This month's newsletter topics
Fall Fun- School Pictures-October and November Calendar – Music -Colds and flu and sickness, Oh MY! – Reminders – We are collecting…
This month's newsletter topics
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Fall Fun
What a great start to the school year at Hands On Art and Play! The students are having a great time and learning so many things. We have fun every day! Every morning we start our day with The Question Of The Day. These questions are fun and every child gets to vote with a yes or a no. Questions like, “Have you ever been on a bus?” help us have fun conversations and get to know the students in our classroom. Then children can explore the classroom, play at the tables, build in the Lego and blocks area, and work on the daily art project. At about 10 AM we gather as a big group to talk about the day and sing our morning songs. Last month our students worked on brainstorming classroom agreements. They are posted in the circle time area. This way everyone knows our school rules. You can ask your child to tell you about our agreement or even to show you the list at school.
Then we break up into two smaller groups. One group has snack while the other group has a smaller circle time. These second circle times are really nice, as the kids get a chance to be in smaller groups and do more focused learning. During circle time we do our daily jobs, such as updating the calendar, giving a weather report, and learning the letter and number of the day. We also learn numbers and letters through activities and games. Other times we practice reading or listening to stories or even having an impromptu show and tell! The children love the small groups and enjoy being able to learn and play with their friends.
After snack we are off to the playground for an hour of fun! Rain or shine, so make sure to bring a coat!
Then back inside for story time and lunch! It it is a music day, we will have an early lunch (AKA “snunch”),and eat before our music class. At the end of the day most of our students go home but a handful will stay for the enrichment classes. On Tuesday and Thursdays our afternoon class meets from 12:30-3 PM. This class does the same things as the morning group but in reverse order.
This year we are pleased to partner with these local children’s programs: Yoga Playgrounds, Northwest Children’s Theater, Soccer Shots and Portland Early Learning’s Adventures in Spanish!
We are lucky to also have visiting musicians and artists in our classroom each week. They join us every other Tuesday and Wednesday. So far we have enjoyed music from Tallulaha’s Daddy, Chuck Cheesman, World Fusion Events and Aaron Nigel Smith.
Last month, our students had fun with leaves, apples and sunflowers. We tasted apples, printed with apples, and painted apple trees. Ask your child to sing you “Five little apples up in a tree “.
Leaves and trees also give the children opportunities to learn and play. We made glitter leaves, collected leaves and printed with them. We learned a few new songs. Ask your child to sing you the song about raking the leaves, or the leaves falling down. We read “The Tiny Seed” by Eric Carle and examined real sunflowers, removing the seeds as well as creating our own pictures of sunflowers!
School Pictures
It is that time again! School pictures will be Wednesday and Thursday, October 15th and 16th. Douglas Frierott is a former Hands On parent and has been doing our class pictures for the last few years. They are great, you can see some at http://www.douglasfrierott.com
We will start photos in the morning and children will have their individual pictures taken and we will also do class photo each day. You do not have to purchase the photos, but if you do please bring a check for Douglas the day of photos. A 5 x 7 class picture is $25. For $35 you get the class picture and a 5 x 7 print of your child. Photos will be emailed to you so you can choose the one you want him to print. Digital files will also be available. Please let us know if you would like to have your child’s siblings photos taken, as well. If your child does not attend school on Wednesday or Thursday you can still join us for photos.
October and November Calendar
October is a busy month. Children and families are settling in to their new schedules and the holidays are just around the corner. Preschool children love to celebrate and have parties. Over the next few months our students will do many projects centered on holidays our families may celebrate at home. Children are invited to talk about the holidays their families celebrate and will learn what other celebrations take place around the world. If you have a fun tradition that you would like to share with the class, let your teacher know.
Because Hands On children attend our school on different schedules, we try to make sure that we include some sort of celebration each day so that all the children get to participate in something special and do not feel that they are missing out.
This month we are looking forward to a visit from “Talk About Trees”. Talk About Trees is an interactive, science-based program for preschool through eighth grade students. This program brings the forest into the classroom and helps to encourage awareness and appreciation for the value of trees and forests in our daily lives. The program also encourages an understanding about the protection, management and conservation of the renewable forest. Joan, a former Hands On parent, leads the Talk About Trees program and works with all of our students to create recycled paper. We also look at fruit and nuts that come from trees, as well as all different types of cones and needles.
Fall Calendar
Wednesday, Oct. 2-
Music Class with Aaron Nigel Smith 
Tuesday, Oct. 8 –
Talk About Trees Oregon Forest Program
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 15th and 16th-
School Pictures 9:30 AM morning classes, 12:45 PM afternoon class.
Wednesday,Oct.16-
Music Class with World Fusion Events
Tuesday, Oct. 22 – TBA
Thursday, Oct. 31 –
Halloween Party! Children can wear or bring costumes to school and we will have a Halloween party!
All Hands On families and siblings are invited to join us from 11:30-12:30 for the party, even if your child doesn’t attend school on Thursdays.
Look for a sign-up sheet on the door to see how you can help.
Friday, November 1st –
Pajama Day!You are probably tired from all that trick or treating, so wear pajamas to school and have breakfast for lunch! Look for a sign-up sheet on the door to see how you can help.
Monday, November 11-
No School, Veteran’s Day.
November 14 and 15th-
School Pictures 9:30 AM
November 13th-
Talk About Trees nature walk
Mon-Friday, Nov. 25-29 –
No School, enjoy Thanksgiving vacation!
Colds and flu and sickness, Oh MY!
It is the season of germs!
If your child has a bad cough, has diarrhea, fever, rash or green goop running from eyes or nose, he or she should stay at home.
We do our best to keep things clean around here and we appreciate it if you keep your children home when they are sick. Please help us by reminding your kids to cough/sneeze into a tissue or their inner elbow and wash their hands often.
Reminders
- Tuition payments are due on the 1st and late after the 5th of each month.
- Morning preschool starts at 9 AM and ends at 12:30 PM.
- Afternoon preschool begins at 12:30 and ends at 3 PM.
- Early care is available after 8:30 AM for a $5 fee, or free for 4 and 5 day a week children.
- If you are late picking up your child you will be billed $15 for the first 15 minutes. If you are later than 30 minutes you will be billed for an additional day of school, $40.
- Please send your child to school with a coat and make sure it has the child’s name in it. Some children will have the same coat and this makes it easier for them to find if they take it off on the playground.
- Don’t forget to pack extra clothes for your child to leave at school. We have some, but often kids are more comfortable in their own extra clothes.
- Please pack non-breakable dishes in lunches.
We are collecting:
Please help us collect items we need for some of our projects this year. Here is a list of what we are looking for currently:
- Cardboard milk cartons, juice and 1/2 cartons.
- Fingernail polish, all colors
- Picture frames, any size, old or new.
- Shoe boxes, any size.
- Gift bags, all sizes.
