PES Bright Futures Play Academy

I want to say thank you to everyone who has been a part of Play Academy.  I have made so many amazing memories over the last 6 year.  Your support has been amazing.  Thanks for trusting me to love and care for your children.  Each child has a special place in my heart and I have learned so much from them.

It has been difficult packing up the last couple of days as I am getting ready to move on to a new grade and new team.  I am very excited though, that I will get to see your children again, and continue to watch them grow and learn.

Have an amazing summer!!

I wanted to thank the Library for providing our students with a tour, story and craft!  It was great for the kids to see how much fun the library is.  If you do not currently access the library, I would strongly encourage you to stop in.  A library card in Ponoka is FREE, which is amazing!   They also offer kids story and craft time, family craft times, LEGO club and more!  Check out the website for more programs.

I can’t believe the year has come to an end.  Tuesday will be that last day of school for the T/Th class.  We are crossing our fingers for nice weather so we can spend most of the morning in the Courtyard.  On Monday we will be heading out on an adventure to Centennial Pond if the weather is nice.  Wednesday we will paint our rock bugs, and Friday will be the last day of school for the M/W classes.  Please feel free to stay with your child on their last day of school.  It is a great chance to share some phone numbers and set up some play dates for the summer with your child’s new friends, as well as to just play with your child.

Have a great weekend.  I hope you find ways to have fun while staying dry.

As some of you have heard, I will not be teaching BFPA next year.  I have had such an amazing 6 years and have learned so much from the children, parents, my fantastic EAs, as well as the specialists I’ve had the opportunity to work with.  Next year I will be teaching grade one at PES, a position I left when I began teaching Play Academy.  I have a passion for teaching early literacy and reading, and am excited to take what I have learned back to a grade one classroom.  I am also excited that I will get to meet your children again as they progress through school!

I am excited to introduce you to Mrs. Krista McDermand who will be the BFPA teacher next year at PES.  Krista has been teaching kindergarten in Wolf Creek, and has a passion for Early Learning.  Krista will be spending a few days next week hanging out with us in PA.  She will also be attending the FOP on Monday night from 5:30 – 7:00, so this would be a fantastic opportunity to meet her before the new school year.

I wanted to say a big thank you to Flower’s For You for providing pots and flowers for our children to become there own designers.  It was disappointing that we were unable to walk over on Wednesday so we were extra thankful we could bring the flowers to the school.  It was exciting to see the children make their arrangements, and they were so excited to give them to you.  I would encourage you to check out the store if you haven’t been there as they have so many great gift ideas.

This week we continue with our field trips and will be heading to the Ponoka Library on Wednesday and Thursday.  I am very excited to see what they have planned for us.  Our morning groups will have an early snack before heading to the library as we will be getting back close to home time.

We are also exploring the silly and repetitive stories by Robert Munsch.  These are always favorites as children quickly catch on to the parts that repeat and love to participate in the story reading.  So far we have looked at ‘Up, Up, Down’, ‘Mud Puddle’, and ‘Roar’.  You can also go to the Robert Munsch Website and listen to Robert Munsch reading his stories, or find many of them on Tumble books.

Please be sure to sign up to meet with me on Tuesday evening if you have not already.  I am also available at drop off or pick up if that is more convenient.  I would love to touch base with everyone before the end of the school year.

PES School Council is also hosting a special presentation on Tuesday evening at 7:00 on Emotional Regulation with Tammy Auten-Dye, M.Ed., Registered Psychologist.  Click here for more information.

A reminder that the blue team will be providing snacks for our year end party.  Parents are welcome to stay for the last day, as this is a great opportunity to connect with parents of your child’s new friends, and maybe exchange some phone numbers for play dates over the summer.  The last day for the TTh class is on June 13th, and the last day for the MW class is on Friday, June 16th, so they are coming up quickly.

One last reminder.  Please let me know if you are interested in attending the FOP on June 5th from 5:30 – 7:00.  This will be a great time to connect, and to get some ideas on how to stay busy during the summer months.  Have a great weekend!

We will be heading to Flower’s for You next week Wednesday and Thursday for our Field Trip.  Please make sure your child has appropriate shoes and clothing for the walk.

This past week we learned the story about Jack and the Beanstalk.  We planted bean seeds, and experimented with water color paints to paint the giant’s castle.  The class was fantastic at retelling the story.  Ask your child to tell you about the story using the setting they created at school.

We also introduced drums to the kids.  We drummed fast, slow, loud and quiet.  We also used the drums to sing the song ‘This Old Man’.  Sing this with your child, asking them what number comes next and if they can come up with the rhyme for the number.

There is no school the next 2 Mondays.  The last day of school for the Tuesday / Thursday class is Tuesday, June 13th.  The Monday / Wednesday class will have school on the 12th, 14th and Friday the 16th during the last week of school to make up for some missing Mondays.  We will have a celebration and picnic snacks provided by the blue team on the last day of school.  All parents are invited to come and make some connections with their child’s new friends and other parents prior to the summer break.

There will also be another sign up for PTI for Tuesday, May 30th.  These will be held from 3:20 – 5:30, and are for all families who have not yet met with me.  If you would rather meet before or after school during drop off or pick up, please let me know and we can make arrangements.

Have a great long weekend.

I hope everyone has a fabulous and relaxing weekend!

Just a few reminders of things that are coming up in the next few weeks.

The last round of scholastic book orders are on the table.  I will place the orders on June 1st so they will be in before the end of the school year.

With field trips coming up, and wanting to spend more time outside exploring and creating, this will be our last week for show and tell.  It has been amazing to watch how many skills the children have learned through this experience, and to see them grow and develop.  From being able to be part of a group, ask and answer questions, show interest in others, share about their own experiences, as well as the ability to follow a group plan and think about what others are thinking.  I am excited to see what children bring for their last day of show and tell.

Thank you everyone who came out to interviews on Thursday night.  It was great to touch base with you and celebrate the growth your child has shown this year.  I will have another evening coming up soon.  If you would prefer to meet with my before or after your child’s school day, please let me know and we can arrange for that as well.

We are still looking for people who are interested in helping out with the parade this year.  If you are interested just let me know and I can send your name to Kari Turner at Central Office.

We also have a very exciting FOP coming up during the evening on Monday, June 5th from 5:30 – 7:00.  This will be a fun and interactive time that will provide some ideas and activities to explore during the summer.  Children are encouraged to attend, and we will be end the evening with an outdoor scavenger hunt.  Please register at the following link, or let me know you are interested and I can sign you up.

Bright Futures Play Academy is planning to enter a float in this years parade on June 30th.  A note will be coming home this week with more information.  We are looking for some parent volunteers to set up a committee and help with the parade.  Please read through the note that’s coming home and let me know ASAP if you are interested in helping.  Thanks!!

This week Wednesday and Thursday will be picture day at PES.

A note will be coming home about pictures on Monday and Tuesday.

We are so excited about the nice weather, and are planning many of our crafts and activities outside until the end of the school year.

Please make sure your child has appropriate foot wear for the playground.  It is also a good idea to send a hat and or sunglasses, and apply sunscreen before the school day starts.

Next week we have set up a new camping center, and a variety of Bug games and activities.  We will also be reading several Robert Munsch stories.

Have a great sunny weekend.

Cindy

To go along with the school, we will be having a hat day tomorrow and Thursday, May 3rd and 4th.  Your child can wear their favourite hat to school for the day.