The Potter’s House
Child Development Center & Kindergarten
From the director
Dear Parents,
Valentine’s Day…
We always think of romantic love, which is
great, but there are
other kinds of love, too.
In the original Greek,
“phileo” love was a
brotherly, friendship
kind of love. Agape
love is what Jesus
Christ encourages us
to have for each other.
It is a love that is not
based on feelings, but
is an unselfish choice
to desire the highest
good for others and to
put action to that
choice.
The Potter’s House
It is hard for young children to think outside of
themselves. Toddlers
and preschoolers tend
to be very egocentric,
meaning the world revolves around them!
As a matter of fact, the
typical preschooler
does not usually begin
to really comprehend
sharing till around age
4.
As parents and teachers, we expect more of
our little ones than
they are naturally able
to deliver with ease.
The modeling and support of sharing and
taking turns is good
practice however, and
eventually, that ability
kicks in and we see the
empathy for others
shining through.
This month, our teachers will put extra emphasis on helping the
children to extend
kindness to their friends
and family. We encourage you as a family to talk about and
put action to a kindness outside of your
ordinary routine. Let’s
all choose to be a
blessing to others during this season of love!
Meet our staff
Lori shares that her spiritual walk
Introducing...Lori Gingerich!
with the Lord is the most important
It is likely that you have seen Ms. Lori’s sweet smile or
Daily, she
heard her pleasant voice in a phone message. Lori works
strives to be
with our office daily from 9:00-3:00. Lori has been mar-
close to Him so
ried for 11 years to Chris, whom she describes as a won-
He can trans-
derful man, and they have 4 great children. Each of them
form her into
attended The Potter’s House, and Lori says she wouldn’t
the person He
have them anywhere else! That’s really saying something,
wants her to be.
considering that Lori comes from Oxford. A few fun
She is also in-
facts... Lori LOVES coffee, enjoys Pinterest, puzzles, and
volved in a
thing to her.
the TV shows, “The Fixer Upper” and “Once Upon a Time”. women's minisBoating, the beach, and enjoying time with her family are
try at her
some of her favorite pastimes.
church.
From Potter’s
House to Yours
Check out our website at
pottershousecdc.com
Check out the Step Up
to Quality system online
at:
earlychildhoodohio.org
Extra copies of the
Early Years newsletters
are available at the Communication Table
Inside this issue:
From the
Director
1
Meet Our Staff
1
Monthly Study
2
Dental Health
2
Bible Theme
2
New Kindergarten 2
Cutoff
Registration
3
Valentine’s Parties 3
Literacy Insights
4
Happenings in the
House
4
Monthly Study/Activities: February...Helping Hands!
Stop by the Reception desk to
peruse the February study
folder for details of these activities. At the close of each activity description, you can read
the learning purposes and opportunities under the heading:
“Observations.”
Curriculum Activities:
*Acts of Kindness Board
*Find Your Match Game
*Heart Stompin’ Fun
*Shadow Moves
Activities, continued:
*Dental health egg and tooth
experiment
*Obstacle Course
*Coin sorting
*Cleaning pennies
*Floss Painting
*Post office dramatic play
*Dentist Discussion
*Tooth Toss
*see information included elsewhere in this
newsletter about Valentine’s Day celebrations
and a visit from our dental hygienist!
Parents, be sure to read your
teacher’s whiteboard each day
for more detailed information
about the activities of the day.
Your child’s teacher will plan activities based on the interest of
the children in your child’s class
in the areas of:
Groundhog Day
Valentine’s Day
President’s Day
Community Helpers
Dental Health
Letter Emphasis
February is Dental Health Month
2/2
Review: Letters Mm, Nn, Oo
2/9
2/16
2/23
Letter P,p
Letter: Q,q
Letter: R,r
Stay tuned for a day and time when our favorite dental hygienist will visit us...Ms. Mandy
with her giant toothbrush, giant set of teeth,
“good and
poor snacks”
game, and
educational
DVD!
Your child will take home a “letter” bag on the first day of each
week. Please help your child look for something from home that
will fit in the bag that begins with the week’s letter. The items
will be presented during “Show and Tell” at large group time at
school.
We are continuing to use our Alphatales series of books, which
emphasize both letter recognition (phonetic awareness) and the
sounds they make (phonemic awareness.)
Bible Theme: Friends Help
2/2
Good Friends...Jesus Chooses 12 Mt 4:18-22
(Jesus chooses His disciples)
2/9
Friends Help Each Other Mark 2:1-12
(Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man)
2/16
Jesus Silences the Bullies John 8:2-11
2/23
Jesus Helps us Overcome Our Fears Mt 8:23-27
(Jesus Forgives a Guilty Woman)
(Jesus Calms a Storm)
Memory Verse
“You are my friends if you obey my commands.” John 5:14
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New Kindergarten/preschool cutoff
If you haven’t already heard the news, this information
could be very helpful to know! The Potter’s House is
changing our birthday cutoff for school entry, in keeping
with the decision made recently by the Lakota school
district, effective immediately. Children must be five
years old prior to August 1 of each year in order to be
enrolled in kindergarten. This date will be used to determine entry to kindergarten and preschool classes as
well. For example, a child must be 3 by August 1 in order to enter a 3 year old preschool class.
The Potter’s House
Licensing...Did you know
Registration for Summer
Last Thursday, we had our full day, unannounced inspection here at The Potter’s House. Congratulations
to our awesome office, teaching, and support staff for
the excellence shown. We are so proud of the contributions by our team, and also very grateful for the participation and support by all our parents.
Soon, you will receive a form from Ms. Renee to complete and return
regarding your plans for summer enrollment. I know...you just finished
turning one in regarding your plans for the next school year! But this
form will reserve spots for our summer session, and it will be here before you know it. We have some exciting plans and will need to determine how many of our currently enrolled friends will remain with us.
Please be aware, too, that our new curriculum is year round. We will be
holding some special Kindergarten Readiness Sessions for our oldest
preschoolers, helping them be prepared for this wonderful transition.
We also have some new and exciting adventures awaiting us for the
summer session! The general public will begin calling soon for spots
this summer and we want to reserve the preferential placement of our
already enrolled children. If you are unsure about your summer needs,
please jot a little note and include as much information as you can
about your plans. Ms. Renee will
work with those families who may
be in various states of “limbo”
about future plans. We will do
our very best to accommodate
you! Additionally, part time positions may be available for the
summer, even if your child is full
time during the school year.
*all electrical outlets must have plastic covers. Please
alert the office if you ever seen one “bare.” The church
is used often by folks who are unaware of the need to
replace these, so we are constantly on the lookout.
Thanks for your help!
*well check physicals must be updated annually, so
you will receive reminders from the office when your
child is due. This state licensing rule is not simply a
Potter’s House policy. We appreciate your efforts to
keep everyone healthy and safe!
Infants & Toddlers
Parents, we invite you to visit an
excellent resource designed to support parents and children during
those critical first few year. The
website is: zerotothree.org. You will
find all kinds of videos, articles, fun
facts, and resources that will increase your knowledge and provide
you with learning activities for your
baby or toddler.
Weather
Remember…
during inclement
weather, The Potter’s
House preschool program will CLOSE if
Lakota closes or delays
their school day.
February, 2015
Program Wide Party: Valentine’s Day
We will celebrate the holiday with a party and the passing out of valentine cards. Full timers will enjoy their parties on Friday, February
13th, at 9:30 a.m. Part Time preschoolers will enjoy their parties on
Thursday the 12th or Friday the 13th, whichever day the child attends, at 11:00 a.m. Stay tuned for Sign Up Sheets to donate goodies
for the day! Please participate by sending a “message of love” to
your child that the teacher can read on the party day. You can bet it
will be a huge blessing for your child to “hear” from you in print!
Part Time
All
Part Time
Preschool is
CLOSED
February 16th in
observance of
President’s Day
Please send valentines on party day with
no names on the envelopes unless your
child is in Rebekah’s, Tricia’s, Mary’s, or
Jolene’s class.
*Remember to send extra clothing
each day in the backpacks.
Full time
Look for our FB question of the day!
Can’t wait to read your comments.
Page 3
Happenings in the House
The Potter’s House
You are cordially invited to join Princeton Pike Church of God for all the many
worship and outreach opportunities made
available!
6101 Princeton Glendale Road
Liberty Twp., OH 45011
P: 513.785.2855
F: 513.785.2857
Email: [email protected]
Partnering to develop your child’s
God-given potential
Stay Connected!
Share/Like our
posts on
Facebook.
Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 am
(children’s programs available)
Sunday Night Worship 6:00 pm (1st
Sunday of the month)
Wednesday Nights 7:00 pm
(children’s programs available)
*You can work off some stress in the
gym with Zumba on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6:15 ($5.00 fee)
*Men’s Small Group Ministry
Every Thursday evening 7-8:00 pm, room
104 (Entry 7)
Check out our
website at:
Please call Princeton Pike Church of God
for more information about these events
and to register for participation.
2/4
Master Chef Cooking Class
7:00-8:00
2/8
Baby Dedication 10:30 a.m.
2/9
Ladies’ Quilting 6:30-9:30
2/14
Valentine’s Night Out
5:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
2/15
Water Baptism 10:30 a.m.
Don’t forget to sign up for
free childcare by Princeton
Pike on Valentine’s Day from
5:00-9:30. The signup sheet
is located at the Information
Table at the Potter’s House
Main entry (Entry 3). The
registration is only open for a
few more days...so take advantage of it while you can!
www.pottershousecdc.com
Phonological Awareness (Hearing and discriminating among the separate sounds of spoken language; recognizing whether words or segments of words sound the same or different)
What Teachers Can Do
Lead children in singing, saying rhymes, reciting
fingerplays, and playing language games.
Read books that play with the sounds in words,
such as Dr. Seuss.
What Preschool Children Might Do
*Talk about words and language sounds during daily activities fingerfinplays, etc. (e.g., “Tammi and Tyrone, your names both start with the
same sound, /t/.”).
*Fill in the missing rhyming word in a phrase. Make up such as those by
Dr. Seuss or nonsense words or silly names (e.g., Silly Willy and Funny Bunny).
Clap as designated words or syllables are said
(e.g., clapping twice while saying the name Kelly)
*Notice that several names or other words begin with the same sound
(e.g., Jonelle, Juwan, and Jonetta during the recitation of a rhyme).
Knowledge of print (Learning how print works) Talk about features of print while writing with children (e.g., the top-to-bottom
and left-to-right progressions).
Occasionally run your finger under the words as you
read a story.
As you write with children, draw their attention
to punctuation marks such as periods and question
marks (e.g., “I’d better put a period here so others
will know to stop when they are reading it.”).
Post a sign with pictures and words about what to take
for snack. Post sign-up sheets for activities.
February, 2015
Make a grocery list in the Dramatic Play area, writing from left
to right and from top to bottom.
*Point to a shelf label and say, “Cars go here.”
*Read a big book to a group of stuffed animals or dolls,
pointing to the words and progressing from front to back.
Page 4