Covenant Christian Preschool

Christmas Party Rescheduled To Friday

2011-12-21T04:05:00.000-08:00

Everyone is invited to our Christmas party on Friday.

No School Today...Two Hour Delay Due To Fog

2011-12-21T04:04:00.000-08:00

We follow the Penn School Schedule so I will see you on Friday.

Thought We Had Picture Downloading Problem Solved...Sadly We Are Still Working On This...Thank You For Your Patience...We Will Figure This Out.

2011-12-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas Party Scheduled Wednesday December 22nd.

2011-12-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

Parties are always more fun if families are present......so....You are officially invited!
If anyone would like to help set up the party, or help with the activities leading up to the party, Thank you in advance. I can always use an extra adult in the classroom.

I will also be very grateful for the following party donations:

Cheese, crackers, fruit (no melon due to allergies), veggies & dip, or anything that your family would like to share.
Paper plates, napkins, and cups
Sugar cones (the pointed ice cream cones..... we use them to make edible Christmas trees during our party)

Powdered sugar, butter, & milk for the frosting we will be making first thing in the morning on Wednesday before the party. (to frost our Christmas trees.) We will need this donation first thing in the morning.
Mini M&M's (for mini Christmas ornaments.)
Red licorice skinny whips (for garland on the sugar cone Christmas trees)

If you plan on helping with our party either with donations, or help in the classroom let me know so I can be sure not to miss having everything we need for the party.

The Photographer Is Coming Wednesday December 14th For:

2011-12-11T12:16:00.000-08:00

Those who missed the last picture day. Portrait order forms should be available in the school office. Please send these in with your child on Wednesday along with your payment.

Those who wish to have their child's portrait retaken. Please send in your child's original portrait so it can be returned to the photographer on Wednesday.

No messy centers are planned on Wednesday so no worries about ruining nice clothing with paint, goop, or goo.

Christmas Chapel begins at 10:00 AM on Friday December 16th.

2011-12-11T12:14:00.000-08:00

All School Christmas Chapel

2011-12-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

Join us for the All School Preschool sponsored Christmas Chapel next week Friday. The minister from New Life Church will be giving us our Christmas message, and we will be singing Away in a Manger with the Spanish Immersion preschool.

Picture Retakes and Picture Make-ups....Wednesday December 14th.

2011-12-08T16:14:00.001-08:00

If your child has never had their picture taken this is the day to get this done..... along with picture retakes. No messy projects will be planned so clothes are safe from paint, goo, or any other gunk that happens in preschool normally.

Christopher's Christmas Ballet Field Trip

2011-12-01T19:33:00.001-08:00

We will be leaving school tomorrow morning at 8:45 AM.

Prayers For Mrs. Brown

2011-11-27T15:37:00.001-08:00

You may have noticed that Mrs. Brown has been absent a lot from our class.

There is a reason for this, as she has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.

She is planning on being in class as long as she is able.... being around your children is a welcome distraction. Mrs. Abbott will be substituting for Mary whenever she is not able to be in school.

This cancer has been caught early, and we are all optimistic..... but I know she would appreciate it if you would keep her in your prayers.

Fieldtrip Friday December 2nd.

2011-11-27T15:22:00.000-08:00

Looking forward to Christopher's Christmas ballet on Friday.

I was able to order additional parent tickets for everyone who let me know they wanted them.

The plan is to leave school at about 8:45 AM, and return to school by 11:30 AM.

Preschool Reminders

2011-11-17T16:55:00.000-08:00

Preschool Thanksgiving Feast is almost here.

When? 10:30 on Wednesday November 23rd.

We have 13 children in our class

Please let me know if you are planning on sending in a snack to share.

If you would like to help in any way with our Thanksgiving celebration adults are always welcome on this very busy day.

Christopher's Christmas Ballet

When? Friday December 2nd.

Cost per ticket for parent drivers and chaperons is $3.50.

Ticket money needs to be sent in ASAP so tickets can be ordered for extra drivers.

Change of Weather

Please take a moment to swap out your child's "change of clothing" for something more in keeping with our cold temperatures.

Snack Revisions and Reminders

2011-11-12T21:34:00.000-08:00

Snack Expectations
Each week a different child/family is responsible for sending to school the “fixings” for our snack.Our initial snack calendar extends past Christmas into January. In most cases each child/family will be responsible for bringing in a snack for either two or three consecutive days, (depending on whether your child comes two or three days). If for any reason you would like to switch with someone on the schedule you may do so... just let me know who you have switched with so I know snack is covered for that week. Snack time is a great time for fine motor skill practice. My plan is for the kids to prepare, and serve their own snacks each day. (this includes setting the table.)Drinks: We only serve water at snack time as each child fills their own cup, with no harm done if a spill happens. (Additionally new friends help each other by holding the cups for each other.)Oral language development is a very big deal in preschool........... so every opportunity I have to encourage your child to speak purposely, and in complete sentences I am going to take advantage of. So whoever brings in the snack also explains what the snack is and how to prepare it.Birthday Snacks: If you would like to send in a birthday snack and it is not your week for snack contact the family who is bringing in the snack and let them know that you will be sending in something special so we do not have double the snacks on that day.Birthday party invitations: We are happy to send them home only if everyone is invited.

Revised Snack Schedule
September 12th, 14th, 16th. Mrs. Meyer
September 19th, 21st, 23rd Nolan
September 26th, September 28th : Connor
September 30th, Alex
October 3rd Field Trip to HealthWorks Museum No Snack.
October 5th : Emerson
October 7th: Alex
October 10th: Emerson
October 12th. Ella
October 14th : Alex
October 17th: Ella
October 19th: Jackson
October 24th, 26th, 28th: Avenn
October 31st, November 2nd, November 4th: Zach
November 7th, 9th, 11th: Kylee
November 14th, 16th, 18th : Nicole
November 21st: Jackson
November 23 will be our Thanksgiving Feast and we will need donations
November 24th & 25th no school...Thanksgiving Break
November 28th : Jackson
November 30th, Joseph
December 2nd: No snack field trip to balletl Christopher's Christmas
December 5th: Joseph
December 7th: Connor
December 9th: Juriette
December 12th: Connor
December 14th, 16th; Juriette
December 19th: Katie
December 21st This is our Christmas Party so additional donations are welcome.)
December 23rd is our service day so we will be going on a field trip which everyone may attend even if you don't usually come to school on Friday.
December 26th through January 6th Christmas Break Classes resume January 9th.
Januar 9th: Katie

Going Green:Plastic plates, cups and utensils used on the day that it is your scheduled snack will be sent home to be washed. Please have your child wash the dishes...another good motor skill, and return the the dishes when they return to school.

You Are Invited!

2011-11-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

To: The Preschool Thanksgiving Feast
When: Wednesday at 10:30 AM until 11:30 AM on November 23rd

What to bring to share: One of your child's favorite family snack foods.

Our Next Field Trip Details

2011-11-12T20:52:00.001-08:00

We are booked to attend Christopher's Christmas, (a ballet at Saint Mary's College), on Friday December 2nd. If you would like to accompany us on this trip you are absolutely welcome to come. But, I will need to know ASAP, this Monday or Wednesday preferably, as I have a limited number of tickets for this production. Additionally chaperons/drivers will need to pay for their tickets ($3.50) in advance. Sadly siblings will not be able to come to this show.

We will depart from school at 8:45 AM to see the 9:30 show. We should be back to school by 11:30.

I will send home a permission slip on Monday please return as soon as possible.

Fun Fall Songs

2011-11-12T20:28:00.000-08:00

Five Little Pumpkins

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said "Oh my its getting late".
The second one said "There are spiders crawling by".
The third one said, "Oh me oh my."
The fourth one said "Lets run and run and hide"
The fifth one said, "I'm ready for some fun."
So whoo went the wind, and out went the lights.
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

Gobble Gobble Gobble Gobble Said The Bird

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble said the bird.
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble said the bird.
Mr Turkey Gobble Gobbles,
And his knees go wobble, wobble.
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble said the bird.

Preschool Parents Asked....

2011-10-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

Do the kids dress up on Monday for Halloween? The answer is no. We are a Christian School so we celebrate Fall and Harvest.

Tomorrow we will be weighing a pumpkin, measuring a pumpkin and guessing how many seed might be in the pumpkin. We will also be opening up the pumpkin, and scooping out the seeds.

We will also be finishing up our apple tree paintings, printing with apples, and counting apples.

Preschool FYI

2011-10-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday using an old fashion crank style peeler we stripped the skin from the apples picked from Spring Hope Farm. Then we cooked them in an electric skillet with sugar, and made applesauce for our snack. Everyone loved it.

We also finished cutting out our gigantic painted pumpkins. Stop by our classroom and see them hanging on our wall along with our self portraits.

Juriette and Joseph officially joined our class this month so our numbers have increased. Our class total is 12.... 5 girls and 7 boys.

On Friday Katie, (another 4 year old), will be visiting. I will keep you posted if she will be joining us on a more permanent basis.

Preschool Evaluations will be sent home next week.

No School Friday November 4th.

Still Having Problems Downloading Pictures :(

2011-10-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

2011-10-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year, as many of you who have older children in school know, that parent/ teacher conferences are being scheduled.

In preschool conferences are not mandatory. I only schedule a conference if the concerns I have about your child can not be taken care of either immediately after school when you come to pick up your child, or by a telephone call.

So, if I do not contact you for a conference you can assume that your child is doing well.

Please know that if you would still like a conference, I will be happy to meet with you...just let me know and we can set something up.

Finally, while you may not be having a conference in November I do send home a progress report. So look for this to come home in your child's backpack.

Sincerely,
Sue Veurink-Meyer

Technical Difficulties With Downloading Pictures :(

2011-10-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hopefully I can remedy this problem soon.

Personal Hygiene: Practice Washing Our Hands

2011-10-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

At circle time we talked about how we can pass germs to each other. First we practiced coughing and pretend sneezing into the crook of our elbow. Then we addressed the importance of washing our hands. Later during center time we discovered that water alone and washing with soap for just a couple of seconds was not enough to get cinnamon off our hands. The job got done only when we rubbed soap on top of our hands, on our palms, and in between our fingers for a a couple of minutes.

Field Trip To Spring Hope Farm Rescheduled

2011-10-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Looks like our trip to the apple orchard is officially changed to Monday October 24th. I had thought Friday would work, but after talking to the owners this day works best. All the details remain the same. If you are planning on driving let me know since we are going on a different day than originally planned. Don't forget to bundle up for it will be chilly.

Circle Time Handwriting Without Tears...Making Mat Man

2011-10-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

We listened to the story Mat Man this morning, which kicked off our handwriting curriculum. The flat wooden shapes that we used to create interesting shapes earlier in the day are used to create upper and lowercase letters. The mat that serves as Mat Man's body is the mat that we use to make our letters on. This curriculum is based on research that indicates that multi sensory hands-on instruction works best in early childhood. Today our activity challenged the children think about placing certain shapes in specific positions. Sometimes it took a couple tries to get Mat Man just right.

Large Motor Skill Development....AKA PE In Preschool

2011-10-13T06:15:00.000-07:00

We started out by ourselves....rolling the ball to each other, passing the ball with one bounce back and forth, and learning how to stop the ball with our foot.

We had to follow directions, and learn how to work with a partner.

Then we invited the Spanish Immersion class to join us.

We had so much fun that we decided to get together every other Friday.

No School Tomorrow Friday October 14th, 2011

2011-10-13T04:28:00.000-07:00

Our First Field Trip

2011-10-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

Looking back on our trip to the HealthWorks Kids Museum.

We had a lot fun at the HealthWorks Kid's Museum.

Center Time

2011-10-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

Free exploration of unifix cubes.

Reproducing a specific pattern.

Practical Life Skills

2011-10-06T17:48:00.000-07:00

Scooping colored flour from one bowl to the next with different spoons helps muscle development in little hands. (different spoons different muscles)

Imaginary Play

2011-10-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

A perfect opportunity for expressive language and vocabulary development.

Meet Me At The Pole

2011-10-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

Our school as a whole came together in prayer.

Morning Routines

2011-09-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

Our first two routines are all about recognizing our first names.
First we answer the question of the day.

We find, and then place our first name by the answer of our choice.

Then we write our names on the sign in sheet.

Sometimes we need a little help....but thats okay.

The we look at books with each other and our families.

Red, Yellow, and Blue Makes.....

2011-09-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

Painting Basics, and Magic Paint Brushes.

2011-09-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

Painting was both a process and a science experiment that began with red, yellow, and blue.

We painted using only primary colors and discovered the magic of creating secondary colors.

We washed our brushes between colors.

We were very deliberate in our efforts to create new colors.

Yellow and blue makes green.

Scrape excess water off your brush.

Tap and scrape water off the brush.

Blot the excess water on the bursh onto a paper towel.

God's Art

2011-09-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

FYI

2011-09-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

Wrap Around Care

I do not have anything to do with the wrap around care offered at Covenant Christian School other than the fact that my classroom is used for this program. That said, I would like to know who is attending each day. If you plan on having your child attend this program, even if it is only for one day a week or once in a great while, there is a daily sign in sheet located on the bulletin board outside the classroom for you to fill in the morning of the day your child will be attending. This simple proceedure will eliminate any confusion I have as to who is staying at school, and who is going home at 11:30. Mrs. Brown stays for wraparound care everyday through lunch time leaving at 12:30.

Field Trip to HealthWorks Museum

Please print out and send in your child's permission slip located on the blog.

The snack schedule has been reworked to include all our students.
Scheduled this week and next week are the following students.

Snack Friday September 23rd: Nolan
Snack Monday September 26th and Wednesday September 28th: Connor
Friday September 30: Alex

We Began Our Day With A Nature Walk

2011-09-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

In search of natural treasures.

We looked on the ground and in the trees.

We picked flowers.

Dug up stones.

Back in our class, we learned how to use magnifying glasses, and examined the treasures we found.

Then we used the artifacts we found to create art. We called it God's Art.

All About Bb

2011-09-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

We listened to the book....

We played with colorful bears in many different ways...building, stacking, and playing dominos with them.

We built with blocks.

Learned how to make bubbles with our hands.

And molded upper case B's with Mrs. Meyer and Mrs. Brown.

Large Motor Skill Development

2011-09-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

We had a blast on our bikes, and scooters.

Bones In Our Body

2011-09-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

We learned a poem that helped us remember in a fun way one reason we need our bones.

I Have No Bones

I have no bones in my body. (Stand up tall with arms stretched high)
I have no bones in my fingers. (fingers flop down)
I have no bones in my hands. ( hands bend at wrists)
I have no bones in my shoulders or arms. (arms flop down like wet spaghetti to our sides swinging loosely)
I don't know where they will land.
I have no bones in my back.( Bend down with hands touching the floor)
I have no bones in my knees. (knees bend to the floor)
So I will fall to the floor in a lump, lump, lump, and lay as still as I please.

Field Trip Details

2011-09-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

Please send in your permission slip before the day of the trip so I can determine carpool assignments.
All field trip fees for your child are covered by their activity fund.
All parents, grandparent's guardians are welcome to accompany us or drive on our trips.
Please stop by the main office for a background check if you are planning on driving any child other than your own. It only takes a few minutes to complete.
Siblings are welcome to attend our field trips unless I specify otherwise. (ie. limited number of tickets available)
If you indicate on your permission slip that you are planning to drive know that I will be planning on you to drive unless you let me know otherwise.
Drivers need to arrive about 15 minutes before we are scheduled to leave. This first trip we need to leave at 9:00 so you may just come when you drop off your child at 8:30 AM
If you are not driving or chaperoning you will need to send your child's car seat to school clearly labeled to avoid any confusion as to ownership
Directions to the field trip will be available on the day of the trip.

HealthWorks Kids Museum Permission Slip

2011-09-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

My child________________has my permission to attend the field trip to the HealthWorks Kids Museum

Parent Signature___________________________________________________

Date of field trip: Monday October 3, 2011
Time of departure: 9:00 AM
Time of Return: 11:30 AM

I can drive Yes No

I am able to transport _____children in my vehicle.
I will be bringing ___siblings.

My cell phone number is __________
My Licence Plate # is____________

FYI In Preschool

2011-09-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

VIP Day, Friday October 7ty is our day to invite those adults who are special in the lives of your children to come to school. In the elementary school VIP Day begins at noon with a lunch and time spent in the classroom. In preschool the VIP's can can visit our classroom at 10:45 just in time to share a little snack and then spend time outside at recess.

Upcoming Field trip:

Healthworks Kids Museum
When: Monday October 3rd
Time of departure: 9:00
Return time: 11:30
Where: Downtown South Bend off of Jefferson in the Health and Lifestyle building
Cost of trip for students is covered by our activity fund
Cost for siblings and parents $6.00 per person (which can be paid at the museum on the day of the trip.)

Please print out and return the field trip permission slip by Wednesday September 28th. I need permission slips by this date so I have an idea before the day of the trip who is driving.

Books We Listened to This Week

2011-09-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

We all agree that our bodies are pretty interesting so our first project this year will be all about our bodies. We discussed how God made each of us look different but that inside our bodies we look the same. We all have muscles, a brain, bones, and blood. We examined the veins on top of our hands and under our wrists and felt the bones in our fingers, arms, back and chest.

While we listened to From Head to Toe we moved and bent our bodies just like the animals in the story did.

Picture Day in Preschool

2011-09-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

The photographer from Lifetouch came today to take our picture. He had us place our feet on the footprints...just so.

We all watched and waited our turn.

Everyone who had their picture taken will get a free class picture. If you missed picture day today no worries...a make up day will be scheduled soon and I will let you know as soon as I know.

Research Recommends That Young Children Have At Minimum 45 Minutes to an Hour of Play During a Morning of Preschool

2011-09-13T15:10:00.000-07:00

Free exploration of multiple centers was the order of the day. In no particular order the following images show how busy our morning was. We....

Created patterns of color and towers with pegs.

Played restaurant

Scooped up beans and seeds in the sensory table

Figured out puzzles

Painted

Built with blocks

And we made new friends in the process.

Here is some of the things we did in no particualar order.

Fine Motor Skill Development

2011-09-13T14:51:00.001-07:00

Manipulating this clay like substance was not only fun but employed multiple tiny muscles in little hands. Additionally vocabulary words such as flexible, sticky, squeeze, roll, smash, mash, smoosh, flatten, shape, create, and mold were introduced during the course of this exercise. We made bracelets, walls, balls, spiders with eight legs, people, and even mustaches. (not my idea)

Preparing Snack All By Ourselves..Spreading Peanut Butter on Graham Crackers

2011-09-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

Class Party Planner Needed (Room Mother, Father, Grandparent etc..)

2011-09-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

We need someone to help plan class parties... if you would like to help let me know.