Author: meghan

September News

Classroom Happenings

Welcome to STM Preschool! It is wonderful to see so many familiar faces and exciting to see all of the new faces!! I am ready for the start of a new school year and for all of the new , fun and sometimes challenging moments to come.
We will be starting off our year by focusing on the children, what makes them special, and what they can do. We will also talk about their families and how each family is different and special. We will then work our way into a unit called ‘Fabulous Fall’ and explore nature, and focus on apples and apple trees.
If you ever have any questions or comments please let me know!!
Hats off to the start of another great year at STM Preschool!
Teacher Meghan

Children’s Carnival: November 4th

St. Thomas More Preschool

Volume 4, Issue 1

September 1, 2007

Special points of interest:
No School September 3rd ~ Labor Day Holiday
Grandparent’s Day is September 9th!
Tornado Drill (TBA)
Pick your favorite . . . apple sauce, apple juice, apple slice

The children’s carnival is an event that has run in conjunction with the parish turkey dinner for the last four years. This year the carnival will be on Sunday, November 4th.
This is the only fundraising that we ask families to do. We will not ask you to sell candles, cookies, or any other item door to door, but we will need the help of every family to help make the carnival a success.
We will need help with set-up, tear down/clean-up, running the games, baking cakes, selling tickets, and organizing items for a silent auction.
We will also be looking for people to help organize the event by joining the Carnival Committee. This committee takes a great deal of stress off of the preschool teachers, and it is greatly appreciated!!
Look for more information on the carnival very soon!!

Inside this issue:

Inside a Preschool Classroom	2
Contact / Information	3
Birthdays	3
Home to School / Connection	3
Preschool Stars	3
Monthly Calendar	4
Lesson Plans	5/6

What Kids Really Learn in Preschool
By Barbara Solomon

Although it seems as if they're just playing, these pint-size students are developing skills that will last a lifetime.
High-quality early-childhood programs build a firm foundation that makes it easier for children to learn to read, earn good grades, and develop productive friendships, according to research by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
However, many parents are still somewhat skeptical. To them, preschool classrooms seem like little more than well-equipped baby-sitting centers with Legos, trains, paints, and dress-up clothes. Sure, preschool is fun, but how valuable is it?
Very, say early-childhood experts, who insist that play is the ideal way for 3- and 4-year-olds to develop crucial academic and social skills. Here are the ten most important things your child will learn in preschool -- whether she goes for five full days or only two or three mornings a week.

How to be a student. Children are free to choose from a roomful of activities, toys, and playmates. Yet underlying this easygoing atmosphere are many rules and routines designed to teach children how to conduct themselves in a classroom, be part of a group, and control their impulses.
How to make friends. Preschool offers opportunities for learning how to forge friendships and settle differences without the help of a parent or caregiver.
How to be independent. Parents automatically tend to help their 3- or 4-year-olds with the small tasks of everyday life, such as fastening buttons. But preschool teachers, who may need to get 12 or more kids ready, encourage students to take more responsibility.
How to tell a story. Children in preschool have plenty of opportunities to hear stories as well as to tell them and act them out with their friends. Listening to stories helps them grasp the concept that a plot has a beginning, a middle, and an end, and it also motivates them to want to read on their own.
How to ask for help. Preschoolers develop the confidence and inner strength to speak up. Research has shown that having caring, responsive relationships with their first teachers helps children form productive relationships with subsequent teachers and other adults.
How to cut and paste. When children work with scissors, glue sticks, and crayons, they're developing the fine motor control that will help them form legible b's and d's in kindergarten and even take class notes in high school.
How to build a block tower. Research has found that preschool block builders hone their spatial skills and gain hands-on math experience. "When children play with blocks and other 'manipulatives,' they learn to sort and classify," explains Diane Trister Dodge, a former preschool teacher.
How to recognize symbols, concepts, & rhymes. Though they may not be ready to read, preschoolers are usually able to identify numbers and letters, develop a useful understanding of colors and shapes, and enjoy songs and rhymes.
How to hop, skip & jump. Preschoolers usually play outside nearly every day, strengthening their muscles and developing their coordination. Time spent on the playground gives preschoolers opportunities for independent problem solving and social interaction.
How to investigate and explore. Preschoolers are natural scientists, and they benefit from having plenty of opportunities for hands-on, self-directed experimentation.
Article taken from the parents magazine website. For the complete article please visit the site.
Copyright © 2004 from the September 2000 issue of Parents magazine.

Dr. Marcon points out: "It may be hard for parents to understand how their children can be learning in an environment that seems unstructured, but the fact is that children learn best when teachers order the environment to provide kids with interesting materials and new ideas to explore."

Volume 4, Issue 1

Page #

Home to School Connection
Apple Sauce
* 3 1/2 lbs apples cored and quartered
* 1 3/4 C water * 1 T lemon juice
* 1/2 C brown sugar * 1 T cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp nutmeg * 1/8 tsp ginger
Place apples, water, and lemon juice in a large sauce pan. Bring to boil over med/high heat, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered until the apples are very soft, approx 45 min.
Stir brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger into the apple mixture and remove from the heat. Let cool. Mash apples with a potato masher. Serve warm or chilled. Makes 2 quarts.
The More We Get Together
Oh, the more we get together,
Together, together,
Oh, the more we get together,
The happier we will be.
For your friends are my friends,
And my friends are your friends.
Oh, the more we get together,
The happier we’ll be.

Contact Information
Meghan Kelly (Teacher Meghan)
Office: Located in the main office
Office/Classroom Phone: 692-6796
E-mail: Meghan@stmbrookings.org
Home: 692-5374

We’re on the Web!
www.stmbrookings.org

Happy Birthday

August
David Do
Janine Warne
Eli Brandt
Jocelyn Zerr
Charles Jarvis
September
Carter Johnson
Allison Jacobson
Yzabella Martinez
Skylor Ness

Preschool Stars
Starting the week of September 17th, we will begin to recognize children as the “Star of the week”.
Each child will have a week to shine as the “Star”. During their week, children will have the opportunity to share family photos, create a special book, and bring a show and tell item.
I will ask each family to complete a form for their child and collect photos for the book.

Volume 4, Issue 1

Page #

September News