Monday 26 January 2015

January Newsletter 2015


JANUARY NEWSLETTER 2015
Dear Parents,
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!
We hope you had a restful and relaxing break with your family. I really enjoyed having time with my family and own children. Nevertheless, I always start missing our preschoolers after more than a week. I am sure your children are also excited to see  their friends again.
Every year we notice a growth spurt in our students when they come back after the break. You might want to check your child’s indoor shoes to see if they still fit our little “happy feet”. 
JANUARY THEME: DINOSAURS
The year will start with a fun unit about dinosaurs. There will be a lot of roaring and exploring going on in our classroom. The children will learn about how dinosaurs lived and how they became extinct. We will sing English and German dinosaur songs and you will hear us stomping through the hallways. Don’t be surprised if you see bones in our sensory box. Your child might be busy excavating (what a big word) and looking for fossils.
In context with our dinosaur unit the children will be sorting, counting and categorizing dinosaurs, bones, shapes and identifying dinosaur foot prints.
Our class library will be stacked with books about dinosaurs. We also purchased some new furniture (couch and chair) from our scholastic book order bonus points. It will make it even more fun to sit in our reading area and look at books. Thank you again parents for supporting our preschool through our monthly book orders.
THANK YOU to SPF RAFFLE PARTICIPANTS
Thank you to all the parents who had participated in this fundraiser. We decided to invest the SPF money into a portable sink for our classroom. This will save us from constant trips to the washroom and will make painting less messy.
Light Table
We purchased a light table for our classroom. It will give our students many options to explore and discover. If you have any x-rays at home that you would like to share with the class, please let us know.
Pre-registration for the 2015-16 Preschool Year
I will send home registration packages this week. Current families are invited to pre-register and return the registration packages ASAP. However final class placement   will be based on different factors (age, number of enrolment etc.).
Families who are pre- registering do NOT have to attend the Open House in order to get a spot. We will contact you about your child’s placement in February.  
KINDERGARTEN READINESS
A number of our students (M-W-F class) are eligible to start Kindergarten this fall. If you have any questions or concerns in regards to Kindergarten readiness, please feel free to contact us and discuss your child’s progress.
We will be sending home an overview of different age based developmental stages in children. It might help you to get an idea where you child is at and in what areas you can support him/her at home. Please keep in mind, that every child is different and children develop skills in different paces. There really is no “one size fits all” recipe!!!
I always promote the “support and nurture” approach and “look at their strength” view. Our children are like stars and each of them shines in their very unique way!
Winter Fun Day
Depending on temperatures we might take our students outside for some fun activities this month. M-W-F class will have the care partners join them. We will give you further notice about the exact day and time. Tue-Thu class will need some parent helpers.
DATES to REMEMBER
Tuesday, January 20th:      Kindergarten Information Night @ 7:00p.m.
Wed/Thu Jan 28/29:        Dinosaur Day (bring your dinos/ please label)
Wednesday, January 28th:   Preschool Registration Night @ 6:30–8:00 p.m.

NEW CONTACT INFO for ULI HECKER: coordinator.hanselandgretel@gmail.com
I decided that it is easier to separate my private emails from work related emails. 
I will still receive emails under my gmx account during the transition time!

We are excited to start a New Year and are looking forward to a roaring month
of Fun and Learning in our Hansel & Gretel Preschool.

Cheers!

Uli Hecker, Ruth Skinner                                      Larissa Lorenz, Samina Roohi