2010 April News Letter

Dear Parents,

What a wonderful time of the year. The weather is changing and the warm sunny days have put many smiles on our children’s faces as they run to play on our playgrounds, our fields, and with Miss Jackie during gym outside in the sunshine. Not only is spring sprouting green grass, budding trees and blooming flowers, your children have also had quite a growth spurt this season. Not only have they grown socially and academically, their growth physically has me amazed.

In February we had so many activities planned that our children didn’t even notice Mother Nature waving her frosty hand. We all had so much fun celebrating our 100th day of school.  Our three year olds had many math and drawing activities to mark this important date. Our 4 year olds had just as many activities planned, however they added many writing activities to enhance and express themselves on this documentary day.

 During Dental Health Week we had a visit from Kids First, a pediatric dentist from North Babylon who explained the importance of oral hygiene and brushing the “sugar bugs” away. They certainly were very informative and many of our students are questioning certain foods for their nutrition and sugar content.

My February “SEE” program was very educational and fun for all of us.  Arctic Animals are truly remarkable in the way they adapt and learn to survive in such severe conditions. Not only did we learn about their lifestyles and habitats, we also learned about icebergs,North and South poles, and weather temperatures. A chilly lesson for us all.

In March our enthusiasm continued to grow with the season. Our children had fun in music as they danced and sang while wearing their silly 1socks. Happy feet we reclearly having fun and enjoying the musical celebration for the week.  The colors and creativity were very educational and entertaining.  My March “SEE” program was a lesson on extreme weather.  We learned about tornadoes, blizzards, what makes a rainbows colorful and all the wonderful extremes Mother Nature surprises us with.

Our Pre-K students visited the Half Hollow Hills Planetarium and learned many exciting facts about the moon, the stars and the Challenger space mission. Our children were very enthusiastic and enjoyed themselves. You should be very proud of your children as they were very well behaved and the teacher was very impressed with how knowledgeable our students were. Mr. Brian and Mr. Tom have already invited us back for next year.

All our classes had fun waking up the bears from a long hibernating sleep. The children were happy to have their animals awake and back in their arms. The bear caves are tucked away for next year and the signs of spring are sprouting with color in all the classrooms.

Our unit on Magnets was a great hit. The children had many experiences with all their experiments. We were able to incorporate math, counting, shapes and colors while experimenting with our magnets.

On an educational note our teachers continue to receive and meet their professional development requirements. Mrs. Rory Cohen our Literacy Consultant,met with our Pre-K teachers and showed them how to create small reading groups,Mrs. Cohen also instructed our teachers how to assess and meet all the needs of emergent readers. I am very proud to say that all of our Pre-K classes have embraced the reading groups and have made great strides. I personally am very proud to be a part of Park Shore and to witness your children’s academic growth.  All our classes experience our Literacy Block with the author of the month.  Dr. Seuss gave us a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our rhyming skills.

Before we left for spring recess, our children had a cooking experience by making Matzo Brie. Some of us liked it a little sweet and added a little brown sugar while others liked the taste of fresh scrambled eggs. We dyed hard-boiled eggs and decorated them for our Easter baskets. Don’t forget to check your child’s teacher’s web site for pictures of all the fun and educational experiences that are happening in their class.

Looking ahead we continue to enhance your child’s experience at Park Shore. Dinosaur digs, plantings, enrichment programs and growing ladybugs and butterflies in the classrooms are just a few of the experiences that excite everyone.

As always, Miss Lisa, our Music Teacher, Miss Jackie, our Gym Teacher and Miss Robin, our Computer Teacher work hand-in-hand to create and reinforce what is being taught in the classroom. They continually keep the children engaged and motivated. 

Keep in mind that our Spring Fling is coming soon. Miss Lisa and Miss Jackie are planning a fun day for us all; I hope you can make it.

Please remember to enroll for next September if you haven’t done so already. Our classes are closing quickly! Please feel free to contact our office if you have any questions or concerns, we are always eager to assist you with your child’s Park Shore experience. 

Sincerely,
Dianne
Dianne Vitucci
Education Director