With the official end of our academic school year upon us, children are preparing to transition to the next stage in their educational adventure. Whether that means moving up a level in the Preschool Room or moving on to Kindergarten, teachers strive to make that transition as smooth as possible for children and their families.

Making the jump from preschool to elementary school can be stressful for some individuals. Parental concerns about transitioning out of the preschool program are often addressed during Spring conferences. Because our teachers have first-hand knowledge of the learning styles and temperaments of the children in our care, we can offer helpful suggestions to make this transition a positive experience. 

End of the year home visits for students exiting our GSRP program also proves helpful in the transition process. This allows preschool teachers to visit children in their home setting to celebrate their completion of preschool and upcoming move to Kindergarten. It also gives parents another opportunity to ask any lingering questions and a chance for teachers to share additional resources that may help with the transition process.

Excerpt from an Observation Notebook.

Painter's Paradise

Miss Ashley, one of our summer interns, will guide us through a Painter's Paradise this week. We are painting with everything imaginable. Some of the more unusual things to paint with include fly-swatters, spaghetti, marbles, and car wheels.

Painting outside can be a blast! Using chalk paint, we are painting up the sidewalks of our playground. You can paint on sidewalks at home with this simple recipe for chalk painting.

                1/3 cup Cornstarch

                1/3 cup Water

                Liquid water color or food coloring

Mix together adding enough liquid water color to achieve your desired color intensity.

Wednesday, June 11, we will walk to Goldsworth Pond where we will sit by the water and sketch the world around us. If you would like to join us on our Artist Walk to the Pond, please see Miss Jenny or Miss Ashley.

Thursday, June 12, Janey's mom, Corinne, will teach an art lesson. We're excited to find out what we will create.

Toddler teachers believe that the process of creating art is more important than the end product itself. For that reason, children are encouraged to openly explore and utilize art materials, rather than always working to complete crafts that have predetermined outcomes. Open-ended art is appreciated and encouraged in our classroom, and we celebrate that this week in our Painter's Paradise.

This week's painting theme offers children an opportunity to express themselves creatively through art while exploring an assortment of painting styles and techniques. We'll use many unique and non-traditional materials to apply paint and explore art. Tools such as fly-swatters, spaghetti, and our feet are just a few of the mediums children can use while investigating cause and effect through painting activities. Regardless of the artistic creations made this week, children are sure to gain an appreciation for art!