December Newsletter

Themes

The theme that we will be working on this month is Christmas, which we will focus on throughout the month of December.  We will be reading stories, and participating in discussions that are theme-related, and the children will be making crafts and participating in activities that will be based on each individual theme.

Table Work

The three year olds will be working on Mat Man.  This is an activity where children name parts of the body and listen to oral directions to attend to a simple task.  “The ant, the bug, and the bee” is a song that teaches the children about numbers.  ABC sing and point helps the children learn left-to-right directionality for letters, as well as help them recognize the letters of the alphabet.  Door tracing encourages the children to point to and name capital letters, as well as proper crayon grasp.  When drawing the square, the children will be recognizing familiar two-dimensional shapes, as well as using correct top-to-bottom, left-to-right directionality for symbols.

The four-year old’s will be working on the letters I, U, and C.  These activities will help the children learn to use correct top-to-bottom, left-to-right directionality for letters.  They are also great for proper crayon grip to write and to practice using the helping hand to stabilize objects and paper.  Name writing is important for children to recognize and name letters in their own name, as well as position the capital letters right side up.

December 18th – Christmas party for all classes (9:00 – 11:00)

December 19th – January 5th - Christmas Break

January 6th – Classes resume for Monday/Wednesday classes

January 7th - Classes resume for the Tuesday/Thursday classes

January 12th – Carstairs Playschool Board meeting 2pm

Christmas Party

We just wanted to let everybody know that the time for the Christmas party will be 9:00 – 11:00 on Wednesday, December 18th.   Everybody is invited!!  This includes parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, or whoever would like to see these cute little children sing some songs. As it is a busy morning for the teachers and the children, we are asking that ALL children be accompanied by an adult at the Christmas party.

I would like to let you know what Michelle and I have planned for the morning.  We would like the parents to drop off your child at the playschool by 8:45.  The children will then stay in the classroom with their classmates while the parents go to the church sanctuary and find themselves a seat.  This year, we will be separating the age groups as it is very overwhelming for the children to all be in the playschool classroom at the same time.  So we will be bringing the 3 year olds into the church library which is located in the hallway just outside the playschool classroom.  If you have a very shy child, who may feel overwhelmed by all the activity, please feel free to stay with us up in the classroom.  If any child is upset and does not want to participate in the singing, don’t worry – it is perfectly fine with us if they choose to sit and watch.

At 9:00, the 3 year old classes will be brought down to the sanctuary by me and Michelle.  The children will then sing two Christmas songs.  At 9:05, the 4 year old classes will be brought down to the sanctuary by the classroom EA’s and will line up at the sanctuary door.   The 4 year olds will then sing two songs.  After that, all classes will sing one Christmas song to the audience.  Once all the classes have sung their last song, the children may go and sit with their parents.

We will then all proceed to the church gym for a Christmas party until 11:00.  The children do not need to bring a snack to the party; however, we are looking for volunteers to provide food.  If anyone is interested in donating fruit or treat trays, please contact Franca Young at 403 701 5330.  Please note, all treats MUST BE NUT FREE. 

Don’t forget your cameras, and we hope to see you all at the Christmas party!!

Because the Carstairs Playschool Society is a not for profit facility, we often rely on donations.  Parents are not obligated to donate however it is very much appreciated when you can.  We do, however, ask that you do no donate items that we have not put out a request for.  As much as we appreciate it, there is not a lot of storage space and we have found in the past, that some items do not get used and it can quickly become overwhelming.  Each month, the newsletter will include a list of items we are in need of.

The Carstairs Playschool uses a lot of various materials for crafts and we may be short of some items.

This month, I would be grateful for:

• Pony beads (red, green, and white)

• Green poster paper

• Small green plates

• Small white foam plates

• Bars of soap

Reminders

• Snacks must be peanut free. Please bring snacks in a lunch kit and please label all containers as we have a few juice cups that are the same.

• Don't forget to follow us on Facebook.

• There are a few items in lost and found, please take a look.

If you have any questions, please feel free to discuss them with myself or Michelle, or email me at carstairsplayschoolteacher@gmail.com, or you can phone the playschool at 403 816 1481.

We both wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Danielle and Michelle
 

November Newsletter

Themes

November themes will be Five Senses and Space. As always we will be reading stories and participating in discussions that are theme related. The children will be making crafts and participating in activities that will be based on each individual theme.

Handwriting Without Tears

This year I am following the program Get Set for School – Handwriting Without Tears. This is an award winning program that uses multisensory strategies and material to teach pencil grip, recognition, letter formation and early literacy skills. To learn more about this program, visit https://www.lwtears.com/hwt.

For the month of November, the 3 year old program will be doing an activity called bird legs, practice recognition and making of the shape of a cross, as well as the numbers one through three.

In the bird legs activity, the children will learn how to listen and repeat songs, verbally count a set of objects, and demonstrate active listening. They will also be using large muscle groups to maintain posture and mobility, know where their body is in relation to space, as well as move naturally and place their body to perform tasks.

In the cross shape activity, the children will be able to recognize familiar two-dimensional shapes and use correct top-to-bottom, left-to-right directionality for symbols, as well as using the same hand consistently to hold crayons.

In the numbers one to three activity, the children will learn sequencing, how to count verbally, and using correct top-to-bottom, left-to-right directionality for numbers all while practicing the proper grip to write.

The four year old programs will be focusing on an activity called Capitals On The Edge, as well as working on the letters L, F, E, H, and T.

In the Capitals On The Edge activity, the children will be learning to point and name capital letters and how to position the letters right-side up. This will help the learn to use correct top-to-bottom, left-to-right directionality for letters.

In all our letter activities, the children will be learning to hold a crayon with proper grip. They will be learning words linked to the content being taught while tracing the capital letters. And they will be learning sequencing, as well as using correct top-to-bottom, left-to-right directionality for letters.

November Calendar Change

Please note there has been a change to the calendar for the month of November. The playschool will not be open on November 25 & 26th due to no school day at CES. We apologize for missing this when we created our school calendar.

School Pictures
Once again we are very pleased with the photos Renee Hunt from Simply Unique took of all the children. Renee has notified use that all editing is complete and she has emailed out links to all families who completed forms. If you have not received your email, please contact Renee at reneehunt1@hotmail.com.

November 11 – No school because of the Fall Break at Carstairs Elementary
November 12 – No school because of the Fall Break at Carstairs Elementary
November 19 – Miss Marg from the library comes to read to the 4 year old AM class (library books are due today!)
November 20 – Miss Marg from the library comes to read to the 4 year old class (library books are due today!)
November 21 – Miss Marg from the library comes to read to the 4 year old PM class (library books are due today!)
November 25 - No school (CES Collab Day)
November 26 - No school

Speech Screening & PUF

We, at the Carstairs Playschool Society, feel it is important that we use all our available resources to prepare the children for kindergarten, and life in general. We feel that language, speech, and articulation are important aspects to a child, as they must have communication skills in everything and everywhere they go. I will be using a speech screening checklist which I will be filling out for the children during class time.

If I hear that certain sounds or letters are missing, or if I can’t hear a word clearly, I will be recommending that parents get in touch with Garth Schindel, the speech therapist at Didsbury Hospital. We believe it is important to target these speech and language difficulties at a young age. We also feel that if a child gets the help they need, they will be much more confident and sure of themselves in every aspect of their life, especially in going forward onto kindergarten and beyond.

I want to stress the fact the Alberta Government only funds PUF (Personal Unit Funding) program for ages 3-5. This is a free service during these ages, and I feel this program is very beneficial in helping children succeed and become more confident with their speech and language skills. Having PUF support should not be seen as a negative experience; instead it gives those children experiencing some language difficulties a chance to thrive in order to be ready for kindergarten.

I am not a speech therapist, but I feel it is important that all children get as much help and support as they can so that they can be confident in all aspects of their lives. We have added some information to our website outlining what each age group should be experiencing in terms of speech, articulation, and language. If you are at all concerned that your child does not meet some of these criteria, I highly recommend you make an appointment with Garth Schindel. Not all children who see the speech therapist will be given PUF funding, but Garth is highly skilled and will be able to give you lots of ideas to help your child in every area pertaining to speech and language.

Scrapbooks

I have crafts planned for each day your child attends playschool, however, some crafts will not be going home with your child. This is because I save several crafts over the year and put them into a scrapbook which your child will be bringing home on the last day of class in June. I love putting these mementos together and watching the children flip through their scrapbooks is so heart-melting for me!!

Because the Carstairs Playschool Society is a not for profit facility, we often rely on donations.  Parents are not obligated to donate however it is very much appreciated when you can.  We do, however, ask that you do no donate items that we have not put out a request for.  As much as we appreciate it, there is not a lot of storage space and we have found in the past, that some items do not get used and it can quickly become overwhelming.  Each month, the newsletter will include a list of items we are in need of.

The Carstairs Playschool uses a lot of various materials for crafts and we may be short of some items.

This month, I would be grateful for:

• Large cardboard boxes (big enough to make a castle, etc.)

• Red felt

• Red/green/white pony beads

• Small pop up tents

• Paper towel tubes

• Toilet Paper tubes

• Black poster paper

Reminders

• Snacks must be peanut free. Please bring snacks in a lunch kit and please label all containers as we have a few juice cups that are the same.

• Don't forget to follow us on Facebook.

• There are a few items in lost and found, please take a look.

If you have any questions, please feel free to discuss them with myself or Michelle, or email me at carstairsplayschoolteacher@gmail.com, or you can phone the playschool at 403 816 1481.

Danielle
 

October Newsletter

Wow! I can’t believe it is October already! Our first month went extremely well, and the children and teachers have settled in nicely with the routine and each other.

Themes

The themes that we will be working on this month are Dinosaurs, which we will discuss for one week, Thanksgiving, we will discuss up until our Thanksgiving break, and then we will focus on Halloween throughout the rest of October. We will be reading stories and participating in discussions that are theme related. The children will be making crafts and participating in activities that will be based on each individual theme.

Fire Drills

Each playschool class will be participating in three separate fire drills throughout the year. We feel it is important that the staff and children practice these drills so that we are properly prepared in the event of an emergency. During these drills, I will explain the procedure to the students and then all staff will follow the protocol in evacuating the children. The children will be lined up in the classroom. We will then walk with each class to The Legion parking lot. Once safely in the parking lot, we will the count the children. Once all are accounted for, we will all walk back to the playschool and continue with our regular program. If a real emergency does occur, parents will be contacted as soon as possible. At that time, you will be told to pick up your child at The Legion parking lot.

Picture Day

We have been so happy with Simply Unique that we have asked Renee to do our school photos again this year. The form detailing package options is attached below. Please ensure you have exact cash and if paying by cheque, made payable to Renee Hunt. Editing will take a few weeks. An update will be posted on our Facebook page once all links have been sent out to ensure everyone has received theirs.

October 1 – Fire Drill for the Tuesday/Thursday classes
October 2 – Picture Day for the Monday/Wednesday classes
October 3 – Picture Day for the Tuesday/Thursday classes
October 3 – Davison Orchard Apple Fundraiser Due
October 14 – No school because of the Thanksgiving holiday
October 15– No school because of the Thanksgiving holiday
October 16 – Marg from the library comes to read to the Monday/Wednesday 4 year old class
October 17 – Marg from the library comes to read to the Tuesday/Thursday afternoon 4 year old class
October 30 – Halloween Party for the Monday/Wednesday classes
October 31 – Halloween Party for the Tuesday/Thursday classes

Halloween Parties

Each playschool class will be having a Halloween party. The children can wear their costumes and we will have fun and games for the day. The last 15 minutes of each class, the children will parade around the classroom in their costumes and will then sing some songs. Parents and siblings are more than welcome to come and watch the parade and hear the children sing at this time. We would like the children to bring their regular snacks to the Halloween Party. For each Halloween party, we are planning on loosely following the regular routine so as to hopefully, avoid over excitement. However, we will be including several games and activities that will be related to the Halloween theme.

Speech Screening

We, at the Carstairs Playschool, feel it is important that we use all our available resources to prepare the children for kindergarten, and life in general. We feel that language, speech, and articulation are important aspects to a child, as they must have communication skills in everything and everywhere they go. I will be using a speech screening checklist which I will be filling out for the children I may be concerned about during class time.
If I hear that certain sounds or letters are missing, or if I can’t hear a word clearly, I will be recommending that parents get in touch with Garth Schindel, the speech therapist up in Didsbury. We believe it is important to target these speech and language difficulties at a young age. We also feel that if a child gets the help they need, they will be much more confident and sure of themselves in every aspect of their life, especially in going forward onto kindergarten and beyond.

Pick Up

We are asking that you please plan to be at the playschool five minutes before your child’s scheduled pick-up time as this will help us to run our programs more smoothly. If you are going to be late, please call us, as many children start to panic if they do not see his/her parent coming in the door with the other parents. Please refer to the Carstairs Playschool Society Parent Handbook regarding Late Pick Up fees.

Because the Carstairs Playschool Society is a not for profit facility, we often rely on donations.  Parents are not obligated to donate however it is very much appreciated when you can.  We do, however, ask that you do no donate items that we have not put out a request for.  As much as we appreciate it, there is not a lot of storage space and we have found in the past, that some items do not get used and it can quickly become overwhelming.  Each month, the newsletter will include a list of items we are in need of.

The Carstairs Playschool uses a lot of various materials for crafts and we may be short of some items.

This month, I would be grateful for:

• Small jingle bells

• Black poster paper

Reminders

Snacks must be peanut free. Please bring snacks in a lunch kit and please label all containers as we have a few juice cups that are the same.

• Please sign and bring back all forms that were given out at the beginning of September.

• Please return your child’s library card information sheet, 4 year old classes only. Ms. Marg needs them to prepare the library cards.

Lastly, the class visitation lists are ready to go and will be posted on the bulletin board in the front entrance.  Please feel free to sign up to visit our classroom after the Thanksgiving break.

If you have any questions, please feel free to discuss them with myself or Michelle, or email me at carstairsplayschoolteacher@gmail.com, or you can phone the playschool at 403 816 1481.

Danielle

Thank you Westview Co-op Food Store!!!

A huge thank you to Westview Co-op Food Store for continuing to support the Carstairs Playschool Society!

It takes 2-10lb bags of flour, 24 boxes of salt, 1 jug of oil and lots of color and extract to make playdough for the entire school year and Co-op has donated it all!

September Newsletter

Welcome to playschool!  I hope everyone had a great summer!

Themes

Each month, we focus on specific themes.  We read stories, participate in discussions, make crafts and do activities related to the monthly themes.  For September, the themes are All About Me, Friendship, and Fairy Tales.

Classroom Visits

Parents are more than welcome to join your child’s class.  We do request that these visits start after the Thanksgiving holiday so teachers and students can get familiar with each other and the routine.  There will be a sign-up sheet in the classroom starting October 16, 2019, for those of you who would like to come and spend time with your child in the classroom. The sign-up sheet will be located on the bulletin in the front entrance.

Show and Share

For those families who are new to the playschool, and as a refresher those families returning, I wanted to explain a little bit about Show and Share.  Every day, two students from each class will bring something from home that they are willing to show and pass around to each child at Circle Time.  They can bring whatever they want for show and share, however we do request that the only bring one item. This is in order to allow each child an enough time to discuss and share their special object.  Please check the calendar for when it is your child’s turn to bring show and share.  If your child is sick on their show and share day, he/she is more than welcome to bring their item the next time they come to playschool.

Carstairs Public Library Cards and Visits

Miss Marg, from the Carstairs Public Library, comes to the play school to spend time reading to the 4-year-old classes starting in October.  We are very happy to announce that she will be bringing a mobile library filled with books for the children to sign out and take home.  Each child will receive their very own library card, which is very exciting for them.  Parents are required to complete the Membership Form and return it to the playschool as soon as possible.  Extra copies of the form will also be available at the playschool.  Book return dates will be posted on our website calendar, as well as watch for reminders on our Facebook page

September 17th – PUF Open House from 11:30-12:30
September 29th – Carstairs Playschool board meeting @ 2pm
September 30th – Fire drill for the Monday/Wednesday classes
October 1st – Fire drill for the Tuesday/Thursday classes
October 2nd – School pictures for the Monday/Wednesday class
October 3rd – School pictures for the Tuesday/Thursday class

Welcome CES Staff

I would like to welcome the Carstairs Elementary School educational assistants to the Carstairs Playschool.  These ladies will be in the classroom to assist a few children with the daily activities and expectations of the playschool program. Both Michelle and I are looking forward to working with them again this year.

Class Pictures

Simply Unique Photography will be visiting on October 2nd and 3rd to take individual and class pictures.  Forms will need to be completed and payment is required on the date of pictures.  More information and the form will be emailed out closer to the date. 

Scholastic Orders

The Carstairs Playschool will have many Scholastic orders available to you throughout the playschool year.  These orders will always be in your child’s cubby.  Return deadlines are on the forms.  Payment can be made by credit card online, cash or cheque.  Please note, if paying with cash, the exact amount is required.  If the cash received is short, the order will not be placed.  If overpayment is made, change will not be provided.  Any extra funds will be deposited into our general account.  Parents are not obligated to order from Scholastic.  The Carstairs Playschool Society does receive “Scholastic Cash” from any orders made.  This “cash” is used to purchase supplies for the program.

Because the Carstairs Playschool Society is a not for profit facility, we often rely on donations.  Parents are not obligated to donate however it is very much appreciated when you can.  We do, however, ask that you do no donate items that we have not put out a request for.  As much as we appreciate it, there is not a lot of storage space and we have found in the past, that some items do not get used and it can quickly become overwhelming.  Each month, the newsletter will include a list of items we are in need of.

The Carstairs Playschool uses a lot of various materials for crafts and we may be short of some items.

This month, I would be grateful for:

• Poster paper (any color)               

• Green/Red/Black foam sheets

• Black paper plates

Fundraisers

The Carstairs Playschool Society does hold several non-mandatory fundraisers throughout the year.  The first one will run from September 18 until October 3rd.  Back by popular demand is Davison Orchard Apples!  These apples are delicious and huge!  Various varieties are available, and they stay fresh for a lengthy amount of time.  Information and forms will be sent home shortly. 

PUF Open House

For the families receiving PUF program services through Chinook’s Edge School Division, there will an Open House on Tuesday, September 17th from 11:30-12:30.  This is a great opportunity to meet the service providers, sign paperwork and ask questions.  Please see the Open House link for details and RSVP information.

Communication

Parents can expect ongoing communication regarding program activities via newsletters, website, Facebook page and the bulletin board located in the coat room of the playschool.  Soon, we will also be launching a communication app.  This is to provide faster communication between the playschool staff, board and parents.  More details to follow on the app. 

The Carstairs Playschool supports and promotes an “open door” communication policy.  Parents are encouraged to contact the teaching staff and arrange a mutually acceptable time to discuss any concerns and/or questions regarding your child in the playschool program.  The number for the Carstairs Playschool is 403 816 1481.

On a personal note, I encourage communication of all kinds.  Please feel free to call me on my cell at 403 305 6204, or you may contact me by email at carstairsplayschoolteacher@gmail.com

Danielle