What Did You Do At School?

Last Day Bash!

Thanks to all who attended our new and improved Last Day Bash for the whole school. We hope that it was good fun for all -- kids and adults alike. In case you couldn't attend, here's some of what you missed:

Early in the morning, one of our dads was there filling up the sandbox that he built us the day before.

 
(Thanks, Charlie! You're the best!)

And it proved to be a popular spot... 

all morning long...

 

By the way, if you could use a little sand for your child's sandbox or for a project around your house... it's free for the taking until we get a chance to get back and clean it up. All we ask is that you leave us the tarp underneath and the actual box. We'll save those to use next year. :)

But, before all the festivities began we had a time to honor our "graduates" -- the children finishing 4C, 4D, and TK.

 
These are our oldest children and they are all moving on to new adventures -- whether it is coming back to transitional kindergarten for the 2011-2012 school year or heading off to kindergarten in a public or private setting. They were the day's honorees.

And when we finished their ceremony a little past 10:00, this is the sight we were greeted with...

 
... definitely a setting for fun!

The rental of a Bounce House always creates a party-like atmosphere.

 
And the kids love it!

But most of the activities were simple things that preschoolers enjoy...

 
like bubbles (Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with a gentle breeze!)...

 
sidewalk chalk...

 
and playdough. (So good for their developing finger muscles!)

The beanbag toss

 
was enjoyed by boys

 
and girls alike.

 
There was face painting

 

and music.

 
 
An obstacle course

 
provided the opportunity to practice different skills

 
like balancing.

And we had vehicles...

 
big ones...

(Thank you Station 16!)

smaller, self-propelled ones...

 
 
 
and one strictly for photo-ops...

 
(If your child will be 4 years old before September 1, register for VBS through the church office and they'll be able to see this taxi cab every day as part of the set in the sanctuary.)

Since kids love to play in water,

 
we provided them with more than one water-play area.

 
 
 
And sometimes getting really messy

 
is just plain

 
old

 
fun...

 
from head to toe!

Don't worry... it's all washable. If you've never mixed up cornstarch with a little water just to play in, you're really missing out. It's the most fun in a shallow container (like a jelly-roll pan) or just on the top of a flat surface (when my kids were little we used our kitchen island). Yes, it's messy... but there is something about scraping up what seems to feel pretty solid and then having it ooze between your fingers that keeps kids captivated for a really long time.

Thank you again to all who attended the Last Day Bash -- and to the staff who really made it happen. Have a great summer, everyone. And don't be afraid of a little messy fun! :)

 

 

 

 

 

May 23 - 27 at SBWS

This is our last week of school! It's so hard to believe that the year is already coming to an end.

Wednesday, May 25 - LAST DAY OF CLASSES... but don't forget about...

Thursday, May 26 - LAST DAY BASH! 9:30 -- Program and ceremony honoring the children who have completed 4C, 4D, and TK. Please be on time. We plan to start promptly at 9:30 so we can finish in time for the children to enjoy every minute of... 10:00 -- Outdoor activities for children from all of our classes and their families. Plans include a bounce house, a firetruck, and a police car. Facepainting and tattoos. Brightly colored playdough. Sidewalk chalk. Sand play. Water play. Big wheels. Music. Bubbles. An obstacle course. Lots of messy, active fun. And if all that play makes you hungry... Noon-ish -- Activities will close and it will be time for lunch. Place your pizza order through us by Wednesday morning or bring your own picnic lunch to enjoy. We will also have popsicles for all. (Edited to add:  Oops! We forgot to bring out the popsicles! Oh, well... our loss is a gain for the church's children's ministry... it may be a popsicle summer around SBC!) Or, if you've had as much fun as you can handle, feel free to leave. This is a come and go, stay for the entire morning or just make an appearance type of event. We do hope to see every family, though. It will be a great opportunity to get to know the weekday school staff better and end the school year on a fun, relaxed note.

Friday, May 27 - Teacher Work Day

May 9 - 13 at SBWS

Tuesday, May 10 - Strawberry Picking Field Trip to Hall Family Farm (T3, 3B)

Wednesday, May 11 - Uptown Field Trip to Imaginon, riding the light rail train (4D); Music (Tod 2, 2A/2B, 3C/T4, 4C)

Thursday, May 12 - Uptown Field Trip to Imaginon, riding the light rail train (T4); Music (Tod 1/Tod 2, 2A/2B, T3/3B, TK/4D)

Friday, May 13 - Strawberry Picking Field Trip to Hall Family Farm (3C); Uptown Field Trip to Imaginon, riding the light rail train (4C)

May 2 - 6 at SBWS

* Remember that this week the church is using the parking lots for golf tournament parking. Preschool parents, please use your carpool sign for entrance into the parking lot. Thank you for your patience!

Monday, May 2 - Muffins for Mom (3C, 4C), 9:30 in your child's classroom; chapel (3C, 4C, 4D, TK)

Tuesday, May 3 - Muffins for Mom (T3, 3B, T4, 4D, TK), 9:30 in your child's classroom; chapel (T3, 3B, T4)

Wednesday, May 4 - Music (Tod 2, 2A/2B, 3C/T4, 4C/4D)

Thursday, May 5 - Music (Tod 1/Tod 2, 2A/2B, T3/3B, TK)

Friday, May 6 - Scholastic Book Orders Due

April 18 - 22 at SBWS

Wednesday, April 20 - Music (Tod 2, 2A/2B, 3C/T4, 4C/4D)

Thursday, April 21 - Music (Tod 1/Tod 2, 2A/2B, T3/3B, TK)

Friday, April 22 - NO SCHOOL  Enjoy a blessed Resurrection Weekend with your family. School resumes Tuesday, April 26.

 

April 11 - 15 at SBWS

Monday, April 11 - Chapel (3C, 4C, 4D, TK); Music (make-up day for last Wednesday -- Toddler 2, 2A/2B, 3C/T4, 4C/4D); Silhouette Artist here to cut children's silhouettes (must be prepaid)

Tuesday, April 12 - Chapel (T3, 3B, T4); Silhouette Artist here to cut children's silhouettes (must be prepaid)

Wednesday, April 13 - Music (Toddler 2, 2A/2B, 3C/T4, 4C/4D)

Thursday, April 14 - Music (Toddler 1/Toddler 2, 2A/2B, T3/3B, TK)

Friday, April 15 - Final Day to Order Black & White photos from St. John Photography to have it count toward our fundraiser and also to receive your free 5x7 (with qualifying purchase).

Saturday, April 16 - Spring Festival and Easter Egg Hunt, 10:00 - 1:00 CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER FORECAST

Teachable Moments: School in the Dark

This is how the school hallway looked when we arrived this morning:

 
Yes, due to last night's storms, we had no electricity.

Finding the right color of construction paper in the supply closet was an adventure that required a flashlight:
 
Thankfully, our classrooms have big windows that let in a lot of light -- and school went on as usual. (All photos were taken without a flash. So, while the pictures may not be very clear, you can get a good idea of the level of light we worked with today.)

TK:

 
T3:

 
Two from 3B:

 
 
2B:

 
Toddler 2:

 
Toddler 1:

 
2A:

 
4D:

 
T4:

 
Since the storminess and the rain had blown away, St. John Photography was able to finish taking pictures of the children on the playgrounds.

 
 
What we all learned (adults and children alike) is that even though things may not be going along as they typically do... even though we may not be able to do everything we had planned, we can still carry on. We can still enjoy our friends. We can choose to make the best of our situation and treat our day as a new adventure.

And an adventure it was. Power was restored a little after noon, so we ended our day on a brighter note. And we hope you did, too. :)

April 4 - 8 at SBWS

Monday, April 4 - Chapel (3C, 4C, 4D, TK)

Tuesday, April 5 - Chapel (T3, 3B, T4); St. John Photography Make Up Day for 3B, T4, TK (classes rained out last week)

Wednesday, April 6 - Music (Toddler 2, 2A/2B, 3C/T4, 4C/4D)

Thursday, April 7 - Music (Toddler1/Toddler 2, 2A/2B, T3/3B, TK) 

March 28 - April 1 at SBWS

Monday, March 28 - Green Eggs and Ham (3C)

Tuesday, March 29 - Green Eggs and Ham (T3, 3B)

Wednesday, March 30 - St. John Photography Black & White Photos on the Playgrounds (Weeschool -- 2A: 9:35-10:00; Toddler 2: 10:10-10:40; 2B: 10:40-11:20) [Times are approximate] (Preschool -- 4C, TK, 3C): Music (Toddler 2, 2A/2B, 3C/T4, 4C/4D)

Thursday, March 31 - St. John Photography Black & White Photos on the Playgrounds (Weeschool -- 2A: 9:35-10:00; Toddler 1: 10:10-10:40; Toddler 2: 10:40-11:20; 2B: 11:20-12:00) [Times are approximate] (Preschool -- T3, 4D, 3B, T4); Music (Toddler 1/Toddler 2, 2A/2B, T3/3B, TK); St. John Photography Sibling Shoot, 3:00 - 5:00, on church grounds by appointment with $25 sitting fee, contact Jeannie Sovine for information.

Friday, April 1 - April Scholastic Book Orders Due.

Valentine's Day: TK

The TK class has a Valentine decorating tradition.

It involves choosing supplies...

 
and placing them with intention.

 
(Can you tell that this five year old, like most, really likes symmetry?)

The project involves stickers,

 
glue,

 
and remembering to write your name on the back of your creation.

 
And when you're finished,

 
attach it

 

to the
 
hula hoop

 
to form

 
a beautiful wreath

 
for the classroom door.

Then, when the big day comes, you're ready for your Valentine Party.

"Who wants to hand out their Valentine cards first?

 

If there are no names on the envelopes, passing out Valentines is a good exercise in one-to-one correspondence.
 

If there are names on the envelopes, it is good practice for name recognition and matching.

 
And either way,

 
from the first card to the last, it's just plain old fun!