Newark Cooperative Preschool  

January

CONGRATULATIONS, the January tuition payments were all made on time!

2^nd Back to school for the 4’s.

3^rd Back to school for the 3’s.

8^th 3’s Show and Tell Day – Children bring in a favorite toy to show(avoid small parts).

9^th 4’s Show and Tell Day – Children bring in a favorite toy to show(avoid small parts).

15^th Registration forms distributed to returning families.

15^th Parent Meeting 7:00PM – Babysitter available($2.00 per child). Child Safety Seat information.

21^st NO SCHOOL – Martin Luther King Jr. Day

22^nd Tupperware Party 7:00PM. Babysitting provided $2.00 per child.

29^th 3’s Teddy Bear Day

30^th 4’s Teddy Bear Day

Our Winter World

Our Five Senses

Congratulations to Nora Faust who won the Newark Cooperative Preschool’s Raffle in December. The winning ticket was sold by the Faust Family (Isabel 4PM).

Our Holiday Shoppe made $113.85. Thank you shoppers, moms and dads.

Registration for the 2002-2003 school year begins on January 15^th for any family currently with a child enrolled or any returning family. Registration forms for all currently enrolled or any returning family. Registration forms for all currently enrolled 3’s and any returning 4’s will be distributed via cubbies for those in school this year, via mail for those returning. Completed forms and fees must be returned to Deserae Mace before February 14^th to retain returning family status. If more than 13 returning families request the AM 3’s or more than 16 for the AM 4’s class, a lottery will be instituted on February 15^th. The first 13 (3’s), 16 (4’s) name drawn will fill the AM class. Others will be placed on a waiting list for the AM in order names are drawn and will be assigned to the PM class.

If you have younger siblings you wish to register for the 2002-2003 school year, you need to call Deserae with the child’s name. Indicate you are a returning family. Registration forms will be distributed January 15^th. Do not bring forms to school.

Please mail the completed forms and fees to: Newark Cooperative Preschool

300 East Main St.

Newark, DE 19711

I would like to thank everyone for doing such a fantastic job at completing the jobs that were selected in the beginning of the year. If you still do not have a job please call me ASAP so that we can fill your assignment. There are still open jobs, please call me if you do not have a job. Remember this is a coop preschool and we need everyone's help to have the school run smoothly. My home number is 366-1148.
 

Also remember that tuition is due in by the 1st of each month. If you do not have your tuition in by the 7th of each month you will be charged a late fee.
 

Snow days will be announced on WDEL (1150 AM) and WSTW (93.7 FM) radio stations. A decision about canceling school will be make as early as possible. A phone tree message will be sent only if NCP is doing something different than the Christina School District. Please keep your most recent class list by the telephone so you can call the next person on the list if you receive a message about school.

We will go out in the snow, so dress your child accordingly.

If you will be involved in the school next year, please consider taking a Board of Directors position. Call Diane Roberts (366-1148) to discuss positions available.

On January 8^th and 9^th we will have every student show and tell. They may bring something special to show their friends.

The 4’s will begin some new activities this month. On January 14^th the children will begin to sign in when they have placed their bag in their cubby and hang up their coat. They will need to find their name and place it in the "I am here" basket. Also on January 14^th we will begin letter box activities. Each week we will focus on a different single sound consonant. We will make the sound, learn to recognize the capital and lower case and we will find things that begin with the letter of the week. Some weeks we will make a poster, some weeks we will bring items from home that begin with our sound. Look for reminder notes in the backpacks.

One thing I strive to do is to build self confidence in the children. The most important thing any of us can do for our children is to make them feel successful. You can help by encouraging your child to do things for himself/herself. Be enthusiastic when you receive projects or artwork. A child’s class project does not need to look like the teacher’s example. A successful project for 3 and 4 year olds is anything they create.

Happy New Year and welcome back! We had a very rainy December with lots of indoor recess, but if it gets cold enough to snow this month, we will take full advantage of a snowy recess.

We are beginning our color unit this month. A big thank you to Heather Davulcu for making our color eater. Please use this opportunity to help your child with cutting. In addition to colors, we will be discussing weather, senses and begin discussing the body.

Dates to watch: January 8^th will be our show and tell day and January 29^th will be our teddy bear picnic.

As the 2001-2002 school year progresses Board members, Karen and I are noticing a trend which has us worried. A few very involved people are doing two and three jobs and participating in every activity while other families are never seen or participate.

In March when we hold our election for Board Members for the 2002-2003 school year we have the possibility of two people returning in Board positions. They are Deserae Mace, VP of Admissions and Colleen Tuozzolo, Coordinating Parent. That means we will need a President, Secretary, VP of Education, Coordinating Parents, and a Treasurer. Patti Ann Mooney, our current Treasurer, would like to begin training her replacement as soon as possible. Since Patti Ann does not have a child in the school she has informed us this is her last year to serve in this position.

In the past we have depended on the 3’s families to move into leadership positions and to take over running committees. We have seen very few of the 3’s families actively involved so far this year. The cooperative aspect of our program is a unique opportunity for all the families to be involved. But, the success of the program depends on support from ALL the families.

If you are continuing on to the 4’s program or returning with a second child for next school year, please get involved. Diane Roberts or I can describe jobs.

Shirley Glines

There are an armful of children’s picture books which I will hold on to forever (much to my husbands dismay!). They are works of art, stories and illustrations that contain great beauty.

They are frequently stories that make me feel secure, and fill me with awe, peace and love. My favorite in this category is Under The Moon by Dyan Sheldon with paintings by Gary Blythe. It is the story of a young girl who finds a flint or arrowhead while digging in her backyard. Her mother then explains that it could be hundreds of years old and describes how their neighborhood would have looked and how life would have been lived differently at that time. Jenny camps in her backyard that night and has an incredible dream…I won’t spoil it for you. The writing is lyrical; the oil paintings are extraordinary. Together they carry you into the book, amazing.

Other personal favorites in the "Beautiful" category include:

All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan with paintings by Mike Wimmer

The Whale’s Song by Dyan Sheldon with paintings by Gary Blythe

The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco

The Rainbabies by Laura Krauss Melmed illustrated by Jim LaMarche

The Legend of Bluebonnet and The Legent of the Indian Paintbrush retold and illustrated

By Tomie dePaola

Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Berger

If you have any books you love in the "beautiful" category, please e-mail or call me, I'd hate to be missing out!