Ms. Mikki’s Classroom News

November 27, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Welcome back from a nice little break.  I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!  Although it was a short week last week, we were busy!  Thank you to everyone who came and enjoyed our Stone Soup.  They looked great performing their turkey song too.  December will prove to be a busy month as well.  Please make sure you are following the Parents As Teachers Facebook page (if you have it), my classroom FB page, and keeping up on reading your blog updates from PAT and Preschool on your email.  We don’t want you to miss anything.  

This week we will be starting our 5 Senses thematic unit and incorporating the story of the Gingerbread Baby into it.  If you could please send in some magazine cutouts of things that we see, hear, smell, taste and touch for a learning activity, that would be much appreciated.  No need to go overboard, just 1 or 2 that fits each sense category will be great!

We will also be writing Santa Letters and sending them to the North Pole (the High School), where the high school students will be writing back to us.  If you have any odds and ends greeting cards we would greatly appreciate them to put in our writing center.  No need to go out and purchase any, but if you have any laying around that would be great.  They can be any theme (birthday, holidays, thank you cards, etc).

November goal:  We are still working on putting our coats on by ourselves.  Some of us have it mastered already!  Way to go.  I know it’s easier to just do it for them, especially when we are in a hurry.  If you can take some time out each day to practice with them that would be great.  They hear me say often in class,  “You have to try one time.  If you can’t do it, then I will help you”.  Speaking of coats, please make sure your child is wearing a coat to school each day.  We will have outdoor recess as often as possible if the weather conditions are favorable.  We do go out on some cold days as long as the wind chill in above freezing.  As we approach winter, if you wish for your child to stay in from recess, we must have a doctor’s note stating that they should stay in from recess.  

Tuition:  Please remember that tuition is due at the beginning of each week.  We have 3 full weeks of preschool left before we start Christmas Break.  You will not pay tuition for the weeks of 12/19 and 12/26.  

Scholastic Book Orders:  Nothing better than books for Christmas presents.  December’s book orders are coming home this week.  They are due back on the 8th.  You can go online and place your order, or you can send back the completed order form with your payment (checks to Scholastic Book Clubs-  no cash).  Orders will be returned to school before we leave on break.  Thank you for ordering.  With each order you place we receive bonus points that I use to purchase books for our classroom.  Please remember to be reading at least 20 minutes a day.

Snack needs:  We always welcome fresh fruit and vegetables to serve with our snack.  If you are able to send any in that would be great.  

Suggestions:  bananas, frozen blueberries, strawberries, apples, fruit cups, grapes.  Baby carrots and ranch, or celery and peanut butter

Parents As Teachers/Preschool agreement:  We would like to remind all of our preschool families that you are still enrolled in PAT until your child starts Kindergarten.  Now that your child is enrolled in Preschool and not receiving home visits, your participation in PAT is through your attendance to group connections (play groups, story times, and our big events such as Santa Bash).  When you enrolled in preschool you signed an agreement that you would attend at least 2 group connections per semester in order to maintain your child’s spot in preschool.  If you haven’t attended any this semester, you have two more opportunities in December.  December 2nd is playgroup from 10-11 in our classroom, and Santa Bash on December 8th from 5-7.  I will be sending home a schedule of activities for the rest of the year so you can plan accordingly.  

Upcoming Dates:

December 1st:  Picture retakes.  If your child did not have their photo taken earlier this year, you may bring them up to school in the morning and have their picture taken.  Please check in at the office and they will direct you to the location.  If you are taking retakes please send back your child’s original photo package.  

December 1st:  Cox Care Mobile-  This is a FREE service to any child ages birth to 18 regardless of if you have insurance or not.  Please call the nurse to schedule your appointment.  

December 2nd:  Play group from 10-11 in my classroom

December 7th/8th:  Free vision screenings.  If you DO NOT wish to have your child screened please sign and send back the form we sent home last week.  If we do not receive a signed form your child’s vision will be screened.  Please let me know if you need another form to “opt out”.

December 8th:  SANTA BASH!!!  This in not the event to miss!  Doors open at 5:00 and the fun lasts until 7:00.  Preschool applications for next year will be available (all 3 year old students will need to fill one out).  There will be pictures with Santa and several activity stations for all PAT aged children.  Each PAT child will receive a free book from Santa.  Please note, older children will not receive a book, so please let them know this if for PAT children only.  They may take pictures with Santa and help their younger sibling with the crafts.  Thanks for your understanding.

Preschool Class Schedule in December/January:

December 19th and 20th:  Class is in session

December 21st through January 3rd:  Christmas Break

January 4th and 5th:  Class is in session

January 16th:  No school-  Martin Luther King holiday