MAY/JUNE 2013 PRESCHOOL NEWSLETTER

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MAY
2-28 3 6 7 7&8 8 13 20 27 31 Friday Monday Tuesday Tues./Wed. Wednesday Monday Monday Monday Friday MWF & Pre-K Parent/Teacher conferences Parent Participation in Music Class MWF & Pre-K Parent Observation in Movement Ed. Class Red and Green Parent Participation in Music Class T/Th Staff meeting, 12:30 p.m. NO LUNCH BUNCH Free Child ID & Fingerprinting with New York Life Parent Board meeting, 9:15 a.m., LSH Parent Observation in Movement Ed. Class Blue and Yellow Lead Teacher meeting, 12:30 p.m., Library Memorial Day Parade, NO SCHOOL Concert with Courtney Campbell for Pre-K & MWF-Dragon Faire Dollars A FEW LASTS FOR THE YEAR.

MAY
29&30 Thurs./Fri. 31 Friday 31 Friday Last Chapel, 11:40 a.m. Last day to cancel extended day spaces for June and not be charged for them. Last day to checkout Library Books

JUNE
ENROLLMENT FORMS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.STGEORGESPRESCHOOL.COM 4 Tuesday Staff Meeting & Teacher Appreciation Luncheon put on by the Parent Board, NO LUNCH BUNCH 5 Wednesday Parent Board meeting with Old and New Boards, 9:15 a.m., LSH 10 Monday Lead Teacher meeting, 12:30 p.m., Library 12/13 Tues./Wed. Cabrillo Marine program Dragon Faire Dollars LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, NO LUNCH BUNCH EITHER DAY ALL LIBRARY ITEMS DUE BACK OR PAID FOR REPLACEMENT

Parent Summer SendSend-Off Coffee ON THE PATIO! JULY 1 MONDAY

ALL FORMS FOR FALL DUE!!

Prepaid June 2014 Tuition Due this June 1st. Pre-Kindergarten Program $500.00 MWF Program $360.00 T-TH Program $260.00

Spring Has Sprung!

By: Cherie McSweeney (I wrote this last year and as I went to edit it for this year I decided not to because the developmental cycle is still the same. Your children are on track with these very same things occurring.)
Flowers are blooming, chicks are hatching and Preschool children are changing!! Our Tuesday-Thursday children are becoming very independent and confident. They have really started to enjoy socializing with their peers. Much of the morning involves dramatic play from playing house, grocery store, being animals, super-heroes, train engineers and more. Along with the more advanced socialization skills, verbal skills have been growing and developing as well. Sharing of objects has become easier while sharing and deciding on play scenarios can be more challenging. The more opportunities to practice these skills the easier the skills become. This is a good time to not only play with school friends in the classroom but to have one on one play dates away from school. The MWF and Pre-K children are bursting out all over! Their bodies are changing, their interests are changing and the ways in which they relate are changing. They become interested in their bodies and each others bodies. They start to ask questions about life and death and also dream about it. One minute they are on top of the world and the next melting in tears. Older four and five year olds want to have full control yet become easily frustrated when they have it. More choices but with limits is a good call during this time. Boys show their friendship for one another by slapping each other on the back and body bumps, girls show their friendship with hugs and giggles. When you put the boys and the girls together, chase games occur. The girls tease the boys and run and the boys follow up by chasing. THEN, the girls complain about the boys chasing them! A whole other world of socialization has begun. If you havent figured it out, this age is a preview of adolescence!! Remember to listen, give them more choices but remain the boss.

CHAPEL
In Chapel, Larry and Sally have been talking about their fun adventures on the playground. Larry even owned up to throwing a block at one of his friends because he wouldnt listen to him. All at once you could hear the children in Chapel say, Oh NO! With my prompting the children in Chapel explained to Larry how he should have had teacher help him if his friend wouldnt listen to him instead of throwing the block. Sally chimed in and did tell the children how Larry did go get an ice pack for his friend to help him feel better. Larry told the children he felt bad about hurting his friend and he was glad they helped him figure out what to do if that happens again.

A new puppet named Patch joined the Tuesday/Thursday children in Chapel after Easter. He shared with the children how I found him in a field of grass crying while on my vacation. He had been crying because other rabbits were calling him names and wouldnt play with him because he had patches on his ears and feet. The children loved hearing Patch tell them how he came home with me on an airplane so he could meet all of them, because I told him what good friends the children at St. Georges Preschool know how to be. The children beamed and told Patch they would be his friends. Each week, Patch is spending time in each of the three-year-old classrooms and the children are being very good friends to him! Our last Chapel for the year will be at the end of May. Hopefully you will be able to join us as we sing all our songs and enjoy one last time together in Chapel.

SUMMER SCHOOL The World of Art

This summer we are going to focus on The World of Art once again. Last year the children heard about Pollock, Picasso, da Vinci, Seurat and Renoir. The children painted on real canvas with real artist brushes, modeled with real clay and used the different techniques of all of these artists. This year they will learn about a variety of other artists and their styles. We will also have a fantastically fun exercise portion of the morning with obstacle course, bouncy bin, sack races, water balloon tosses, parachute play, dance, movement and more. The children will bring their lunch from home each day. Each Friday the children will come in their swim suits for water play in the sprinklers and wading pools. Body painting and shaving cream painting will also be a part of these mornings. If you would like to be on the waiting list, see us in the office.

NEW BOOKS ABOUT PARENTING By: Joyce Davison

You will find these new books about parenting on the book cart. THE SECRETS OF HAPPY FAMILIES: improve your mornings, rethink family dinner, fight smarter, go out and play, and much more by Bruce Feiler. This book really is full of great ideas. Each chapter is stand-alone, so you can focus on one area that concerns your family right now. Bruce Feiler has drawn up a blueprint for modern families, a new approach to family dynamics, inspired by cutting-edge techniques gathered from experts in the disciplines of science, business, sports, and the military. The result is a funny and thought-provoking playbook for contemporary families, with more than 200 useful strategies, including: the right way to have family dinner, what your mother never told you about sex (but should have), and why you should always have two women present in difficult conversations. SMART PARENTING FOR SMART KIDS by Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD and Mark S. Lowenthal, PsyD This is a perfect book for raising any child. It is easy to read, informative and to the point. The authors take real life situations and apply practical and easy to understand solutions. The chapters are structured so a parent can isolate a particular problem and apply that chapter to their individual childs needs. You only have one chance to raise your children. EINSTEIN NEVER USED FLASH CARDS: how our children really learn-and why they need to play more and memorize less by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Ph.D with Diane Eyer, Ph.D In this book two highly credentialed child psychologists offer a compelling indictment of the growing trend toward accelerated learning. It's a message that stressed-out parents are craving to hear: Letting tots learn through play is not only okay-it's better than drilling academics! Drawing on overwhelming scientific evidence from their own studies and the collective research results of child development experts, and addressing the key areas of development-math, reading, verbal communication, science, self-awareness, and social skills-the authors explain the process of learning from a child's point of view. They then offer parents 40 age-appropriate games for creative play. These simple, fun--yet powerful exercises work as well or better than expensive high-tech gadgets to teach a child what his ever-active, playful mind is craving to learn. MIND IN THE MAKING: the seven essential life skills every child needs by Ellen Galinsky Galinsky has spent her career observing and analyzing how children learn. Collaborating with top researchers in the science of childhood brain development for the past decade, she identifies seven life skills that help children reach their full potential and unleash their passion to learn. The skills are presented in a readable and accessible volume enlivened by parents' narratives about what works and what doesn't, hints and tips, and over a hundred suggestions like games and family activities for involving kids in the pursuit of learning. Each of seven chapters focuses on one skill, most of them involved with the executive or management function of the brain, such as focus and self-control, communicating, and critical thinking. She urges parents to instill in their children a grasp of different kinds of knowledge to best tap inborn sense and foster self-motivation. The big message is simple: teaching children to think may be the most important thing a parent can do. Her everyday, playful, parent-child learning interactions offer a place to start. SIBLINGS WITHOUT RIVALRY: how to help your children live together so you can love too by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. This book gives parents the practical tools they need to cope with conflict, encourage cooperation, reduce competition, and make it possible for children to experience the joys of their special relationship. With humor and understanding the authors explain how and when to intervene in fights, provide suggestions on how to help children channel their hostility into creative outlets, and demonstrate how to treat children equally and still be fair.

FAREWELL FROM THE PARENT BOARD Christa Evans, President

DRAGON FAIRE... Thank you so much to all of you for making this year's Dragon Faire a huge success! Thank you for working your shift, selling your raffle tickets, baking your Dragon Snacks and bringing your families out to the faire on such a beautiful day! I especially want to thank this year's committee, who worked tirelessly all year to make the day so fun for our families. This year's team was so organized; the mood was calm but festive and everything looked beautiful! As a former Dragon Faire co-chair (and someone who is usually festive but rarely calm), I was quite impressed! Thank you to this year's co-chairs, Rebecca Murchie, Laurie Pebworth and Annalisa Chang-Miller, who did an amazing job! PARENT FIESTA... We are hoping that you will join us for a fabulous time this Thursday, May 9th at Los Gringos Locos. Youve been working hard all year, giving endlessly to your families and community and you deserve a night amongst other people taller than four feet! Please join us for a night of fun and friends, margaritas and very minimal whining. If you say you wont go - I might start dragging my feet, pulling on your skirt, begging and foot stamping. You dont want to see that. Our hostesses Gia Firestone, Julie Womack, Helena Danni and Libby Renshaw promise a good time will be had by all! BE A PART OF THE 2013 - 14 PARENT BOARD Now that the Dragon Faire is behind us, we will begin slating positions for next years Parent Board. Flyers with information on all the positions will be in your cubbies. The Parent Board is a great way to support the Preschool, make new friends and stay informed on what is happening at the school each month. Parent Board generally meets the second Wednesday of each month, at 9:15am in LSH, from September through June. Childcare is provided. I love meeting other parents from the different classes and feeling a greater connection to the school. Its always a great group of parents. Come join the fun! A LOOK AHEAD Dont forget to mark your calendar for the Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 27th. Come be a part of the action and march with your fellow classmates down Foothill Boulevard! If youve never been to the La Caada Memorial Day parade, it is small town at its best! Its always one of my favorite days of being a Caadan. (And, yes, Im pretty sure I did just make up that word.) Order your red T-Shirts by May 9th. Sign-ups and other details to come.

Nutrition
By: Katie Valdes MS RD CSSD
If your child gets an upset stomach, diarrhea, or nausea after eating soy, they are not alone. Allergy and intolerance to soybeans is one of the more common food allergies, especially among babies and young children. Symptoms can range from mild, with complaints of tummy aches, to severe, such as trouble breathing or anaphylaxis, a whole-body allergic reaction that can restrict breathing, or in severe cases, cause death. The only way to prevent these uncomfortable or dangerous symptoms is to avoid eating soy altogether. Unfortunately, this is not as simple as staying away from soymilk. When most people think of soy, Asian food products may come to mind, such as: Soy sauce, Tofu, Miso soup, made with fermented soybean paste, Edamame and Tamari, a naturally aged and fermented soy sauce, that is used in many veggie slaws and other salads. However, since becoming a major crop in the United States, soy is no longer restricted to the Asian food aisle, and has instead found its way into the majority of processed and natural foods that may be in your pantry! Soybeans, in the form of textured vegetable protein (TVP), are used to make imitation meat products, such as: Imitation crab, Veggie burgers, and Veggie sausages. TVP is also used as a filler and texturizer in natural products, which helps food manufacturers lower costs, reduce fat content and add juiciness. It might surprise you to learn that soy can also be hiding in: Canned tuna, Ground meats used for hamburgers, meatballs, and tacos and even the high-end turkey breast (lunch meat) at your deli counter. Other uses of soy, in the form of soybean oil, soy protein isolates, and soy lecithin are used in a wide variety of common, processed foods, including some brands of: Chocolate Peanut butter boxed cereals, crackers, chewing gum, ice cream, pizza toppings, hamburger buns, hot dogs, tacos, spaghetti or pasta, canned soups and breads. Soy is also used in a variety of popular processed diet foods, such as: Low-calorie salad dressings, low fat baked goods and crackers. Soy has even made its way into spices including garlic and seasoning salts, as well as condiments like some brands of ketchup and steak sauce.

There are a few important steps you can take to make sure that your soy-allergic child is safely avoiding soy while still enjoying food: 1. Read ingredient labels carefully! Soy can be found in so many foods under the names soybean oil, soy protein isolate, textured vegetable protein and soy lecithin 2. If a food doesnt have a label, play it safe, and avoid it. 3. When eating out, plan ahead. Call the restaurant before going, and speak to a manager about the ingredients used in the menu (such as soybean oil, which, in some cases, can be used to prepare 100% of the foods on the menu) or try to download ingredients list or allergens list from the restaurants website (where applicable). If soy is used in the majority of the foods at the restaurant, you may want to stay away to avoid the possibility of cross contamination. 4. Once you find brands of foods that are soy-free, stock up! You want to make sure your kitchen is full of healthy and safe options for your child, so that she will always have lots of food options and never feel deprived or bored. 5. Always keep a positive attitude around your child when it comes to food. Focus on the foods your child CAN have and not the ones that are restricted. Have the whole family enjoy eating the same foods your child can so that she does not feel singled out. Adapted from SuperKids Nutrition

CLASSROOM NEWS
Green Door
It is hard to believe it is almost the end of the school year. Springtime is a particularly busy time at school and the days sure fly by. We all returned from spring break with renewed energy and increased motivation. We jumped head first into our Space Unit. The children enjoyed a lot of dramatic play wearing space suits, using walkie-talkies, and flying a cardboard spaceship. Both classes loved learning songs and facts about the planets. They felt especially smart when they could tell people that Pluto was no longer a planet even though it is still featured in many of our books. The MWF class made space mobiles. This was a challenging project that involved many steps. The children had to choose shapes, trace them on paper, cut them out and string them from their plate base. We then hung these beautiful art pieces from the ceiling. The T/Th class also added to our space themed classroom by stringing star dancers to hang alongside the mobiles. Our decorated ceiling looked out of this world! Each class also made different rockets, asteroid painted and cooked UFO pizzas. We are now learning about Butterflies and Spring in the Green Door. The Metcalf family has so graciously lent us two baby chicks to cuddle for a couple weeks. The children are delighted to touch and hold these darling fluffy babies. We cannot believe how much they have already grown! We also have some caterpillars and ants in addition to our guinea pigs and fish! Our classroom is a regular farm these days. The children are adding their own creatures to this menagerie. The T/Th children created pom-pom caterpillars. Some of these display color patterns and others are like the Very Hungry Caterpillar with a red head and green body. They also made giant blot painted butterflies. These look beautiful flying up the wall of our classroom. The MWF class created their own caterpillars by cutting out colorful circles and putting them together by using staplers, brads, hole-punchers and tape. These caterpillars also show an understanding of pattern and or/and attention to detail as many are equipped with colorful antennae, legs and eyes. These children also made tissue paper butterflies to hang from the ceiling. We have been discussing the life cycle of the butterfly. The children sequenced the life cycle steps in a little book they cut out. Ask them to tell you about the caterpillar and his journey to become a butterfly. They even know some songs about it. It is fun to see them observe this cycle first hand as our live caterpillars are creating their chrysalises right now. In the next few weeks, we will continue to talk about spring, new beginnings, baby animals and planting. Mothers Day is also around the corner which always brings about interesting discussions about mommies and family and gratitude. Following this, we will talk about community helpers and more specifically fire fighters. We even hope to have a police and fire truck visit before the year is through. Lastly, we will explore some ocean themes just in time for summer and endless trips to the beach! Nita, Danielle and I have really enjoyed teaching to your children. We have learned as much from them as they have from us. Danielle and I already miss the MWF kids. I feel attached to them since I have watched them grow from three year olds into such big and capable kids. I am also excited to see the T/Th class return in the Fall. It is always a surprise to see the amazing transformation that takes place over the summer.

Red Door
MWF As we wrap up the school year, there are many fun things to look forward to! Conferences begin soon which is a great time to talk about the children's progress through the school year. Mud Day is also a highlight of the end of the school year. This will take place one day in June so that we may do yard sharing at the same time. The lower yard will be a wet, muddy, messy, bubbly play yard and the upper yard will have the regular items available. The children from the Red Door and the Blue Door will be out there at the same time and can go in between the two yards as much as they want! More details will be in your cubby soon. In May we will also be talking about community helpers, making Mother's Day crafts, decorating our Memorial Day shoeboxes and much more including another music class and a few more chapels! June will bring our Ocean unit and a visit from the Cabrillo Marine program. They will bring a touch tank and do a really cute puppet show. The children love this. During these last couple of months it is important to remember that we will be discussing our plans for the following school year. There will be a lot of talk about Kindergarten and Yellow Door. This may cause some anxiety for the children as they anticipate the change so please keep the conversation going at home. I recommend play dates during the summer to keep in touch with old friends as well as making some time with the children they will be attending school with next year. Thank you all for such a wonderful school year! T-TH The school year has flown by! In class we will be continuing to explore our materials and the children are starting to master some of these skills. It is amazing to see the difference from the beginning of the year till now. I can tell that they are ready for more and we have begun to pull out more puzzles and manipulatives to engage them. We have also been working on writing our names and some of the children are very interested in this. May and June bring some exciting things such as more music classes and a visit from the Cabrillo Marine Program. This is such an exciting time and we will be talking about our summer break soon. It is important to prepare the children for the break from school and we will be assuring them that we will all be back together in the fall. I highly recommend the summer school program since this class is especially fond of the water play! Play dates are also highly encouraged. Thank you so much for the great year and we will see you in the fall!

Blue Door
Its hard to believe that another school year is about to end. The children have had such positive growth and it has been a pleasure being a part of it. Be assured that your children are moving on with improved verbal and social skills and a willingness to try new things. The T-Th. class continues to be a social group. Its always a pleasure seeing the transition from hesitant young children to confident preschoolers, eager to spend another morning with their friends. They are so happy to see each other and spend this time together. They continue to display moments of self-sufficiency with attempts at trying new things by themselves, such as cutting with scissors, and making trips to the bathroom without the teachers assistance. This class really enjoys easel painting, playing with the trains, making cookies out of playdough, and especially the manipulative and sensory tables. We have had some wonderful cooperative play at making towers as well as very complex train tracks. They have all shown an interest in the table activity, whether it was finger painting, Q-Tip painting, drip painting, gluing collages, or stringing necklaces, just to name a few. By now, we have introduced scissors to the children and are very proud of everyones eagerness to give cutting a try. You have probably noticed an increase in small snippets of paper stuffed in envelopes finding their way home with you. It was a pleasure being a part of your childs preschool experience this year. Miss Kristi, Miss Bonnie and I have enjoyed getting to know your children. I look forward to our next year together. Be prepared for some amazing growth and development and a more self-sufficient preschooler! The M-W-F children have grown so much this year, physically, of course, but socially and emotionally as well. Old friendships have continued to flourish even while the children branched out and formed new ones. This class has gone from dressing up and playing in the playhouse last year to more elaborate imaginary situations. The game of make-believe has become very popular with this class. We have seen families develop on any given school day with moms, dads, babies and lots of animals, and Im not just referring to your more common house pets! The floor play has gone from simple car games to imaginative train tracks that take time to create. Their imaginations are a delight to witness.

The work involved in building these great projects takes teamwork. When working on a common project the children need to share ideas, make suggestions and try to fit their ideas together. Not always getting what you want is a difficult issue for preschoolers to grasp and this group play is a great learning tool; there needs to be some give and take. Your children are learning this a little bit every day. Their small, fine motor skills are really developing and most projects are multi-step processes now that the children eagerly complete. Their self-confidence when they come to the activity table really shines through. I get a rousing response when I ask who would like to start first on their projects. I am proud of their improvement in their tracing, cutting and name-writing skills. We have talked about the calendar all year long and I hope their exposure to the days of the weeks, the months of the years, and the numbers 1-30 have helped prepare them for the next step in their education. The remainder of the year will be just as busy as ever. We will be making special gifts for our mothers and fathers, and finish the year with the ocean and a visit from the Cabrillo Marine Program. For the first time, all of the classrooms will be making a fire truck box for the Memorial Day Parade. More information will be sent home about this soon. In early June, the M-W-F kids will have Amazing Water Day. I will send a note home that gives more instructions and information about this fun day when we get closer to the date. I look forward to our conferences later this month. We will have the opportunity to share our thoughts about how much your children have flourished since our last talk back in October. We will also look ahead to the future and what you can do to help better prepare your preschooler for the transition to kindergarten. I want to thank you all for a special year. I have had a wonderful year spending this precious time with your children. For those of you going off to new adventures, we wish you nothing but success. For those of you returning in the fall, have a wonderful, relaxing summer. I would like to take this opportunity to reach out to all of you and extend my heartfelt gratitude for your involvement in your childs preschool experience. Without your participation and commitment to St. Georges, we wouldnt be the success we are. Thank you!

Yellow Door
Throughout the two weeks of Work Games, the Yellow Door was bustling with activity the children enjoyed the challenge of completing 20 games and everyone worked hard to earn their Work Badges and Super Stars. The children wore their badges proudly. Ive seen a few children wear their Badges or Stars to school since then and Im glad they enjoyed the unit so much. In addition to completing Work Games this last month, the Yellow Door students studied insects, outer space and had Pet Week. During the insect unit we focused on interesting facts about bees, ladybugs and ants. While discussing outer space, we learned about the order of the planets and their different characteristics. We even made a brief visit to outer space in a rocket ship! (Compliments of Greg and Steves On the Move! imaginary song). Pet week has just finished and the boys and girls enjoyed the menagerie of pets that visited. We had dogs, a guinea pig, a rabbit and even some praying mantises! We also had several students bring in pictures and/or stuffed animals to share. Thank you so much to the parents who made the visitations possible. I am looking forward to meeting with the parents individually during the conference days coming up in May. As I prepare my conference notes, I realize how much the children have progressed since September. They have changed in so many ways. During two weeks in May, the Yellow Door will take an imaginary trip to France. As a class, we will talk about castles, churches, French language, French painters and sample French food. Vita, Anne and I are working hard to put together the details to make our vacation a fun one! We will be making our passports (we will work on addresses and phone numbers for this), airline tickets, luggage tags and carry-on tote bags. The children will have different jobs at the airport and during our pretend flight in our appliance box airplane. We will round out the year with a unit on the ocean. Then the last few days we will clean the room together (a Yellow Door ritual), and do some closure activities. The school year is rapidly coming to an end. Mud Day will be on Friday, June 7th. On the last day of school, Wednesday, June12th, we will have a picnic with the parents in the Memorial Garden at 11:30am. Its been a wonderful year. We have enjoyed your children so much. I hope you have a fun, relaxing summer. Please come back and visit us next year!

KID QUOTES
"Can you put me next to my friend so we can have a conversation? (A child being asked to sit for snack.)

"You know what I love about Dragon Faire? You can play all these games and it doesn't cost any dollars!"

"I'm going to throw this away just in case I'm done."

A boy holding two fistfuls of Easter grass: "Yeah! I'm a cheerleader!"

"Madison is my best friend because we have the same shoes!"

"Do you know my dad sneaks presents? He takes little peeks at them."

Teacher: "I like your "Jake the Never Land Pirate" shirt. I have a boy named Jake." Child: "Where is he?" Teacher: "At my home." Child: "I thought you lived here!" Devils are the opposite of God. Child# 1: I went to the Eiffel Tower. Child #2: What did you do in the Awful Tower? Child#1: Oh you just go up and look at cities and stuff.

New Beginnings
It is not easy to be a child in a new classroom. Imagine experiencing it for the first time. You come into a strange building full of other children and adults who are strangers, full of enticing activitiesThere are many things to learn about but in order to learn you have to wade in and try new things. Learning is hard work, and it involves taking risksof being laughed at, of being wrong, of being ignored or rejected. Yet this desire for mastery is what leads to social and intellectual competence. It is almost impossible for children to have the courage to start on this new journey without a foundation of emotional security. This past year your child has had many opportunities to take risks, experience failure and success both socially and emotionally. Their social/emotional muscles have been stretched and strengthened. They have all risen to the occasion and are ready for the next new challenge. However, remember when they enter that next new classroom for the first time those same wiggly feelings will stir around in their bellies. They will put their toe into the new pond and risk wading in. Each new adventure may be a bit risky but worth taking. They are ready!!!