Nutritional Breakfast

October 4, 2015

On October 5, we had our school wide Nutritional Breakfast. Each classroom was a station and the classes rotated to each station. The Suns classroom was all about bananas and the students got to help slice bananas. In the Crayons classroom, we learned about wheat, we saw wheat seeds and stalks and mixed pancakes. The Owls room taught us about oranges and we got to use a juicer to squeeze the juice from oranges. The Frog room taught us about eggs and each student got to crack an egg into the bowl and help whisk the eggs.

The entire school got together to enjoy the nutritional breakfast (cooked by our lovely assistants and parent volunteers) of bananas, pancakes, eggs and orange juice.

It was such a fun day right before fall break!

Nutritional Breakfast, whisking eggs

Never goodbye…but see you later!

May 28, 2015 Comments: 2

The last week of school has come and gone and we are all ready for a fun filled summer vacation. We enjoyed a fun week of activities including crazy hair day, water balloons, bubbles and an Eegees party. The week ended with our annual spring sing and promotion ceremony. Thanks to all the families who were able to share in this special day, and who have supported us throughout the year.

It is always hard to say goodbye. Especially to the little ones who will be going off to kindergarten. We know that we have given them our best and that they are ready to join the world of big kids as they continue their learning adventure, but we will miss their special hugs.

The last day of school is always filled with a lot of excitement, love, hugs and a few tears.

Mrs. Monier’s sentiment from a few years ago holds true for each new class of children that pass through our doors.

“Finished my last day of preschool – As I opened my classroom door at the end of the day, it dawned on me that it wasn’t so much about what I’d taught them, but all the things they taught me: How to laugh, tolerance, pure joy, curiosity and unconditional love, just to name a few. So, to my little people, my best wishes will follow you to kindergarten, along with a piece of my heart! Love you all!”

It is never goodbye…but see you later!

Should you send a 3 year old to preschool?

April 13, 2015

Setting the butterfly free

Some parents choose to wait until a child is ready for a pre-k (4/5 year old) class before sending them to a preschool program. Once enrolled, they find the pre-k program to be a wonderful experience for their child, and we often hear…”I love St. Paul’s and wish I had enrolled my child when they were three to get the full benefit of both years.” The 3 year old program and pre-k program are quite different. In our three year old class, the emphasize is on social growth,

Things that roll!!

a vital building tool for future educational success. Many young children know their colors, some letters and numbers, but struggle in a social environment. Our three year old teachers have many years of experience working directly with this young age group. Many times, preschool is a child’s first experience in a structured setting with teachers and a group of children. It’s an opportunity to learn to share, follow instructions, and begin the foundation for learning success. Our program offers the benefit of essential playtime and also beginning the first step in pre-math and pre-literacy development.

Learning about germs

In preschool, a 3 year old learns to feel cared for and secure with a teacher and builds trust with adults outside of their family. A quality structured environment encourages social interaction and children are shown how to handle conflict with others. A 3 year old at preschool will learn to make choices, learn to take care of themselves and others, and strengthen cognitive skills by engaging in hands-on activities that challenge them to observe, ask questions and solve problems. So, the answer is yes. Most 3 year olds will benefit greatly from preschool. Check out our amazing 3 year old program and see how much fun they are having.

Creativity at work

Things that fly

Enjoying a special visitor

Snacktime fresh from the garden

Shaving cream fun

Imaginative play

Pajama & Hibernation day

Finding the treasure

Veggies can be fun, and yummy too!

March 24, 2015 Comments: 2

Want your children to eat more vegetables? Plant a garden! This has been such a bountiful year for our garden. We are so blessed that the Avery family built this wonderful garden box for our preschoolers allowing them the opportunity to enjoy the rewards of hard work. The children helped prepare the soil, plant the seeds, and made sure all the plants were watered on a regular basis.

In the fall, we planted peas, spinach, basil and carrots. We have enjoyed many creative ways to include the spinach and basil in our snack menu, and the children have loved pulling the peas off the vine to enjoy during snack time. It has taken a while for the carrots to mature, but the children were having a ball harvesting the carrots today. As the spring heat hits Tucson, our fall planting harvest is about gone, but we are excited to see the sprouting of our spring flowers.

Western Daze Carnival

February 23, 2015

St. Paul’s Preschool Western Daze Carnival

Friday, March 6^th

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

$5.00 Admission – Buy your tickets soon!

**Includes Unlimited Children’s Activities, Drinks & Ice Cream Sundae Bar.**

All activities inside St. Paul’s United Methodist Church Life Center.

Concession food items (hot dogs, popcorn & nachos) available for $1.00

Food Fun Prizes

Jumping Castle with slide

Treat Walk, win tons of delicious baked goodies

Dancing with DJ Brian

Fishing Hole, guaranteed “catch”

Craft Table, 3 different cowboy crafts

Bean Bag Toss and prize

Face Painting

Hoedown Picture Op

Explore the world…read a book

February 2, 2015

As a parent, you have the power to boost your children’s learning potential simply by making books

After losing her bonnet, the policeman offers Madame Chapeau his hat.

an integral part of their lives. Children who are read to are more likely to do well in all facets of education.

The baker offers his hat

St. Paul’s Preschool values the gift of reading and we make sure it is included in each preschool day.

All the people in Paris offer their hats

The magic of a book is the focus of our Pre-K Monday Soaring class. The children experience all aspects of a story.

Madame Chapeau is sad because none of the hats is quite right.

Today in Soaring, Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Hoffsmith shared the book, Happy Birthday Madame Chapeau. The children embraced the story and showed their acting skills.

All is well as Madame Chapeau is given a hat, knitted with love. The perfect hat.

Happy Birthday Madame Chapeau

by Andrea Beaty
illustrated by David Roberts

Our amazing lead actress!

This is the tale of a lonely hat maker who matches customers to the perfect hat but lacks her own perfect match in life. Once a year, on her birthday, Madame Chapeau ventures out in her favorite bonnet to dinner. This time, a crow snatches her hat and flies away. Mon dieu! As she chases the crow through the streets of Paris, a baker, a policeman, a cowboy, and others offer her their own hats to wear. None of them are quite right, though, until one special little girl offers her a hat “knitted with love and [her] best birthday wish.”

A delightful and very stylish story about love, community, and friendship, with some fancy hats thrown in for good measure.

Dry Ice Discovery Pictures

January 10, 2015 Comments: 2

Dry Ice fun Mrs. Van Wormer

To a young child, every day can be a discovery of something new. Preschoolers love to explore the world around them. Simple science activities help young children enhance this natural curiosity.

Science exploration in the classroom provides young children the opportunity to…

Build self-confidence
Engage in “hands on” experiences
Increase observation skills
Receive opportunities to use tools, equipment and familiar materials
Problem solve
Develop sensory, physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and social attributes
Develop language through increased vocabulary as they ask and answer questions
Just have fun

Making bubbles with dry ice

Science activities are incorporated into many of the learning themes throughout our preschool program. A small sampling includes mixing colors, making slime, learning the difference between salt and fresh water and its effect on floating, erupting volcanoes and discovering the wonder of dry ice.

Happy New Year

January 5, 2015

Happy New Year to all our St. Paul’s Preschool families.

We hope you enjoyed a wonderful Christmas celebration with your families. We are excited to begin the new year with more fun and creative learning opportunities. See you tomorrow, January 6. Just a reminder, there is no Stay & Play tomorrow. The sign up for next Tuesday will be this Wednesday and Thursday.

Merry Christmas

December 17, 2014

Merry Christmas to our preschool families
Just a few reminders ….
Our last day of Preschool for 2014 will be December 18. School resumes on January 5 (Soaring) and 6, 2015.

Christmas Program – Join us for our annual Christmas program on Thursday, December 18, 9:30 to 10 a.m. The children will remain with their class at all times during the program, and will immediately return to their classrooms for some more Christmas fun and may be picked up at the usual time.
Stay & Play – Will resume on January 12. Sign up will be January 7 and 8.
Tuition for January – The business manager would like to wish all families a Merry Christmas and to let everyone know that tuition will not be due for January until the week of January 6th. No late fees will be assessed if paid by January 8.

Not a box

December 4, 2014

Monday’s Soaring class enjoyed discovering the book “Not a box”.

Forget expensive toys and electronics, children absolutely love being read to and playing with boxes.

What a perfect combination!