Storyteller, October 2011
Observations
“The documentation is in fact a process of ‘participation,’ as the teacher ‘is part,’ and thus participant, in the process. For this reason, the reflectiveness necessary when writing and possible when re-reading (individually and in groups) is what transforms the anecdote into knowledge and the knowledge into collective and connecting knowing” (Rinaldi, 2010).
Dear Families and Friends,
Thank you for sharing the Back to Preschool evenings with us last month. We appreciated your thoughtful questions and insights about the documentation process and look forward to your reflections about the documentation we share with you and the children during the coming months. The process is an ecological one that involves all members of our community. As we noted, the subjectivity of the observation process is reduced when multiple perspectives contribute to the interpretation of children’s words and play.
As part of the observation/documentation process and our own professional development each week, the teachers and I exchange reflections about our learning regarding children, families, colleagues, and ourselves as early childhood educators. We do this in weekly team meetings, at our faculty meetings on Friday afternoons and informally as we meet in hallways, classrooms and outdoor environments. Following the first real week of preschool of the school year, the teachers emailed me their reflections for the week. It was so interesting to note the frequency of comments about children’s competence during this early part of the school year. Teachers observed the children’s mostly successful efforts to cope with good-by’s to parents, seeking self-regulation at the water table and the wood-working center. They commented on how much the returning children remembered about their routines, environments, friends and teachers.
Teachers also commented on their own sense of disequilibrium as new communities are forming; it is a challenge to play a variety of roles (facilitator of play, conflict resolution, independence and comfort) while simultaneously becoming acquainted with individuals and new group dynamics. The sharing of these reflections is helping us to co-construct an image of the first weeks of our experience together as a preschool community and supporting our efforts to respond appropriately to individuals and groups—of children, parents and colleagues. As Rinaldi expressed in her words in Reinventing Laura: An educational diary in a Reggio Emilia nido (2010), our observations are transformed when together we reflect and speculate.
Warm wishes,
Nancy
Click on the links below or scroll down for this month’s topics:
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Silent Auction News
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Room Parents
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Committees
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After-School Small Group Classes
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Wreath Sale
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Toddler Classes
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North American Learning Tour
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Intake Conferences
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Halloween Parade
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Thank You
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Mission Statement
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Preschool Event Pics
Silent Auction News
Invitations to our November 18th Silent Auction evening fundraiser at the Annenberg Beach House will be emailed to all families this month. Please be sure to RSVP to Karen and make arrangements for childcare! Also coming to you this month are the two donation letters for each PPS family. Karen will be distributing the donation letters so that you can begin collecting items and services for the auction. The donation letters, auction items and certificates for services will be due to Karen by the week of Nov. 7th so that she can create the Silent Auction Program in advance of the event.
In addition to donating two items or services, we also ask that each family make a contribution to the Class Basket organized and created by the Room Parents in each class. Themes for the four baskets will be selected this month and Room Parents will communicate with the parents in their class.
Co-chairs Judy Tyler, Lisa Fitzgerald and Marika Spielman will be meeting with the Silent Auction Committee in a couple of weeks. Please look for a flyer announcing the date and time of the meeting.
Please remember that friends and extended family members are welcome to participate in the Silent Auction. All donations are tax deductible.
Room Parents
We would like to thank our new Room Parents for volunteering to serve as this year’s coordinators of some of the activities and events in their children’s classrooms.
- Cherry Blossom Room
Kim Egan, Simona Patierno and Luciana Souza - Rosemary Room
Allison Lovus, Dorothy Snoke and Tannaz Silkman - Dandelion Room
Megan Histand, Kelli Haas, Jenny Hayden and Kyo Yamashiro - Sunflower Room
Emily Chase, Lisa Fitzgerald and Laurie Montgomery
Please look for communications from the Room Parents in your child’s class about the date for the Class Coffee planned for this month.
Committees
Our Refreshment and Housekeeping Committees have already begun their support of our program for the new school year. Thank you!! Soon to “launch” will be the Library and Emergency Prep Committees. Please look for emailed announcements of meeting dates and times.
After-School Small Group Classes—10 week Fall Session began on Sept. 26th
- Clay Class—Mondays
- Ballet—Tuesdays
- Soccer Shots—Wednesdays
- Karate—Thursdays
Please check with Karen if your child is interested in one or more of these classes.
Wreath Sale
Several years ago this successful small fundraiser became a tradition at PPS. You can order beautiful fresh holiday wreaths that are delivered to the preschool for pick-up—or shipped to your home. The wreaths also make lovely gifts. Order forms will go out to you this month and you can speak with Karen for more information about these fragrant decorations for home and office.
Toddler Classes
The Toddler Parent Orientation meeting is planned for Monday, Oct. 3rd at 9:30 in the Library with Nancy and Laurie. Classes will begin on Monday, Oct. 17th. We are currently fully enrolled for the fall session.
North American Learning Tour
Studio teacher, Valeria Vacchi, and Nancy will be participating in the 2011 Learning Tour for North American educators in Reggio Emilia, Italy from Oct. 14th through Oct. 22nd. The week-long tour offers a challenging schedule that includes meetings with Italian educators at the Malaguzzi Center and tours of some of the municipal preschools and infant/toddler centers in RE. This is an amazing professional development experience and we look forward to sharing our learning with the PPS community!
Intake Conferences
The teachers in the Cherry Blossom and Rosemary Rooms will be meeting with individual families on Friday, Oct. 7th. Prior to the conferences, each family will receive a copy of the Ages & Stages Questionnaire-3 for the purpose of observing children at home and sharing the observations with teachers on Oct. 7th. The CB/Rosemary classes will not meet on the day of the conferences, but childcare will be offered for the time of your conference.
Halloween Parade
On Friday, October 28th, all Palisades Preschool children are invited to participate in the annual Halloween Parade. We are planning to hold two parades in order to accommodate children and adults on our play yard for this event. The Cherry Blossom/Rosemary children will start the day outside as usual in their costumes and their parade will take place from about 9:00 to 9:30 a.m. Following their parade, CB/Rosemary children who usually attend school on Fridays will go inside for the party and be dismissed at about 11:00 a.m. Children who do not usually attend school on Fridays will go home with their family after the parade.
The Dandelion and Sunflower children will start their day inside as usual at 8:45—wearing their costumes. Their parade will take place at about 9:30 or so. They will come back inside after the parade for their party and be dismissed at about 11:15.
Please make sure that costumes are appropriate for our ages. We request that there be no scary masks or weapons of any kind. Also, please think about your child’s ability to move safely and easily around the parade route (the bike path).
While our curriculum does not formally include Halloween, we do like to help children interpret a holiday that includes a lot of commercialism and “fright.” Halloween offers an opportunity to talk about what is frightening to children and to explore rich language, music and stories. Our classroom will feature natural seasonal decorations.
Thank You!
We gratefully acknowledge the Patierno family for their gift of a digital camera and the Baum family for their purchase of a new MacBook computer for the teachers. Both items will be used to document and share children’s learning at PPS. Thank you!
Preschool Mission Statement
Our mission is to serve our community by offering a preschool experience for children and families that celebrates diversity, creativity and kindness. These values are embedded within a rich child-centered curriculum that provides individuals and groups with opportunities to investigate, explore and express themselves through meaningful play.
Pictures from School Events
Family Picnic
Back to Preschool Night
