Dear Families and Friends,
The end of the school year is often a bittersweet time for adults— and perhaps children are also aware of the excitement, sadness and beauty that accompany their farewells to teachers and friends, as Family Books, belongings, and projects are sent home for the summer. Some of us are heading to kindergarten. Many in our community will return to Palisades Preschool in September, adding new pages to Family Books that will seed interesting dialogues and curriculum--and greeting old friends and new friends as we start another year together. Some families will move far away and we may not see them again. . .
And so we will "adjust our system," hugging and waving good-by, preparing the environments for Summer and Fall, creating fresh intentions for the new preschool year, and then welcoming returning and new families to our lovely preschool—all a part of the cycle of "attaching" and "separating."
When I meet with new families during our September Orientation before the first day of school, the main topic is separation. As a "mature" parent and educator, I share my own insight about children's (and parents') adjustment to preschool. "This is just the beginning of many separations," I say, "that children (and parents) will face in their lives." Letting go is not easy, but an important step for both children and adults.
Now, in a few weeks, it will be time for some of us to separate from one another and to think about forming new attachments—to teachers, friends, places and materials. It will be hard for teachers, Karen and me to see some of you walk out our front doors for the last time. Part of the beauty of our work, however, is that we feel so proud of all of you and of one another. We have collaborated as a community in support of children's (and adults') growth and development. When we think back to the first days and weeks of preschool one or two (or three) years ago, a lot has happened in our lives. None of us is the same person we were on that first day of school. Thank you for all that you have shared with us this past year. We have grown as individuals and as a community because of the ongoing system of relationships that we have developed with one another and with the children.
On behalf of our staff, I wish you all a summer vacation filled with many exciting—and relaxing— family experiences. To those who will be moving or starting kindergarten in the fall, we send our love and warm wishes for great success and happiness. To those who will be returning to us in September, we look forward to seeing you walk through our front doors again and hearing all about your summer adventures.
Warm wishes,
Nancy
Click on the links below or scroll down for this month's topics:
Reflections on our Trip to Reggio Emilia
From the photos and journal notes that Soraya and I collected on our recent trip to Reggio Emilia, Italy, I created a binder of slides as a way of sharing our experience with teachers and families. The binder is displayed in our entryway, along with the book, The Hundred Languages of Children (Edwards, Gandini, and Forman, 1998), and a few of the beautiful books we brought back from the Reggio Children book store. Please stop and take a look when you have a moment. At staff meetings and team meetings, Soraya and I are also sharing our reflections and ideas about new materials and ways of working with children. We look forward to sharing more of our learning with new and returning families in the fall.
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Hundred Languages Celebration and Auction
We would like to express our appreciation to all of our families for participating in our May 19th Open House and Auction. Thanks to your enthusiasm and generosity, we raised about $4,000! As a small, independent, nonprofit organization, all of the auction earnings benefit the needs of the preschool. Thank you!
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End of Year Business
Karen will be preparing June invoices for Stay & Play, auction items and for any outstanding tuition amounts that remain on your account. Please be sure that these amounts are paid before June 15th.
Tuition for June, 2011 for returning families is due by June 4th. Camp and Transition tuitions are due when children start our summer programs. September tuition invoices for children attending preschool in Fall will go out in mid-August and will be due in early September. Thank you.
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After-School Small Groups
Our after-school classes are ending this week and next week.
- Clay ends on Tuesday, June 1st
- Ballet ends on Thursday, June 3rd
- Cooking ends on Monday, June 7th
The last Stay & Play day is Thursday, June 10th
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Calendar
- Friday, June 4th—New Parent Orientation #1
- Tuesday, June 8th—Teacher Appreciation Luncheon—12:30 dismissal
- Friday, June 11th—Breakfast with Loved Ones
- Monday, June 14th—Dandelion/Sunflower Room Celebration (9:15 to 10:15 a.m. in PHall)
- Tuesday, June 15th—Carnival—12:30 dismissal
- Wednesday, June 16th—Last Day—11:30 dismissal
We thank our Teacher Appreciation and Carnival Committees for their planning and preparation for these two end-of-year events.
Summer Programs begin on Tuesday, June 29th and end on Friday, July 23rd. The preschool will be closed until staff members return on Sept. 1st. The first day of preschool is Wednesday, Sept. 15th.
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Silent Auction, 2010
Please mark your calendars for Saturday, November 6th!!
The sign-up sheet for the Auction Committee is in Karen's office.
Join us in planning "next" year's large fundraising event
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Preschool Mission Statement
Our mission is to serve our community by offering a preschool experience for children and families that celebrates diversity, creativity and kindness. These values are embedded within a rich child-centered curriculum that provides individuals and groups with opportunities to investigate, explore and express themselves through meaningful play. |
