At the Preschool this week, the children were dazzled by the tricks of LuLu the dog.  LuLu and her trainer, Valerie from the Humane Society, visited all of the classes to discuss pet care and safety.  Children naturally love animals, so this was a great way to support their interest.  Several children brought items for use at the shelter, and presented them at the end of the program.

Friday was St. Francis Day and the Blessing of the Pets at the Preschool.  The program included the story of St. Francis (the saint), music about animals led by our own Ms. Cindy, and a special blessing for all of the pets that attended.  We enjoyed meeting Butterscotch, Dorothy, Gus, Izzy, Jelly, Lizzie, Ninja and Tigger...to name but a few of our finned, furry and scaly guests!

Today, Our landscape architect, David Dornick, and I have the wonderful opportunity to attend the Bernheim Forest Children at Play Conference and present the story of our natural playground project.  It is an honor to speak on something we feel very passionate about.  The opportunity to provide children with play spaces that are beautiful and natural, and support children's sense of wonder while giving them a chance to experience joy in these spaces, is deeply close to our hearts here.  Several years ago, we made a commitment to the children of our program to provide something more for their outdoor spaces.  What started as the playground committee of a handful of teachers, has blossomed into a vision that we hope will inspire others in our community.  I will share some of the insights and lessons learned at the conference in next week's newsletter.

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The entire staff here at Harrods Creek would like to thank the Dancing Dolphins Class for the delicious luncheon (with a special shout-out to Alicia Balado and David Bruner)!  It was just the fuel our teachers needed to get through our staff meeting ;)

The Parent Association would like to say thanks to all the parent volunteers.  This year has been a huge success -- thanks to all of YOU.  Let's continue this great involvement for the rest of the year. We have some volunteer opportunities available for upcoming events.  Please contact Andrea Hibbard or Anne Farra if you are interested in volunteering for the following: "Our Good Earth" Gala (Friday 10/12 and Saturday 10/13), Helping Hands and/or Book Fair.  Please check in with your room parents for class parties and events to see if they need help with these too.  Thanks again for your time and support!

If you need to reach us here at the Preschool, you can call our main line at 694-9370. You can also call 228-0165 and press #8 to reach Renee directly.

Conference Day Childcare

We will not be having classes or the normal extended care on conference day.  However we will be offering 15 minutes of childcare during your child's conference.

We are happy to offer the option of half-day (8:00 a.m. - noon), and full-day (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.) childcare to families who may need it.  The minimum number of children that need to sign up is 10, and there will be a fee.

Sign-up forms will come home next week, and the deadline to register for childcare is Friday, October 25th.  We will announce on that day whether the childcare is a go.

Thanks!  

East End Blasting 

For the week of October 7 - 12 

(Times Approximate)

Tuesday: 11:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday: 11:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m. &  

7:00 p.m. 

Thursday: 11:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Friday: 11:00 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.   

Saturday: 12:30 p.m.  

At around these times each day, traffic will be stopped on U.S. 42 and the entrance/exit to the Snyder Freeway for anywhere from five to 20 minutes.  

2013 - 14 Calendar  

The Snack Calendar for the month of September is now available  for viewing on the St. Francis School website, and you can also view it here!

The Lost & Found is conveniently located in the entrance foyer -- underneath the Sign-In Table (should you ever need it).