Happy Holidays!

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Check out our holiday cards that we made on the iPads.  You can download and print them. They are at the end of the December Picture Album.

December Picture Album is Up

Click on the album title below to view pictures.  

I will continue loading pictures next week.  

Be sure to check back after the last day of school. 

December Class Pictures

        

  

Happy Christmas Week!

WEEK OF DECEMBER 17th:

Monday- wear all of you Christmas apparrel...deck out in red and green!

Tuesday- Wacky Christmas Day.  Wear all of the crazy hats, bells, and whatever else you can find.

Wednesday- Pajama Day...we will be "BELIEVING" as we watch Polar Express and enjoy some popcorn!

Thursday- Last Day of School until Jan 7th!  Holiday Parties in the classroom at 10:00 & 2:00

May you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christmas is Coming!

Hopefully every is on the NICE list...Santa is checking!

 This week if Gg week so we had lots of fun making gifts for our loved ones and with the Gingerbread Baby! We read the story by Jan Brett (check out wesbite here), made gingerbread cookies, and even made a scratch and sniff gingerbread baby craft. It was so much fun and our classroom smells great!

Cupcake flew to our classroom all the way from the North Pole.  She is our Elf on the Shelf.   I can't want to see where the elf is tomorrow...can you find him? But remember, you cannot touch him or he will lose his magic!

Star Students:  Lorice and Patrick

Happy Birthday to Patrick!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS WEEK is next week:

Monday- wear all of you Christmas apparrel...deck out in red and green!

Tuesday- Wacky Christmas Day.  Wear all of the crazy hats, bells, and whatever else you can find.

Wednesday- Pajama Day...we will be "BELIEVING" as we watch Polar Express and enjoy some popcorn!
Thursday- Last Day of School until Jan 7th!  Holiday Parties in the classroom at 10:00 & 2:00

Winter Holiday Season

We will spend the entire month of December on Winter Holidays. This is such an exciting time of year for our little ones and they have much joy and cheer!

Our letter this week is Qq for queen.  We have been busy little elves making lots of crafts...stocking, christmas trees, and other fun foamies! We started learning some holiday songs so if you hear us singing some silly Santa songs you know where we learned them.

Our preschoolers will be going to the Santa Shop on Tuesday (AM) and Wednesday (PM).  

Star Students this week are Kylie and Ryan.

Happy 1/2 birthday to Ryan!

Fire Safety Week

This week we have learned all about Fire Safety.  Firefighter Frank visited our class too!  Check out the pictures in the November Picture Album!

You can also visit Sparky's website by clicking here for great Fire Safety activities.

                                                                            

Star Students this week are Luke and Mallory!  

Happy 1/2 birthday to Katie!

***Santa Shop is next Tuesday (AM) and Wednesday (PM).  

***December Scholastic Book orders will be coming home soon.  They are due by Dec 10th so sthey arrive before break.

Feast Video & Pictures

The video from our Thanksgiving Feast is ready!  Click here to watch or download it.  You can send the link the family and friends.

The pictures that were used for the video will be uploaded to the November Picture Album (located in the Picture tab above) next week.  Sorry, didn't have a chance to get it done today and cannot access it from home. 

Thank you!

Thank you for all of your support with the COINS FOR CORNERSTONE project.  We raised $68.15 which we will donate to the Cornerstone of Hope for their Holiday Ornament Event.  Helping others sure does make you feel special!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have been learning about turkeys and Thanksgiving.  Hope you all have a wonderful holiday with family and friends.  I will post the feast pictures/movie by Wed, Nov. 21st.  

This weeks stars and birthday girls are Megan and Haley!

Children's Museum

Pictures from our Family Fun Friday are up.  Check them out in the picture link under the November Album.  You can also view them by clicking here.

Down on the Farm

This week we learned about farm animals.  Letter Cc was our letter of the week for cow and corn.  We made some cookies that were yummy!

Some of the great stories we read included The Cow Who Laid an Egg, Three Little Pigs, Hogwash, and The Flea Who Sneezed.

We enjoyed a trip to the Children's Museum where we got to play in the Big Red Barn!

Happy Birthday to Kevin and Melinda!
Star Students this week are Melinda and Vinnie.

**Notice, our Thanksgiving Feast was moved to Monday, November 19th at 10:00 & 2:00 in the cafeteria.  You should have received a slip of paper with a food to bring in.  See you then!

Peer Information

2013-2014 Peer Information

Deadline for application is January 31, 2013. 
Don't wait...apply now! There is NO fee to apply.

If you have any questions, please contact Tara Gruskiewicz: 216-642-5870 x 1412 

 tgruskiewicz@independence.k12.oh.us

**Peers who are currently enrolled/attending the Independence Preschool Program do not need to re-apply.

Click to download:

Peer Information

Peer Application

Trick or Treat!

Here are some pictures from last week's Halloween Party.  You can view/download all of the Halloween Pictures in my October Album by clicking here or on the slideshow of pictures on the right side of the blog.

Our Star Students this week were Kevin and Landon!
Happy Birthday to Kevin and Melinda!

Coins 4 Cornerstone

This week is Character Counts week at IPS. We have many activities planned to teach our students about positive character qualities.  Trustworthiness respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship are the six pillars we will be focusing on this week and throughout the year.  The preschoolers will be doing a "Coins for Cornerstone" activity.  For those of you that are not aware of Cornerstone of Hope, it is an organization right here in Independence that is dedicated to providing support, education, and hope for the grieving. For more information, check out there website:  www.cornerstoneofhope.org.

The goal of our project "Coins for Cornerstone" is to raise $50 to donate to the Cornerstone of Hope.  The organization will use the money to purchase Christmas ornaments for the their Ornament Decoration event held in December.  This is a great way to teach our children about caring, kindness, and helping others in need.  It is also going to be a great learning activity as we will be working on identifying and sorting coins.  Later in the month of December, when we are decorating our own ornaments in class, I will remind the children (and hopefully share pictures) of how they helped other children share the wonderful experience of making Christmas ornaments.

The project will begin this week so you can start sending in coins whenever you would like. The coin jar is in the classroom and ready to start collecting!  You can send coins in with your child, they can do some chores around the house to earn coins, maybe they want to take some out of their piggy banks, or they can earn coins in the classroom.  During the project time, our Treasure Box days will be Coin Days.  Students who earn a trip to the treasure box will be given a coin.  They may use the coin to purchase a gum ball or they can donate it to the "Coins for Cornerstone" jar.  My goal is to help the children understand that sometimes they may have to give up something to help another person.

I appreciate you support and help with the project.  If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns please contact me.  Our project will begin this week and continue until Thanksgiving.  Our donation will be sent to the Cornerstone of Hope on November 20, 2012.  I will keep an update on our preschool website as to how our project is going.  

Our star students this week are Sullivan and Mosha.

Family Fun Friday #2 Information

It is time for another “Family Fun Friday”.  Our next event will be on November 9, 2012 at The Children’s Museum from 1:30-2:30. This is an opportunity for the preschoolers to enjoy some fun with their family, friends, and teachers outside of the classroom. This is not a school sponsored field trip as preschoolers do not have school on Fridays; however I will attend the event.  This event is not mandatory and parents are responsible for transportation as well as any admission fees. We will be receiving the group discount rate.  The Children’s Museum tour will include three exhibits:  Big Red Barn, Splish! Splash!, and Centuries of Childhood.  A description of each exhibit is below as well as on the Museum’s website:  http://www.clevelandchildrensmuseum.org. 

    

The cost is $6.00 per child.  One adult is admitted free with each paid child admission.  Additional adult admissions are $7.00 per adult.  However, to guarantee this rate we must have at least 10 children attend.  Miss Gruskiewicz will collect money AT the museum.  Please do not pay it to the Museum.  Below are the group visit policies for you to review.

GROUP VISIT POLICIES:

·       Plan to arrive 15 minutes BEFORE the start of the tour.

·       Parents are responsible for their child at all times.

·       Adults MUST assist their child during entire visit (involve them in hands on activities, make sure they walk through museum, return items when finished).

·       Due to space, eating facilities are NOT available at the Museum.

·       Pay admission fee to Miss Gruskiewicz when you arrive at the Museum.  Do NOT pay the Musuem.  Checks need to be payable to Independence Board of Education.

 Families, siblings, and friends are all invited to have some fun!  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns (tgruskiewicz@independence.k12.oh.us).

 Splish! Splash! is the water exhibit and it is sure to engage little ones. This permanent exhibit teaches children about water transportation, weather and the earth's water systems.  It features a two-story climbing structure that is designed to teach basic principles of the water cycle.  Also part of Splish! Splash! is the Kaleidoscope Stop where children experiment with and create patterns of all kinds and the Weather Forecast Center where children will learn how water affects the weather. They can also use the anchor desk to present their very own forecast in front of a camera so their family and friends can see them as a meteorologist.

  

Inspired by Margaret Wise Brown’s beloved children’s classic of the same name, Big Red Barn is designed specifically for children ages birth-4 yrs. It is comprised of several distinct areas, all with hands-on activities that encourage child/caregiver play. Come see the two-story barn, working silo, apple orchard, and more! 

 In Centuries of Childhood: An American Story, children will connect the stories of American history to their own experiences by learning about the lives of five historical children and their families. Each historical character will have its own distinct environment based on the time period and location in which they lived.  By creating immersive environments with replicas of artifacts, home settings and traditional dress, children and families will feel like they are stepping into another time and place.

Directions to The Children’s Museum:

10730 Euclid Ave.

Cleveland, Ohio 44106

(In University Circle) 

216-791-7114 (Phone)

Take the ramp I-77 N  

Take exit 163 for I-90 E toward E 9th St   (0.2 mi)

Follow signs for I-90 E/Erie Pa and merge onto I-90 E   (0.7 mi)

Take exit 173B for Chester Ave   (0.2 mi)

Turn right at Chester Ave   (2.8 mi)

Turn right at E 105th St   (0.1 mi)

Turn left at Euclid Ave.  The Children’s Museum on the right.  (0.2 mi)

Total Travel Estimate:   20 minutes   /   14 miles   

Click here for the flyer.

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater

  It is letter Pp this week.  We are making pumpkin bags, carving jack-o-lanterns, and learning some great Halloween songs.  Check out some pictures from our pumpkin week.  Learning and fun never end in preschool!

Pumpkin activities to try at home:

Pumpkin Patterning Activity
Pumpkin Sorting Activity
Pumpkin Color Matching Game

Pumpkin Number Game 
 5 Little Pumpkin Song 

This week's Star Students are Victor and Laila.
Happy Birthday to Victor!

Fall Adventure Walk

Today was a perfect Fall day!  The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, so we went walking for some signs of "Fall" in the woods.  We found buckeye nuts, lots of leaves, a bonfire pit, and even some deer scat.  What an adventure!  Pictures have been uploaded and are under the "October" Album.  Please see the PICTURE tab above.

Fall is here

The leaves are changing colors and the temperature is getting colder!  This week the preschoolers are learning about the season of Fall.  Our letter of the week is Ll for leaves.  Check out colorful fall tree craft:

Our stories this week include Fall Leaves Fall, I know an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves, and The Leaf Blew In.  If the weather cooperates, we are going to take a Fall Walk to look for signs of fall.

This week's Star Students are Owen and Alex.

Apple Fest!

This week we will be learning about apples and the letter Aa. We will be making an apple craft, graphing apples and home made applesauce...yummy!  Other activities include graphing our favorite apple color, drinking apple juice, counting/writing numbers for apple seeds, and singing silly songs like Apples and Bananas.

A few stories that we  read included Ducking for Apples and Ten Apples Up On Top. Check out this animated video of the story here.

Try making some apple crisp at home, click here for the apple crisp recipe.








Happy Birthday to Braden!

 Star Students are Braden and DJ.

A is for Apple

Parents, 
Our weekly theme this week is APPLES.  We will be doing several activities on with apples including making apple crisp and graphing the different colors of apples.  Please send ONE apple to school with your child by Wednesday. Sorry for the short notice.  If you are not able to send in an apple, please let me know and I will bring some extras.  Thank you!

Dinosour Galore!

Paul Stickland is a great author!  He has many free activities and coloring pages on his website.  He actually read our Preschool Blog all the way over in the UK and sent me a personal email....how exciting!

Check out Dinosaur Roar coloring pages here.

Paul Stickland's website here.

Sensory Storytime

Join for a sensory storytime, designed forchildren with different needs, including those with Autism, Down syndrome, sensory-processing disorder, speech/language delays, cognitive impairments, AD/HD, and other special needs or challenges. When offered, the 11:30 a.m. class is a repeat of the 10:30 a.m. class to accommodate additional families.

Saturdays, July 28th, August 11th, September 22nd / 10:30 & 11:30 a.m.

Maple Heights Branch

5225 Library Lane / 216.475.5000

Saturday, September 8th / 10:30 a.m.

Bay Village Branch

502 Cahoon Road / 440.871.6392

Saturday, September 15th / 10:30 a.m.

Independence Branch

6361 Selig Drive / 216.447.0160

Saturday, September 15th / 11:30 a.m.

Parma-South Branch

7335 Ridge Road / 440.885.5362

Important Notice: Please Read Carefully!

Due to safety and concerns, we are going to change the drop off and pick up locations.  I apologize for another change but we are trying to find a solution that works best.

This change will take effect on Monday, October 1st.  Please share it with relatives/sitters that maybe helping provide transportation for your child.

AM Class:  8:40-11:10

Drop Off:  Parents will drop off at the "back door" by the 4th grade/playground area. I will still greet each child at the car so you do not need to leave your car as long as you are "driving through".  Please follow the traffic pattern. 

Pick Up:  Parents will pick up in the front circle by the office.  I will still walk each child to their car so you do not need to leave your car.  

PM Class: 12:30-3:00

Drop Off:  Parents will drop off in the front circle by the office.  I will still greet each child at their car so you do not need to leave your car as long as you are "driving through".  Please follow the traffic pattern. 

Pick Up:  Parents who have been picking up "down the hill" will pick up at the "back door" by the 4th grade/playground area.  I will still walk each child to their car so you do not need to leave your car as long as you are "driving through".  Please follow the traffic pattern.  Parents who are picking up older siblings we will continue with the foyer/office routine.  

REMINDERS

*  Miss G or Miss Barb will still greet each child at the drop off areas so please do not let them walk into school alone. If you are late, you will need to walk your child into school when dropping off.  If you are late picking up, you will need to park and enter the school and check in at the office.

*  You may drop off 10 minutes prior to class start time.  Supervision will not be available prior to that time.

*  If you are leaving your car, it MUST be parked in a designated/marked parking space.

* Please follow traffic patterns and drive slowly to help ensure everyone's safety...there are lots of children around!  Please see the map that was sent home for traffic patterns (always drive counter-clockwise).

Thank you for your cooperation!

Dinosaur Roar

Our class theme this week is dinosaurs.  Along with learning interesting facts about dinos, we also began our letter of the week...letter Dd.  Each week will will have a new letter that is connected to our weekly theme.  Be sure to get some extra practice at home writing our letter of the week or searching for the letter in books, magazines, or even at the grocery store!  There is lots of learning everywhere if you just look for it.

This week we read the stories, Dinosaur Dudes, Dinosaur Roar, Ten Terrible Dinosaurs, Dancin Dinos at the Beach, and Dinosaur Pet.  We quickly learned a dinosaur would be too big to have as a pet!  Our learning centers included finger painting a dino, patterning for the PM class, writing letter Dd, and a dino number card game.

Check out Dinosaur Train on PBS and visit the website/games here.  We played it in computer class and have the app on our iPad.   

Addison and Maverick are the Preschool Stars this week!

Happy Birthday to Maverick!

Happy Birthday Clifford

Today is Clifford's 50th Birthday.  There is a live party being broadcast online at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.  Check it out along with lots of other fun and exciting Clifford activities at Scholastic.com

Birthday Link here.

Birthday Fun activities including sending Clifford a card.

Play and Learn with Clifford here.

Clifford the Big Red Dog:  Watch him grow (story)

Another COLORful week!

We explored more colors this week: yellow, blue, orange, pink, and purple.

For our science lesson, we made magic playdough.  It started white but we added a color and then a second color and the more we squeezed, the more magic we saw.  If you want to try it at home, check out the post below for magic playdough.  Here are some pictures from our centers.  We worked on making the "circle back" stroke for writing, colored a rainbow with Mrs. Hall, and played color Bingo!  In the PM class, Victor shared his orange cat Rusty with is.  Our AM class had Katie as the star of the week.

Some of the stories we enjoyed this week were One Blue Fish, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, A Color of His Own, and everyone's favorite Pete the Cat I Love my White Shoes.  Pete the Cat has several other books out to check for them at the library.

Have a great weekend!