Tuesday 15 September 2015

September Newsletter 2015

Dear Parents,
Welcome to our 2015-16 Hansel Preschool Year! We promise you that it is going to be an exciting year, filled with lots of fun and learning.
Looking back at our first two weeks of school, we could not have wished for a smoother beginning.  Thank you so much to all those parents/ grandparents who joined your child on his/her first day of school.  We are convinced that this helped our children to be comfortable, and hopefully it also helped you to get a better understanding of our program and daily routine.
All children seem to have settled in very well and they are already starting to make new friends. We see lots of happy faces in the classroom and we are excited to see the children sharing, taking turns, and exploring their new ‘home’.
We are sure that reading the book “The Kissing Hand” has also helped some of our students  (and even some parentsJ) to ‘fly solo’!
SEPTEMBER THEME: FRIENDSHIP and COLOUR
This month we will continue to establish/reinforce routines, and learn about colours and friendship. Our hand puppet ‘Kiki’ will help the children to learn each other’s names. Kiki takes attendance every morning by asking the children’s names and each child gets to say: “ Ich heiße ………..!” (my name is) or “Ich bin hier!” (I am here). J
Two books about friendship that we will read with the children are the “The Crayon Box that Talked” (by Shane DeRolf), and “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” (by Carol McCloud). This second book will be referred to throughout the year. It talks about everybody having ‘invisible buckets’, and we can fill each other’s buckets by doing kind things and helpful things.
SOCIAL SKILLS are one of the most important things we will foster in our preschool.
CHANGE OF A.M. CLASS TIME  (very important!)
New Class time:  8:55 a.m. – 11:40 a.m.
As some parents already know, we will have to make a slight change in starting   and dismissal time for our morning class. Many of you have noticed that the hallways of Brevoort Park School get very crowded once the school bell rings and all the older children start streaming past. It can get quite confusing and overwhelming for little pre-schoolers. Therefore we have decided to have the a.m. classes start 5 minutes earlier. Our DOORS WILL OPEN at 8:55 a.m. This will also enable us to END AT 11:40 a.m. (instead of the 11:45 a.m. listed in our handbook), and give us teachers a bit more breathing room before our afternoon classes start at 12:30 p.m.
It is very important that parents are prompt when picking up their child!! Sometimes children get very confused and insecure when they see everybody else leaving with a parent or a caregiver and they have to wait.  In case that you are late, please contact us.
We hope this change does not interfere with your own schedule. If you have any concerns with the new start/end times, please don’t hesitate to talk to us!
BIRTHDAYS
On the day of your child’s birthday the class will be singing Happy Birthday in German and the birthday child will get a little gift from the teacher.
If your child would like to share a treat with the class, please ensure that it is nut-free. It could be muffins, cookies or fruit to share with 15/16 children. We prefer non - messy treats (no frosting please, as it usually ends up on tables, chairs and clothes). J
THANK YOU’S:
·         Thank you parents for encouraging and teaching your child to independently put shoes and jackets on ! Things like zipping/buttoning can be tricky and our teachers will be glad to help your child.
·         Thank you for taking your child to the bathroom before class and teaching him/her how to use the ‘big kids toilets’. It will save us precious playtime.
·         Thank you for providing your child with a healthy and nutritious snack and for using reusable containers. Some of the snacks may have a few too many options, and they may take a LONG time to eat – all our little ones really need is some water and one or two fruit/veggie options to recharge their engines.J
We prefer that you not send cookies or sweet treats – we will save those for special occasions.
·         Thank you to Kristy Wiens. She has offered to place the monthly Scholastic book orders for our classes. 

DATES TO REMEMBER (please mark your calendar)
SEPTEMBER
Thursday/Friday Sept 17/18             Scholastic Book Orders are due
OCTOBER
Friday Oct 9                                      PD Day ( no class)
Monday Oct 12                                  Thanks Giving Day Holiday (no class)

Thursday Oct 29                               Field Trip to Dutch Growers Hay Maze*
Friday Oct 30                                    Field Trip to Dutch Growers Hay Maze*
(*We need 6 parent helpers/chaperones for each class!! There will be a sign up list hanging in the hallway.)
OUTSIDE PLAY
We will continue to take our children outside for as long as the weather cooperates. Please make sure your child is dressed for the weather. Just a quick reminder to avoid flip-flops as outside play includes running, climbing trees and walking through bushes.
We are looking forward to watching the change of seasons and exploring the beauty of nature with your wonderful children!
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Uli Hecker, Ruth Skinner
Susanne Pachal, Samina Roohi