Salem Pre School News

Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales

2012-01-27T19:09:00.000-08:00

We have just finished a unit on nursery rhymes and fairy tales at Pre School and it was so much fun! As Mr. Rogers used to say, we went to "the land of make believe." Talking animals, huge beanstalks, fairy godmothers, and princesses, princesses, princesses were all the rage! Three was the magic number for the week. We had the "Three Bears," the "Three Billy Goats Gruff," and the "Three Little Pigs!" The teachers did a puppet show of the "The Three Little Pigs." It didn't go exactly according to the book but it was close enough to recognize. Many of the nursery rhymes were put to music. Our favorite was, "I'm a Little Teapot." In the second verse we made a joke. We turned into a sugar bowl, not a teapot! Our "Humpty Dumpty" rendition was very jazzy and lots of fun. The fancy dress-up clothes were out for all to play with, complete with crowns and gloves!

2012-01-22T19:52:00.000-08:00

What do Valentine’s Day, US patriotic symbols, and Pajama Day have in common? The answer: love. (Does this sound as random as the Netflix commercials?) February is all about love. Valentine’s Day and the weeks leading up to it are a time set aside to focus on those we love. How can we show our love to another person? What does it mean to love your neighbor? Who are the people who love us? We will have a fun Valentine’s party at school and make cards for someone we love. Naming ways to show kindness is also something we talk about. God puts love in our hearts!

Let’s expand our thinking now. We are all proud to be Americans. We live in a country with many more freedoms then most of the people of the world. This may lead to disagreements but we are allowed to state our opinions and work to find solutions that all of us, Americans, can live with. Because we love our country, we display and honor the symbols of the U.S. such as the flag, the White House, our Presidents, the multi-cultural make-up of the country, etc. This is a broader sense of love.

On Pajama Day, everyone - yes, even the teachers - wears their pajamas to school. We are also allowed to bring our sleeping buddies with us. (Not our husbands.) Our snack consists of milk and cereal and our stories are comforting ones. Who doesn’t long to be tucked in at the end of the day by someone who loves us. Saying our prayers and receiving a good night kiss is a ritual we all should experience to send us off to sleep.

There you have your explanation to the above question. Love runs through Valentine’s Day, patriotic symbols and Pajama Day!

We do have a few more things going on this month that didn’t fit into the love theme so well. We will be learning about dinosaurs (one of God’s very fascinating creations!) Parent-teacher conferences are being held at the end of the month and the three year olds are giving an evening program for family and friends on February 16, at 7:00 p.m. February is a very full month for Pre School! We love school.

The Mitten

2012-01-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

Coming back to school in January is very fun. When the children first come to the door they may be a little tentative for a few minutes. Then they reconnect with their friends in class and it's as though they were never apart! The first week of school we talk about fun in the snow and how we enjoy winter. Too bad there isn't much snow so far!! In spite of the weather we love to read, "The Mitten," by Jan Brett. In the story, a little boy drops his white mitten on the snow and before he knows it, a mole, a rabbit, a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, a fox, a bear, and a mouse have crawled into the mitten. I won't tell you the end of the story. I don't want to spoil it for you! Just let me say that we acted out the story as a class with eight children crawling into the mitten! It was quite a sight!

HE CAME AND WE CELEBRATED!

2011-12-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

What can I say except the Jesus came on Christmas Day and we have been celebrating all month! We sang carols by the big Christmas tree. Acting out the story of Jesus' birth we "dramatic!" Secrets were kept as we worked on our presents to our parents and wrapped them the last day of class. Then, SURPRISE!, Santa came to our party! Wow! What a month!

2011-12-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

The new year is almost here. We can put our 2011 activities to bed and begin planning 2012 with renewed energy. Perhaps you want to reassess your 401K plan (that’s always a big one for me) or dream about the vacation you might be able to take this summer. I’m getting excited about reorganizing my basement and sending my kids’ stuff to live at their houses instead of mine! Oh the excitement of making New Year’s resolutions!

Pre School is also looking ahead to next year. That is, we are already planning for our 2012-2013 school year. To get on board you must register. Here is what you need to know. Please feel free to share this information with family and friends. If they live close by, you could carpool with them!

SALEM PRE SCHOOL REGISTRATION

Registration opens for current students, Salem members and alumni:

Thursday, Jan. 26, 9:00-10:30AM in the Salem gym

Open House and Registration for new families: (Adults and children are welcome at the Open House.)

Saturday, Jan. 28, 10:00-12:00 noon

SCHEDULE FOR 2012-2013

3 year olds Tuesday, Thursday 9-11:30 AM $92/month

Wednesday, Friday 9-11:30 AM $92/month

4 year olds Mon.-Tues.-Thurs. 9-11:30AM $139/month

Mon.-Wed.-Fri. 9-11:30 AM $139/month

Tues.-Thurs. 12:30-3:00PM $92/month

Tues.-Thurs. 12:30-3:00 $139/month

There is a $55 non-refundable registration fee due at the time of registration. Salem members and families with two or more children enrolled are given a 10% discount. For more information you may go to our website, www.salemcovpreschool.com.

Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-27T18:43:00.000-08:00

TURKEY, TURKEY

(tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star")

Turkey, Turkey look at you

Please be careful what you do.

Thanksgiving Day will soon be here.

We eat turkey every year.

Go and hide out in the woods.

We'll eat pizza as we should!

The Pilgrims and turkeys gathered for pizza lunch at Salem Pre School on November 22 and 23. We are all thankful for the blessings of family and friends that God has given us!

Come to the Stable

2011-11-19T16:16:00.000-08:00

Ahh, December. Our thoughts are consumed with Christmas. Pre School is like a mini Santa’s workshop as we work on gifts for our parents and Christmas decor for our home refrigerators.

Each day at Pre School we look at the calendar and count the number of days that have gone by in December. We love passing the time by singing Christmas songs and listening to Christmas stories. One of our favorite books this time of year is, “Room For a Little One,” by Martin Waddell. Kind Ox lives in the stable next to the Inn. One winter’s night he invites Old Dog, Stray Cat, Small Mouse and Tired Donkey into the stable, one by one. Tired Donkey brings along Mary and Joseph for “there is always room for a little one here.” The stable is peaceful. Predator and prey lay down quietly side by side. It is here the Christ Child is born in the peace of the stable “one cold winter’s night.”

And so ... we come on Christmas night, from diverse countries, backgrounds, economic classes and political parties, to the stable. We bow down together to worship Jesus, God’s gift to all of us. He is God’s “Little One” who came for the world. Peace to you this Christmas from the little ones at Salem Pre School!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-08T21:10:00.000-08:00

We are past Halloween and now the holiday season begins. Our children in the Blue, Purple, Red and Yellow classes will be presenting an evening program for their parents, families and friends on Thursday, November 10 at 7:00 p.m. This evening of songs, musical activities, a slideshow and refreshments is a celebration of the two and a half months they have been in school learning and singing together. We are so thankful for the many families who have entrusted their children to our school!

Thanksgiving is, of course, our main focus in the month of November. How did this turkey feast get started in the first place? What did the Pilgrims and Native Americans do for the three days they spent together when there wasn’t even football to play or watch? Just as the name of the holiday would suggest, they gave thanks!! There was no doubt in the Pilgrims’ minds that God was their shepherd and they gave Him credit for every good thing that had happened to them. Their new Native American friends, their winter supply of food, their humble homes and their health were all gifts from above. This is the spirit of thanksgiving we hope to pass on to our students, their families and all of our friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dressing Up Is Fun to Do

2011-10-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

We are what we wear, or at least we can pretend to be someone or something else when we don a costume. A shy person might be more outgoing or a celebrity may blend into the crowd when they are behind a mask, make-up or costume. At Pre School we love to pretend to be something different! October offered students (and teachers) a chance to be Clifford the Big Red Dog. We brought our favorite teddies and stuffed animals to school to show them the school routine. Then, we celebrated Halloween, the granddaddy of all dress-up holidays! I love the way the children come into school on our Halloween party days. They bounce in looking all cute in their costumes. Then, upon seeing the other "characters" in the room, they stop and stare taking in the sight before them. Spiderman, Cinderella, Thomas the Tank Engine, Ninjas, and M&Ms are staring back at them. It's an awesome sight! Once the initial shock is over, they relax and start to play. The shy children often are more relaxed on party day. Perhaps they love parties or perhaps they like hiding behind their costume character. I can remember feeling that way. At the end of the day we were happy ..... and sweaty from wearing those costumes all day!

Happy Halloween!

APPLES, APPLES, APPLES

2011-10-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

We have learned so much about apples in the last week and a half. Ask you pre schoolers what colors apples come in and how to pick an apple without ruining the buds for next year's apple blossoms. These are things we have been learning at school. Our apple peeler was busy last week as we peeled apples for our homemade applesauce. Yum! This week the three year olds are talking about the importance bees for growing apples and the importance of apple blossoms for making honey. This is one example of how things in nature work together for good! The four year old classes had the experience of riding in a school bus to Aamodt's Apple Orchard. They had a tour of the apple barn and rode a wagon out into the orchard to see the apples growing on the trees. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," or so they say. Whether it is true or not, apples sure are delicious!

2011-09-20T09:36:00.001-07:00

THE SUMAC TREE

Ask me to name my favorite season of the year and I’ll likely name the current one. All summer I lounged by the lake, worked in my garden, played with my grandkids and spent time with my horse. I love summer!

By mid August, I could feel a transition coming on and I resisted it. I was reluctant to begin typing lists, putting up bulletin boards, freezing vegetables, wearing sweaters.... Why was summer so short?

I hitched my horse to my wagonette one day and trotted down the road. Going past a stand of Sumac trees, I noticed their bright green color had turned dark brown. They, too, seemed reluctant to leave summer and move on. That was not an encouraging sign! Transitions are hard for most of us. As adults, we know, from past experience, that things will get better. We realize that the brown Sumac will turn to brilliant red and Halloween orange. We soon appreciate the cool crisp autumn nights and the good sleeping weather. Once pre school begins and I see the smiling faces of the children who were once only names on paper, I feel excitement about the days we’ll spend together singing, laughing and playing. Autumn becomes my new favorite season. God knows we need variety!

Pre schoolers may, also, have trouble transitioning to new activities and responsibilities. Leaving mom or dad and going off to pre school alone is not easy. They haven’t yet experienced “school” with its structured times and group-time rules. Walking in lines and sitting in circles doesn’t seem as appealing as wondering through the backyard on the way to the sandbox.

Soon the transition into school will be made and the children will be looking forward to seeing their friends, making art projects and playing at the park with their class. Fall will, hopefully, become an exciting time of the year. As the leaves turn to brilliant hues of red, orange and yellow, the days of summer will become nice memories and the children will move on to a new favorite season of the year!

I'M GROWING!

2011-08-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

As we have been playing and relaxing this summer, the plants in the Pre School Garden have been quietly growing. The rain and hot weather have encouraged each seed to become the best it can be. As you see by the photos we have tall zinnias, small (so far) pumpkins, big sunflowers and gigantic corn in the garden. The carrots are shy. Their orange roots are waiting for the children to come back to school and dig them up. They will have to search for the carrot tops which are hiding under the sprawling pumpkin vines. Salvia, cosmos and marigolds are doing their best to impress us with their red, white and yellow but the zinnias take the prize for bold color!

Like the garden, the boys and girls registered for pre school are growing too. They are slowly becoming the best they can be and Salem is excited to be a part of that growth.

FIELD TRIPS FOR ALL

2011-05-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

It has been a cool, rainy start to May this year! All the same, the children at Pre School have had some great experiences on their field trips. The Blue, Purple, Red and Yellow classes went to Silverwood Park in St. Anthony Village for an experience called "Nature Prints." The educators at Silverwood used stories, art, and outdoor exploration to help the children identify animals that live in our area and what their foot prints and body shapes might look like. It is also important to know that other things, such as leaves, sticks and rocks, can leave prints in the mud, on the sidewalk or in the snow!

Our Orange and Green classes spent a morning at Como Park Zoo. They, and some of the parents who accompanied us, took a school bus from Pre School to the zoo. The bus ride is always an exciting part of the field trip. Perhaps the cool weather and the fact that some of the animals were being fed encouraged them to be more active then usual, which was very fun to see. Some of us even saw the sloth moving around in the tree, eating a piece of lettuce! That was very special!!

Officer Kim Boyd from the New Brighton Police Department, visited us at the end of our field trip week. She brought her squad car for us to see and she reminded us of the many ways the police help us everyday! Reviewing some important safety rules for the summer months was also a part of Officer Boyds visit! We're thankful for her willingness to come to our school! Julie Philbrook from HCMC also paid us a visit. Julie emphasized the importance of wearing our bike helmets any time we are on our bikes, no matter what age we are! Arms and legs can be fixed but an injured brain cannot be fix!

Have a great summer!

COMMUNITY HELPERS-FIRE AND BIKE SAFETY

2011-05-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

In May we invite many of our community helpers in to tell us how to play and stay safe this summer. The New Brighton Fire Department sent firefighters Kip and Ed to our school to talk about fire safety. They reminded us NEVER to play with matches, lighters, etc! They also talked about what to do if we are ever in a fire. If our clothes catch fire we STOP, DROP AND ROLL. When there is smoke in the building we crawl out of the building because the smoke goes up to the ceiling. Always have a designated spot outside your home or school where everyone should gather in case of an emergency. If you are stranded in a burning building, ALWAYS GO TO THE FIREMAN when he comes. Ed dressed up in his firefighting gear for us to see. He looked a little scary at first and his breathing was like Darth Vader but when we remembered that he was just a person dressed up to fight fires we knew we didn't need to be afraid of him! Kip and Ed brought their fire truck to school and we saw all the hoses, tanks, axes, lights, etc. and we sat in the firefighters' seats in the truck! Cool!

Julie Philbrook, from Hennipen County Medical Center came to school also. Julie told us how important it is to wear our bike helmets when we are out riding our bikes. Doctors can fix our broken bones and scratches but they cannot fix a broken brain. That is why we must protect our brain! Helmets do the job! Wear yours all the time.

Salem Pre School is also looking forward to Kim Boyd coming to school to talk to us about safety rules to stay safe in our community. Kim is a New Brighton police officer and has talked to us before about strangers, getting lost, crossing streets safely and many other topics! She also brings her police car for us to see.

We are so thankful for all of these people who spend their days taking care of us!

SNOWY EASTER PREPARATIONS

2011-04-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

Today is Easter, the sun is shining and the air is warm!! At long last! As you can see from the photos, our Easter parties were on snowy days. This is as late in the season as Easter can ever be and still it was cold and wintery right up to the last minute. Then WOW! What better way to frame the G00d News that Jesus lives! Isn't it good to know that no matter what spring throws our way, Easter still comes! Hope your Easter was beautiful!

IS IT SPRING YET?

2011-04-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

Today has been feeling much more like spring with temperatures in the 50s! Our talk at school has been about birds and nesting and planting seeds. As soon as the children walked in the door Tuesday and Wednesday they went to work filling cups with soil and planting seeds for Mothers' Day. (The kind of seed is a secret. We aren't telling for now!) Of course, the seeds need water and sun to sprout so we have made an indoor garden of sorts by placing the pots in watering trays and putting them in the sunny windows in room 5-6. We will water them every day, checking to see if the sleeping seeds have begun to grow. Outside our windows we are watching the Pre School Garden. From our windows it appears that the garden is still sleeping, just like our seeds. Then we took a walk outside to examine the garden. Some tulips are coming up! They were planted last fall by our four year old classes. What a great spring surprise! I hope the bunnies don't find them. Shhhhh..... don't tell them.

After we planted our seeds today our hands were dirty and who should come to visit our classes? Evelyn, a Public Health student from Bethel University, came to demonstrate how we should wash our hands so that they really get clean. We need to soap all of the surfaces of our hands including between our fingers and on our fingernails. How long should we suds our hands? Keep washing until you finish singing the "Alphabet Song" or "Happy Birthday!"

This has been a busy week!

VISITORS COME TO PRE SCHOOL

2011-03-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

We love to have visitors come to Pre School to tell us about their jobs and talents. During "tool week" we talked about how tools help make our jobs easier. We invited Charlie Eggert's dad, Jeff, to come and talk to the Orange and Blue Classes about the tools he uses in his dental office. Dr. Eggert first showed us his mask, which he wears over his mouth and nose so that he doesn't share his germs with his patients. He also has a very cool pair of glasses to wear. They have magnifying lenses in them that make it possible for him to see the tiny cracks and spaces in our teeth. Of course he brought a tooth brush which he used to brush his dragon puppet's teeth with gentle circling movements. The tooth brush is a tool we need to use to keep our teeth clean too. Before leaving, Dr. Eggert gave each student a "dental tool bag" which included tooth paste, a timer for brushing, and other nifty items! We are so glad he was able to find time in his schedule to come to school!

There are many kinds of tools and Builder Ed came to Pre School during "tool week" to show all of our students the tools he uses for building and fixing houses. (Builder Ed is Mrs. Shelly's dad who has recently remodeled her house.) Ed brought tools for measuring, tools for drilling, tools for sawing and pounding and tools, like his level, for keeping his work on the straight and narrow! Some of the tools were very noisy so he has to wear special ear protection. We got to try them on too. Builder Ed has a tool bucket which is FULL of all his tools. When he is working he puts the things he is using currently in his tool belt so they are handy for him to use. Before Builder Ed left we all got to squeeze the trigger on his cordless drill and feel it vibrate and see it spin. Thank you for spending time with us Builder Ed!

Tools are really cool!

HO HUM

2011-03-05T10:34:00.000-08:00

Pajama Day was a total success! Did we all lay around taking naps? No way!! But we did wear our pajamas, snuggle with our bedtime friends and eat cereal for snack. Our stories were about " The Napping House." By the end of the story, no one was napping in the Napping House and certainly not at Pre School. We thought you would enjoy seeing some of us in our best sleeping attire!

Valentine's Day/Red Day

2011-02-14T17:37:00.000-08:00

Hey! Look at the fabulous job these three year olds did with the blocks. They used every one of them eventually!

I have made a Valentine

For a little friend of mine

It' red and white and lacy, too!

I opens and says,

I Love You!

We have been cutting, pasting, stamping and eating hearts at Pre School! Sharing Valentine's is so much fun. This has also been a good time to talk about being a good friend and helpful child. You can see in these pictures that we have been working very hard on all of our Valentine projects. We hope you have enjoyed them.

On Monday, February 14 (yes, on Valentine's Day) the Blue and Purple Classes had a special visitor, Jolene Jacobs. Jolene teaches stamping at our church. She brought some of her stamps and equipment to school so the children could make cards for someone special. We want to thank Jolene for all her help with this project!

Hope your Valentine's Day was a good one!

FUN OUTSIDE IN THE WINTER

2011-01-31T18:42:00.000-08:00

It's been a record setting year for snow in the Twin Cities. That hasn't kept us from enjoying the outdoors! Here are a few pictures of the children living it up in the backyard!

HI HO, HI HO IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL WE GO

2011-01-23T17:39:00.000-08:00

We're back in school and it's fun to see our friends again after the Christmas break. There is so much snow in our backyard that we are having a hard time walking around in it. What a silly problem to have! The custodial staff had to snowplow a path for us out to the "emergency tree" and up to the sidewalk on top of the hill. It helps us walk around and it also makes a great sliding path! We learned a little about polar bears earlier this month and it is clear that our January weather is perfect for them!

Right now we are reading some of our favorite nursery rhymes and fairy tales. We have lots of puppets, flannel graph figures, dress up clothes and castles to help us retell our favorite stories.

The Orange and Green Classes are learning fun songs for their program which they will be giving on Thursday, February 17. It takes a lot practice to do a good job. We love repetition!

SANTA VISITS

2010-12-18T14:53:00.000-08:00

Sure enough, he came. With the jingling of sleigh bells from the reindeers' harness, Santa came to visit the children at Salem Pre School. He thanked us for our singing and for being such good girls and boys! Tired from his busy schedule, he sat down and took out a favorite book just for us. It was "The Polar Express"! He likes it because it talks about the sleigh bells and the elves and the boy who got the first gift of Christmas. The boy could have had anything he wanted but guess what he chose, a silver bell from the reindeers' harness! On the trip home the boy lost the bell through a hole in his bathrobe pocket, but Santa found it and gave it back on Christmas Eve. That boy, unlike all the others in his family, could still hear the bell ring when he was grown, as can all who truly believe!

Before he left, Santa gave each of the children a silver bell on a ribbon necklace to remind them of his visit. Many children hugged Santa. A few gave one last reminder of what they were hoping for on Christmas Eve. The Jolly Old Soul had other places to go so he scurried off. We never even saw the reindeer! Maybe next year.

Merry Christmas!

ADVENT

2010-12-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

Advent is a season of waiting and at Pre School, we are waiting, sometimes patiently and sometimes not so patiently. We are waiting for Santa's arrival, the Christmas parties and family gatherings. The four year olds made Advent chains to help them wait. Taking off one ring each day helps them visualize how many days are left until Christmas! As we wait we are busy as elves making Christmas surprises for our parents and decoration for our homes. Glitter is our favorite art material in December. Have you noticed? We love to use bells when we sing many of our Christmas songs like "Jingle Bells," "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," and "Ring, Ring, Ring Your Bells."

During Advent the most important thing we are waiting for is the birth of Jesus. He is the reason for Christmas. In the book, "Santa's Favorite Story," Santa reminds us that Christmas would come without packages. It is God's gift of love, Jesus, that brings Christmas. Songs like "Twinkle, Twinkle Christmas Star," "Mary Had a Little Boy," and "Away in a Manger" help us remember the story. We are thankful for you, Baby Jesus!

HOW TO BAKE A TURKEY

2010-11-28T19:28:00.000-08:00

HOW TO FIX A TURKEY

by the Yellow Class

Cut the turkey with a knife.
Take feathers off.
Chop his face off, pull the feet off.
Take out the bones.
Take guck out of his back.
Rub with oils, ketchup, salt, pepper, chopped up celery
Put tinfoil around it
Put it in a REAL oven. Should be middle hot, about 6 to 100 degrees.
Bake for 3 minutes or 60 or 100 minutes.
It's done when it goes beep, beep.
If it's not done (warm) put it back in for more hours.
Cut it up into little pieces.
Put on a "huge" colorful plate.
Serve with salad, noodles, pizza, meatballs, tomato sauce, or yams.

Hope your Thanksgiving turkey worked out fine. If not, try this recipe for your Christmas dinner!

Johnny Appleseed Prayer

2010-11-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

Several of you have asked for the words to our Pre School prayers. This seems like an appropriate time to post them. Perhaps you can use one at your Thanksgiving meal.

Johnny Appleseed Prayer

Oh, the Lord is good to me,

And so I thank the Lord

For giving me the things I need,

The sun, the rain and the appleseed.

The Lord is good to me!

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

A-B-C

A, B, C, D, E, G

Thank you God for feeding me!

Thank You, Thank You

(tune, "Happy Birthday")

Thank you, thank you dear God.

Thank you for all you have given me.

Thank you, thank you dear God!

God is Great

God is great.

God is good.

Let us thank him for our food!

Amen

Thank you to all of you who came to our Fall Program. I thought the children did a wonderful job. Hope you enjoyed it.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

HALLOWEEN PARTIES

2010-10-29T18:36:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I didn't make it to all of our Halloween parties but the two I did attend were nothing but fun! It always takes a few minutes of standing around staring at the others in the class before the children are ready to start the day. Costumes are a little intimidating sometimes but once we get used to the idea of dressing goofy (even the teachers) we all love it. Each class took a break from playing early in the class session to do a costume parade. We carried our trick-or-treat bags upstairs and marched through the Hermanslie Lounge where many of our church staff were awaiting our parade with treats in their buckets. They dropped surprises, from pencils to Starburt, into our bags and we tried to remember to say "Thank you." Then it was back to our playing followed by Halloween stories, pumpkin carving, games and snack. By the end of the day we were` hot and itchy from our costumes. We do love the excitement of a party though and we are looking forward to putting on our adorable costumes again on Halloween night to entertain our neighbors and friends.

There will be more pictures of our parties in the slideshow at our four year old program on Nov. 11. :)

Signs of Fall

2010-10-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

This month the students at Salem Pre School have been learning about the signs of fall. The apple harvest, which began in late summer, continues into fall. We enjoyed a trip to Aamodt's Apple Farm and we loved the applesauce we made at school as a part of our apple unit.

As we look around our Pre School area we are noticing other signs of fall. The leaves on the trees are changing to beautiful colors are drifting softly to the ground. When we walk through the woods to the park we sometimes find dog stickers and other seeds stuck to our clothing! Picking them off can be time consuming! Our Pre School garden is ready to be harvested. The carrots, which have been in the ground since last May, have become "gianormous" as the kids would say. We'll be eating them for snack and as a part of our Thanksgiving Feast.

Halloween is coming soon and we hope to decorate some of the pumpkins at our parties. I'm sure costume plans are being made in many home these days. Visit our blog again at the end of the month for some examples of these beauties!

HARVEST

2010-09-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

School has begun! This week we have been talking about families and what some of the chores are that mommies, daddies and children do around the house. If we lived on a farm or if your family has a garden, there are many garden chores to do in the fall. This week some of our classes went on a potato and carrot hunt. Using a garden fork we loosened the soil and pulled up potatoes and some really big carrots! Oooh! Ahhh! The pumpkins are looking good too, perfect for Halloween!

PRE SCHOOL GARDEN

2010-07-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

While our staff and students have been at home enjoying their summer vacation our garden has been growing like crazy! The sunflowers are much taller then an adult. The pumpkins vines are EVERYWHERE! Pumpkins are beginning to develope and the zinnias are going nuts. If you look closely at the picture of Kai you can see two carrots that we picked just to see how they are doing. Can't wait for the children to see what they planted last spring!

MAY COMMUNITY HELPERS

2010-05-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

Summer is a busy time for all of us. As we work and play we want to be safe. To remind us of some safety tips, we were visited by several community helpers in May. Officer Kim Boyd (Piper Boyd's mom, Red Class) came from the New Brighton Police Department to talked to us about bike safety, playground safety, and using 911 for emergency calls among other things. Kim showed us all of the equipment she carries on her belt, even her hand cuffs! She reminded us that police officers are our friends and they are here to serve us. After her talk, Officer Boyd showed us her police car. We got to crawl through the back seat. We even saw the lights flash and heard the siren roar. Did you know there are several different sounds the siren can make?

The New Brighton Fire Department also paid us a visit. They, of course, talked to us about fire safety. Firefighters Ed and Andy reminded us to check our smoke detectors and told us never to play with matches! If our clothes catch on fire we must stop, drop and roll. To get out of a burning building always crawl to safety. Then Firefighter Andy put on his pants, boots, jacket, helmet, air tank and mask. He wanted us to see how he looks in a fire and to remind us he is not scary but just a regular guy dress up for a fire. Don't be afraid of the firefighter if you are in a fire. Go to the firefighter! At the end of the visit, we got to see the fire truck!!

Do you always wear your seatbelt in the car? Julie Philbrook from Hennipen County Medical Center reminded us that it is the law! And, it keeps us safe in an accident! Even if we are only going one block, we need to wear our seat belts whether we are children or adults.

One last safety reminder. Always were a life jacket in a boat! They may be bunchy and warm but the keep you safe on the water!

Have a safe summer!

SILVERWOOD PARK

2010-05-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

Silverwood Park hosted our field trip for the Blue, Purple, Red and Yellow classes this month. They did a quality job teaching us about what prints are, what/who can make a print, how to make a print of our own, how to move like an animal in nature (making prints in the mud) and how to love the outdoors! Here are some photos to show you what a great time we had.

Garden and Ocean

2010-04-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

Our garden is beginning to take shape. It takes courage to plant in April but this has been an unusual year. The Blue Class was the first to take the plunge. On a warm April morning they planted carrot and radish seeds in their garden plot. (The rest of us planted indoors in peat pots.) They have been very faithful about watering their seeds. Six children are given the task each day they are in session. They are hoping the radishes will be grown by the time school ends!

Our other classes have now begun to plant their small plants outside. One class is growing sunflowers, which are growing super fast! Another class is growing zinnias. Another cosmos. The three year olds (okay, some have turned 4) are planting pumpkins which they can harvest in the fall.

This week we are learning about (Can you guess by the photos?) the ocean! We are all familiar with Nemo but there are many more "cool" things in the sea. However, we haven't seen any mermaids yet!

Owl Baby

2010-04-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

Check this out! Tessie Rodkewich emailed me these pictures of a young owl that they found stranded in one of the tunnels at Driftwood Park on Thursday. The baby was frightened and the mom was concerned. The Raptor Center from the U of M came to the rescue. They placed it in a tree where Mom could take over!

MINNESOTA TWINS DAY

2010-04-11T17:22:00.000-07:00

A you all know, last week was our Minnesota week at Pre School and one of the days was designated as Minnesota Twins Day! It couldn't have been more exciting with the opening of the new Target Field and all the talk about the opening of the Twins season in the new stadium! We had a great response from everyone and the twins/red, white and blue day was really fun. Here are some pictures we thought you would enjoy!

OUTER SPACE WEEK

2010-03-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

As you can see by these pictures, Pre School had a fun week learning about space. We learned about astronauts and how they lived in space. "Gravity" is a new word we talked about at school. It's what holds us down on the Earth. In space and on the moon there is no or very little gravity so everything floats! During space week everyone had a chance to make their own rockets out of many different types of materials and we had "space food" for snack (dehydrated foods.) It was out of this world!

PAJAMA DAY

2010-03-01T17:38:00.000-08:00

Once again, Pajama Day was a success. Let me assure you, there is no napping on this particular day! We did read stories about naps and we decorated cut outs of pajamas. Our snack consisted of cereal and milk. To tell the truth, we did lay around with our blankies and bed time buddies but there was NO NAPPING ALOUD! It was a really fun day and we thought we would share a few pictures with you!

Wonder and Mystery

2010-02-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

SALEM PRE SCHOOL NEWS

March is the in-between month. It’s can be very wintery or rather springy. It is also the month of our spring break, March 15 - 19. Our goal this month is to find some exciting topics to learn about. Dinosaurs are certainly exciting! Big (at least many of them,) and mysterious, these guys really get our imaginations going. If there really were no people alive when the dinosaurs were on Earth, how do we learn about them. That, too, is a mystery.

Air and space travel is our second unit for the month of March. It is another frontier with many unanswered questions. That qualifies it for being both mysterious and exciting. Sorting out fact from fiction (sci-fi) is sometimes hard. Are there really aliens out there?

Last, but certainly not least, we will celebrate Easter! Again, wonder and mystery are a part of the story! The assurance that Jesus loves us so much that he was willing to die for us, and then, amazing as it seems, he rose from the dead and went to live with God in heaven, where he is waiting to welcome us some day, is almost too hard to imagine!! Children love to hear the story and are more accepting of the wonder than many adults.

March is considered by many to be a very boring time of year. At Pre School it is going to be very mysterious and exciting!

2010-02-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

With Valentine's Day almost here, we at Pre School needed to know how the postal system worked (just in case we wanted to mail a Valentine!) The teachers covered the basics, like put your Grandma's name and address on the outside of the envelope, put the stamp in the upper right hand corner of the envelope and don't forget to put your Valentine inside the envelope. Then, to get the full lowdown, we had postal worker, Karol Johnson, come to our classes to explain how our Valentines actually get from the big blue mailboxes, through the post office, to the mail carrier and finally, to Grandma and Grandpa's house! Karol also had some safety tips to share. She wore a real mail person's uniform so we could learn how to identify a postal worker. We were reminded that only postal workers can put anything in our mail boxes. It was also suggested that we keep our dogs in the house or on a short leash during the expected delivery time so the mail person doesn't need to worry about our pets.

We want to thank Karol for visiting our classes to teach us about the US Post Office. Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!

2010-01-12T10:41:00.000-08:00

SALEM PRE SCHOOL NEWS

February is a busy month at Pre School! On Thursday, February 4, our three year olds in the Orange and Green classes give a program for their family and friends! It begins at 7:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall (parents, have your children in the church nursery by 6:45.) The musical talents of the children will shine that night. We will sing some favorite songs, play our instruments and share some very silly finger plays. You won’t want to miss it!

Of course, February is Valentine’s month! At our parties we will share Valentines with our friends and we will make some really cute ones for the people we love. Since we will be mailing some of our Valentines, we need to know how our mail gets from our houses to Grandma’s and Grandpa’s house. Karol Johnson will be paying us visit to explain how the postal system works. She’s been here before and she brings a lot of postal “stuff” for us to look at.

This is also the time of year when we learn a bit about our country, its presidents and our flag. We want to learn to be good citizens! Parent - Teacher Conference will be held the last week of the month and the grand finale will be PAJAMA DAY on February 25 and 26. We love Pajama Day and it’s not because love naps! Everyone wears their pajamas to school!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2009-12-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas season we had at Pre School. The snowstorm in early December threatened to slow us down but we got past that safely. Our main emphasis this month was the story of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. Children can relate to the smells, sights and wonder of the stable where Jesus was born. The Heavenly Host of angels that appeared to the shepherds and the star that shone down on the stable are easy for them to imagine. What a blessing God chose such a familiar setting to introduce his love to mankind! After hearing the story our classes acted out the story for themselves and their friends.

Of course, on party day, Santa came to read us a story, "The Night Before Christmas," and give us a bell necklace and a hug (if we wanted one .) He said the bell was from the reindeers' harness and that made them special!

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

The Pre School Staff

THANKS FOR THANKSGIVING

2009-11-28T14:43:00.000-08:00

Wow! A whole month has flown by and I haven't had time to blog about what's going on at Pre School. I hope your month of November was a good one. One of the big events of the month was the Fall Program put on by the Blue, Purple, Red and Yellow classes. The children did a marvelous job singing and dancing! Thank you all for joining us and making our evening so special. I intended to take a few pictures to post for you but, one, you parents seemed to be taking a ton of pictures yourselves and, two, it takes a lot of concentration for me to run the music and the slideshow :)

Our second big event in November was the Thanksgiving Feast that we had a school. Each child made his or her own pizza for the lunch we ate together. The teachers added apple slices, milk and a Rice Krispie bar. The four year old classes came to the feast as pilgrim men and women and the three year olds came as turkeys, as you can see by the photos. (Although our pilgrims and turkeys look very serious in the pictures, we did have a good time eating together.)By the end of the day the teachers were busy making the transition to Christmas. There is never a dull moment at school.

Are you are needing a fun project to do with your children during the Christmas season? Making play dough together can be lots of fun. Using cookie cutters to make Christmas shapes and letting them dry for a few days (or putting them in a slow oven for an hour or two) can be the start of some cute ornaments. They can be painted, colored with markers or left plain. When making the dough you can add food coloring of choice, glitter or a fragrance such as peppermint or almond. Here is the recipe if this sounds like a project for your household.

Mix together: 3 cups of flour

1 1/2 cups salt

3 tablespoons powdered alum

Add 3 T. oil and food coloring, if desired, to 2 1/4 c. BOILING water. Pour water mixture over dry mixture and mix quickly. Use rubber gloves so you can knead the dough while hot; knead quickly and thoroughly. Store in a plastic baggie once the dough is cooled to room temperature.

Have fun!

Before I go, I want to encourage all of you to consider donating a "Birthday Bag" for the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf between now and December 12. Just fill a shopping bag with the fixings for a birthday party; napkins, plates, cups, small favors, a little candy, cake mix, frosting, candles, etc., whatever would make a child's party fun. On the outside of the bag write the age and sex that the party items would be most appropriate for, for example, "Four year old girl." Drop the bag off at school. We will see that it gets to Ralph Reeder Food Shelf. The bags will be distributed in the coming months to children who would not otherwise be able to have a birthday party. Thanks for your help with this project!

IT WAS A HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-11-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

Our Halloween parties were a great success! The costumes you people put together were fantastic! Our costume parade took us upstairs to visit the church staff and they had treats for all of us. Some of you brought us treats also and for that we say, "Thanks!" It all added to the festivities. Each class carved a pumpkin during the party. Some were scary, some happy and some just plain cute. We hope you all had a great Halloween. Thought I would share some pictures of the kids!

Fall Fun

2009-10-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

We have had a very busy fall at Pre School! Our fall program for the Blue, Purple, Yellow and Red classes is coming up on November 12 at 7:00 pm. We have been taking pictures of our activities which you will see at our program. Every day we practice our songs and dances so we will do our best!

The four year olds had a wonderful day at Aamodt's Apple Orchard. It was one of the few sunny days in October. The children enjoyed a ride out to the orchard to pick an apple, a tour through the apple barn and a trip through the hay maze. The bus ride was also lots of fun!

Once we were done learning about apples we had a visit from Clifford the Big Red Dog. You can see him in one of the pictures on this blog. We fingerpainted with red and made darling Clifford headbands!

Halloween is our main focus now! Spiders are the theme for the week. Stories, art work and games revolve around them. They might seem creepy at times but we are learning that they are really our friends! (They eat bugs!)

Have a safe Halloween!

Making Friends at School

2009-08-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

Courtney's wedding was beautiful! She was tall and slender, dressed in white with a gorgeous bouquet of summer flowers. Her maid of honor and bridesmaids were all smiles as she came down the isle. They, too, were looking their best and obviously were great friends of Courtney' s. I didn't know all of the girls in the wedding party. Actually, I only knew two, the maid of honor and one of the bridesmaids. But the story of these three girls is very special to me. The girls met in our three year old pre school class many years ago. They didn't live very close to each other but they became good friends as the year went along. Consequently, the moms got to know each other too. Sometimes these relationships fall apart after pre school but that was not the case here. The girls kept in touch and by middle school they were finally in the same building. Their friendship blossomed once again and it has been going ever since! Alas, there they were, together in Courtney's wedding!

The summer is behind us and we are beginning a new school year. We will be working on letters and number, how to stand in line quietly and how to share. More importantly, we will be learning how to be good friends with the other children in our class and in our community. It is our hope that this year will be the start of some long lasting relationships for the children in this year's classes. Friendship is one of the most valuable gifts God offers us. We want to teach our students to share that gift of friendship.

Ribbon Cuttomg

2009-07-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

We have a new park to go to! New Brighton Park and Recreation has installed new play equipment at Driftwood Park, the playground area we use on a regular basis at Pre School. The "Ribbon Cutting Ceremony" was on July 6th and our school was among the guests invited to be a part of the ceremony! We are grateful for the opportunity to use this wonderful facility!

FIRE SAFETY

2009-05-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

School is almost over but before it ends we wanted to invite the New Brighton Fire Department to come to our school. Fire safety is very important no matter what your age. The firefighters emphasized several rules which the children were to share with their families. First, have a working smoke detector in your home. Make it buzz so everyone recognizes the sound it makes. Second, choose a meeting place outside your home where the whole family will meet if there is a fire. Third, in a fire, crawl below the smoke to get out. Fourth, always go to the firefighter if you need help getting out. Never hide. Fifth, if your clothes catch on fire, stop, drop and roll!

After we talked about the important rules, the firefighters showed us the special clothes they wear to fight a fire. Their boots and their pants are hung up together so they can step into them quickly. They wear a heavy coat that protects them from the flames. It has lots of reflective tape on it so they can see each other in the smokey air. Their helmet protects their head from falling objects and they can carry their own oxygen and oxygen mask to help them breath in a smokey fire. They look a little scary in their gear but we know that they are our friends and they want to help us.

Their fire trucks are full of very special equipment to help in emergencies. There are many hoses, ladders, axes, picks, oxygen tanks and lots of lights and sirens. The firefighters invited us to climb into the truck and see where they sit when they ride to the fire.

We are very lucky to have such great firefighter keeping us safe all year long!

THANK YOU NEW BRIGHTON FIREFIGHTERS!

Have a safe summer everyone. See you in the fall!

Como Park Zoo

2009-05-10T19:33:00.000-07:00

There's not much that is more exciting than a ride on a big orange school bus! And that is exactly what the Green and Orange Classes got to ride on to get to the Como Park Zoo on Wednesday, May 6. The children packed up their moms, dads, grandpas, grandmas and teachers and headed to the zoo to see what they could see. Como offers everything from azaleas to zebras and if the kids could keep the adults moving fast enough they had a chance of seeing something for every letter of the alphabet. The rain forest had a sleepy sloth. The monkey house had several babies. The giraffes and zebras just had a bad smell (but they are so beautiful.) Although the flamingos weren't out yet, the old tortoise was out in that area. I'm pretty sure that is the same tortoise I remember as a kid. I wonder how old he is?

To keep everyone happy, each child got a snack bag with juice and a treat to eat. This gave the adults a chance to rest while the children enjoyed their goodies.

The weather was perfect for our trip which helped make this a great day at the zoo!

Raptor Center

2009-05-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, May 5, the Blue, Purple, Red and Yellow Classes had the privilege of meeting Joanne Peterson, Cinnamon, Samantha and Jamaica from the U of M Raptor Center. The Raptor Center is a hospital for raptors and the goal is to treat the birds that are brought into the center and release them when they are healthy again. However, this isn't always possible for various reasons. The raptors that are permanently kept at the center have become "teachers" of sorts when people like Joanne bring them to schools to teach children and adults about the special characteristics of the raptors. In our program we first met Cinnamon the Paragon Falcon. She is small but very fast! Then we learned about owls. Cash got dressed up like an owl so we could remember that owls have big eyes to see at night, very sensitive ears to hear their food, and large talons to catch their food. Samantha the owl came out to meet us once we were knowledgeable about these things! She was beautiful! We even learned what an owl pellet is. When the owl throws up a pellet (the indigestible food it eats) we can examine it and learn about what the owl is eating. Finally, we met Jamaica, a gorgeous hawk. Hawks are seen all around us, on light poles, in trees, on fences. They are busy looking for mice, moles, baby animals, etc. for their dinners. They have large talons and sharp, hooked beaks to help them catch and eat their food.

Joanne was a wonderful teacher who kept us interested and entertained for the entire program! The public is welcome to visit the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus to learn more!

COMMUNITY HELPERS

2009-05-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

In the month of May our pre schoolers will meet several of our local community helpers. The first to visit us was Nancy Olin, the Salem parish nurse. Nancy met many of you parents at our Parent Orientation meetings in the fall. I continue to be amazed by Nancy and her ability to work with every age group in our church. Last week we invited her to Pre School to talk to the children about hand washing. As you probably know, young children often swish their hands under cold water, wipe them on their pants and figure they have washed their hands. We're hoping for more then that if we want to keep our families healthy. Nancy demonstrated how to wet your hands, lather the soap on all surfaces of your hands, including the fingernails (while singing "Happy Birthday"), rinsing them thoroughly, drying them and turning the water off with the towel, in case there are germs on the faucet (especially if you are not at home.) We all had a chance to name circumstances when we need to wash our hands. Any good answer deserved applause! Then we "pretended to wash" as we sang "Happy Birthday" together. Good hand washing habits can be fun!

EASTER STORY

2009-04-01T18:12:00.000-07:00

What is the real reason we celebrate Easter? Is it the arrival of spring? Spring is wonderful and in a year such as this, when it snows on April 1st (no joke) and the Red River is flooding the entire northeast corner of Minnesota, we certainly want to celebrate Spring! But Jesus is the reason we celebrate Easter! God loves all of us so much that he was willing to sacrifice his son, Jesus, for our sins. But that is not the end of the story. On Easter Sunday God raised Jesus from the dead. He conquered death. Jesus' friends were so excited to see him as he walked among them for a short time. Then God took Jesus to live with him in heaven where he is preparing a place for us when we are done living our lives here on earth.

What a wonderful story this is! It is so full of hope for all of us. To tell this important story we invited Salem's senior pastor, Rev. Mark Patti, to join us. Pastor Mark is an extraordinary story teller who was able to tell the Easter Story to the children in a way that they could understand and in a style that kept them interested . As the children met the participants in the story they heard about how angry some of the people in the crowd were, how scared some of the disciples were and how sad Mary was. Then Pastor Mark reminded us that the Easter Story shows us that God is more powerful then anything. Whenever we are afraid or sad we can remember that God is able to help us because he is the most powerful!

Alleluia! Have a blessed Easter!

ED THE BUILDER

2009-03-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

Spring break is over. We hope you had a fun week with your children? We know some of you were able to travel a bit, whether it be to Grandma's and Grandpa's or a vacation destination, and some of you chose to relax at home. Or maybe the "relaxing" starts this week when the kids are back at school. We teachers do know that the children are glad to be back. They are so chatty and excited tell us all about what they have been doing! So, welcome back!

Just before break, we had a special visitor, Ed the Builder, otherwise known as Ed Griffin, Mrs. Shelly's dad. Ed brought lots of his tools, both hand and electric, to school so we could see how they worked. He also told us how important it is to build things straight and level, showing us how we can check to be sure we are doing just that. Before leaving Ed the Builder, each child got to squeeze the power drill and make it go. Cool!! Back in our rooms there were hammers, nails, blocks, and work benches to keep us busy.

We are thankful for Ed and all other volunteers who are willing to use their time teaching young children about their hobbies and jobs!

EASTER

2009-03-11T18:04:00.000-07:00

Easter is such a hopeful time of year! The world around us is coming back to life after a long winter's rest. If we are attentive, we can see the first tiny signs in the grass, the pond, the trees and the sky. These occurrences in spring can set the stage for the most miraculous new life story of all, the Easter story. Pastor Pattie will be our guest storyteller on April 1st and 2nd as we hear of how Jesus died for our sins, rose again and was taken to heaven where he will prepare a place for us. Our Easter parties, on April 7th and 8th will include a little fun. In addition to dying eggs and making baskets, we are hoping the Easter Bunny will make a stop at our school to give the children an Easter surprise to take home!

The second half of April will take us outside a bit more and we are hoping for good weather. We will be planting marigold seeds, sharing stories about our pets, and learning about and observing the pond and the birds. We are not the only ones busy in spring. All God's creatures are busy too!

PAJAMA DAY

2009-03-02T16:58:00.000-08:00

Pajama Day at Pre School was anything but a sleeper! We played lots of fun games, read stories like "The Princess and the Pea," and had milk and cereal for snack. We thought you might enjoy these pictures.

MOVING INTO MARCH

2009-02-16T14:46:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, March! Finally we have a month without a holiday or big event. We love parties at Pre School but they aren't special if you have them all the time. This month we will have plenty of time to talk about land and water transportation, tools, and big wheels (big trucks as opposed to bikes). On the 16th through the 20th we will be on vacation. Although we will be lonesome for each other, and ask Mommy and Daddy every day, "Is it school today?" we will be excited to share our vacation stories with the class when we come back to school. At the end of the month we will learn about weather. The seasons will be changing by that time. The new growth and spring rains will open the door for our talks about "new life" as it relates to nature and Easter!!

Hope you enjoy these Valentine's Day pictures!

A BUSY FEBRUARY

2009-02-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

So much has happened at Pre School since the last time I posted news! The Orange and Green Classes worked hard all month learning their songs, finger plays and musical activities for the evening program on February 5th. They did a GREAT job!! We hope you parents enjoyed it, too.

Last week all of the classes learned about the post office and the responsibilities of the postal workers who deliver our mail to our houses and places of business. Karol Johnson, a former teacher at Salem, came to school and told us all about this very important community helper. She brought the official uniform (for each season even) and the authentic mail bag and boots. Some important advice she shared with us was, first, stay back from the curb when the mail truck is coming. The postal carrier loves to wave at you but he doesn't want to bump you with his truck. Also, please keep your dog on a leash when the postal worker arrives, for the safety of the dog and the postal worker. At the conclusion of the week, we all mailed ourselves a letter! Thank you, Karol, for visiting our classes!

Parent - Teacher Conferences are coming up quickly. They will be Monday, Feb. 23 (Blue and Purple Classes), Tuesday, Feb. 24 (Red and Yellow Classes), and Wednesday, Feb. 25 (Green and Orange Classes). Please sign up for a time this week. The sign - up sheets will be posted in the hallway near the classroom doors.

Finally, the most exciting day of the year is coming up .... PAJAMA DAY, February 26 and 27. It has been rumored that some children have been looking forward to this day since school began. Stories have been handed down from older brothers and sisters and the stories are true. You can wear you pajamas to school on Pajama Day! (The teachers will too.) Your favorite nighttime pal or blanket can come too. It's a really fun day! No napping allowed!

FEBRUARY FUN

2009-01-11T17:58:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite February songs at Pre School is:

Love, love, love,

That's what it's all about

God loves us, we love each other

Mother, father, sister, brother.

Everybody sing and SHOUT!

'Cause that's what it's all about.

It's about love, love, love!

In February we talk about love; love of family, friends, God, our country, and our world. That's a lot of love! We will share ideas about how we can show love and recognize it in our lives. We will also learn about the Post Office and postal workers. After all, they do deliver many of our love-ly Valentines!

Also in February: Our Orange and Green Classes will be presenting a Winter Program on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7:00 pm. Songs, finger plays and music activities will be included in the program. Family and friends are invited to join us in the church Fellowship Hall. (Children in the program should be in the church nursery on the first floor of the church by 6:45 pm. Follow the signs in the narthex to locate the nursery.)

Santa Came

2008-12-22T20:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, Santa came to Pre School. Wow!

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN JANUARY

2008-12-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

We will be back at school after a fun Christmas season on Jan. 5, 2009, and we will be full of energy. January is the perfect time to play in the snow. We will learn about polar bears and other animals that love the snow as much as we do! We are hoping to get outside and do some sledding in the back yard at church. Look for our footprints!

The biggest event in January is or REGISTRATION our 1009-2010 classes!! Salem members, current students and alumni can register on THURS., JAN. 22 from 9:00-10:30 in the church gym. New families are invited to our OPEN HOUSE on SAT., JAN. 24, from 10:00 until noon, in our classroom area. Registration information can be seen on the church website, www.salemcov.org, on the Pre School link. Spread the word to family and friends!

Busy November

2008-11-05T17:46:00.000-08:00

November is a busy month at Pre School. The first week of November we will learn about our wonderful state of Minnesota. We are thankful for summer memories of the days at the beach and cheering for the Minnesota Twins. As we watch the ducks and loons (Minnesota's state bird) fly south for the winter, we look forward to sledding, skating and other Minnesota winter pass times.

Week two focuses on music as a theme: loud and soft, fast and slow, high and low, rhythm and rhyme. We'll move to the beat! It is only fitting that this will be the week of our Fall Program. The students in our Blue, Purple, Red and Yellow Classes (4-5 year olds) will present a musical program Thursday, November 13, at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Family and friends are invited to join us for the program and refreshments to follow.

November closes with Thanksgiving. As we look back at our beginnings and the road our country has taken, we are thankful for our families, our homes, good food, the right to vote for our leaders, and the freedom to respectfully disagree. We are especially thankful for the right to worship God as we please, for He is the source of all our blessings. The children will celebrate by sharing in our annual Thanksgiving Feast of individual pizzas, milk, and pumpkin bars. So much for turkey!

Halloween Parties

2008-11-02T17:43:00.000-08:00

We hope your Halloween was fun and safe! The weather was perfect for being outside. Our Halloween parties at Pre School were excellent. The pumpkins didn't rot before we carved them. Some years they have! The children were so cute in their costumes. Thanks for all the effort you put into dressing them up. We also appreciate the treats many of you shared with us!

Our next big event is the Fall Program that the Blue, Purple, Red and Yellow classes are presenting on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7:00 pm. Is there anything better then watching 4 year olds sing and dance? We will also include a slideshow of these children in their fall activities, at the apple orchard and at their Halloween parties. Friends and family are welcome.

Please have the children in their classrooms by 6:45 pm. The program will be upstairs in our Fellowship Hall. See you then.

OCTOBER UPDATE

2008-10-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

October is flying by! Our apple unit went very well. The applesauce we made was delicious and our cut up apples with carmel drizzled over the top was just the best! I'm getting hungry thinking about it. Have you been cooking with apples lately? Our trips to Aamodt's Apple Orchard were lots of fun. The Red and Yellow Classes had a cold and rainy day. However, they got to taste several types of apples in the apple barn, they chose an apple to take home from the big apple bins and they got a free apple donut! The Blue and Purple Classes had a beautiful, sunny day to visit. They did not get a donut, but, they got to ride on a hay wagon to pick their own apple off an apple tree. (As a bonus, they tasted the grapes being grown at the orchard.) Both groups had a tour of the apple barn, walk-in refrigerator and honey bee display. The bus ride was also fun!

Halloween is just around the corner and our rooms are glowing with orange colored decoration! Every day we teachers hear much talk about which costumes each child will be wearing on Halloween. We will be having our parties on Thursday, Oct. 30 and Friday, Oct. 31. Please send your children in costume (no weapons, nothing too hot) so we can see these cute outfits we are hearing about! We have a costume parade planned as well as special games, stories and snacks!

In the midst of all our "Halloweening" the 4 year olds are practicing for their up coming Fall Program, which will be on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7:00 pm. Be sure to put it on your calendar. You won't want to miss this!

KEEPING CHILDREN HEALTHY AND SAFE

2008-09-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

We want to thank the parents who stayed for the Parent Orientation sessions at Pre School last week. We hope they were helpful. Getting off to a successful start is our goal. If you have further questions, call Pam Carlson, 651-439-3490, or ask your teachers.

The Orange Class began their week learning about fire drills. The children walked in a line out to the "emergency tree". They put one hand on the tree while the teachers counted to see that all of the children were accounted for. They did a great job! Their reward was some playtime at the park!

Nancy Olen, our Parish Nurse, spoke at Parent Orientation about keeping our children healthy and how to tell when it is wise to keep our children home from school because of illness. For the benefit

of those who were unable to come, I am including her helpful handout.

We appreciate Nancy's help in keeping our children healthy.

If you would like copies of Nancy's handout, please ask you teacher. We will see that you receive one!

Getting Ready For A New Year At School

2008-08-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

On one of the only rainy days in August, our staff met to start getting everything ready for the beginning of school. We're very excited to meet our new students and to catch up with our returning families. We hope you have received your letters scheduling your "Get Acquainted Conference". If you have not, give us a call, 651-633-0158. Also, please be prepared to hand in your Medical Form and your Immunization Form at the beginning of the school year.

See you soon!