Nursery 3 Newsletter
May 21,2010
Hello dear Parents,
It is so odd that this is our last real letter. Our year together has been such a great one. The love we share is deep and will stay with us.
This week’s rain helped our cozy class feeling all of the more. As the sun returned , tending our cool little garden has been fun. Then yesterday playing outside, everywhere we could find was just wonderful.
Visiting our newly hatched chicks has been riotous and so exciting. The science room is bustling with activity. Buttercup, our bunny is at last super calm with all of the children, as they have learned to pat her gently. Feeding her is also done in more thoughtful ways. Carol is also thrilled with all of the progress the class has made in these areas.
We are excited by so much personal growth in just the last few weeks and are so happy for our (your) children. Their love of stories and books has never been stronger. Listening to each word is just what each person does. Remembering images and ideas days later is so easy now. The children seek out time to look at books. Everyone is making beautiful art all of the time and loving one another’s creations.
As little upsetting times come up, and of course they have to, everyone is better about handling and solving the problems. Being gentle is more fun and offers so much more time to do the great things they love.
It was so great to have our cute visit with Allison and dear Collin Patrick. The children were thrilled and adorable. We so look forward to meeting at the Piquets at 12:30 on Monday for our wonderful party. Thank you Paola and all of you.
It should be a perfect weekend and tomorrow’s picnic will be so much fun. I will miss you. I will be going to my son, Remy’s graduation from college
.
Thank you for your love, fun and your children. Love to all, xxxx Anne
May 14, 2010
Hello dear Parents,
Thank you for all that you all did to make our evening, last night so beautiful, delicious and so much fun. The cute bartender fathers were absolutely fantastic. It was a great night and it was wonderful to catch up with people we see so often, yet never have the time to really talk to. It was like suddenly having new friends that were so familiar. The magician was absolutely amazing. We have no idea how he did one part of any trick. Thank you for all of the favors and for just spoiling us to bits. Again, dancing together was a riot. Our knees today will be reminding us of all the fun we had last night. Thank you for this wonderful outpouring of affection.
Love to all and we hope your weekends are fun and sun filled. xxoo us
April 9, 2010
Hello dear Parents,
We are loving our warm and sunny days together. We can’t believe how each child is suddenly bigger and more capable.
Letters continue to be written and painted all the time. The children are realizing the more they do this, the better they get. The better they become, the more they want to write. Informal but definite lessons are being given now and again the children are excited by their work.
Language arts games are now more fun and meaningful as the children see that by listening and taking turns, they have more time to play the games. Burrah continues to be played as a little lesson but we often hear children playing on their own as they clean or do whatever else they feel like doing.
We are amazed that board games are now played and enjoyed. Again waiting for a turn isn’t an insurmountable task anymore for anyone. Playing together peacefully is easy now.
Art is being created all of the time. Collages and paintings of all sizes are created daily and with much more thought. The children love their work and put it in safe spots to dry. They are ecstatic when they realize their work is dry and ready to go home with them.
Please remember these dates.
Please dress your child in blue and green for Earth Day, Thursday April 22nd. We would love to ask you to please supply your (our) children with a piece fruit or vegetable that we can put into a juicer to make great little drinks.
Conferences are Tuesday April 27th beginning at 12:30. A sign up sheet will be up next week.
The children’s photos will be taken Thursday April 29th.
Thank you, everyone.
Happy Weekend,
Love,
Anne and Allison
March 26, 2010
Hello, dear Parents,
We are so happy to be back with our (your) children. They are ecstatic to be together with their friends and the days are going along beautifully. Puzzles that were so hard are being worked on together and suddenly are being completed with ease.
Easel paintings, little drawings, cutting paper and tape continue to be enjoyed by the children. Masterpieces are being created with attention and pleasure.
The children are so much more aware of each other’s feelings. It is more natural for them to be generous and considerate then ever. They are also feeling their inner progress and seem to want to keep this wonderful feeling going.
We love that we are moving into our planet’s most beautiful season. Sharing this time with our littlest friends will be great.
Love to you all! Happy Weekend!
Anne and Allison
March 5, 2010
Hello dear Parents,
Our days together seem to be just flying by. The children are playing in more imaginative and complex ways. Some of the children are realizing their classmates’ gifts and are wanting to try to learn from them. Others are loving being on their own and strengthening their ideas and testing concepts that they are so interested in. Balancing bigger blocks on little ones continue to result in tumbles. This frustrates some while others are realizing what to do. More observation and chances to think ideas through are helping understanding come more to the forefront. In knowing their friends so well and through their proximity to one another, things are being unpreachily taught. These lesson may be actual ones or just through closeness and chance and a bit through osmosis. It is a thrilling shift for them and us.
Another example of the power of productive influence is in rhyming. This is also becoming easier for many who had no interest or thought they couldn’t do it. As the rhyme lovers rhyme their ways through the room, as they play, draw dress up, build, paint, etc., the others are suddenly doing it. It is not at all unusual to hear one person say, “cat, bat” and others chime in with” lat, sat, rat.” and so on.
Many children want to write. Attempts to do this become more rewarding as their small hands are gaining strength each day as they cut, color, make things out of play dough, tear, etc. Then everything is more to their liking and there has been no drilling or pressure put on them. If a child doesn’t want to do this, he or she is getting ready to be able to and want to. So often, children know just what they need to do.
Art continues to be produced daily and each child’s natural talent is revealing itself in new ways. It is great to see children who rarely made a collage sit and hear friends who have been doing them all year comment on how nicely the little newcomer’s work is coming along. Again, the support that is offered to the children by the children is snowballing. This is just great. Bringing out the best in others is bringing out the best in themselves, which they so clearly feel.
Well, dear Parents, Allison and I will miss you. We know you will love more time to do fun things with (our) your children. Thank you for them and all of your warmth and support.
xxoo Anne and Allison
February 19, 2010
Hello dear Parents,
We are still loving all of the beautiful art around the school and hope you have chances to view all of the classes’ work too. It was great that so many of you were able to come to this year’s art show. Your wonderful presence is making it possible for so many people to have the beginnings of happier, more meaningful lives. This great effort by the children, the school and all of you will be talked about for a long time. When we know the real figures and what animals will be given to the people, we will let you know. In the mean time, thank you and your (our) children.
We all enjoyed our wonderful Staff Development Day. It was fun to be with one another and talk about how things are going with our dear littlest friends. The speaker
Cindy Rzasa Bess was absolutely perfect. She helped us to re-realize how understanding, fun, love and attention make the hugest differences. She was so comical and thought- provoking. Please try to hear her when she speaks to parents at 9:00 AM on February 24th.
Playing all sorts of listening games are fun and really are helping the children to see how they need and want to pay close attention. Details such as the name of animals, the number of them, the feelings expressed, the colors of things, recalling specific words, etc. are being remembered. It is fun and exciting for them to realize it is all up to them and they want to do their very best (and they are). As we read stories, attention wants to be paid. Learning is constant and in our little lessons we see and hear how more is becoming clearer. As this happens we know the next day’s little talks and our reviewing times will help to fortify what is known, in ways that appeal to them as well as make great sense.
On these colder days we have more opportunities to play board games. These are more fun than ever. Matching is easier now and just riotous. The children’s squeals as they turn over cards to reveal a match are so much fun to hear. Paying closer attention offers more rewards. The more they see what they can do the more they want to do. The children love to have lots of matches but also love that their friends are doing well too. No one can encourage a very young child like another very young child.
Floor puzzles are also being worked on together and even when it is slow going, so many children keep bringing that scene to life.
We love our lives together. Our littlest valentines couldn’t be dearer to us. It is a cozy, comfortable class and as each person feels more at home, we all grow even closer. Thank you for so much.
Love, Anne and Allison
Please look for our moon xxoo
February 5, 2010
Hello dear Parents,
We are so hoping that you will come to The Art Show’s Preview Party tonight (6:30 to 8:00}. The evening will be a cute one and you will be able to see so much wonderful art on your own and socialize with some nice refreshments. Saturday, you and our (your) children will have a chance to see it together from 10:00 to 12:00. The children love seeing their friends and showing you their creations. They like looking at their friend’s work too. Please come.
We have been having fun looking for shapes in our classroom and around the school. Everyone is becoming so familiar with each one and their similarities and differences. As they eat rectangular graham crackers, they love announcing that they are nibbling them into squares. Wheat Thins are now carefully bitten into triangles. Feeling so at home with these shapes has helped some children understand that so many things are comprised of these shapes. Drawing houses and just making beautiful whatevers is exciting. Blocks have become extra interesting objects. Realizing two squares put together horizontally make a rectangle has been just thrilling. The learning is endless and is so much fun. Each child is realizing how great it is to have other people around to share their ideas with and to learn from. Opposites such as lighter-heavier, longer-shorter, inside-outside, above-below and more, make all of the more sense to them.
We continue to help the children to strengthen their hands outside of the ways they do so naturally.. Molding and making things with clay, play dough and cutting thick, pliable fabric are just some of what is working wonders. As the interest in writing is revealing itself, their more capable hands are turning little marks into letters. This new ability builds upon itself. Names are beginning to appear, almost magically. Their delight and the support of their friends is wonderful to be around.
Rhyming is also starting to be grasped by many who just days ago couldn’t seem to do it at all. The children who have been rhyming for a while love hearing more of it. Real words mixed with fabricated ones are being uttered in the various areas of the class as well in little lessons. Books set in rhyme are loved and many children can come up with the appropriate rhyme if we deliberately do not read the word. Through this and various language arts games, we see how listening is becoming better, easier and more rewarding. It is now what they all want to do.
We feel happy with the burst of interests and the development in our class. There has been so much growth, suddenly. Again, it is so great to see and hear exclamations to one another, encouraging each child to keep going, wherever he or she is. Thank you for our time with your children.
Please come tonight and tomorrow. Love to all, Anne and Allison
January 8, 2010
Hello dear Parents, Happy 2010!!
We are so happy to be back with your (our) children. They are so happy to be back together and are playing and working together in great new ways.
Matching games are being sought out and for longer periods of time. Taking turns has become easier and this seems to suddenly make sense.
Floor puzzles are being put together with new enthusiasm. The children are concentrating more and are so delighted as their efforts are paying off. The scenes are appearing almost like magic to them, but then they see they are in fact making this happen.
We are all feeling a lot for the animals that are around us. We all are hoping they have found our lint (dryer) out the back door and crackers and want to keep doing this. If you’d like to let them bring in lint, please do. We have been talking more and more about the animals who haven’t migrated or hibernated. Stories we are making up or are reading are fascinating to the children. These lessons are being talked about when we are doing entirely different things.
Writing is starting to be of total interest to many. As their hands are strengthening all of the time and this new interest is surfacing, the results on paper are exciting.
Now for a few requests: on the drippiest side of life; please check your child’s change of clothes and please replace them with warmer duds. Please also label all clothing that your child wears to school. Between similarities and some children wanting what other children have worn, labeling would just help as so much at an already wacky time.
The children are already getting to be so good at helping themselves to get dressed. Thank you for dressing them so cozily.
We are so happy to be sharing 2010 with this class and all of you so much.
Love and Thank You,
xxoo Anne and Allison
December 18, 2009
Hello dear Parents,
It will seem so strange to wake up on Monday morning knowing that we will not see your (our) children for a few weeks. We’ve become so attached but it will be nice to imagine the cozy time you will be having.
Art continues to be produced all of the time. Collages, paintings and drawings are so appealing to them. Their ability to stick with their work and enjoy the whole process is exactly what we have been hoping for.
Listening has been mostly great. When it isn’t quite good enough the children who are listening have started to ask the talkers to please be quiet. We are excited by how the children listen to the “tiny teachers” and how polite the “tiny teachers” are to their little students.
Nursery Rhymes are of major interest. Outside of our lessons we hear, “Hey diddle diddle, etc.” Rhyming is being grasped by children who didn’t have a clue or any interest before. Children are teaching each other and us all of the time. Opposites are reviewed and added into all of the time. It is fun for them to realize how much they know.
We love our class and we will miss you all. Love and thank you for all of your sweetness. Love to you and Merry Christmas.
xx Anne and Allison
December 11, 2009
Hello dear Parents,
We so enjoyed our conferences with all of you. Thank you for making the time. Wasn’t it great to talk about your (our) children? Thank you for them.
Arnie Kolodner, an incredible actor and magician from New York City visited last week. He and an actress put on a wonderful version of Peter Pan. The children were spellbound.
Love to all,
xx Anne and Allison
November 24, 2009
Hello, dear Parents,
We are so happy with our class. We feel so thankful for this great little time with each child. Thank you too.
Happy Thanksgiving to you,
xx Anne and Allison
Please look for the moon!
Hello dear Parents,
It was great to see so may of you at the Auction. We missed those of you who couldn’t be there. It was a happy night for everyone. Thank you for all of your hard work. So many kinds of support made this auction fantastico. You all couldn’t be appreciated more. Gracias again for loving our school so much.
We are all back together again at last. We hope other little sickness does not find any of us. The vitality has returned and that is great.
Our staff development day was really excellent. A wonderful lecture and workshop was given to us. Sharon Redmann and Marianne created a lively talk to help us all say what it is we want to say, in constructive and clear ways. If we have problems, discussing them with others rather than the person involved only makes matters worse. This we know couldn’t be more true. Lessons were offered so we as a staff can communicate with each other in more productive ways. It was excellent.
A kernel of what was delivered is something that Allison and I do everyday. As we encourage each person to say what he or she wants to, we also emphasize that the delivery dictates the out come. As these lessons sink in more, this more thoughtful way of speaking is becoming more natural for each child. The more it is like this, the more everyone wants it to be like this. We are all learning about one another all of the time. It is clear that the children love a peaceful class and see how much more time there is for everything else they love now.
As our earth is changing outside, we are talking about how the animals must adapt to the cooler days and nights, less food, and being so much more visible to people. Are there ways to help them? As the children begin to think of this, they are being much more observant and thoughtful. There is no doubt they will feel more connected to their place on earth and realize it is great to share our planet with other living things. Carol, our marvelous science teacher will also be working closely with your (our) children to help them to see how wonderful and miraculous nature, right around here, is.
Love to you all. Please look for our moon and thank you. Happy Weekend.
Xx love us
Hello dear Parents,
Allison and I are enjoying our first weeks with your children very much. They are happy to be together and love the classroom and all that it offers them. The various parts of the room are in full swing and are becoming increasingly familiar. When it is clean up time, pitching in, as a class, is really coming along nicely. Dancing, in celebration of our clean room, is also a hit.
The beautiful weather has encouraged us to play outside for nice, long periods of time. Getting to be in the various play yards is interesting and fun for us all. Meeting other classes out there is great too. This is a class that adores being outside. We are happy to see that each person seems to become a little more confident out of doors, every day.
As the children have become more comfortable, listening has become more difficult for some of them. We are playing listening games which are helping somewhat. The listeners are helping us by also asking the little talkers to please stop distracting us. It is sort of a riot and sort of effective. Some of the non- listeners are beginning to tune in. We know soon all of the children will be paying closer attention. Being in a class is certainly different than being at home, but if you have any inclination to encourage more listening, all of us will feel the benefits. Thank you.
The summer books are absolutely fantastic. Thank you for the huge effort that you put into them. We love looking at them as much as the children do. We would love to ask you, when you have a chance, for a family photograph so that we can put them all in a special place in the room.
We have been talking about fall and the way things around us are changing. We have been looking for signs as we walk around together. The children are interested in this and like thinking about the animals having to get ready for colder weather or starting to fly to a warmer place. We also have been looking for the moon and are so happy to find it again. We like to think of each other as we see it and the fun we have together. By connecting us to nature and our world, we feel closer. This forges a powerful bond, helping us all to be better to each other and take care of our dear planet.
Love and thank you,
Anne and Allison