Zion’s Hill Preschool Newsletter – April 2017
From the Director’s Desk:
April showers bring May flowers. As Spring arrived, we were a little mystified by the snow, but it looks like we are finally turning the corner. March was filled with activities that helped the children have fun on those days where we just could not get outside. I spent some extra time in the classrooms doing special activities with each age group. It was so nice to go back to my teaching roots for a little while. Fruit sushi, ice cream in a bag, rainbows in a jar, Irish Soda bread, fizzing green eggs, and salt dough dinosaur bones – oh what fun! Ask your child which activity they got to be a part of last month.
This month is going to be overflowing with activities and events for all to enjoy. We will begin with yoga to help us ease into the month of excitement, then all will enjoy a much needed Spring Break. I hope your families get to do some fun and exciting activities together. Upon our return, we will have some Music with Miss Joanne and our annual Parents & Pastries event. This will be followed by a week of celebrating your children with the “Week of the Young Child”. It will be a week of fun and adventure for all the children including some parent involvement activities and finished off with the Playground clean up.
I hope you will be able to join some of the very special activities happening this month. After all, as Robin Williams said, “Spring is Nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s Party!’ ”
Dates to Remember
April
4 & 5 Yoga
5 Board Meeting, 7:30pm (Conference Room)
10-14 No School – Spring Break
18 & 19 Music
19 Open House/Mini Class for Prospective Families, 10:00-11:00am
20 & 21 Library
22 Parents & Pastries, 9:00-11:00am
24 Week of the Young Child, Letters from Parents
25 & 26 Spanish
25 Week of the Young Child, Hat Day
26 Week of the Young Child, Kid’s Choice Day
27 Week of the Young Child, Tie Dye Day
28 Week of the Young Child Family Parade (9:15am) and Pizza Party (12:00pm, for children only)
29 Playground Clean-up, 10:30am
May
1 Annual Meeting, 7:30pm (Conference Room)
15 2017-2018 Returning/New Families’ Contracts and 1st Tuition Payment Due
21 Spring Family Fun Day, 10:30am-12:30pm
29 No School – Memorial Day
Save the Date
June 8
4’s and 5’s Graduation
Miss Marissa’s Class, 9:30-10:15am
Miss Kristen’s Class, 10:15-11:00am
Miss Molly’s Class, 11:00-11:45am
June 8 & 9
Last Day of School/End-of-Year Picnics
End-of-year picnics will be held on Thursday, June 8 and Friday, June 9. Teachers will be sharing the day of your classroom celebration soon.
Fundraising
| Spring Fling Thank you to the many parents and teachers who came to Spring Fling to support our school and children on Friday night. It was a wonderful evening filled with laughter, good food, dancing and of course, bidding! The event was made possible thanks to generous donors and a dedicated committee of volunteers who contributed their time and talents. A special and heartfelt thank you to our incredible Fundraising Chairs, Yanina Dusheyko and Melanie Will for organizing an amazing and successful event! |
Special Programs
Week of the Young Child
This year we will be celebrating our Friends, Families and Zion’s Hill Preschool Spirit from April 24-28 in honor of the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Week of the Young Child. NAEYC sponsors this week annually to celebrate early learning, young children, their teachers and families.
We have planned events at varied times in an effort to provide an opportunity for every family to participate and celebrate with us. We hope each child will have one guest during the week at one of the events. Your child’s teacher will be sharing additional information in the coming days.
- Saturday, April 22: Parents & Pastries (9:00-11:00am)
- Monday, April 24: Parents will write love notes to their children. These will be read during the week at lunchtime.
- Tuesday, April 25: Silly Hat Day
- Wednesday, April 26: Kid’s Choice Day/Create Tie Dye Shirts
- Thursday, April 27: Tie Dye Day
- Friday, April 28: Family Parade (9:15am) & Pizza Party (12:00pm for students only)
This year we will also be doing a book drive to collect new or gently used books for children in need.
Social Events
Please keep an eye on the Social Events board in the lobby for upcoming coffees and social functions!
Meal Train
Meal Train for the Runestad Family
Debbie and Kyle Runestad have welcomed their baby boy! In an effort to help them through the next few weeks, the ZHPP community has organized a meal train for the family. Please consider participating by clicking on this link to select a date for dinner delivery: https://mealtrain.com/yloynm
Registration and Enrollment
2017-2018 School Year
Enrollment for next year is going very well! If you have friends or family interested, please have them contact the office to schedule a tour or sign up for our Mini Class on April 19. From 10:00-11:00am, we welcome families to visit ZHPP and watch as their child’s creativity transforms them into a Little Artist. The activities will be geared towards “April Showers.” The children will hear the story, It Looked Like Spilt Milk, create puffy clouds and design rain sticks. This will be a small introduction to how Zion’s Hill Preschool uses simple skills and fun activities to allow children to explore the world around them.
Animal Adventures Summer Camp
Summer Camp – Very Limited Spaces Available!
ZHPP is excited to offer three weeks of Summer Camp in June. We are continuing with many exciting program offerings this year, including special guests and visits from local organizations. Our Summer Camp will also include free play, music, stories, arts and crafts, snack, time for lunch and – of course – plenty of outdoor time with water tables, sprinklers, bubbles and outdoor art activities.
We are also welcoming families outside of Zion’s Hill, so please tell your friends! Open to children ages 2-5, the 5-day program runs Monday through Friday from 9:00am-12:30pm. Extensions are not offered during Summer Camp. Choose from the following themed weeks or go ahead and book them all!
Week 1: June 12-16
Farm Animals, with a visit from Pied Piper
Week 2: June 19-23
Zoo Animals, with a visit from Beardsley Zoo
Week 3: June 26-30
Sea Animals, with a visit from Maritime Aquarium
Please return your registration form and payment to the office as soon as possible, as space is limited. Classes will be filled on a first come, first served basis. The cost is $225 per week plus a non-refundable $50 registration fee for the first child, $25 registration fee for each additional child.
Click here for the Summer Camp 2017 Registration Form
Extended Day Programs
Afternoon Adventures
Did you know that your child can extend their learning until 3:00pm at Zion’s Hill Preschool? Themed Afternoon Adventures occur each day from 12:30-3:00pm for the 3’s, 4’s and 5’s. After a brief rest period to regroup, the children do a variety of activities and enjoy additional outdoor time on our beautiful playgrounds. Monday is filled with Games and Gadgets to engage the mind. Board games, outdoor games and the use of the smart board fill the afternoon. On Tuesday the children experience a second language as Señora Vicky teaches Spanish in small group sessions. On Wednesday the children have the opportunity to create structures with a variety of materials as they explore Building and Design. Cooking is a crowd pleaser on Thursday. The children get to develop their senses of taste and smell while creating and eating delicious treats. And what better way to finish a week than with a little Fitness Fun on Friday?
If you would like your child(ren) to participate in these amazing adventures, drop-in availability is limited so please sign up 24 hours in advance. Payment of $40 per session is due upon sign-up.
We look forward to extending your child’s learning through more fun and exciting activities. This is a great opportunity for children in the 4’s and 5’s programs to begin transitioning to a longer day. Kindergarten is a big adjustment so helping them get a jump start is always beneficial.
Board of Directors
Join the ZHPP Board
By now you should have received a letter and application inviting you to join our parent-run Board of Directors for the 2017-2018 school year. Thank you to those who have submitted applications! We have some wonderful roles that have varying time commitments. Please consider joining this dedicated and enthusiastic group of parents and complete an application today.
For additional information, please contact Jessica Joy (jandpjoy9@msn.com), Jen Longmire at (jlongmire1@optonline.net), or Heather Bravi at (heather.bravi@gmail.com).
Important Notes
Tick Control
We would like you to be aware that CT Tick Control sprays our property for ticks 3 times a year. This company is approved by the state of Connecticut. The first application will be later this month.
Playground and Gates
With the nicer weather, you and your child/ren may be departing from outside and through the side gates. To ensure safety, we ask that the gates be opened by adults only; please remember to close them. If you choose to add a little extra play time on the playground at the end of the day, please clean up and close the gate.
Amazon Smile
Remember to use AmazonSmile to support Zion’s Hill! Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to ZHPP. Go to Amazon and choose Zion’s Hill Preschool Program or go directly here. Thank you!
