissue packets
• Cough drops
• Lip balm
• Maxi pads (no tampons, please)
• Hand warmers
• Tea bags (individually packaged)
• Plastic utensils
• Gallon Ziploc bags
• $5 denomination gift cards (McDonald’s, Fred Meyer, Starbucks, etc.)
• Cash donations are always welcome!  100% of cash and checks (made out to St. John School) will be used to purchase additional goods.

We are collecting goods thru November 15. Thank you for your support!

 

IMPORTANT DATES & REMINDERS!

No school on November 27^th, 28^th and 29^th for the Thanksgiving Holiday

Dear Families,

Happy November! Our preschoolers sure enjoyed the Halloween festivities yesterday.  They were darling in their costumes and had fun singing to our parish senior citizens, attending the carnival, and enjoying one another’s costumes.  Please read on for next week’s activities. Thank you!

LANGUAGE ARTS

This week we will focus on the letter and sound of Ff and make an Ff sound craft.

RELIGION

Last week we learned about “All Saints Day”. We talked about what a Saint is and how they teach us to be like Jesus. This week we will read the lesson of the Prodigal Son. We will discuss forgiveness and learn whenever we make mistakes that God lovingly forgives us.

STEM

Our STEM lesson this week will be centered on Fall harvest and the vegetables that we find this time of year. We will also continue with our building of structures with pumpkins and marshmallows.

Click here to watch a video of the kids!

 SECOND STEP

 This week we will teach the children the meaning of the word Empathy.

Empathy can motivate children to respond to different situations in a caring way.

A good way to review this lesson at home is during story time or while watching a movie. Ask “How is the character feeling?”, talk about it.

BOOK ORDER

November Scholastic book order forms will be sent home on November 4th. Please turn your orders in by Thursday, November 7^th, as it is a short week.

 FOOD DRIVE

We will continue collecting food for the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank. Please send in non-perishable items for our neighbors in need.  Thank you for your support!

  MUSIC

The children will be learning to sing “TURKEY TIME” this time of year. Below are the lyrics:

Turkey time, pumpkin pie.

Frosty weather in the sky.

Families gather round

For Thanksgiving Day.

On that first Thanksgiving Day,

The Indians brought the meat.

The Pilgrims brought the vegetables,

And they all sat down to eat.

(Repeat: Turkey time, pumpkin pie…)

Each year on this day of thanks,

The people that we love,

Gather round to thank the Lord,

For blessings from above.

(Repeat:  Turkey time, pumpkin pie…)

IMPORTANT DATES & REMINDERS!

No school on November 8th and 11^th.

No school on November 27^th, 28^th and 29^th for the Thanksgiving Holiday