Weekday Preschool Newsletter January 2005, Page 1

Holiday Programs: All five classes will have their holiday programs on Sunday, January 9th.  You are welcome to bring any family (grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc.) or friends who would enjoy coming to watch the children sing. Our program will begin in the sanctuary with the children singing a few holiday songs. We will go to the Fellowship Hall for a time of fellowship and refreshment after the program. Each family is asked to bring a snack to share  and preschool will provide the drinks. We have been videotaping the children participating in the classroom and you can watch that video while you are enjoying the refreshments. These are the times for each class:
    M-W-F (both am and pm class)    2:00 pm
    MTWThF morning class    4:30 pm
    T-Th (both am and pm class) 6:00 pm
         Please bring your child to their classroom and the teachers will bring them into the sanctuary together as a group.  If your child is nervous or anxious and does not want to  participate in the singing in the sanctuary, please come anyway and let them enjoy being part of the audience. If they stand up in front and do not sing - that is ok too. We just want them to be there and enjoy the time together. We do not want it to be a source of conflict or stress.
         After the program, if you would like a copy of the video we have made (and we’ll add the holiday program to the end of it!), please bring a blank VHS tape to preschool sometime in the days after the program and we will make a copy for you. Mark the tape with your child’s name so we know which class’ video to copy. It makes a fun memory of preschool!!

Staff Change: At the beginning of 2005 Deb Gearhart will be leaving Westminster Preschool to become the director of a daycare at Bethany Christian Church. We are sorry to see Deb go, but she has lots of experience and talent as a director prior to coming to Westminster and hopes to be able to put those abilities to work at this center.  Jodi Ryba who has been working in the extended care program and substituting in the classrooms will be assuming Deb’s teaching  responsibilities.  She will be teaching in the MWF afternoon class and in the MTWThF morning class and in extended care on Tuesday & Thursday afternoons.
         Please wish Deb well in her new adventure and welcome Jodi to our teaching staff. If you would be interested in being an on-call substitute, please let Jo Beil know. We often need someone to sub in our classes and will need interested individuals now that Jodi is no longer available as a substitute.

Registration for NEXT year’s preschool classes: When you return from our Christmas break, you will receive a brochure that has a preliminary registration form on it for the 2005-2006 school year program. If you are planning on having your child attend again next fall, you need to return this form with the $35.00 enrollment fee in order to reserve a place in a class for your child.
REMEMBER: NO  CHILD  IS  AUTOMATICALLY  ENROLLED  FOR  NEXT  YEAR'S  PRESCHOOL!!
         I have had lots of calls this fall/winter already inquiring about next year’s program, so I expect our classes will begin filling up quickly. I will not advertise our classes to the general public until mid to late February in order to give children currently attending time to get registered for their first choice of class. If you have any questions about which class to enroll your child in for next year, talk to one of their teachers or contact Jo Beil. If your  child will be attending kindergarten next fall, please give the brochure to a neighbor or friend. You as parents of a child in our program are always our best source of referral and publicity - and we do appreciate that!!

Half-Birthdays: Children whose birthdays are in June will be celebrating their "half-birthday" during the month of January.  We will send home a note telling you which date we have saved to be your child’s special day. If you do not receive a note, please talk to one of their teachers. We will also celebrate the January birthdays!! (Note: We will celebrate July birthdays in February and August birthdays in March) All children should have one day during the school year when we celebrate either their birthday or a "half-birthday" if their birthday occurs during the summer when there is no regular preschool program.

Adventure Camp Days: Semester break for LPS is from Monday, January 17th through Wednesday, January 19th. We will not have preschool on those three days, but will offer Adventure Camp all three days. Please sign your child up if you plan to have them attend, so I know how many staff I need to have here that day. We do preschool activities during the 9:00 am to 11:30 am time and have extended care activities before and after that time. Children need to bring a sack lunch if they are here during the lunch time (12 noon to 12:30 pm).

Pie Sales Update: We sold almost 250 pie certificates for a profit of over $650.00!! We were able to buy a new Kodak digital camera, memory stik, photo paper and a Canon printer with our profits. We will enjoy being able to take pictures of the children and not having to wait until the whole roll of film is done to get them printed!! Thanks!!

Note:   We will begin locking the north doors (by the driveway along South Street) at 4:30 pm each day. If you pick up your child from extended care after that time, please enter using the east doors by the playground. Thank you