Notes from Our Director

Dear Playschool Families,
 
Tis the season.....to relax and enjoy time with your family and friends! All our students are excited for the holiday season!

Please remember, we love to play outside, even in the snow (should we ever get some), so the children need coats, snow pants, boots hats and mittens.

For everyone's safety, make sure to always securely close the door as you come and go.
 
Thank you to the class reps for hosting "Muffins with Mom" this month. We had a great turn out with yummy treats!

Thank you to all the families that participated in the Painted Plate, Scrip and Learning Express fundraisers!

Don't forget to log on to smile.amazon.com, as you buy all those gifts, so Playschool can benefit!
 
As we look to the New Year, I am very happy to announce that we have been able to renew our lease here on Miner Street for another two years! The landlords have not put the property on the market yet, but we have the security of knowing we will be here for more years to come. Thank you to the board and Melissa Merkle for all their help in making this happen!
 
School wide clean-up is on Saturday, January 9th at 9:00am - we ask that at least one family member attend.

Our Mandatory General Membership Meeting is on January 13th  at 7:30pm. At that time, we will sign up for auction jobs and answer any auction questions you may still have. Auction items are all due by February 12th .
 
We will also be sending home registration information for next September. Please fill out all the forms and return them ASAP - we open registration to the public January 19th.
 
I wish you all a Wonderful Holiday Season!
Lina
Table of Content































Sharon Smith (4 Day) -  Board President
Stella Barry (4 Day) - Treasurer
Jaimee Scheff (3 Day) - Secretary
Meredith Dragish - 2 Day class Representative
Dava Murray - 3 Day class Representative
Jean Haines - 4 Day class Representative 
TwoDay2 Day Tidbits

It has been an exciting December in the 2 day program.  Our "Big Ideas" this month have included winter trees, surprises and holiday decorations.  We have been exploring the color green through painting, play dough and other fine motor activities.  Our number this month was 3 which is the number of sides a triangle has which was our shape this month.  The children in the 2 day program had fun making family surprises.  We enjoyed having our moms in for Muffins with Mom.

Thank you!
Teacher Alice & Teacher Rachel
ThreeDay3 Day Thrills

Happy December from the 3-day class. 
It has been an amazing month! The children are learning/practicing new skills and concepts everyday.
  • We sign in each morning by crossing off our names from left to right. 
  • We look at each other and say, "Good morning".
  • We have begun to identify 10 letters of the alphabet during circle time.
  • We have begun to identify the letters in the name of the month.
  • We can sing the "Days of the Week" song.
  • We count the number of days that have passed.
  • We can count backward from 5.
  • We are working on counting backward from 10.
  • We can identify the numbers 0-6
  • We listen to stories and think about what will happen next.
  • We can point to and identify each letter in our name.
  • We can recognize our name in a group.
  • We can follow directions during our small group activities.
  • We work hard to take care of our classroom toys and supplies.
  • We can take turns when playing a game.
  • We are learning to listen when our friends are speaking.
  • We use our best manners all the time! (please and thank you)
We have also recently started to learn how to use scissors. Cutting with scissors is a very complex task.
Think of all the control required to actually open and close the scissors. It is not just the wrist, hand and
fingers doing the job but in fact almost all of their entire little body is working hard to cut.
Some suggestions to help develop scissor skills:
  • tearing paper
  • lacing activities
  • manipulating playdough
  • using tweezers or tongs to pick up small objects
  • stringing beads
Remember that each child develops at their own pace. Encouragement and positive
reinforcement are the keys to success. 

We wish you and your family a very wonderful holiday season!
Teacher Christina
Teacher Louise
FourDay4 Day Flash

The four day class has been busy learning through play! We have been playing with letters, words and numbers.  We have also been talking about family traditions and the holiday season. Before the winter break we will make gingerbread houses and enjoy a pajama day! I wish you all a wonderful break and happy new year. 

Happy Thanksgiving!
Teacher Kristie and Teacher Kim
FridayFunFriday Fun

Our small Friday Fun group was introduced to the animal behavior of hibernation after reading the book Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming.

We discussed what animals hibernate and where they sleep for the winter.   We played hide and seek after reading the book A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker.  The children had fun trying to find where mouse was hiding in the classroom.  We finished the month making family holiday surprises. 

Teacher Alice
EnrichmentEnrichment News

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season filled with many wonderful and lasting memories.  May the year of 2016 bring you good fortune and health for you and your families.

On our return from our holiday break, we going to be an arctic explorer like Robert Perry and explore the North Pole discovering the people, the animals and the climate of the North Pole.  The Inuits, people who live in northern Canada and Greenland,  had to survive very harsh climates.  Igloo, which means" house "in Intuit, were build to provide shelter for the hunters who were following a herd or fishing. In two hours, the inuit hunters could have protection from the wind, the cold and the animals.

Then we shall go down under to Antarctica to explore the world of the penguins who are primarily found in the Southern Hemisphere.  So come join the fun with igloo building, sled races and winter games like sled races and curling. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Teacher Linda
DatesDates to Remember
Our last day of school before the winter break is Wednesday, December 23.  The first day back will be Monday, January 4.

Everybody Clean Up
We have our annual school wide all families Clean Up Day on Saturday, January 9 at 9:00 AM.

General Membership Meeting
Our General Membership Meeting is Wednesday, January 13 at 7:30 PM.  This meeting is mandatory for all parents.  The main focus of this meeting will be our upcoming annual auction.

Martin Luther King Day
Playschool will be closed on Monday, January 18 in honor of Martin Luther King Day.  Please enjoy your day of service.
AuctionAuction Updates

Our 37th Annual Live & Silent Auction will be held on Saturday, March 12 at 6:00 pm at the The Ballroom at the Westside.

What is a Silent Auction?
  • Our biggest fundraiser.
  • Goods and services are donated and put up for bid with a starting and raising minimum.
  • Attendees are assigned bidder numbers used to place anonymous bids on the items.
  • Bidding closes at a set time, and the highest bidder "wins" the item.
  • Food, drinks and the opportunity to socialize with adults (NO CHILDREN ALLOWED.
How do we get items for the auction?
  • Each Playschool family is required to bring in (at least) five donations.
  • Each donation should have a minimum value of $50.
  • A mail campaign is sent by Playschool to previous donors, businesses catering to children, and corporations.
How does a Playschool family get donations?
  • Each family is provided with an auction packet to assist in obtaining donations.
  • Ask friends, family, stores where you shop, services you use.
  • A sponsorship of $50 and up counts as a donation, and provides advertising in the Auction program for the sponsor.
  • Your own time and talents (painting a child's bedroom, making a dessert a month for a year, babysitting, teaching a cooking class) can be used as a donation.
  • Put together a theme related basket such as a rainy day basket, wine and cheese basket...
  • If all else fails, ask for help.  There are many families who can provide ideas and inspiration for getting donations, and you can follow-up on the letters sent in the mail campaign.  If you bring in the donation, you get the credit, even if the original solicitation came from Playschool.
  • All items MUST be new.
Why is it necessary to have an Auction?
  • Playschool is a cooperative without financial support from any church, government or other organization.  The money we raise keeps our school operating.
  • As a cooperative, our goal is to work together to create a nurturing and caring environment in which our children learn and grow.  The money we raise together as a group perpetuates this philosophy.
What are my responsibilities?
  • Getting your donations!  Each family must get (at least) five donations and/or sponsors with a $50 minimum value.
  • Helping to set up on the day of, run things the night of, and/or clean up after the Auction.
  • Bringing family, friends and donors to the Auction!!!!!!!!!!
FundraisingFundraising

Scrip
Fundraising while you shop!  Stop selling and start earning!  Scrip fundraising is a no-selling program that allows families to raise money for their non-profit organization (NPO).  Scrip is just another way to pay for everyday purchases using gift cards in place cash, checks, and credit cards.

You purchase gift cards from your organization at face value, and your coordinator orders those cards from Great Lakes Scrip Center at a reduced price.  The difference is an instant rebate for your organization.  It's really that simple!

When you use scrip gift cards at your favorite retailers, you're fundraising while you shop.  Great Lakes Scrip Center offers over 300 of the country's biggest brands, including grocery, department stores, gas stations, restaurants, hotels, home improvement, and more.  Just by using scrip to pay for your normal weekly purchases, you can easily raise $500 or more per year.  It's time to put your shopping dollars to work!

This is an easy way to help Playschool earn money!  If you have an Amazon.com (or Amazon Prime) account, you can go to Amazon Smile and select West Chester Playschool as the recipient of your charitable donation, and Playschool will earn 5% of what you spend!  This program is similar to Giant Rewards etc., except you don't even need to leave your couch;)   Here is a link to get started:  http://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-2768285

Register you Giant Bonus Card for the A+ Program.  A percentage of your purchases goes back to the school.  It is free to you and benefits Playschool.  You can register your card here.
West Chester PlaySchool | 725 West Miner Street, West Chester, PA 19382  | 610-692-6538 
westchesterplayschool@gmail.com  | W estChesterPlaySchool.org
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