But I HATE Broccoli!

Since we are learning about Nutrition and manners and exercise this week, I thought I would post some tips!! Thanks for reading.....

Parents often worry because they think their young children don't eat enough. Some children seem to be naturally finicky. But others simply may be so overwhelmed by the amount of food placed on their plates that they don't know where or how to begin eating. How much food is enough? And how can we get our children to particpate more successfully in mealtimes?

Physicians tell us that a child needs one tablespoon of food per year of age at each meal. that means a 3-year-old needs at least three tablespoons of food at breakfast, at lunch, and at dinner in order to maintain health and growth. These are not the heaping portions that we are tempted to put on our children's plates; they are standard measurment portions.

Allowing children to serve themselves encourages them to eat larger portions of a variety of foods. When children get to control their choices and the amount of food they take, mealtime becomes more enjoyable for them and you. Participation in meal planning and preparation also encourages children to feel that they are a part of the process at mealtime. A family meal can be a time of conversation and relaxation or a time of frustration and anger. By offering children smaller amounts, the opportunity to help prepare meals, and the chance to serve themselves, we can provide a calmer, more satisfying family time for everyone.

Happy eating!!

From "Family-Friendly Communication for Early Childhood Programs"

Back-To-School Registration Night

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

5:30 - 8:00 pm

Come whenever you possibly can between these times. Plan on at least 20 to 30 minutes. Your whole family is invited!

There will be some activities for the kids and refreshments. Your new little preschooler can check out the preschool, play outside, and get excited for school to start.

Parents, you will be filling out the registration form required for school, and pick up all the information you will need to know for preschool.

School will start on Tuesday, September 2nd.

Can't wait to see you on Back-to-School Registration Night for Preschool!!

The Song Page

We have a "Song Can" in preschool which is how we begin our large group each day. Children take turns picking a song out of the can and we sing that song. We usually start with just 2 or 3 songs, but it's exciting to see what song we will sing!!

You find all of the songs that are in Miss Chelsea's "Song Can". Please have fun singing these songs with your child and helping to connect their preschool experience at home!

If you are looking for the songs we sing with our themes, look under the month that the theme was taught. I've created a specific song page for each theme. Enjoy.

The Recipe Page

On this page you will find snacks and fun recipes that we make in preschool together. When we make snack as a class we do it during large group. This not only gives the children a chance to "cook" or make something new, but it also enchances math skills with measuring, estimating, etc. The children really enjoy stirring, pouring, smelling, and especially tasting!! Miss Chelsea also enjoys things like Playdough, slime, silly putty, etc. You'll find those type of recipes here also. Please check back here often to find new recipes that we've made or are going to make. Kids really enjoy making special treats at home with family, what a better way to do it then to connect it to their day!! ENJOY!!

Recipe For Learning

Take curious youngsters and fold in 1 cup of wonder. Blend well, until the youngsters are ready to explore. Stir in a pinch of imagination. Add a handful of experience and creativity. Blend in a dash of enthusiasm. Serve with 2 tablespoons of interest and sprinkle with fun!

Serving size: 1 classroom

Discover and Learn News

I hope you all survived the week of no preschool, I'm really sorry about the inconvenience, but I do hope you are all ready to get going again, I know I am!! Can you believe we only have a few weeks left of preschool - about 12 to be exact!!

I've changed the scheduled units around a bit from the layout you all got at the beginning of the year.....I feel like this all rolls and fits together better. I do want to remind you that there will be no school on Thursday, April 10th because of Spring Break! I made sure this is lined up with the public school schedule so your kids can all be off together.

*March 11th - March 20th: "Spring and Easter"

*March 25th - April 3rd: "Nutrition and Manners"

*April 8th - April 17th: (remember no school on April 10th) "A Dinosaur Dynasty"

*April 22nd - May 1st: "Folktales"

*May 6th - May 15th: "Five Spectacular Stories"

*May 20 - 29th: "Beach Week" Our celebration water day will be the last day of school, Thursday, May 29th.

I do want to remind you that we'll be having our Family Preschool Party on Friday May 23rd. This is our Preschool graduation night where sisters, brothers, grandma's, grandpa's, and of course mom's and dad's are invited! There will be lots to do and of course an exciting night for your little graduating preschooler!! I'm also changing this day from what I have posted in the beginning of the year preschool packet since I have added another week onto preschool.

If you have any questions about any of this, feel free to contact me at anytime. I hope this last week didn't throw anyone off too bad, hopefully we can just slide right back into things. Thanks for all you do as parents and for our preschool!

*March 11th - Start our unit on "Spring and Easter". We'll start this unit talking and learning about sleepy animals that wake up in the springtime!! From bears to birds and the leaves budding open, we'll have too much fun. We'll be learning the letter Rr today.

*March 13th - Today we'll be talking about the changes in springtime and doing a lot of activities with mud! We'll have dirt cups for snack today - yummers!! Continue practicing the letter Rr.

*March 18th - "Easter" - We'll be discovering the colors of Easter and Spring, flowers, and best of all bunnies today! We'll get to eat yummy Bunny cookie treats and we'll get to learn the letter Ss today!

*March 20th - Today we'll have our own Easter celebration by dying Easter eggs, having an Easter Egg Hunt, and much more! We'll practice the letter Ss today.

*March 25th - Start our unit "Nutrition and Manners". We'll focus on Milk and Dairy today and introduce our friend 'Rude Rodney' to teach us about manners. We'll make ice cream for snack. Learn the letter Tt today.

*March 27th - We'll focus on fruits and Vegetables today making veggie people, fruit prints and eating fruits and veggies for snack. Practice the letter Tt.

*April 1st - Focus on Breads and Cereals today and don't forget about 'Rude Rodney' to help us remember how to use our manners. Learn the letter Uu.

*April 3rd - We'll learn about meat, eggs, and protein today. We'll have an omelett for snack and practice the letter Uu.

*April 10th -

No School on Thursday, April 10th because of Spring Break.

School will start back up again on Tuesday, April 15th.

Preschool Cancellation

Brrrrrr! So I know I've contacted you all, but just so you are reminded and know what is going on, I thought I would post it. Our furnace has broken down or something and we are in the process of getting it fixed. So currently our house is at a freezing temperature of 44 degrees (definatley unlivable!) On top of that our fire alarms have kept going off, so we weren't sure what was happening, carbon monoxide, or what. We had the fire department come out to check our carbon monoxide levels and thank goodness we're safe!! They said it must be dust or something so to air blow them out. I'm sure this kind of explains the reasons why preschool is cancelled for this week (March 4th and 6th) - I do not want your little chil'ens freezing their tails off. Preschool will for sure start again on March 11, I'm sure our furnace will be fixed by then. Also, to make up for this cancelled week, I will be adding an extra week onto the end of May, so preschool won't end until May 29 instead of May 22. Hopefully this will work alright for all of you and I hope you all understand. Thanks for your concern and support!!

Happy Valentines Day!

Hello Families,

I thought I would put in some reminders so you all don't forget some happenings. I will also be sending home the reminders, so don't worry!!

*First of all, Thursday is Valentines Day, we will be passing out Valentines Cards to each other. I encourage that you only have your child sign his/her name, please don't write who they are to - this gets to be too difficult for the teacher. There are 10 students in the morning class and 11 students in the afternoon class.

*Also on Thursday February 14th, we will be having a Parent/child Valentine celebration the last 30 minutes of class. For the morning class 10:30-11:00 and the afternoon class 2:00-2:30. I encourage at least one parent to try and make it on this day. I also don't mind if younger siblings come, they usually enjoy it too!! We will be making a treat together, playing some games, and making a fun Valentine craft. I hope to see you there!

*On Thursday, February 21st, book orders are due. So if you are ordering any this time around, please have them into me on this day or before. I will send home a reminder note on Tuesday......HAPPY READING!!

*I hope you are all utilizing this website, I'm trying to stay on top of myself, I'll get there one day (maybe!). As always, feel free to call me, email me, or however you want to get a hold of me at anytime for questions, concerns, or anything. Thanks so much for being such great parents!! I couldn't do this preschool thing without you!!

A LITTLE NOTE FROM MISS CHELSEA.........

"Keeping Superheroes in Check"

Television and movie themes feature many superheroes who are irresistable to children. In these stories there is a stark distinction between good and evil characters, and it seems that they always resort to fighting to settle problems.

Parents have to decide how to respond to this kind of programming. As you sort through your feelings, you should realize that children probably will invent good and evil characters, even without the influence of the Ninja Turtles or the Power Rangers. Remember, long before television, children played cops and robbers, Robin Hood and the sheriff, and the like.

The impact of superheroes depends a lot on how much time children spend watching television and videos. Viewing one half-hour program a week may have little effect on a child, but three hours is another matter. If you watch programs with your child and talk about the characters and their actions, you can help keep superhero tactics in perspective.

You also may find it helpful to read about peaceful real-life heroes like Martin Luther King Jr., Helen Keller, and Johnny Appleseed. Talk about their courage and determination and how they overcame obstacles without resorting to violence.

When children play superheroes, keep an eye on their play to make sure aggression does not get out of hand. Whatever your family decides about superhero play, you should communicate with your child how you feel about violence and how to stand up for your beliefs.

With careful adult guidance and lots of discussion, children can understand the difference between superhero fantasy battles against the bad guys and how we ordinary human beings deal with the evils we encounter in the real world.

Just so you as parents are aware, Miss Chelsea does not allow gun play or other weapon play in preschool. This helps me keep the classroom safe and allows the children to get more fully involved in the available activities.

Welcome to Miss Chelsea's Preschool Blog!!

So I figured what a great way to connect with parents and let you check things out on your own, when you want, without wasting paper (I like the idea of not as much copying!!) This blog is still in progress, so try and check back often. You will need to be sure and go to the "Blog Archive" to find everything you are looking for. I will not have new posts be the first ones listed. There will be lots of stuff to look at including "the song page", "the recipe page", lesson plans, and lots more. I'm really excited about this and I hope you are too. Feel free to comment or email me at anytime for concerns, likes, IDEAS, or anything you want!! I will still be sending home a basic monthly outline of the things that will be happening and of course newsletters, but I really do hope you will come here often and find out what your child is doing in preschool........it will be a lot of fun!!

Thanks so much for your support,

Chelsea Adamson

chelsadamson@gmail.com