Holidays @ the Heritage

We had lots of fun at the Heritage on Friday. We sang all of our favorite Holiday songs and even did the reindeer pokey! When we were done with our show they rewarded us with yummy treats! Happy Holidays!!

Get out your calendars...The weeks ahead!

*Heritage Assisted Living~Holiday Sing Along! Friday, December 19th @ 10:30am
*VNA Child Care Center Holiday Sing Along~Tuesday, December 23rd @ 10:00am
(All families are invited! Healthy treats will be served!!)
*Polar Express pajama days~Tuesday the 23rd & Wednesday the 24th.
(We are doing it for 2 days for the children that will not be attending on Christmas Eve.)
*CENTER CLOSED~Thursday, December 25th! Merry Christmas!
*CENTER CLOSED~Thursday, January 1st! Happy New Year!

Another Busy Day...

Just Another Thursday :)

We are really enjoying our brand new dry erase table!

We made a blizzard on paper today using shaving cream and glue!

After we were done with the snow storm we drove some cars through

it to make tracks! It was a lot of fun!

Our friend Sam from Pre-K was able to join us too!

He is transitioning into our class! Yeah!

~*Holiday Pajama Storytime*~

Highfield Theater will be hosting a Holiday Pajama Storytime on Tuesday December 9th at 6:30pm. Come in your jammie's with the whole family! No need to register! Refreshments will be served! Enjoy :)

*Pre-K Holiday Wish List*

Here is the list of things we could use in Pre-K. Please do not feel obligated to get anything at all! We are just excited to get the chance to have your children in our class.

~ Puppets (for our new puppet theater!)

~Puzzles

~ Markers

~ Stickers

~ Dress up clothes

~ Care, trucks, trains, planes (anything transportation)

~ Glitter

~ Thick popsicle sticks

~ pony beads

~ Kid's music cd's

~ Google eyes

~ Clear plastic picture frames

~ pipe cleaners

~ wooden people

~ books on tape

~ BOOKS

~ collage materials

~ floor puzzles

**THANK YOU**

Parent Memorandum

* Here is the list of the radio stations that will be posting any closings, cancellations, early dismissals or delayed openings for our center.
96.3 The Rose
102.9 Pixy 103
101.9 WCIB COOL
92.7 WMVY
99.9 WQRC

Reminders

*Wednesday December 3rd from 6:30-8:00pm ~Understanding Your Child's Temperament Workshop. Falmouth Public Library Hermann Room
*Transportation Homework Due on or by Friday December 5th! Thank You!

*December Newsletter*

Dear Pre-K Families,
This year has flown by and left us with lots of fun and exciting memories! This month we will be exploring the world of Transportation and Things That Go!
We will be discussing various types of transportation including cars, trucks, airplanes, trains (The Polar Express) and even sleds! Children are invited to bring any transportation toys and books to school this month! This coincides with the Guideline for Preschool Learning Experience: Listen to, identify, and manipulate language and sounds to develop auditory discrimination and phonemic awareness. (chug, chug, zoom, zoom, beep, beep.)
We would like to wish Noah Tavares and Caitlyn Pedro a very Happy 5th Birthday! Yeah!
We will be going to Falmouth Public Library on Wednesday December 10th at 10:30am to join in on a story hour. We will be going to visit our friends at the Heritage on Friday December 19th at 10:30am. We will be having Polar Express pajama days on December 23rd and 24th. Please send your child to school in their jammies! We will be posting a Falmouth Service Center wish list for holiday donations. If you would like to make a donation the box will be located in the Pre-K classroom. We will be having healthy holiday treats on Christmas Eve as you pick up your child. Please be sure to sign up if your child will be attending the center they day after Christmas.
Just a few reminders:
* Don’t forget to check out our bog! www.vnaprek2.blogspot.com
* Transportation project due Friday December 5th (Look for directions in your mailbox)
* Warm hats, gloves and coats please! Also, snow pant and snow boots on snowy days!
* If you would like to provide your child with lip protection for the Winter months (Vaseline, chap stick, Aquaphor) we need a doctors signature. Please ask a teacher for a form.
* Please sign IN and OUT everyday!
Our wish list sled will be posted on the door- please do not feel obligated to get anything! We are just excited to have your children in our class!
If anyone would like to come in and share a special interest, job or story please let us know! As always if you ever have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to ask!
Thank You & Happy Holidays!
Alicia & Kayla

December Guidelines

Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences
Month: December Theme: Transportation: Things That Go!

English Language Arts
Observe and use appropriate ways of interacting in a group-taking turns listening/talking, ask question/listen for answers, gain the floor in appropriate ways. Communicate personal experiences or interests. (Children’s experiences taking different types of transportation.) Listen to, identify, and manipulate language sounds to develop auditory discrimination and phonemic awareness. Relate themes and information in books to personal experiences. Generate questions and gather information to answer their questions in various ways.
Mathematics
Connect many kinds/quantities of concrete objects and actions to numbers. Explore and describe a wide variety or concrete objects by their attributes. Investigate and identify materials of various shapes, using appropriate language. (Building trains, cars, planes with carious materials.) Organize and draw conclusions from facts they have collected.
Science & Technology/Engineering
Make predictions about changes in materials or objects based on past experiences. Record observations and share ideas through simple forms of representation such as drawings. Identify the characteristics of local weather based on first-hand experiences (snow, sleet, frozen rain, cold air) Explore and identify simple machines such as ramps, pulleys, gears, wheels, and levers through play experiences (constructions planes, trains ect.)
History & Social Science
Identify and describe cause and effect as they relate to personal experiences and age-appropriate stories. Construct and describe simple maps of their immediate neighborhood. Discuss classroom responsibilities in daily activities. Observe and discuss the various kinds of work people do inside and outside their homes. Observe some U.S. national holidays and discuss why and how we celebrate them.
Health Education
Build body awareness, strength and coordination through locomotion activities. Discuss various aids and accommodations used by people for the activities of daily life. Strengthen hand grasp and flexibility. Use thumb/forefinger in pincer grasp. Practice independence and self-help skill. (Putting on their own hats, gloves, jackets.) Talk about some basic ways they can keep their environment clean and take care of it.
Arts
Express themselves freely through movement. Sing a variety of songs within children’s vocal range, independently and with others. Listen to storytellers and watch puppet shows. Use dramatic play, costumes, and props to pretend to be someone else. Explore a variety of age-appropriate materials and media to create two and three dimensional work. Use basic shapes and forms of different sizes to create artwork.

Falmouth Hospital Tour

Friday we were lucky enough to be invited to Falmouth Hospital for a tour. Usually they only do the tour for Kindergartners so we were really excited! We were able to check out the operating room, emergency room, maternity ward (where we got to see a 1 hour old baby!!) and pediatrics. After the tour we were invited into the cafeteria to have cookies and juice! Thank You Falmouth Hospital!

The Heritage

Thursday we went to The Heritage to share songs and cards with our friends there. We really enjoy going there and spreading our smiles and hugs!

Our New Puppet Theater :)

Ms. Kayla and Ms. Alicia were fortunate enough to win a new puppet theater for our class. Thanks to the Falmouth Service Center lending library. We are having lots of fun with it!

*Reminders*

*We will be going to the Heritage on Thursday 11/20 at 9:45. Please have your child at the center before then!
*We will be going to Falmouth Hospital for a tour on Friday 11/21 from 12:45-2:45.
*Take home feather projects are due on Friday 11/21~Thank you for your prompt return!
*December Book Orders: DUE TUESDAY 11/25
*Don't forget to stick around and have a snack with your child on Wednesday 11/26 as you drop them off in the morning.

Just Another Busy Week!

Happy Monday Everyone! We have many things going on this week in Pre-K. We will continue our food drive for the Falmouth Service Center this week. We will be dropping off all of the food donated on Friday afternoon. Thank You to everyone that was able to donate, It will be much appreciated! We will be going to the Heritage on Thursday morning at 10:30am. There will be a workshop at 6:00 on Thurday at the center for anyone interested. This workshop is about Autism and children with behaviors. There will also be books for sale starting in the main entrance on Thursday night. We will be going to Falmouth Hospital on Friday afternoon at 1:00pm for a tour. We will be back by 2:30 so we should not interrupt any pick-up times. Thank You and have a great week!!

The Sea Captain Nutcracker

Today we had a visit from Turning Point Dance Studio. They performed a little bit of The Sea Captain's Nutcracker for us! We had lots of fun watching and we even got to mingle with the dancers after the show! We got to learn a few dance moves and share a snack with them. We were all very excited, Thanks Turning Point Dance Studio!!

*Happy Weekend!*

We want to wish everyone a very happy weekend! We had a busy week and we are looking ahead to another busy week. Just a reminder to sign up if your child will/will not be attending the center the day after Thanksgiving. Also, we have put out our donation box if anyone would like to donate food to the Service Center. ~Turning Point Dance Studio performance of the Sea Captain Nutcracker on Wednesday at 3:30 followed by a family treat. We would love to have everyone that can make it. Thank You and have a great weekend!

A Rainy Day in Pre-K

Thanksgiving Donations for Falmouth Service Center

We will have a box in the Pre-K classroom to collect items needed to donate to the Falmouth Service Center. Anything helps!
~Cranberry sauce
~Gravy
~Canned vegetables
~Stuffing
~Quick bread mixes
~Canned or fresh hams
~Frozen Turkey
~Whole chickens
~Fresh vegetables
~Home baked breads/pies

***Last day for donations Friday November 21st!***
Thank You!!

Janice- Volunteer of the Year!!

Our very own volunteer Janice was nominated and won Cape Cod Healthcare...Volunteer of the Year for 2008! Yeah Janice!

*UPCOMING EVENTS!!*

~Wednesday November 12th @ 3:30- Turning Point Dance Studio performance of the Sea Captain Nutcracker, followed by a family snack :) Please join us!

~Thursday November 20th @ 10:15- Heritage Assisted Living

~Thursday November 20th from 6:00-7:00pm- Autism and Behavioral Problem workshop @ the VNACCC

~Friday November 21st @ 9:15am- Tour of Falmouth Hospital :)

~Wednesday November 26th @ drop off time in the morning- Family Sharing Snack! Please join your child for a bite to eat in the morning as you drop off.

~Conferences...Please sign up for a convenient time on the 24th or 25th. If these days are not good for you please see us to make other arrangements! Thank You!

November Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences

Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences
Month: November Theme: Harvest
English Language Arts
Participate actively in discussions, listen to ideas of others, and ask and answer questions. ~How does corn grow? Listen to and use formal and informal language. Listen to a wide variety of age appropriate literature read aloud. Create and re-read class books. Relate themes to personal experiences. Compare events in books to personal experiences ~apple picking, pumpkin picking. Use their own words to describe experiences, tell imaginative stories, or communicate information about a topic of interest. ~Create stories from a starting point of “Once Upon a Time…”
Mathematics
Use positional language and ordinal numbers (first, second, third) in everyday activities. ~Arrange pumpkins and leaves from smallest to largest. Explore and describe a wide variety of concrete objects by their attributes. ~Describe the shape, color or texture of leaves, corn, pumpkins. Listen to and use comparative words to describe the relationships of objects to one another. ~Compare the size of harvest items. Organize and draw conclusions from facts they have collected (nature walks.)
Science/Technology Engineering
Make predictions about changes in materials or objects based on past experiences. Compare and contrast natural materials such as water, rocks, soil, and living organisms using descriptive language. Observe and identify the characteristics of living things ~Turkeys, trees, leaves, gourds, pumpkins. ~Follow a consistent route for nature walks and discuss how the environment has changed over the seasons. Explore and describe a wide variety of natural and man-made materials through sensory experiences.
History and Social Science
Discuss and identify the order of daily routines. ~Picture schedule time line. Observe and discuss the various kinds of work people do outside and inside their homes. ~Plant gardens to harvest for food. Observe national holidays and discuss why we celebrate them. ~Thanksgiving. Discuss classroom responsibilities in daily activities. ~Feed the fish or watering the plants.
Health Education
Build awareness of directionality and position in space. ~“Farmer says…” game, harvest obstacle course. Strengthen hand grasp and flexibility. ~Table games and manipulative. Discuss nutritious meals and why snacks and the difference between junk food and healthy food. ~ Talk about fall harvest on the farm and various vegetable snacks. Practice personal hygiene and safety measures. ~proper hand washing to prevent germs. Practice independence and self help skills. Talk and listen to stories about safe, unsafe and inappropriate touch and ways to protect themselves. ~Second Step.
Arts
Express themselves freely through movement, move to music at their own pace and style. Sing a variety of songs with children’s vocal range, independently and with others. ~Heritage Assisted Living field trips. Listen to story tellers and watch puppet shows. Explore various types of lines in artwork and in nature. ~Veins in leaves, pumpkin lines, rows of corn on the cob. Choose artwork for display in classrooms or in the community. (VNA building)

November Newsletter

Dear Pre-K Families,
Can you believe it is November already? This month is a great time to reflect on everything that you and your family are grateful for. This month we will be talking about harvesting, giving thanks, and the importance of sharing. This coincides with the Preschool Guideline for Learning Experiences for Mathematics ~Investigating and identifying materials of various shapes using appropriate language as well as describing the shape, color and texture of objects found in nature (leaves, corn, pumpkins). Along with our Harvest theme this month, we will also be discussing the importance of sharing and being thankful. We will be sending home a few simple, but fun activities to do with your child. We ask you to bring these projects back to class to be shared with our friends. This gives us great opportunity to talk about what we are thankful for and how we can work together to accomplish a common goal.
* Quilt “block”~ Please decorate a block in anyway you would like to be included in our harvest quilt bulletin board. Please return these blocks by Friday, November 7th.
* Pumpkin play dough and “pumpkin butter” recipe cards for you and your child to make together.
* Thankful feather~ please decorate a feather (made out of paper which will be supplied) and discuss with your child what they are thankful for. Please return the feathers by Friday, November 21st.
We will be holding conferences at the end of this month to go over your child’s assessment as well as any concerns/questions you may have. A sign up sheet will be posted on the clip board with days/times to meet with us. If those days/times are not convenient for you, please see us to make other arrangements.
We will continue to post new things on our blog. Please note the new address! www.vnaprek2.blogpot.com We had some trouble with the password and were unable to keep the old address. We will be having a canned food drive starting in the beginning of November. All of the food collected will be donated to the Falmouth Service Center. Thank You in advance for anything you can donate! We will be having a “Family Sharing” morning snack on Wednesday, November 26th. Please drop in and join your child for a snack if you can.
We will be having a Ballerina from the Turning Point Dance Studio visit the center on November 12th at 3:30 pm.
Just a few reminders:
~ Please sign your child IN and OUT everyday with time and initials.
~ Please send in size and weather appropriate extra clothing.
~ Please take home sheets and blankets on the last day of every week to be washed.
~ If you have not yet brought in a family picture…please do!
~ Heritage Assisted Living visit on November 20th at 10:30 am.
~ November Book Orders are due Friday November 7th.
If anyone would like to come in and share a special interest, story or job we would love to have you. As always if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask!
Thank You,
Alicia & Kayla

*HaPpY hAlLoWeEn!!!*

We had a great time at our Halloween parade! Thank you to all of the parents that were able to come! Fairy Godmother's Belinda and Wanda were very excited to see all of the kids dressed up! ::wink wink:: We also walked over to the Heritage after that parade. We love to go there and share time with our friends. What a day!