At Work

THANK YOU!!

Thank you one and all for being part of the St. Stephen’s Preschool community this year! We look forward to seeing many of you in a week for camp, but we couldn’t let this day pass without a big hug and a big thank you. Happy Summer!

St. Stephen's Summer Camp

Calling all Campers! Camp begins Monday, June 4 at 9:00. No carpool for camp. See you then, let's have fun!!!

Summer Supplies Drive for Peter Paul Development Center (PPDC) May 10th -24th

This summer, PPDC will host 60 children aged 2^nd grade through 7^th grade for summer camp. PPDC is within a one-mile radius of the city’s four largest public housing projects where the average income in these four communities is less than $8,000 per year. The children will have the opportunity to swim at Roslyn and St. Catherine’s for several weeks and are greatly in need of the following:

- new or like-new goggles

- sunscreen spf 15 or 30

- new or like-new water bottles

Bins will be located in the main hallway of St. Stephen’s Preschool, or send in items during carpool. Also
appreciated: lotion for post swimming (any size including hotel-size), new or like-new flip flops, sunglasses, beach towels, and visors.

Our Condolences

Our sympathy is with Leslie Bien and her entire family as they deal with the death of her father, Dr. Manuel Mendez on May 12, 2012.

END OF THE YEAR PROGRAM - MAY 24

The end of the year program for the Red, Green, Blue and Yellow rooms will be Thursday, May 24^th at 10 a.m.  You won’t want to miss seeing your child sing and please join us for an end of the year reception that will follow. Hope to see you then.

Videographer Needed

Amateur videographers needed now!  If you could help produce a video of the St. Stephen’s program, please let me know.  I am working with Dale Edmondson to create a video highlighting choice as a tool for early childhood programs and need help!

Health Alert

We have had a diagnosed case of Fifths Disease in the preschool. According to KidsHealth.org, "Fifth Disease, which is especially common in kids between the ages of 5 and 15, usually produces a distinctive red rash on the face that makes a child appear to have a "slapped cheek." The rash then spreads to the trunk, arms, and legs. Fifth disease is actually just a viral illness that most kids recover from quickly and without complications."

Because of the danger of this virus for pregnant women, we want to be especially careful not to bring children with these symptoms to school.

SSP 10K Team Raises over $2,500 for St. Andrews

The SSP Monument Avenue 10K team raised $2,520.71 for the children and families at St. Andrew's School, a tuition-free elementary school for 95 low-income students.  This was our third year running for St. Andrew's and this year we had more runners and raised more money than ever before.  Thank you to all our runners and those that supported them.

Perhaps, the most inspiring part of this story is that the Sportsbackers sponsored 20 St. Andrew's kids to race in the one mile children's run the morning of the 10K.  Their parents came out and cheered them on, and a few even ran with them!  

Not only does this demonstrate St. Andrew's commitment to teaching its students and their families to be healthy, but it also shows how the St. Stephen's team inspired the students to run as well.  To view all the photos of St. Andrew's children running, go to:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150694618304420.417921.77124489419&type=3

Spirit Night Change

Please join us for a night of family fun - St. Stephen's Preschool Spirit Night!
Thursday, April 26, 2012 from 5:30-7:00

Due to inclement weather, tomorrow's St. Stephen's Preschool Spirit Night will be moving to the Fellowship Hall within the church! Please leave your blankets and chairs at home but don't forget to bring your own beverages and a book for the book drive!

Picnic dinner, kid's drinks, coolers and ice will be provided!

We will have balloon animals, face painting, carnival games and lots of fun!

If you have not already turned in your reservation form, please download here and turn it in!

Red Room Update: April 23 - May 3

Theme:  Spring – Seeds and Flowers

“Leaves and flowers, roots, and stems, are the parts of a plant. Let’s name them again, let’s name them again, leaves and flowers, roots and stems.”

This is a song that we will sing to help the children learn the parts of a plant.  It is sung to the tune of “Are You Sleeping”.  A large floor puzzle labeled with the parts of a plant is used during the song.  Then the puzzle will be added to our manipulative center for the children to choose and enjoy.  We will be concentrating on flowers this week as we watch and help plant flowers in our St. Stephen’s flower garden.  The Red Room time for planting is Tuesday, April 24^th, at 10:00.  What fun it will be to watch these flowers grow as we help water them during our outside time.

We will make a flower garden of our own for our room by painting stems and leaves that we will add a flower to by using our painted hands.  How beautiful and colorful will that be displayed on our bulletin board?  Our studio area has stems to cut out, and the children may choose many different ways to be creative to make flowers with them.

We will perform a science experiment that the children will observe and discover how water and minerals rise through the stem of a flower by watching the split carnation trick.  A white carnation, stem split in half, will be placed in two vases filled with different colored water.  What will happen to the flower?  The children will be surprised and excited as they watch this experiment evolve.  Also on our science shelf will be a display of different seeds that the children can compare their shapes and sizes. 

Tossing bean bags is a good gross motor skill.  There will be large paper flowers placed on the floor with a basket in the center of each one.  The children can take turns tossing the bean bags into the baskets of the flowers.  They can also pretend to be the bees collecting the pollen to make honey.

Other activities your child may choose will include painting with flowers at our easel, a flower and dice game where they will roll the die, count the dots, and color the corresponding part of the plant that matches the number.   Also, our play dough table has flower and spring cookie cutters, and yellow dough.

Each child will be planting some grass seed that we will place in the window of our room.  The children will be responsible to keep their seeds watered.  (Of course, we will help them by reminding them.)  After the grass has grown enough, they can use their cutting skills and trim the grass with scissors.

As always, thank you for your help and support.

Fondly, Carol and Blanche