May 2013 Newsletter

April Reflection

The wild winds of April calmed and we have entered the magnetic month of May!  Children are undergoing great spring growths themselves and we adults are moving quickly to keep up with the busy spring days.  Parents, you are doing a wonderful job!  And what an honor for us teachers to feed the children more and more skill specific works (i.e. larger projects, more specific topic enrichment and math/language exploration) based off the children’s interests.   We are having so much fun introducing more acting exercises as we transition to outside time or ending our group.  We are laughing and smiling together a great deal these spring days!

We have had a wonderfully rich and joyful month together and the children are interested in beginning Show & Tell for our circle times (group). 

 Show & Tell: Tuesdays or Thursdays help your child find something small and special from nature or object starting with any of the letters from our alphabet (example: “a” for apple) to bring to class for beginning group.  Please place Show & Tell items in a name labeled plastic bag.

May Topics

·      Life Cycle of the Butterfly & Insects: our Painted Lady larva will arrive soon and our classes will be able to see the life cycle play out before our eyes!  We will release the butterflies in the school garden after they have emerged from chrysalis form.  Both classes made beautiful posters of the life cycle.  Vocabulary: egg, larva, caterpillar, chrysalis (pupa, cocoon), butterfly, sphere.

·      Parts of an Insect:  head, thorax, abdomen, six legs, antenna

·      Maps: those interested in class will make maps.  This is preparation and care for the children (as some are embarking on new adventures) for upcoming changes and breaks, so they can place stars on their maps to show where friends live, schools are, etc.  This is a delightful exercise to ritualize and honor the child’s understanding of some things ending and something new beginning while mixing in practical and personal geography!

·      Tie Dying:  Please send one or two pre-washed white tee shirts to school.  We’d love to get our tie dye on the last week of May!  

Have a wonderful month and please feel free to share with teachers if you (or a grandparent) would like to share a talent in class, being your child’s Show & Tell for a circle time—we’d love to have you!  Please call Emmy if interested.

 Practical Life: Nail Care

The gifts of empathy development with an infant in class.  Thank you Stanley!

Window washing

Planting our Mother's Day Sunflowers

Sewing

Dish Washing

Painting our Mother's Day Portraits

Dear Vashon Island Preschools

Dear Vashon Preschools,

As some school updates and intention, Klahanie School has continued to be formed out of an observed request from Vashon Island families to offer: 

1.     High quality Montessori Pre-Primary and Primary Program foundation 

2.     Family advocacy outreach and connection

3.     Support of other fabulous Vashon Preschool programs that can be partnered alongside Klahanie for families in need of full-day option for their children.  

We currently have one small classroom to work out of, thus Klahanie will not be able to offer an infant class this upcoming school year.  Klahanie program was created from deep respect of early schooling opportunity to infants and parents.  This continues to be the goal.  And although teachers felt disappointment about this change, we are accepting and hopeful that Klahanie School will be able to offer an Infant class in the future when space affords. 

For the 2013-2014 School Year

·      Both our AM & PM classes will be blended age group: 2.5yrs-4.5yrs.

·      Tuesday-Thursday AM 9:30-12, PM 12:45-3:30pm

Klahanie teachers continue to see a need for working parents to have affordable education for their children while they work outside or within the home.  Klahanie staff continues to encourage families to blend Vashon preschool programs to fulfill this need.  The benefit of this is the ability to inquire about other fabulous programs that can be partnered with Klahanie as well as continue finding creative outreach with families in similar circumstance that can assist in support of carpools and childcare trade.  Simply building greater community, especially for those without family near by.  

  

We look forward to many more opportunities to partner with your wonderful programs.

Sincerely,

Emily Graham and Lauren Johnson

Klahanie School

info@klahanieschool.org

www.klahanieschool.org

2013-2014 School Year Enrollment Changes

Klahanie School

Montessori Program

To create a more attractive school program, we are making the following alterations for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year:

·      Both the AM and PM classes: ages 2.5yrs-5yrs.  

·      Depending on your child’s needs (naps, etc.) as well as our family work schedules, your request will be seriously considered during class placement.

Klahanie will not be able to offer an infant class this upcoming school year.  Klahanie program was created from deep respect of early schooling opportunity to infants and parents.  This continues to be the goal.  And although teachers felt disappointment about this change, we are accepting and hopeful that Klahanie School will be able to offer an Infant class in the future when space affords. 

We all were able to lower tuition costs for the 2013-2014 due to Klahanie families' fundraising help!  

Our new school year begins September 2013. 

Call today to schedule an observation and learn more about our intimate program!

Thank you for your continued support of Klahanie School.

Warm Regards,

Klahanie School

info@klahanieschool.org

206-491-9465

April 2013 Newsletter

 

“It’s the little things citizens do.  That’s what will make the difference.  My little thing is planting trees.”

Dr.Wangari Maathai

March Reflection

What a fun and busy month!  Thank you Klahanie families for your ever present ability to “go with the flow” of changes here at school.  We hope the new pick-up routine is helping.  We teachers are definitely enjoying it with the children!

Both classes are re-focusing some quality time to safety at school: where are safe and unsafe spaces to explore on the school property as well as classroom safety (how to hold and manipulate scissors, sitting while eating, hand-washing lessons and practice) that we have used in fun group activities and individual Practical Life lessons.  Thank you again to parents during our parent meeting this month who brought these important topics to the table. 

Both classes are using very effectively the “Flip-It” method for getting on coats.  We say: “tags by the toes, hands in the holes” and they flip their own coats—oh how we giggle with joy for this accomplishment!

April Topics

• ·      Peace Maker, Nobel Peace Prize Winner Dr.Wangari Maathai.  April we will honor this wonderful woman’s life and work for African women, children and environment.  We tell Dr.Maathai’s life story in an age appropriate method with small figures the children can re-tell throughout class.  (Words you possibly will hear at home: trees, woman, babies, money, planting, no money/no food for the babies, soil, water, helping one another).  A wonderful educational reference giving tribute to Dr.Maathai’s work is from Project Learning Tree at http://www.plt.org/words-to-live-by---a-tribute-to-wangari-maathai
•  ·      Parts of a Flower: roots, stem, leaf, corolla (pedal), stamen, pistol
•        What is soil
•  ·      Relationship of bees and flowers
•  ·      Earth Day! 

 Reminders & Updates

·      Re-Enrollment forms and deposit due Tuesday April 30: if you have a specific request of AM or PM class, please hand-write this on your contract.  

After the 30^th, enrollment is open to the public.

·      Spring Break April 8-12!  Have fun!

·      Please sign up if you would like a class observation/visit and phone conference: sign-up calendar is on the board.

Thank you and Happy Spring!

Baby visits and bonding in our PM Class

Pincer grip practice

Serving Tea

March 2013 Newsletter

The land is where our roots are.  The children must be taught to feel and live in harmony with the earth.

Dr. Maria Montessori

March Topics

• ·      Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle: Importance of Milkweed plants
• ·      “Migration”: The Monarch’s migration North from Mexico
• ·      North American Continent
• ·      Peace Makers: Pete Seeger

·      Re-Enrollment Paperwork Due Thursday March 21^st! Reserve your child’s 2013-2014 Class placement, VERY few spots!

·      Spring Raffle Basket: To Support Klahanie Financial Aid Please donate a specialty item (see attached Fundraiser letter) and sell tickets for our Klahanie Financial Aid Fundraiser for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year!  All donations and tickets sales are due Thursday March 21^st

·      Montessori In The Home Parent Meeting on Thursday March 21, 2013 7pm-9pm: Get a babysitter and come join us for a fun night of Montessori ideas for your home, light appetizers and time to share parenting process in a supportive space as well as find out who wins the Spring Raffle Basket for our Financial Aid Fundraiser!  See you there!

Practical Life: Tops and Containers/Finding Matches

Peace Basket

Setting the Table

Serving Tea to Friends

PM Preschool Class Fun!