December Newsletter: Room 5
Our December Theme: Winter & Winter Holidays
For the next two weeks, we will be celebrating the seasonal change & creating many wintery art projects…including something special for parents! We will be learning about how animals spend the winter & exploring nature in the winter season. We will also learn about the many ways that people all over the world celebrate this time of year with festivals of light. Please let us know if you have a family tradition that you’d like to share with our class. In January, we will continue our winter theme, shifting into multicultural explorations, “kids around the world”, later in the month.
Winter Celebration:
Friday, December 16, 9:15-10:45
Please join us for songs, crafts, & special snacks…
We will celebrate the holiday season with much good cheer!
Parents’ Night Out:
Our first parents’ night out was a huge success! We hope that you parents had as much fun going out as we did staying in! Please join us for our 2nd parents’ night out on Friday, December 16, 5:30-8:30PM. The information & sign-up sheet is on our bulletin board. Let us know if you’d be interested in a monthly Parents’ Night out, hosted the First Friday of each month.
Upcoming School Closures:
December 19-January 2
As winter break approaches, I’m wondering if any of you are seeking child care/an enriching winter break program during this time?
I would certainly love to provide a “winter camp” experience, for our students and their siblings, similar to the summer camp I’ve run for the past 8 years (small group size, many art projects, stories read aloud, building activities…roughly M-F 9-1). I have a large supply of materials, & many ideas, but no space to host it in.
I’d like to float the idea that if any of you have a space in your home that would accommodate 3-10 kids, & have an interest in providing the space for a reduced rate or for free (depending on group size) in exchange for your own child’s participation…please let me know!
Also, let me know if you’d be interested in a winter camp, even if you do not have space to provide…perhaps we can find one together!
Thanks! ~Cathy
Upcoming Work Assistance Opportunities:
Please contact Cathy ASAP to make arrangements to tackle these tasks before or during winter break. Thank you!!!
“Deep Cleaning” over Winter Break: We really need some carpet cleaning, surface wiping, table & chair scrubbing…winter break would be a great time to freshen up our classroom! Anyone interested?
Repairing & re-upholstering our “new” kid-size sofa: (thank you, Mateo’s mom, Alicia & Jude’s dad, Ethan!)
Creating fabric shelf covers for our shelves (thank you, Phoebe’s mom, Alice!)
Building a “fireplace/hearth” for our dramatic play area (thank you, Ellie’s grandpa!)
Completing classroom painting (thank you, Victor’s family!)
We also need driftwood or other bark-less natural wood to use as “firewood” in our “fireplace”…Or….collect those little “rounds” that lie around Christmas tree lots as trunks are trimmed!!!!
Thank you to all of our parents who chose to use some of their work assistance hours to purchase materials from the Small Hands Montessori catalog for our classroom! Please give these materials to Cathy as she will be integrating them into the classroom ASAP. Thank you for helping to enrich our learning environment!
Rainy Day/Cold Day Gear:
As we will be going outside if it is raining slightly or drizzling, or simply cold & frosty, it is essential for all children to have warm layers, a raincoat, and rain boots (all labeled).
Room 5 E-mail List:
We are missing e-mail addresses for several of you. Please check the list posted on our bulletin board for your name. If you are on the list, please give Cathy your current e-mail address, as we are trying to create a class parents e-mail list that can be relied upon to convey important information in a timely manner.
Lost & Found:
Please check our “Lost & Found” area at the end of the bench/coat hooks in the hallway. We’ve accumulated a few jackets, many hats & gloves, & some misc. belongings.
Cubbies:
Please empty out your child’s cubby before Winter Break as they will be re-painted, & photos will be attached to the cubbies to help the children identify their own cubbies.