Librarian Visit in Preschool

Today, our preschool students enjoyed a visit from local librarian Karen Sherman. She taught us several new songs and games, and read two fun stories: Press Here, by Herve Tullet, and Are You Ready to Play Outside?, by Mo Willems. We hope to invite her back again for another visit in a few months!

Sunshine School December Newsletter

Sunshine School Christmas Program

Friday, December 9th, 6:30 pm

All preschool children have been practicing to sing in the Christmas Program! Please have your children in their classrooms by 6:15. We encourage you to pick up your children and bring them home for dinner before the program. But if you can't, please be sure to bring something for your child to eat before the program. There will be treats afterward, and our After School students will prepare an art display to enjoy after the program as well.

Holiday Closures

Over the holidays, Sunshine School will be CLOSED on

Friday, December 23rd

Monday, December 26th

Monday, January 2nd.

To let us know about your holiday attendance plans, please see the schedules posted on the wall in the front hallway for Preschool and After School, and in your child's classroom for Lamb's Fold. Indicate "Yes" or "No" on each day of the Christmas season. If you would like to apply vacation credit, please let the office know.

Inclement Weather Policy

As winter approaches, please take note of our Inclement Weather Policy,

as stated in the Parent Handbook:

"Should weather conditions prove questionable, Sunshine School will generally follow Portland Public School District's late openings and closures. The Director has the final authority to determine Sunshine School's status, and information will be made available on Sunshine School's voicemail system, as well as http://www.flashnews.net/. Parents are advised to call in if conditions are questionable. In the event that weather conditions worsen after Sunshine School has already opened for the day, parents will be individually contacted regarding early closure. Please be certain that Sunshine School has adequate emergency contact information in the office for your child."

December Newsletter- Lamb's Fold

Infants

Eli and JJ are sitting up on their own, and JJ has started crawling! Also, Evie has been talking more and more, and both she and Porter are visiting the Wobbler Room as often as possible.

Just a reminder, please do not bring any nuts or nut products to school. Because of allergies, Sunshine School is nut free. This means no peanut butter, Honey Nut Cheerios, or nuts of any kind. Thank you for your understanding.

Wobblers

Penny is a big sister! Her new brother, Indy, was born on November 14th. Congratulations to the Stevens family!

The kids have been enjoying the Jesus Storybook Bible, which is a great children's translation of the Bible with lots of beautiful pictures. As we approach Christmas, we'll be reading to them often about the birth of Jesus. We also have a lot of fun Christmas and winter art projects coming up!

What about the Christmas Program?

While the Infants and Wobblers do not have a direct role in the Christmas Program, you are all invited to join us on the evening of Friday, December 9th at 6:30. Our preschool classes will present a lovely musical performance, and there will be treats afterward, as well as an art display prepared by our After School kids. 

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to Mrs. Talissyn on December 21st, and to Mrs. Yvonne on December 27th!

December Newsletter- Preschool

Upcoming Events

December 9, 6:30 pm

Sunshine School Christmas Program

December 21

Silver & Gold Day

December 23-26

Sunshine School is CLOSED

Merry Christmas!

January 2

Sunshine School is CLOSED

Happy New Year!

Themes

November 28 - December 2

Theme: Library

Bible: Joshua and the Walls of Jericho, Psalm 118:1

December 5-9

Theme: Post Office

Bible: Ruth and Naomi, Isaiah 9:6

December 12-16

Theme: Christmas

Bible: Mary, Elizabeth, and Zechariah, Isaiah 9:6

December 19-23

Theme: Christmas

Bible: The Birth of Jesus, Isaiah 9:6

December 26-30

Theme: Teacher's Choice!

Bible: Birth of Jesus, Isaiah 9:6

December Newsletter- Staff Corner

Mrs. Yvonne, Lamb's Fold Head Teacher

"I love doing art with children. I love how absorbed they are in the materials, how un-self-conscious they are in creating. They love to experiment and explore. When you see things through their experience of discovering things for the first time you can rediscover and appreciate them for yourself all over again."

Yvonne has worked at Sunshine for a total of four years, most recently as the Lamb's Fold Head Teacher. She has also worked as a preschool and toddler teacher and as a nanny for many years before coming to Sunshine School, and she has taken several college courses in childhood development and early childhood care. Yvonne also has two teenage sons at home and two young grandons that she enjoys in her spare time.

Mrs. Sarah, Preschool Head Teacher

"The children grow and develop so much at this age, so it's really fun and rewarding to see the changes that occur during the course of the school year."

Sarah used to be a hairstylist, but she has been teaching at Sunshine School for 15 years and has been with the 2 1/2 - 3 year olds for all but the first three months of her time here. She has been married to her husband, Ed, for 28 years, and is the mother of three, ages 27, 25, and 17. Currently, she is working toward her Child Development Associate (CDA). Outside of work, she loves "reading, browsing at antique stores, cooking special family dinners, hiking, drives through the Columbia Gorge, and long naps on the weekend!"

Miss Mallory, After School Teacher

Mallory joined the Sunshine School staff in September 2010 as the After School Teacher for elementary students. She also worked as a counselor for Camp sprout this last summer. This month, she is completing her courses for her Master of Arts in Teaching at Multnomah University and will move back home to Castro Valley, California to finish her student teaching and graduate in May 2012.

"I am sad to leave Sunshine School and Portland, but I am so thankful for the time I have lived here and the privelege to have met and gotten to know you and your children over the past year and a half!"

December Menu 2011

Winter Menu 2011-2012 -December

The Backpack Program

Sunshine School is participating in a food drive for The Backpack Program. This organization distributes food to school age children who have little or no food at home so that they have food to eat over the weekends when they are not receiving school meals.

We are collecting nonperishable food that requires little or no preparation, such as instant oatmeal, granola bars, and canned soup. For a complete list of food suggestions and more information about this program, please see the flyer in your child's cubby.

We will have a bin in the school entryway until December 16th if you would like to make a donation. Be sure to include your kids in this process! They would love to help pick out food and put it in the bin to help other children!

Immunizations

At the beginning of January, we are required to report the immunization status of our student population to the State of Oregon Health Department. If any children are not up to date on their immunization paperwork, we will be legally required to exclude them from school beginning February 15, 2012.

To avoid this inconvenience, we are sending home paperwork this week regarding your child's immunization status. Please check your child's cubby for an envelope labeled "Important Immunization Paperwork" and follow the enclosed directions. If your child's immunizations are up to date, you will not receive any paperwork.

If you are a parent of an after-school child, we will not be reporting your child's immunization status because that responsibility will fall on the school he or she regularly attends.

As always, please feel free to call or email if you have any questions or concerns, or if you need new copies of your child's immunization paperwork.

ss.assistant@trinity-fellowship.com
503-775-1533

Monkey Bread

The theme this week in preschool is Restaurant and Cooking.  As a special cooking project we are making Monkey Bread.  Mrs. Sarah and Mrs. Jaime's classes made their own individual Monkey Bread to take home and I hope you got to sneak a bite.  Today, the remaining preschool and after school students will make their Monkey Bread.  We are sending the recipe home in cubbies, but I thought I would post here as well, for Lamb's Fold families and other who may have missed this.  It's so easy and a fun treat for the holidays. 

"Why is it called Monkey Bread?"  That was the question I got over and over again yesterday and I have no idea how it got the name Monkey Bread.  I just know that it tastes great!  Enjoy!


Monkey Bread

Sunshine School Business Directory

The 2011-2012 Sunshine School Business Directory is going home in cubbies today! This directory is composed of services offered by Sunshine School families and staff, from babysitting, to cosmetology, to veterinary services.

Thanksgiving Week

Sunshine School will be CLOSED November 24-25th for Thanksgiving.

Please let us know what days your child will attend on the week of Thanksgiving. There is a sign-up sheet for each class on which you can find your child's name and simply write "Yes" or "No" for each day of that week.

For Infants and Wobblers, you will find the sign-up sheet in your child's classroom. For Preschool and Afterschool, the sign up sheets are on the wall in the front hallway.

If you would like to apply vacation credit for days that your child will be gone, please let the office know. 

Thank you!

November Newsletter- Staff Corner

For the next several newsletters, we will feature members of our staff to give you an opportunity to learn more about your child's teachers.

Miss Erika, Infant Teacher

"The funny thing is I am a cosmetologist, but decided working with kids makes me the happiest."

Erika has been in our Infant Room for 2 years and spent many years before that with kids at camps, church, and youth programs. She is planning to go to Bible college for a Theology and Youth Ministry degree, then on to PCC for a medical assisting program. In the long-term, she plans to work in pediatrics. She loves watching the babies grow and learn, and "laughing and dancing with them is pretty great."

"Sunshine School has been an invaluable part of my life. It's such an awesome, positive work place, and I am blessed by my kids and their parents each day. And Grace Later rocks! I love my infant room team!"

Miss Marisa, Preschool Assistant

Marisa has been at Sunshine School for one year, first in the Lamb's Fold, and now in Preschool as an Afternoon Assistant. She has a lot of experience in her church nursery, as well as babysitting and playing with her niece and nephews. Right now, she is in her first year of college at Multnomah University studying Bible and Elementary Education. In addition to school, she enjoys hiking, shopping, and being involved with the Jr. High group at her church.

The best part of her job at Sunshine School is "the funny conversations you get to have with the kids and that no two days of work are the same."

Miss Alyssa, Preschool Teacher

Miss Alyssa is in her fifth year of teaching at Sunshine School. She has also worked at a preschool at Franklin and volunteered as a Sunday School teacher for Kindergarten through second grade. She has her undergraduate degree in Education from Western Oregon University, and she is currently working on her Masters in Education at Portland State University. When she is not at work, she likes to have fun outside, hiking, camping, and rafting; she also enjoys knitting and reading.

The best part of her job at Sunshine School? "Kids say the cutest and sometimes funniest things. They always keep it fun."