December NEWS!!

It's the MOST wonderful time of the year!! We have some pretty exciting things planned for this month:

3rd & 5th: We will introduce the letter "J" this week, and work on Christmas gifts for moms and dads!
10th & 12th: We will learn about the letter "K" and rehearse for our Christmas program.
17th: REVIEW H-K (We will also begin watching The Polar Express.)
19th: We will finish watching our movie, and have a gift exchange. The limit will be $5.00 Please bring a gender neutral gift. If your child would prefer to bring a boy or girl appropriate gift, that's ok...just mark it so I know:) Some examples of gifts the kiddos have loved in the past are: play-doh, books, water colors, candy, etc.
*****OUR CHRISTMAS PROGRAM WILL BE ON THURSDAY THE 19TH FROM 6:30PM-7:30PM***** The more, the merrier, so please feel free to invite friends and family. It will be in the worship center at the church, just past our classroom. The children will be performing on the stage, and there will be plenty of seating for guests. There will also be refreshments to enjoy after the performance, and a surprise visit from Santa!!

School will resume on THURSDAY, January 2nd. 



SNACK CHART:

December:
3 Kadence
5 Jett
10 Wade
12 Kennedy
17 Bodee
19 Miss Emilee

January:
2:Layden
7:Jose/Ellie
9:Weston
14:Jordan
16:Noah
21:Camryn
23:Granger
28:Kadence
30:Jett

"H" is for...

Horse and Hair...

Cuties Kadence and Camryn with their show and tell!

And 'The Little Red "H"en!' We had so much fun reading the story, and learning about 'h'elping those around us! And, I'm happy to report that we did not have any lazy ducks, cats, or pigs in our classroom! They all helped one another and worked together so nicely as we added ingredients, stirred and kneaded the dough, and then baked our bread!! The finished product was delicious! So, "H"ats off to your little chefs!

We also wished Josie and Ellie a HAPPY BIRTHDAY this week! The BIG 4!!!:) And, if you'd like to say a little prayer that SOMEDAY maybe I will be able to tell them apart, it would be greatly appreciated!!;)

Our week in review:

This last week was spent reviewing the letters we have already learned! We also spent our 'art time' talking about treating one another with kindness. We read 'The Rainbow Fish,' and 'How Full Is Your Bucket,' and discussed them as a class. If you haven't read these, I highly recommend them! Please ask your child what he or she learned from each one, and have them retell the stories to you!

We took turns listing different ways we can fill one another's buckets, and colored a picture of a bucket to hang up for everyone to see!

We made our own rainbow fish out of old cds, googly eyes, and we used jewels for scales. Your child should have found a special treat and poem from me in their folders, reminding them to be kind to our friends!

The children REALLY look forward to 'show & tell!' Here are Jett, Bodee, and Noah:

UPDATE:

Update!! I need to touch base with you all, and didn't want to wait until the December newsletter!

Firstly, my other pre~school webpage was, well hacked. To say the least. So, after submitting a report to the  peeps in charge, and waiting patiently to have things straightened up and clarified to no avail, I decided to close my account. But...that just means this little site with all your children's happy faces will be updated much, much more! (and p.s. just to clarify, "Gab" from New Jersey...whoever that is...was LYING when she stated that she was employed by me and that I paid her to perform sexual acts.:/ SERIOUSLY! What is WRONG with people?! I'm sure the 'said acts,' had they actually existed...would be worth BIG bucks, wink-wink, but come on!!! LOL! Get a life!!!) Moving on...

Please try to log in as regularly as possible because I will use this site for the following: a reminder for upcoming parties and classroom activities, snack chart updates, posts regarding our daily activities in class, as well as any other important updates.  Unfortunately, I don't get to see many of you, as your child is brought to school/picked up by other family members, so please be sure to log on so you aren't out of the loop!

Next, the NP Library has graciously given us access to their 'Books To Go' program. You will see a blue tote outside of our classroom door. Please check out a bag of books! There are many different themes to choose from, and the students who are already utilizing 'Books To Go,' love it! Just write your child's name in the notebook inside of the tote, (the directions and additional info are in the front), and grab a bag! Each bag has 3 books inside.  You can keep the bag for as long as you'd like. I am very passionate about the importance of reading and we are fortunate to have this program offered to us. Please help me encourage your child to read!! (Be sure and tell grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, and etc. so that all of the children will have the same opportunity regardless of who brings them to school!! Sometimes it gets a little chaotic at drop off and pick up times and I don't get a chance to talk with everyone!)


Also, some of you have inquired about my classroom helper! Her name is Miss Erin, and she is Weston's mother. I have had Weston in my class since he was 3, and have gotten to know their family very well. Erin is a wonderful asset to the class! It is so nice to have an extra set of hands around so that I am able to give your child more one on one attention.

I have received a few questions with regards to payment. The total amount due is $55/month. This includes December and January. Except for the registration fee of $10, which was due when school began in September, there are no additional charges or add-ons, unless of course we go on a field trip.:)

 I am currently in the process of planning the Christmas program. Please be patient while I finalize everything. I should have all of the information, (dates/times/etc.), determined by Thanksgiving! I am really looking forward to it...as I know all of you are!

Thank-you all for contributing to this wonderful school year! I appreciate you more than you know!:) 

Miss Emilee 

SNACK CHART!

The following is the snack chart for the first half of the year:
There are 14 children in the class and zero food allergies to worry about! An example of an appropriate snack would be fruit snacks and a juice pouch, but your child can choose! Just remember, I typically do not have eating utensils in the classroom! :)
September:
3 Miss Emilee
5 Granger
10 Layden
12 Cammi
17 Miss Emilee
19 Miss Emilee
24 Mick
26 Josie and Ellie

October:
1 Weston
8 Kadence
10 Jett
15 Wade
17 Kennedy
22 Bodee
24 Noah
29 Jordan

November:
5 Layden
7 Cammi
12 Mick
14 Josie and Ellie
19 Granger
21 Weston
26 Miss Emilee

December:
3 Kadence
5 Jett
10 Wade
12 Kennedy
17 Bodee
19 Miss Emilee

One. More. Month!!!

Pre-School packets were sent out this week! If you did not receive one, and are interested in enrolling, I only have 3 spots available in my Mon/Wed class, so get a hold of me asap:) Also, just to clarify, please bring your child's registration info to the open house, and the school supplies can wait until the first day of SCHOOL!:)

The countdown is on! I'm getting very excited for the open house in August, and at the same time, I already miss these little rascals:

OPEN HOUSE!

The Open House and Pre-School Registration for the 2013-2014 school year will be on August 23 from 6-7pm. If we have spoken, but you have yet to give me your mailing address, please do so! I will be sending info packets out this week! I am really looking forward to meeting my new students! :) Please call if you have any questions or concerns! Also, remember to 'like' God's Little Sunbeams Pre~School page on Facebook! I usually update that more frequently than the blog! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

GrAdUaTioN!

Graduation is always, always such a bittersweet thing for me! I really grew to love this bunch of kids! I am so very proud of the progress they have made and look forward to watching them continue to grow as they head off to the elementary school for new adventures!

Fun in the SUN! (But...actually it was rainy)

Our last week of school was spent...
Playing indoor twister, having pillow case races, playing bubble chase, having an egg relay race, shooting hoops, playing 'Miss Emilee Says,' eating snow cones and much more! The students were troopers! The rain didn't slow them down a bit!

"W"

We had a great time with the letter W this year!! From planting watermelon seeds, to playing with worms and cooking wieners....

Springtime means...BUTTERFLIES!

The kids had a ball watching the caterpillars grow bigger and bigger and eventually turn into cocoons! After the  butterflies emerged, we set them free out in the flower garden. It was so neat to see their excited expressions as the came in each day and 'checked on' their caterpillars.

50th Day Of School!

We had a wonderful time counting to fifty...over, and over, and OVER...making necklaces to help us count by tens, coloring a fifty segmented caterpillar and practicing our numbers by way of toothpicks, paperclips, cereal, Popsicle sticks and pennies!! Yay for being in pre-school for 50 days!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Would you believe it? Those sneaky leprechauns came to our classroom and left us a treasure!

After our lesson was finished for the day, we were ready for circle time! But, we got distracted and ended up following a trail of gold, (chocolate coins), out the door and down the stairs...at the end of the trail was a bucket of treasure, (shamrock glow necklaces).

This little poem was written on a note the students found taped to the door:

I'M A 'LIL GREEN MAN,
WHO HAS A TRICKY PLAN!
YOU MUST FOLLOW MY CLUES,
TO FIND A TREAT FOR YOU!
BUT USE CAUTION AND TAKE CARE-
I'M QUITE SNEAKY SO BEWARE!
IT'S TIME FOR ME TO BE ON MY WAY,
HAVE A GREAT ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Nessen and Camren turning string cheese, skittles, and marshmallows into a rainbow:

Kindergarten round-up info!

Kindergarten Round-up is usually held at the elementary school around mid-April. I haven't heard the exact date yet so I will keep you posted! Meanwhile, if you are on facebook, I recommend 'liking' New Plymouth Elementary School's page so you receive up-to-date info on a regular basis.
The students have been doing wonderfully on their individual tests! The main reason for testing the last couple of weeks is so that I know what areas I need to concentrate most on, to get these kiddos ready for Kindergarten! I will  be sending notes home withing the next week or so with your child's results. Hopefully that way, between parents/teacher, we will definitely have these children prepared!

P is for Pajamas...and Pizza...and Painting!

How do you introduce a bunch of pre~school students to the letter "P?" With a pajama-pizza-party, of course!

Here are the little cuties posing in their jammies, making pizza and painting prayer rocks!

A puppy surprise for the letter "P!"

It's all about the...

Good Choices!! And these kiddos have made enough to fill an entire jar...and then some!! So, we celebrated ice-cream style! Chocolate, vanilla, and sprinkles galore:) I am very proud of my students. They worked together as a class to accomplish their goals and they definitely deserved a special treat!
*When the boys and girls were 'caught' making good choices on their own, without having to be reminded, (sharing, taking turns, using good manners, etc.), they got to put a "GOOD CHOICE" into the jar!*

Important things to know:

The letter "P" will be introduced the week of February 26th. Don't forget that the 28th is PAJAMA day! Also, March is right around the corner! Please see your 'Pre~School News' flier for important info regarding: A new student,(welcome back, sweet Weston!), the 50th day of school, and Spring Break! The following is the snack chart for the remainder of the year:
  SNACK CHART
March
5 Kody
7 Camren
 12 Weston
14 Miss Emilee
 19 Richie
 21 Cammi
  April
2 Liv/Liz
 4 Nessen
 9 Paisley
11 Aubrey
16 Ethan
18 Miss Emilee
 23 Miss Emilee
25 Kody
30 Camren
May
2 Weston
7 Richie
 9 Cammi
 14 Liz/Liv
 16 Miss Emilee
21 Nessen
 23 Paisley
 28 Miss Emilee
30 Miss Emilee

My Funny Valentines...

Since my camera AND phone have both failed me recently, I have zero pictures of our SUPER fun day! Love notes from our friends and decorating Valentine cookies helped make this Valentine's Day so special!:)

January!

Our little pre~school has a new mascot...what a whirlwind of a month! We did some review, made some wintery crafts, and welcomed baby SUTTER!
A great, big THANK-YOU to all the supportive and very patient parents who let me take some time off!

Christmas Program!!

What is cuter than a bunch of pre-schoolers attempting to sing Feliz Navidad?! Not much.:)

The children were adorable as they sang their little hearts out for all to hear! After five songs and lots of fidgeting in their reindeer hats, they ate reindeer food and went home with Rudolph noses. Merry Christmas to you all!