Sept 29-Oct 3

Dear Sunshine Families, Last Week: we enjoyed tasting different apples and cutting apples in small pieces for homemade applesauce! It was very yummy! We have a few more apple projects to work on this week so we will spend some time completing those. This week: we will read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and create some really fun projects. We will make a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree and put the letters of each kids name on them. We will also make a handprint tree. We will be doing a lot of name recognition activities in the coming weeks. We will also play a seek and find alphabet game in the classroom. Carnival: Friday is our annual fall carnival! Bracelets are on sale now for unlimited games. Games mimion bowling, angry bird toss, mini golf, bean bag toss, bounce houses and temporary tattoos. We will serve hotdogs, popcorn and cotton candy. Bring in your favorite chili to the cook off and sample others! Carnival is our biggest fund raiser of the year; proceeds go toward new classroom supplies and school wide activities. With your help we can make this event a success. Sign ups are out to help with our classroom game; applying temporary tattoos. This is a fun and easy way to get in those volunteer hours! We truly appreciate all the help we get. Picture Day: Picture day is coming up; our scheduled day for pictures is Tuesday Oct 7th. I can add Monday for pictures to but wanted to get some feedback, for those that Tuesday isn't a normal school day would you be able to come in at 9:30 to get individual pictures done and then we can do one class photos that will include everyone. If this doesn't work for people than I will add Monday as a picture day as well. Picture packets were put in cubbies last week. These will need to be returned by Oct 7th. Pumpkin Patch: Our annual Farm trip is planned for Oct 16 and 17 at 9:30. This year we will be going to The Vancouver Pumpkin Patch at Velvet Acres. The cost is $5 per child and that includes a pumpkin! We will visit farm animal in the petting zoo, play in hay tunnels and take a hay ride out to the patch! If you'd like to pack a picnic lunch we can plan to eat lunch together after we are done at the farm. Work Wall: The letter of the week is 'C'. Kids can bring in items that start with the letter 'C'. These can be toys, objects found around the home or pictures. We will look around our classroom for objects starting with the letter 'C'. Teacher Tasha Tuition Prices 2 Days a week: $190 a month 3 Days a week: $245 a month 4 Days a week: $300 a month 5 Days a week: $355 a month Kindergarten: $405 a month

Sept 22-26

Dear Sunshine Families, Last week we finished up our 'I can' unit with a friendship painting. Two friends worked together to roll cans covered in paint around in a large box; these created really unique paintings! With this week being the first week of fall we will jump into some favorite fall units! This week we will focus on a yummy fall fruit; apples! We have many apple crafts planned, we will taste test apples, make patterns with apples and we will make our own applesauce! If anyone has an apple tree and has extras apples to donate we would love to use homegrown apples this week. During circle time we will read 'A' Was Once an Apple Pie, Ten Apples Up On Top and Apple Picking. We have been practicing our fall songs; Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate and Bats Are Flying. Carnival is right around the corner; Oct 3rd! In addition to all the fun games we will have hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy and a chili cook off! Our annual Farm trip is planned for Oct 16 and 17 at 9:30. This year we will be going to The Vancouver Pumpkin Patch at Velvet Acres. The cost is $5 per child and that includes a pumpkin! We will visit farm animal in the petting zoo, play in hay tunnels and take a hay ride out to the patch! Work Wall: The letter of the week is 'B'. Kids can bring in items that start with the letter 'B'. These can be toys, objects found around the home or pictures. Word wall items will be kept in the hamper during class and will go home each day. Please remember to sign your child in each day; we will use the sign in sheet to take a quick count in case of an emergency. If we have to exit the building quickly we grab the sign in sheet clip board as we leave. This week we will have our first fire drill; we have one a month. We ring the alarm for a few seconds and then practice quickly exiting the building and lining up outside by the playground. We also practice an earthquake drill when we get back in the building. We have begun to see the onset of cold and flu season. Vanessa and I have been diligent about sanitizing the classroom shelves, tables and toys. I want to ask everyone if they will wash kids hands before they come into class. Also, if you keep sick kids home please call Katie in the office or email me to let us know. Together we can work to keep everyone healthy! For anyone that is interested in adding a day of preschool we have quite a few spots on Monday and Friday. If you would be interested in adding a day let Katie know. Picture day is coming up; our scheduled day for pictures is Tuesday Oct 6th. I can add Monday for pictures to but wanted to get some feedback, for those that Tuesday isn't a normal school day would you be able to come in at 9:30 to get individual pictures done and then we can do one class photos that will include everyone. If this doesn't work for people than I will add Monday as a picture day as well. Picture packets will go home soon and will need to be returned the day of pictures. Teacher Tasha

Sept 15-20

Dear Sunshine Families, Last week went well; everyone seems to be adjusting and feeling more comfortable in class. There is a lot to learn these first few weeks, we really work on sitting quietly during circle, staying at the table during snack and lining up and walking in a line to get to the playground. For the first couple months of school we will use a rope that everyone holds onto while we make the trip to the playground. This will ensure that everyone is together and safe! Bikes will be out this week and most days until the weather turns rainy. On windy days like we had last week we are unable to keep the bike fences from blowing down in the wind so we won't ride bikes those days. Kids need a helmet from home in order to ride bikes. Please make sure a name is on the helmet so we make sure the right helmet goes to each kiddo. We still need quite a few family portraits; if you haven't sent one in this week would be a good time to do it! We will be taking our first trip over to Kindred to sing to the 'grandmas and grandpas'. The folks living there love to see the kids and hear their songs. It's a great way for us to reach out and be a part of our local community! If anyone is interested in joining us, we leave at 10:00 and walk across the street as a school. We are usually gone for about a half an hour. We had a lot of fun painting with cans. These pieces of art are on display in the hallway. We also used the cans outside to collect and sort rocks and pinecones, build castle and scoop and pour sand. We are going to continue with our 'I can' unit this week. We will also begin an All About Me unit this week. We will work on our family portrait projects, create a self portrait and do a name practice project! We will begin word wall this week; for the next two weeks we will focus on letter A! Kids can bring in items that start with the letter 'A'. These can be toys, objects found around the home or pictures. We have a green hamper that word wall items will go in; it will be located right by the door. Word wall items will be kept in the hamper during class and will go home each day. For anyone that is interested in adding a day of preschool we have quite a few spots on Monday and Friday. If you would be interested in adding a day let Katie know. Picture days have been reschedule for October. The wonderful Sarah Costa will be taking portraits. We will be doing individual portraits as well as a class photo. Thank you for letting us be a part of your child’s preschool experience! It’s going to be a great week! Teacher Tasha

Sept 8-12

Dear Sunshine Families, Our first two days last week were great! We spent time playing with all the toys and materials in the classroom and learning where they go when it’s clean up time. We played outside on the playground; digging in the sandbox, swinging and running. When the weather is nice we love to play and learn outside! This is our first full week of school and for some the first day of school. Again, this week we will spend time in the classroom exploring the materials and getting familiar with the environment. This early in the year we spend quite a bit of time on our transition times. Cleaning up, using the restrooms and walking in a line are new for many of the kids so we will devote a lot of our day to working on these things. We will continue working on our sunshine art projects this week. These are a two part project that we hope to have completed by the end of the week and displayed in the classroom. We will also begin an ‘I can” unit. We will generate ideas about all the things we ‘can’ do at school and at home. I have been collecting soup cans in various sizes that we will use for an art project, to collect rocks and for sorting. We want to focus on all the great things kids already know how to do and everything they are able to do at preschool! We are going to begin working on our family portrait project this week. These will be displayed in the classroom. The kids love having these pictures to look at during the day and share with their friends. It helps give them ownership in the classroom and helps develop friendships in class. We are going to hold off on the word wall until next week, the kids are still adjusting to our days together. Next week, Sept 15-19, we will start with the letter ‘A’ and work our way through the alphabet. Kids are invited to bring in something that starts with the letter of the week. We have a green hamper that word wall items will go in; it will be located right by the door. If you have not returned the registration paper work which includes a release form stating who can and cannot pick up your kids and the personal info we need those back as soon as possible. They can be downloaded and printed from the school website. For anyone that is interested in adding a day of preschool we have quite a few spots on Monday and Friday. If you would be interested in adding a day let Katie know. Picture days will be at the end of September this year. We will be doing individual portraits as well as a class photo. Pictures are usually held 2 days for each class and will begin the week of September 22. More info will come next week. Thank you for letting us be a part of your child’s preschool experience! It’s going to be a great week! Teacher Tasha

Sept 4 and 5

Dear Sunshine Families, This newsletter will typically go out Sunday evening for the week ahead. I will copy and paste the majority of the content into the email and will also send an attachment with the newsletter in its entirety. It is also posted to the school blog. We are so excited to get this school year started! This is a short week, with two days in class. We will spend these days getting adjusted to our routine and getting to know one another. It’s not uncommon for kids to feel unsure or worried when they come to school for the first time, even if they have seemed excited. If parents and teachers all keep a positive attitude towards school it can make the transition smoother. Vanessa and I will take your lead at drop offs but it is often easier if parents say a quick goodbye and reassure kids that you will be back after school. Our first two days we will create a cute sunshine project to decorate our classroom. We will also explore our art media center and sensory material, and play with play dough. We will give lots of free choice time the first few weeks of school. I’d like the kids to become familiar with the materials and toys in the classroom and feel comfortable to explore them in their own ways. Please remember to sign your child in and out each day on the purple sign in sheets by the door. Also, the tuition box is located right by the sign in sheets. Tuition checks can be placed in there; they are collected shortly after class begins as well as right after class ends. The two bulletin boards outside the classroom door have the school newsletter and snack calendar posted each month as well as this newsletter, class lesson plans and the daily schedule. Each child has a cubby in the hall. We will put all their art projects and classroom work as well as notices from the office in cubbies. Please be sure to check them often. Next week we will jump right into a full week. We are asking that each family bring in a family portrait. We will be using these in a project so a copy that you do not need back would be best. We will begin working on the Word Wall next week, we will start with the letter ‘A’ and work our way through the alphabet. Kids are invited to bring in something that starts with the letter of the week. Toys are ok but it’s a great time to get creative! We have a word wall basket that items can be placed in; they will stay in the basket until the end of the day. Toys brought in for word wall will not be played with in class. I had mentioned to some of you at open house that we have tricycles and scooters out on nicer days. They will not be out this week and possibly not next week either; I will keep you posted as to when they will be set up. We’d like to give the kids a couple weeks to comfortable with our outdoor space before we add bikes. Kids need to bring a helmet from home in order to ride bicycles. Helmets can be hung up with backpacks; just make sure they have a name in them. I hope that wasn’t information overload! I am looking forward to a fun filled year together getting to know one another and making lasting memories. Feel free to contact me anytime, I’m available via email and love to chat after class. I don’t always have a lot of time before class as I have to get my kids to school. Teacher Tasha Dates to remember Sept 4 Tuition due Sept 10 Tuition Grace period ends Sept 17 & 18 Kindred Visit Sept 22-26 Picture days (TBA) Oct 1 Tuition Due Oct 10 Tuition Grace period ends Oct 16 &17 Bizi Farm trips Oct 29 & 30 Kindred Visit Oct 30 & 31 Class Parties/parades Nov 3 Tuition Due Nov 6 Conferences- No School Nov 7 No school Nov 10 Tuition Grace period ends Nov 11 No School-Veteran’s Day

June 16-19

Dear Sunshine Families This is our last week in class together! I just wanted to take a minute and say how great this year has been. I have loved being a part of your lives and for many of you this was your first preschool experience. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of that! The year has been so great; we had many adventures together. I hope everyone has a great summer break and pleas, come visit next year! Our all school picnic is on Thursday at 10:00. I look forward to spending this last day together at the park. The teachers will cook up hotdogs and the sign up sheet is out for drinks, chips, salads and fruit! Art: We won't be doing any art work that needs to dry so kids can take stuff home that day; we will work with scissors, crayons and markers. Math/Science: We will play with playdough; I got some brand new stuff for our last week together. Literacy: If anyone has a bookbag and book at home I would love it if you could bring them back this week. Also; any donations of gently used books we be great so I can replenish the book bag shelves' for next year! Extras: It's not too late to sign up for summer camp! It's a great way to stay connected and busy over the summer! Important Dates June 18th Last day in class June 19th All school Picnic-Last day of School

June 9-13

Dear Sunshine Families This is our last full week in class; we will spend our time revisiting some of our favorite art projects, getting messy with gak and playing outside on the cleaned up playground! Thank you to those that came to playground cleanup! It looks great out there; we really appreciate all the hard work! Our last family event is next week on June 19th at Felida Park This is a potluck event; we will have sign up sheets out soon. The school will provide hot dogs and condiments. We will meet at the park at 10:00; bikes, scooters, Frisbees and other outdoor play things are welcome. Also, I'd recommend bringing a picnic blanket as there isn't a lot of seating. Art: This week we will revisit some of our favorite projects from the year. Math/Science: We are going to make gak this week. The combination of elmers glue and borax is so much fun to mix up! Literacy: This week we will read A Home for Hermit Crab and Oh, The Places You'll Go Word wall for the rest of the year will be free choice. Kids can bring anything they want to share and we will sound out the letter for the item! Extras: Playground cleanup is this coming Saturday!!! We will weed, trim and rake gravel. We will also be repainting the playhouse, bridge and toybox. This is a great way to complete volunteer hours. Bring your garden gloves, shovels and rakes and help us spread new gravel, pull weeds and clean up the play structures and house! As the weather gets nicer bikes will be out more often! It can be hard to know if they will be set out until we get to school and determine the weather, but if it looks like dry weather they should be out! Helmets can be brought everyday or left at school if you choose. If you are on Facebook or even if you aren't make sure you check out our Little Acorn page. We keep up to date information regarding events and things happening in the classrooms! Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Acorn-Preschool-and-Kindergarten/111773625573378 Volunteer Hours: -Make die cuts in the office -Laminate in the office -Wash classroom chairs -Take dress-up clothes home to wash -Take stuffed animals home to wash -Playground cleanup Important Dates June 10th Tution Grace period ends at Noon June 18th Last day in class June 19th All school Picnic-Last day of School Teacher Tasha