Fall 2023
What a wonderful group of kids and families! We love getting to know everyone! Your kids are a joy to spend time with each day!
Our Day
Our classes are off to a great start. We have fun every day! We start each class on the playground. The students enjoy playing with each other, running around, swinging, climbing, playing in the sandbox and cooking in the mud kitchen. These kids keep busy!
If the weather is nice, then we move along to the courtyard garden where the kids can play in the “forest”, water and care for our plants. We also enjoy the hula hoops, playing with the pretend farm animals, sidewalk chalk and the sensory bin! Sometimes we even go back to the secret garden!
Then it is off to explore the classroom. Each day we have many activities out on the tables, and an art project in the art area. Students can play in the classroom and work on the planned activities. They keep busy building in the Lego and block area, dressing up, playing in the kitchen, dancing to music, listening to stories, and working on the daily project.
Once all the students have done their art projects we gather as a big group to sing our songs, then split into two smaller groups, to do our listening, learning and circle time work. The children love the small groups and enjoy being able to learn and play with their friends.
Ask your child what they did in circle time today.
Then it is meal time. When we are done, we gather in the cozy story time area and listen to books until all of our friends are ready to go. Then we are off to the playground for more fun before our school day ends! Rain or shine, so make sure to bring a coat!
If your child is in an enrichment class, they participate at either the end or beginning of the school day.
Music class & visiting artists join us during school on various days so everyone can participate a few times a month.
Apples! Leaves! Sunflowers!
We have been learning about fall! We’ve read books, sang songs, printed and painted, observed, and even made made sparkly ones to decorate our tree in the classroom!
School Pictures
It is that time again! School pictures will be Tuesday and Wednesday October 17th and 18th. Douglas Frierott is a former Hands On parent and has been doing our class pictures for many years. All children will get their picture takes for our yearbook, but you are not obligated to buy photos or the yearbook. Douglas will put all photos up on a password secured site and you can choose the ones you want him to print.
If your child does not attend school on Tuesday or Wednesday, you can still join us. Siblings may have their photos taken too, just please let us know so we can plan for it.
Hello parents! It’s time for the annual fall class photos… Here are the details for this year’s photos: – The dates for this year’s photos are Wednesday, Oct. 19th and Thursday, Oct. 20th. – As usual, the class groups will have their photos taken together, and then I will spend a short time with each child capturing individual photos. – The cost for a 5×7 print of the class group photo is $25. – The cost for the group photo AND a 5×7 print OR hi-res digital file of your child, is $35. – Additional 5×7 prints or hi-res digital files of your child are $25 each. – ALL the hi-res digital files of your child, both a color and a sepia-toned version of each image, can be purchased for $125. – All of the kids’ individual photos will be put up on the web for viewing and ordering following the photo shoot. A payment drop envelope will be provided prior to the days of the photo shoots. Payment is due on the day of the photo shoots. Any questions can be directed to me via email: douglas@douglasfrierott.com I look forward to photographing your kids this year and capturing their myriad personalities for you! Thanks, Douglas Frierott Website: douglasfrierott.com
October and November Calendar
Halloween
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. Our first party will be Halloween!
Because Hands On children attend our school on different schedules, we try to make sure that we include a few celebrations that everyone can attend. Our first celebration of the year is Halloween! Dress up and celebrate with us!
Our Halloween party will be on Tuesday, October 31st, 11 am to noon. All families are invited to dress up and celebrate with us! Even if your child doesn’t come to school on a Tuesday, you are welcome to join us for the party! Siblings may attend as well.
Look for a sign-up sheet mid-October on the check in table to see how you can help.
Talk About Trees
Each year we look forward to a few visits 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 schools 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 outside on a nature talk and walk. We will learn about trees with needles and trees with leaves, look at fruit and nuts that come from trees, as well as all different types of cones. Our students love having Joan visit. This month the TAT program will be on Tuesday, and Friday October 6th and 10th.
Fall Calendar
October
Oct. 6-Talk About Trees
Oct. 9-NO SCHOOL, Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Oct. 10-Talk About Trees
October 17th & 18th-School Pictures 9:15 AM morning classes, 1 PM afternoon class.
Oct. 25- Music Class with Geraldo Calderon, https://librarymusicproject.com/artists/gerardo-calderon
Oct.31- Halloween Party! Children can wear, or bring costumes, to school and we will have a Halloween party with special guest Jessa Campbell and the Saplings!! Look for a sign-up sheet mid-October to help.
November
Tuesday, 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 mid-October to see how you can help.
Nov. 3-No school for students, planning day for teachers
Nov. 8- Music
Nov. 10-No School, Veteran’s Day.
Nov. 14th-Music
Nov. 29th-Music
Mon-Friday, Nov. 21-25 –No School, enjoy Thanksgiving vacation!
Colds, flu and sickness, Oh MY!
It is the season of germs!
If your child has a goopy, runny nose–Keep them home until they are 24 hours symptom free, or plan to mask while still a little runny.
If your child a fever, or cough, keep them home and take a COVID test. • If a child tests negative, they may return 24 hours after resolution of cough and fever without the use of fever-reducing medication.
If a child has symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, headache, sore throat, or rash, keep them home and take a COVID test. • If a child tests negative, they may return 24 hours after resolution of symptoms.
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:
- A picture of your child and family
- Picture frames, any size, old or new.
- Shoe boxes, any size.
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. Drop-off begins at 8:45 AM.
- Afternoon preschool begins at 1 PM and ends at 3:30 PM. Drop-off begins at 12:45 PM.
- 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.
Teachers
This year we have 10 teachers in the classroom, along with 4 enrichment teachers, as well as
musicians and early intervention specialist visiting each week. You will receive a cohort list, names of students and parents, as well as email contact information for all families and teachers. In our next newsletter we will introduce you to the enrichment teachers and the other adults in our classroom. To learn more about our current teachers visit, https://www.handsonartandplay.com/about-us