South Preschool January Newsletter

northern lights

The northern lights are sometimes called by their scientific name, aurora borealis, It is a result of the Earth’s magnetic waves, and the wind that create these colors in the sky. Our classroom will include geography lessons that will teach us where in the world we may view these lights, the difference between northern & southern lights, and we also have several beautiful and open-ended art projects planned! Each child will paint their own version of an aurora borealis & with it we will create a beautiful (& scientific) art piece that can be displayed for all to see.

A bit of classroom news- Teacher Liz (from NP1) will join South Preschool with Teachers Linnea and Jayde. Liz will be in charge of the online learners in this classroom and will be brought up to speed on this over the winter break by Erika and Linnea. Liz is excited to make this change and to learn from Teacher Linnea while she supports the kids in the South Preschool class. South Pre says goodbye to Vera H. and Taani (who are moving to NP1) and hello to Nathaniel (from NP1) and Cruz (from toddlers)!

Important Dates to Remember:

January 4: Back to school for the new year

Janruary 18th: MLK Jr. Day; PFM Closed

Classroom note…

  • Please remember to continue bringing your child’s water bottle, rain coat, and rain pants each day.

  • Thank you!

Happy Birthday!

January 6: Joey N

January 10: Wiley L

 
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North Preschool January Newsletter

north pre 1: winter animals

north pre 2: outer space

North Pre 1 Families,

A bit of classroom news- Teacher Erika will become the lead teacher in NP1 and Taani and Vera Harmer will join this group (from South Pre) as role models and leaders for this class. A new child named Lihai begins on Jan. 5th. Our other Erica (Erica W.) will join this classroom to assist Teacher Erika. And more exciting news: Erica W. is expecting a baby and due in April! Congrats Erica!

This month we are so excited to begin incorporating more elements of the Montessori learning environment that your children thrive in. We will focus on a winter animal theme with an emphasis in Montessori materials. Some of the things we will feature on our work shelves include information on animals in Antarctica-penguins, whales, seal, as well as early math, language arts, science, and art curriculum items among other work. We will have picture to object matching, 55 arctic counting, and matching to 1-10. As a science experiment, we will test various salts to see which one melts ice first. And we will dig away to free all the animals trapped inside blocks of ice. So much fun!

 
 
 

North Pre 2 Families,

A bit of classroom news- Teddi will be mentoring Teacher Lex as Lex continues working on her Montessori Training Certification from the Center for Guided Montessori Studies (CGMS). Ms. Teddi will be in the classroom each day for the next few months guiding Miss Lex as she completes her Montessori Teacher training program. Lex has done well navigating this so far and we are proud of her and can't wait to see her become the best teacher she can be!

This month we’re looking to the biggest thing we know: the universe. To introduce this concept, we’ll survey the parts of outer space, including stars, planets, galaxies, and even cosmic dust. This study of grandeur gives children a sense of perspective, learning how everything is connected and fits together.

Our shelves will be full of constellation work, planet matching and sequencing, and parts of the sun. We’ll also read about our Solar System and the Night Sky as well as sing The Planet Song and Blast Off!

 

Important Dates to Remember:

January 4: Back to school for the new year

Janruary 18th: MLK Jr. Day; PFM Closed

CLASSROOM notes…

  • Each child will still have their own playdoh and sensory

  • Work tables are set apart from others so that children can be socially distanced.

  • Teachers will continue serving children their meals and snacks instead of the family-style self service that we used to do pre-COVID.

  • We will continue to sanitize and clean frequently, wear masks inside and outside, and continue our hand washing routines.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

January 14th: Lily P

January 25: Sebastian N

 
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Head of School Newsletter: December

PFM Families,

December is always a festive and fun month here at PFM! Holiday lghts have been strung up in the classrooms and we will be making special gifts and cards for our families. Unfortunately we will not be able to sing our annual Holiday songs to you this year as a group but we are thinking of ways to do this in a different way so you can still see the kids in action!  We will keep you posted on this.

In December, all of the classrooms will be learning about winter holidays celebrated around the world: focusing on Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas and the Festival of Lights. If you have anything you'd like to share with us regarding what your family celebrates this time of year, please let us know and we can incorporate this too!

Have a wonderful December everyone. 

 

Teddi Blades

Director & Owner, PFM

Infant December Newsletter

WINTER

We welcome this season with a winter theme. This month we will do many winter themed activities: winter themed sensory bin work, a water bin with bubbles as snow, lots of snowy art projects, and our decor will match the theme to provide ample opportunities for winter themed conversation.

Colorful lights hang on our classroom window, seasonal songs are played on our radio each day, and bubbles are played with via bubble wand to help us get into our festive theme!

 
 

Important Dates to Remember:

December 23rd - January 1st: PFM Closed for Winter Break

Classroom reminder…

If your child is running low on supplies such as diapers and clothing your teachers will let you know on Fridays via email. Please bring in any needed supplies on Monday when you return to school.. We do not keep spare disposable diapers and have a limited supply of extra clothes on hand. Thank you!

Happy Birthday to Aneeka on the 8th

 
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Toddler December Newsletter

Solstice

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Each year, the Winter Solstice marks a new beginning in which each passing day gives us more and more sunlight. The darkness and short days leading up to it remind us to celebrate the light in our lives. This means that this month we’ll investigate sources of light like the sun, moon, and stars, as well as reflect on the things that restore and revitalize us. We’ll study the constellations with our light table, learn the phases of the moon through puzzles, and play with light and shadow with flashlights. To nourish our bodies we will captivate our senses with the warm scents of winter with smelling jars of ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon (each child having their own personal jars on their own shelves, of course.) It will be a wonderful time of reflection, cultivation, and connection.

 
 
 

Important Dates to Remember:

December 23rd - January 1st: PFM Closed for Winter Break

classroom reminders…

Please bring in cold weather items such as mittens, hats, and warm jackets for your child to keep in their cubby.

Happy Birthday Teacher Lina on the 30th

Happy Holidays!

 
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North Preschool January

north pre 1: winter animals

north pre 2: outer space

North Pre 1 Families,

A bit of classroom news- Teacher Erika will become the lead teacher in NP1 and Taani and Vera Harmer will join this group (from South Pre) as role models and leaders for this class. A new child named Lihai begins on Jan. 5th. Our other Erica (Erica W.) will join this classroom to assist Teacher Erika. And more exciting news: Erica W. is expecting a baby and due in April! Congrats Erica!

This month we are so excited to begin incorporating more elements of the Montessori learning environment that your children thrive in. We will focus on a winter animal theme with an emphasis in Montessori materials. Some of the things we will feature on our work shelves include information on animals in Antarctica-penguins, whales, seal, as well as early math, language arts, science, and art curriculum items among other work.

 
 
 

North Pre 2 Families,

A bit of classroom news- Teddi will be mentoring Teacher Lex as Lex continues working on her Montessori Training Certification from the Center for Guided Montessori Studies (CGMS). Ms. Teddi will be in the classroom each day for the next few months guiding Miss Lex as she completes her Montessori Teacher training program. Lex has done well navigating this so far and we are proud of her and can't wait to see her become the best teacher she can be!

The classroom theme for the month of January will be outer space! We will learn about things like the northern lights, use our light table to examine planets and stars in our solar system, enjoy books regarding our theme, sing songs about planets, and of course begin preparing our room to feature more of a Montessori-style environment. We are looking forward to a great year!

 

Important Dates to Remember:

January 4: Back to school for the new year

Janruary 18th: MLK Jr. Day; PFM Closed

CLASSROOM notes…

  • Each child will still have their own playdoh and sensory

  • Work tables are set apart from others so that children can be socially distanced.

  • Teachers will continue serving children their meals and snacks instead of the family-style self service that we used to do pre-COVID.

  • We will continue to sanitize and clean frequently, wear masks inside and outside, and continue our hand washing routines.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

January 14th: Lily P

 
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South Preschool December

winter forest

Hello and welcome to south preschool’s winter farm theme for the month of December! When we return to school after Thanksgiving break, our classroom will be transformed into a forest full of woodland animals! South class will explore black bears, foxes, beavers, and more. Some of the ways in which we explore animals is through reading materials such as books and printouts, coloring pages, lessons from teachers, and puzzles. Shelf work and art projects will also be themed with animals that specifically live in Washington, so south preschoolers can get to know more about the animals that live in the PNW!

Important Dates to Remember:

December 23rd-January 1st: Winter break; PFM closed

Classroom note…

…as we approach the winter season we would like to send a big thank you for being such awesome PFM families! We are thankful to continue learning and growing along with your children!

Happy Birthday!

December 23: Mackenzie

 
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South Preschool November

FARM

Welcome to South Preschool’s farm theme! We have so many fun things we are working with. A barn with horses inside, wooden cows, pigs, and sheep to nest, farm puzzles to help develop our cognitive skills and more. One of our favorite art projects has been making chicks - each child created their very own chick made of construction paper and feathers! Look for fun photos of our work in our weekly email.

Important Dates to Remember:

November 11th: PFM Closed for Veteran's Day

November 26th & 27th: PFM Closed for Thanksgiving Break

Classroom reminders…

  • Please remember to bring your child’s rain gear including rain pants and boots each day

Happy Birthday!

November 13th - Cade

 
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Contact

tblades@pacificfirstmontessori.com