Reminders from Stephanie

Hello Vaughn Preschool families,

Just wanted to send out few quick reminders about drop-off and pick-up.  

Drop-off
Please make sure to keep distractions to a minimum during drop-off/first circle time.  It is absolutely OK for parents to hang around for a little bit during this time, but please make sure that side conversations are quiet and that younger siblings aren't roaming the room.  We want our preschoolers to stay focused on what teacher Kim is teaching them and to have our day start as smoothly as possible.

Pick-up
Please plan on being to the preschool at 11:25 to ensure that your preschooler is picked up at 11:30. Teacher Kim has an afternoon class that she needs to be ready for so let's help her by being prompt for pick up time.

Thank you for all you do in helping our preschool run smoothly!  Hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoy the sun!

Stephanie Traugutt
Key Peninsula Co-Op President

Civic Center Open Walk

Open Walk at the civic center Mon. Wed. and Fri. 9-11am. $1 donation suggested.

January in Miss Mary's Class

Parents

 

    We have been learning about the Arctic environment.  We have an Igloo set up in our classroom for your children to play in.  We have put Artic animals in our block area and have pretend snow to play with.  We have been doing experiments with eggs and ice. Ask your child what happens when you put a raw egg into vinegar

    We are still working on letter recognition and are starting a safety unit.

   Please make sure that your child is dressed for the weather since we try to go outside every day.

    Thank you for sharing your children with me.  I believe I learn just as much from them as they do from me.

 

                                Miss Mary

Parent Ed: Brain Series

Here is a copy of the flyer about the upcoming Bates Brain Series. I am especially excited about this one because I have taken many workshops sessions with Jody McVittie and always find her information compelling. She is also  a compassionate and articulate advocate for parents and children.

Carol

Click here for details.

Safety: 72 Hour Emergency Kits

72 Hour Kit

After a major disaster the usual services we take for granted, such as running water, refrigeration, and telephones, may be unavailable. Experts recommend that you should be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least three days. Store your household disaster kit in an easily accessible location. Put contents in a large, watertight container (e.g. a large plastic garbage can with a lid and wheels) that you can move easily.

Your basic emergency kit should include:

• Water – one gallon per person per day
• Food – ready to eat or requiring minimal water
• Manual can opener and other cooking supplies
• Plates, utensils and other feeding supplies
• First Aid kit & instructions
• A copy of important documents & phone numbers
• Warm clothes and rain gear for each family member.
• Heavy work gloves
• Disposable camera
• Unscented liquid household bleach and an eyedropper for water purification
• Personal hygiene items including toilet paper, feminine supplies, hand sanitizer and soap
• Plastic sheeting, duct tape and utility knife for covering broken windows
• Tools such as a crowbar, hammer & nails, staple gun, adjustable wrench and bungee cords.
• Blanket or sleeping bag
• Large heavy duty plastic bags and a plastic bucket for waste and sanitation
• Any special-needs items for children, seniors or people with disabilities. Don’t forget water and supplies for your pets.

A component of your disaster kit is your Go-bag. Put the following items together in a backpack or another easy to carry container in case you must evacuate quickly. Prepare one Go-bag for each family member and make sure each has an I.D. tag. You may not be at home when an emergency strikes so keep some additional supplies in your car and at work, considering what you would need for your immediate safety.

• Flashlight
• Radio – battery operated
• Batteries
• Whistle
• Dust mask
• Pocket knife
• Emergency cash in small denominations and quarters for phone calls
• Sturdy shoes, a change of clothes, and a warm hat
• Local map
• Some water and food
• Permanent marker, paper and tape
• Photos of family members and pets for re-identification purposes
• List of emergency point-of -contact phone numbers
• List of allergies to any drug (especially antibiotics) or food
• Copy of health insurance and identification cards
• Extra prescription eye glasses, hearing aid or other vital personal items
• Prescription medications and first aid supplies
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Extra keys to your house and vehicle
• Any special-needs items for children, seniors or people with disabilities. Don’t forget to make a Go-bag for your pets.

This information comes from 72hour.org

Please feel free to visit the website for more information.

Welcome Back from Winter Break

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to preschool! I hope that all of you had a wonderful and
restful holiday. These last few months I have truly enjoyed getting to better
know you and your children. That process will continue as I will be doing
parent shares this month. (Please check dates below.) I will have chocolate
and you will earn a parent ed credit. Of course there will be opportunity for
your questions and sharing with your fellow parents.
Believe it or not, while we are still enjoying and working hard on this
year, it is time to start thinking about the next year. Soon we will be
selecting new board members and enrolling for the next school year. If
your child will be “graduating” begin exploring ways to facilitate that
process. (Take advantage of the Bates Kindergarten Panel - info below.)
While you continue to get the most out this year, start planning on what
will be happening next. Think about joining the board if you really want to
understand the workings of your school and to make the most out of your
participation. Ongoing information about what will occur will be coming in
the days and weeks ahead.

Mark your calendars with these upcoming dates:
Parent Shares - during class
Vaughn 2-day and Evergreen
Thursday, January 17
Vaughn 3-day
Friday, January 18

Bates Parent Ed.
Getting School Ready
Learn how to get your child ready for school from a panel
of local public school kindergarten teachers.
Wednesday, Jan. 23, 7-8:30 p.m., South Campus Auditorium

If you have any questions, feel free to call me @ 680-7517 or
cgulczynski@bates.ctc.edu

Carol Gulczynski/ Bates Home and Family Life Instructor

Safety Measures in December

From the Peninsula School District:

In light of recent events in the media regarding potential, yet unsubstantiated, threats to student safety in our district and others in our region, and the world-wide discussion concerning the Mayan calendar, we understand there are some concerns over safety at our schools tomorrow. 

Our schools will demonstrate increased awareness to ensure all students and staff feel safe.  We have been working closely with local law enforcement who will be providing a heightened presence, as well.

We understand parents’ sensitivity to school safety and trust your best judgment. If you decide to keep your children home, please notify the attendance office.

We appreciate your patience and concerns and want you to know that the safety of students and staff will continue to be a focus.

Front Office Sign In

Dear Vaughn Preschool Families,

In the wake of yesterday's tragedy, I wanted to address an issue that I have noticed that last few weeks and now I am kicking myself for not bringing it up sooner.  It's unfortunate that we wait sometimes to address issues until something like this happens and our eyes are opened, bringing us to action.

In the last few weeks I have been noticing more and more parents failing to sign in at the front office when dropping their children off at preschool.  I have spoken to some of you directly and given kind reminders, but now I think it is appropriate to address all families.  We are very fortunate to be able to run our preschool within Vaughn Elementary/Peninsula School District and we need to do our part in following all of their rules and safety procedures.  I'm sure that all schools nation wide will be tightening their front door/front office policies and just ask that we do our part in following the rules and encouraging others to do the same.

Thank you again for all you do for our Preschool!

-Stephanie

December in Miss Mary's Class

Evergreen Families

 

    Hope each and everyone of you have a wonderful holiday season. 

    During the month of December we are going to be reading two Nursery Rhymes, first will be Twinkle,Twinkle little star and second will be I'm a little teapot.  We will also be reading the Ginger bread Man.  We will read several different versions  to see how they are the same. 

     We will be having a ginger bread cookie day which you are all invited to come too.  It will be held on the 20th during class time.

    Once again I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and thank you for sharing your children with me.

 

            Miss Mary

December with Teacher Kim

Hello Vaughn Families!

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family and

love!

We will begin the month of December reading The Gingerbread Man. We will practice reading

this story throughout the next couple of weeks and be ready to read the story to our families

during our gingerbread house decorating potluck on December 14. We will also be reading

different versions of The Gingerbread Man and talk about how they are the same and/or how

they are different. We will end the month of December reading Jan Brett’s The Gingerbread

Baby, always a class favorite!

I am looking for volunteers to help make the gingerbread houses on Thursday December 6 and

Friday December 7 during class. Please let me know if you are able to help

Thank you so much for all that you do for our preschool, I couldn’t do it without you!!

Happy Holidays,

Kim

Holiday Quick Tips

The holidays are here. Yep. I said it. Now is the time to get your safety game ON! Here are some things to do NOW:

1. Make a game of it! Practice with your kids about what to do if they get separated from you in public. Practice finding a parent with kids or a stroller. Let them know it is OK to ask for help.

2. P.I.C.K! Parent In Charge of Kids! Assign a designated grown 20 minute "shifts" to walk through and check on the kids now and then during holiday parties. Kids love to get into stuff when adults are not paying attention. Especially at parties.

3. Uh-Oh Here come the Kisses! Talk to your kids about how to handle unwanted affection from grownups and older kids. Kids learn about being in charge of their bodies at home. Give them a voice and power over their own bodies by letting them chose who they show affection to.
Kim from Savvy Parents Safe Kids 

Infant & Toddler Opportunities Through Bates

Please see these fliers for infant and toddler classes:
Infants
Toddlers

Teacher Mary's Class in November

Parents;

 

    It's hard to believe that we have been in school for almost two months.  You children are doing amazing things.

    During the month of November we will be reading three amazing books.  The first will be Brown Bear, the second will be Mrs. Wishy Washy, and the third will be the Three Little Pigs.   I have many wonderful activities that go along with each book.  We are working on drawing people and our writing skills.    Pencil grips drawing lines and curves.

    Just a little reminder that we try to go out every day so make sure that your children are dressed appropriately.

    Once again thank you for sharing your children with me.

 

 

Miss Mary

Great Year Ahead by Teacher Kim

Hello Vaughn Families!

Well I think that it is safe to say that our extended summer weather may be over. I hope youwere all able to enjoy the beautiful weather that we were having, it sure has been a beautiful Fall season!! With the turn of the weather I would like to remind everyone to please send your children to school with a coat. 
We go outside everyday as long as it isn’t raining and I don’t want anyone to be cold. We will continue to focus on social emotional skills and also fine motor skills in our daily activities. Fine motor activities are an area that I am really focusing on right now to help aid in the children’s pre-writing skills. The social piece of preschool is a focus that we will have all year. Learning to be a friend in a classroom setting is hard work, but I would like to tell you all that the children are doing such a great job using their words and beginning their negotiating skills with their peers, which is so different than how they communicate with us as adults. It is so much fun watching them grow and learn and it has only been a month of school! I am really looking forward to a great year!!

Thank you so much for sharing your children with me!!!

Teacher Kim

Box Top Contest

And the winner of the Box Top & Receipt Contest is:

3-day class with a total of 397!  

4-day came in at 315 and 2 day at 97.

Congratulations and thank you to everyone for participating!

--Amy Pecote, Fundraising

Smile Mobile

The Smile Mobile will be at Vaughn during the week of October 22nd. We still have plenty of appointments available. The Smile Mobile provides dental services for children up to age 18. Medical coupons are accepted, or a sliding scale is available based on need. 

Please call our health tech. Cheryl Chalfant at 530-4700 to arrange an appointment time.

Currently we do not have enough appointments scheduled and this valuable resource could be cancelled if spots aren't filled up by Tuesday, October 16th. Please help spread the word!

Thanks!

Welcome from Teacher Kim

Hello Vaughn Families!

We are off to such a great beginning of a brand new year.  I cannot believe what a great group of kiddos we have!  Our first few days of class we have been reading "Llama, Llama Misses Mama", the children were all experiencing the same thing that Llama was, their first days of preschool!  The important ending to this story is that Mama came back!!  We talked about feeling shy and maybe scared, we learned that we were all feeling the same way and we talked about these feelings.  We had some great discussions!

We will begin November with "Brown Bear Brown Bear What do you See?"  A great story with repetitive text for the children to be able to read along with me.  I will be making the children each a "Friend, Friend, Who do you See?"  book, and while reading this book at home it will help them to learn the names of all of their new friends.

Thank you so much for sharing your children with me!

Teacher Kim

Welcome from Carol

Dear Parents,
Welcome to co-op preschool! The beginning of school is always such an exciting
time, as the possibilities for a great new year are endless. It is personally an
exhilarating time as I get the opportunity to meet and to get to know all of you
a little better. In my September visits to the three classes this week I was so
impressed with how well you and your children are adjusting. Every child seemed
busy and engaged. The working parents were doing their jobs while interacting
with the children. Of course our two wonderful teachers made it all run smoothly.
Besides these class visits, another way that I meet you is through the parent
shares that I facilitate once a quarter; in October, January, and March. For those
of you who don’t know what a parent share is there is a description at the end of
this article. For those of you who have attended a parent share, you already know
how fun and informative they can be.
The upcoming parent shares for October (one in November) are:
Vaughn 3-day – F 11/9
Vaughn 2-Day – Th 10/25
Evergreen – Th 10/25
I look forward to seeing you at the next parent share.
Carol

A parent share is a fun and helpful informal discussion held during your child’s

class time in another room. This is your chance to talk with (or just listen to) me

and other parents in your class talk about whatever is on your mind regarding

parenting issues, ages and stages of development, your child’s and/or your role

in the classroom, etc. Because these sessions are informal, you may come and

go as you please. Siblings are welcome (please bring things to entertain them).

Earn a parent education credit.

BTW There are usually treats as well.

Great Start by Teacher Mary

Dear Parents,

 The school year has started out great.  The children are learning the routine, classroom rules, and how to make friends.  We are still working on learning each others names.

    In the month of October we will be visiting the farm. We will talk about farm animals, and what happens on the farm.  We will watch as the autumn leaves turn from green to red and orange .  We will also have fun with apples.  What can you do with an apple?  Your child will soon find out.

    Thanks for making the start of the school year go so smoothly.

                Miss Mary

Safety Tips

This month's safety tip is in regards to Fire Safety and Prevention.  October hosts a week long observance the 7th through the 13th. Here are a few tips to share with your preschoolers. Talk to them about how they can prevent fires. Children under age five are especially curious about fire and need to start learning about the tremendous danger. 

• Never play with matches, lighters or candles.
• Never play with electrical cords and never put anything in a socket.
• Blankets or clothes should never be thrown on top of lamps.
• Don’t turn up a heater without a grown-up’s permission.
• If your clothes catch on fire, stop, drop and roll.

Mom Tip: Check under beds and in closets for burned matches or candles. Kids often choose “secret” places to play with matches and light fires. Even “good” kids are curious– teach your kids to always tell you when they find matches and lighters.

Look at Your Home From Your Child’s Perspective

Think about how your child sees potential fire hazards in your home by getting down on your hands and knees with them and taking a look around. See any dangling cords that could cause a problem if pulled? Enticing heaters or other appliances? Make adjustments to your home according to what you find.

Mom Tip: Make your floor-tour a game with your kids. Have them point out things they see by playing eye-spy. You’ll be surprised by what catches their attention.

October is also the time of year for costumes, sweets, and tricks and treats. Put Halloween safety first with these common-sense tips.

Carve safely

Are your children begging to carve pumpkins? Make Halloween safety a family affair.

• Decorate with markers or paint. Let young children draw faces on pumpkins with washable markers or child-friendly paint. Leave any carving to an adult.
• Use candles with care. Place candlelit pumpkins on a sturdy surface away from curtains and other flammable objects. Never leave candlelit pumpkins unattended. Better yet, light pumpkins with flashlights or battery-operated flameless candles instead.

Get clever with costumes

From furry animals to princesses and superheroes, choosing costumes wisely is an important part of Halloween safety.

• The brighter the better. Whether you buy a costume or make one yourself, choose bright colors and flame-retardant materials. If your child will be trick-or-treating outdoors after dark, attach reflective tape to his or her costume.
• Size it right. In case it's chilly outdoors, make sure your child's costume is loose enough for warm clothing to be worn underneath — but not long enough to cause tripping. Avoid oversized shoes and high heels.
• Skip the masks. A mask can obstruct your child's vision, especially if it slips out of place. Use kid-friendly makeup instead.
• Limit accessories. Pointed props — such as wands, swords and knives — may pose safety hazards.

Trick-or-treat with care

The promise of Halloween candy may leave stars in your child's eyes, but Halloween safety still rules.

• Get in on the fun. Accompany trick-or-treaters younger than age 12. Pin a piece of paper with your child's name, address and phone number inside your child's pocket in case you get separated. Encourage older kids to trick-or-treat with a group of friends, parents or older siblings. Make sure someone in the group carries a flashlight with fresh batteries.
• Stay close to home. Don't allow your child to go door to door in an unfamiliar neighborhood.
• Set ground rules. Review safety rules, including staying with the group, walking only on the sidewalk, approaching only clearly lit homes and never going inside a home. 
• Inspect the treats carefully. Don't let your child snack while he or she is trick-or-treating. Feed your child a healthy snack before heading out, and inspect the treats before allowing your child to dive in. Discard anything that's not sealed, has torn packaging or looks questionable. If you have young children, weed out gum, peanuts, hard candies and other choking hazards.
• Ration the loot. If your child collects gobs of goodies, dole out a few pieces at a time and save the rest. You may even ask your child if he or she would like to swap some — or all — of the candy for something else, such as a special toy, book or outing. You might also suggest donating excess candy to a food shelf or other charity.
• Plan a party. Consider planning a trick-or-treat party with a couple of neighbors instead of house-to-house door knocking. Decorate the garages, have a costume contest, and plan games and prizes. 

By Amanda Warfield - Health and Safety