Hello My dear preschool Parents!

Hello dear preschool parents!

        I, once again, will be absent for a bit while I tend to my brother Mark's funeral arrangements.  I know some of you wanted me to post details of Mark's arrangements, so here they are:
Viewing for Mark will be at N.J Hogenkamp Funeral home in Minster Ohio on Sunday May 5th.  The funeral mass will take place at St. John Catholic church in Maria Stein, Ohio on May 6th. Tuesday I will be helping my sisters close his house down.   I will be back on Wednesday.  Thank you so much for the prayers as well as the continued support and love through this difficult time.  You and your children are such blessing to me. I thank God everyday that they are in my life.  There little faces and hugs help so much.  I want to give a HUGE thank you to Mrs. Bloom, Mrs. Wright, and Mrs. Martin.  These ladies have taken wonderful care of the preschool, the well-being of the children and teaching the children in my absence.  I thank you ladies from the bottom of my heart! God's blessing to you all!

New Playgroung Equipment !!!

With our Catholic Foundation Grant monies we were able to purchase many new and different sized tricycles as well as a Step 2 climbing summit.  We will also be installing the spring dual teeter totter that I purchased last fall from the Project Round-Up grant. Newark Catholic students helped out with digging the (very large) hole for its installment today for their St. Joseph the Worker Day project.  The Newark Catholic students also helped clean and rake the preschool play yard today as well.  Thanks goes to Newark Catholic students: Rachel Bloom, Kat Bowman, Spencer Chapman and Caleb Burd for their hard work.  (Yes...Mrs. Bloom and I  lay claim to the Bloom and Burd students :)

The Winner of the Thirty-One Fundraiser is....

Micheala Gress! Sister of Andy (penguins)and Jack (seals) GossettYEA!!!
The Winner for the most tickets sold is...Joanna and Veronica Bailey!! YEA!! CONGRATULATIONS goes to Micheala ,Joanna and Veronical!  Great work everyone for this fundraiser.  We appreciated everyones support and efforts that sold tickets.  A big THANKS goes to Jenalyn Shafer's mom Kelly for organizing and running this fundraiser.  We so appreciate your work and efforts for our preschool. We cherish the help and support we get from our parents!

USBORNE BOOK FAIR COMING Soon!

With summer break just around the corner...and I do mean..just around the corner with only 3 weeks left, our preschool will be providing parents a GREAT opportunity to encourage beginning literacy to your precious little learners.  We will be holding an Usbourne Book Fair the week of May 13.  We will have a display table out with the many quaility books that you can obtain from Usbourne.  You can also order online as well.  Our preschool will also obtain free books for our classroom library with your purchases.  If you have any questions about what Usbourne is or questions about ordering, please feel free to talk with Mrs. Burd.  On a personal note, I LOVE Usbourne books.  They have great non-fiction , fiction, and interactive books.  My own children love reading these books.  Lots of great learning in them! I encourage you to stop by the display and take a look.

Our Butterflies!!! AND our Upcoming Theme!

We have BUTTTERFLIES!! At last, the class chrysalises have emerged to beautiful butterflies!3 of our painted lady butterflies have hatched! We will hold them for about a week or 2 and then we will take them out and let them go.   The children have learned so much about the life cycle of a butterfly.  I hope they are sharing lots with you at home.
Our theme next week will take a "summer-y" turn.  We will begin studying about Oceans and Ocean Animals.   We will be learning about different animals and comparing different animals of the ocean. 

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL WATER DAY!!

This year our last day of school theme will be WATER DAY!!!  On your child's last day of school, students are asked to wear swim type clothes (girls -a 1 piece swim suit and cover-up & boys- swim short type trunks and either a swim shirt or a tshirt that can get wet )  We will have water games, little pools, and some yummy snacks.
Before I go out and buy little pools, if any parent could lend us your small plastic pools for a couple of days, we would appreciate it. We will need about 3 or 4 total pools. Please let Mrs. Bloom or Mrs. Burd know as soon as possible.  Thanks!

Clothing and Shoe Dress Code Reminder:

Just a reminder, that as it gets warmer, if girls choose to wear a dress, they MUST have little shorts underneath their dress. This is a modesty policy.
Also, we also remind you  NO sun dresses or spaghetti strap shirts.  This is also a modesty policy.
Shoe policy in our handbook also states that all sandles/shoes must have a back strap or back support as well as the toe covered.  Please be considerate of our dress code policies. These policies are put into place for the safety and consideration of your child. We are an active preschool so we want every child to enjoy and be safe with all the physical activity that goes along in an "active" preschool setting.

In Conclusion:

May you all enjoy the BEAUTIFUL weekend.  May it be safe and joyful!


  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.                
                                               Romans 15:13

                                                               Mrs. Burd and Mrs. Bloom

Hello My Dear Preschool Parents!

Hello FAB Preschool Parents!

        What a beautiful day it was today!  If we can only get the temperatures to cooperate, right?!

 I will not be at school for the next few days.  My brother Mark, who has been struggling with colon cancer, is now at the end of his life.  I will be spending the next days at his side, along with the rest of my sisters, helping him with this last journey of his life.  I humbly ask for your support and prayers once again:) for my family and for my brother.  Mrs. Bloom and I have set plans into place to ensure that fun and learning continues in our preschool.  Thank you for your continued love and support.  You are all very precious to me.


     SPRING FUNDRAISER:

As you know, we are working on our Thirty-One Spring Fundraiser.  This raffle ticket fundraiser ends on APRIL 25th.  This is the day that ALL monies and tickets MUST be in.    All proceeds go to helping with the purchase of furniture and supplies for our new classroom for the morning Pre-K Polar Bears. Thanks so much in advance for your continued support for our school.



 MORNING  DROP OFF:

      I know that morning drop off can be taxing and a trial however I need your help.  It has come to my attention that a few preschool vehicles are driving down the center of Pearl St. to get ahead of the crowd. PLEASE do not do this.  In the end, it gains nothing and can cause serious injury to both preschool and the remaining elementary children who are also trying to get to school.  I ask for everyone to practice patience and Chrisitan love.  Thanks:)


CONCLUSION:

       May your week be a joyful and happy one...even in the face of our daily trials. Remember..."When God closes a door, He opens a window at the same time."

Happy, Happy Spring to You ALL!!!

Hello Lovely Preschool Parents!!

     Can it be true?  Has spring finally come?  I think it has!!! YEA!!!!!!!  I love seeing the new life that springs forth from nature every springtime.  God is so AWESOME!

    Thank you all so much for being patient and kind to me as I "get back in the saddle" of a normal routine after the passing of my mother.  I appreciate your love and support as I find my bearings again:)

The Caterpillars are Here!!!

     Once again, we welcome the Painted Lady caterpillars into our classroom. We are studying about the process of the butterfly's life cycle.  Starting week 3, these little guest aren't so little anymore! Eating, eating, eating...they are getting very plump! In a week or so they will build their chrysalis and we will move them into our butterfly habitat.  After they hatch, our class will keep them for about a week and then set them free.

Please take a look around in our hallway (as well as your child's folder) and you find evidence of your very smart children learning lots of things about spring! 

Community Helper of the month of April:

   K-9 police officers and their policeman handlers!  On Wednesday April 17th, Officer Tim Hansel of the Newark Police Dept. along with Bear, his K-9 partner, will visit our classroom to talk about their role as our community helpers. The children are so excited to meet Officer Bear, oh yes...and Officer Hansel as well :)

Spring Fundraiser- Thirty-One Raffle tickets

     Our Spring fundraiser is now underway! Each family got a packet with a pink explanation sheet, a small Thirty-One catalog, and some lavender colored raffle tickets.  We kindly ask you to sell at least 5 tickets, at $5 each, for the chance to win a $225.00 shopping spree of Thirty-One products! How cool is this?

ALL stubs are due to the preschool office NO LATER than APRIL 25th.  If you would like more raffle tickets or if you have any questions, please let Mrs. Burd or Mrs. Bloom know. Let the selling begin!

Upcoming Events and Dates:

    Our Mother's Day Tea is our next event coming up in May.  Each child is invited to bring his/her mom or 1 special female guest of choice. Here are the dates for the following classes:

                      **  MAY 13th- PENGUINS  and  POLAR BEARS Mother's Day Tea

                      ** May 14th- SEALS Mother's Day Tea

Also, last day of school is as follows:

            * SEALS: May 23rd

            * PENGUINS & POLAR BEARS: May 24th

Our "Last Day of School" theme this year will be WATER DAY!!!!  More information will be coming your way as we get closer to this date.

Tuituon Information:

      Many have asked about tuition for next year.  It is still being calculated so I have no new tuition information for you at this time.  May is usually the month for tuition to be set so I am sure I will have this out to you very soon.

         Have a very lovely week!  As always, we appreciate you, the parents, for all of your support and efforts.  We couldn't do it without you!

                                                                              Mrs. Burd & Mrs. Bloom

Thank you for the prayers and support!

Hello Preschool Families,

     Over the past few months, my mother Nancy Vehorn has been part of many of your prayers and thoughts.  I want to extend my deepest appreciation for all those prayers and the show of support and love you have extend to me.  My mother Nancy, passed peacefully into eternal life with our Lord and Savior on Saturday evening March 23rd.
    Many of you have asked me to post  as to where services will be done.  The viewing of this beautiful and graced child of God will be Tuesday March 26th at Hogenkamp Funeral Home in Minster Ohio.  The funeral will be at Holy Redeemer Church in New Bremen Ohio.
     Thank you all again for your love and support.  You are a blessing of God for me and my family. 
My hope is that your family will celebrate the Holy Week and Easter with joy !  I know it does my heart good to know that Mom will be celebrating the joy of the resurrected Christ in Heaven.  I love you all!

                                                                           Mrs. Burd
         

Wednesday- Feb. 6th (as of 6:00am) 2 hr delay

Hello!

           St. Francis School is on a 2 hour delay- due to this there is no morning Penguin class.

Happy Dr. Seuss Week!

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!"      Dr. Seuss

Happy Dr. Seuss Week Fantastic Preschool Parents!

   As we wind down our 5 senses theme, I invite you all to take a look at the BRILLIANT work your wonderful children created!  WOW!  On Friday, we had a special college student in the classroom observing for one of her early childhood classes.  She commented how very smart and hard working your children are!  Kudos to you Moms and Dads- your kids are GREAT!!!

  

   Also on Friday, we kicked off "Dr. Seuss Week" by having the Cat in the Hat visit our Penguin class.  Cat in the Hat read 1 fish 2 Fish Red Fish Blue Fish to the class. It was such a treat!  

On that note, please remember our special days for "Dr. Seuss Week".  We have some fun activities planned for the classes.  Please do not feel like you must go out and buy special items for this week.  Things you can conjure up at home will do just fine.  For example, for Manic Monday Hat day...the hat does not have to be anything related to Dr.Seuss books; it can just be a hat you have lying around the house.

Mid-Year Survey:

    I will be sending home a short mid-year survey home in your child's folder.  Please fill it out and send it back.  This helps me get a better handle on things that can be improved in our preschool program.

Catholic Foundation Grant Awarded to our Preschool!

    Our preschool was awarded $1500.00 toward play yard improvements from the Catholic Foundation.  Thanks to this wonderful foundation that is dedicated in helping those Catholic programs dedicated to spreading the faith. 

Thanks Parents!

Thank you parents for helping us during pick up time.  By staying in your cars until you are up to our preschool door helps us keep a better handle on the security of the students as well as keeps the line moving a bit smoother!  You are A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!

A tummy bug is on the move!!

  A yucky tummy bug seems to be traveling through our whole school...preschool and elementary alike!  Please keep your eye on your precious one when they comment on a "belly ache".  This particular bug seems to lasting between 2-5 days with vomiting and or diarrhea, as well as extreme fatigue.  Fever does not always accompany this virus.  Please remember to  make sure your child washes their hands well before coming in our classroom.  Hand sanitizer alone is NOT sufficient.  Thank you for respecting our policy on this. 

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:

    May your week be a peace-filled one.  Thank you for allowing us to share Christ with your children!

                  Mrs. Burd and Mrs. Bloom

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

 

Happy Lenten Season Everyone!

Hello Stupendous Preschool Parents!

       Well, the beautiful season of Lent is upon us.  Many people think I am quite strange thinking that the Lenten season is "beautiful" but oh it is!  On Ash Wednesday, I read to the children The Very Hungry Caterpiller by Eric Carle.  I talked to the children about how our journey of Lent is like this story.  Even though we don't emerse ourselves in food like the caterpiller, we try to emerse ourselves more in prayer, fasting, and getting closer with God as we wait for Holy Week.  We talked about how, through trying to pray more and striving to be more "Christ-like" , at Easter, we will feel like we have transformed into a beautiful butterfly!   We have had some situations lately where I have asked the children that are not talking or playing very nicely "Would Christ talk like this to a friend?"  This does take the children back a bit.  We try to "re-do" the situation like what Christ would have us do. I truly see small little differences with how some of the children are interacting with eachother.  Oh how I wish you all could be a little fly on the wall!

      St. Valentines Day was very nice.  Thanks goes to the parents that supplied that the yummy snack treat for snack time and also thank you all for having your precious little ones sign there names on the cards! I was so impressed! Thank you to all of the students and parents that gave Mrs. Bloom and I the very sweet valentine cards and treats! We enjoyed them immensely!  

     This week we continue our 5 Senses Theme.  Last week many of the classes discussed the sense of touch and smell.  This week we will continue with the sense of hearing, tasting and seeing. 
  
       Also, this week, the Polar Bear class will start their group Rigby reading series.  Each child will bring 1 book a week home for them to read to you.  It will be in a little bag.  Please return the book the next day.   I have broken the children into little groups on different days so it is more manageable for us to read with them.  It is our hope that you will enjoy listening to your little ones read to you...we certainly LOVE it!


Morning Class PICK-UP Request:

       We ask that you stay in your cars in the pick up line instead of walking up the sidewalk at pick up time to get your child.  It does slow our pick up line down.  If you chose that you be the one to put your student in the car, please wait until you are right up in front of our door to do so.  Again, if you need your child sooner than what our dismissal time is, please discuss this with Mrs. Burd so that we can make arrangements.  Thanks for your understanding and help with this.

Keep the jackets in those backpacks!!
       Please remember to keep light jackets, sweaters or sweatshirts in your child's back pack.  Last week, the Early Childhood Center was a bit chilly as maintenance did turn the heat off in the school for the long weekend.  I do discourage the children wearing their winter jackets in the classroom as they are bulky and the children end up getting too hot in them. Dressing in layers is always a great option especially when it is cold in the morning but gets warmer as the day goes on. 


UPCOMING EVENTS:

     March 2nd is Dr. Seuss's Birthday!  We will have a Dr. Seuss Theme the week of March the 4th. Be on the look out for a list of ways will be celebrating this wonderful and wacky author's birthday!


In Conclusion...

      I just want to tell you that your children are such a blessing in our life!  Their smiles and beautiful outlook is so amazing.  I want to share something with you about a day one of the classes had chapel this month.  We use the Adoration Chapel for Chapel time. There are ususally 1 or 2 adorers in the chapel during our time. We sing, tell stories, pray, and talk about Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament.  One of the adorers shared with me how beautiful your children are in their discussions about Jesus that it brings her to tears just listening to their understanding and love for Jesus.  Your children are GREAT!!!!   Have a super week.

                                                                                      God bless!
                                                                         Mrs. Burd & Mrs. Bloom

 Peter 4:13:  "But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. "