Greetings from the preschool,
The last days of school are upon us! We managed to finish our projects with time to spare (although somehow we never managed to fit in that field trip to downtown Putney...) and avoid the normal stress and pressure that is frequently associated with the end of the school year. Today was a busy day, but the transitions had a nice tempo and rhythm to them. We started out the morning with a number of different activities at the big table: finishing up our Book of Letters project, making a birthday cake for our celebration of summer birthdays, and putting together our Playdoh recipe kits. After music time with Alli, we brought the tadpoles out to the pond where we let them go back into the wild from where they started as eggs several weeks ago. We stayed outside for recess, and when the kindergartners joined us, we gathered together to plant our pumpkins on the 5 mounds that we prepared earlier in the week. We can hardly wait until those big, orange pumpkins are ready to carve into jack o'lanterns this fall!
Monday's trip to Spofford Lake was by all accounts one of the most pleasant and mellow outings in recent memory. It was not so hot that the kids (and parents) all were fried by the end of the day, but rather plenty warm enough to swim and play in the shallow water. Plenty of parents on hand made for easy supervision, and there was ample time for catching up and socializing while the kids played. Thank you, parents, for all your contributions in helping to make the Spofford trip so successful!
Today we sent your child home with an accumulation of art that has been decorating the walls, as well as a personal copy of the TGS Yearbook for 2011-12, a CD of preschool photos all the way back to September, and a home-made Playdoh recipe and kit that we hope you'll enjoy making with your child. It's a small way for us to say to your children, "Thanks for all the fun we've had, and make sure to keep up the exploration, discovery, and fun all summer long!"
We'll be hosting a series of (I believe) three summer play dates for preschoolers here at TGS this summer. Jessica and I will inform you of those dates soon.
While Friday isn't a normal school day for any of our preschoolers, I'm hopeful that the children will be able to come and enjoy the last day of school. We'll watch the end-of-year slide show at All School Meeting and participate in (or just watch!) the Field Day activities from 11:00 till pick-up at noon (no lunch on Friday). No need to RSVP -- just bring your child if that works for you!
It has been a wonderful school year spending time and learning together with these terrific children, and Jessica and I have enjoyed getting to know all of you parents as well. Thank you so much for sharing your children with us these past months. Have a great summer!
In appreciation of you and your children,
--Ken and Jessica
