We have been busy over the last month with the 3's and 4's having their Easter Services and a special tea for all the families up in the gym. We hope that you all enjoyed seeing your children performing - they worked very hard and we are so proud of them! April was also Summer Program Registration - as always the spots filled very fast - at this point we have 4 spots remaining in the first week, July 4-7 (afternoons 1-4pm) and 1 space available in our final week, July 25-28 (afternoons 1-4pm). Something else we enjoyed this month was having Sportball come and do a session with each of our 3's and 4's classes - this was a huge hit with both children and teachers!
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| Jeans Day!!! |
Over the last few days you should have received a greeting card in your child's cubby depicting their own artwork on the front. Orders can be made online as explained in the email I sent out. We have examples of the sketch books and notebooks in the office, so please pop by and check those out! The preschool receives 25% of all profits, so not only do you receive a beautiful and personal product - you are benefiting the preschool as well!
As we head into May and June there are a few important dates coming up, particularly for our 4's who will be graduating on Friday June 17th - more info to follow! Please make sure to check your emails and the communication boards outside your child's classroom for information regarding events. Thank you!
Important upcoming dates:
Wed/Thurs May 18/19 - Music Open Houses - 3's and 4's only.
Mon May 23 - Victoria Day - PRESCHOOL CLOSED.
Thurs May 26 - Messy Church.
Tues May 31 - Science Workshops - Classes 302/304.
Tues May 31 - Final Scholastic orders due.
Fri June 3 - Science Workshops - Classes 301/401/402/403.
Thurs June 16 - Messy Church.
Fri June 17 - 4's Graduation!
Fri June 17 - Final day of classes.
Fri June 17 - Parent Social/Fundraiser!
Mon/Tues June 20/21 - Picnics.
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 Marion Porter - Developmental Resource Educator
Play enhances feelings of acceptance of differences, increases empathy, compassion and sharing. Play-dates are very important, especially for the 4s, as they head off to Kindergarten. By now you most likely know which school your child will be attending and the teachers have posted a sheet outside their rooms so you will be able to see which children will be going to your school. It is always easier to go to a new environment with someone you know, so plan some play dates before and during the summer months and visit the school playground. Providing children with new activities which provide a bit of a challenge, will help them become comfortable with new situations and develop confidence in their ability to be successful.
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 Marion Porter - Developmental Resource Educator
Play enhances feelings of acceptance of differences, increases empathy, compassion and sharing. Play-dates are very important, especially for the 4s, as they head off to Kindergarten. By now you most likely know which school your child will be attending and the teachers have posted a sheet outside their rooms so you will be able to see which children will be going to your school. It is always easier to go to a new environment with someone you know, so plan some play dates before and during the summer months and visit the school playground. Providing children with new activities which provide a bit of a challenge, will help them become comfortable with new situations and develop confidence in their ability to be successful.
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| Jeans day! |
With the nicer weather comes lots of opportunities to get
out and enjoy the sunshine and longer days. Visits to parks, play grounds
and beaches are great times to learn about road safety and staying in sight of
Moms and Dads. Take time to get out of the car and walk to the park –
practice the rules of holding hands with an adult to cross the road or while walking through a parking lot. Teach children to Stop, Look and Listen while standing
safely on the sidewalk while waiting to cross. Look both ways and proceed
when there are no cars or all cars have stopped in all the lanes to let you
cross. We walk across in the crosswalk straight to the other side. Teach your child how the crossing signals work and what each stage means.
It can be a little crazy in a crowded playground with all the children running
around. With younger children I like a playground like Princess Park
which is completely fenced. Some of the bigger parks like John Lawson and
Mahon are a little more challenging to keep track of the little ones. You
can put a brightly coloured T-shirt or hat on your child so you can spot them
quickly. Pre-load your child with your expectations of them, where they
can play and give them a 5 or 10 minute warning before it is time to
leave. Follow through with your expectation of when it is time to leave
and praise them when they respond to your requests. Children like
routines and you can have an outing routine which they can learn and
follow. Allowing them to be part of the process will teach them
responsibility. They can get their beach toys, sun hats, towels and
sandals together in a big bag. So have a great time and enjoy your outings
this Spring!
A note from the Discovery 2's - Danielle, Vibha, Arsi, Karen, Stephanie, Susan
For art we made a colourful tissue circle collage, foam
shapes collage, colourful hand-print balloons, and stamped different coloured
shapes.
A note from the Treehouse Room Class 301 - Estelle and Gabi
Hello Everyone. Time is flying by and I can’t believe another month has gone by so quickly.
This month our theme was spring and Mother’s Day.
The children have enjoyed the flower shop in the home corner. For art the children made butterflies, carrots and a caterpillar (a group project). Thank you to all the parents for bringing in recyclable materials for the art center. The children also enjoyed exploring with paint and different mediums such as string and plastic cards to paint with.
For circle we played some games such as, "guess the sound" and different memory games. The children also enjoyed movement songs such as 'Head and Shoulders' in English and French.
Sportball was a big hit and hopefully this is something we can do again next year.
We have noticed the children are really starting to form friendships in the class and play group games together, such a change from the beginning of the year.
As the weather gets nicer we will spend more time outside on certain days. Please remember to send a light jacket and hat. Runners or closed toe shoes are better because of the bark mulch outside. Thank you!
A note from the Treehouse Room Class 302 - Susan and Gabi
We have been busy little bees in class 302 over the past month! First we had our Easter Services and a special tea afterwards - everyone worked hard and sang beautifully up in the church. Next we started work on our art pieces for The Card Project - we hope you enjoy seeing your little one's art turned into greetings cards! Something else we worked on was a special surprise for our mommy for Mother's Day this Sunday! We hope you like it! Lastly we had a great time having a session of Sportball in the gym as we LOVE to move our bodies!
With the weather being so warm and sunny we have really enjoyed being outside and the social play has just blossomed out there with lots of conversation between friends and imaginative games with complex rules!!
As we move into our final weeks of preschool we will be learning about oceans and sea life.
A note from the Treehouse Room Class 304 - Stephanie, Gabi and Sousan
A note from the Sunflower Room Class 401 - Stephanie, Sali, Karen and Susan
In April we have been talking about planting and Spring. We planted seeds in a Mason jar and watched the shoots and roots appear. We drew a picture of what might grow from our seed. We read books about planting and how seeds grow.
For Spring we made symmetrical butterflies and for the last week we have been working on a special surprise for our moms!
We practiced hard at our songs for the Easter Service and enjoyed performing for our families. It was nice for the teachers to visit with the families at our Easter tea.
The children have blossomed socially and enjoy co-operative games. They like to create their own games when playing outside and they love to run, run, run!
We are now moving on to a science unit and are doing some experiments such as demonstrating air pressure and magnets.
We are enjoying having parents join us in the classroom to see what happens at preschool.
A note from the Sunflower/Rainbow Room Class 402 - Arsi, Danielle and Sousan
We then moved on to a special subject 'Mother's Day'. The children were very busy making their own Sun-catcher. This was very exciting as using a pipe cleaner we designed our shape. Then we watched as Arsi mixed the water, colour and borax together to form our very own crystals. Something to treasure for a few years!
If you have any questions
or concerns, please feel free to speak to either Danielle or Arsi.
A note from the Treehouse Room Class 403 - Estelle, Stephanie, Gabi, Karen and Sousan
This month’s theme was gardening, spring and mother’s day.
As the end of the year approaches we are working on kindergarten readiness in our classroom structure and routine.
At circle time we are working on the expectations that will be expected of them in kindergarten; such as sitting in one spot and being aware of one another’s personal space, listening and waiting their turn to talk by putting up their hand.
During play time we are encouraging the children to talk to each other before we intervene and problem solve around sharing and taking turns.
When we are in the hallway and lining up we are working on staying in our place in line and using quiet voices out side of the classroom and making sure to not run and to stay safe by walking behind the teacher.
We have been talking to the children about these things and what will be expected of them in kindergarten.
Some other things to consider are encouraging your child to put on their own jackets and shoes, carry their own snack bags, put away their toys and help out with chores such as setting and clearing the table. These skills will help towards independence and make the transition easier for kindergarten.
If you have any concerns, please feel free to come and talk to us before or after class.
Happy Mother's Day to all our wonderful moms!
A note from the Discovery 2's - Danielle, Vibha, Arsi, Karen, Stephanie, Susan
For the month of April we focused on colours. At circle
we read the story 'Little Blue and Little Yellow.' The children really enjoyed
seeing what happens when the two colours are mixed together. Then for art we mixed
two primary colours together and finger painted with them to make a new colour.
We listened to the felt story 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear' and the children joined
in to say the colours of each animal.
For one week, we celebrated jeans week. We decorated
jeans that were cut out from denim. Thank you for all the donations
that will be going to B.C. Children's Hospital.
We also spent a lot of time making a very special gift
for a very special person; our mom!
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to
speak to any of the teachers.
A note from the Treehouse Room Class 301 - Estelle and Gabi
Hello Everyone. Time is flying by and I can’t believe another month has gone by so quickly.
This month our theme was spring and Mother’s Day.
The children have enjoyed the flower shop in the home corner. For art the children made butterflies, carrots and a caterpillar (a group project). Thank you to all the parents for bringing in recyclable materials for the art center. The children also enjoyed exploring with paint and different mediums such as string and plastic cards to paint with.
Sportball was a big hit and hopefully this is something we can do again next year.
We have noticed the children are really starting to form friendships in the class and play group games together, such a change from the beginning of the year.
As the weather gets nicer we will spend more time outside on certain days. Please remember to send a light jacket and hat. Runners or closed toe shoes are better because of the bark mulch outside. Thank you!
A note from the Treehouse Room Class 302 - Susan and Gabi
We have been busy little bees in class 302 over the past month! First we had our Easter Services and a special tea afterwards - everyone worked hard and sang beautifully up in the church. Next we started work on our art pieces for The Card Project - we hope you enjoy seeing your little one's art turned into greetings cards! Something else we worked on was a special surprise for our mommy for Mother's Day this Sunday! We hope you like it! Lastly we had a great time having a session of Sportball in the gym as we LOVE to move our bodies!
With the weather being so warm and sunny we have really enjoyed being outside and the social play has just blossomed out there with lots of conversation between friends and imaginative games with complex rules!!
As we move into our final weeks of preschool we will be learning about oceans and sea life.
A note from the Treehouse Room Class 304 - Stephanie, Gabi and Sousan
What beautiful weather we have been getting! It is so
nice to be outside and enjoying the sunshine. The Easter services were a huge
success. Rachel did a wonderful job with all the songs and the
children were great singers. It is always nice having the tea in the gym
afterwards and getting to mingle with the families!
We did a lot of discussion about planting this month. We
talked about different plants and flowers that we saw growing everywhere. One
of the most popular plants were sunflowers. The children really liked them
because of how big they get and of their colour.
For one week we decorated jeans out of denim. At
circle we talked about how we were raising money to help the children at the
hospital get better. Thank you for all the donations.
Next we spent some time working on a special gift for our
moms! We hope you all enjoy your gifts. The children were very excited about
them.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to
speak to one of the teachers.
A note from the Sunflower Room Class 401 - Stephanie, Sali, Karen and Susan
In April we have been talking about planting and Spring. We planted seeds in a Mason jar and watched the shoots and roots appear. We drew a picture of what might grow from our seed. We read books about planting and how seeds grow.
For Spring we made symmetrical butterflies and for the last week we have been working on a special surprise for our moms!
We practiced hard at our songs for the Easter Service and enjoyed performing for our families. It was nice for the teachers to visit with the families at our Easter tea.
The children have blossomed socially and enjoy co-operative games. They like to create their own games when playing outside and they love to run, run, run!
We are now moving on to a science unit and are doing some experiments such as demonstrating air pressure and magnets.
We are enjoying having parents join us in the classroom to see what happens at preschool.
A note from the Sunflower/Rainbow Room Class 402 - Arsi, Danielle and Sousan
Wow, how time flies...I cannot believe
that we are now going into May....The children have grown so much since
September...
We have certainly made the last few months
at Preschool busy ones. With lots of
learning, exploring, playing and experimenting with new things.
After the Easter Services, which were great
we looked into a favourite topic 'Bug's'.. This involved talking about how
important bugs are to our world. Where
you can find them, how they move, what they eat and what they do for us. We explored worms, snails and bugs. We enjoyed searching for the snails in the
snail aquarium.
Next, we decided to explore an American
artist named Jackson Pollack because he has a unique way of painting. We found out that he doesn't use a paint
brush like everyone else. He likes to
use different tools,even bugs and he likes to drip things. We ourselves took our paper to the floor,
spread it out on a large drop-sheet and 'dripped away'!
We then looked into another interesting
topic, 'The Human Body'. We learned what our bodies are made off, what we need
to do in order to keep them healthy and happy. We used clay to 'design' our own bodies and we made a collage of the
skeletal system. We played with 'red
intestines' in the water table, looked at x ray's and also explored our
Senses...
We then moved on to a special subject 'Mother's Day'. The children were very busy making their own Sun-catcher. This was very exciting as using a pipe cleaner we designed our shape. Then we watched as Arsi mixed the water, colour and borax together to form our very own crystals. Something to treasure for a few years!
The children have now finally finished
looking at each letter of the Alphabet...As you can imagine this took us 26
days...We have now became very proficient at what letter our names begin with
and also the first letter of our friends names...This gave us many
opportunities to practice letters, especially how to spell our names...
In May, we are looking into Community
Helpers'. The people who help us
everyday. We are planning a visit from
The RCMP Police Officers...A great opportunity for all of us to chat with a real life community helper!
Over the last few weeks we have been busy
cutting, drawing, writing, gluing, exploring, learning new things, playing and
having fun... Challenging ourselves so we can grow and develop. We have done an excellent job and now we are
ready for Kindergarten!
A note from the Treehouse Room Class 403 - Estelle, Stephanie, Gabi, Karen and Sousan
This month’s theme was gardening, spring and mother’s day.
As the end of the year approaches we are working on kindergarten readiness in our classroom structure and routine.
At circle time we are working on the expectations that will be expected of them in kindergarten; such as sitting in one spot and being aware of one another’s personal space, listening and waiting their turn to talk by putting up their hand.
During play time we are encouraging the children to talk to each other before we intervene and problem solve around sharing and taking turns.
When we are in the hallway and lining up we are working on staying in our place in line and using quiet voices out side of the classroom and making sure to not run and to stay safe by walking behind the teacher.
We have been talking to the children about these things and what will be expected of them in kindergarten.
Some other things to consider are encouraging your child to put on their own jackets and shoes, carry their own snack bags, put away their toys and help out with chores such as setting and clearing the table. These skills will help towards independence and make the transition easier for kindergarten.
If you have any concerns, please feel free to come and talk to us before or after class.
Happy Mother's Day to all our wonderful moms!
