Jan.7th-Jan.18th

PreK Press

January 7th - January 18th

Welcome Back:  It is always such a joy to return to school after a vacation and see how happy the children are to be back with their friends in PreK!  As we enter the new year, we continue to be grateful to play a role in your child’s life, and we thank you for sharing them with us. Here’s to a great 2019!

Holiday Program: We would be remiss if we didn’t take a moment to acknowledge the fabulous job the PreKers did during their performance for the Holiday Program.  It is always a thrill to see them up on stage, doing their best, sharing their smiles and voices, and experiencing another TCS tradition. Not only did they do an excellent job singing on stage, but they were also amazingly terrific audience members!  Bravo!!

On Being Kind: Since returning from vacation we have been focusing a great deal on kindness: what it means, what it actually looks like, how to go about it, and what other important traits go along with it. We have reviewed many of the books we read at the start of the school year and have read several new ones as well. Helping the children understand the importance of being kind is paramount to their success in the classroom and beyond. We feel strongly that highlighting this and other components of their social/emotional learning will be beneficial as we stress the importance of how to treat ourselves, our families, our friends, and our world. We will continue providing the class with examples of kindness and highlight their successes. Additionally, the children are actively involved in modeling expected and acceptable behaviors such as how to greet others, come to circle appropriately, walk to other locations on campus, share, eat properly, etc. to name just a few. Awareness, conversation, practice, and reinforcement are all part of the process.

Idea Day: TCS proudly celebrates IDEA DAY annually and this year it will be on Tuesday, January 22nd.  IDEA stands for Interpreting Diversity Education through Action. The theme this year is Diversity/Assertion and ties in nicely with the ongoing conversations and focus on speaking up for ourselves throughout the year.  The mission of the day is to create an inspiring event for our students (as well as faculty and staff) to view the world differently through a better understanding of the nature and development of diversity on a personal, national and global scale.  While much of this sounds a bit lofty for young children, we have already shared several age appropriate stories and engaged in conversations, brainstorming, modeling, and role play to help the class begin to understand the definitions of these words and the importance of both diversity and assertion.

PreK Journals: The children were so excited this past Monday to hear about and then receive their very own journals! We talked about how they can be used for drawing, coloring, writing, and doodling and that each child gets to choose what they want to do. We then shared 2 stories:  Rocket Writes A Story - a book about a dog who learns that, with the help of a little bird, he can write his own story simply by starting with a few words and adding to that story by using more words and Good Dog, Carl - a story that is told almost exclusively through pictures about a dog who is put in charge of a baby for the day. As we continue to help the children understand that they are already writers even if they can’t write, we hope their journals encourage them to use their imaginations and enjoy the creative process no matter what they choose to do. They will take these journals home at the end of the school year.

Parent Conferences:  Our next parent conferences are scheduled for Friday, February 15th.  A sign-up sheet will be posted just outside our classroom next week. Please sign up at your earliest convenience and let us know if you have any questions.

Outdoor Winter Clothes:  Now that we are fully into New England winter weather, please be sure to send your child to school daily with a LABELED coat, hat and mittens.  (Gloves are okay as long as your child can put them on independently.) Your child also needs to have snow pants and boots (also LABELED), whenever there is snow on the ground.  If you would like to leave their boots and snow pants at school, you are welcome to do so. Please put them in a labeled, large, sturdy plastic or cloth bag, hang them on their hook in the hallway, and then let us know.  We will send them home on Fridays so they can be washed as needed. It is very important that when children wear boots to school they also have  shoes to change into every day and that they have sneakers every Tuesday for gym.

Snack Schedule on Delayed Opening Days:  PreKers usually eat snack around 9:30 each day.  On days that we have a delayed opening due to inclement weather, please do not send in snack but rather make sure your child has had their breakfast and/or snack before they come to school.  Thank You.

Fostering Independence in the Morning:  As we continue to encourage all PreKers to develop their independence skills further, we ask that you make a concerted effort to do the same. Upon arrival, please have your child hang up their own coat and put their water bottle and daily snack in the appropriate baskets. Daily routines both at home and at school are important in helping children become more responsible. If you do it for them they miss out on developing this skill further.

Calling All Library Books:  Please check around your house for any library books your child may have checked out in the weeks prior to our December break and return them at your earliest convenience. Thank You.

Box Tops for Education:  TCS is continuing to collect Box Tops for Education.  Please put them in the labeled container on the table right outside the classroom.  Thank You!

Books for Bingo:  We know you received this in email form already but just wanted to remind you that the PTA sponsored Bingo for Books is next Friday, January 25th and any donations of your gently used books would be most appreciated. There is a book collection bin located in the foyer of the Clark House for your convenience. Thanks for your help!

Dates to Remember: Monday, Jan. 21st - No School (Martin Luther King Day) Tuesday, Jan. 22nd - IDEA Day Friday, Jan. 25th - PTA sponsored BINGO Night Sunday, Jan. 27th - TCS Open House  1:00 - 3:30 Wednesday, Jan. 30th - W. Thomas Boyce MD discussion of The  Orchid and the Dandelion 7:00 PM Saturday, Feb. 2nd - PreSchool and PreKindergarten screenings - NEW STUDENTS ONLY - contact admissions office for additional information Thursday, Feb. 14th - Valentine’s Day Celebration Friday, Feb. 15th - Parent Conference Day Monday, Feb. 18th - No School