Hi Everyone!

Here’s a lengthy email for you with news from preschool. Please read it all because there’s important stuff in it (and it takes a lot of effort to write it). I will be posting it on the blog as well.

<strong>Literacy Week:</strong> This week is Literacy Week at Ray        School . The entire school is      celebrating by focusing on a different book each day. Today we read “A Bad      Case of Stripes,” a book about peer pressure – and very entertaining.      Several children wore stripes today and were eligible to win a gift card      to 57<sup>th</sup> St.       Book. Sadly, none of our kids won. Tomorrow we will be reading “Harold and      the Purple Crayon,” so have your child WEAR PURPLE. Wednesday they should      dress up in a sports outfit and Thursday we are focusing on Hispanic      American books so they should wear the colors of the Mexican flag – red,      green and white.

On Thursday we are having Family Reading Night from 6-7:30 pm. We’ll be starting in the Ray library with a story reading by, yours truly … From there we’ll have games, acting out stories and fairy tales, family reading, etc. <strong><em>Bring:  your family, a blanket, your favorite books.</em></strong><strong> </strong>

<strong>Field Trip:</strong> Thursday we also have      our field trip to the Shedd Aquarium. The cost is $5.00. Please make sure      you have filled out the permission slip that we put in your folder. As of      right now <strong>we are short of adult      help</strong>. Museum trips are where we really need chaperones because it’s so      easy for children to wander off. If you can only come to one or two trips      this year, please consider this one. We will try and give you more notice      for our other “parents desperately needed” trips.

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<strong>Family boxes:</strong> This month we will be focusing on family      because of the Thanksgiving holiday. As part of our celebration, we are      going to ask you to make a family box to send to school. They are made      from Capri Sun boxes or other similarly shaped      boxes that are sturdy. I have a lot at home and we may have enough for      every family. If you have any boxes, we can use them in the classroom. You      will need to cover it with construction paper and decorate it with      pictures of your family. Each child will have a chance to show off their      family box. The boxes are due before the end of the month.

<strong>Schedule:</strong> This Friday        Ray School       is closed except for our preschool room. We will be open. We will not have      hot lunch available, however. You must send a cold lunch.

We’re working on getting everything into our day that we need to do for preschool. One thing that would help us is if you could have your child here and ready to start Circle Time by 9:00 am sharp. Children who come late miss out on some very important activities, including our new pre-reading groups, sharing time, journals and buddies, and sometimes our play time. Please get your child to school on time. If you come between 8:30  and 9:00 , you can get your child a free lunch in the cafeteria.

Late fees: If you are late picking up your child in the afternoon (after 6pm, you must pay Ms. D. and Ms. Berry $15.00 for the first 10 minutes and $1.00 a minute after that. Please try and be here by 5:55 so Ms. D. and Ms. Berry can leave on time. They do not get paid overtime!!!
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	<li><strong>Kindergarten applications:</strong> If your child is old enough to go to      kindergarten next year here at Ray and you live outside the Ray district,      you must fill out an OPTIONS FOR KNOWLEDGE form and bring it in. The      deadline is approaching. We sent them home some a week ago but if you didn’t      get one, we have more in the office. If you live the Ray district, you do      not have to fill one out. If you have an older child at Ray, you still      have to fill out an Options form. Write your child’s name, room number and      teacher’s name on the upper right hand side of the form so Colleen will      note it.</li>
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	<li><strong>November Calendar:</strong> I will try and have calendars out      tomorrow. One date I’d like you to put in your calendar now is Nov. 18,      parent conference day. We will be open that day and there will be a      substitute for me. I’ll be upstairs in the conference room. I’ll have a      signup at the back door so you can fill in the best time for you. The      conferences are only 15 minutes long so if you’d like a longer discussion,      please set up a special appointment with me. Please also note that we’ll      be closed the days before and after Thanksgiving, as well as Nov. 11 for      Veterans’ Day.</li>
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	<li><strong>Ghost Stories:</strong> Your children’s ghost stories are on      display upstairs on the first floor near the office. I hope you’ll all go      up and have a look. We’ll send them home sometime next week.</li>
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	<li><strong>Snacks:</strong> Thanks to all of you who have been      bringing in healthy snacks. One snack that is getting to be a big hit is      dried apples. I discovered this when the kids were eating the ones I      brought for lunch! I bought a couple of bags this week, but you can add      that to your selection or try them at home.</li>
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	<li><strong>Holidays:</strong> Please let me know if your family does      something special for the Dec. holidays. We generally read non-religious      stories involving Santa, giving, trees, etc. We also have small Hanukkah      and Kwanzaa celebrations. If your family does something special, we would      like to share that with you. If you celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, perhaps      you’d consider helping us celebrate. This is also the time I like to talk      about light and where it comes from (fire, sun, electricity), what the      winter solstice is, and see what the children might like to explore for      science in January.</li>
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<strong>Winter clothing:</strong> Please make sure      you have winter clothing for your child <span style="text-decoration: underline">WITH YOUR CHILD’S NAME ON THE      TAGS</span>! Please send in a pair of slippers or extra shoes to leave in the      cubby so your child doesn’t have to wear boots all day when it starts      snowing. You may want to leave a sweater in the cubby as well. Please make      sure your child has warm and waterproof gloves or mittens. Remember, snow and      season change is part of our curriculum. We go outside unless it is very      cold (20-25 degrees or less). If your child has asthma that is triggered      by the cold, make sure we know that and make sure we have an inhaler if      one is needed.

I think that’s about it. I will have more information about what we’ll be learning about this month in the next email. Thanks again for all of your help.

Jane