Our Christmas program will be on Wednesday, December 18th at 11:00 am.  It will last approx. 45 minutes and will be held in the East Stake Center (East of my house) Please bring your child 10 minutes early into the primary room so we can get them ready.  Please put your hidden present you purchased for your child in the gym by Santa's chair.  Make sure the white index card I gave you earlier in your manila envelope is taped securely on top of the present so Santa can read the same handwriting on all the children's gifts.  Church dress. You may invite any family member you wish to come. If you have any younger children coming and would like them to receive a gift from Santa too just tie the gifts together with their added name on the card below your preschoolers name. Each child has made a Christmas gift for their parent(s).  Just look on the back to find your child's name on it.

We have completed already letters J, K and L.  This month we will be practicing for our Christmas program and completing our letter M.  We will review our days of the week, letters, sounds, worksheets, and doing craft projects. We will also have one more reading book to hand out to each 4-5 child.

*Donations for Santa will greatly be appreciated! A BIG thank you to those who already have.  I have a small bowl on my desk if you would like to help.  I hope you enjoy the Christmas Program Dec 18th. and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Preschool will start back up January 6th and 7th

3-4 year old Class:  we finished talking about letter"I" with the Pilgrims coming across the ocean on the Mayflower and landing at Plymonth Rock (and I apologize for the mispelling of the rock) and meeting for the first time the Indians.  This is why we celebrate "Thanksgiving".  The Indians basically saved their lives as they were starving when they landed.  We reviewed our colors, numbers, alphabet, sounds, and shapes. They are moving along very well.  They seem to still be struggling writing their names so please if you get a chance at home please work with them.  It instills confidence and knowing they can accomplish great things.  Today, we painted turkeys so they can enjoy them the whole month of November!  We played marbles, finger puppets, and threaded yarn through different shapes and shapes of animals as well.  A few of the children are still learning how to share and be kind. Through examples and other children I know each child will learn how to have more patience and kindness towards each other.

4-5 year old Class:  As well as the above these kids also worked hard on their sight words.  We played the match game and it was a lot of fun - girls against the boys.  It was interesting when 1 team won and the other lost.  I really want to instill in these children that in order to be a good winner you have to first learn how to be a good looser.  Not everyone wins - even tho we all have tried to teach our children we are all winners what is happening in the world due to recent articles and books I have read it is not good to have your children believe he/she is a winner all the time.  When life gets tough - and it will (sadly to say) children have to learn to pick up the pieces and move forward no matter if they win or loose. What the trend in the world now is that when they grow up into teenagers they just quit if the work is too hard...  "I can't do this anymore", its too hard, etc. because they never learned while they were young the great principle that there can be only 1 winner.  Have I said enough - I think so, so moving on.... each child received another sight word book and a new word.  Because we painted today our Turkeys we did not read through the books and I am very interested to see how each child did going home and reading to you.  I believe so much in each of these children.  They are wonderful little people who have great potential and as a teacher it is the greatest experience for me to watch them grow and see who they become ...having just a small piece in their lives...hoping to of made a positive difference in their thinking and belief system. Wow, teaching is the greatest gift to share with others..until next time have a great week!    

Happy Halloween to everyone and what a fun week we have had.  We began this week with the letter "I". For the older classes this was our first sight word at the beginning of the year so the children all recognized the letter.  The 3-4 year old class understood the letter after looking at picture cards to illustrate the letter sound. We will work more on this particular letter next Monday and Tuesday.

Yesterday and today was our Halloween Parties.I have never had so much fun playing with the children. Each class had so much fun playing pin the pumpkin (blindfolded), Spider Ring Toss.  We then made some Witches brew - consisting of... oh you don't really want to know.... dinasaurs, frogs, pumpkins, basketballs, ice cream, popsicles, etc.  Each child helped stir and watched the dry ice bubble while putting their hands in the container and watched their hands dissappear.By the way it tasted just like homemade rootbeer but I just didnt want to let the children know that.. it was so magical for them to make. Thank you Moms for the great costumes and treats!  You made Halloween a wonderful memory for your child.

This week in preschool we reviewed our shapes, recognizing each letter we have learned in the alphabet and its sound, worked really hard on writing our names, counted to 10 in the 3-4 year old class and counted to 100 in the 4-5 year old class; and did the Letter "H"....h, h, horse. On Monday each child wore a hat and we did some country line dancing with the cowboy hats I have.  The children loved dancing.  Our art project this week was tracing our hands and making a Fall scene with leaves and a few Halloween pics.  (Each child enjoyed designing their own picture).  We talked about the Honey Bee and watched a quick Smithsonian video on how the Honey Bee works and makes Honey.  Each child left preschool with a small bottle of fresh Honey.  Most of the children liked the taste of the Honey in class.  My 4-5 year old children learned another new word and took home a reading book. They read very well in class all their sight words and I just can't thank you parents enough for your positive reinforcement at home. Children will always do their best when they see their parents supporting them  Your children are amazing and I just love teaching them so much.

Letter "G" was a quick letter to learn after spud harvest, but we did it!  They love the phonic sound of Gorilla with it too!  As the children came this week on Monday and Tuesday it was Hat day.  We painted Halloween masks and worked on the Letter "H".  Each child had to come up with a word  that started with the sound of H and I was impressed how many words they came up with. We studied different shapes as we will the month of October and we also talked about patterns.
The Tautphaus Park Zoo animals came to visit this week and because they can only come once I had to double up classes.  The children didn't seem to mind because they were so excited to see the animals until the hugh snake appeared.  It was ok tho, after the ladies told the children they couldn't touch it!  They also brought animals that had passed away just so the children could touch their fur and see the tigers large head and feet - and sharp nails.  All in all, I think it was a great experience to learn about different kinds of animals and what Mammels are..just ask your child and she/he will tell you!

Just a reminder..even though we have spud harvest this week I will be teaching on Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 30, & Oct 1) regular times, after which, there will be no preschool until Oct. 9th.  Please make sure your payment is in by the 1rst so you will avoid a late fee.  Thank you.

Flamingo, fruit, football, fish, feet, fingers, fun were just some of the words the children came up with this week while learning about the letter "F".  Making fruit loop necklaces, and watching a fire safety video was fabulous and fun too.  I think the best part was after watching the video the firemen came from our Rexburg Fire Department crawling into the preschool room.  I wanted the children to experience what it would be like if they were ever caught in a fire and what the firemen really look and sound like.  The firemen told the children to learn the emergency number 911 and to also know their address; to never touch matches and if they see matches to let their parent know.  After the firemen left I had each child learn to Stop, drop, and roll.  I think they had a great time and feel prepared if something like this should ever happen.

I am blown away at how each mother is helping their child learn their sight words.  It helps me so much to continue teaching even more words to them.  In kindergarten they need to have 40 sight words memorized - I believe these children are going to learn about half in preschool - maybe more. Thank you so much for your continued support!

The Letter "E" was a pretty hard letter to learn to write last week.  The children wanted to put more lines then the 3 going across.  This is very typical and so I just helped each child. The children loved our elephant game/song.  I hope they sang it to you jumping up and down.  Our new sight word was handed out.  You will receive your packets this week and inside will be practice sheets with your childs name on it.  PLEASE have your child practice writing his/her name while we have the school districts spud harvest break.  I will be teaching Sept. 30 and October 1, then we will have no school until October 9th.  I was going to try and teach through the school districts break, but there are a lot of you that have made plans to be out of town.

We have a lot of fun surprises coming the month of October. This week is the Letter "F"; Wednesday and Thursday this week (Sept. 25th & 26th) I have invited a Fireman to come all dressed up to surprise the children and show them what a fireman will look like with his oxygen mask on.  I wanted each child to experience what it would be like if there was a real fire.   Then I have a 15+ video that Madison Fire Department has to show the children about fire safety.  It teaches the children in case of a fire to have a safe place to meet outside.  Please try and practice this sometime in your home with his/her brothers and sisters so everyone will be safe.

October 14 & 15th are Wear your favorite HAT day! Please don't forget!

October 16 the Tautphaus Park Zoo Animals are going to come and visit.  They can only come once and so I will have my Tuesday/Thursday classes come on Wednesday with no school being taught on October 17th.
Please check your calenders/notes in your manila envelope that I put in your child's backpack.  All the information will be enclosed.  There will be no show-n-tell that day.

Halloween party will be October 30 & 31rst depending on what day your child attends preschool.  It is a dress-up party but please have your child wear something that he/she can play games in and won't get too hot playing in.  Also, a costume that they will be able to use the restroom, if needed.

Each child please bring 12 treats for each child.  We will decorate our bags so you do not need to bring anything to hold their trick or treat candy they get at our party.

Each class of children that I am teaching are learning the days of the week, shapes, colors, numbers.  My 4-5 year olds are really doing great learning their sight words.  They are doing so good.  I am so proud of each of them.  Thank you parents for working so diligently and helping them have a positive experience reading at home.  Each week as we learn a new letter please help your child find words at home in the kitchen, family room, etc. words that start with that particular letter they are learning about in preschool.  Today I asked each class, as I will in tomorrows classes to go home and find something in their house that starts with the Letter "F".  I would like to do this each week as they learn a new letter. This will only enhance their perceptions and help them understand better what the phonic means of each letter and help them open their eyes to the world around them.  Have a great week!