This month's newsletter topics
January – Themes This Month – Dates to Remember – Valentine’s Day Celebrations – Summer Camps and Fall Preschool Registration -Kindergarten Round-Up-Teacher Feature
This month's newsletter topics
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January
January went by fast! Last month we had fun learning about Alaska and the story of Balto, the sled dog. The students also enjoyed building and playing with ice. We wondered why polar bears don’t get as cold as we do when we have our “paws” in ice even though our body temperature is the same. We used some blubber (Crisco) to help keep our “paws” warm and it was really fun! The students were amazed to see how the blubber kept out the cold.
Last month, we also learned about Martin Luther King, Jr. and celebrated his birthday. Our class had some really nice conversations about MLK Jr.’s life and the need for equality and equity in our society. Thanks to the kids who brought in their own books from home to share with the class, we were able to learn about Dr. King’s life through stories. Our class had many thoughtful things to share! We enjoyed learning from one another.
Themes this Month
- Black History Month
- Groundhog Day
- Presidents’ Day
- Friendship and Valentine’s Day
- Where do you live? What are your parents’ names?
- Portland, Oregon
Dates to Remember
February 11th & 12th-Talk About Trees –
Teacher Joan will visit each class for another monthly tree lesson.
February 11th and 12th-Valentine’s Day parties, we will pass out our cards and celebrate friendship!
Monday, February 15th-NO SCHOOL – Presidents’ Day
Valentine’s Day Party
You do not need to address cards to specific children, unless you want to, but make sure each card is signed by your child.
If your child is in the morning cohort please bring in cards on the 9th and 10th, unless you are a Friday only family, you can bring them in on Friday.
Afternoon cohorts can bring in the cards on the day the attend school, Thursday or Friday, Feb. 11th or 12th.
Cards can be store-bought or homemade.
Birdwatching
There is an abundance of bird activity around our school lately and our students love watching the birds and listening to them chirp and sing.
We decided to make pinecone bird feeders!
Summer Camps and Fall Preschool Registration
Hands On is currently accepting registration from current students and younger siblings for fall preschool. Our morning class is almost full!
Summer camp information will be available later this month, or early March. We are waiting to see if we need to continue with the current cohorts, or if summer camps can be more flexible.
Please feel free to call us at 503-239-8521 or email us with any questions you have, as always.
Kindergarten Round-up
Kindergarten Round-Up is an opportunity for you to learn about the school your child will attend for kindergarten.
At Round-Up, you will likely tour the school, meet the kindergarten teachers, and enroll your child. Take this opportunity to ask questions about parent involvement and school events that you and your child can attend before the start of school.
This year the Round-Up will be different, probably virtual. For more information about your school and how to register your child, go to https:https://www.pps.net/Page/11877
Teacher Feature
Teacher Kathy
Hi Friends, I’m Teacher Kathy!
I am a native SE Portlander and I live just a few blocks away from our school. My Husband, Don, and I share our home with our dogs, Lashka the Siberian Husky, and Cleo the terrier-chihuahua. Don and I have two young adult daughters, Emma who lives and works here in the city, and Kate who is a senior at Oregon State University. I’ve been a teacher at Hands On Art & Play since 2003 and my favorite part of our preschool day is sharing crafts and making art with the kids! In my spare time, I do a lot of paper crafting: making cards, party decorations and collages. I also love thrifting, antiquing and estate sale shopping to find just the right item to repurpose or use to decorate. I have a little sign in my craft studio at home that says: “I can make that!” That is my motto!
Some other hobbies of mine are interior decorating, entertaining at home and coming up with, and planning just the right party theme for special occasions!
I also love walking and playing with my dogs, reading and baking.
Our family are huge fans of soccer and season ticket holders in the Timbers Army. We love our Timbers and Thorns! We even got to attend an English Premier League match in Brighton, England in 2019!
When we can, we enjoy traveling. The Oregon Coast is my favorite place to get away to, but we also love to visit Bend, Sunriver and Maupin. We have been to England (twice!), France & my favorite so far, Scotland! Someday, I want to go back to Hawaii and I would love to visit Ireland and Spain!
For now, I am very happy to be here in Portland and part of the Hands On community. Maybe I’ll see you around the neighborhood next time I’m walking my doggies!
