Hello Families,
It has been such a great start to the school year! I have enjoyed getting to know the children as well as all of their families.
Fire Prevention Week is October 6-12. On October 7th at 9am, the Fire Department will be visiting our school to teach us all about fire safety. The children will get to see the truck, speak to firefighters, and do fun activities.
We will also be having our Halloween Walk around the neighborhood on October 31st. The children can bring their costumes to change into in the afternoon. We will start our walk at 2:15. We would love to have our Parent Partners and families who would like to volunteer hand out little treats along the walk. Please contact me if this is something you are interested in volunteering for.
We are still looking for Parent Board Representatives to sit on our Board. It would require one week night a month (usually the second Thursday from 5-7pm) for the school year. Please speak to myself, Pastor Ralph, or your child’s Lead Teacher if you are interested. People who have expressed interest in Parent Partners will receive an email this week welcoming you to the group and setting up next steps. If you do not receive this email by Monday 10/7 and would like to be part of this group, please email [email protected] and let us know.
Best,
Alexis
Hello families!
Happy Fall! October is here and we are looking forward to all the changes that take place around us this month. We continue to spend time outdoors embracing the fall weather. We plan to enjoy many fall activities as the season unfolds.
We spent our first month together learning about each other, our school community and apples. October is fire prevention month! We will be learning about firemen and the important job they do. Fire drills are a monthly occurrence at First Steps and are a great way to learn what to do in case of an emergency. The Woodstock Fire Department will stop by for a visit with fire trucks and an ambulance. Stay tuned for more details!
Pumpkins and leaves are always exciting topics! Noticing the fall colors, collecting and sorting leaves and using leaves for art projects allow us to bring nature inside. We like to extend our classroom outside and explore as much as possible as well.
Investigating pumpkins; whatās inside, how they grow and what can be made from pumpkins offer many opportunities for learning.
Of course October brings Halloween! We have so many awesome Halloween activities planned for our classroom. We will have a Halloween parade at First Steps! This is such a fun event! Your child can bring a costume to school and families are welcome to join us as we walk around our neighborhood collecting treats. More details to come as we get closer!
Our classroom community grows stronger each day. We have loved spending time with your children and watching them take in each new experience. We canāt wait for the adventures that October will bring!
Happy Autumn!
Heather, Ashley and Alex
Dear UPK families,
Fall is here! We have been enjoying the outdoors and the beautiful weather. We will be taking walks around our neighborhood and learning about the changing seasons.
Next week, we will be getting a visit from the Fire Department. They will be bringing the fire truck and discussing fire safety and what a firefighterās job is. We will be doing in class readings and activities as well to help teach the importance of firefighters in our community.
Throughout October, we will continue with our Handwriting Without Tears program by exploring letters with various materials and activities. We will also be continuing activities tracing and recognizing numbers and our names. For science, we will be exploring leaves and talking about what we observe through sight, touch, smell, and sound. We are also learning the life cycle of a pumpkin and what a pumpkin is composed of.
It has been such a pleasure getting to know the children and their parents over the last month. We are looking forward to a great month filled with more fun and learning!
Best,
Miss Rose
Happy October! Itās hard to believe that fall is here and the leaves are starting to change. Weāve taken advantage of the beautiful fall weather by taking walks around the school and using our senses to talk about things we see, hear, feel, smell, and touch. We look forward to extending our classroom outdoors as much as possible and as long as the weather cooperates! Fall and everything it has to offer will be a big part of our focus as we head into October. We look forward to enjoying this time with your child and are excited for our upcoming fall projects and learning activities.
October is Fire Prevention Month and we will be learning about fire safety through reading, activities, and a special fire truck visit right to our school! This is always a very thrilling activity and your child will surely have a lot of exciting things to share with you. We will also learn about firefighters. We will learn about their job, why it is important to have firefighters in our community, and what they need to do their job safely.
This month, we will have the opportunity for several fall related science experiments including pumpkin decomposition! In October, we will begin the āLetter of the Weekā in our classroom. Each week, we will focus on a different letter of the alphabet. Following the Handwriting Without Tears program, we will begin with letters L, F, E, and H for this month. Each child will have the opportunity to explore the letter, build the letter with other materials (such as play-doh, popsicle sticks, etc), learn songs about the letters, and write the letter.
It has truly been a pleasure getting to know both you and your child over these last few weeks. We are excited to begin a new month filled with more learning and fun as we welcome in October!
All our best,
Miss Michelle, Miss Brandi & Miss Helen
“Parent Representatives to the First Steps Board are needed”
The Board wants to hear your ideas and concerns. Each class room needs a parent rep to the First Steps Board – to attend the monthly evening Board meeting. Bring parent concerns to the Board and learn from the Board plans and concerns for the program of First Steps. Each Room Parent Rep serves for one school year. Parents who are interested please inform your child’s Lead Teacher, Director Alexis Bell, or (Pastor) Ralph Merante – member of the Board, for more information.
“Parent Partners” group forming!
We are excited with the start of the new school year. Several parents have already expressed interest in a “PTA” like group here at First Steps. All parents or child guardians who wish to join together to support your child’s early education are welcome. First Steps “Parent Partners,” is an action group, to plan fun events, class-room help, work parties, fundraisers, parenting workshops, networking opportunities for First Steps families. Please let your child’s Lead Teacher, our Director Alexis Bell, or (Pastor) Ralph Merante (Board Member) know you want to be part of “Parent Partners.”
“BROOKS Chicken BBQ” Tuesday, October 1st Beginning at 3:00 PM $18.00 for Chicken Dinner: half chicken, Baked Potato, Home Made Coleslaw (Ms.Michelle’s secret recipe!), roll, and homemade dessert. Proceeds help provide maintenance and improvements at Overlook for First steps and all our community partners. Dinners are boxed ready for Take Out. You may also choose to enjoy a picnic with your family on the West Lawn by the Garden. Reserve dinners by calling 845-679-6800, or see Ralph Merante.
Thank you!
Ralph, First Steps Board Member.
Happy September! A new school year is always exciting! We are delighted to welcome you into the First Steps community!
Ā
Our first month will be spent getting to know each other and our routines. We will discuss what it means to be a friend and how we can help each other. We will begin exploring apples this month as well. We have cooking projects and creative activities lined up!
A few reminders to help your child have a great day!
We are off to a great start and look forward to an amazing school year!
Thank you for your support!
Heather, Alex and Ashley
Dear Families,
Welcome to our UPK class! We are so excited to start this school year with your little ones. September will be a special month as we begin our journey of learning and exploration together. This month, we will focus on four engaging themes: Apples, Family and Friends, Home, and Transportation.
Along with our themes we will focus on making our classroom a warm and welcoming environment where each child feels safe, valued, and excited to learn!Ā
Weāll start the month by getting to know one another through fun activities and routines that help everyone feel comfortable and included. Every child will have the opportunity to build friendships and become familiar with their new learning environment!
Apples: We will explore everything related to apples, from tasting different varieties to understanding how they grow. Our activities will include apple-themed art projects, counting exercises, and even making apple prints!
Family and Friends: We will talk about the importance of family and friends in our lives. The children will have the opportunity to share stories about their families, create our classroom family tree, and learn about cooperation and kindness.
Home: Weāll discuss what makes a house a home and the different types of homes people live in. Weāll explore stories about homes around the world, and the children will create their own model homes using various materials.
Transportation: We will look at different modes of transportation, such as cars, buses, trains, and airplanes. The children will engage in transportation-themed play, art, and stories, and learn about how people and goods move from place to place.
If possible, please send a family photo with your child by September 13th so that we can start creating our classroom family tree!Ā
Make sure your child wears comfortable shoes, and brings a reusable water bottle daily!Ā
We look forward to starting this exciting journey together!Ā
If you have any questions or concerns, please donāt hesitate to reach out.
Warm regards,Ā Ā
Mrs. Williamson & Miss RoseĀ
Hi UPK Families,
Welcome back to school! We are so excited to get the school year started and to work with you and your child this school year. We have so many wonderful activities and experiences planned for your child that will help them grow and learn throughout the school year.
During September, we spend a lot of time demonstrating rules, routines and expectations in our classroom. Our room is a safe place for all children and we make sure that each and every child feels this way walking into the room. While the first few weeks of school can be hectic, it is exciting to see how quickly they get into the routine of our school day and the friendships that are formed in the first few days.
We also learn about transportation this month. We talk about how we each get to school and the different ways we could travel if we were going somewhere far or somewhere very close by. This is also a great time for students to discuss summer vacations before they are not too far a distant memory! We have heard some great stories in the past about airplanes, boats, and trains!Ā Ā
As September turns into fall, we learn about apples. We are excited to get to taste different apples and compare how they are different and the same from one another. We also learn some great songs about apples and fill our walls with apple crafts and activities to work on fine motor skills.Ā
We are so excited to start this pre-k year with your child and look forward to the partnership that will make this year a success.
All our best,
Miss Michelle, Miss Brandi & Miss Helen