Dear MPS Families,
Spring Break is over and I am so hoping that we can all return to school healthy and free of that really awful virus that plagued us the month of March! I JUST started feeling better the last couple of days! With any luck we will slide into our spring activities germ-free and with pep back in our step. Hope springs eternal — and to help it along, please continue to practice really good hygiene in the classroom (adults, students and siblings!), and avoid bringing any child to school who is showing any signs of illness.
We have nine weeks of school left and they promise to be extremely fun and busy! We will be growing things, hatching things, watching things change before our eyes, practicing our waiting skills, telling stories, making things, and of course living outside as much as we can!
On the adult side, the PCPO conference is this Saturday, April 2nd. I hope some of you are taking advantage of this fantastic parenting and early childhood education opportunity! All three teachers will be attending and we hope to see you there. I highly recommend carpooling if you are going since it is a bit of a drive (Clackamas High School) but it is oh so worth it!
Also, as you know our annual Auction is coming up in just a couple of weeks! Saturday, April 16th will be here before you know it. As I said at the last General/Community Meeting, we need 200 people to attend the auction in order for us to be able to plan on success. You have done your job in terms of procurement — we look golden when it comes to things to sell. Now we just have to make sure that we have enough people to buy everything! Scour the bushes and find some folks to come and join us. It is a fun night, the food is always good, beer and wine are free, and the deals are hot!
Of particular note in the classroom this month:
- Field Day Returns! Tuesday April 5th for the 3s Class, and Wednesday April 6th for the 4s and Pre-K. This month we are going to visit the Audubon Society and hike on their trails. We will go regardless of the weather, so make sure to plan accordingly. We can always use some extra adults to attend with us — especially in the morning classes — so let me know if you will be coming along. For your planning purposes, we will be going down quite a few stairs at the beginning and end, so probably not stroller-friendly for younger sibs.
- No School/In-Service Days. April 7th and 8th.
- Foot Painting! Week of April 11th. This is super messy. Send your child to school in pants that are really easy to roll up or with a pair of shorts. Or they can work in their undies if they are comfortable that way. Any way we roll we get very, very painty!
- Eggs! Wednesday April 20. We’ll be placing our chick eggs into our incubator. 21 days later we hope to have darling baby chicks hatch right before our very eyes! We keep the chicks in the classroom until school is out. Then we need homes for them! If you or anyone you know is looking to have their own mini flock of egg-laying hens, please let me know right away.
- Oregon Humane Society Field Trip! Wednesday April 20th. Pre-K Only.
- Parent Teacher Conferences! April 20th through 29th. Sign-up sheets are in the cubby room on the bulletin board. I will again send out a brief questionnaire in advance asking you to list the top 3 issues you would like to discuss. Please make sure to complete this form and return it to me in advance of your conference.
- Artist in Residence Chetter Galloway!!! Week of April 25th. He is a storyteller and will be bringing tales of Anansi the Spider and more to our classroom. We will be planning art projects around the themes of his stories as well as opportunities to learn about some far-away places. This is always my favorite week of the year and I am really excited to host Chetter this year!
Previewing the month of May:
We will be making Fish Print t-shirts the first week of May. Your child will need a pre-washed plain light colored t-shirt (labeled with their name) on which we will print a painted fish. Gross, but interesting, fun and pretty amazing actually. This is an ancient Japanese art form and can really be so interesting. Watch for sales, use a Michael’s or JoAnn’s coupon but be sure to plan for a t-shirt for your kiddo for that week.
Saturday May 7th we will be holding an informal Open House/Play Date for newly enrolled families, current families, and any families still interested in potentially enrolling for next year. Spread the word if you know anyone still looking for a preschool for next year. If you can, plan on coming and playing for a little while to serve as an MPS ambassador to our new families!
We always hold Bike Day during the month of May. Right now I am hoping for May 12th and 13th but it is somewhat dependent on the weather. On Bike Day your child should bring a trike, bike, scooter or some other riding toy that they can handle, PLUS a mandatory bike helmet! I block off the upper parking lot and make a road for the kids and we spend our whole day out there riding, having snack, playing music, reading books, blowing bubbles and more. It is SOOOO MUCH FUN! Plan ahead! Get a helmet for your little one if you don’t have one already.
Our last Field Trip of the year also comes up in May. The date is TBD, but I am targeting May 19th and 20th. This one is a trip out to the Estacada area to a friend’s ‘farm.’ More details to come. It’s a beautiful spot and wonderful day. You will want to plan to go with your child if at all possible!
Two all-school family events come up in May also. Our annual Screen-Free Party is on Tuesday night, May 3rd, and our End-of-the-Year Picnic is on Saturday May 21st! Get those on your calendars now as you will not want to miss out!
The last week of school is May 23rd. You will want to plan to attend the last part of class on May 26th or 27th for the morning classes. And Pre-K Graduation is May 26th at 2:45pm. I can’t believe we are this close to the end and I am already tearing up just thinking about it! Good thing we have so much to do between now and then!
I am really looking forward to all that spring has in store for us. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions or need any extra support as we head into these last weeks.
Warmly,
Teacher Marty