Pre-School+-+Mrs.+Meagher

May 25, 2015 Happy Memorial Day to all our Preschool Families! We can't believe our school year is coming to a close. All the classes will enjoy a make your own ice cream sundae party for our last week of preschool. It has been a wonderful year with all your children. I wish you and your little ones a happy, safe summer!

May 17, 2015 We will continue with our ocean unit for the 4's and bug unit with the 3's. They are also enjoying getting back outside on a regular basis. We are winding down our Preschool year. The children have grown in many different ways this year! There is a full day of school this Friday, May 22. There is NO school on Monday, May 25 for the Memorial Day holiday.

May 10, 2015 Happy Mother's Day to all our Preschool Mothers! We hope you enjoyed your day with your little ones. Thank you to all who attended our Mothers Day Teas. The children enjoyed sharing a bit of Preschool with you.

We finished up the alphabet with our letter of the week. We concluded with letter Z by learning about zoos, zebras, the number zero and watching Mrs. Meagher eat zucchini! This week we will learn about authors and start our ocean unit. The 3 yr. old class will begin a bug unit. The PM Pre-K class will have lunch in the cafeteria this Wed. May 13. They should come to school at regular time. All money is due tomorrow, Monday May 11. The cost is $2.00

May 3, 2015 Kindergarten screening went well last week. You should be receiving a letter soon informing you how your child scored.

The annual SJVRS May Procession is this Tues, May 5. at 10 AM. We will walk outside with the 3 yr. old Preschool class to watch it but any parents from any of the classes are welcome to come see this lovely ceremony. After the entire school marches up and down 18th street, the students then move into the church for a beautiful prayer and song service honoring Mary.

Our Preschool Mothers' Day Teas are on Thurs and Fri.this week. Please see your invitation for date and time. No need to bring anything -this is your treat and time to enjoy being with your son/daughter. Grandmothers and smaller siblings are welcome. . The M-W-F am 4 yr old class and PM Pre-K class both enjoyed doing yoga this week to reinforce the letter Y. Ask them about it- they may be able to show you some poses!

April 6, 2015 We do have Preschool classes on Monday April 6. It is a snow make-up day. This week we will work on letter T with many fun activities planned to reinforce the phonemic sound of T and the number 10. Friday afternoon the PM Pre-K class will be taking a field trip to see The Sound of Music. We will walk rain or shine so please remember to dress your child appropriately for walking and the weather. Please remember to return your registration for next year if you haven't already done so. Classes are beginning to fill up.

March 29,2015 This week we will discuss Easter, spring and new life in all our classes. All our Preschool children eligble for Kindergarten in Sept. '15 have been invited to our Move Up Day on Mon. Mar. 30. The children will be walked over to the Kindergarten rooms for the afternoon. They will meet the teachers, do a craft and have a snack. It is an exciting day for these children! Please make sure you ask them all about it when they get home.

We have a full day of school on Monday and Tuesday Mar. 30 and 31. On Wednesday April 1st SJVRS has a noon dismissal so there is no PM Pre-K. School reopens Monday April 6. This is a snow make-up day for all Monday classes. It originally was scheduled as a vacation day. Wishing a Happy Easter to all of our Preschool Families!!!

March 23, 2015 We have finished letter R and will be moving on to letter S. The children enjoyed our rhyming activities and measuring with rulers. This week we will have fun with a "store" set up in our classroom and discussing the solar system.

We have a full day of school this Friday, Mar. 27 and a half day-noon dismissal on Wed. April 1 as snow make-up days. These dates were originally scheduled as early dismissal and no school.

Preschool Registration has begun for Sept. '15-16 school year. Please return your registration form if you have not already done so.

March 15, 2015 Happy St. Patrick's Day to all our Preschool families! SJVRS students will be wearing green and accessorizing their uniforms on Tuesday. If your child has preschool that day please feel free to dress them in green to join the SJV community in celebration! The school will be marching in the Allentown St. Patrick's Day parade in the West End of Allentown on Sunday, Mar. 23. We will be gathering behind the Farmers Market and you are welcome to join us and march .More information will be sent home this week. A parent must accompany their preschool child in the parade. Thursday, March 19 at 6:30-7:15 PM is an Open House for parents interested in either our Preschool or Kindergarten programs. Please join us if you want more info. about our programs and spread the word among your friends and neighbors.

March 9, 2015 Let's hope we have a full week of school this week! We expect to reinforce letter Q with books about queens in our fairy tales and fables unit. Watch for a letter this week letting you know our adjusted calendar with our snow make up days.

Coming soon: Preschool Move -Up day for children eligible for Kindergarten in Sept. '15, Preschool Open House for new families, and the Allentown St. Patrick's Day Parade. More information will follow!

March 1, 2015 March is coming in like a lion for sure! We hope to move on to letter Q this week at the same time as we celebrate Read Across America with Dr. Seuss on March 2nd. Last week the 4's and PM Pre-K classes enjoyed Pajama Day to reinforce letter P. I hope you saw the pictures on our SJVRS facebook page. They also spent the week having a puzzle race, eating pretzels, popcorn and potato chips, playing with pasta and drawing the letter P in shaving cream. The children listened to Peter and the Wolf told with musical instruments. We read about Polar Bears and Penguins and enjoyed the books, Ping and Pinkalicious. The 3's enjoyed every minute of their dinosaur unit and will now move on to Transportation.

February 17, 2015 So Sorry to have the children miss another day of school due to snow! I do hope they have time to bundle up and go outside and enjoy it. The 4's and PM Pre-K will move on to letter P this week and next week. Lots of great activities are planned to reinforce the phonemic sound of P. The 3 year old class will begin the Dinosaur Unit. It is a favorite theme every year!

Thurs.evening, Feb. 19 there is a Story Hour/Open House for our Preschool programs. It is designed to show what we offer to new interested families and their small children. If you have friends or neighbors with preschool age children, please tell them about it. Again, this Thursday, Feb. 19 from 6:30-7:30 PM.

February 8,2015 Hopefully "Ol Man Winter will not interfere with another Monday! We hope to move on to letter O this week and enjoy Valentine celebrations at the end of the week. Valentine's Day gives us the opportunity to discuss ways to show others we care. Please note: There is a 12 noon dismissal at SJV this Fri. Feb. 13. There will be no PM Pre-K class that day. Also, NO SCHOOL for all on Monday Feb. 16 for Presidents Day Holiday.

Thank you for all the families that sent in toothbrushes for our school wide service project. Preschool was able to donate a full bucket of toothbrushes to the cause. Registrations for Preschool and Kindergarten at SJV for '15-'16 school year are now being accepted. Please see me if you are not sure which class to register for.

January 19, 2015 There is no school on Monday January 20th due to Martin Luther King Holiday. The teachers will be attending an in-service. We will move on to letter M this week. We will listen to and dramatize the story, Mouse Count, use magnets in science, count and sort m and m's for math and make monster crafts . Catholic Schools Week opens next Sunday, Jan. 27 at 9 AM Mass. Come visit the classrooms from 10-12 noon following Mass for a SJVRS Open House.

January 11, 2015 Cold and blustery weather has descended upon Allentown! Preschool classes are making snowflake, snowman and winter scene crafts. The children are discussing the changes in the weather, our activities, animals, food, and clothing. We will continue to march through the alphabet and reinforce letter L by sight and sound this week.

The Mon.-Wed.-Fri. AM class will have their Christmas Show and Share this Wed. Jan. 14. The students should bring a new gift they received for Christmas to show and share with their friends. They will take it back home at the end of the day. Reminder: NO SCHOOL next Monday, Jan. 19 for Martin Luther King Holiday.

January 4 2015 HAPPY NEW YEAR to all the SJVS Preschool Families! We wish you and your families good health and much happiness as this new year begins! Classes resume on Monday, Jan. 5th. We will jump back into a letter of the week, starting with letter K. We will reinforce letter K by discussing the Epiphany and the three Kings. Reminders: Please put names in new coats and jackets. Keep your child home if he has had a fever or vomited in the 24 hrs. prior to class time. Watch our website or local tv stations for late starts and school closings due to snow. SJVRS is closed on Monday, Jan. 19th for Martin Luther King holiday.

December 13, 2014 The 3 year old Tues-Thurs AM class will enjoy a small celebration in our classroom with just our students on Thursday Dec. 18. They will prepare and eat a special Christmas snack. We feel the three year olds are not ready yet to sing and perform in front of parents and other adults. The Three's last day before Christmas will be Thurs. Dec. 18th. They will return to school on Tues. Jan. 6.

The 4 year old M-W-F AM class will have their Christmas Party on Fri. Dec. 19 at 10:30 AM in our classroom. Hope to see you there! That will be their last day of school until Mon. Jan. 5th.

The PM Pre-K class will have their Christmas Party on Friday Dec. 19th at 2:00 PM in our classroom. That will be their last day of school until Monday Jan.5th. Hope to see you at the party!

December 7, 2014 The sounds of Christmas carols and happy childrens' voices are floating out of the Preschool room. It's a happy place to be all the time!! but especially at Christmas.Their excitement and enthusiasm for the holiday season is contagious. We will continue to review letters A-J, numbers 1-10, the story of the 1st Christmas, and patterning as we do our holiday crafts, books and songs. Watch for your invitation to the preschool Christmas Party. Please plan to join us! All Scholastic Book orders due by Tuesday, Dec.9. Thank you

December 1, 2014 The Christmas season is upon us! This week the Preschool students will begin to learn about Advent, and start making gifts,cards and Christmas crafts. We will move on to letter J and reinforce it by talking about Jesus, joy and jingle bells. Our crafts will help the children recognize and make patterns.

Please listen to our local TV channels or check our SJVRS website if there is a chance for bad weather. If SJVRS has a 2 hour delay in the morning there will be NO morning Preschool that day. We will have regular afternoon Preschool on a day that school opens late.

REMINDERS: Please put your child's name in all his/her coats. Keep your child home if there has been any sign of sickness in the 24 hours prior to Preschool. Let's help keep our friends and teachers healthy!

November 24, 2014

We will have AM Preschool on Monday and Tuesday this week. There is no afternoon Preschool due to conferences. School is closed Wed. 11/26 through Mon. 12/1. SJVRS reopens on Tuesday December 2. Don't forget to pick up your Perkins Pies at the Perkins on Lehigh St. this Tues. between 5-8 PM. I wish all the Preschool families a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

November 17, 2014 This week the children will learn about the first Thanksgiving. The AM 4 year old class will visit the Wildlands Conservancy on Friday. Please make sure you have sent in your permission slip and fee. PIcture Make-Up Day is Thursday Nov. 20. If you are unhappy with your child's picture you may bring the pictures back and have your child's picture retaken. Perkins Pie Orders due immediately. Thank you for your support! Reminder: Conferences are next Monday Nov. 24 and 25.

November 10, 2014 The children enjoyed discussing farm life for letter F and learning about hoedowns and end of harvest celebrations. The PM Pre-K class had the opportunity last week to make their own scarecrow. This coming week we will move on to letter G. To reinforce the G sound we will dramatize the story, __The Three Billy Goats Gruff.__ use gold glitter for crafts and experiment with gravity.

Next Sunday, Nov. 16, SJVRS will have an OPEN HOUSE for new families from 2-3PM. Please come see what our Kindergarten program has to offer and tell your friends and neighbors to come see our Preschool.

November 3, 2014 The Preschool classes will continue marching through the alphabet this week with letter F. We will discuss fall, farms and the numbers four and five.

Please remember to put your child's name in all his jackets and coats. Also please keep your child home if he/she has had a fever in the 24 hours prior to school.

October 26, 2014 The Preschool classroom is humming with excitement for Halloween!

The Tues-Thurs 3 yr. old class will have their party this Thursday Oct. 30. Please plan to stay and watch their short parade from 9- 9:30 AM. The children should arrive in their costumes with play clothes underneath.

The M-W-F 4 yr. old class will have their party on Fri. Oct 31. Please plan to stay and watch their short parade. The children should arrive in their costumes with play clothes underneath.

The PM Pre-K class will have their party on Fri. afternoon Oct.31. They should arrive in their costumes. Come watch us parade around the block with our SJVRS community at 2:00PM.

October 20, 2014 On Monday Oct. 20 the afternoon Pre-K class will have the opportunity to join the entire SJV school community at the" floating rosary" outside in the schoolyard. We will move on to letter D this week with many activities to reinforce the letter and sound. We will play with dice and dominoes, read __Dibble and Dabble__ and introduce dot to dots. Halloween Party letters went out. A sign up sheet will be at the door if you would like to contriibute party goods or treats. Thank you in advance! . October 12, 2014 We do have school on Columbus Day, Monday Oct. 13. The class will move on to letter "C" and we will discuss Christopher Columbus as part of our letter C. We will also look at the many ways to eat and decorate with corn. We will read Clifford books to reinforce the phonemic sound of C. Reminder: Friday Oct. 17 is a noon dismissal at SJVRS. There will be no PM Pre-school on Friday.

October 6, 2014 Please remember this Thursday Oct. 9 is Picture Day at SJVRS. Send in your envelope and picture payment with your child that day. If your child does not have Preschool on Thursdays but you would like to have his picture taken then you may bring him/her in yourself between 9 and 11 am. Go directly to the gym.

September 27,2014 We will move on to letter "B" this week. Many fun activities are planned to reinforce the phonemic sound. We will play Bingo, use bubbles, read books about bears and act out the story of The Three Please Bears. We will continue to discuss the changes in Fall.

September 20, 2014 We started on the letter A this past week. We will continue reinforcing "A " this week with apple projects, apple songs and books. We will discuss Fall and the changes it will bring. We continue to introduce the new materials in the classroom. The children are adjusting well !

September 14, 2014 We have made a smooth, happy start to a new Preschool year! The children are getting used to new routines, rules, and best of all, new friends! We have been discussing September, school routines, sunflowers, and how to be a friend.

Just some reminders: This week all preschool classes will meet at their regular class time, either 9-11:30 AM or 12:30-3PM. Please send in a copy of your child's immunizations if you have not already done so. If it is your snack day, please send in a snack and drink for the class.We do not need cups or napkins on a daily basis. No peanuts please! If you have any questions, please ask. We want to work together!

September, 2014 A big welcome to all our Preschool Families! We are excited to embark on a new school year! We all know that a strong Pre-K program supports lifelong learning success and you have made a good choice of SJVRS! We are looking forward to meeting and greeting you soon!

Just a few reminders- Parent Meeting for all Preschool programs is Wed. Sept. 3 at 7PM in the PAC. K-Power begins school Thurs. Sept. 4. The afternoon Pre-K class has their first class for 1 hour on Thurs. Sept. 4 from 12:30-1:30 PM. The Tues -Thurs AM 3 year old class has visits on Tues. AM Sept. 9 anytime between 9:30 -11 AM. The Mon-Wed-Fri AM 4 year old class has their first class for 1 hour on Mon. Sept. 8 from 9-10 AM.

may 19, 2014 We are wrapping up another year in Preschool with our end of year themes. We completed letter Z and the 4's and Pre-K will learn about the ocean and sea creatures. The 3 year olds are continuing their Bugs and Insects unit. Next week May 29 and 30 will be our last days of Preschool for the'13-'14 school year. We will put water in our sand/water table and we will hold our Ice Cream Sundae parties. Please send in a $1.00 contribution for our sundae ingredients. All tuition needs to be update to participate in next weeks activities. Please see me if you have any concerns.

May 4, 2014 The 3 year old class will move on to the BUGS and INSECTS theme this week. They will learn all about the 3 parts of an insect, how many legs an insect has and individual characteristics of different bugs. The 3 year old class will also have the opportunity to watch the SJVRS May Procession on Tuesday morning. We will go out as a class to watch the outside procession. The 4's and Pre-K 5's will conclude the alphabet with letter Z. They all enjoyed stretching to the Yoga DVD. The PM Pre-K class is enjoying the "mystery can" each day. Ask them about it! All the children in all our Preschool classes are excited about our Mothers Day Teas this week for Moms, or Grandmoms or special guests! Please check your invitation for exact time of your class party. The children should arrive at their regular class time that day.

April 27, 2014 This week the 4's and Pre-K will cover letters X and Y. We will look at actual X-rays and go on a treasure hunt, looking for X marks the spot. Later in the week the children will learn about yoga while reinforcing the letter Y. We will do a yoga DVD and try many of the poses while reinforcing healthy habits. The 3's will continue with the seed and plants unit. Watch for your invitations to the Mothers Day Tea! We hope you will all mark your calendars and join us for this annual preschool party!

April 21, 2014 We have a full week of school this week. We will move on to letter W with the am 4's and Pre-K 5's. We will do experiments with water, read Winnie the Pooh books and Where the Wild Things Are. We will discuss the weather. The 3's will begin talking about seeds and plants. We will see which ones have a green thumb!

April 13, 2014 All preschool classes will be learning about The Easter Story this week. We will be doing related crafts and books for this special time of year. All children registered for our SJVRS Kindergarten will be taken from Preschool to the K indergarten room for screening at their assigned times on Monday and Tuesday. If you have not registered yet but intend to, please see me immediately. There is still time!

We have classes all day on Mon, Tues, and Wed. this week. There will be 3 yr. old AM class on Thursday April 17 but NO afternoon Pre-K class on Thurs.. SJVRS is closed for Easter vacation at 12 noon on Thursday with no classes on Friday. We return on Monday April 21. We hope all of our Preschool families have a wonderful holy Easter!

April 6, 2014 Our PM Pre-K class enjoyed their "Move Up Day" on Thursday. They went to the Kindergarten classrooms to meet the teachers and experience an afternoon in the SJVRS kindergarten. They couldn't stop talking about it for 2 days! Our 4's and PM Pre-K enjoyed all their letter T activities last week using their sense of touch and taste. We also had a teeny tiny day and read and acted out Tikki Tikki Tembo. Our 3's are learning about new life in the spring- chicks, birds, flowers and plants.

Don't forget- Monday, April 7 at 6:45 PM is our Early Education Night. Please come to hear about our SJV Kindergarten or tell your friends and neighbors to come hear about our Preschool. Just a reminder: We only have AM class on Thurs. April 17 and NO school on Fri. April 18. We have regular classes on Monday April 21.

March 31, 2014 The preschool 3's will be wrapping up their dinosaur unit this week. Last week they enjoyed acting like paleontologists and digging out chocolate chips with a toothpick from a choc.chip cookie. We also measured their footprint next to a life size dinosaur footprint! The 4's and PM Pre-K will move on to letter T this week. They have enjoyed all our 5 Senses activities while reinforcing letters S and T. In addition they rolled out playdough and formed the letters S and T and created art projects of snakes, turtles and spring flowers.

We are excited for Kindergarten Move Up Day this Thursday afternoon! All children in our Preschool program that are eligible age- wise to sign up for Kindergarten are invited to share the experience of the SJV Kindergarten. They will spend a few hours in the Kindergarten classroom, meet the teachers and enjoy literature, an art activity and snack. Ask them about it when they get home!

Monday, April 7, 2014 at 6:45 PM will be our Early Education Night. If your child is approaching Kindergarten please come to hear what SJV has to offer. You will be impressed! If your child is enrolled in our Preschool please invite friends, relatives or neighbors to come see us and see our fabulous Preschool!

March 23, 2014 Happy Spring! I am sure we are all welcoming the change of seasons. Now if it would only get warm... The Preschool classes are currently discussing the changes Spring brings to our weather, animals, clothes, food, holidays and activities. They will soon have our classroom decorated in a burst of color. Please note that our upcoming Early Education Night will be held on Monday April 7 at 7PM. This is a chance to meet the SJVRS principal, our Kindergarten teachers and visit the Kindergarten rooms. If you are in the Preschool program and are returning next year to Preschool there is no need to come. It is designed for new families but please tell your friends, relatives and neighbors to come see us! We still have a few openings in Preschool '14-'15 classes. If you have not sent back your registration for next year, please do so soon as we have a limited number of spaces left.

March 17,2014 Top 'o the morning to all our Preschool families! The children will have fun making and eating "leprechaun food " on Saint Patrick's Day. We will practice making the sign of the cross using the shamrock as our reminder of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The 4's and Pre-K classes will move on to letter S this week. We will set up a "store" in our classroom so that they can all practice selling and shopping.

The 3's will continue with the dinosaur unit. The children are enjoying learning about the" King of the Lizards". Please check out the facebook page of SJVRS and see some of the children in action with our new dinosaur table!

March 10, 2014

All the Preschool classes have been learning about Saint Patrick and why we celebrate his life. SJVRS will be marching in the Allentown St. Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday March 23. All Preschool families are welcome to join us to walk or attend the after parade party in the PAC. The children have been busy with their St. Patrick's Day crafts and our classroom is now a sea of green!

The 4 yr. old class and PM Pre-K class will move on to the letter R this week. We will reinforce the sound of R by listening for rhyming words, reading about rain and making rainbows crafts.

March 1, 2014 Happy March! The Three year old class will conclude their Transportation Unit this week. The children have loved discussing and role playing 'things that go".

Our 4 yr. old class had a great time reinforcing letter P last Friday with our "Pajama Day." Please go to the SJVRS facebook page to see pictures of this fun day!

Last week our PM Pre- K class enjoyed making popcorn and writing a story about it to reinforce letter P. We have started a word bank with words from our story. Ask your child what words can he read- he/she may surprise you! They are enjoying the challenge of reading the words from our Popcorn story each day.

This week the classes will move on to letter Q. We will read fairy tales looking for queens. The children will paint with q-tips and quills. Last week we looked for periods for letter P. This week we will look for questions in our books to reinforce Q.

February 16, 2014 Welcome back!! We do have school on Mon. Feb. 17 and we will have our Valentine exchange at that time. Please have your child bring in any cards or treats that they had planned to bring in on Friday. I miss all their happy little faces and I look forward to returning to some semblance of a schedule! We will spend one more day on letter O and then move on to letter P. We have lots of fun activities planned to reinforce the phonemic sound of P- hopefully the weather will cooperate.

February 3, 2014 We are hoping Mother Nature settles down so we can continue on with the alphabet! The 4 yr. old classes are up to letter N- please help reinforce the letters A-N at home. The 3 yr. old class has started a unit on Transportation and "Things That Go". The children were very enthusiastic last week to line up the chairs, get a ticket and "ride on a train" to hear the book, Freight Train.

We are currently doing assessments in the classroom for all Preschool classes and will send a Progress Report home soon. The weather has interrupted our target date to get them completed.

January 27, 2014 This week we have an exciting week of activities for Catholic Schools Week. We will join SJVRS with a Holy Childhood Assoc. Assembly, Brain Games in the Walson Center and a Patriotic Rosary in the church. On Friday evening Jan. 31 you all are invited to come to SJVRS Adventures in the Arts Night from 6-8 pm in the Walson Center. There will be many activities that night for the children to enjoy - come have fun!

There will be a collection of coins all week to help a SJV family whose home was damaged by fire. Please send in any spare pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters.

January, 20, 2014 Hopefully the snow and cold will let up soon and we can return to a nice routine of a letter of the week! We had hoped to set up a McDonalds shop this week to reinforce our M sound. We did some sequencing and recognizing letters A-L activities before the weather interfered. We hope to see you all this Sunday, January 27, at our opening of Catholic Schools Week Mass at 9AM. SJVRS will have an Open House immediately following the Mass from 10-2. Please come in and see us! In addition our Book Fair will be open in the Parish Activity Center below the church.

January 13, 2014 We hope to have a full week of school this week. We will move from letter L to letter M and enjoy many activities to reinforce the phonemic sound. We will use magnets, magnifying glasses, count and sort m and m's, and read books about mice and monsters. Just a reminder- there is NO class next Monday, January 20 for Martin Luther King Day.

January 6, 2014 Happy New Year to all of our Preschool families! This week we are excited to get back into a nice rhythm of "letter of the week" activities with our 4 yr. old and PM Pre-K classes. Hopefully the weather will allow us to move on to letter L. First we will review the letters A-K and then read The Letters Are Lost. The children will have to find the "lost" letters in our classroom. They will also make a snowman art project recognizing and counting the letters in their name.We will work on some small motor activities by tracing and cutting large L's. We will taste and touch lettuce, lemons and lollipops.

The Tues.-Thurs. 3 yr. old class will talk about the theme, Winter, and all the changes it brings to us and animals. Many books and art projects are planned to reinforce our circle time discussions about winter.

December 15, 2013 We hope to see all our families at our Preschool Christmas parties this week. Hopefully Ol' Man Winter will not cause any more school delays before Christmas!

Reminders: Christmas Party for 3's !0:30 AM Thurs. Dec. 19 .That is our last day before vacation. School reopens Thurs. Jan.2. Christmas Party for 4's 10:30 Wed. Dec. 18. That is our last class day until Jan 3. If we have a 2 hr weather delay on this day only we WILL have our party at 10:30 AM. Please come directly to Preschool at 10:30 ONLY if it is a snow delay.Otherwise, children arrive as usual at 9 AM and families come at 10:30. The PM Pre-K class Christmas Party will be Wed. Dec. 18 at 2:00. Our last day before vacation will be Thurs. Dec. 19. School reopens Thurs. Jan.2. The Preschool staff wishes all of you and your families a wonderful Christmas season!!!!

December 9, 2013 Preschool students will continue to reinforce letter J by making J's with wikki sticks and playdough. We will move on to letter K with discussion about the 3 Kings bringing gifts to the Christ Child. Excitement on the children's faces, in their actions and voices continues to build as we get closer to Christmas!

Please watch our local channels on your television if there is a concern about snow or ice. If SJVRS has a two hour delay, there is no morning Preschool. The Pre-K afternoon class will meet at regular time. The all day K-Power class will start 2 hours late at 10:30 AM. Students in K-Power with older siblings at SJVRS may arrive with their siblings at 10 AM. There is no early extended care on late start mornings.

December 3,2013 We are excited to begin letter J this week. We will discuss the birth of baby Jesus, count jelly beans, eat jam, do jumping jacks, count how many students are wearing jeans, read about jungle animals and use jingle bells to accompany our singing. Our room will quickly be transformed into a Christmas wonderland this week with many and varied art projects. Christmas music will be playing steadily in the classroom... It's a joyful time to be part of SJVRS Preschool! . November 24, 2013 The 4 yr. old class will meet only on Monday Nov. 25 this week. After Monday, we will not have class again until Wed. Dec.4. The children enjoyed their field trip to Wildlands Conservancy on Friday. They learned how pilgrim children spent their days making candles, grinding corn and doing chores to help their families.

The 3 yr. old class will meet on Tuesday Nov. 25 this week. Their next class will be on Tues. Dec. 3. They have been busy learning what Thanksgiving is, singing Hello Mr. Turkey and making pinecone turkeys.

The PM Pre-K class will not have class this week due to Parent-Teacher conferences. They will return to class on Tuesday, Dec. 3rd.

Hope to see many of you at the conferences this week. The Preschool staff wishes all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday!!!

November 18, 2013 All 4 classes are learning about the first Thanksgiving. The PM Pre-K class is making a book about the Pilgrims and Indians. The Mon-Wed-Fri AM class will be taking a field trip to the Wildlands Conservancy this Fri. to learn what activities and chores were expected of the PIlgrim children. Please make sure you send in your car seat if you are not joining us on the trip. Arrival and departure times from school will be the usual times on that day. We will go rain or shine so please dress your child for the weather. We continue to march forward with the alphabet and will begin to reinforce letter H this week. Lots of fun activities with our hearts and hands are planned! We will read __Harry the Dirty Dog.__ Perkins Pie orders were due last Fri. Nov. 15. We will accept late orders on Mon. Nov.18 but cannot take any orders after the 18th.Thanks to all who supported this fundraiser! Don't forget to mark your calendar for pick-up at the Perkins on Lehigh Street, Tues. Nov. 26 from 5-8 PM.

November 11, 2013 The children have been enjoying reinforcing letter F by singing farm songs, reading farm books and talking about our friends and family. This week we will dramatize the book __Frederick__ before moving on to letter G. The letter G gives us the opportunity to talk about God. We will read and dramatize __Goodnight Gorilla__ and __The Three Billy Goats.__ The class will conduct science experiments with gravity to reinforce the phonemic sound of G. They will glue gold glitter on a letter G. Tuesday the afternoon Pre-K class will see a Ronald McDonald presentation in the gym, "The Giving Back " performance. Please make sure your child wears sneakers on Tuesday.

November 4,2013 This week we will introduce the math concepts of estimation and more or less while reinforcing the sound of letter E. The children will practice making estimates of counters, teddy grahams and m and m's. We will move on to letter F by midweek and begin discussing farm life. Our Halloween celebrations were fun and one highlight for the children was acting out the book, __The Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything.__ We will be holding Preschool Parent-Teacher conferences on Mon. Nov. 26 and Tues. Nov. 27. More information and sign up times will be sent home shortly. Please support our Perkins Pie fundraiser. All profit goes directly back into the Preschool budget for supplies and equipment to enhance our program.

October 24,2013 We are moving to letter E this week in Preschool. We will look for EXIT signs, do exercises. discuss elephants, and eggs. We will read Babar the Elephant books and do elephant and ELMO crafts. The Mon -Wed-Fri AM class had a fun Halloween party last Fri. The Thursday 3's and PM Pre-K classes are looking forward to their parades and party on Halloween Day, Oct 31. REMINDER: There is no PM Pre-K class this Wed. Oct 30 and Fri. Nov. 1.

October 21, 2013 All the children have adjusted well to Preschool- new friends, new routines and new activites. They have enjoyed learning about all the changes fall brings- to the trees, the weather, our clothing and activities. And our classroom is a burst of Halloween art- ghosts, goblins and pumkins! The 4's and Pre-K continue to march through the alphabet. We are up to letter D and will reinforce it with the book, __Dibble and Dabble,__ playing dominoes and learning about dinosaurs.

Halloween Party News has been sent home. Please check your child's bag for school communications. If you have questions please don't hesitate to ask. I can be reached via email at SJVRS-mrsmeagher@hotmail.com Our gym is now open after getting a new floor. Please send your child in sneakers on his assigned gym class day.

October 15, 2013 Our preschool classes will reinforce letter C this week by counting acorns and pumpkin seeds. We will read the book MOUSE COUNT and act it out. On our science table we will see if acorns float or sink. We will also hammer some open and use magnifying glasses to see what is inside acorns and pumpkin seeds. We will send home information later this week concerning our Halloween parades and parties.

October 7, 2013 Our school wide SJVRS walkathon was a huge success on Friday. The new all day K-Power class was able to participate in many of the related activities. Preschool enjoyed a week of bear activities for the letter B. I would say "Going on a Bear Hunt" and acting out The Three Bears story were the favorites! This week we will start letter C making Indian Corn crafts to reinforce the sound. We will also learn about clouds and continue primary colors. Our PM Pre-K class reviewed safety by making traffic lights for snack. We spread white icing on a graham cracker and decorated with green,yellow and red m and m's. It was a fun, easy project and one that you could try at home. REMINDERS: Picture Day on Thurs. Oct. 10 NO SCHOOL on Mon. Oct. 14

September 30, 2013 We have moved on to letter "B". Preschool classes will have fun this week reinforcing the phonemic sound with art activities, songs and books about balloons, bears, bubbles, and the color blue. The children will have an opportunity to take part in acting out the story of The Three Bears. The school wide walkathon is this Friday, Oct. 4th. The K-Power class will walk around the block during the walkathon and the 4 yr.old Mon-Wed-Fri am class will join the school for the blessing to start the festivities in the school yard.

September 23, 2013 The preschool classes will discuss the end of summer and the start of fall. Our classroom is a burst of autumn color from the childrens' artwork of September sunflowers and apple trees. We continue to work on letter A and you may hear your children singing either "Apples and Bananas" or the "Alligator Chant". We hope to begin letter B before the end of the week. The PM Pre-K class and K-Power enjoyed their first art class learning about primary colors.

September 15, 2013 We are excited this week to have a full week of Preschool for all classes. The 4's and PM Pre-K will begin with letter A, enjoying activities to reinforce recognizing the letter and its phonemic sound. Last week the PM Pre-K class had their first introduction to "specials". We went to a gym class with Mr. Corsch on Wednesday and a Library class with Miss Lynch on Friday. This coming week we will also begin an Art class on Friday with Mrs. Amorim. The 3 year old class will begin to adjust to new adults, new routines and new friends. We strive to have them feel happy and secure in their new environment!

September 8, 2013 Thank you to all our families who attended our Orientation mtg. on Wed. evening. It was wonderful to see such a big turn out! We had a great start to our K-Power program and our PM Pre-K class. Everything ran smoothly! The K-Power class enjoyed exploring their new classroom and eating lunch at school. The 2 classes then meshed nicely together in the afternoon, learning names and making new friends. This week we are excited to welcome our 3 and 4 yr. old am classes. Monday we have the 4 yr olds visiting from 9-10 am and they will return on Wed. to stay the full class time from 9-11:30 am. The 3 yr. old class will visit with their parents on Tuesday am and come alone for an hour from 9-10 am on Thurs. We are looking forward to it- we hope they are too!

August, 2013 A BIG welcome to our new families and our returning families!! Please plan to attend our Orientation Night Wed. Sept. 4 at 7PM in the PAC( parish activity center) underneath the church. Details of our upcoming year and explanation of our new K-Power program will be given that night. Please bring copies of your child's immunization record and birth cert. if you have not already done so.

July 15, 2013 I hope all Preschool families are enjoying the summer and staying cool in the heat! To help you stay cool, I want to invite you to come to YOFRESH FROZEN YOGURT at Tilghman Square Sopping Center next Monday, July 22 between 5-8 PM. Daniel D'Agostini is generously re-doing classroom 102 for our new K-Power preschool program. Daniel is converting the room as his Eagle Scout Project. 20% of your purchase at YOFRESH that evening (July 22) between 5-8PM will help fund Daniel's project. Thhanks so much for your support!

May 27,2013

Preschool is now over for the current school year. All the children enjoyed ice cream sundaes as a special treat on their last day of class. The M-W-F am 4 yr. old class enjoyed a fun Friday with their 4th grade prayer partners. We played games, worked on puzzles together and shared ice cream sundaes.

We hope you have a wonderful safe, happy summer! We look forward to seeing all the children again in September. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to call the school office at 610-435-8981. You can speak to our SJVRS secretary or leave me a message at ext. 1106 as I will be checking my messages frequently. Thank you for all your kind support, words, notes and gifts this past year. We truly appreciated it!

May 20, 2013 We will be busy this week in preschool wrapping up our school year. The Three year old class will finish their unit on bugs and insects. The 3's will conclude the Preschool year with their last class on Thurs. May 23 with a make your own ice cream sundae party.

The 4 year old AM class has a special visitor coming on Monday, May 20th. Mikayla from "Mikayla's Voice, Wheels of Friendship" will visit our class and share her message that inclusion is always possible. Check out her website- it sounds like a wonderful program and we are excited to have Mikayla and her mother visit our classroom. The Kindergarten classes will come to join us for the presentation.

The 4 year old class and the PM Pre-K class will also discuss summer and ocean life this week. Both classes will enjoy a "Beach Day" on Wednesday with a summer "show and share" and popsicles for snack. We will also have a make your own ice cream sundae on their last day. The 4's will conclude for the year on Fri. May 24 by sharing the ice cream sundae party with their 4th grade prayer partners. The PM Pre-K class will enjoy their sundaes on their last day, Thursday May 23rd.

It has been a wonderful year for Preschool for both the children and the program! The chilidren are excited about moving on to their next level of learning and we are excited to expand our SJVRS Preschool with an all day academic K-Power Preschool program for fall of 2013. . We wish all our families a happy,healthy and safe summer!

May 12, 2013

Thank you to all our Moms and Grandmoms for attending our Mother's Day Teas. It makes the children so happy to have their Moms come to school!

The Three Year old class will attend the SJVRS May Procession this Tuesday. We will also begin a themed unit on pond life and bugs.

The 4 year old class and PM Pre-K will have "travelling Mary" in our classroom on Monday. We will learn about Mary, the Mother of God. We will also conclude the alphabet with letter Z this week.

The PM Pre-K class has an exciting day on Thursday when we go to the cafeteria to experience buying lunch and eating in the cafeteria.

May 6, 2013

All 3 Preschool classes will be busy this week preparing songs, gifts and decorations for our Mother's Day teas. We do hope you can attend or send a grandmother in your place if you can't make it.

The 4's and PM Pre-K class will reinforce letter Y with the Dr. Seuss book, Yertle the Turtle, identifying yellow in nature, and finishing up our Yoga for Children DVD. In addition the PM Pre-K class will have a computer lesson with Mrs. Kottke in the SJVRS computer lab this week. It is always a favorite!

April 29, 2013

The Three Year old class will discuss eggs hatching in various ways ( birds caterpillars, frogs and turtles). When we read The Hungry Caterpillar we will wash and taste some of the fruits the caterpillar ate.

The 4's and PM Pre-K classes will begin letter X and follow a treasure map to find where X marks the spot. They will look at X-rays and start the study of the Body. The children will have turns trying on an "organ apron" learning the names of various organs and their job inside our body. Later in the week we will move onto letter Y and reinforce the importance of health and nutrition for our body. We will enjoy doing a childrens' YOGA class together. Our Pre-K class had a great time last week attending gym class again with Mr. Corsch. They can't wait to have gym with Mr. Corsch every week in Kindergarten!

Please make a note on your calendars to attend our Mother's Day Tea. The children love having you visit their Preschool class!

April, 22, 2013 Monday April 22 we will celebrate EARTH DAY and discuss protecting our environment and the world God gave us. Our 4's and Pre-K who have registered for our SJVRS Kindergarten will be screened in the Kindergarten rooms with the Kindergarten teachers on Monday and Tuesday this week. The children will be picked up at our Preschool door by the Kindergarten teachers and brought back to us when their screening is completed. We will continue to march through the alphabet with letters U, V and W. We have many activities planned to reinforce these letters. The Three year old class has moved on to planting seeds, discussing what plants and flowers need to grow and naming the parts of a plant.

April 15, 2013 This week the Preschool classes will learn about the parts of a plant and what things are necessary for seeds to grow as well as planting some seeds themselves. The 4's and Pre-K will finish letter T by having a teeny tiny day, using teeny tiny voices, taking teeny tiny steps, reading tiny books and eating tiny snacks. At the end of the week we will begin letter U by having an Upside Down Day.

Next week The 4's and Pre-K children eligible for Kindergarten will be screened by our Kindergarten teachers. Please make sure you have returned your registration and your folder papers for Sept. '13 so that your child can be part of this next big step. No one will be screened without a registration fee paid and form completed.

April 8,2013

We had a wonderful response to our Early Education Open House last week. Many new families came to see our program. Our classes are filling up so please send in your registration if you haven't already. If you have a neighbor or friend looking for a Quality Catholic Preschool please tell them about us. We'd love to show them our program.

The Threes will continue discusssing spring this week. We are taking a walk to observe the changes we see. We will use our 5 senses to note the changes. The 4's and Pre-K class will move on to letter T using a tent for story time, reading Tikki Tikki Tembo and other favorite Transporatation and Train books. We are experimenting with our 5 senses each day reinforcing letter S for sounds, smells and senses and letter T for taste and touch. Last week the Pre-K class had a visit to the SJVRS Library. They enjoyed a story read by Mrs. Capese, our SJVRS librarian.

March 25, 2013 The 3, 4, and Pre-K classes will prepare for Easter. We will discuss spring, new life and the celebration of Jesus, our Risen Lord. We will open Easter eggs to read the letters inside, hunt for eggs with their names on them and have fun participating in a relay race balancing eggs on a spoon. I would like to remind all parents that Preschool will be closed on Wed. March 27- thru Monday April 1st. We will return to school on Tues. April 2. Happy Easter to all!

March 18, 2013 The three year old class will begin discussing Spring and the changes in our weather, activities, nature and our food. We will discuss Easter and what that means to us as Catholics.

The 4 year old class and PM Pre-K class will continue with letter S. We will discuss Spring, the solar sysyem, stars, sun and sky. We willl learn about snakes and sloths.

The 4's who are eligible for Kindergarten next fall and the PM Pre-K class enjoyed our Kindergarten Move-Up Day last Tuesday. Check out the pictures on our school ,SJVRS facebook page! The PM Pre-K class also loved a computer class in our SJVRS computer lab on Wed.with our very patient computer teacher, Mrs. Kottke! The children are anxious to repeat the experience.They loved it! Our PM Pre-K class has a field trip to the Allentown Art Museum scheduled for this Wed. MArch 20. Please send in your permission slips and fee by Tues.Mar.19. If you are not joining us on the trip, please drop off a booster seat or car seat when you bring your child to school that day. Arrival that day is the same as usual but please be prompt. We will return to school in time for regular dismissal.

March 11, 2013 This week the 3 year old class welcomes a new girl, Mariell to our class. We will conclude our nursery rhyme unit along with talking about Saint Patrick's Day. We will work on small motor development by having the children string Cheeerios on a dry piece of spaghetti.

The 4 year old class and the PM Pre-K class will continue to work on rhyming words while reinforcing letter R. We will listen to rhyming words on a CD, read alouds by the teacher and saying them out loud as they match them on paper.They all loved their "R" show and share day on Friday. Tuesday Mar. 12 is our Kindergarten "Move Up Day". It is a special, fun day for all of our preschoolers who are eligible for Kindergarten in Sept. '13. The children will enjoy some time in the K rooms meeting the teachers, hearing a story, doing a craft and having a snack. It will help to reassure them that Kindergarten is wonderful! and hopefully help them to feel excited and less anxious about it. Applications for Sept. '13 Preschool classes and the Kindergarten are due now. Please send in ASAP. Registration fee is $50 or $75 for a family with more than 1 child in the school and/or preschool.

March 3, 2013 The 3 year old class will continue with our Nursery Rhyme theme. We will jump over a candlestick, pretend to eat curds and whey and let a beanie baby mouse run up the clock. We will welcome a new boy, Eliseo to our class on Tuesday.

The 4 year old class and PM Pre-K class will begin letter R. We will listen for rhyming words while we read and celebrate Dr. Seuss b'day. We will learn about St. Patrick, why we celebrate his special day and how we can imitate his kind actions.

February 24, 2013 The three year old class will begin a Nursery Rhyme theme. This unit increases their memorization skills while reinforcing rhyming words. The silly use of vocabulary makes learning the rhymes fun! We will knock a real egg off a shelf to watch Humpty Dumpty fall to see and discuss why he couldn't be put back together again!

The 4 year old class and PM Pre-K class will begin the letter Q. We will paint with quills and make patterns while learning about quilts. We will introduce chapter books by reading Joshephina's Quilt. The Mon-Wed-Fri AM class welcomes 3 new students( all girls) this week.

February 19, 2013

The three year old class will conclude their dinosaur unit by learning about fossils and dinosaur bones. They will attempt to be paleontologists by digging chocolate chips out of cookies using toothpicks.

The 4 year old class and PM Pre-K class will enjoy a Pajama Day to reinforce letter P. We will talk about dreams and nightmares, bedtime routines, read bedtime stories and eat pretzels and popcorn. For letter P this week we will also listen to the big book, Peter and the Wolf, and learn about penguins. . February 12,2013

This week all classes will discuss the meaning of Valentine's Day. We will model how to show acts of kindness, love and friendship. The children will enjoy making Valentine crafts, playing heart and dice games and singing Valentine songs.

The 4 yr old class and Pre-K PM class will hear our reading series book, The City Mouse and Country Mouse. We will introduce letter P this week. We will reinforce the sound of the letter P by looking for periods at the end of sentences and we will use the parachute in gym.

February 4, 2013

Our 3 year old class will learn about dinosaurs for the next 2 weeks. We will have fun and develop an interest in dinosaurs by reading dinosaur books, putting plastic dinosaurs in the sandbox, measuring our feet against a dinosaur footprint and making dinosaur crafts. Our 4 year old class and PM Pre-K class will begin the letter O. We will reinforce recognizing the letter by sight and phonemic sound using a variety of activities. The children will act out opposites, move through an obstacle course, make an O bracelet with O cereal and pipecleaners, play Cheeri-O Bingo, learn about ostriches, read Olivia and opposite books. I will send a letter home to give you more information about our Valentine Parties for next week. Registration is now being accepted for the school year 2013-14. You will receive an application in your child's school bag. Please let me know if you have any questions or want to discuss which class you would like your child to be in.

January 28, 2013 This week begins our Catholic Schools Week. We will celebrate Diversity in the World with many different activities. Our room door was decorated by the 7th grade with Canada as its theme. We showed the children Canada on the globe and discussed their weather, flag, and language. Our PM Pre-K class will attend a live rosary presentation in the church. On Thursday we will attend a spirit day with SJVRS in the gym. The teachers are looking forward to a faculty luncheon on Tuesday. Catholic Schools Week opens registration for the 2013-2014 school year. I will be sending home registration forms for the next year. Please ask me if you have any questions about your child's placement.

January 21, 2013 Reminder: NO PRESCHOOL Mon. Jan. 21 and Fri. Jan. 25 PRESCHOOL CONFERENCES: Thurs. evening Jan. 24 and all day Fri. Jan. 25. Please sign up at the door. Conference times are still available. If there is a 2 hour delay due to snow on Fri. , conferences will begin at 10:30 AM. Please call 610-435-8981 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 610-435-8981  FREE end_of_the_skype_highlighting  ext. 1106 if you need to reschedule. If SJVRS is closed due to snow on Fri. conferences are cancelled.

Our 3 year old class will continue learning about "things that go" this week. We will read car and truck books, make a race car craft and paint tracks using matchbox cars. Our 4's and Pre-K PM class will continue with the letter M, reading and acting out the book, The Mitten. The PM Pre-K class is also doing an author study about Mem Fox . Please come to our Open House at SJVRS on Sunday Jan. 27 to start an exciting Catholic Schools Week! We will have Mass at 9AM in the church followed by an Open House throughout the school from 10AM-12 noon. This is a great chance to come see what SJVRS is all about!

January 14, 2013 This week our 3 year old class will begin a Transportation Unit. We will have fun learning about different transportation vehicles, using tickets to board a pretend train, having a storytime on our train, and making a shape train craft. The 4 year old class and PM Pre-K class will begin letter M. We will learn about magnets and their properties. We will sing Today is Monday and The 5 Little Monkeys. We will read Mouse Count and other mouse stories. We will outline a M with Bingo markers and count and sort m&m's. Reminder: There is NO Preschool on Monday January 21, MLK holiday and Fri. AM January 25, due to conferences. Preschool Conferences will be held Thurs. evening Jan. 24 and all day Fri. Jan 25. Sign up sheet will be at the door during drop off and pick-up.

. January 7, 2013 Our 3 year old class will continue to discuss winter characteristics and make a snowflake craft. We will discuss germs and the best way to keep germs from spreading in the classroom. They are learning the fingerplay, The Chubby Little Snowman. Our 4 year old class and PM Pre-K class will finish letter L by discussing and using lotion. We will read the book,The Letters Are Lost and then the children will have to find and identify "lost" foam letters in our classroom. They will make L's with popsickle sticks and we will make a class L out of all our students. Winter is our theme for art and science. The children will make snowman crafts and play an ice cube and salt game to see the effect salt has on ice. The PM Pre-K class should wear sneakers on Wed. Jan.9. We will have a special gym class with the SJV gym teacher!

January 2, 2013 Happy New Year! Welcome back to all our Preschoolers! This week the 3 year old class will discuss the winter season- the changes in the weather,our activities, clothing, animals and foods. The 4 year old class and the PM Pre-K class will continue to march through the alphabet and will work on letter L this week. We will look at L foods- lettuce, lolllipops, lemons and limes. In science we will talk about living and nonliving things. We will play Alphabet Bingo to reinforce the letters they've learned and we will listen to story, Llama Llama, Red Pajamas. Reminder- the PM Pre-K class has "Christmas Show and Share" on Thurs. Jan. 3rd.

December 17, 2012 We will spend the week enjoying the beauty of the Christmas season through prayer, songs, crafts and activities. Reminder; Last day for 3' s is Thursday, Dec. 20. We will not have a party but we will attend the childrens concert in the church that morning. The Mon- Wed -Fri AM class should come to school at 9 am on Wed.Dec.19 Families should arrive at 10:30 am Wed.for the party. Last day for am 4's will be Friday Dec.21. The PM Pre- K class will have their party on Wed. afternoon, Dec.19.Children should come at regular time and parents should be there at 2:00PM. Please be prompt! Last day for PM Pre-K is Thurs. Dec. 20. Don't forget to come hungry on the 20th! We will join the SJVRS in the cafeteria for a holiday lunch.

We wish all of you and your families a joyous Christmas season!

December 10, 2012 Our first Preschool Story Hour went well! Some of the children came and enjoyed a fun adventure with __The Gingerbread Boy__ as our theme. This week all 3 classes will be discussing the traditions of the Christmas season- that is, Santa, Christmas trees, candles, the creche, carols, cookies and the giving of gifts. We will talk about and act out the variety of customs in different countries. The 4 year old class and the PM Pre-K class will be introduced to letter K, learning to recognize it by sight and phonemic sound. We will discuss acts of kindness and read __Koala Lou.__ They will listen to __The Three Little Kittens__ at our listening center. The school "Santa"shop" will be open this week from 10;30-2pm Mon- Thurs.. Please feel free to stop in after Preschool class. All proceeds benefit SJVRS. The PM Pre-K class will visit the Santa Shop on Wed. Dec. 12 during class time.

December 3, 2012

All 3 classes will begin this week preparing for the Advent and Christmas season. The children will make gifts and decorations and discuss why giving is as important as receiving. The Four Year Old and PM Pre-K classes will reinforce letter J with discussions about Jesus, singing and ringing Jingle Bells and playing jump rope. They will make J's out of pipe cleaners and wikki sticks, drink juice and eat jello. The PM Pre-K class will enjoy a Ronald McDonald presentation about friendship on Monday afternoon, Dec.3 along with grades K-4. Reminders- the Scholastic/Firefly orders are due on Tuesday. Please dress your children warmly as we are still going outside for play when the weather allows.

November 19,2012

There will be NO PM preschool class this week due to the SJVRS conferences. We will hold our Preschool conferences in January. There will be AM classes on Monday and Tuesday Nov.19 and 20th. There is NO Preschool from Wed. Nov. 21- Sun. Nov.25 for Thanksgiving vacation. We return to class on Monday, Nov. 26th. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your family!

November 11, 2012

Our Preschool room is currently bright and cheery full of turkeys, owls and fall colored leaves. The children have been busy decorating turkey feathers, making Native American crafts, and writing lists or drawing pictures of things that they are thankful for. SJVRS is hosting an OPEN HOUSE this Sunday, November 18 from 1-3 PM. Please feel free to stop in and see our room, visit our school and see all that SJVRS has to offer!

The Three Year Old Class has continued to build their vocabulary by comparing the similarities and differences of pumpkins and apples. We have talked about owls and why they are a farmer's friend. We have begun discussing the abstract term "being thankful" and are helping the children understand it's meaning.

The Four Year Old class and PM Pre-K class continue to march through the alphabet. This week we are on the letter F, reinforcing it with discussions about families, friends, foods and the numbers four and five.

Please note that our calendar has been changed due to the Super Storm Sandy and SJVRS and SJV Preschool will have class on Monday, Nov. 26.

We will have PRESCHOOL on Friday Nov. 2, 2012 at regular time. October 31, 2012 There is NO PRESCHOOL on THURSDAY NOV.1, 2012 due to continuing power outages and unsafe conditions.

There will be NO PRESCHOOL on Tuesday Oct. 30, 2012 due to poor weather conditions. Stay safe! October 28,2012 There will be NO PRESCHOOL on Monday Oct. 29, 2012 due to forcast and current weather conditions. SJVRS is closed on Mon. Oct. 29, 2012.

October 22, 2012 The three year old class will have fun learning about the origin of Halloween and enjoy Halloween activities and games. We hope to increase social interaction, improve good sportsmanship and have fun with a Halloween party. We hope to see you at our Halloween parade on Thurs. at 9:10 AM The four year old class and PM Pre-K will be introduced to letter E this week. We will look for EXIT signs in the school, do exercises and talk about elephants. We are also working on some early handwriting readiness skills. We hope to see you at our Halloween parades. Please see below for times and directions. October 15,2012 This week the Three Year Old class will be discussing fall and all the changes it brings to our life- our food, clothing, activities, and weather. The Four Year Old class and PM Pre-K will work on letter D. We will introduce dot to dot pictures, play dominoes, a dice game, read __Dibble and Dabble__ and __Harry the Dirty Dog__ and decorate the room for Halloween. Tues-Thurs. **3 year old class** will have their party on Thurs. Oct. 25. Your child should wear his/her costume to school and bring an empty bag and play clothes. We will take off their costumes after our parade. You are invited to stay and watch the parade from 9:10- 930 am. Mon-Wed-Fri am **4 year old class** will have their party on Fri. Oct. 26. Your child should wear his/her costume to school and bring an empty bag and play clothes. We will take off their costume after our parade. You are invited to stay and watch our parade from 910-9:30AM. The afternoon **Pre-K** class will have their party on Thursday Oct. 25. Your child should wear his/her costume to school and bring an empty bag and play clothes. We will take off their costume after our parade. You are invited to stay and watch the parade from 12:40- 1:15 PM
 * HALLOWEEN PARTY NEWS**

October 9, 2012

The Three year old class will be discussing fire prevention and fire safety this week. PICTURE DAY is Thursday Oct. 11. Purchasing pictures is optional. Please bring your order envelope to school on Thursday.

This week our 4's and PM Pre-K class will discuss Christopher Columbus while reinforcing letter C. We will also practice fire safety procedures. PICTURE DAY is Thurs. Oct. 11. We will take the PM Pre-K class during class hours. Buying the pictures is optional. If any parent of a child in the Mon-Wed-Fri AM preschool class would like their child's picture taken, please bring them to the Walson Center on Thurs AM between 9-11 and wait with your child while his/her picture is taken.

October 1, 2012 The Three year old class is striving to become independent and will discuss "All About Me" this week.We will also talk,read and sing about having friends and manners! The class is enjoying getting introduced to the classroom equipment- such as playdough and the art easel.

Our 4's and young 5's had fun bringing a bear to school. We went on a bear hunt, played musical bears, Hokey Pokey with our bears and had a "Bear Share." We followed bear tracks to find our bear snack. We will conclude letter B with using bean bags and having backwards activities. We will introduce letter C by reviewing colors, reading Clifford books and learning about clouds.

On Fri. morning the 4 yr. old class will participate in the send off festivities for the SJVRS WALKATHON! There will be raffle baskets in the cafeteria all week .Please feel free to stop in and see them and take chances on winning one. PLEASE NOTE: NO SCHOOL on MONDAY OCT. 8 for COLUMBUS DAY

September 24, 2012

Preschool is welcoming the arrival of fall! Our room is a burst of color from September sunflowers!

This week the three year old Tues-Thurs class will be observing the inside of apples and discussing where apples come from. We will sing apple songs, read Ten Apples on Top and sponge paint an apple picture.

The 4 yr. old class and PM Pre-K class have started the alphabet and learning the phonemic sounds. We reinforced letter A with apples and alligator facts, songs, stories and crafts. This week we will move on to letter B, reinforcing it with buttons, playing Teddy Bear Bingo and dramatizing the story of The Three Bears. We will have a Bring a Bear to School Day and a "Birthday Party" for our class bear. REMINDER: BEAR DAY PM- PRE-K class Thursday Sept. 27 and Mon-Wed-Fri 4 yr. old class Bear Day on Fri. Sept. 28

September 17, 2012

We are excited to announce the Diocese has approved our preschool name change to St. John Vianney Preschool. We will use that name in all future correspondence. Checks for tuition can still be made out to Cathedral or SJV Preschool.

Our 1st week of visits and classes went well! All the children seemed happy and enthusiastic about beginning the school year. Please send in your emergency paper and authorized pick up list ASAP, if you have not already done so.

If you are interested in placing a Scholastic Book Order please return form with payment( cash or check made out to Scholastic) by Tuesday Sept. 25.

September, 2012

Welcome to Cathedral Preschool at SJVRS where we balance learning with fun! We believe we provide the best possible environment for the children to grow and learn. Our classroom is a busy place full of happy faces, busy hands, and active minds.

A Few Reminders: 1. Our Preschool Orientation Night is Monday Sept. 10 at 7PM in the Parish Activity Center.

2. August and September tuition payments are currently due and may be brought to the Orientation Meeting.

3. Send notes and tuition to school in your child's bag. We check the bags each day upon arrival.

4. Label all your child's jackets, sweaters and coats with their name. Your child may recognize his coat at home but once it gets mixed up at school with others, he may become confused. On occasion we have children buying and wearing the exact same coats.

We are looking forward to our first week of visits and classes beginning Tuesday Sept. 11. Please come to us with any questions or concerns you may have about our program or your child's day. Our goal is to help the children develop positive attitudes about themselves and school. We can only accomplish this if we work together!