Lakeside Center Dispatch - Lakeside Presbyterian Center For

Lakeside Presbyterian
Center for Children
Lakeside Center Dispatch
S A N
F R A N C I S C O ,
C A
N O V E M B E R
2 0 0 9
KEY DATES IN
NOVEMBER
Letter from the Director
Nov 4: Parent
meeting with
guest speaker,
6.30pm
It is hard to believe a few weeks ago, rain was threatening to put a damper on our Annual Pumpkin
Patch Field Trip. However, as the photos posted on the office door attest to, we were blessed with
great weather at Lemos!
Nov 11: Veterans day holiday,
school closed
Nov 25: No
regular school,
extended care
open
Nov 26-27:
School closed
for THANKSGIVING
Several parents congratulated me on the fun & successful trip; however, I cannot take any of the credit parents - just like yourself coordinated every aspect of
the trip and we have them to thank – Melba Policicchio & Andree Liang and a team of parent volunteers worked hard: from booking the buses to making
the snack bags, to insure the trip went smoothly.
This is an example of PVO in action! If you attended
another fun event this past month, the book fair, once
again you experienced the benefit of dedicated parents, Mimi Pratt & Lisa Simpson and a team of still
more parent volunteers who also worked hard: from setting up bookcases to cashiering, to insure this
event also went off without a hitch.
I hope these occasions inspire you to look for opportunities to get involved and volunteer!
In addition to parents, it takes another set of dedicated adults to make sure our all of days run
smoothly, the staff! It is appropriate that during Thanksgiving month, I take time to acknowledge and
thank all the devoted staff who work so hard and diligently everyday: Maritza Bustamante, Linda
Chao, Cindy Chen, Vikki Chu, Michelle Dimapasoc, Norma Fernandez, Cheryl Garcia, Sweelina
He, Denice Heath, Mimi Johnson, Chika Kuramoto, Winnie Kwong, Jane Lam, Bonnie Luo, Lupita McGloin, Jenny Montarello, Karen Napitan, Kerry O’Shaughnessy, Michele Riedel, Mey
Saephan, Jelisa Sterling- Smith, Molly Wardell, and Laura West.
Although we know that, together with you, we do an excellent job, everyone could use a little help
every now and then. Therefore, to that end, school will be closed on Friday, October 30 for a staff inservice day.
Then it will be your turn. On Wednesday, November 4 at 6:30PM we will have a parent meeting with
popular returning guest speaker Lee Ann Slaton from Parents Place discussing children’s temperament styles. Lee Ann is always fun and informative. Free childcare will be available. So, save the date
and plan to attend – see you there! Thanks!
Caroline Bankhead, ―Mrs. E‖
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Mrs. Wardell’s AM Kindergarten Class
2
Weren’t we just preparing for Halloween? The month flew by and we were so busy. The
children completed another classroom book—a Halloween frame with different characters, each page illustrated by the Kindergartners—what a collaboration! We had a fun
filled day at the Halloween carnival, thanks to all the parents who made it such a festive
event. Thank you, too, for the tasty party treats—your generous contributions made the
day so special and delicious.
As November appears, the children will begin a unit focusing on nature and a celebration of the earth’s many wonders. We will talk about plants, animals and the people who
live in a special rhythm with nature.
We will be learning some
new Thanksgiving poems
and a November rap that
goes like this:
Working hard in the
classroom
ABCDE The Pilgrims sailed across the sea
FGHIJ
Coming from England, so far away
KLMNO They landed in a place they didn’t know
PQRST They met Squanto, their friend to be
UVWXY They had a big feast with pumpkin pie
ZZZZZ
The Pilgrims gave thanks for all to see
Some of our math activities include a bear in a cave counting
game that explores number combinations, leaf sorting which involves classification and pattern
turkeys. We will practice number formation and make a shape book. Have you heard about
“Zero the Hero?” Zero visits us every 10th day to remind the class that 0 is an important number in place value. We have even noticed a pattern that coincides with his visits—his 1st visit
was on day 10, his 2nd visit was on day 20, his 3rd visit was on day 30, etc. Someone noted that
adding a 0 to the number of his visits was the same as the day of school we were celebrating
(so his 9th visit will be on day........90!) Discovering these mathematical patterns gives children
new insights that allow them to comprehend abstract mathematic concepts.
Have you
heard about
“Zero the
As the days get colder, it’s important that each child have a warm sweatshirt or jacket to
wear in the yard. Please label all clothing to ensure its safe return.
Hero?”
We received so many wonderful classroom books from Kindergarten families during the Book
Fair—THANK YOU. The children and teachers always appreciate books because they add so
much to our language program. Your generosity is much appreciated.
Even though I don’t wish the time away, preparations for the Christmas program will begin this
month. Please bear with us as we rehearse our holiday tunes in November.
I hope you all have a wonderful, restful Thanksgiving.
Molly Wardell
Toys for Tots Toy Drive
Please bring new
unwrapped toys
LAKESIDE
CENTER
As we do every year, we will be collecting toys to donate to less
fortunate children for the annual San Francisco Firefighters Toy
Drive. In early December, please bring a new unwrapped toy and
place it in the red bin that will be located in the school hallway. For
any questions, please contact Nina Howell and Jami Greer
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3
Ms. Kerry & Mrs. Chao’s Classes
Hard to believe another month has come and gone! Can you believe it is November already?
Thank you for
making our
wish lists come
true at the
Book Fair
We would like to thank all of our parents for making our ―Wish Lists‖ come true with the wonderful books that were purchased for our classes at the Book Fair. The children are enjoying listening to all our new stories. Book appreciation is such an important part of the early education
of young children, we really appreciate your generosity.
Speaking of books, the AM has completed their first class book called ―The AM Name Train‖
which is a collaboration of our names so that the children can continue to learn the first letters of
their name. The PM class has completed their first book ―What We Wear in Preschool‖ which
are individual pages of the children and what they wear to school. The children are enjoying
reading their own pages to the class during circle time. Come check out our class book! Both
classes will continue to work on their ―Me Book‖ pages and, in November, we will ask everyone
to bring in a picture of their family so that we can decorate our classroom with family portraits.
It’s going to be a busy month!!
The Pumpkin Patch trip was a success! Thanks to all of the moms and
dads who made it a wonderful adventure for the children. The Halloween festivities at school were also enjoyed by all. The AM class loved
dressing up in their Candy Cane costumes and the PM class looked so
cute in their M&M costumes. It was a fun few days dressing up and
parading around school! A big thank you goes out to all the parents
who made the Halloween festival possible, as well as those who contributed to making our classroom Halloween parties such a success.
Happy Halloween in
the morning class
Always keep a
warm coat in
your child’s
cubby!
November will be another, fun filled month. We will start out the month
with our November calendars. Then focusing on food; where food
comes from, and the importance of farm animals. We will also be
cooking up some special recipes, so watch out for sign-ups. Both
classes will also be talking about all the things they are thankful for, as
well as take time to think about all the good things we have in our lives.
Families and friends are so important in our lives and we will be focusing on the importance of
them. We will get together with the Kindergartner’s and the other Preschoolers for a big
―Thanksgiving Feast‖. This is such a special time for the children to come together as one and
celebrate Thanksgiving.
Stay tuned for our special friend “Elle” the stuffed Elephant
who we will send home with the AM children for a fun adventure
at home. The PM children will be taking our much loved
“Hunter”, our stuffed bear, for his adventures.
Make sure to stay healthy out there, the weather is changing
and we need a healthy bunch at school! Always keep a warm
coat in your child’s cubby! Happy fall and have a great Thanksgiving.
-Ms. Kerry, Mrs. Chao, Bonnie, Jenny and Laura
November adventures
with Hunter and Elle
LAKESIDE
CENTER
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4
Extended Care Program
October was a very busy and exciting month in Extended Care! In 4 weeks, we watched
our classroom slowly transform. First, a tree sprouted in the middle of the room, with
branches reaching the ceiling. Fall leaves of every shade poked out from its branches. The
moon, stars and clouds came out too! Bats took flight and a silly scarecrow named Sally
made her home here. The AM Extended Care children, together with the Kindergarten Extended Care children, made these and other projects to decorate our classroom. You will
see more of these collaborations when we celebrate Thanksgiving and throughout the
school year.
During October, we featured different children in our morning Extended Care class as our Child
of the Week. So far, Cassidy, Rose Marie, Audrey, James and Jackson have been chosen and
presented their family posters to the class, and shared their favorite books and snacks. We will
select children at random weekly for the rest of the school year.
We’ve learned
In morning Extended Care, we have
been learning to sing our good morning song in different languages.
Each week, a new language is featured and we learn which country
that language is
spoken in.
We’ve also learned some geography during our morning song. We know that
the city we live in is San Francisco, which is in the state of California, which is
part of the United States of America. We have also gone on to learn that the
continent we live on is North America, which is in the Northern Hemisphere of
the world and is on the planet Earth. Wow!
some
geography
during our
morning song.
So far, we’ve learned to say “hello everybody” in:
Swahili
“Jambo sana”
Spanish
“Hola mis amigos”
Mandarin
“Ni hao peng you”
Italian
“Buon giorno mi amici”
Gaelic
“Conas ata tu mo cara”
Japanese
“Mina ohayo”
We want to thank our room parents, Brian and Mary Wachowicz and Jeanine
Donohue for helping plan our Halloween festivities. They will helping us in Extended Care with other holiday activities as well. Please watch out for those
special snack sign-up sheets. You will earn 1 point when you sign up to bring in a holiday snack
item. Our holiday parties will be held for both Extended Care groups, A.M and P.M children.
As November draws near, we will be getting ready for Thanksgiving. We will be learning about
Thanksgiving and harvest and what that means around the world, historically and currently. We
will also learn how to say ―thank you‖ in different languages. Each area in our classroom will
have a Thanksgiving theme, from feather painting in the art area to Tic-Tac-Turkey in the math
area to dying corn kernels in the science area. We hope you visit our classroom to see the
children’s work and the pictures we’ve documented up on the walls.
November is also an exciting month for one of our teachers. Miss Michelle will be getting married on the 22nd of this month to her fiancé, Michael in Monterey, California. Congratulations!
Lastly, we would like to remind all parents, especially those who are not enrolled in Extended
Care full-time, that if you would like to drop your child off on a day he/she normally doesn’t have
Extended Care, to please talk with Miss Michelle and Miss Mey and get it cleared first. It is very
important because we may not always have room for your child, but we do our best to accommodate your needs. If any of you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to stop
by. Our door is always open.
Michelle Dimapasoc, Mey Saephan and the Extended Care Staff
LAKESIDE
CENTER
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Miss Michele & Ms. Lupita’s Classes
Happy November! We can't believe a new
month is upon us. We are really enjoying your
children and are learning so much from each
other. November is sure to be filled with some
wonderful activities. With Thanksgiving approaching, we'll talk about how thankful we are
for our family, friends and teachers!
...we will have
a special week
dedicated to
nutrition.
Both A.M. and P.M classes will celebrate
Thanksgiving with Mrs.Kerry, Mrs. Chao and
Mrs. Wardell classes. We'll take turns being
Indians and Pilgrims and tell stories about why
this holiday is so important. This is a great opportunity to share our food and friendship.
We are so happy to see how much fun your
children are having. They are so interested in all
the things they are learning. We enjoy watching
their symbolic representations both in their
drawings and as a step toward writing. They feel
proud when they can print their names as well
as those of family members and friends. The
children are also free to explore with playdough,
water, blocks, puzzles and manipulatives.
Physical development is contingent upon basic
physical well being freedom from disease, plus
adequate nutrition, exercise, sleep and sunshine. This is so important that the class will
have a special week dedicated to nutrition. Your
children will help prepare ham and eggs, and
yogurt shakes.
Thanks very much to the parents who helped
make our Halloween parties a success.
Miss Michele and I also want to thank you for all
the wonderful books you donated to our class.
Our program would not be successful without
the support of the parents.
Until next month..........
Miss Michele and Ms. Lupita
Thanksgiving Food Drive
The Thanksgiving food drive is on it's way! Now is the time to start thinking
about those non-perishable food items you can donate. Last year
we donated 2342 pounds of food!
As San Francisco's unemployment rate increases, more and more families
will be in need this holiday season.
Bring non-perishable food!
The Fall Book
Fair was a great
success, raising
$850 for Lakeside
plus book credits
of ~$200
LAKESIDE
CENTER
Please refer to the flier that came out on Monday October 26th. Thank you!
Nina Howell and Jami Greer
Fall Scholastic Book Fair
The Book Fair is a wonderful opportunity for classrooms, families and the school to benefit directly from
book sales. The Book Fair offers affordable editions
of many popular books sold in retail stores. Best of
all, Lakeside earns books and funds through the sale.
We sold $3,400 worth of books; of that, our school
receives 25%, which is $850, plus book credits of
nearly $200.
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The Fall Book Fair was a great success thanks to
all the parents who supported it by buying so many
great books! A special thank you to the families
who purchased the ―wish list books‖ for the classrooms, extended care and the play yard! The next
Book Fair will be in the Spring, with many new
titles and gifts.
Thank you to all the parent volunteers who contributed their time. We hope you will be available to
help again in the Spring!
Mimi Pratt and Lisa Simpson
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6
Mrs. Wardell’s PM Pre-K Class
November is here already and the Pre-K class will spend the month focusing on nature. The
earth’s changes are especially prevalent at this time of year and we look forward to observing
that phenomena. We will take a nature walk to collect leaves, twigs and pods for our science
table. We will also use these items for sorting and classifying. Children are natural scientists
and given the opportunity, will make many amazing discoveries about the world around them.
We will continue our patterning with dyed macaroni necklaces that the children will fabricate.
We will also work on a shape book this month.
...the Pre-K class will
focus on nature
If you have special
Thanksgiving
customs, please let
us know so we can
share them.
The class started a daily writing exercise in October that models the writing process and gives
each child an opportunity to express their ―news.‖ Reinforcement of the mechanics of writing as
well as sound identification helps them on their own journey towards independent writing.
As we prepare for Thanksgiving, we will learn new poems and songs that celebrate the season.
If you have special customs you observe, please let us know so we can share them with the
class. We will celebrate our class party with some of the other children at a ―feast‖. The food
requests for that event will be posted so that you can contribute, if you so wish.
As the weather turns colder, it’s important that each child have a warm sweatshirt or jacket to
wear in the yard. Please label all clothing to ensure its safe return.
The class was gifted with many wonderful books from the Pre-K families during the Book FairTHANK YOU. We always appreciate books because they add so much to our language program. Thank you for your generosity.
Even though I don’t want to wish the time away, our preparations for the Christmas program will
begin this month. Please bear with us as we rehearse our holiday tunes in November.
I hope you all have a wonderful, restful Thanksgiving.
Molly Wardell
Ms. Karen in the Play Yard
Where Did Our Indian Summer Go??? The weather outside has been
very different lately.
If and when our Indian Summer hits, please make sure your child has some
hot weather clothes to change into in their cubby.
...warm
weather fun in
the play yard
Lets hope that November will bring some warm sun in before our winter
blows through. But, just in case, please keep a warm & cozy (extra) jacket
in your child's cubby.
Thanks,
Ms. Karen
LAKESIDE
CENTER
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PVO President’s Note
It is hard to believe that we are already into November. This month is a wonderful time to remember all of the things we are thankful for, including the reason we are here at Lakeside: our children. On behalf of Lakeside parents, I would like to express our gratitude to the teachers and staff
at the school for all they do to nurture and educate our children.
October was a busy month. Thanks to Mimi Pratt & Lisa Simpson for a very successful
school book fair. Thank you to Melba Policicchio, Andree Jiang, & Celina Lam, who
organized the fun (and warm!) Pumpkin Patch trip! Thank you to Olivia Scanlon for
organizing our fall Lakeside night at Chevy’s restaurant. Thank you to Muyar Lunbeck
& Sara Cecchin for orchestrating a creatively spooky Halloween festival. Last but not
least, THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR PARENT VOLUNTEERS. Without you, these
events would not be as successful!
Spooky social
Come to one
of the
monthly PVO
board
meetings
Some of you may be wondering what exactly the Parent Volunteer Organization (PVO)
does, especially since you’ve recently been asked to make a donation to the annual
fund drive. The PVO sponsors much of the ―extra‖ enrichment at Lakeside—the activihall
ties that take place in addition to what goes on in the classroom. For example, the PVO
pays for the decorations and other materials used in the Halloween festival; it also pays for
performers to come in throughout the year –including the Lion dancers around Chinese New Year
and Irish dancers on St. Patrick’s Day. And the PVO foots the bill for the annual Child-Guest dinners held in January and February.
The PVO also funds occasional physical upgrades to the school, with the intent of improving the
environment in which our children learn and play. The kindergarten classrooms underwent a wonderful facelift a few years ago. Soon, the landscaping just over the fence in the yard will undergo a
renovation, courtesy of the PVO, which has worked in conjunction with Lakeside Church on the
plans. This landscaping project has been in the works for more than a year.
If you have ideas about new enrichment programs and would like to discuss them, or if you would
just like to learn a little more about what the PVO does, I encourage you to come to one of the
monthly PVO board meetings. This year we are holding them alternately on Friday mornings or in
the evening, usually on a Wednesday, in conjunction with a parent meeting at the school. Please
see your parent handbook for meeting dates. (This month’s meeting is on Friday, Nov. 13 at 8:30
a.m. in the Social Hall.)
In November we will hold our annual Thanksgiving Food drive. In late November/early December
we’ll have our annual Toys for Tots drive. Please keep your eyes out for these containers. These
drives are a great way to start introducing your child to families in need.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Kerry Dolan Button, kerryadolan@yahoo.com
Lakeside Christmas Program Reception
Weds
December 16,
11am,
in the Social Hall
Enjoy food, festivities and friends! Join the PVO for bagels, cookies and drinks after the Children's Program. This is a fun filled event and a great way to kick-off winter break.
The PVO will be looking for volunteers to help set-up the day prior to the event as well as the
morning of the party. Additionally, we will need a few Santa's Helpers to stay behind and clean
up after the reception concludes. 1 PVO point will be given. Look for a sign up sheet on the
PVO bulletin board later this month.
Questions? Contact Lori Doyle at 415.759.5250 or ldoyle@sbcglobal.net.
LAKESIDE
CENTER
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Green Corner
Post Halloween Tip:
Please compost Jack-o-Lanterns and food scraps in the green bin,
and encourage children to put their candy wrappers in the garbage.
Thanksgiving Tip:
When purchasing food items for Thanksgiving consider the packaging
your food purchases are in and choose recyclable if possible.
A Green Discount:
Another green tip is reusable water bottles and lunch boxes. Bring in the coupon below to Sports
Basement (PRINT THIS PAGE ONLY!) and receive 10% OFF, where Sports Basement is also
kindly donating 10% of all purchases made with the coupon back to Lakeside. Make sure you
shop before November 22nd when the coupon expires. Sports Basement is located in the Presidio
and carries top brands, such as Sigg and Klean Kanteen water bottles, at discount prices. It’s a
green, eco-friendly store that also supports the community with classes and seminars. For more
details, check out www.sportsbasement.com/SS_web_Presidio.asp. The coupon can be used in any
Sports Basement location.
Shae Brown
Green Coordinator 2009-2010
Buy water bottles
and lunch boxes—
and support
Lakeside
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