May/June 2019 Newsletter

MAY / JUNE 2019

Hope your summer is filled with family, friendship and laughter!

Enjoy! is filled with Hope your summer friendship, family, and laughter!

Enjoy!

“Mother” | Annie Smith and Daddy | Mixed Media on canvas

DEAR FAMILIES ,

Another school year is almost over. There have been so many great moments in the daily life of the Preschool. At a staff meeting this week, the teachers remarked on how the children have grown in so many ways since August. They’ve become part of a community, developed knowledge and cognition, strengthened motor skills and increased vocabulary and communication.

All of this is important to a child’s development and important for future academic success. Research shows that the ages birth through five-years-old are the most critical times in a child’s life to obtain and develop skills needed for academic success in school.

Have a great summer – relax! Spend time outdoors with your children and savor these moments of their early childhood.

MISS JANE

From Parents’ Council Dear Parents, Thank you for all of your tremendous efforts throughout this school year. We are so blessed with an amazing group of parents who give tirelessly! I’d like to especially thank our incredible 2018-2019 Parents’ Council for giving so much time, energy, and effort! Parents’ Council has been awesome, and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with each of you!!

Thanks for everything!

ALISON RUBINAS We’re excited to announce the Parents’ Council for the 2019-2020 school year. Positions are still available. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Whitney Mulwee (whitney.mulwee@gmail.com). We’d love to have you!

Calendar JUNE 3-6

10-14

17-21

Vacation Bible School

Camp Peaches

Camp Peaches

AUGUST 19-20

21-22

Welcome Parties

Frist Days of School

SEPTEMBER 2

28

NO SCHOOL - Labor Day

Pumpkin Patch

“Laughter” | The Ivy Room | Acrylic on paper

2019-2020 Parents Council Chair: Whitney Mulwee whitney.mulwee@gmail.com 573-694-5565 Chair elect: Emily Kaineg ekaineg@gmail.com 404-944-8187 Treasurer/secretary: Alice Brown alicegreenbrown@gmail.com 404-274-5071 Afternoon of Stories: Kristin Steed kristinmsteed@gmail.com 404-449-1416 Amber Gordon agordon0809@gmail.com 404-561-8312 Art Studio: Elisabeth Dombrow ecrockett56@gmail.com 414-943-1982 Anna Jones annasjones5@gmail.com 205-908-5012 Carpool: Justin Steigerwalt jwsteigerwalt@gmail.com 404-395-7051 Carrie Bazar carrieannlucado@gmail.com 404-304-0110 Design/décor: Alison Carlson alisonacarlson@gmail.com 678-559-6324 Educator Exchange Days: Andi O’Bryan andi.obryan@yahoo.com 404-808-2084 Jana Chesley jana.chesley@gmail.com 404-933-5957 Inclusion Parent Mentor:

Kelli Francis

kelli@francis-family.us

425-985-9655

Library/Learning Resources:

Carrie Brune

carriebrune@gmail.com

678-984-7059

Outdoor Classroom: Laura Rickenbaker ldrickenbaker@gmail.com 404-642-2080 Megan Douthat megandouthat@gmail.com 404-664-9003 Outreach: Liz Jones jones.elizabeth18@gmail.com 404-900-8908 Kara Alexander karagalexander@gmail.com 803-448-4177 Parents’ Night Out: Liz Jones jones.elizabeth18@gmail.com 404-900-8908 Gillian Bradford gbradford1981@gmail.com 404-395-2235 Peachtree Family Festival: Elizabeth Abshire ebabshire@gmail.com 334-399-4708 Kristin Heath kristin.b.heath@gmail.com 615-585-5736 Peachtree Pride: Sally Williams sallykjackson@gmail.com 229-403-1980 Pictures: Christina West westcv@gmail.com 615-477-1912 Lori Vetter lori.vetter1@gmail.com 678-557-2006 Pumpkin Patch: Handley Underwood handleyunderwood@gmail.com 404-931-8991 Ashley Hall alc08g@my.fsu.edu 850-556-0749 Springtime at Peachtree: Emily Kaineg ekaineg@gmail.com 404-944-8187 Alison Rubinas alisongrubinas@yahoo.com 404-213-3484 Erin Istanbulluoglu erin.istanbulluoglu@gmail.com 256-412-4541

Sustainability Chair: Anjali Mosteller khannamosteller@gmail.com 404-285-3580 Teacher Appreciation: Susan McArthur sjmcarthur1@me.com 770-364-2027 Kristen Lunati kristen.lunati@gmail.com 214-425-8452 Katie Veal katie.flynn.veal@gmail.com 770-313-4116 Visiting Days: Laura Steigerwalt lfsteig@gmail.com 404-547-5848 Heather Hawkinson heatherrenee.vasquez@gmail.com 704-989-8007

Teacher Spotlight This month we are spotlighting the teachers in the Blossom Room, Peggy Carroll, Paige Leete and Coutney Sarajian.

Peggy Carroll Birthplace / Hometown: Atlanta, GA Education: University of Georgia Personal: This is my sixteenth year working at Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool. Courtney and I have worked together for four years. I have three children, one grandson and a granddaughter due at the end of May. I love being a mother but there is nothing like being a grandmother!

Claim to Fame: Survived a week at the beach with eleven 18 year-old boys!

Favorite Quote: “With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgement. Always let Him lead you, and He will clear the road for you to follow.” - Proverbs 3:5-6

Paige Leete Birthplace / Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA

Courtney Sarajian Birthplace / Hometown: Massena, NY

Education: University of North Georgia

Education: St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, Bachelors of Science in Psychology

Personal: I grew up in a Navy family in Norfolk, VA, for the first 17 years of my life but made the switch from the salt life to the mountain life when I moved to Dahlonega, GA, in 2014. My dream is to one day pursue a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy. I was a competitive gymnast for 12 years, my favorite color is yellow, and I love any activity that involves the outdoors. Unlike Peggy and Courtney, I don’t have three amazing children, but I am the proud mom to the world’s cutest fur baby - my 8-year-old boxer named Roxy!

Claim to Fame: Being the youngest staff member at Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool!

Favorite Quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world” -Gandhi

Personal: This is my fifteenth year at Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool. I am married to my husband Mark, and we have three amazing daughters who also attended Peachtree. The Preschool feels like home to me. When I’m not at Peachtree, I love to spend time with my family and friends, attend my children’s sporting events and activities, travel, read, volunteer through my church and children’s schools, and explore Atlanta!

Claim to Fame: I competed and medaled at the national level in figure skating as an amateur skater three times on the Northern Lights Figure Skating Precision Team in Northern NY. Favorite Quote: “This is the beginning of a new day.

You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. In its place is something that you have left behind.

Let it be something good.” -Unknown

END OF SCHOOL BLESSING: May God’s blessing go with us today, At the end of this school year we pray.

That you keep us safe and give us rest So we start again renewed and refreshed.

Full of health, full of fun Ready to come and learn again.

May God’s blessing go with us today, As we begin our school holiday.

Give your peace and your joy, To every girl and every boy.

Help the teachers to enjoy the break, and prepare and plan for the new intake.

May God’s blessings await us next year, To embrace each new challenge without fear.

Fill this school with your love, and guide our hearts from above.

Full of faith, full of hope, full of joy, and full of love.

Image at right: The Ivy Room “In the Garden” Acrylic on Paper

Amen.

The Gift of Board Games, The Sky Room, Pre-K Class The children in The Sky Room started the year with ideas around symbols and “powers.” The children created their own symbols and gifted them to their parents for Christmas. The children then took the idea of symbols to create board games for The Sky Room.

“I know! Let’s make a game with our superpower symbols for The Sky Room!” - Maddox The children have collaborated, self organized into three groups and, step-by-step, created three large board games for The Sky Room.

- The Roly Poly Game - The Glitter Tree Game - The Superhero Symbols Game The educators value board games as they strengthen reasoning skills, strengthen peer relationships and boost critical thinking.

“We loved playing the board games with our moms for Mother’s Day!” -Miles

Language of Food Recipe Fresh Strawberry Mint Lemonade Smash Ingredients: -fresh strawberries -fresh mint -fresh lemons -cane sugar -ice

Mint Simple Syrup: When making any simple syrup keep to the 1:1 ratio for sugar to water. Bring water to a boil. Add 1 cup of boiled water to 1 cup of cane sugar. Separate mint leaves from stem and add to sugar mixture; let sit.

- In a bowl, mash fresh strawberries.

- Squeeze 9 lemons Pour fresh squeezed lemon juice, fresh mashed strawberries and mint simple syrup into a blender. Pack blender with ice, blend until mint leaves appear as specks.

Serve with a spoon and straw.

Cheers!

Teacher Appreciation Our heartfelt thank you to Kristen Lunati and Susan McArthur for leading the Teacher Appreciation Committee this year. The

committee found special and unique ways throughout the year to show their appreciation, and they ended the year with a send-off fiesta that was greatly enjoyed by the teachers and staff!

Under the Sea,

The Woodlands Room, Pre-K Class Children in The Woodlands Room are learning to take care of the earth by picking up trash, drinking from reusable water bottles, not using plastic straws and by recycling dried-out markers. Through their exploration of keeping the environment clean, the class created a beautiful underwater exhibit made with recycled materials.

What we love about our earth: I like to breathe the clean air. - Graeme I listen for the birds when they come in the yard. I walk slowly and listen. - Mary Louise Everyday I hear the birds when I wake up. - Colin I love to splash in puddles when it’s raining. - Franklin When the sun is shining, I play outside. - Brandsford I think people should see the sun set at the beach. Henry

Creativity at Peachtree Creativity lies in originality, but it is always connected to the ideas of other people. Creativity is about taking existing ideas and reshaping, relating, and re-launching.

“ Creativity becomes more visible when adults try to be more attentive to the cognitive processes of children than to the results they achieve in various fields of doing and understanding.�

- Loris Malaguzzi

“

Children’s Quotes “Being kind is beautiful!” - Teddy H.

“Going to school is important because you learn a lot; you get smart, you learn how to be an artist and you learn how to do whole body listening. That means you are listening with your eyes, your mouth and your hands.” -Walker

“When you are nice it makes a school full of happiness inside it!”

- Evelyn

“You learn new things at school.”

-Luke “I know how to eat apples now! I have learned that I can borrow things from my classroom. You just ask and then bring it back when you’re finished. That way you don’t have to be sad to leave school” - Nelson

“

“Hayden’s heart is thumping and that is beautiful! It means I can play with her.”

- Vivian

“Our school has lots of really fun materials and nice teachers.”

- Mattison

“

LIBRARY DONATIONS Children’ s Quotes

“This year at school I am learning about Jesus.”- Mackie

“Our class is fun! I like playing with my friends here. We play super heroes and a lot of kids like building.” - Eli

“I was surprised when I came here. My school has markers, clay and paint. I like that. I have my own cubbie here. We have chickens too!” - Elijah

“This year we learned about butterflies and bees. We learned to focus on things and about animals.”

- Anna Kathryn

“Vivian’s heart is pretty.

She is nice to me.”

- Hayden

“ I have learned how to draw. I am still practicing how to draw Avengers. I have gotten really good at building. I am building a smoothie station. You can get smoothie there!” - Rhys

“

“We don’t have school in the summer because that’s when we spend time with our families” Parker

Mother’s Visiting Days

Mother’s Visiting Days

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2019 Peachtree Family Festival was a huge success!

Thank you to the parent and teacher volunteers, Parents’ Council and the fabulous committee! We could not have done it without you!

If you would like to be on the committee for Peachtree Family Festival 2020, please let us know!

We would also like to thank Katie Manning, Jane Montgomery, Katie Williams, Sandy Polly, Ysabel Arcila, Natalie Albert, Patty Randall and Clara Hackney for all of their support!

Email: Elizabeth Abshire: ebabshire@gmail.com Kristin Heath: kristin.b.heath@gmailcom

Finally, a huge thank you to the Sextons of Peachtree Presbyterian Church! We are so appreciative of their time, dedication and hard work.

We are already looking forward to next year!

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, May 2 10:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m. (Rain or Shine)

Toddler &Two-year old classes Dad’s Day

PEACHTREE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2019 God wants us to join His team, to celebrate our salvation, and encourage one another. So what are you waiting for? It’s into the Wild we go!

We welcome children 4 years old (by September 1, 2019) through rising sixth graders. Spaces are available for two-year-olds and three-yearolds when a parent volunteers for all four days of Vacation Bible School.

Register Today - http://peachtreechurch.org/news/vbs2019

REGISTER FOR CAMP PEACHES! www.peachtreepresbyterianpreschool.org JUNE 10-14 & JUNE 17-21 Come join the fun at Camp Peaches! Skilled teachers and enthusiastic youth assistants provide an exciting, safe environment for campers to develop their active imagination through hands-on adventures. Unique classes introduce campers to the stimulating world of discovery. Camp Peaches is designed for children who will be Two-years-old by August 31,2019, through rising 3rd graders. Children may attend one or both weeks.

The camp registration fee is $200 for one week or $380 for both.

Registration is non-refundable after May 15, 2019.

Peachtree Presbyterian Church and Preschool

pumpkin

Patch

SePTember 10am to 1 pm y a d r tu a S

29th 28

push for good

5K

AND

FUN RUN/ WALK RUN

OCT 26, 2019 10:00 AM-12:00 PM RIVERSIDE PARK | ROSWELL, GA