December 2016

SO LONG 2016...It's Been a BLAST!!

It is hard to believe that we are heading in to our Christmas Break already!!

It has been a FABULOUS year so far.

This school year we have been fundraising to help upgrade and improve our playground and so far our families have been so generous with all of our Fundraising activities. Here is what we have accomplished so far!

PIZZA NIGHT - This was our lowest attended Pizza Night that I have ever seen but we still raised a profit of $500! Thank you so much!

PURDY'S - We sold over $1000 worth of chocolate and we received a profit of almost $450! Thank you for supporting us!

BEST WAY PHOTO - Thank you for purchasing photos this year! We received a rebate cheque of just over $220!

SCHOLASTIC BOOKS - We have received $360 Bonus Bucks that we can use to purchase books and classroom supplies! Thank you so much for ordering books each month!

Our Families are just amazing! And that was definitely evident this week as Marion and I dropped off the Christmas Hamper for our Sponsor Family from the Christmas Bureau. Our Sponsor Family is going to be absolutely amazed at all the wonderful gifts they will receive at Christmas time.

Have a wonderful Christmas holiday and we shall see you all in the New Year!! 

Please see below for what the children did in the Classrooms this month as well as the important upcoming dates!!

Important Dates:

Dec. 16 - Last Day of Preschool

Dec. 18 - Church Service of Lessons and Carols - 10am

Dec. 24 - Church Service: A Children's Christmas Service - 3pm

              - Family Christmas Eucharist - 5pm

              - Carols and Midnight Mass - 11pm

Dec. 25 - Church Mass for Christmas Day - 10am

Jan. 1 - New Year's Day Eucharist - 10am

Jan. 3 - First Day Back at Preschool

DISCOVERY TWOS

For the month of November we focused on the topic of hibernation. At circle we read stories and sang songs about the different animals that hibernate during the winter. For art we decorated bears in caves, chipmunks in trees, and frogs in the mud. 

We also talked about shapes. Each day we focused on a different shape. We did circles, squares, stars, and triangles. 

Next it was onto Christmas. We made a special Christmas gift, decorated trees, gingerbread people, paper plate wreaths, star salt dough ornaments, and reindeer hats. 

As the weather is getting colder we would like to please ask you to dress your kids accordingly as we will be going outside if it is not raining or snowing. Also, please bring a change of shoes as it can be difficult for the children to walk up the stairs or run with boots on. Thank you. 

We would like to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

CLASS 301

It's hard to believe that November is over, and we only have a couple of weeks left before we turn the pages on a new calendar!

The highlight of this month was our annual Christmas Services in the church. The children practiced with endless energy. It might be hard to believe, but they all knew the lyrics and all the actions for the songs, but for some of our children it was much more amusing to shout greetings to their family members watching, and for some of them ( let's not forget they are 3's ), it was just waaaaay to long to stand through the whole event. Regardless, we think they were fantastic, and they all did a great job!

We sadly said good-bye to Katie and Joe, and welcomed our new friend Tanush.

In November we exercised our brains on many topics, including health, manners, co-operation, then moved on to colours and numbers.

 We decorated the classroom and  a Christmas tree and used another bucketful of sparkles on special gifts to our families.

We wish you all Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Estelle, Gabi and Karen

CLASS 302

Our little friends are definitely getting settled into preschool, and it is so wonderful to see how they are exploring and playing together, learning how to share, take turns and establish relationships with one another. 'St. Catherine's Clinic' in the home corner gave some great opportunities to work on social skills as there was a lot of problem solving happening in the area over doctor's tools and bags.

At Circle time, we talked about the importance of healthy habits in the classroom and home, including hand washing, personal hygiene, nutrition and exercise. Our kids are super smart, so we explored other themes too, including letters, numbers and colours. They particularly enjoyed creating art with letters, especially with their own initials. We did not have much time to learn the actions and the words to the songs for the Christmas Services, but they did enjoy the practices, and were very excited to perform. They did so well and we are so proud of them!

We hope that you all have a wonderful, happy Holiday Season, and we wish you all the best for the New Year!

Karen and Gabi

CLASS 304

For the month of November we talked about health and nutrition. We talked about germs and washing hands, healthy foods, and the importance of brushing our teeth. For art we painted pictures using toothbrushes and splatter painted germs on our hand prints. 

Then we talked briefly about Remembrance Day. We talked about why we wear poppies and we made paper plate poppies for art. 

We also talked about colours and shapes. We finger painted using primary colours and saw the change of what happens when we mixed two colours together. We talked about different shapes and then stamped them onto paper using cookie cutters and paint. 

Then it was time to talk about Christmas! First we talked about the nativity scene where Mary and Joseph had a baby named Jesus and all the people who came to visit him. We created the nativity scene for our art. Other art activities included a special Christmas gift, glitter on Christmas trees, gold foil stars, shiny angels, gingerbread people, paper plate wreaths, and star salt dough ornaments. 

The children did an amazing job at the Christmas services this year. Hope you all enjoyed their beautiful singing. They worked really hard to prepare for it. Big thanks to Rachel and Marion for putting it all together. 

We would like to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Stephanie and Gabi 

CLASS 401

For the first week of November we talked about the season Fall. At circle we talked about why the leaves change colours. For art we made hand print trees with fingerprint leaves and paper bag trees with tissue paper leaves. 

We also talked about Remembrance Day. We talked about why we wear poppies and how people a long time ago made this world such a great place for us to live in. For art we made poppies out of heart shapes. 

Next we talked about different modes of transportation. We talked about how transportation is a way of getting from one place to another. We made muddy tracks with cars in paint, traffic lights, cars with wheels that move, paper airplanes, and garbage trucks. 

Then it was time to talk about Christmas! First we talked about the nativity scene where Mary and Joseph had a baby named Jesus and all the people who came to visit him. We made a star with baby Jesus lying in the middle of it for art. 

Other art activities included a special Christmas gift, star salt dough ornaments, and apple sauce container bells. 

The children did an amazing job at the Christmas services this year. Hope you all enjoyed their beautiful singing. They worked really hard to prepare for it. Big thanks to Rachel and Marion for putting it all together. 

We would like to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

CLASS 402

Wow, how time has flown. It is hard to believe we have been a school for almost 4 months.  But as usual we have packed lots of playing and learning into it.

We started November with learning about whales and our class pet Echo.

We then moved into Remembrance Day, thanking the soldiers for giving us freedom. That it is important to use your words not your hands when you are angry. We made our own Poppy Wreathes.  We also read stories about A War Horse and A War Puppy.

Our next discussion was following along a similar theme, about using your words not your hands, we read the book "How Full is Your Bucket?" We realized that you have the power to make yourself and those around you feel "full" of happiness -  bucket filling, or "empty" of happiness - bucket dipping. This is a very important concept to learn at this age because we are just beginning to realize that it's not ALL about me... That can be a tough lesson to grasp but our class is doing a very fine job at it (most of the time!!). We will continue this theme through the entire year in a variety ways.

With bucket filling in mind we then moved on to explore the story “The Gingerbread Man”.  We traced, painted and draw our own gingerbread men.  We also had the opportunity to make gingerbread dough and then cook them.  Thankfully, they did not jump out of the oven and we also got to eat them.  We also had lots of fun ‘acting out’ the story of the gingerbread man.

With Christmas fast approaching we discovered the story of “The Nutcracker”. We got to listen to the music and use Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate to ‘paint’ with. We decorated the Ballerina and glued the Nutcracker ‘back together’. We got to watch the DVD (with a little fast forwarding), so we could not visualize the whole effect.

We have also had lots of fun in the home corner being ‘teachers’. Deciding who is the leader and leader’s helper as well as the days and date of the week.

We started the festive season with the story about the birth of Jesus. This we tied into our Christmas Service as well as our music sessions.  Our Christmas concert was amazing and you could see how much work the children had been doing.

The last 2 weeks we have been busy ‘little elves’ making Christmas presents and decorations for the tree. We have made Angels, Christmas Bells and of course our special surprise. We will have a lovely Christmas party and go caroling in the village.

Finally, just a reminder that the New Year is a great time to have some play dates.  It is great for the kids to socialize on a one to one basis as well as in a group.

Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Arsi, Danielle and Sousan

CLASS 403

In November, we talked about Remembrance Day. We talked about why we wear poppies and how people a long time ago made this world such a great place for us to live in. For art we made poppies out of heart shapes. 

Next we focused on the different kinds of community helpers we have in our city. At circle we talked about a bunch of occupations that people have and the things they do at their job. For art we made policemen, firefighters, books, constructions vests and stop signs, drew a picture of what we want to be when we grow up, filled out a patient information form and vet doctor kit, baked chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and made bracelets and put them in an envelope. We also got to go on two field trips to visit some of the community helpers in Edgemont village. We went to the library for a circle time and the vets office to take a tour of where all the pets go when they need medical attention. 

 

Then it was time to talk about Christmas! First we talked about the nativity scene where Mary and Joseph had a baby named Jesus and all the people who came to visit him. We created the nativity scene for art. Other art activities included a special Christmas gift, star salt dough ornaments, and apple sauce container bells. 

The children did an amazing job at the Christmas services this year. Hope you all enjoyed their beautiful singing. They worked really hard to prepare for it. Big thanks to Rachel and Marion for putting it all together. 

We would like to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Stephanie, Estelle, Gabi, Karen, and Sousan 

November 2016

Sniffles & Coughs & Sneezes...Oh My!!

Grab your Kleenex boxes & Vitamin C because we have begun the Never Ending Sickness months!!

This time of year always seems to be really bad for catching colds, fevers and tummy bugs and it is very important that we all do our part to stop the spread of germs. 

If your child is going to be away due to illness, please call the office to let us know the illness & the symptoms as Licensing requires us to monitor and record all infectious illnesses at our preschool.

In the last 24 hours, if your child has had a fever, sore throat, tummy cramps, diarrhea or loose stool, has vomited or has taken any medicine to alleviate any of those symptoms, they should stay home.

If your child has low energy, is extra tired, has a persistent cough or is in pain due to an injury, they should stay home. 

A child who has had a fever may return when they are 24 hours fever-free AND medicine-free.

A child who has had diarrhea or a loose stool, OR has vomited, can return 24 hours AFTER the last solid BM or the last vomit.

A child who has had diarrhea or a loose stool, AND has vomited, can return 48 hours AFTER the last solid BM and vomiting has stopped.

WHAT HAPPENED LAST MONTH??? Let's find out....

Discovery Twos

October was an exciting month within the Rainbow Room. We celebrated the holidays Thanksgiving and Halloween. Our classroom is always decorated with the children’s beautiful art but one that stands out is the leaf painting! This project highlights the fall colours within the natural world. 

Our Halloween parties were very successful for both the children and the teachers. The students loved the many Halloween decorations within the room and the teachers loved seeing the children enjoying their first preschool party. Thank you to all of the parents that contributed to the party, we could not have done it without you. 

During circle we have been encouraging the children to relax and breathe. Yoga is an important activity for many of the teachers so we have decided to incorporate poses in to our classroom. Some examples of yoga poses that we have been practicing with the children are “Cat pose”, “Tree pose” and “Cow pose”. 

There are few reminders that we would like to pass along to the parents. Firstly, please bring an extra change of clothes to school, especially a t-shirt. Secondly, please bring proper shoes to school. If your child comes to school in rain boots, having a pair of runners or shoes in their bag would be appreciated. Lastly, please encourage your child to walk up and down the stairs on their own. This gross motor movement is beneficial in many aspects of their lives and gives the child practice for when they are travelling with their classmates. Please remember to always hold on to the railing when using the stairs. 

We hope November will be as wonderful as October was for each and every child in the Discovery Twos!

Vibha, Arsi, Danielle, Stephanie and Susan 

Class 301

Hello everyone. For the month of October our themes were Thanksgiving and Halloween. We learned turkey songs and rhymes and made turkeys for Thanksgiving. For Halloween we talked about spiders. The children have been interested in the real ones and the webs they make in our playground. We also made owls, pumpkins, bats and ghosts. 

The children are comfortably settled in and are enjoying playing with their class mates. We have a new boy, Tarquin and we said goodbye to Sanya at the end of the month.

Some of the skills we are working on in class, are lining up and staying in your spot, holding the railing on the stairs, using our words and taking turns with toys.

For snack time, we notice many children are coming with water bottles and our preference is to have cups as filling so many water bottles can be time consuming. If your children prefer to have a water bottle we ask that you please send it already filled.

Some rhymes and songs we learned this month;

Five Little Pumpkins

 Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate

The first one said, “Oh my it’s getting late.”

The second one said , “There are witches in the air.”

The third one said, “But we don’t care!”

The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run.”

The fifth one said , “I’m ready for some fun.”

OOOOO went the wind and out went the light.

And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

Friendly Ghost ( Frère Jacques tune)

I’m a friendly ghost, I’m a friendly ghost,

Watch me fly, watch me fly.

I can fly right through the air,

See how all the people stare.

Way up high, in the sky.

Estelle and Gabi

Class 302:

Where did October go? A beautiful sight was starting to happen….the leaves were changing colour, fall was here.

We were bringing some of the ‘outside’ in with pine cones, chestnuts, acorns and a variety of leaves. and using them for painting, art, putting them in the water table, on the light table, sorting by size and colour.

 Elmer the safely elephant came in and talked to the children about Road Safety and what the different signs on our roads meant and how to buckle your seat belt. Those were just a few things.

 Fireman Dan was also presented to the children in a video. He talks about Fire Safety and things that children should not be touching that are hot and how to drop, stop and roll. We even crawled under pretend smoke to safety. All the children did very well with both presentations.

Halloween was just a few weeks away and the children were already talking about what they are going to dress up as. We transformed our classroom by putting up decorations. Also putting pumpkin baskets in the home corner for pretend trick or treating, they seemed to have that concept down-pat! There were spiders everywhere, pumpkins, Halloween puzzles and games.

For Art we made….

                -Spiders with pine cones

                -Owls

                -Scarecrows

                -Ghosts with tissue

                -Haunted houses

Our free art table had pumpkins, bats, ghosts, masks and yellow goo.

The day of our party the children came dressed in their Halloween best. We had firefighters, a skeleton, princesses, a tiger, a witch, dragons, a flower, a ninja and a paw patrol pup. Last but not least, thank you to the parents who brought in treats to share at our party. Now on to November!

Class 401

October was a very fun month for the children with two exciting holidays to celebrate. Firstly, we celebrated Thanksgiving by learning about the history and the well known traditions that take place. Some of the highlights of Thanksgiving were the many turkey themed art projects that each child created, as well as understanding the idea of being thankful. The teachers created a poster which displayed each students' answer to what they were thankful for. The children’s answers to this question were interesting, exciting and priceless. 

Once Thanksgiving was over we moved on to Halloween. This is one of the most exciting holidays for the children and their energy was proof of that. This exciting time was filled with costumes in the house corner, Halloween themed art and to finish off, a Halloween party. The Halloween party was very fun for all. Each student came to school in their costume which was very amusing. Thank you to all the parents who volunteered to bring a food item to the school party, the party wouldn’t have been possible with out all of you. 

A quick reminder to the parents...PLEASE bring a family photo to the classroom so that a family album can be created. Thank you to the parents and students who have already dropped a photo off. We are now on to the month of November and we hope it is as fun as October was.

Stephanie and Susan 

Class 402
October was a fun filled month with lots to learn! The children have settled nicely and are becoming familiar with the program and routines!
We began the month of October by speaking about Thanksgiving and what it means. During circle, we discussed how we were thankful for our families and friends. This discussion led us to make Thankful Tree Collages for art. We also remembered some of the food that we see at a Thanksgiving dinner like turkey, carrots, brussel sprouts and cranberry sauce. We brought in fresh cranberries to the water table for the children to explore and also to the science table for the children to weigh with scales. We also made cranberry sauce just in time for the weekend.
The children really enjoyed sharing their Tom Turkey disguises during circle time! Gobble
Gobble!
The season of fall was our next discussion for our class. The children would share the changes
they were seeing like the leaves changing color and falling from trees. They would also share
how the weather was getting colder as well. We brought in real leaves to do a leaf collage and
we also used watercolors on leaf shaped diffusing paper. The children enjoyed watching the colors spread and blend together on the paper and make new colors. On one of the days, we walked along the perimeter of the school looking for signs of fall. We noticed the leaves on the ground, the colors of the leaves, the cooler air and the puddles. The children also mentioned how we dress warmer by wearing jackets, boots, long sleeve shirts.
Witches, spiders, and bats! Oh my! Halloween is always a fun time at preschool. Our first week of Halloween, the children practiced their hand-eye coordination by cutting a pumpkin in a swirl design and also gluing together a spider made from circles. Furthermore, we put our fine motor skills into use by making a bat from various materials, a springy witch using different shapes like triangles and rectangles, and we made collages of ghosts. We even had broomstick races, carved a class pumpkin, and watched a special Halloween movie. Our Halloween ended with our fun party! It was great to see the children dressed up in their costumes. Thank you to the parents who volunteered this time for the party food!
During this time, we also had a special visitor join us to talk to the class about pedestrian and traffic safety. Marion and Elmer the elephant reminded us about the importance of being aware and cautious when playing outside or crossing the street. We also watched a important video about fire and smoke safety with Firefighter Dan. This taught us how to stop, drop, and roll.
Moreover, how to crawl low under smoke to safety. We also practiced these skills in the
classroom.
Moving into November, we will be introducing the class to Echo our adopted whale, a brief
glance at Remembrance Day, and we will begin our “Have you filled your bucket” fun!!!

If you have any question, please feel free to ask the teachers.

Class 304:

We had a very exciting month. First we talked about Fall and Thanksgiving. At circle we talked about all the different changes we see in the Fall and sang songs and read stories about leaves and the different colours they are changing. For Thanksgiving we talked about what we are thankful for. For art we decorated Fall leaves with paint and q-tips, glued on real leaves to a tree, and made paper plate turkeys. 

Next we went on to talk about all things Halloween. At circle we talked about all the different things we might see during Halloween time and which things are real and which are pretend. For art we made ghosts with puffy paint, apple print jack o'lanterns, pumpkin faces, spider webs with glitter, hand-print spiders, and paper plate bats. We ended things off with our Halloween party. It was so much fun seeing all the children in their costumes. Thank you for the yummy food! 

Next we will be talking about health and nutrition. 

Stephanie and Gabi 

Class 403:

Hello everyone. October has been a fun and busy month. First off we sang turkey songs and made turkeys and centerpieces for Thanksgiving. We talked about what we are thankful for and how we come together with family and friends for this special holiday.

Next off we learned some Halloween songs and rhymes and made lots of different crafts and art projects such as pumpkins, bats and ghosts.  The children practiced their cutting skills in cutting out their own pumpkins and learning to follow instructions and understanding language in putting together their Frankenstein  craft project.

We also talked about pretend and real, ie a pumpkin is real but ghosts and monsters aren’t.

The children are beginning to form friendships and play group games together such as tag outside or family in the home corner.

Some of the things we are working on to promote independence and pre kindergarten skills are putting on their own coats, putting away their coats, snack bags and art; fine motor skills such as cutting, drawing and gross motor such as bikes and balls in the gym.

Some things to encourage these skills at home are to provide markers, scissors and play-dough , and lots of outside play . To promote independence children can pick up their toys, put dirty clothes in the hamper, help and set the table etc. At this age children love to help and feel proud of their efforts.

Thank you for letting us know when your children are away or ill and the reason they are absent.

Estelle, Stephanie, Gabi, Sousan and Karen

Resource Office

 I know it is hard to believe but Christmas is just around the corner.  I thought it might be helpful to give you some gift ideas for your child.

The 3-5 year old children are developing specific skills.  They are working on their social interaction with peers, learning basic academic skills, e.g. recognizing their names and counting.  They are learning to adjust to more structured activities with defined roles during play.  Some recommended toys would be board games, card games, dominoes, puppets and dress-up clothes.  

The wonderful two year olds are all working so hard on primary social skills, e.g. communicating with peers and sharing toys.  Language is starting to emerge and they are beginning to realize that their needs can be met by using their words.  Imitative and imaginary play is an important part of their day.  They love to be creative and enjoy rhythmic movement and the more repetitive the better.  Some suggestions would be toy telephones, riding toys, puzzles, simple musical instruments, dolls/stuffed animals and lots of puppets, both finger and hand ones.

            Toys enhance play value when they:

-         Can be used in many ways

-         Allow children to determine the play

-         Appeal to children at more than one age or level of development

-         Are not linked to video games, TV, or movies

-         Can be used with other toys for new and more complex play

-         Will stand the test of time and continue to be part of play as children develop new interests and skills

-         Promote respectful, non-stereotyped, non violent interactions among children

-         Help children develop skills important for further learning and a sense of mastery

Happy Shopping! Marion Porter 

CURRENT FUNDRAISERS:

Christmas Bureau: Once again we will be collecting items to support a needy family at Christmas time. (More information to follow)

Purdy's Chocolate: Orders Due by Nov. 25th.
https://www.purdysgpp.com/join/11053

Lovable Labels:

www.StCatherines.lovablelabels.ca

IMPORTANT DATES!!

Nov. 11 - Preschool Closed for Remembrance Day

Nov. 16 - PIZZA NIGHT / CAKE WALK (order forms due: Nov. 14)

Nov. 25 - Purdy's Chocolate Orders Due

Dec. 7/8 - Christmas Services

Dec. 14/15/16 - Class Christmas Parties

Dec. 16 - Last Day Preschool

Jan. 3 - First Day Preschool

October 2016

We Are "Fall"-ing Into Place! 

As I walked through the halls this morning I noticed all the colour appearing on our bulletin boards! Preschool is officially "up and running" when we see the artwork starting to appear around the school. Take a walk around and check them all out! 

Get excited when you ask your child about their artwork they bring home. Ask open ended questions like "Wow! Look at all those colours! Which are the colours you like best?" or "You've done a lot of work on this picture. Tell me about it. What part did you paint first?". Start a discussion. If you ask yes or no questions, you will usually only get a yes or no answer. 

*TIP: After you have showcased your child's art at home by hanging it on the refrigerator (or wherever it is you hang it), take a photo of it, and put the photo into an Art Album. Saving all your child's artwork takes up a lot of space (I have 3 suitcases full of my boys' artwork and they are 24 and 20 years old!!). An Art Album takes up much less space and your child will have a wonderful keepsake.

Look What Happened at Preschool Last Month:

DISCOVERY TWOS (Class 201 & 202)

Our youngest members of St.Catherine's Preschool are beginning to settle in nicely to the program.  Most are happy to stretch their boundaries.  A few still need a little more time to feel secure with Mom and Dad leaving.  Such is the nature of two year olds.  Often this is their first experience away from family.  They love to explore their surroundings, but need to still stay close to their primary base of support and trust.  Separation anxiety is quite strong at this stage, but often it is only the "good-bye" that is difficult.  For this reason we encourage you to make your "good-byes" short and reassuring.

We setup the rooms in a way that facilitates exploration and discovery through play.  A great deal of time is spent exploring, pushing, pulling,filling, dumping and touching.  Toddlers feel secure in environments that are familiar and for this reason you may see the same toys and equipment out for several weeks.  What we will do is present these familiar toys in different setups (e.g adding a set of wooden blocks to the cars and garage.

Two's love painting, splashing in the water table, housekeeping, singing and dancing at circle time.  Although play tends to be more solitary, they enjoy being in each other's company, playing side by side. We are still waiting for a few more family photos.  Children love to look at these pictures especially if they are missing mom or dad.  Please encourage your child to walk up and down the stairs holding onto the railing when being brought to or leaving the preschool. 

Check the white board outside the classroom for a synopsis of our day and please feel free to talk to us if you have any questions or concerns.

We look forward to an exciting year- a year of tremendous growth in confidence and abilities.  We hope that this first group experience will be an enjoyable and memorable one for both you and your child.

Vibha, Danielle, Arsi, Marion, Susan & Stephanie

Class 301:

A big welcome to our returning and new families! We are looking forward to getting to know you and your little ones.September was a super busy month; we had a lot to learn about sharing, caring, taking turns, and we all know that those are not easy concepts when you are in a 3's class. 

The children are beginning to adjust well to the classroom rules, the daily routines and to their friends and teachers.We spent time practicing each other's names by playing games and singing name songs at circle time. We had stories on families, talked about seasonal changes and Autumn, did art with leaves, and introduced the children to the wonders of shaking tons of sparkles on massive layers of glue!

We will continue with Fall explorations, then moving right into magical Halloween stories, rhymes and 'spooky' art projects.

Class 302:

A warm welcome to our returning and new St. Catherine's families!Our first month of preschool found us very busy making new friendships and renewing old ones. Through name games and songs we have become acquainted with each other at circle time. We have been learning about ourselves through stories, songs and rhymes to help build confidence, independence and a positive attitude towards each other.

We also explored the sights and smells of fall by viewing leaves that change colour, looking at a giant sunflower, sorting acorns and chestnuts, creating art pieces with bright paints.We were both very happy and amazed to witness a very relaxed, calm, upbeat conversation between the children sharing stories on unicorns and rainbows as they all had their expert opinions on the subjects while having snack. We are so fortunate to be with this group of little people!

We will focus on Autumn and Thanksgiving in the upcoming week before moving on to the well loved Halloween theme filled with pumpkins, cats, witches and other magical creatures.

 Karen and Gabi

Class 304:

It has been a very busy first month. Gradual entry was a success. The children have settled in very nicely into the classroom. They are getting familiar with the routine and getting to know the children in the classroom. 

For the first month we focused on talking about friends. We talked about how we play with our friends at preschool and what it means to be a good friend. We also talked about our rule at preschool which is no one gets hurt. At circle we read stories and sang songs about friendship. For art we painted friendship links, worked together as a class to make a hand print collage, and painted fall leaves. 

Next month we will be exploring thanksgiving and Halloween. 

Stephanie and Gabi 

Class 401:

September seemed to zoom by so quickly. It was a great month getting to know all of the children and familiarizing them with the daily routine at preschool. It was nice seeing the familiar faces and the new faces as they walked into the classroom. We are getting to know the children better as the days go on and they are getting to know the other children in the classroom. 

For the first month we talked about our one rule at preschool which is no one gets hurt. We made a poster with out hand prints on it so that we could have it up in our classroom to remind us of the rule. 

Then we talked about our families and learned more about each person in the classroom. For art we made self portraits and drew the people in our families. 

One week we focused on Johnny Appleseed. We talked about who he is and why we sing his song at grace. We decorated apples at the art table and one day the children helped cut some apples to make applesauce. 

We also talked about Echo, our Orca Whale that we adopted from the Vancouver aquarium. Each week one child will have a turn to take him home. 

Next month will be all about thanksgiving and Halloween. 

Stephanie and Susan 

Class 402:

What a great start to the beginning of the new preschool year. It was awesome to meet some new faces and welcome back some familiar ones. Everyone has settled in quickly. 

We spent the first few weeks getting reacquainted with each other and our number one rule – No One Gets Hurt. We read the book “Swimmy” by Leo Lionni and learnt how to work as a team, working together. We used a mixture of colours and shapes to make our ‘own members of the team`. We also spent some time talking about sharing with our friends and learning our friend’s names.

We explored “Me, Myself and I” and it was interesting to see how the children pictured themselves. We used felts to make our own self portraits and then decorated ‘ourselves’ with materials and hair.  We also draw our own family in our own houses. We read stories “I like Myself" & "Families are Different”. We played lots of games so we can also learn our friend’s names.

Last week we looked into the story of ‘Goldilocks and the 3 Bears’.  We read the story, listen to a felt story, watched a movie, and listen to many different adaptions of the story. For example, “Goldie Rocks, Tackilocks, Afrotina and the 3 Bears and A New Chair for Baby Bear”.  We then matched small, medium and large bears, cut out our own bowls and decorated it with porridge and of course we made ‘oatmeal muffins’.  Yum.

We have a fun October planned and are looking forward to having some more fun.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask us.  We also want to remind you to pack and extra set of clothes as sometimes we do get messy.  We look forward to the year ahead.  Danielle, Arsi & Sousan.

Class 403:

Wow we can't believe how quickly September passed us by. It was a busy first month with gradual entry. It went very smoothly and the children have settled in now with the daily routine. They are all getting to know the other children in the class and the teachers. 

For the first month we talked about our one rule at preschool which is no one gets hurt. We made a poster with out hand prints on it so that we could have it up in our classroom to remind us of the rule. 

Then we talked about friendship. We talked about how to be a good friend at circle time and what that looks like in the classroom. For art we worked together and did a lot of collaborative pieces. 

One week we focused on Johnny Appleseed. We talked about who he is and why we sing his song at grace. We decorated apples at the art table and one day the children helped cut some apples to make applesauce. 

We also talked about Echo, our Orca Whale that we adopted from the Vancouver Aquarium. Each week one child will have a turn to take him home. 

Next month will be all about Thanksgiving and Halloween. 

Stephanie, Estelle, Gabi, Karen, and Sousan 

From The Resource Office:

Welcome everyone to a new school year.  I have been visiting all the classrooms and helping with gradual entry.  Over the years I have found that when dropping off your child a quick hug and kiss goodbye is the best way and although they may start to cry it is usually short lived as children “live in the moment”.  They can be easily distracted by a toy or a song and then are ready to play.  

The 2s are settling into their little routines: lining up, going upstairs to the playground/gym, washing hands, having snack and sitting at circle time.  They love to sit on their little mats and sing songs and listen to short stories.  They will be working on their verbal and social skills throughout the year.  

The 3s will be working on their fine motor skills (pincher grasp, cutting with scissors, Lego, puzzles, etc.) and their gross motor skills (riding bikes, running and climbing).  

The 4s will be developing their literacy skills through chants, rhymes and sequencing games and their numeracy skills through matching and sorting games. 

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s development please talk with the teachers or come by my office to chat.  There are some very good resources in our Parent Resource Library.

Marion

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Fri. October 7th - Scholastic Orders Due
Mon. October 10th - Thanksgiving: No Preschool
Sun. October 16th - Messy Harvest
Fri. October 21st - Elmer The Safety Elephant
Thu. October 27th - Halloween Party (202/302)
Fri. October 28th - Halloween Party (402/304)
Mon. October 31st - Halloween Party (201/301/401/403)

Don't forget to stop by Cobs Breads in the Village and mention our preschool before they ring you up! We get 5% of all sales!!

Tina Spencer, Director
St. Catherine's Childcare Society

September 2016

WELCOME FAMILIES!!

It's hard to believe that we are already starting a new school year AND that we are already 3 weeks in to it!! We spent the summer relaxing and then cleaning the preschool to get it ready for the first day! (THANKS MELBA!!)

We are excited to be back and the teachers are ready to have some fun! The teachers were in the day after Labour Day setting up their classrooms and getting prepared for Gradual Entry.
Remember, separation anxiety and tears are common during gradual entry (sometimes for both parent and child!!) but calm, consistent, quick goodbyes will help your child to work through this process quickly and with the help & reassurance of our experienced and caring teachers, your child will continue to build their confidence and grow to be happy and social children.

If you have any concerns during the Gradual Entry Process or at any time throughout the year, please do not hesitate to speak to your teachers, Marion or myself.

And we hope to see you at the AGM on Thursday, September 22nd at 6:30 pm. CHRIS BURT will be our special guest speaker. Check out his website at www.christopherburt.net. You will meet all the staff and board members and will have a chance to visit and speak with the teachers in one of our classrooms that we will have set up. You can come to this at 6:15 pm. Childminding is available. Please contact the office to sign up.

Thank you for choosing St. Catherine's as your child's preschool. We are able to offer great programs loaded with fabulous materials and special guests because of our FUNDRAISING. You do not have to participate in all our fundraisers but we kindly ask that you choose one or two throughout the year to help support our Society.

Please check your Year At A Glance that was in your Info Package your received on the first day for special events and dates that are coming up. It is also posted on your child's class bulletin board. Take a photo of it so you will have it with you when you need it!!

Word of Mouth is our best form of advertising so please spread the word!! Also, please like us on Facebook and Google and give us a good rating online when you are able so our name gets out there!! Thanks in advance!


UPCOMING EVENTS
Sept. 22 - AGM/Meet the Teachers/Chris Burt
Oct. 10 - Thanksgiving-No Preschool
Oct 21 - Elmer the Safety Elephant

The office is always open so come on by for a visit or if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Yours truly,
Tina Spencer,
Director
St. Catherine's Childcare Society
604-980-1326

So long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye! May/June 2016

A note from Jen McEneany - Coordinator

With only a short time left at preschool we are looking forward to parties, picnics and 4's graduation celebrations! Last week our 3's and 4's participated in science workshops through High Touch High Tech Science and it was fun to observe all the children being so engaged in their activities - maybe our teachers should all wear white lab coats to preschool as that seemed to keep all the children mesmerized!

Thank you to everyone who made an order through The Card Project. We raised close to $500 and I know everyone I spoke to was delighted with their order! A special thank you to Jess Franco for coordinating this fundraiser!

Don't forget to pick up your tickets for the Parent Social happening on Friday June 17th at 7pm. A huge thank you to our parent board members Leslie Black, Hannah Sinclair and Jess Franco for all their hard work and commitment to the board as well as putting many hours of their own time into organizing this parent social and fundraiser. Thanks also to Connaught the developers who sponsored this event. Tickets are available through the office for $25 and include appetizers and 1 drink.

Fundraising is very important to non-profit societies as all the money we make goes to running our preschool and every dollar counts. We apply for various grants throughout the year and if we are awarded them we put them towards specific projects such as getting a sump pump system in our Treehouse classroom sink or towards helping families with children who have special needs, to attend our summer program. The fundraising we do ourselves has allowed us to replace our office computers, replace all the gym mats and buy a whole lot of new gym games, 2 light tables as well as many other fun classroom materials. As we move forward with fundraising we plan to revamp our playground!

From all of us here at St. Catherine's Preschool, we wish you all a wonderful, fun and relaxing summer with your little ones! Get outside, read, laugh, play and dance with them because the best memories are made not bought. 

A note from Marion Porter - Developmental Resource Educator

It has been another great year with lots of laughter and learning through play. All the children have demonstrated that they are ready for new challenges.

The 2's have begun to make connections with their peers and we can now hear some conversations emerging that are delightful to listen to. Many of them have been successful with toilet training while others are working on being ready for the 3's.

The 3's have learnt so much this year about sharing, using their words and developing listening skills, especially at circle time. For some of the children, going into the 4's means they will coming to preschool more often. In the 4's the children will learn to become more independent with dressing and self-help skills. There will be lots of opportunities for the children to develop their kindergarten readiness skills.

The 4's are moving onto Kindergarten. Parents can help with this transition by:

Discovery 2's art!

• Talking with your child about the impending changes.
• Helping your child acquire many self-help skills.
•  Encouraging your child to ask for help when needed.
• Allowing your child to practice playing and working independently.
• Teaching your child to follow directions.
• Helping your child learn his/her full name, address and phone number.

I want to wish everyone a great, sunny summer. I am looking forward to working with Cheryl, Stephanie, Sousan and Sali at this year’s Summer Program. There are still a couple of afternoon spots available. Wishing the grads best of luck and as usual I never say goodbye, but see you in the “Village”.

Important upcoming dates:

Fri June 17 - 4's Graduation! 10:30am 401 12:00pm 402  1:45pm 403.
Fri June 17 - Final day of classes.
Fri June 17 - Parent Social/Fundraiser!
Mon/Tues June 20/21 - Picnics.
Wed/Thurs Sept 7/8 - Gradual entry begins.

For general information about our programs please contact Jen or Tina:

Tel: 604-980-1326

Fax: 604-982-3277
Email: stcpre@telus.net
Website: www.stcatherinespreschool.com
Please "LIKE" our facebook page "St. Catherine's Child Care Society" and take a moment to rate our preschool. Thank you!

A note from the Discovery 2's - Vibha, Susan, Arsi, Karen, Danielle, Stephanie, Sali

It is hard to believe that our time with the children has almost come to an end. We have watched them grow from '"Little Two's" into independent "Big Three's". The children have spent the year playing, exploring and learning about each other and themselves.

During this busy month we looked into Summer Fruit. We baked Blueberry Muffins with Arsi in 201 and made fruit Salad with Sali in 202. We used stencils to make fruit prints and used apples to make our own prints. We read stories about Apples, Oranges and Grapes. We sang the song "I like to eat, Apples and Banana's".  We played a memory game with Summer fruit and tried to guess which one was missing...??

Of course we were very, very busy making something very special for our dads for Father's Day!

Over the last few weeks we have been very busy expanding our world by talking about "Under the Sea" and all the wonderful things associated with this. We did this by using a salad spinner to decorate starfish and some of us made our own Paper bag Octopus'. Some of us made Paper Plate Aquariums using sand and cellophane. We will also be experimenting with colours, as we mix them together on diffusing paper to make an unique pattern. For Circle we sang "Baby Beluga", "Slippery Fish" and rhyming songs about the Sea. We read the stories "The Pout- Pout Fish", "Clumsy Crab", "Fidgety Fish" and a story about a Bear going to the Beach. We also played an 'Under the Sea' Memory Game.

We will also have a party on our last day...Thank you in advance to parents for providing yummy treats!

As this is our last newsletter, we just wanted to say a very big thank you to all our parents and children. It has been such a pleasure teaching your children this year and we look forward to watching them grow over the next two years in the 3's and 4's. It is nice not to have to say goodbye to those who are staying. For those who are moving on, we wish you well where ever you go! Have a safe and wonderful summer!

 If you have any questions please feel free to speak to any of us.

A note from the Treehouse room class 301 - Estelle and Gabi

It's hard to believe that we are nearing the end of the school year. It seems like only yesterday that we met some great young ladies and gentlemen for the first time, and for many of our little ones class 301 was the very first group setting they had experienced.They have all grown so much, not just physically, but more so socially and emotionally, they have become quite independent in almost everything they do in a day at preschool.

We really enjoyed learning about spring and the many new lives it brings, and the children were amazed to see the caterpillars in the classroom. They remembered the life cycle of the butterflies from stories and games, and they are fascinated to observe the process with their own eyes! 

From flying high we moved right into the deepest parts of the oceans to 'meet' some amazing creatures. We were busy creating group projects for backgrounds, mixing different shades of blues, greens,black and white, discussing what makes colours appear lighter or darker. The children enjoyed making sea creatures, and of course, the highlight of finishing up the projects was shaking a few pounds of sparkles on to them (some of those you will find in your washer, dryer, on your car seats, on your sofa - sorry!!). Group activities at circle included a 'feed the shark' game (that they absolutely loved!), and a science experiment to see what floats and what sinks, and how the same objects float differently in highly concentrated salty water. 

Speaking of science, we had our science workshop to learn about germs and how important it is to wash hands properly. We are growing germs collected from the floor and from the wall in a petri dish! 

For the next two weeks we will be doing what we have been enjoying the most: being preschoolers by sharing our favourite stories, silly songs, playing new and old games. The children are welcome to bring in books they would like to share with their friends! 


Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us. We both have some great memories with each and every one of them, it was an honour to be their teachers. We will see some of you in September, and for the families we won't, we wish you all the best, enjoy these precious years with your little ones. With love, we wish you all a safe and healthy summer!

A note form the Treehouse room class 302 - Susan and Gabi

What a wonderful year we have had in class 302! We have watched our little group grow in confidence over the months, form friendships and learn lots. We have spent the last few weeks turning our classroom into an "underwater playground" and have really enjoyed playing lots of sea-life themed games, singing songs and reading stories all about the ocean.

This month we also enjoyed having our science workshop "Colour Mania"! We experimented with mixing colours together using pipettes and watching colours travel across diffusing paper strips and meet in the middle.

We are lucky that we have an aquarium set-up in our classroom containing caterpillars (well they used to be!!) We are now watching their transformation from tiny caterpillars to HUGE caterpillars and now to chrysalis and very soon we will (hopefully) see them emerge as beautiful butterflies ready to be released into the gardens around the preschool! 

We are looking forward to seeing all our families at the picnics on Tuesday June 21st and celebrating the beginning of summer. We wish everyone a great summer and we look forward to having your children return as BIG 4's!

A note from the Treehouse room class 304 - Stephanie, Gabi, Sousan, 

This has been a great year with this group of children. We have done so many interesting and fun things throughout the school year. It has been such a joy being with your children and watching them form relationships with one another. They have built on many of their skills and have developed so many new ones.

For the month of May we explored the theme of everything that's under the sea. Each time at circle we would talk about a different sea creature and then for art we would create it. We decorated octopuses with tissue paper, sea stars with glitter, whales with paint, sea horses with sequins, paper plate jellyfish, hand-print crabs, and paper plate sea turtles with puffy paint.

We had a science workshop called colour mania come to our classroom. We had the chance to experiment with different colours and then mixed our own colours together to see what would happen.

Next we will be working on a special surprise for our dads.

We wish all of our families a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you back for the 4's in September!

A note from the Sunflower room class 401 - Sali, Stephanie, Karen, Susan

It is amazing how fast this year has gone by. We had an awesome group of children and it was such a pleasure being with them each day. It is going to be tough to see them leave but they are definitely ready to move onto the next chapter in their lives. They have come so far since the beginning of the year; the skills they have obtained and the friendships that they have formed will set them up for a great experience in Kindergarten.

Recently we noticed that the children were very interested in magnets when we put them out one day. They were curious about which things would stick to them and why it was that one end repels while the other end of a magnet draws things closer. By observing them and hearing their questions we decided to spend two weeks doing science experiments and talking about magnets. The children really enjoyed doing this and finding out the answers to their questions.

Next we moved onto talking about Hawaii. At circle time we looked at a globe to see where Hawaii was and how far it is from where we live. We also talked about how Hawaiian islands were formed by volcanoes and talked about the different volcanoes that are still in Hawaii now; which ones are dormant and which ones are active. For art we made flower leis, tie-dyed t-shirts, and baked gluten free coconut cookies. To end things off we had a luau. It was so much fun learning how to do the hula dance and doing the limbo to some Hawaiian music.

We also had a science workshop all about being botanists. The children created their own greenhouse in a Ziploc bag and they learned about leaves.

Next we will be working on a special surprise for our dads and getting ready for graduation! We look forward to celebrating this special time with all our families!

Gluten free coconut cookies (2 dozen)

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

2 cups oats

1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Stir coconut oil, sugar, and egg until smooth.

Add the oats and stir until well combined.

Stir in coconut flakes.

Scoop 2 tbsp portions onto parchment paper lined sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes before removing and putting on a wire rack.

We wish all our families a wonderful summer break, we will miss those of you who are moving on and for those of you who will be back next year - we will see you in September!

A note from the Sunflower/Rainbow room class 402 - Arsi, Danielle, Sousan

It’s that time of year were we wrap things up and get ready for graduation! Wow!

The month of May we spent focusing on community helpers. We began looking at grocery stores and how they help the community by providing us with important things like food. We turned our house corner into the “Sunflower Supermarket” and the children enjoyed shopping. 
During circle we talked about how farmers help the community too by growing fruit, vegetables and even meat to bring to the grocers. We baked chocolate chip cookies because we learned bakers help by baking breads, cakes, and many other delicious products.

For art we cut out shopping carts and glued our favorite items which we see when we go to the grocery store. We also acted out different community helpers like a post person, a hairdresser, a janitor, firefighter and a few more. The children were very interested in this topic so we continued next with a dentist. We looked at how important dental hygiene was and what different tools we can use to keep our teeth clean. We used these tools, toothbrush, floss, mouthwash, floss stick, to play a “What’s missing?” guessing game. For art, we cut out a big yellow tooth, glued it, and used a toothbrush to “clean” it white. No cavities! 

Our next community helpers were construction people. We learned how they need blueprints to begin projects and we even got to look at some real blueprints. Also, we learned that the foreman is the boss at a construction site. We read various books that showed us the safety gear that the crew wear like hard hats and safety boots. Furthermore, we took a small excursion to the edge of our parking lot to see the construction site across the street. We saw a big excavator and the children were excited to see a real site.There are definitely many trucks that also enter a construction site and we learned about those as well. The most exciting part was when the children used real hammer and nails to build their own wooden sculptures. Since the children were still very interested with community helpers, we also had 2 very special guests visit us to tell us a bit more about their profession. 

Our first guest was Dr. Sharlene (Isla’s mom) who is a family doctor. She came in and talked to the children about what she does as a doctor and also brought some of her very important doctor kit tools such as a stethoscope and otoscope. The children asked questions and also shared their stories of being at the doctor’s office.

Our last visitor was Constable Rockhill and boy were the kids delighted!! They had many questions to ask him!! He talked to us about street safety, stranger danger, and showed us his uniform and gear. It was such a great experience!


We have noticed the children really taking a liking to dot to dot number puzzles.They
have made it a real social experience as they talk to each other while practicing their
numbers, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills by printing their names and
colouring.
We have enjoyed this year very much and watched the children learn and grow right
before our eyes. We wish them all a fantastic summer and a great school year ahead! We look forward to celebrating this special time at our graduation ceremony on June 17th.

To finish off the year, we will be looking at fossils, volcanoes, and Father’s Day.

A note from the Treehouse room class 403 - Estelle, Stephanie, Gabi, Karen, Sousan

We can't believe the year is coming to an end. We have had such a great year with this group of children. It is going to be hard to say goodbye. They have come together so well and have built so many friendships. They are all so ready for kindergarten and the new challenges that come with it.

For the month of May we started off talking about space for the first couple of weeks. We sang planet songs at circle and talked about special characteristics that each planet has. For art we made rocket ships out of paper towel rolls, made craters on the moon by using paint and a balloon, and we created our very own constellations and named them.

Then it was on to talking about Hawaii. We looked at a globe and found where Hawaii was and how far is it from where we live. We talked about how the Hawaiian islands were formed by volcanoes. We did a science experiment and saw what happens when a volcano erupts. Then we created our own volcanoes by drawing out and cutting up the volcano and then dripping foamy lava from the top. We also made leis and tie-dyed t-shirts. Then to end things off we had a luau. It was so much fun learning how to do the hula dance and the limbo!

A special visitor came to our preschool and taught us all about being geologists. We each had our own pans that we had to search for different types of minerals in. It was really interesting learning the different names of the minerals and seeing what they look like.

Next we will be working on a special surprise for our dads and getting ready for graduation. We are looking forward to celebrating this special time at the ceremony on June 17th! We wish all of our families a wonderful, relaxing summer!

HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER BREAK!