February 2019 Newsletter

JANUARY 2019

Join us for an Afternoon of Stories on Sunday, February 10, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Thank you to Bitsy’s for all the yummy snacks!

Image by: The Cloud Room | Exploring Tracks | Three-year-old Class | Acrylic on paper

DEAR FAMILIES, We hope your family will join us for the Afternoon of Stories. Storytelling is a wonderful way to expose children to a wide variety of ideas and vocabulary. Children find listening to stories very engaging. Stories provide a rich context for vocabulary development as children listen to words used in authentic ways. Storytelling helps develop essential narrative abilities and supports literacy development. Further, storytelling enhances comprehension skills which are essential for reading.

Over time, storytelling has been seen as the most powerful way that human beings organize experiences. At the Afternoon of Stories, you will see teachers working at the craft of storytelling.

Storytelling is an essential, perhaps the most essential, activity of human beings. See you at the Afternoon of Stories.

MISS JANE

Calendar FEBRUARY 7

14

25

Nutured Heart parent class, 9:15 a.m., Studio Annex

Nutured Heart parent class, 9:15 a.m., Studio Annex

7-8

18

Chapel Service, 9:20 a.m., Sanctuary, MWF Pre-K, M-F and MWF Three-year-old Classes

Food Drive

School Holiday

26

8

21

Dad’s Day for Pre-K and Five/Six classes, 8:45 a.m.

Nutured Heart parent class, 9:15 a.m., Studio Annex

Chapel Service, 9:20 a.m., Sanctuary, Five/Six and M-F Pre-K classes

10

21

Afternoon of Stories, 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Preschool

Prospective Parent Tour, 9:30 a.m., Lobby of the Family Commons

13 Coffee Chat, The Pre-K Program, 11:00 a.m., Studio Annex

28 Nutured Heart parent class, 9:15 a.m., Studio Annex

22 Dad’s Day for Three-year-old classes, 8:45 a.m.

MARCH 4-8

15

25

Winter Break, NO SCHOOL

Whole Project Day - Staff Professional Development, NO SCHOOL

Chapel Service, 9:20 a.m., Sanctuary, MWF Pre-K, M-F and MWF Three-year-old Classes

13 Prospective Parent Tour, 9:30 a.m., Lobby of the Family Commons

22 Springtime at Peachtree, 7:00 p.m., The Foundry at Puritin Mill

Image by: The Cloud Room | Treeless | Three-year-old Class

26 Chapel Service, 9:20 a.m., Sanctuary, Five/Six and M-F Pre-K classes

From Parents’ Council: Hello Peachtree Parents!

In this month full of love and appreciation, we can’t say enough that we LOVE our parents! We are blessed with parents who are giving of their time and energy, and we really appreciate you!

We also loved having grandparents and special friends join us for Visiting Days! It’s hard to say who enjoyed this more - the kids or the many smiling visitors who all seemed to love their time at the Preschool. Thank you to Stacey Noell and Kristen Nelson for their efforts organizing Visiting Days. At Visiting Days, we gave grandparents and special friends an opportunity to honor their student with a donation to Springtime at Peachtree and the Preschool library. Thank you to all who donated to both of those special causes.

The Preschool is hosting an “Afternoon of Stories” on Sunday, February 10, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Bring your whole family for an afternoon of storytelling led by some of our great Preschool teachers, parents, and Peachtree Presbyterian Church staff members. This fun family afternoon is sure to be a hit for kids and adults alike. If you are interested in helping with décor, hospitality, or escorting families, please let me know. This event is one you don’t want to miss and a great time to include friends and neighbors who are not Preschool families.

In lieu of a meeting this month, our Parents’ Council will be stocking the shelves at Buckhead Christian Ministry (BCM). If you are interested in volunteering, please let me know or simply meet us at BCM on Friday, February 8, at 10:00 a.m. Thank you to our Outreach Committee Chairs for organizing this month’s food drive!

Please let me know if you have any questions or are interested in finding new ways to volunteer at Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool (alisongrubinas@yahoo.com).

Best, Alison Rubinas Parents’ Council Chair alisongrubinas@yahoo.com

Food Drive February 7 and 8 Benefitting Buckhead Christian Ministry Drop off during morning carpool.

Donate one item or a whole bag of unexpired, non-perishable items.

Prospective Parent Tours Tours meet in the Lobby of the Family Commons at 9:30 a.m. Please invite interested friends and families to attend the tour.

Upcoming Dates: Thursday, February 21 Wednesday, March 13 Friday, April 26

2019-2020 Registration Registration for the 2019-2020 school year continues. Applications and the accompanying registration fee of $125 per child may be submitted online at www.peachtreepresbyterianpreschool.org/admission.

Please contact the Preschool Office with questions.

404-842-5809 mail@peachtreepresbyterianpreschool. org

2018-2019 Camp Peaches Registration Children enrolled in Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool for the 2018-2019 school year must be two-years-old by August 31, 2019 to attend Camp Peaches 2019.

Children who do not attend Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool must be three-years-old by August 31, 2019.

The oldest campers are rising third-graders. To register go to www.peachtreepresbyterianpreschool.org.

Teacher Appreciation Thank you to Goldbergs for donating a delicious breakfast for Teacher Appreciation in January! Thank you also to Katie Goodwin, Kristen Lunati, Susan McArthur, and Ashley Reinhardt for their support in setting up this teacher appreciation event.

FEBRUARY BLESSING:

Teacher Spotlight

A Child’s Prayer for Morning

This month we are spotlighting Amanda Boswell.

She is a teacher of the Toddlers and Two-year-olds.

Now, before I run to play, Let me not forget to pray.

To God who kept me through the night And waked me with the morning light.

Help me, Lord, to love Thee more Then I ever loved before, In my work and in my play Be Thou with me through the day.

Amen -Author Unknown Image below January Chapel

Birthplace: Dacula, GA Education: Georgia College & State University, University of Georgia Personal: This is my fifth year at Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool. Prior, I taught kindergarten in Gwinnett County. I love to travel, but when I’m not traveling, I love spending time with my family and friends, church, book club and exploring Atlanta!

Claim to Fame: One summer I took horseback riding lessons with Shaquille O’Neal at Chastain!

Favorite Quotes: “Attract what you expect, reflect what you desire, become what you respect, mirror what you admire. “ -Shelley Giglio “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou

Peachtree Family Festival May 4, 2019 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Rain or Shine)

The Peachtree Family Festival is a joyful day of carnival games, delicious food and art! Enjoy old-fashioned fair games, pony rides, food trucks, a race track, a bake sale, bounce houses, rescue vehicles, a petting zoo, music, dance performances and photos with some beloved characters. In addition, we invite you experience our newly revamped Artisit’s Market where many local artists will be showcasing their wares.

This is an entirely volunteer-run event and a celebratory crescendo to our students’ school year. Please contact Erica Schwalm -ericacs@me.com for volunteer opportunities.

Tickets will be on sale soon ~ spread the word to friends, family and the neighborhood. This is a community event!

Parents’ Corner Kelli Francis

In my late twenties, my friend Jay imposed a ban on himself — no dating for a year — and then showed up at my door on Valentine’s Day with balloons, red roses, and a huge, heart-shaped box of chocolates. He explained that without a romance to focus on, he’d chosen to honor the great women in his life, of which I was one. He hugged me, said, “Happy Valentine’s Day!” and then headed to his next delivery. It’s one of the most loving things that has ever been done for me.

That night, my heart full and my home filled with sweet tokens of affection delivered by a friend, I marveled at the way that, out of nowhere, someone can drop into your day and make you feel exquisitely cared for — and often, it’s someone you would not have expected at all.

What a gift that is when the relationships we do have expectations of can send us on quite a ride!

If you’re anything like me, you’ve learned along the way that the love we count on requires service and makes no promises in return. I’ve found

and lost love simply because it turned out not to be enough.

I’ve lost two cherished friends because I, and others, failed to see how deeply sad they were. And I’m watching my daughter — the person I love most in the world — struggle profoundly to learn how to speak. The kind of love that we spend our lives on delivers such rapture — and such searing pain, too.

So, in this hectic season of raising young children and caring for aging parents and

In the event of a school closing or delayed opening due to weather conditions, Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool will notify members of the school community via email, website and social media.

Peachtree does not follow Atlanta Public School (APS) or Fulton County in school delays or closings.

managing more than we could ever have imagined, I’ve been thinking that maybe the greatest gift that we could give ourselves and each other is the kind of love we don’t count on. We can yield to another driver; smile at a stranger; show up at a friend’s door with coffee; and look for new ways to be kind to ourselves and each other.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve learned along the way that sometimes it’s the love you don’t see coming that gives you the strength to serve the kind of love that you count on and labor over. The decision to give and receive love every day is the most powerful choice we could make.

SHARE the LOVE MAKE A DONATION IN HONOR OF YOUR CHILD FOR VALENTINE’S DAY Inclusive education is a core philosophy at Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool. Children with special rights accomplish more than their families ever dreamed possible by learning alongside typical peers. Their peers learn about differences, collaboration, and acceptance at a very young age; building a foundation of empathy. This life changing program is fully funded and supported by preschool families and our generous donors.

Donations can be made at www.SpringtimeAtPeachtree.org OR Make checks out to Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool, subject line: Springtime at Peachtree

“ Children need the freedom to appreciate the infinite resources of their hands, their eyes, and their ears, the resources of forms, materials, sounds, and colors.�

-Loris Malaguzzi

Book Review Mother Teresa (Little People, BIG DREAMS)

by Isabel Sanchez Vegara (Author), Natascha Rosenberg (Illustrator) New in the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of Mother Teresa, along with her message of love and charity.

Agnes (later to become Mother Teresa) was born in Skopje, Macedonia. From an early age, she knew she wanted to dedicate herself to religion. She was fascinated by stories of missionaries helping people and wanted to do the same. She spent the rest of her life caring for the sick and poor around the world and is now remembered as Saint Teresa of Calcutta. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of Mother Teresa’s amazing life.

CLASS PICTURE SCHEDULE MARCH 11- MARCH 13 Monday, March 11 Arberg/Sewell/Somodean Farr/Legg/Parker Fiveash/Lindler Hathcock/Ross/Troutman Mulwee/Orme/Wasilewsky MacLane/Tilgner Nichols/Vailes Owens/Wells/Young

Tuesday, March 12 Amstutz/Klitenic/Myers Beacham/Kirtland Bell/Fleetwood/Montana Bomar/Legg/Rackley Boswell/Burke/Jones Freaney/Troutman/Weber Hathcock/Ross Mulwee/Orme/Wasilewsky Thompson/Wamsley

Wednesday, March 13 Barnhart/Olivier/Quintana Bohntinsky/Gross/Purcell/Traynelis Bomar/Burke/Rackley Boswell/Jones Carroll/Leete/Sarajian Freaney/Weber Hatfield/Rothschild/Underwood Justice/Williams/Wright Pope/Rhodes/Smith Thompson/Wamsley

Nurtured Heart Approach (NHA) classes continue in February. This approach is about celebrating the greatness in children and avoiding making children conform to a set of expectations, which causes undue frustration for adults and children. One of the foundational elements of the approach is to avoid energizing undesired behavior while still holding the child accountable.

Thoughts about The Nurtured Heart Approach from a parent…

The first class of The Nurtured Heart Approach was about finding greatness in others, especially our children. I couldn’t stop thinking how difficult it is to find greatness in our kids during a challenging moment.

However, as I pondered this further, the answer was my primary belief since I became a mom: “Kids are pure greatness. It is innate to them.” Children come to this world seeking to be loved. Personally, I believe that parenting with love and respect is a priority to understanding child development.

The Nurtured Heart Approach is a relationship-focused methodology, founded strategically in “The 3 Stands” for helping children (and adults) build their inner wealth and use their intensity in successful ways.

The Nurtured Heart Approach is a powerful tool for awakening the inherent greatness in all children while facilitating parenting and classroom success.

Dates: February 7 February 14

February 21 February 28

Class time: 9:15 a.m.

Location: Studio Annex Duration: 1 hour Register: www.peachtreepresbyterianpreschool.org

Greatness is innate to our kids, but we need to stop and see through their actions at times. It sounds nice, but it definitely requires a lot of practice and a big motivator. My motivation is my desire to build a healthy lifetime relationship with my daughter. I attend these valuable classes hoping to learn more about how to help my daughter develop while respecting and loving her for who she is—not who I wish her to be.

Cecilia Nast Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool Parent

Visting Days 2019

Visting Days 2019