GOOD SHEPHERD NURSERY SCHOOL
December 2007 Newsletter

Director Notes

On behalf of the Medway Village Church, I would like to extend an invitation to attend our Christmas Eve Family Candlelight Service at 7:00 p.m. on December 24.  The service will include special music by the adult, children’s, and handbell choirs.  Traditional Christmas carols will be led by the adult choir during the candle lighting. 

We hope you enjoyed our annual Thanksgiving celebration and thank you for your contributions to the feast.  The children had lots of fun making the handprint table runners and centerpieces to decorate the tables, and they were excited to serve the pumpkin bread they had made.  The recipes for the pumpkin bread and the macaroni and cheese are attached to this newsletter. 

We would also like to thank you for your support of the Angel Tree project!  The children are very excited about all the gifts to be given to needy children.  It warms our hearts to watch the children’s pleasure as they place their gifts under our Christmas tree.

CALENDAR NOTES

The Good Shepherd Curriculum- Learning through Play

As you know, our school has four rooms for the children to explore during Free Play time.  Each room has several different learning centers.  The teachers meet weekly to brainstorm ideas and plan the weekly curriculum, giving careful thought to each different learning center.  This monthly newsletter will keep you informed of the skills the children are learning and practicing as they “play” at each center, using their imaginations and power of choice to become independent, inquisitive learners.

CIRCLE  TIME

Christmas:  All of our discussions this month have been devoted to Christmas.  We began by discussing the true meaning of Christmas, and telling the story of Christ’s birth.   The following week we enjoyed hearing the children tell us about their family traditions and the fun things you all enjoy doing together.  This week we will gather in a circle after song time, shut off the lights, hold hands and sing “Happy Birthday” and “Silent Night” together in the glow of the candles on Jesus’s birthday cake, placed in the middle of our circle.  We will then go up to the sanctuary and sit in the pews, and listen once again to the beautiful story of the night our savior was born.  Watching the children’s precious faces as they sit side by side in the pews is one of the highlights of our Christmas season.  How blessed we are to be able to share this special time with your children.

SMALL GROUP

CRAFT

Table runners:  We hope you got to notice the table runners on the tables at our Thanksgiving celebration.  The children enjoyed putting their handprints all over them using  red and yellow paint. 

Friendship pictures:  During friendship week the children were encouraged to draw a picture of their friends. You will be able to see these pictures in their end-of-the-year books. 

Christmas gift & wrapping:  The children really enjoyed making the special gifts for their parent's to enjoy.  Wrapping was even more fun!  Learning how to fold tissue paper and place tape to keep the folded part together was quite an accomplishment.  We hope you enjoy your precious mementos!!

MATH

Geometry:  The children had fun creating shapes and other designs by stretching elastics across rows of nails on square geo boards. 

Sorting and categorizing:  currently we have a fun Christmas game that offers sorting various Christmas shapes.  

Science

Wind Power:  The children tried to move a variety of objects by squeezing empty squirt bottles, waving pieces of paper or using their breath. 

WRITING/LANGUAGE

Letter Formations:  Dry erase markers and printed white boards provide the opportunity to trace and then copy the letters of the alphabet, using a game called the Write Stuff. 

Picture books and a nativity with sound which narrates the story of Jesus’ birth helped the children learn more about this very special event.

THE SENSORY TABLE

Water Play:  The children had an opportu-nity to “flex” their fine motor muscles by squeezing water out of cooking basters, eye droppers, and squeeze bottles.

Marbleworks:  The science of “cause and effect” is currently being explored as the children witness what happens when marbles are dropped in a hole from the top of a plastic structure.

EASELS

Creativity and fine motor skills:  Koosh all painting and oil pastel coloring brightened the otherwise blank canvases.  On the heels of Christmas, bell and star shaped construction paper were enhanced with shiny metallic paint while Christmas stamps on easel paper completed the season’s theme. 

PLAYDOUGH

Creative expression and socialization:  Non-colored playdough, resembling real dough offered the children an opportunity to simulate a cooking experience.  Baking pans, muffin tins and assorted cooking tools enhanced the play.  Currently, green play-dough with glitter is a welcomed holiday addition as the children are creating many festive designs.   

THE DRAMATIC PLAYROOM

The Dramatic Playroom has been transformed into the most sacred place where Jesus was born.  The children have the opportunity to dress as angels, spreading the good news of our savior’s birth, or shepherds, whose job is to take care of our many stuffed sheep, or Kings who carefully bring bejeweled gold boxes to the baby, or to dress as Mary and Joseph and lovingly care for the precious baby doll wrapped in a soft blanket.  The room is complete with a “stable” which the children can sit inside as they re-live this most joyous and reverent event.

MUSIC & MOVEMENT

Sleigh bells have added to the fun, enhancing the holiday spirit, as each child has had bells to ring while we sing a variety of beautiful Christmas songs!

QUOTES

Child 1:   “I know how to spell ‘no’ -  n-o,  and ‘yes’ - y-e-s”.
Child 2:  “I know how to spell NFL”!

Miss Kelly, explaining why we had highchairs available at our Thanksgiving celebration:  “Someone like Child 1’s little sister (child 2) might need to use a high chair.”
Child 1:  Ya, (Child 2) could sit there.”
Miss Kelly:  “Oh, you call your sister (child 2).”
Child 1.:  “No, I call her Princess.” 

Child:  “There’s Miss Cathy!”
Miss Brenda:  “Yes, she’s working downstairs.”
Child:  “She’s not working, she doesn’t have her glasses on!” 

Child using the doctor’s kit in the Dramatic Playroom - “First I’ll put a band-aid on your arm.  Then you’ll have to shower to clean your own ears!”

Child playing with uncolored playdough:  "Hey, it looks alive!” 

Child 1 in the Dramatic Playroom:  “My baby doesn’t feel good.”
Child 2:  “Sometimes I don’t feel good.”
Child 1:  “Me too.”
Child 2: “When I have friends I feel great!”

Wishing you the perfect peace of Christmas, and a new year filled with God’s great blessings

Miss Brenda-PK!, P2       Miss Kelly-PK2, P1

 Miss Maryann-PK1, P2    Miss Meg-PK2

 Miss Andrea-P2             Miss Nancy- P1

             Miss Julie-P1