March 2012 Newsletter

February Reflection

What a fun month of love and connection!  We also had a lot of interest in time and clocks.  Our singer/song writer Peace Maker focus has brought many fun dance and singing sessions during circle time.  And children's interest in the garden has been exciting to support and be a part of.

March Themes/Topics

• Butterfly Life Cycle: (egg, larva, chrysalis, adult butterfly), what butterflies eat and how we can help them.  Our classes will have a butterfly kit where they will witness the actual life cycle stages for 10 larva.
• Monarch Butterfly Migration to Mexico
• North, Central and South America introduction as well as the introduction to globes and maps
• Plants we see in March  
• Directions: North, South, East, West as well as Right and Left
• Continue our Peace Makers....weaving in some important Central and South American Peace Makers (again offering age appropriate introduction) and focusing on singers/songwriters, artists, botanists, geologists, zoologists and storytellers.  

Reminders/Thank Yous

• Thank you Clapperton family for the wooden chairs and many of the dinosaurs in class!  Thank you Metler family for the February felt board pieces!
• Reminder to check the Observation/Conference Calendar for your times.
• Re-enrollment Registration will be submitted to families week following Spring Break
• Saturday May 5, 2012 is the Vashon Preschool Tour Open House!  Klahanie will be Open 10am-2pm, we hope to see you there.
• Re-enrollment Registration deadline for 2012-2013 School Year is Tuesday May 8, 2012.

Thank you!

Emmy and Lauren

February 2012 Newsletter

January Reflection
Snow brought much excitement to our island and school.  The children talked at length about the snow and we were able to introduce where snow comes from, why it happens and what it turns to with heat.
Now that the sun as graced our days, many of the children continue to enjoy seeking out our native winter birds as well as moving toward interest in gardening.
Here are some pictures of our January activities!

February Class Theme Topics

• Love: love in our families and love of our friends (songs, poems, art projects and plays on how we extend our love to others)
• Singer/Song writer Peace Makers: Pete Seeger, Michael Franti, Joan Baez and possibly more (how music is a method of self soothing and sharing how someone feels about the world and his/her place in it.  This is a very enjoyable experience you too can share with your child at home, the music you love and why it moves you).
• Garden preparation for Spring: garden tools and how they are used
• Colors: Primary and Secondary Colors
• Geometric shapes we see in our class and outside world (this is a very fun family I-Spy game!) with the accurate names: rhombus, ellipse (ellipsoid), oval (ovoid), cube, rectangular and triangular prisms, etc.

Reminders/Thank Yous and Updates:

• Thank you Clapperton Family for the wonderful play dough tools and monthly play dough!!  The children love them!
• Please check out our School Board for the updated Calendar with our summer months listed.
• Spring Observations and Conferences will be in March!  Please check out the school board to see when your parent observation and conference are scheduled.  Explanation of this 15 minute observation will be sent via email before the end of February.  During your conferences parents will be asked tentative plans for re-enrollment for September 2012.  
• Saturday March 24 will be the Vashon Preschool Tour and Klahanie will be on it!  Following Spring Conferences our school will open enrollment for September 2012.  
• For AM class: when arriving school please escort your child to the hooks to remove shoes (there are little stools/chairs and soon-to-be benches to help with this process) and hang up coats & hats.  This is a wonderful introduction to self care and mirrors how we teachers ask the children to be part of this process when getting ready for outside time.  

Thank you Klahanie families for the ability to hold space for all these amazing individuals, we are so lucky!

Cheers,

Emmy and Lauren