"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!"
e-RPDS                                                                                             12/16/2016
Letter from the Director
Dear Redeemer Community,

Decorating the tree is a bit like traveling through history. Jingle bells from my great-grandfather's sleigh - my grandmother's first ornament from the early 1900s - a gold angel made for me by my grandmother in 1969 - tacky plastic bells that I picked out myself in 1976 (I thought they were crystal) - a miniature stocking knit by my mom - the San Francisco street car from my high school exchange trip in 1987 - the "Knott's First Christmas" ball from 1995 - needle pointed treasures handmade by my mother-in-law - babies first Christmas from 1999, 2001, and 2004 - the Ravens, Os, Boston College, Redeemer, Cathedral, St. Paul's - the list goes on...
 
We are going away this Christmas and were not sure it would be worth the hassle of putting up a tree, hauling out the ornaments, and decorating it - all to be taken down and not enjoyed on Christmas. Fortunately sentimentality won out and a big sparkling tree is standing in our family room. We began our family decorating with an announcement from me to use the ornaments sparingly; the less we put up, the easier it will be to take it down. Box after box, beloved treasures were discovered. The tree limbs drooped from the weight.  
 
In the midst of all the chaos, I opened a box of Redeemer Christmas treasures, and a predictable smile spread across my face. The most beloved treasures of all; the ornaments and keepsakes that were created painstakingly by the hands of my boys when they were little, their baby faces superimposed on angels, stars, and wreaths, spray-painted macaroni, pint-sized hand prints, among so much more. With names written backwards, parts glued on at a slant, or disproportionate amounts of glitter, they have become wonderful reminders of a very special time in our family history, the preschool years. 

My boys, who are steps away from becoming men, still reminisce about those Redeemer ornaments. They argue over whose angel should top the tree, laugh at their four year old faces in elf hats, and tease one another about their overly large, just decipherable handwriting, and I always smile, knowing that the same pine cone glitter scatters over our floors, 15 years and counting.
 
Every year that same box feels like a newly discovered treasure chest - because it is. It's a chance to go back in time, even if for just a moment; a chance to walk through a part of our history once again. One day, you too will look back at your Redeemer Christmas treasures and this very special part of your family history and do nothing but smile.
 
On behalf of all of us at Redeemer, I want to wish you a joyful holiday season full of memories in the making.

Merry Christmas!
Mary



Classroom Updates:

 
Mrs. Arrup & Mrs. Yanega's 2s
The Christmas spirit has clearly descended on the 2's.  We have been very busy cutting, pasting and decorating for the holiday all the while focusing on the color green and triangles. We even have candy canes growing in our room!  It is amazing how a small peppermint can grow into a full size candy cane; the wonders of the season! During circle time the children have been singing Christmas songs, playing a Christmas match game and identifying colors in the game, "Candy, Cane, Candy Cane Sweet as can be...". Look for the Twos who will be leading the procession with their magical jingle bells during next week's Christmas service. We wish you a wonderful, relaxing holiday!  Enjoy every minute with your sweet little angels.

Mrs. Wyatt & Mrs. Zuidema's 2s
During the month of December, our themes have been Christmas, the color green, and triangles.  We decorated green triangle trees for our bulletin board.  We added green frogs to our brown bear books and made Rudolph decorations.  Our most favorite activity was planting peppermints and watching them grow into big candy canes!!  We are looking forward to the program on Tuesday and hope everyone can attend.  There will be a party for all of the Twos in Hale immediately following the program.  You may want to take this time to take inventory of your children's cubbies and extra clothes.  Also, do not forget to take home all of the Holiday goodies.  Your children have worked very hard on a gift for you.  We hope you enjoy a wonderful break with your families, and we wish you a very merry Christmas and a wonderful new year.  As always, we thank you for sharing your children with us.
Mrs. Hooper & Mrs. Grieves' 3s
Your Little Elves continue to make Christmas goodies in the classroom including a special treat for Mom and Dad!  They made Reindeer food which was a big "hit" as well as a red nosed " Christmoose."  Be sure to ask your children about the special story we read about Daddy "Moosletoe."  Another favorite story was, "Are You Grumpy Santa".  a book full of rhyming and lots of laughs!  Letter recognition and the children's attention span at circle time are quite impressive. They are able to answer so many of our "content" questions after story time!  The energy level and "volume" in the classroom are increasing as Christmas draws near.  We are working on focusing that energy into our many Christmas songs which we are practicing daily for the pageant.  We look forward to performing for you all on Tuesday, December 20th at 9:15 in the church. Drop your children off in carpool line as usual that day and go directly to the church to grab a seat.  Following the service, our children and their families will gather in our classroom for a brief party. Thank you to our party Moms.  Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing everyone back at school in the New Year on January 4th!  HOHOHO!!!

Mrs. Schroeder & Miss Ball's 3s
The five day threes are ready for Christmas. They have been busy little elves! We have made Christmas wreaths, elves, moose, and Christmas lights! Our classroom is looking festive! Shhh, it's a surprise, but they worked so hard on the special gift to bring home. We hope that you are looking forward to the holiday performance as we have been working so hard to learn the songs. They can't wait to show you all the hard work. We have also been working on the shape of a star and the color green. They have mastered Little Jack Horner in record time. Our class has certainly earned this upcoming break. Please enjoy the holidays and the break. We look forward to the new year when they will have to learn 2017.

Mrs. Faint & Mrs. Baker's Pre-k
We are in full Christmas mode in our classroom with crafts and carols galore! In the front of the room is a fireplace with stockings with glittered names on them, in the back we have a bulletin board with the Nativity scene containing numerous angels complete with - glitter! There is a small tree that has been redecorated several times a day and two nativity scenes that are also in near constant motion. We have watched an amaryllis bloom and read the legend of the poinsettia. We are ready to switch the celebrating to your homes now-, so have a wonderful Christmas season with your children, true gifts that they are!
Mrs. Loeb & Miss Sciuto's Pre-k
Our pre-k class has glittered, glued, cut, pasted, and painted everything in sight. We have been singing for two weeks, and have counted down the days til Christmas.  Our stockings were hung by the chimney with care... take a peek at our hallway!  We have talked about Christmas trees, cookie baking and going to Cathedrals and museums while  at home. Even Jessie Bear has been taken on quite a few trips!  Christmas is certainly a festive, busy, and a  lovely time of year!  We are so glad that we get to spend it together, in the classroom, baking for a 'sister' school, or celebrating it in Church. Thank you for sharing your children with us all year but especially when it is such a special season. Have a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!  

Mrs. Smith & Mrs. Vandenberg's Kindergartens
In addition to crafting ornaments and gifts, the Kindergarteners have been very busy reading new words and counting. We are in full swing with "tapping out" three letter words and reading short books. In math, we are learning all about tally marks and how to count in groups of five. Over the winter break, please continue to read to your child and encourage them to sound out words. Please have your children practice writing their numbers and count to 100. Christmas is such a magical time! Please have a fun and wonderful Christmas spending time with your children.

Mrs. Barta's Pre-first
Pre-first is full of Christmas cheer and excitement. We have enjoyed gearing up for the holidays by practicing our letter writing skills, patterning and graphing holiday symbols, alphabetizing words, pageant rehearsals, Smartboard activities, and story telling. We have also climbed aboard the Polar Express. We have been learning about the symbols of Christmas and its' true meaning. Have a wonderful holiday with family and friends and enjoy this magical time with your children!

Lunch Bunch
Lunch bunch have been having so much fun before the Christmas break. They have been taking advantage of the nicer days with lots of outside play while exploring the nursery and playing with the always popular rescue heroes on the rainy days. They are making many fun holiday projects including cards, ornaments and decorating the school tree. The Lunch Bunchers have been working so hard on. their holiday songs. We have also been working on learning holiday words in Spanish. Please remember that after break we hit the colder temperatures and will need hats and mittens as we do get outside daily. Labels are always a great idea. Enjoy the break with your little ones.


Office Notes
Holiday Greens
Thank you to Elizabeth Guerin and Courtney Stamp and their volunteers for their incredible organization and help with holiday greens sales. Funds raised will go directly back to the school, and we are grateful to the many families who supported the sales. 

Redeemer Gear
Redeemer gear can be purchased year round in the school office. The following items are available for purchase and make the perfect holiday gifts!
  • Under Armour hoodies and tee shirts (youth and adult sizes available)
  • Fleece blankets (great to keep in the car during cold weather or take on picnics)
  • car magnets
  • Tervis Tumblers
  • school tote bags
Common Referral and Parent Release Forms
If your child is applying to any independent schools, please send the Parent Release form for each school to the attention of Katie Poe. This can be obtained from the schools or on their websites. The Common Referral Forms, which must be completed by us between December 1 and January 9, are done electronically. We can not submit any information without the release forms.

Inclement Weather Policy
 
I n the event of inclement weather, the Parish Day School policy is as follows:
If BALTIMORE COUNTY SCHOOLS are CLOSED; the PARISH DAY SCHOOL is CLOSED.
 
If BALTIMORE COUNTY SCHOOLS open one or two hours late, the PARISH DAY SCHOOL will open at 10:00 a.m. Children may arrive at 9:45 a.m.; there will be no early drop-off options. Dismissal will be at the regular time. If Baltimore County Schools are not in session (due to professional days or vacation) you will be notified by the School Office via email and the website will be updated.


UPCOMING CALENDAR EVENTS:

Tuesday, December 20th 9:15 am- Christmas Service-break begins after service- no afternoon programs

Saturday, December 24th 4:00 PM
Family Christmas Eve Service and Pageant
Church of the Redeemer

Tuesday, January 3, 2017- School Resumes



Program Highlights:
Family Baking Bonanza
On Saturday, December 10, eighteen families, including student representatives from the 2s through pre-first, Redeemer parishioners, PDS alum, parents, school and church staff members and even one grandparent, gathered to roll and cut out dough and bake more than 25 dozen sugar cookies for the Govans Elementary Winterfest party. Our students felt great pride in knowing they provided an essential piece, sugar cookies, to any festive celebration. The morning was a huge success!




PDS Sunday
Many members of our community gathered to worship together and celebrate the wonderful partnership between the Day School and Church of Redeemer. The children loved meeting St. Nicholas and hearing his story of generosity!


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In preschool we recognize the privilege, responsibility and joy of educating our youngest students. Alongside their parents, we work diligently at building the foundation for their ongoing and lifelong learning. Be sure to click on the link below found in every issue to see our wonderful students in action. Enjoy!
   
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR 
NEW SLIDESHOW
Merry Christmas to All!
Love, Redeemer Parish Day School 
Please visit our website


Interested in learning more about our 
Kindergarten 
and 
Pre-first?

Please visit:

http://www.redeemerbaltimore.or g/
 
to learn more about 
The Church of the Redeemer

RPDS WEEKLY VALUE
The True Meaning of Christmas

Community News

The Church of the Redeemer 
Christmas Eve Pageant 

We are looking for pageant participants...

This year the annual Christmas Eve Pageant at the Church of the Redeemer will take place as part of our 4pm Christmas Eve Service.

Children and youth ages 3 and older are invited to participate; children younger than 5 need to be accompanied by an adult in the pageant.

All participants including adult shepherds and wranglers are required to attend the rehearsal on Friday, December 23 from 4:00pm-5:30pm and to arrive on Saturday, December 24 by 3:00pm to get into costume prior to the service. Parents should plan to remain for the rehearsal on Friday.

Please click on the following link to sign up:


Contact Us
Redeemer Parish Day School
5603 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210
410-435-9510

Mary Knott, Director
mknott@redeemeronline.com