FEBRUARY 2015
Trinity Times Newsletter
DEVELOPING IMAGINATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS
Sue’s Reflections
Dear Parents,
We recently completed the registration process, and I’m very pleased to report that enrollment at TCNS is
in great shape. We already have wait lists for some of our classes and each day I receive calls from
prospective parents. I enjoy asking parents how they heard about Trinity and what they heard. Many relay
positive feedback they heard from current and past families about our programs. However, in addition to
hearing about our programming and teaching styles, a common theme in the feedback is the strong sense
of community among Trinity families. In fact, many of the families that tell me they had preschool
experiences in other schools, but they are seeking something more; a strong sense of community.
This sense of community begins with the home visits, continues with the summer playdates on the
playground, and grows stronger with the fall Parent’s Night Out and many more events. However, there is
a lot more to developing a sense of community than merely planning events. I believe a strong factor in
our “family” feeling is that we have face to face drop off and pick up and opportunities for families to
interact both inside and outside of the classroom. However, even more important, we appeal to people
who appreciate connecting with each other at whatever level schedules permit.
This brings me to our benefit, which will be held on February 21st at Michigan
Shores Club. The event feels like a celebration of
community! It is fun, high spirited, and important to
Wed Feb 4th - Hearing
the financial health of the school. Tuition alone does
and vision screening
not cover all our operating costs, and the funds raised
Thurs Feb 5th - TCNS
Gives back
at the benefit cover the gap in our operating budget.
Wed Feb 8th - Parent
Advisory Board Meeting
The benefit provides funding for the vast array of
Feb 12th &13th - Valen
“specials” (music, science, movement, Spanish, cooking,
tine Exchange
yoga, & chess) plus our small teacher to pupil ratios –
Mon Feb 16th - NO SC
HOOL - President’s Da
y
important features that distinguish TCNS from other
Tues Feb 17th - NO SC
schools.
HOOL - Prof. Dev Da
y
Dates to Remember
Fri Feb 20th - Lunch Bu
nch Session III App (po
stm
Sat Feb 21st - TCNS Be
ne
fit
Fri Feb 27th - Lunch Bu
nch Session II ends
Mon Mar 2nd - Lunch
ark)
Trinity Church Nursery School
1024 Lake Avenue
Wilmette IL 60091
847.251.0479
Director: Sue Gaertner [email protected]
Bunch Session III begin
s
It is my hope that you will join us on February 21 to
celebrate TCNS – Cruising to Adventure! There will be
delicious food, beer and wine, and a silent and live auction.
We will show a video of all the TCNS kids and truly have a
blast! Plus, there are always fun surprises! In addition, you’ll
have the opportunity to sign up for fun parties for you and
your child! These parties are very popular and tend to fill
up quickly. Be sure to secure your babysitter for February
21st today!
Finally, a HUGE thank you to the FUNdraising Benefit Team
for all their hard work and donations of time and talent!
They have been working tirelessly to make certain we all have an awesome time as we raise much needed
funding for TCNS! Our 2105 FUNdraising Benefit Team is: Kate Mayer, Colleen Shinners, Meghan
MacKinnon, Cindy Anderson, Sissy Polacek, Anne Bommi, Audrey Shedivy, Elizabeth Hart, Carrie
Fowler, Jen Latimer, Ali Stratiff and Lesley Shifrin!! THANK YOU!!
Best wishes,
Sue
KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS
Jake M.’s (4am) Mom missed the songs from Special Guest Morning, so she asked Jake to sing an encore. Displaying
the influence Spanish has had on him, Jake belted out: “Oh beautiful for Spanish skies..."
Vikram B. (AM KE) appeared much taller when he returned after winter break, so his teacher asked what he had
been eating over break. Vikram quickly replied, “Lobster!”
Scarlett N.(4am) broke her wrist at home while trying to balance on a ball. When asked what happened, Scarlett
emphasized, “I tried to stand in it while it was MOVING!” We are not convinced she won’t try it again – when it’s
not moving!
Olivia M. (3PM) was holding hands with James B. (3PM) and said, "James is my friend and he likes me just the way I
am." Awwww!!!
The 3AM class is learning about the North Pole and South Pole in preparation for the imaginary polar trip! We
talked a lot about the trip the previous school day, and it was very much on the mind of Katie M. As soon as we
came to the rug Katie asked, “When is the trip we are going on cause I didn’t pack by bag yet?!”
Maisie R. (3AM) was walking down the stairs while the Parent Tot kids were walking up. Maisie turned to her
teacher and said, “Look at those babies.” The teacher replied that there are no babies in school at Trinity. Maisie with
great expression then said,”Did you see the size of their feet??!”
Trinity Church
Nursery School
ANNOUNCEMENTS
VALENTINE EXCHANGE
Roses are red
Violets are blue
We will be exchanging
Valentines at school
Valentine’s Day is about caring and
friendship and we will share this special day
with our friends at school by exchanging
valentines. Please make certain that the
valentines your child brings to school are
NOT addressed to a particular child.
Watch the cubbies for details. We are
looking forward to a LOVEly Valentine’s
TCNS Gives Back
Thursday, February 5th from 4:15 - 5:15
We will make valentine gifts and crafts for the children at the Rehab
Institute of Chicago. Friends of Trinity are welcome to this FREE event!
Trinity Church
Nursery School
PARENT-TOT
The Mom and Tot class is now just the Tot class and they are doing just
great! Ms. Kathy and myself are amazed at how independent and
confident all the students are! They are a wonderful group of children!
The color of the month was white and snow has been our inspiration. We acted out "Three Little Penguins", sang about a snowman, and
"played" in the snow with shaving cream. Miss Wendy is still our
favorite visitor and the kids delight in her music.
The children are having fun discovering the room all over again, talking
with each other, and playing side by side. They are actually chattier with
the teachers now that they are on their own.
Jeni Rodreick and Cathy Brereton have also been helping in the room and it is wonderful to have the extra
sets of hands. There is always a crowd at the play dough table and the water table continues to be a big hit!
Ms. Kathy and I can already see the children grow in confidence as
I’m a Little Snowman
they are learning to speak up for themselves. These are "baby
I’m a little snowman short and fat,
steps" which we are thrilled to be both a witness and facilitator
Here are my buttons here is my hat
to as they walk toward independence. When I see the sun I run away
Before I slowly melt away!
We have been having tons of fun with I’m the Little Snowman
song. We love spending time with your children and look forward to spending time with you at the benefit on
Saturday, February 21! See you then!
Miss Betsy and Miss Kathy
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Email Sue
STAFF PROFILE
READY TO GROW
January was all about snowmen,
snowflakes, and snow! One week
we had pretend snow in the water
table made from half baking soda
and half shaving cream. Another
day we made “snow” from
crushed ice and pored fresh
orange juice over it to make snow
cones. Everyone loved juicing the
Name: Christine Quinn
oranges and got to pick from
clementines, navel oranges and blood oranges. We made
Role at Trinity: KE Enrichment Yoga
snowmen by assembling parts cut from construction paper and
Teacher (Radiant Child Yoga); former
cotton balls. We talked about how many circles we were using
TCNS board member & Chair
and where the hat might go but in the end the children created
Favorite Trinity Memory: SO many! their own rendition. Another day, after reading the book,
Snowballs by Lois Ehlert, we created another snowman. The
One of my favorite memories is
children decorated paper plates by gluing on an assortment of
dropping off or picking up my kids in
buttons, cinnamon sticks, ribbons, pipe cleaners, popcorn, corn
the playground and talking with the
husks, cloves and more. The project that excited the kids most
teachers and other parents while
was making an edible snowman. Marshmallows were quickly
watching the kids play.
skewered to build the body and frosting helped a cookie/Rolo
hat to stick. It was fun to see all of the creative ideas they had to
What do you love about your job:
The kids and teaching them yoga and make their snowman unique.
meditation – something I wish I
learned at that age! And, being back
at TNCS – such a wonderful vibe
there. My favorite children's book: SO
many! ”I Like Myself” by Karen
Beaumont.
If I were an animal, I would be a…
cat because I’d be an expert at
lounging about!
Fun Fact: I
make up songs
that rhyme and
belt them out
whenever and
wherever I can.
At rug time we sang snowmen songs like “I’m a Little Snowman”
and acted out “Five Little Penguins” The children love to waddle
like penguins!
We were also busy celebrating birthdays this month – four in
total! The birthday boy or girl gets to decorate a crown and
comes to the front at rug time so we can sing and do one hip hip
hooray for each year. At snack time we get to sing again with
real candles on our paper mache cake.
As it warmed up we got to go outside and play. We allow extra
time so the children have an opportunity to dress
themselves. They are so proud when they can accomplish
something new!
We're looking forward to another great month in
February!
Laurie, Betsy, Kathy and Kathy
Trinity Church
Nursery School
Terrific Threes
The past month was magical! As part of our polar studies we learned fascinating facts about
polar osos (bears), pingüinos (penguins) and whales. The niños (kids) can tell you what both
regions are like. The niños understand why the polar oso is lucky to be blanco (white) with lots of fat.
They will tell you how the Daddy pingüinos keeps the huevo (egg) warm by holding it on his pies (feet).
They found it especially interesting that the Mommy and Daddy pingüinos feed their bebé (baby) by
transferring comida (food) they chewed from their own bocas (mouths) to the boca of their darling bebé
(baby). Plus, your niños were shocked to learn that the heart of the azul (blue) whale is the size of a small
coche (car)!
By the time you read this, we will be traveling to the North Pole and South Pole. The polar expedition is a
45 minute journey into imagination! We will wear our backpacks and our home-made binoculars and let
our flashlights light the way as we climb mountains, (holding tight to the ropes) and shine our luz (light) on
the arrows that guide us to the North Pole. Along the way we will huddle like pingüinos to stay warm,
hide in caves, and look for wild animals. Once in the North Pole we will refresh ourselves with something
blanco y delicioso – helado (ice cream)! Then we pack our gear and follow the arrows to the bottom of
the world – the South Pole. We will be greeted by pingüinos and enter the tent to stay warm. Once safely
inside the tent we will snack on some goldfish, and then reverse course until we find our way back to
escuela (school)! There will be tres (three) separate groups of explorers, each guided by a maestra
(teacher). Our Polar Expedition is quite a journey!
Soon we will prepare for our Valentine’s Day Party. We will practice cutting
hearts and we are excited to exchange valentines with our amigos!
Our next big unit is Nutrition – Comida (Food) That Makes Oue Cuerpo
(Body) Grow! There will be lots of slicing and dicing and tasting. We will
prepare fruit salad, a verde (green) salad, taste pan (bread) from around the
world, milk a vaca (cow - you will learn how!), and paint a still life. Plus, we
will make our own pizzas. The culmination of our nutrition unit will be a
trip to a very fancy restaurant. Each niño will receive money, a menu, place
their own order and pay their own check. The magic continues in February!
And... the words in bold are just some of the Spanish words that have been
introduced!
With love, Ellie, Erin, Kathy, Laurie, & Sue
Welcome to the TCNS Family!
The Brueck Family welcomed Baby Callum Edward! Big
siblings Justin, Eliza, and Oliver are thrilled with the new
addition. Congratulations!
Trinity Church
Nursery School
Fantastic Fours
Winter has officially arrived with a vengeance, just in time for us to learn about
Antarctica and the Arctic! If you haven’t gotten a chance to see our lovely penguins
around the room, take a look! The children learned six different types—Adelie,
Gentoo, King, Emperor, Chinstrap, and Macaroni! We also had the chance to measure
out the length of a blue whale…a 100 foot whale extends from the bike room to the
middle of the blue lunch bunch room!
In addition to animal facts, we learned about a kind little soul who lives in Mrs. Lezama’s house, He is
very shy and quiet, and sleeps in a tissue box bed under some furniture. He is called the Tomten! We
were lucky enough to meet the little guy, and we all got to read a book and make models of the
little creature.
Thank you to those parents who were able to come in for birthdays this month, including Amy
Martin, Kate Attea, Amy Poehling, Aimee Koski, and Courtney Beagen. Obviously the birthday
children love bringing their guests, but all of the other children
also enjoy meeting the parents of their classmates and friends.
Additionally, thanks to those who attended the Special Guest
Morning! The children loved being able to walk around with their
guest(s). Even though it was a quick event, the children were still
talking about it on Monday and Tuesday! Has anyone tried the
pinguino song at home?
We have a few upcoming events that are approaching rapidly. This
week is our sleepover! In fact, by the time this newsletter is
released we will have had it already…ask your child about all the
fun we had! Following that, we will read the classic story of the
princess Rapunzel, and try our hand at tower construction. Of
course, we will also be preparing for Valentine’s Day! Many
children in both the AM and PM classes have a real fondness for
coloring and crafts, so this holiday should be right up their alley.
A little farther out, we plan to begin our lessons on the Middle
Ages…perhaps we should study the rainforest or the desert
instead, to encourage an early Spring!
Finally, here’s a little story we thought you all would appreciate:
Trevor was very diligently drawing a snowflake. Mrs. Hampton
looked over and said, “Trevor, how do you know how to make that
snowflake?” He responded, “Oh, I just follow the directions in my
brain!”
Stay warm and keep those brains busy!
Ginny, Luanne, Erin, and Ellie
Trinity Church
Nursery School
Kindergarten Enrichment - AM
Your children continually amaze us with their inquisitiveness, growth in reading and
vocabulary and bright minds!
We are encouraging the children to bring in stories to share in class. If they would like
to read the entire book or just a page or two, it will be a great contribution and fun for our class, and the
children will gain confidence in reading!
Thumbelina
We love learning vowel sound rules and exceptions,
Thumbelina,Thumbelina, tiny little thing;
including the silent ‘e’ that makes the first vowel say its
Thumbelina dance.Thumbelina sing.
own name; such as make, bake and cake. The children will
Thumbelina,Thumbelina, though you’re very small,
be making rhyming word lists for each long or short vowel
When your heart is full of love,
You’re nine feet tall!
sounds.
Our class created a beautiful castle for our bulletin board, which will be the backdrop for the children’s
artwork of fairytale characters. The stories will include Thumbelina, Beowulf, The Young Arthur, Jack and the
Beanstalk, The Princess and the Pea, Hansel and Gretel and many others. As a culmination, the children will
write and illustrate their own fairytale.
In science we will do an experiment on chromatology, which draws out a rainbow of colors from a black
magic marker, while we sing I Can Sing a Rainbow!
KE Registration for 2015/2016
Applications for Trinity’s KE do not become available until
AFTER the school district completes their morning/
afternoon kindergarten lottery (~April 1st).
Thank you to our moms, Sherri, Corey,
Ali and Anne, who came in for their
children’s birthdays, including reading a
story and bringing a treat.
Our hearts are full of love for your
Trinity offers both an AM and PM KE program for two days delightful children.
a week. For more information regarding our programs,
please contact Sue at [email protected].
With love, Mrs. Dashiell and Mrs. Ladin
Preschool Screening
Wilmette District 39 provides free educational screenings for preschool-age children that reside in the
District. The purpose of the screening is to identify developmental delays in children. Developmental delays
can be observed in a child’s speech and language, fine and gross motor skills, learning ability, or emotional
and social growth. If a delay is identified, your child may be eligible for free services from the school district.
The final screening date for this school year will be Wednesday, February 25th. Call Kathy Hughes at
847-256-2450 x 6044 to schedule an appointment.
Trinity Church
Nursery School
Kindergarten Enrichment - PM
We can hardly believe we are halfway through the school year! We must be having fun
because it is said that time flies when you are having fun! Even though this winter has not been anything like last year's winter we still studied the
letters S and W for snow and winter. We enjoyed making snowmen and snowflakes and reading stories about
snow! We graphed our favorite season and SUMMER was the winner! The letter W week brought many fun
things to do. We painted with watercolors, created paper weaving and played word bingo using Skittles for
markers (yum!). We have been working on word families and are getting good at reading these words! We
talked about the signs of Winter, why it snows and graphed our favorite Winter activities (sledding was #1). The letter M week was a favorite because we made milkshakes and ate mini marshmallows - the children were
super excited! Marble painting was another favorite and we were able to use four colors. However, Ryan R. only
wanted two colors, green and yellow, because he loves the Green Bay Packers! Too bad they won't be in the
Super Bowl this year! We read the story The Mitten and had a related fun activity. The kids are doing a great
job with their inventive spelling and are sounding out words to write them down - the beginning skills of writing.
We drew a picture for our moms and wrote our own simple letter to them. This time we did not put them in
the mail. They went home with the children the same day. Hope you moms enjoyed them! The next few weeks will be letters I, J, and V for Valentine's Day. More information to follow…
Yoga is going great and the children look so forward to Tuesdays! The bike room remains a favorite too! Our
motto is KIDS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN and that is exactly what we have is FUN!
A Happy 2015 to you all and once again thank you for sharing your special children with us! We cherish each
and everyone of them! They all have such unique talents!
Songs of the Season
Luanne Hampton and Natalie Zawrazky
Baby Beluga
Baby beluga in the deep blue sea,
Swim so wild and you swim so
free.
Heaven above and the sea below,
And a little white whale on the go.
Baby beluga, baby beluga,
Is the water warm? Is your mama
home,
With you so happy?
Way down yonder where the
dolphins play,
Where you dive and splash all day,
Waves roll in and the waves roll
out.
See the water squirting out of
your spout.
Baby beluga, oh, baby beluga,
Sing your little song, sing for all
your friends.
We like to hear you.
Baby beluga in the deep blue sea,
Swim so wild and you swim so
free.
Heaven above and the sea below,
And a little white whale on the go.
You're just a little white whale on
the go.
The Chubby Little Snowman
A chubby little snowman
Had a carrot for a nose
Along came a hopping bunny
And what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny
Looking for some lunch
Ate that snowman’s carrot nose
Nibble, nibble, crunch!
Five Little Snowmen
5 little snowmen
Knocking at my door
1 melted away
And then there were 4
4 little snowmen
Trinity Church
Nursery School
As happy as can be
One melted away
And then there were 3
Continue until all the snowmen
melt away
A Valentine’s Day Song
Skinnamarink a dink a dink
Skinnamarink and do
I love you
Skinnamarink a dink a dink
Skinnamarink and do
I love you
I love you in the morning
And in the afternoon
I live you in the evening
And underneath the moon
Oh… Skinnamarink a dink a dink
Skinnamarink a do
I love you!
Fast Fake Baked Ziti
Your whole family is bound to enjoy! Total Time: 45 min Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 25 min Ingredients •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano*)
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, (recommended: San Marzano*)
Coarse salt
A handful fresh basil leaves, torn
1 pound ziti rigate, with ridges
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Freshly ground black pepper
A generous grating nutmeg
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup sliced fresh mozzarella
Serve with Crusty bread & a salad for a complete meal
* If San Marzanos are not available, add a teaspoon sugar to your sauce, optional
Directions
1. Put pasta water on to boil.
2. In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, saute garlic in extra-virgin olive oil. Chop whole tomatoes and
add them to the pan. Add crushed tomatoes and salt and simmer 10 minutes, add basil and simmer over
low heat 10 minutes more.
3. Add salt and pasta to boiling water and cook 6 minutes, leaving pasta a little chewy.
4. While pasta cooks, melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, then cook 1 minute,
adding salt and pepper and nutmeg to flour. Add milk and bring sauce to a bubble. Reduce 5 minutes.
5. Drain pasta and transfer to a large casserole dish. Pour the tomato and basil sauce over the pasta and
turn to coat the pasta. Pour the bechamel over the already coated pasta. Cover the top of the pasta with
Asiago, Parmesan and mozzarella. Place the casserole under hot broiler and melt the 3 cheeses until
brown and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately with Spinach and Artichoke Salad and bread.
Source: Rachel Ray
Trinity Church
Nursery School
Food for Thought
The Final Word...
It’s cold. It’s gray. It’s winter in Chicago. And last
weekend, I felt like I quit parenting for about 36
hours or so. My son and my husband went on an
overnight and I was home with the two girls. Fruits
and vegetables? More like pizza and a movie. And a
child with a runny nose. And an adult with a sore
throat. Needless to say, there was a lot of “Go find
something to do.”
Thankfully, my sister dropped off a box full of bubble
wrap and air packs from all her online shopping. The
girls had fun jumping, stomping, pounding and
squeezing them until they popped. It killed a good
half hour, twice. Great idea, sis!
Local lectures on child development & paren4ng for your everyday life
Screen Break March 1st Learn More from
The Alliance for Early Childhood
Strategies for Using Technology at Home
Series March 11th 9:30-11am Register
Here from The Alliance for Early Childhood
Local lectures on child development & paren4ng for your everyday life
And even better, we had a leftover art project from the Special Guest Morning at Trinity. Who knew how
simple and relatively supervision-free making paper chains could be? It got me thinking about how great our
TCNS teachers are, creating educational, stimulating, and enriching projects every day. And our specials
teachers come in and bring even more goodies and eye-popping tricks. (So much better than a box of
bubble wrap.)
Tuition at Trinity covers a lot of this great programming. But it doesn’t cover all of it. Fundraising and
donations are key to making sure we continue to provide our kids with such a great preschool experience.
Kate Mayer and Colleen Shinners, our fundraising chairs, work incredibly hard throughout the year to make
up that difference.
So how can you help? Come to this year’s benefit “Cruising to Adventure with TCNS” on February 21 at
the Michigan Shores Club! Kate, Coleen, and the many parents on the benefit committee have put together
an awesome evening with great items for auction and many sign-up parties that promise to be a blast. Bid
on a weekend getaway or an evening with a top chef. Sign up to join your friends at a themed party. Try your
luck with the raffle. It promises to be a fun night!
Even if you can’t make it to the benefit, you can still participate. Tell a friend what items you’d like to bid on
and they can do it for you. Or help us “Sail to Success” through our website
trinitychurchnurseryschool.com and click on “support us” to make your donation.
Well, time to get back to this parenting gig. I hope to see many of you on the 21st. I can assure you that
night will be more fun than a box of bubble wrap!
Amy
Chair, TCNS Parent Advisory Board
Trinity Church Nursery School
Trinity Church
Nursery School
1024 Lake Avenue
Wilmette IL 60091
847.251.0479
Director: Sue Gaertner [email protected]
Staff: Happy Baird, Kim Crossgrove,Valerie
Dashiell, Erin Engelhard, Luanne Hampton, Laurie
James, Ellie Johnson, Joyce Ladin, Ginny Lezama,
Wendy Morgan, Dina Pinos, Betsy Segal, Kathy
Stein, Kathy Zawacki, and Natalie Zawarsky