April 2023 Newsletter

APRIL 2023 Join us at Peachtree Family Festival for family fun and the Artisan Market! Saturday, May 6 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Shine Only

The Hive Room, Three-year-old class, “Ocean” | Micah Shetty | Watercolor on Paper

DEAR FAMILIES,

Each day, I have the pleasure of observing the ongoing work in classrooms. It’s fascinating to see the curiosity of children who are so excited about learning through the daily experiences offered. There is a small window of opportunity early in a child’s life to impact a child’s development, and it is our obligation as educators to seize this opportunity to provide a rich environment that embraces their desire to play and learn.

A growing body of research in neuroscience reveals that a child’s brain develops rapidly and that play is crucial to that development. Recent evidence from research at Stanford University on neuroscience has shown that real-world, 3-D play by young children is what best creates those synapses in their brains.

Unfortunately, in some environments, play has been removed from the daily experiences of young children. This decline in play has been driven by technology and initiatives such as No Child Left Behind. At Peachtree, our faculty provides innovative environments and a much researched curriculum, the Reggio Emilia Approach, to foster a child’s love of learning and curiosity about the world around them.

MISS JANE

APRIL

26

Parent Focus Group, 9:15 a.m., Room 2202

MAY

2

Parent Focus Group, 9:15 a.m., Room 2202

3

New Family Orientation, 9:00 a.m., Kellett Chapel

6

Peachtree Family Festival, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool

JUNE

5 - 8

Vacation Bible School

JULY

10 - 13

Studio Art Camp (Session 1)

Music Camp (Session 1)

10 - 14

FUNdamentals Camp (Session 1)

11-12

Mother’s Visiting Days

15-19

Last Week of Extended Day Pre-K, Five/Six and all Peachtree Afterschool classes

16

New Family Orientation, 9:00 a.m., Kellett Chapel

18

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

19

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

24

Last Day of School and Peachtree Pals

12 - 16

Camp Peaches - Week 1

19 - 23

Camp Peaches - Week 2

17 - 20

Music Camp (Session 2)

17 - 21

FUNdamentals (Session 2)

24 - 28

Rising Kindergarten Camp

24 - 27

Studio Art Camp (Session 2)

POUND THE PAVEMENT FOR PETER

Social Detectives Camp

AUGUST

21-22

Welcome Parties

23-24

First Days of School

Calendar

From Parents’ Council:

Dear Parents,

APRIL BLESSING:

Spring is here and I hope you are enjoying the warmer temperatures and bountiful blooms that are emerging. It’s hard to believe that we are already thinking about the end of the school year, but it will be here before you know it!

A HUGE thank you to all who gave so generously of their time, talents, and resources for Springtime at Peachtree! It was a huge success and so much fun! The Preschool’s Inclusion Program will benefit greatly from the money raised at the event. Thank you especially to our Springtime at Peachtree Committee, and specifically the chairs, Vicki Anderson and Ashlie Garland. The Committee worked tirelessly on this event, and it all came together beautifully!

Next up will be Peachtree Family Festival, our fun end-of-the-year celebration, Saturday May 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. We will have bounce houses, games, food trucks, performances and more. This event is open to the community and occurs only with the help of our wonderful parent volunteers! Please sign-up for a spot to volunteer or bring an item for the bake sale. Then, invite your friends and family to attend, and get excited for a great day!

As we approach the end of the year, we are beginning to fill Parents’ Council positions for the 2023-2024 school year. Parents’ Council is open to all parents and is a great way to get involved. There are some positions that take very little time commitment so if you are interested, we would really love to have you! If you would consider chairing a committee next year, please reach out to me to discuss available positions and time commitments. Also, if you have any suggestions for Parents’ Council, we would love to hear new ideas. Please contact me at Erin. istanbulluoglu@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

All the best,

DATES: Wednesday, April 26, or Tuesday, May 2

9:15 a.m.

Room 2202

RSVP: peachtreepresbyterianpreschool.org

MAY 6, 2023

10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. (SHINE ONLY)

The Peachtree Family Festival is a joyful day of carnival games, delicious food, an artisan market, and more!

Mark your calendars for the Peachtree Family Festival! This wonderful event features bounce houses, activities and games, music, artisan market, face painting, and more! Your children won’t want to miss it and neither will you!

Please reach out to Bonnie Sugrue (bonnie.g.sugrue@gmail.com) for more information about the Artisan Market.

We need your help volunteering! Volunteer and bake sale sign-ups have been sent through the Preschool’s weekly email and through Room Parents.

If you have any questions, please reach out to:

Kate Hays (khays213@gmail.com) or Emily Cook (emilyghammond@gmail.com).

WWW.PEACHTREEPRESBYTERIANPRESCHOOL.ORG

PEACHTREE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

June 5 - 8

Following Jesus changes the game! You are not going to want to miss VBS this year! Bring your A game and come play your way through VBS as we look at how Jesus guides us through life’s twists and turns. Even when we mess up, the game isn’t over. We hope to see you June 5-8! www.peachtreechurch.com/belong/children

Dear God, Thank you for being so good to us. Thank you for listening to our prayers.

Thank you for the world we live in: the summer and the winter; the sunshine and the rain; the time for sowing seeds and the time to gather crops. Thank you for all the good things the world gives us.

Amen - From Psalm 65

We are Hiring!

We are currently looking for innovative teachers to work with young children. Experience in early childhood settings with a disposition to work collaboratively is required. Familiarity with the Reggio Emilia Approach or willingness to learn is desired.

We offer a competitive salary, maternity pay, complimentary gym membership, and professional development experiences with Reggio-inspired educators in Atlanta, North America, and Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Please email resume to: Jane Montgomery jmontgomery@peachtreepreschool.org

The

Spring in Bloom on the Outdoor Classroom

The children in the River Room (Three-year-old class) have been engaged in a thread inspired by the name of the Preschool. The children were curious and asked, “What is a peach tree, and how is it made?” Through multiple discussions and investigations, the children discovered that things grow from seeds. So, they decided to plant seeds, observe them over time, investigate the new growth using magnifying glasses, and give traces of the experiences using drawing.

The Outdoor Classroom became a resource for evolving exploration. Early in the spring, the children planted peas in the soft, rich garden soil. Giving the seeds a special warm place to grow underscored the children’s desire to care for the small seeds that held magical abilities, to become something else, something new, something of value. As the pea shoots begin to climb the trellis, the children’s anticipation grows. In a few weeks, we will see the fruits of their labors and be reminded of the bounty of God’s earth and the gentle care and attention the children have shown for the tiny seeds.

River Room, Three-year-old class

Heartfelt anks to all

who participated in It was an incredible night in support and celebration of the

We are so grateful to our SPONSORS, MATCHING-GIFT AND AUCTION DONORS

Your support will provide tuition relief, teacher training, supplies and more for this life changing program. Thank you for prioritizing inclusive education and being a leader for children with special rights in our community.

Special ank s to our incredible PARENT COMMITTEE AND PEACHTREE STAFF

Your talent and dedication bonded us together for a memorable casino royale spectacular.

Toge er

$425,000 PEACHTREE’S INCLUSION PROGRAM CONGRATULATIONS

Preschool Camps 2023

In addition to Camp Peaches, Peachtree offers a variety of camps during the Weeks of July 10, July 17, and July 24. All children must be at least threeyears-old by February 28, 2023. If you have any questions at all, please reach out to Katie Manning at kmanning@peachtreepreschool.org.

Studio Art Camp: Week of July 10-13, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ($325.00)