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!
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!
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! |
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!
