SPRING…..WE HOPE

PRESCHOOL SUMMER SESSION

Let us help you get your kids outdoors this summer!  Salem Preschool is starting something new!  We are expanding our program, offering a six  week session held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, 9:00-11:30 a.m., from June 10 through July 17.  Our goal is to keep kids learning through the summer and get them outside having fun together.  God has created a wonderful world out there.  We want to introduce children to it!  Camping, gardening, science, sports and more will be part of our curriculum.  Children 3-4-5 year olds are welcome.  (Three year old must have turned 3 by 9-1-13.)  There is still room available.  To register, email Pam Carlson at pam@salemcovpreschool.com .  The cost is $240 for the session.  There is a 5% discount for families with two or more children enrolled.

We are planning ahead for a great 2014-2015 school year beginning in September.  As our staff works on our curriculum we are watching our preschool garden grow.  Thanks to our SUMMER SESSION students who water and weed through the summer we will have veggies and flowers to share with the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf and Salem in summer and fall.  Come out in the backyard or look out the lounge windows to see how the garden is coming along.  

In addition to the garden. we are adding a “Little Free Library”  near our preschool sign on the east end of the church.  The “Little Free Library” looks like a little house filled with books.  The front window opens so the books can be borrowed and kept, borrowed and returned or the collection can be added to by Preschool or, perhaps, you.  The “Little Free Library” was built by CAL PETERSON!  We are so thankful for his willingness to take this project on for us!!

We currently have a few openings for three and four year olds in our fall classes.  Details can be read on our web site, www.salemcovpreschool.com.  We would be excited to have you join us in the fall!

APRIL SHOWERS

April showers bring May flowers!  We are prepared to face spring!  The seeds for our garden have been planted and we will continue to nurture them until we can plant them outside in our Preschool Garden.  Our classrooms will be filled with green shoots growing in sunny window spaces.  This is the perfect time to learn about other green spaces in our world such as the rainforest.  These valuable forests are important to the health of the earth.  We will learn who/what lives there and how we can help protect such a special environment.

Easter will be here before we know it.  There is no more important news for us to hear then the story of God’s love for us and his promise that we will be with him in Heaven some day! Pastor Mark will visit our classes to tell this wonderful story!

At the end of April we will look at two other unique environments in our world, the desert and the seashore.  Minnesota does not have either of these special places.  How are they different from our lakes, farms and forests?  We’ll explore them through books, videos and artifacts!

Did I mention we will have a special guest this month?  The dentist will be stopping by to teach us how to care for our teeth.  Thank you Dr. Jeff Eggert, father of Grant Eggert in the Blue Class, for visiting our school!

Looking for summer activities for your preschooler?

Salem Preschool Summer Session

Check us out at

www.salemcovpreschool.com

MARCHING INTO SPRING

SALEM PRESCHOOL NEWS

MARCH 2014

Another month has gone by and we are March-ing toward warmer weather (we hope) and thinking spring.  Our first week of March will be focused on Minnesota, our state, and the Minnesota Twins.  Now that sounds like spring doesn’t it?  Then we move on to air and space transportation, spring break (now that’s springy), the farm, planting, and the rainforest.  We are being very optimistic!  But that is not all!

We are taking on a new adventure this summer at Salem Preschool!  We want you to be a part of it.  Here are the details!

SALEM PRESCHOOL 

SUMMER PROGRAM

June 10-July 18          Tues., Wed., Thurs.           9:00-11:30 a.m.

3-4-5 year olds welcome (must be 3 before 9-1-2013)

Cost: $240

Register on line February 25 through May 2, www.carlsondakota@yahoo.com.  A place will be saved for your child when the email is received but will not be permanent until your downpayment  of $40 is received by mail or in our mail/lock box near the Preschool classrooms.  The balance of $200 must be paid by May 2.  Class size minimum is 22 and the maximum is 30.

CAMPING,SPORTS, SCIENCE, GARDENING AND MORE!

COME AND JOIN US!

FEBRUARY NEWS

SALEM PRESCHOOL NEWS

February is one of our favorite months.  Valentine’s Day and President’s Day give us many opportunities to talk about how we can show love and respect to our families and to others in our classroom and in our community.  Love is more than hugs and kisses, although we certainly never turn them down!  By helping at home, cleaning up the park, and sharing our toys we are showing love.  We show love for our country by honoring our flag, voting in elections, and doing our part to care for people in our neighborhoods.  There is much to learn and do!

February brings with it some special events.  Valentine’s Day will be celebrated on February 13th and 14th.  The Orange and Green Classes will be presenting an evening program on Thursday, February 20 at 7:00 p.m.  They will sing and dance to show parents and friends some of their favorite musical pieces so far this year.  Nothing is cuter than a three year old performance!

February ends with our Parent-Teacher Conferences on February 24th-26th and Pajama Day on the 27th and  28th.  Everyone loves Pajama Day !!  We come in our jammies.  No fair combing out that bed head look.  We are casual on Pajama Day.

Registration for 2014-2015 classes has  begun.  If you are interested in registering or learning more about Salem Preschool go to www.salemcovpreschool.com, visit us on face book, or email Pam at carlsondakota@yahoo.com.

“The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas”

by Madeleine L’Engle

 I want to suggest reading a marvelous short story by Madeleine L’Engle, an award winning author.  It is a Christmas story to share with the family as you approach Christmas Day.

The Austin family lived in a time before computers, cell phones, and TVs.  Father was a doctor.  Mother stayed home caring for John, Vickie and Susan.  During advent the family planned a special activity for each day before Christmas.  It was a busy time.  Vickie was looking forward to being the angel in the Christmas pageant!  Mother was expecting a baby in early January and Vickie was concerned that the baby would come early and Mother wouldn’t be home for Christmas or the pageant!  When a huge snow storm arrived on Christmas Eve the pageant was cancelled, much to Vickie’s disappointment, but a wonderful surprise happened that filled Vickie’s heart with love!  Can you guess what it was? 

This is a story of Christian faith, family values and God’s love.  I hope you enjoy the book!

HALLOWEEN SPIDERS

This year our Halloween focus is on spiders.  Some people view spiders as spooky creatures that lurk in corners waiting for a chance to crawl up someone's leg.   Because of that reputation they make great Halloween characters.  Actually, most of them are very helpful.  They trap and eat many of the insects that are so annoying to us humans, mosquitos, gnats, flies, etc.  Spiders have eight legs and two body parts.  Some have as many as eight eyes!

 Try making this cute spider for a Halloween decoration.  Draw a spider web in the corner of a paper.  Paint your child's hand, except for the thumb, with black, washable tempra paint.  Print  a hand print on the paper, fingers facing left.  Repaint the hand and print a second time placing the palm on top of the original palm print with the four finger facing right this time.  Red pom-

poms make great eyes for your spider!  When dry, hang it on your refrigerator.  

Happy Halloween!

NOVEMBER NEWS

In Minnesota, when November arrives, we start “nesting.”  We gather our harvest of veggies and  freeze them, can them or store them in our basements.  Knitters knit warm hats.  Quilters quilt blankets.  Handymen fix drafty windows and doors.  At school we read books about hibernation and snowmen.  But, hey, this is Minnesota so we celebrate it all!

November begins with a bang  for Preschool.  Dinosaurs will be researched by our children with the help of Maija Sedzielarz from the Science Museum of Minnesota.  Maija will bring us dinosaur artifacts to see and touch; bones, eggs, foot prints and more!  It’s a great way to learn.

We’ll finish the month focusing on food, harvest and Thanksgiving.  Although the Pilgrims’ lifestyle was very different from ours we have many things in common with them.  As Christians we thank God for his constant presence in our lives.  Our families, friends, food, and comforts of home are gifts from God that we are thankful for.   When we face difficult times in our lives we know God has not abandon us but that he is carrying us through our trials to a better day.  Giving thanks is something can we learn at an early age and practice all our lives!