September 30, 2011
Dear Parents,
Today your daughter is bringing home a large letter that has a very special meaning to her. It is the first letter of her name. This project will be one of many that we will be completing as we continue to focus on Our Special Names. To children, there is nothing more important than their own name. Names are very meaningful to children, therefore they are eager to learn to identify letters in their own names first; it is very empowering and motivating for them. Children, who are eager, motivated and feel empowered about learning are going to learn more quickly and retain more information.
For this project, I ask that you work with your child on decorating her very own special letter. Decorations can include photos, drawings, and stickers, magazine cut-outs etc. that have special meaning to her. Please make sure to include the following:
Your daughter’s name (If she can write her own name, please let her do so)
A photo of your daughter and a recent family photo
Her favorite color, food and activity.
Please let your daughter use her creativity and imagination for completing this project. Please have this project in by October 5th. All projects will be displayed in our classroom and will be returned at the end of the year. If you have any questions, please feel free to speak with me. Enjoy working with you child!
Thank You,
Mrs. Maneri
Friday, September 30, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
September 26, 2011
Dear Parents,
This week our pre-k class will be “Apple Detectives”. Through hands-on explorations, we will discover many interesting facts about apples and other things related to apples. We will read lots of literature pertaining to our apple focus as well as many other stories that will help us explore the seasons of the year and the wonderful changes the new fall season will bring.
One of the activities that we have preformed today was discovering that there are seedy stars inside an apple that is cut in half horizontally. I shared with the students the story of The Little Red House with No Doors and No Windows and a Star Inside. Attached, you will find a copy of the story. Reread the story together and ask your daughter to retell the story in her own words. After we read and discussed the story, we made apple prints by dipping our apples in red, yellow and green paint. The children truly enjoyed the activity.
Tomorrow, we will be reading the story The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall. This is the story of a young girl describing her and her sister’s apple tree from winter to fall and then explains the steps for making an apple pie. This will lead us into creating our very own apple tree for each season.
Wednesday we will read about John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed. We will read the story Johnny Appleseed by Jane Kurz. This version is quite simple and easy for the children to understand. We will be role playing Johnny Appleseed’s planting travels. We will be singing songs, reciting poetry and learning many finger plays.
Thursday and Friday we will be focusing on “Apple Science” and “Apple Math”. We will be weighing our apples, learning the parts of an apple and comparing apples to other fruits. We will be performing many graph activities such as graphing our apples by color and our favorite product that comes from an apple (applesauce, apple pie etc.). We will try to guess how many seeds are inside an apple and if an apple will sink or float. We will be also preparing many tasty apple treats.
Here is a list of some of the literature I will be sharing with the children this week. Remember, READING to and disusing books with your children is the most important homework you can do each night.
The Apple Pie that Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson
Apples by Jaqueline Farmer
Apples by Gail Gibbons
Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins
Johnny Appleseed by Jane Kurtz
Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall
From Seed to Applesauce by Hannah Johnson
The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons
Dear Parents,
This week our pre-k class will be “Apple Detectives”. Through hands-on explorations, we will discover many interesting facts about apples and other things related to apples. We will read lots of literature pertaining to our apple focus as well as many other stories that will help us explore the seasons of the year and the wonderful changes the new fall season will bring.
One of the activities that we have preformed today was discovering that there are seedy stars inside an apple that is cut in half horizontally. I shared with the students the story of The Little Red House with No Doors and No Windows and a Star Inside. Attached, you will find a copy of the story. Reread the story together and ask your daughter to retell the story in her own words. After we read and discussed the story, we made apple prints by dipping our apples in red, yellow and green paint. The children truly enjoyed the activity.
Tomorrow, we will be reading the story The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall. This is the story of a young girl describing her and her sister’s apple tree from winter to fall and then explains the steps for making an apple pie. This will lead us into creating our very own apple tree for each season.
Wednesday we will read about John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed. We will read the story Johnny Appleseed by Jane Kurz. This version is quite simple and easy for the children to understand. We will be role playing Johnny Appleseed’s planting travels. We will be singing songs, reciting poetry and learning many finger plays.
Thursday and Friday we will be focusing on “Apple Science” and “Apple Math”. We will be weighing our apples, learning the parts of an apple and comparing apples to other fruits. We will be performing many graph activities such as graphing our apples by color and our favorite product that comes from an apple (applesauce, apple pie etc.). We will try to guess how many seeds are inside an apple and if an apple will sink or float. We will be also preparing many tasty apple treats.
Here is a list of some of the literature I will be sharing with the children this week. Remember, READING to and disusing books with your children is the most important homework you can do each night.
The Apple Pie that Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson
Apples by Jaqueline Farmer
Apples by Gail Gibbons
Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins
Johnny Appleseed by Jane Kurtz
Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall
From Seed to Applesauce by Hannah Johnson
The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons
Friday, September 23, 2011
September 23, 2011
Dear Pre-k Parents,
We will continue focusing on “Magnificent Me” over the next couple weeks. We will learn about how each child is special and how everyone is different from our names to the color of our eyes and our handprints. For this activity I am asking you to work with your daughter on creating a very special bag called an “All about Me Bag”. Each child is to fill the bag with items that are important to them that tell us about her. On the front of the bag, please write 3 clues that describe the items inside the bag that begins with the first letter of her name. Have your child help with the clues and make sure the items fit the bag. Be creative and have fun. The item can be a drawing, picture or a word. Please have the bag returned to class by Friday, September 30th.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Maneri
Dear Pre-k Parents,
We will continue focusing on “Magnificent Me” over the next couple weeks. We will learn about how each child is special and how everyone is different from our names to the color of our eyes and our handprints. For this activity I am asking you to work with your daughter on creating a very special bag called an “All about Me Bag”. Each child is to fill the bag with items that are important to them that tell us about her. On the front of the bag, please write 3 clues that describe the items inside the bag that begins with the first letter of her name. Have your child help with the clues and make sure the items fit the bag. Be creative and have fun. The item can be a drawing, picture or a word. Please have the bag returned to class by Friday, September 30th.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Maneri
September 23, 2011
Dear Parents,
We will begin to explore a new focus in our Pre-k class next week. We will delve into all the delicious aspects of one of America’s favorite fruits- the apple. As part of our studies, please have your daughter bring two apples (any kind, any color) on Monday, September 26th. Through active exploration and interaction, the children will be “Apple Detectives” and discover the origin of apples, different colors and flavors, parts of an apple, ways apples can be prepared and eaten and many other fun learning experiences. I will be sending home additional information next week about specific concepts we are learning in the classroom as well as activities that you can do at home with your daughter to reinforce what we are studying in school.
Have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone next week.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Maneri
Dear Parents,
We will begin to explore a new focus in our Pre-k class next week. We will delve into all the delicious aspects of one of America’s favorite fruits- the apple. As part of our studies, please have your daughter bring two apples (any kind, any color) on Monday, September 26th. Through active exploration and interaction, the children will be “Apple Detectives” and discover the origin of apples, different colors and flavors, parts of an apple, ways apples can be prepared and eaten and many other fun learning experiences. I will be sending home additional information next week about specific concepts we are learning in the classroom as well as activities that you can do at home with your daughter to reinforce what we are studying in school.
Have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone next week.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Maneri
Friday, September 16, 2011
Our First Week in Pre-k
Dear Parents,
We had a wonderful first week in pre-k! We have been discussing and learning about our classroom environment. Our lessons and activities have centered on learning and following the procedures of our classroom. The girls have learned our daily schedule and routines in our structured learning environment. The girls know what to expect and what is expected of them. The children have begun to explore with the materials in our Literacy Learning Centers while learning the rules for using them. We also began to discover a very important topic~ their very special and unique self through our focus on Magnificent Me. This focus will continue throughout the month.
Next week we will continue to explore Our Special Names. The most meaningful words young children encounter in print are their names. Many children can identify their names long before any other words. We will perform many hands-on activities that will have the girls interacting with their names and the names of her classmates. We will place all of our names on our Word Wall under the first letter that their name begins with. Children will use the knowledge they build about their names and their classmates names as a foundation for understanding how letters, sounds and words work.
I will be sending home newsletters to keep you informed of what is going on in the classroom as well as activities you can do at home with your daughter to reinforce the concepts we are studying in class.
Have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone next week.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Maneri
We had a wonderful first week in pre-k! We have been discussing and learning about our classroom environment. Our lessons and activities have centered on learning and following the procedures of our classroom. The girls have learned our daily schedule and routines in our structured learning environment. The girls know what to expect and what is expected of them. The children have begun to explore with the materials in our Literacy Learning Centers while learning the rules for using them. We also began to discover a very important topic~ their very special and unique self through our focus on Magnificent Me. This focus will continue throughout the month.
Next week we will continue to explore Our Special Names. The most meaningful words young children encounter in print are their names. Many children can identify their names long before any other words. We will perform many hands-on activities that will have the girls interacting with their names and the names of her classmates. We will place all of our names on our Word Wall under the first letter that their name begins with. Children will use the knowledge they build about their names and their classmates names as a foundation for understanding how letters, sounds and words work.
I will be sending home newsletters to keep you informed of what is going on in the classroom as well as activities you can do at home with your daughter to reinforce the concepts we are studying in class.
Have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone next week.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Maneri
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Welcome to Pre-Kindergarten at Visitation Academy
It is my privilege and sincere pleasure to have the opportunity to watch your daughter grow and change from day to day in our pre-kindergarten class. I am looking forward to witnessing all the exciting experiences and achievements your daughter will make over the next few months.
Our pre-k program is dedicated to educating the whole child. This approach to learning is designed to enhance the social/emotional, intellectual, aesthetic and physical development of your daughter while nurturing autonomy, self-esteem and success. This will ensure that each child become a self-motivated, life-long learner. Literacy is valued and serves as a springboard from which cognitive, language and expressive skills develop. We are committed to helping each child gain literacy skills by weaving literacy throughout our classroom environment and providing appropriately planned play experiences. Play is necessary for young children to grow physically and mentally. Play-based experiences promote and target important areas of literacy development. This blended approach to literacy and play combines educational goals and early learning standards while allowing children to pretend, make choices and express their creativity.
The physical space of our classroom environment is organized into Literacy Centers. These centers include- Library, Alphabet, Writing, Dramatic Play, Art, Math/Science, Blocks and Puzzles. Each literacy center provides children with activities that nurture oral language development, social interaction and artistic expression. A rotation system is set up to allow each child to move through a number of centers in a systematic way. Children will generally go to two or three centers per day, staying at each for a fixed period of time (15 minutes per center) and moving as a group.
In our pre-k program, we recognize the importance of transition and continuity. The transition into our kindergarten program is a seamless process. The children have a sense of wonder and excitement as they continue on their educational journey. The possibilities seem endless for making new discoveries, inventing, creating and learning. Our Pre-k environment invites children to be who they are. This is the world of early childhood education. We create this world inside of our pre-kindergarten classroom at Visitation Academy.
I look forward to a successful year with you and your daughter.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nancy Maneri
It is my privilege and sincere pleasure to have the opportunity to watch your daughter grow and change from day to day in our pre-kindergarten class. I am looking forward to witnessing all the exciting experiences and achievements your daughter will make over the next few months.
Our pre-k program is dedicated to educating the whole child. This approach to learning is designed to enhance the social/emotional, intellectual, aesthetic and physical development of your daughter while nurturing autonomy, self-esteem and success. This will ensure that each child become a self-motivated, life-long learner. Literacy is valued and serves as a springboard from which cognitive, language and expressive skills develop. We are committed to helping each child gain literacy skills by weaving literacy throughout our classroom environment and providing appropriately planned play experiences. Play is necessary for young children to grow physically and mentally. Play-based experiences promote and target important areas of literacy development. This blended approach to literacy and play combines educational goals and early learning standards while allowing children to pretend, make choices and express their creativity.
The physical space of our classroom environment is organized into Literacy Centers. These centers include- Library, Alphabet, Writing, Dramatic Play, Art, Math/Science, Blocks and Puzzles. Each literacy center provides children with activities that nurture oral language development, social interaction and artistic expression. A rotation system is set up to allow each child to move through a number of centers in a systematic way. Children will generally go to two or three centers per day, staying at each for a fixed period of time (15 minutes per center) and moving as a group.
In our pre-k program, we recognize the importance of transition and continuity. The transition into our kindergarten program is a seamless process. The children have a sense of wonder and excitement as they continue on their educational journey. The possibilities seem endless for making new discoveries, inventing, creating and learning. Our Pre-k environment invites children to be who they are. This is the world of early childhood education. We create this world inside of our pre-kindergarten classroom at Visitation Academy.
I look forward to a successful year with you and your daughter.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nancy Maneri
Friday, September 9, 2011
Back to School Night 2011
Visitation Academy- Pre~Kindergarten
Teacher- Mrs. Maneri
Teaching Assistant- Mrs. Junsch
Visual Arts- Mrs. Sarachman~ Thursday, 10:00a.m.
Arrival & Dismissal: Our day begins at 8:25 a.m. At this time, the children will be picked up at the front of school and brought to the classroom as a group. If you arrive after we have gone to our classroom, please bring your daughter into the office and she will be taken to the classroom. Dismissal is at 2:20 p.m. at the gate
*For your daughter’s safety, the students are not permitted to play on the grass at any time.
Rainy Day Schedule: Arrival will take place from the Alumnae Room.
• If anyone, other than a parent, is picking up your daughter from school, please send in a letter stating the person’s first and last name. This is to ensure your daughter’s safety.
• If your child will be attending After-School, kindly write a note letting us know.
Absences: If your daughter is absent from school for any reason, please call the school and inform the school secretary. When your daughter returns to school, please send in a note stating when and why your daughter was absent.
Snacks: There will be one snack break in the morning. This will take place at 9:30 a.m. Please keep snack in a separate bag from your daughter’s lunch and do not place it into her lunchbox. Snack should be in a brown lunch bag or Ziploc Bag with her name written on the outside.
Lunch: Lunch will take place inside our classroom at 11:30 a.m. Lunch should be placed in a lunch bag or box clearly labeled with your daughter’s name on the outside.
Clothing: Please make sure that all of your daughter’s belongings are clearly labeled with her first and last name. This includes sweaters, jackets, napping blankets, hats, coats etc.
Uniforms: Please follow the proper uniform code. No nail polish or jewelry except stud earrings is permitted.
Tuesday Folder: The Tuesday folder is the school’s way of communicating to you all the exciting things that are going on. Please take the time to read through this material. The Tuesday folder goes home every Tuesday and should be returned to school the very next day.
Birthday Parties: I request that you please inform me a few days before your daughter’s birthday if you are planning to send something in. Cupcakes and small juice boxes will work out very nicely.
Report Cards: Each child in Pre-K will receive her report card three times during the year. I will meet with you for the first two trimesters to discuss your daughter’s progress.
Communication: Communication between parents and teachers is a vital part to your daughter’s success. Arrival and dismissal can be quite busy and hectic. I ask that you do not use this time to discuss specific issues regarding your daughter. If there is something that you need to discuss with me, please make an appointment for a later time, when our attention can be focused upon your concerns.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nancy Maneri
Visitation Academy- Pre~Kindergarten
Teacher- Mrs. Maneri
Teaching Assistant- Mrs. Junsch
Visual Arts- Mrs. Sarachman~ Thursday, 10:00a.m.
Arrival & Dismissal: Our day begins at 8:25 a.m. At this time, the children will be picked up at the front of school and brought to the classroom as a group. If you arrive after we have gone to our classroom, please bring your daughter into the office and she will be taken to the classroom. Dismissal is at 2:20 p.m. at the gate
*For your daughter’s safety, the students are not permitted to play on the grass at any time.
Rainy Day Schedule: Arrival will take place from the Alumnae Room.
• If anyone, other than a parent, is picking up your daughter from school, please send in a letter stating the person’s first and last name. This is to ensure your daughter’s safety.
• If your child will be attending After-School, kindly write a note letting us know.
Absences: If your daughter is absent from school for any reason, please call the school and inform the school secretary. When your daughter returns to school, please send in a note stating when and why your daughter was absent.
Snacks: There will be one snack break in the morning. This will take place at 9:30 a.m. Please keep snack in a separate bag from your daughter’s lunch and do not place it into her lunchbox. Snack should be in a brown lunch bag or Ziploc Bag with her name written on the outside.
Lunch: Lunch will take place inside our classroom at 11:30 a.m. Lunch should be placed in a lunch bag or box clearly labeled with your daughter’s name on the outside.
Clothing: Please make sure that all of your daughter’s belongings are clearly labeled with her first and last name. This includes sweaters, jackets, napping blankets, hats, coats etc.
Uniforms: Please follow the proper uniform code. No nail polish or jewelry except stud earrings is permitted.
Tuesday Folder: The Tuesday folder is the school’s way of communicating to you all the exciting things that are going on. Please take the time to read through this material. The Tuesday folder goes home every Tuesday and should be returned to school the very next day.
Birthday Parties: I request that you please inform me a few days before your daughter’s birthday if you are planning to send something in. Cupcakes and small juice boxes will work out very nicely.
Report Cards: Each child in Pre-K will receive her report card three times during the year. I will meet with you for the first two trimesters to discuss your daughter’s progress.
Communication: Communication between parents and teachers is a vital part to your daughter’s success. Arrival and dismissal can be quite busy and hectic. I ask that you do not use this time to discuss specific issues regarding your daughter. If there is something that you need to discuss with me, please make an appointment for a later time, when our attention can be focused upon your concerns.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nancy Maneri
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