Protecting Your Family

Make sure you check out the info that Maria included in your November LAPSK newsletter about protecting your family from the flu this season.

Big request from your teachers: When it comes to attending school, don't feel bad about being overly cautious. Many times parents have brought children and said, "I think they might be getting sick. Just call if they do." If you think they might be getting sick, please keep them home. It will be better that they rest than to use all their energy playing at school. Remember, a person can be contagious with the flu three days before showing actual symptoms. When kids are whining more than usual or acting more tired than they should, those are usually good indicators that they aren't feeling well.

Here are a few websites you can visit for flu-related information:

www.pandemicflu.gov

www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/updates/en/index.html

www.doh.wa.gov/panflu

www.k12.wa.us/healthservices/pandemicfluinformation.aspx

Halloween - Oct 31

The kids were very excited that it was Halloween today! We talked about being safe while we trick-or-treat by staying with our adults and not eating any candy until our parents have had a chance to look at it and say it's ok.

I uploaded a few photos to the album - Halloween - Oct 31. www.apriln.shutterfly.com

Here's a silly video of a game we played. We pretended to be bats and when the light was off and the music was playing we flew around. When the music stopped and the light came on, we hung upside down and fell asleep. :-) We learned the word "nocturnal" in regards to bats and our class hermit crabs.

Halloween - Oct 30 & Naydenov Info

I enjoyed seeing all the fun costumes today! I uploaded some new photos under the album: Halloween - Oct 30.

www.apriln.shutterfly.com

Also, I learned some new info today about our field trip on Friday. Don't forget, this is only for our Friday class and the cost is $3 per child. Please pay me by Thursday if you are planning to come. I will pay all at once when we arrive Friday morning.

When the trip begins, our group will be given someone from the gym to lead the activities. It will be necessary for parents to be near by to help remind children to listen and follow directions and even help guide them to do what the coach says.

What to wear: cool and comfortable clothes, comfortable shoes for running around in (yes, parents that means you too so that you can help) :-)

Time: 9:30 to 10:30 am

Halloween - Oct 29

We had a very nice day together day. It was fun seeing everyone's costumes! We tried to keep paint off the costumes so I hope we did ok with that! :-)

I set out a new game today that was a big hit with the class. I strung a fishing line between two chairs and gave kids a pile of clothespins and laminated bats. Their job was to hang the bats upside down so they could sleep. They had a lot of fun doing this. Most of my photos today are of the kids enjoying that activity.

New Album: Halloween - Oct 29

www.apriln.shutterfly.com

Also Don't Forget:
The health department came today to speak with parents about protecting your family from the flu. Unfortunately only 1 person attended the presentation! Yikes! Maria sat in on it and said that they had great information to share so I just wanted to put out one more encouragement for you to attend tomorrow at 9:30 am. It's only one hour and it is taking place in the Hidden Chapel. (It's near Maria's office so just ask upstairs if you aren't sure where to go.)

Snacks for Spider

Does anyone happen to have plastic bugs at home that we could borrow next week? We're going to be doing an art project where the kids use plastic bugs as stamps and make prints on a "spider web" as "snacks for spider." I looked at the Dollar Store and around school but haven't found any. If you have any you'd be willing to share for a week, please bring them with you to conferences or first thing next week.

Thanks so much! :-)

Naydenov Gym Field Trip - Friday, Nov 2

I finally got a little more information on our gym trip, happening Friday, Nov. 2. The cost is $3 per child who participates. Adults do not cost. It sounds like they prefer that we pay together before we begin so I'd like to begin collecting your $3 before we get there. If you are going to attend, please make sure we have your $3 per child by next Wednesday, Oct. 31.

Remember, this trip is for kids who usually attend class on Friday. We have to be out of the school that day because of an event the church is having.

Oh, the time is 9:30 - 10:30 am and we will meet there. There will be no class that day.

I'll have directions available soon. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks! :-)

The website for the gym is: http://www.ngymnastics.com/ if you want to check it out. It didn't really show much.

Here's the address and some brief info about the location:

5313 NE 94th AveVancouver, WA 98662

Two Blocks From Westfield Shopping Plaza (Vancouver Mall) Near the JCPenney side. The biggest gymnastic facility in the Northwest!

Items for Saving/ Pumpkins - Oct 23

Thank you so much, everyone who has donated egg cartons and grocery containers. We now have everything we need. Thanks again! :-)

Here's a video from today that I thought was really cute. These kids are playing house.

Also check out our latest album: Pumpkins - Oct 23

www.apriln.shutterfly.com

Pumpkins - Oct 22

What a beautiful fall day we've had today! We stayed outside a little longer today to enjoy it. I uploaded a few photos of our outside time.

If you haven't turned in your parent questions for conferences, please either email me or bring them tomorrow or Wednesday so I have some time to think through them prior to our meeting. Don't forget: No school on Thursday or Friday of this week.

Thanks!

www.apriln.shutterfly.com

Album Title: Pumpkins - Oct 22

Running Through Puddles

Bizi Farm Trip

Well, we ended up with pretty good weather for our field trips! I've added photos to the album: Bizi Farm Trip.

Enjoy!

www.apriln.shutterfly.com

It's Farm Week!

We've had a good and short week at school! We've cooked vegetable soup and learned how to grow vegetables, enjoyed a Flannel Farm set (donated by Sam's mom, Rayann) and more!

Today the kids absolutely cracked me up! A couple of the girls decided to play "teacher." They picked up chairs and brought them to our circle area and began singing our "Good morning preschool friends" song and several other kids joined them to be their students. The teachers would sing my part and the kids would respond with their usual "good, good!" part. They then did the calendar together. The girls kept telling their students to "grab a bubble" - which means to put a pretend bubble in your mouth so you can't talk. When the boys kept talking the girls kept saying, "a bubble means you can't talk." This went on and on for quite a while. When they noticed I was watching they really started acting silly. It was very cute.

Here's a few reminders for the Bizi Farm trip tomorrow and Friday.

Don't forget: a plastic bag for your pumpkin, towels for your car, boots if you have them, other clothes and shoes that you don't mind getting muddy and maybe an umbrella.

Note: The technical rules are that you child can choose a pumpkin that is a size that they can carry. And if you are bringing any children note enrolled at Little Acorn, please make sure you pay for them at the farm. I believe the cost is $4.50.

Morning classes, we'll see you at 10:30 am. Afternoon class, we'll see you at 12:30 pm. When you arrive just head into the farm (you'll see the entrance) and look for any teachers. Usually there is a little place where we gather for rules and reminders before we take off.

Once we are released, you are free to head through the area at your own pace. I'll be walking around snapping photos. :-)

Apples - Oct 9

You may have noticed the little note on our board about changing our outside playtime. We've been having some struggles with classroom behavior and we're working on some ideas to help alleviate some of it. One thing we're trying is moving our playtime to the first part of the day to help kids get out some energy before settling in to close play inside. We've done it for the last two days in the morning and afternoon and at this point I am feeling good about the change. We're committed to trying it for two weeks before we make the change official. So for now, our basic schedule looks like this...

Learning Centers
Circle Time (story, calendar, weather)
Outside Time
Snack Time
Quiet Reading
Free Time/Art Projects
Ending Circle (songs and games)

One way you can help us is to simply remind your children before they get to school to keep their hands to themselves (use nice hands) and follow directions. Working together, we'll help our kids learn about positive social interaction with peers and teachers...the most important goal of preschool! :-)

To enjoy some photos of our day go to the album: Apples - Oct 9 I didn't get a lot of photos in the morning but there are a few and there are some from the afternoon.

www.apriln.shutterfly.com

Apples - Oct 8

I love when we start learning about apples. There are so many great opportunities that come with it! Today many of our kids put together an "apple tree sequence." It involved cutting out squares and gluing them in the correct order. I'm hanging them on our art board right now but we'll send them home in a week or so. Today we read a cute book called "The Season's of Arnold's Apple Tree." Oh man, I just realized I forgot to start our art project today that goes with the book. Hmmm...guess it will have to wait! :-) Anyway, we're going to do our own little "The Seasons' of ____'s Apple Tree" that I was hoping to start today because it will have to happen in a couple of stage. It will help kids see how trees change throughout the different seasons.

If you happen to eat any apples in the next couple of days, please save the seeds for us. We're going to glue them into our little "all about apples" booklets.

We started some taste-testing today too. You'll see the results hopefully by the end of the week on the bulletin board in the hallway. Awww man...I was going to cut some letters for that today. Ah, you get to see a quick insight into the vast hole that is my mind. :-) Lol...

Anyway, new photo album posted... Apples - Oct 8.

www.apriln.shutterfly.com

Oh, notice the crazy huge pumpkins in the photos! A family in our school grows them and then brings them by to share with us each year.

Afternoon Class Videos

Fall Week - Oct 4-5

I was happy to be able to spend most of the days Thursday and Friday in the classroom, having finished up my portion of the testing. Maria will be finishing up the other portions next week. We got a new game that the kids have really been enjoying. It's a matching game with pictures and words in English and Spanish. Hopefully as we continually play the game and I read the words for them, they'll begin picking up a few Spanish words. :-)

Check out my new album that contains photos of both Thursday and Friday:

Fall Week - Oct 4-5

www.apriln.shutterfly.com

Here's a quick video of some of the girls enjoying a science together. Let me know if it works. I'm trying out a new way of uploading. :-) Gotta love technology!

Fall Week

We've started learning about the season of "Fall" this week. We've spent our focus on trees this week. I've been spending most of my time doing testing so I haven't gotten many pictures yet. I finished our afternoon class testing yesterday so I was able to catch a few of them today. :-)

Just a quick note about the testing. Essentially it tests motor skills, lanugage and concept knowledge. The test is not a big deal and is absolutley nothing to stress about. At this age children range greatly in their development. The main goal is to discover children who would benefit from further testing and possibly early intervention for developmental delays. We'll talk about the results at our conferences in a couple weeks. As far as the kids are concerned, we're just playing some fun games together. :-)

Anyway, the Title of today's album is: Fall Week, Oct 1-7

www.apriln.shutterfly.com

Another Chinese Toy Recall

I have no idea where this photo came from but my hubby posted it on his blog from somewhere else. With all the toy recalls I thought it was pretty funny. Of course I'm not a parent, so you'll either think it's funny or inappropriate. So...enjoy...or....I'm sorry. :-)

Preschool Fundraiser

I think most of you have gotten your fundraising materials by now so I thought I'd make an easy link for anyone to order from!

If you'd like to make online orders, go to:

www.currentfun.com

When checking out, mark our state as Washington and our organization as Little Acorn Preschool and Kindergarten.

That way anyone from in or out of state can order items to have shipped directly to their home!

Have fun ordering! Oh, the proceeds go to purchasing new materials for our classrooms (toys, furniture, learning materials, etc...)

Flu Pandemic Presentation

I hope you will all take advantage of the upcoming "flu pandemic presentation" for parents. The health department will be presenting you will lots of information on lowering your families risk for catching a variety of illnesses that fly around this time of year. This being my third year teaching preschool I can say with full confidence that this information is important.

You can attend the presentation either October 29 or 30 from 9:30 am to 10:30 am. It will be in the Hidden Chapel which is upstairs near Maria's office. Head towards the main sanctuary and hang a left.

With that in mind, this is cold and flu season so please please keep your sick children at home so that we don't spread illness. We'll do our best to keep our toys clean and hand washing is another great way to help! :-)