ACTIVA-TREE Christian Preschool
Winter 2017
963 Valley Street• 603-622-6654
[email protected]
Winter Reminders
Please make sure you have snow pants and boots, and mittens for
your child. Once the ground is covered by snow, we will need these for
daily outdoor play. You may keep a pair of shoes or slippers in your
child’s cubbie so they have warm dry footwear for inside time.
Winter Poem:
It is very important to call school when your child is out sick: please call and
leave a message for us!
“Snow”
The snow fell softly at night.
It made a blanket soft and white.
It covered houses, flowers and
ground,
But did not make a single sound.
-Alice Wilkins
Winter Song:
During the first two Wednesdays of December we will be going next door to the
church hall to make crafts with the crafters group. Please make sure you sign
and return the permission slip being sent home so your child can attend the craft
session.
We do not exchange Christmas gifts at preschool so please do not send in gifts for
friends. (The teachers do give each child a small gift as they leave for vacation.) If
you would like to give something to celebrate Jesus’ birth, please send in some
boxes of pasta for the food pantry. We will bring them over to church before
Christmas as part of our birthday celebration.
“I’m a Little Snowman”
(Tune: “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m a little snowman,
Short and fat.
Here are my buttons,
Here is my hat.
When the sun comes out,
I cannot stay.
Slowly I just melt away.
We will be making a class snack mix as part of our birthday party for Jesus. Please
sign up on the sheet near the clipboard.
What We are Exploring:
The rice table has changed into a sensory table full
of beads and pompoms, containers to sort items in
and small chenille stems to lace on. There has been
a lot of classifying and comparing items happening.
The items also feel wonderful to the touch: it is truly
a sensory delight!
Piano Music at Preschool
Our child size baby grand piano has been brought out of storage and is next to our
Christmas tree. Children are learning to play quietly instead of banging on the
keys and yesterday I heard someone singing as they played!
December Special Events


Wednesday, December 7: Crafting at Church Hall
Wednesday, December 14: Crafting at church hall
 Friday, 12.16 – Messy Church – Jesus Birthday Bash! 5:30pm – Free!
Dinner served!

December 20 & 21: snack mix items due

December 22 & 23: class Birthday party for Jesus…donation of boxes of pasta to
food pantry.
Please Remember:
Tuition is Due December
12 and 26. You may postdate your check for the
26th and send it in on the
23’rd.
Vacation begins on
December 24 and school
opens again on Tuesday,
January 3, 2017
Meet our Staff Puppets:
Important Rule Change
The state is changing the rules that licensed child care centers follow. One new
rule is that children are not allowed to wear necklaces during child care. This rule
also applies to bandanas and neck ties. We have decided to begin following this
rule in January 2017.
What we are learning about:
We are learning how to put on our own jackets (and smocks) and how to zip our
jackets. We are learning how to put on our own mittens.
During December we are learning about the events leading up to the birth of Jesus.
We are working on patterning and following directions.
We are playing a lot of listening games.
We are continuing to learn how to play bingo games.
We are enjoying the variety of items being left for us to use at the writing
center…especially the scissors!
Kathleen uses a number of
puppets during Bible
Story time, the most
famous one being Arfy,
the black and white dog.
Arfy used to believe that
“dogs rule and cats
drool” until one summer
when he became friends
with Fluffy.
Christine is the person
behind Fluffy, the gray
and white cat puppet
Arfy met one summer.
Fluffy is more shy than
Arfy and is still learning
Bible stories from Arfy
and Uncle Barkley.
Arfy was found at a church
yard sale and Fluffy was
made by Kathleen’s
mother, who used to
make stuffed animals.
She was found at the
bottom of a bag of toys
her children left behind
when they moved out
on their own. Both pets
are very happy at
preschool and love
telling stories of Jesus.