Newsletters to parents of First Step of Jutland students
Here are the latest newsletters (or links to the PDF versions of the newsletters) from the teachers at First Step Jutland
JANUARY 2012
Directors Notes
Thank you to all families who donated items for the Open Cupboard Food Pantry.
Please check school answering system or website for weather related school closings and delays.
NEWS FROM THE CLASSROOMS
Threes
Happy New Year!
We were all anxious for December to come and go so the new year could begin. December was full of excitement as counted down the days until the end of the year.
This month we learned about Hanukkah and made candelabras of our. We also talked about Christmas and learned that there is more to it than just giving and receiving presents. Christmas is about sharing joy to others besides our family as well as spending time with our loved ones and just being happy for the family that we have. The children enjoyed making holiday decorations and putting the tree up in our classroom, and of course they all loved helping with the decorations.
One of the stories that we read was called “The Mitten” by Jan Brett, and after reading it, the children had fun acting out the animals and put them in order according to size. They also put things in order according to size when we made our Christmas trees to hang up. During Circle Time we’ve been working on our numbers and the alphabet little by little. The children are doing a great job with understanding each number or letter and the look of happiness when they are able to tell me what letter a certain word starts with just by hearing its sound.
We are now all ready to dive into a new year and month so we can continue on our learning adventure in 2012. Some of the themes we can look forward to are Snow, the January holidays such as Martin Luther King Day, and the Zoo. I’m sure the children are looking forward to telling you all about and showing you the projects that we will enjoy doing each day!
Miss Lauren
Pre-K and Fives Newsletter
As always, December was a busy and productive month. The children showed that they can care, give and share every day and in every way! They also continued alphabet study with H and J.
Together, we measured things around the classroom using links, cubes, blocks, and Christmas garland!
We talked about different Holiday traditions and customs around the world and in our homes. Everyone celebrated the arrival of winter at our Holiday party.
Thank you to Tucker for showing us how to make beautiful table centerpieces out of greens!
We wish everyone Happy Holidays, and a safe, healthy New Year!
Miss Karen
DECEMBER 2011
DIRECTOR’S NOTES:
Thursday, Dec. 22 - Holiday Program and Celebration
12/26-12/30 School Closed for Winter Break
Thank you to all families for helping make our Thanksgiving Feast a truly thankful celebration.
All families are invited to care, share, and give to our local food pantry. We are collecting donations in the large basket near the parent info table. Please involve your children in choosing items to donate, as we continue to talk about "giving" this Holiday season.
All of our students and their families are invited to a Holiday Celebration on Thursday, December 22. Please sign up on parent info table.
Emergency school closings, delays and information will be available on our school answering system and on website.
NEWS FROM THE CLASSROOMS
PRE-K and FIVES
Even with our unexpected vacation at the beginning of November, we learned many new and exciting things (like, it can snow before Halloween!) We talked about our homes and families and discovered that families can be different, and we are thankful for all our families. We read stories and discovered how animals and people get ready for winter. We also learned about Native Americans and also the Pilgrims. We ended our unit with a traditional Thanksgiving Feast. The Pilgrims (3 yr old class) invited the Native Americans (us!) to a Feast with turkey, corn, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and of course, pumpkin pie.
We continued our alphabet study with E,F, and G. Our Alpha Story Book is growing! Take a moment to read it when you are in the classroom!
Into all these things we incorporate our growing math and fine motor skills.
We look forward to December holidays and a season of giving, sharing and caring.
THREES
Happy Holidays!
Well, we’ve galloped, skipped, jumped and ran through another month full of excitement.
We continued to review our shapes and numbers, and have gotten especially good at knowing the alphabet. This month we continued to observe the Fall changes that what we could see from inside and outside the classroom. Since this was the month to give thanks, we talked about our families and what we are thankful for. The children also painted pictures of their families using potatoes, little potatoes for each child in the family, and big potatoes for each mommy and daddy. They also enjoyed talking about each of their homes and what makes them feel safe while they are inside of them.
As we say goodbye to November, we look forward to December and all the fun it will bring. The children have all agreed that they are done with Fall weather and ready for it to snow so they can build snow people and have snowball fights. We will also learn how to cut strips of paper, jump and talk about the difference between pushing and pulling. Some of the themes we will cover are Sharing, the Zoo, the December holidays and Literacy Characters.
The children and I have invited change in the classroom this past month, as well as invited new friends to join us with open arms. We have also changed our Show and Tell day to Mondays, so that we can all bring in special items on the same day to show our friends.
Miss Lauren
NOVEMBER 2011
THREE'S
Happy Fall Everyone!
The time is just flying by this year. We’ve have had some fun-filled adventures in and outside the class and the children have been learning like crazy.
Now that all the children have gotten used to the routine and are more comfortable in the classroom, we started to explore new things. During the month of October we continued to review our letters, numbers and shapes. We also discussed topics such as sister safety, as well as snipping with scissors, farms, fire safety in and out of the home, throwing and catching balls, and of course Halloween. One of the books we read was Where the Wild Things Are, after which the children showed me how that could walk like the wild things and be a bit crazy. We also had fun noticing all the different changes that Fall has brought, and now the children have told me that are ready for winter and snow!
During the month of November, we will move on to learning different colors, fringing with scissors, running and galloping. We will cover themes such as learning about our individual homes, family, Harvest, and of course Thanksgiving!
I look forward to learning more about each of your children as the school year continues.
Miss Lauren
OCTOBER 2011
Director's Notes
Show and Tell is on Fridays. If your child is unsure as to what the show and tell topic/theme is for the week please ask your child's teacher or check the blackboards in the classrooms.
Please dress your child seasonably, and with proper footwear for running and playing outside.
Check the calendar for upcoming events and special activities. Please check your child's cubby every day, and sign your child in and out on the attendance sheet.
REMINDER - All children must have their flu shot before 12/31, see me with any questions.
Picture Day is Wed. Oct. 19th
Fall Festival is on Thurs. Oct. 27. All children are invited to attend, we will have a costume parade followed by fun Fall activities and treats! Please see sign up sheet on parent info table.
News from the Classrooms
Pre-K and Fives
The school year is off to a great start! It's wonderful to see everyone again!
In September we reviewed our manners and our school's rules and routines. We especially enjoyed our "All About Me" unit. We learned that we are each unique and special. We explored our feelings and moods that make up our days. Our unit on apples brought us yummy apple treats, fun apple art, and the knowledge of where and how apples grow. Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed! Our math units included number recognition and patterning. We are "sharpening" our cutting skills, and reviewing shapes.
Happy Birthday to Tucker, Jake and Charlie who all turned Five!!
In October we will be learning about Fire Safety, Fire Prevention and "Stranger Danger". We will experience ‘Autumn’ and find out who Christopher Columbus was. Our Science units will include Earth Science, Leaves, and Pumpkins. We continue our Alphabet Study with B, C, and D.
Check out our "Alpha Story" book, which we are authoring and illustrating as a group!
Happy Autumn!
Miss Karen
THREES
Hi All! It's been such an exciting first month of school! I've enjoyed spending time getting to know your children and am happy to be a part of their daily routine.
It's hard to believe that September is almost over! We've been busy adapting to the daily routine and learning the classroom rules as well as reviewing our manners. One of our themes for the month was ‘Feelings.’
We incorporated the book The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn into our theme in which the children enjoyed sharing the goodbye rituals they have with their parents each morning when being dropped off. They then liked coloring and glueing hearts on their own kissing hands that they could take home to all of you.
Throughout the rest of the month we've been reviewing our colors, shapes and numbers as well as the days of the week and the month. I've come to learn that the children are very quick learners and catch on fast to the routines that we have and the classroom rules.
The Sensory motor skills we have been working on are tearing and pasting and for our Gross Motor skills we have been doing activities related to body awareness.
As we breeze out of September and blow into October as a class, we are looking forward to new themes, activities, and the cooler weather as well as Fall changes in nature, such as the leaves changing colors on the trees. All of your children are especially excited for the upcoming holiday and remind me on a weekly basis what they will dress up to be, as they often change their minds a couple of times during the week.
Thank you for sharing your children with me, as I am looking forward to an exciting rest of the year with them!
Miss Lauren
SEPTEMBER 2011
Directors Notes:
Welcome Back! I hope everyone had an enjoyable summer. We are looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.
This year we welcome Miss Lauren to the three year old classroom. Miss Lauren has previously worked in preschool, has attended 2 years of college, and is currently in the process of obtaining her Child Development Associate Credential. We also welcome Miss Ashley and Miss Allison as teaching assistants. Both come to us with experience in the child care field. We all look forward to working together to make your child's day enjoyable and successful.
Just a few reminders:
- Children 6 months through 59 months of age, attending a licensed child-care center or preschool facility are required to annually receive at least one dose of influenza vaccine between September 1st and December 31st. Please provide proper documentation to us as soon as your child receives the vaccine.
- We request that all children have a First Step Bag. You may purchase them on your child's first day of school. The cost of the bag is $5, cash. Your child's change of clothing, in a labeled zipper plastic bag is kept in the First Step bag, at school.
- If your child will be napping with us, please provide a crib sized sheet and small blanket, to also be kept in the bag.
- All lunch boxes MUST be insulated and clearly labeled with your child's name.
- Please send in an art smock for your child (an adult sized T shirt works well).
- Tuition is due in ten installments. If you have not yet paid your deposit, it is due immediately. Your first tuition installment is also due. Remaining installments are due on the first of each month starting 10/1. Your deposit is applied to the installment due on June 1, 2012. A $40 late fee will be charged after the 3rd of the month.
- Please make all checks payable to First Step Learning Center, Inc. and mail to 2 Lake Dr., Whitehouse Sta., NJ 08889.
Previous Newsletters:
JUNE 2011
Director's Notes
Our end of year celebration and family picnic is scheduled for Friday, June 17th at 10:30am. Please bring a picnic lunch to enjoy with your child, and a dessert to share with everyone. There will be a sign up located on the parent info table. If you or another family member are unable to attend, please let me know and a teacher will be assigned to picnic with your child.
Summer camp program begins on Monday, June 20th. We have many fun things planned and it's not too late to sign up!
As another year winds down, I would like to thank all our families who have lent a helping hand, and support when needed. Thank you to all who donated so generously through out the year. To all our children going off to Kindergarten, we wish you all the best. Families returning in September can look forward to a new year of activities and opportunities to learn.
Calendar
Friday, June 17 - Last day of Pre-school
End of year celebration and Family Picnic
Monday, June 20 - First Day of Summer Camp
Friday, July 1 - closed for Independence Day weekend
Monday, July 4 - Closed for Independence Day
News from the Classrooms
Pre-k/Fours
May brought out the gardener in all of us, as we planted our seedlings in the Children's Garden Quilt at Whittemore Wildlife Center. We also celebrated MOM with special gifts and stories. The life cycles of plants and butterflies were the focus of our science studies, at the same time enjoying the wonderful books by Eric Carle. We finished our alphabet study in May with an imaginary trip to the zoo. Our math lessons included writing numerals, and recognizing number words. Some of us have started simple addition and coin recognition and values. On the playground we have been skipping, hopping, and jumping as well as kicking the soccer ball and catching the playground ball.
We are looking forward to all the fun things June will bring and preparing for summer.
Miss Karen
Threes
"Mom" was the word during the month of May! We spent time talking about why our moms are special and we made them a special bouquet and portrait. To continue talking about moms, we read P.D. Eastman's Are You My Mother? We have also been reviewing shapes and colores and even started to practice writing our names. We will continue to learn about plants and flowers and even "dig" up some interesting facts about bees and butterflies! Such a "buzzing" good time!
Miss Jen
Twos
May is coming to an end and my little ones have really come along way. This month, we made a lot of spring projects such as flowers, butterflies, spring hats, etc... We also talked about bugs, birds, and butterflies and read many fun spring related books.
Next month, we will be getting ready for the end of the year, having fun with music, talking about big and small animals and having fun in the sun.
Miss Darline
----------
APRIL 2011
Director's Notes
Happy Spring ! We are looking forward exciting events scheduled for this spring. The week of April 4th we will focus on disability awareness, ending the week with a hop-a-thon. Please check your child's cubby for packets and information. On Thursday, April 14 at 10am we will be celebrating spring with our Spring Hat Parade and Bunny Hop! All children and their parents are invited to join in the festivities. Please help your child create a Spring/Easter themed hat for the parade. Following the parade the children will sing their favorite spring songs, enjoy refreshments, participate in an egg hunt, and play games! Please sign up to donate party supplies and food.
On May 12th we will be going on a field trip to Whittemore Wildlife Sanctuary. Details and permission slips will be in cubbies.
Newsletters
Fours, Pre-K and Fives
March was a busy month in our classroom. We very much enjoyed rhyming and being silly with Dr. Seuss all month. We welcomed Spring by moving objects with air (wind experiments), making rainbows and learning about the changing weather. The leprechaun paid us a visit on St. Patrick's Day and escaped despite our cleverly designed traps! We also learned all about transportation and traffic safety. We have been estimating, skip counting and counting using tally marks. We can recognize our coins and their value, and have fun "buying" things at our store. We continued our alphabet study with R,S,T. Thank you to our Star Student Tucker for the "make your own" pizza party. We are looking forward to April, spending time outside, planting our seeds, and a new author.
Miss Karen
Threes
The three's think March was more of a Lion than a Lamb! But either way we are excited to start seeing signs of Spring. In March, we learned about primary colors and how to mix them to make secondary colors and a beautiful rainbow. We learned two new shapes-the diamond and octagon and all about St. Patrick's Day. We discussed different forms of transportation and the importance of traffic safety! Obey those speed limits and ALWAYS wear your seatbelt. April is going to be a jam packed month of fun and learning! We will be learning about Easter, Earth Day, Arbor Day, Baby Animals and much more. The three's are really hopping along!
Miss Jen
Twos
What a lot of fun we had this month. We painted with lots of green. We did St. Patrick Day projects and enjoyed our party. We went outside to look for Leprechauns, and when we came in WHAT A MESS! We also are reviewing shapes and colors. We have come such a long way! Next month we will be learning about Spring and getting ready for Easter.
Miss Darline
-------------
Director’s March 2011 Newsletter
Spring Hat Parade and Bunny Hop will be on Thurs. 4/14- Mark your calendars! More info to come.
Please inform us if your child is going to be absent or on vacation.
Dress your children for outdoor play, and make sure that they have a change of clothes in their bag.
First Step Bags are available for $6. Please see a staff member to purchase one.
2011-2012 program request forms have gone out to returning families. Please fill out and return.
And finally, THINK SPRING!
News From the Classrooms: MARCH 2011
Two's
We had a lot of fun in February. We learned our manners and talked about love. We had fun making red and pink valentine projects. Our party was great! We also went outside and found our shadows. Next month we will talk about the changing weather, GREEN, and St. Patrick's Day.
Miss Darline
Three's
Hello from the 3s'! We hope you have been enjoying the month of February. We sure have! We have been working very hard on our cutting skills. We practiced cutting hearts and triangles. We learned about Valentine's Day and "spread the love" at our party. It was a lot of fun to pass out cards. We are finishing up the month talking about dinosaurs and dental health. A look ahead....March wil bring the study of primary and secondary colors, weather changes, St. Patrick's Day and different forms of transportation and much, much, more!
Fours and Pre-K
Despite all our snow days, we were able to celebrate Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, and President's Day!
We learned how to keep our smiles bright and our bodies healthy. We continue to whiz through the alphabet, and look forward to R,S and T next month! In February we enjoyed the books of Margaret Wise Brown. Our author next month is Dr. Seuss so be prepared for some crazy, rhyming, fun times! We continue to identify, sort and classify the world around us. We will be tallying and skip counting, as well as estimating with our counting jar.
We are especially looking forward to the arrival of SPRING!
