It's a Good Day in Pre-K Memo

If your child is regularly absent they may not be kindergarten ready next fall. This time in school is particularly important on building the social, emotional, cognitive and language skills they need for kindergarten. Research shows that missing 10 percent or more of school even at the Pre-K level translated into weaker reading skills. We also understand that sometimes it may be hard in the mornings. Your child may cry or say they don't want to go to school. They may be clinging to your leg but you must do your best to pry them off and attend. If you are struggling, we are here to help. I can speak from experience. My youngest had a very hard time during Pre-K drop off. It was very hard to gently hand her off and walk away as I could hear her calling my name, BUT a few minutes later she was fine and it did eventually end. If your child is continually absent or if you are having trouble getting them to school, please reach out so we can assist!

As we usher in the festive season, we are thrilled to share some exciting updates about how your students will continue to develop and sharpen their problem-solving skills with the innovative use of Sphero Indi in the coming weeks.These programmable robots are designed to spark curiosity and creativity, allowing students to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios.

Coding Challenges:

Students will engage in coding challenges that encourage logical thinking and problem-solving. These activities will not only enhance their programming skills but also foster teamwork as they collaborate to overcome coding obstacles.

Project-Based Learning:

Sphero Indi will be at the center of project-based learning experiences, where students will tackle real-world problems by designing and implementing solutions. This hands-on approach will deepen their understanding of complex concepts and sharpen their problem-solving abilities.

Student's in our Pre-K at Ichabod Crane had read versions of the classic book, "Stone Soup." If you haven't read Stone Soup, a clever youngster tricks an old woman into believing that soup can be made from a stone. While luckily our Pre-k kids didn't trick Mrs. Welch and Mrs. Cross, they did prepare a great soup! Everyone learned about gratitude, sharing, community and kindness. They also sang a thankful song that had American Sign Language hand signs that the kids practiced.

Students in our classroom in Catskill used squares and cubes to create patterns, They learned that squares have 4 sides, meet at 4 corners and that all 4 sides are the exact same size. They worked in teams to complete a special square project as well.

Mrs. Carbone made her rounds across all of our Pre-K's last month. Here are some photos of our students in Mrs. Heath's classroom in Berlin learning how to code! Fun!

Ms. Cindy and Ms. Joanne from Harmony Project visited our Pre-K students in Hudson for an archeological dig! As you can see the kids were excited to dig in!

Students in Mrs. Halsey's Pre-K classroom at Red Mill in East Greenbush had a great time voting for their favorite pie. Mrs. Halsey teamed up with Mrs. Sobol, who teaches at Red Mill. Together the students voted on which type of pie they liked between apple, pumpkin, and chocolate and then ate pie! Does it get any better than that!

Holiday recess 12/25-1/1: classes not in session

Please also follow your home district's calendar for parent conferences and/or other early dismissals.

Please feel free to contact me:

(518) 479-6898

michael.burns@questar.org