September South Preschool Newsletter

Hello September~

This month, the South Preschool students will spend time getting to know one another! We will learn where our classmates live, what pets we have, how we get to school, and our favorite activities.

To document what we learn, we will create graphs and complete art projects to share throughout our classroom!

"Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence."--Maria Montessori

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Dates to remember:

• PFM re-opens on Tuesday, September 4
• Extended-day field trip to Seattle Children's Theater on September 18
• Preschool Curriculum Night from 5-6:00pm on September 27

Quick Classroom Reminders:

• Please be sure your child has extra clothes in his/her cubby

• Please store rain gear (including boots, coats, and rain pants) at school

• Drop-offs should be short and consistent

• New art/work folders will be sent home Friday--please return the folder to PFM the following Monday

September Birthdays:

Vera--September 28!

September Toddler Newsletter

Hello September~

This month, the toddler students will focus on nature--this will be incorporated into daily classroom work and festive art projects. The students will enjoy leaf painting, reading about fall during circle, and sensory work that incorporates leaves, acorns, and pine cones!

"Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence."--Maria Montessori

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Dates to remember:

• PFM re-opens on Tuesday, September 4
• Toddler Information Night will be held Thursday, Ocbtober 4 from 5-6:00pm

Quick Classroom Reminders:

• Please be sure your child has extra clothes in his/her cubby

• Please store rain gear (including boots, coats, and rain pants) at school

• Drop-offs should be short and consistent

• If you have questions about your child's day, we invite you to email us at toddlers@pacificfirstmontessori.com

Send-Off Success: Tips to Ease your Morning Drop-Off

Your morning routine may or may not look something like this: your child wakes, enjoys breakfast, gets dressed, and plays. (This routine runs relatively smoothly on some days and seemingly less smooth on others.) Now, it's time to pack up and head to school.

The school transition can elicit a variety of emotional responses from your child--their caregiver is leaving. While your child is in a safe, nurturing environment at PFM, it can be difficult for infants, toddlers, and preschool-age students to understand what school drop-off entails. To ease your child's potential stress, we encourage you to talk to them about your morning routine. Reassure your child they are safe at school, and you will pick them up at the end of the day.

We encourage you to have these conversations with children of all ages! For additional drop-off tips and information, we enjoyed this article.

August Infant Newsletter

Hello August, and happy summer~

During the first week of August, the infants will work with sensory bottles. The bottles provide an opportunity for the infant to grasp and stack, while also learning the principle of cause and effect. There will be a lesson on stacking towers by working with a put-and-take shape set. Baby dolls are always a favorite in the infant classroom, and dolls will be available throughout the month for the infants to work with. They enjoy feeding, nurturing, and putting the dolls to sleep on blankets in the classroom. In the afternoons, we will play games, sing, and read books. We will also complete several art projects while enjoying time outside!

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“Learn to move, move to learn:
Babies need to move freely in a safe
place. When babies are allowed to move
and explore on their own, they learn about
their environment and abilities. Babies
develop confidence and problem-solving
skills as they move, explore, and relate to
their environment. ”

— RIE Principal

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Dates to remember:

August 30-31: PFM closed for teacher in-service

Weekly Focus:

August 1-3: Sensory (colorful shake bottles)

August 6-10: Gross motor (manipulating pillows)

August 13-17: Fine motor (stacking cups)

August 20-24: Cognitive (put-and-take house with shapes)

August 27-29: Social/emotional (baby dolls)

August Toddler Newsletter

Hello August, and happy summer~

As summer draws to a close, we will celebrate all the things we like to do and see during this warm, wonderful season. We will learn how to pit cherries, make lemonade, and cut grass!

"Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence."--Maria Montessori

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Dates to remember:

PFM is closed for teacher in-service on August 30-31

Weekly lessons:

Coming soon!

August North Class Newsletter

Hello August, and happy summer~

This month, North Preschool will be a bunch of happy campers (literally)! We will have a camping unit in the classroom. On our practical life shelf there will be carabiner fastening, camp dish cleaning, and a water filtering work.

At circle, we will sing songs about camping and the outdoors. We will talk about ways to keep ourselves safe when camping and the importance of leaving a clean campsite. During circle will also be a fun time to pretend there is a campfire and tell some stories!

Because we are reaching the end of the summer and preparing for a new school year, we will be doing a lot of cleaning! We will devote one day to dusting the shelves, another to cleaning chairs, etc. August is always a fun month to sneak in the last bits of summer!

Sounds of the week:

August 1-3: Pp / August 6-10: Tt / August 13- 17: Ll

August 20-24: Cc / August 27-31: Ww

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Dates to remember:

• August 2: the Reptile Man visits PFM at 10:00am
• August 9: Field trip to Seattle Center (via Monorail) at 10:00am
• August 16: Field trip to Volunteer Park (via bus) at 10:00am
• August 23: the Bubbleman visits PFM (time TBD)
• August 30-31: PFM closed for teacher in-service

Birthdays this month:

August 1, Aurora turns 4

August 18, Cade turns 5

August 31, Maya turns 5

Happy birthday, friends!

August South Class Newsletter

Hello August, and happy summer~

This month, South Preschool will enjoy movement activities and fun games during these final summer days. We will learn about the sun and why it is important to us. We will make sunshine art and learn a special song, "Mr. Golden Sun."

The lyrics are shared below if you'd like to sing this at home with your child:

Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
please shine down on me.
Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
hiding behind the tree.
These little children are asking you
to please come out so we can play with you.
Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun.
Please shine down on me.

Shine down on me. Shine shine shine.
Shine down on me. Shine shine shine.
Shine down on me. Shine shine shine.
Shine down on me.
Mr. Sun, Mr. Sun, Mr. Golden Sun.

Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
please shine down on me.
Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
hiding behind the tree.
These little children are asking you
to please come out so we can play with you.
Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun.
Please shine down on,
please shine down on,
please shine down on me.

Sounds of the week:

August 1-3: Pp / August 6-10: Tt / August 13- 17: Ll

August 20-24: Cc / August 27-31: Ww

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Dates to remember:

• August 2: the Reptile Man visits PFM at 10:00am
• August 9: Field trip to Seattle Center (via Monorail) at 10:00am
• August 16: Field trip to Volunteer Park (via bus) at 10:00am
• August 23: the Bubbleman visits PFM (time TBD)
• August 30-31: PFM closed for teacher in-service

Please feel free to bring in any of the following:

• Salad scraps/veggies/fruits for the bunnies

• Old necklaces or necklace beads for stringing

• Water or bubble toys for the playground

Thank you