CCP - Spirit wear and news

Hello CCP Families,

I am so proud of the children and how they have adapted to preschool! A few have tears at drop off, but usually they disappear quickly. Remember, the first 4-6 weeks of preschool is our time to build a safe learning community that we call our “school family.”

While we’re on the topic of safety, I’d like to remind you to discourage your little ones from running down the hill out near the back door. We are really trying hard during our school day to “train” them to hold the railing and take the steps when we go down to the playground and if you reinforce this, it helps us tremendously.

WE ARE ALMOST THERE!

Please remember to order your spirit wear using the information you were given at Orientation. There are also some sheets above the cubbies with the QR code. As soon as the shirts are delivered, we will have some Spirit Days where everyone can wear their new school shirts! You may not realize, but all schools have to fund-raise. Our method is a tax-deductible donation. You may make a donation on the shirt website using your credit/debit card. This donation IS our fundraiser for this year. Many families say they prefer this to selling or collecting. Thank you kindly for your generosity.

Thank you for your patience with the key fob system this year. We are working with the administrator on that system and hopefully, it will be working smoothly soon.

Please mark your calendar for our Fall Getting to Know You Parent Coffee. Pop by the fellowship hall on Wed or Thurs, Sept 24/25 right after drop-off. We will have some coffee, hot cider, and a little treat for you. You can visit with other parents, grandparents, nannies that bring CCP students to school. You may stay the whole hour or grab some treats and go! We just want to honor our families.

Near the end of the month, we will practice our first fire drill. It will be very low key and non-threatening. First the teachers will read a little book that we wrote about fire drills at CCP. Then, I ring a little bell in the hallway for our first practice. Typically, it’s not a big deal. We clap and praise the children’s efforts at knowing how to be safe.

Next week the Ladybugs, Whales, and Ducks will have their first Chapel times with Pastor Lee. He will keep this experience short, positive, and age-appropriate. Usually in Chapel we hear a Bible story, say a prayer, and sing some songs.

Next week we will also have our first music & movement classes with Ms. Vicki. All ages can participate in music from the very beginning. Ms. Vicki will invite children to sing, dance, and play musical instruments.

The Preschool Advisory Committee “PAC” will meet on Sept. 22 at 9:15am in Ascension Hall.

CCP has an Instagram account! Check it out, it’s ccpchapelhillnc. It will post general pictures and information about CCP to protect our tiniest people 😁.

Finally, I’ll share a Conscious Discipline moment - “Empathy asks us to be willing to give up our thoughts and feelings temporarily in order to more accurately understand those of others. It asks us to quiet our own minds so we can listen from our hearts instead of our heads.” ~ Dr. Becky Baily in Creating the School Family p. 305

Enjoy the weekend!

Peace,

Shelly

Bonus Tidbits:

Each week if you make it to the bottom of the blog, you will see one of “40 Things I Wish I Had Known 10 Years Ago”

Treat your body like a house you have to live in for another 70 years. (Truer words have never been spoken)

And...We're Off!

Hello CCP Families,

Welcome to Christ Church Preschool! We are so glad you have chosen to join our little family. I will send you information about preschool events and reminders in my blog post. Every Thursday at 7:00pm you will receive an email notice that I’ve posted new info for you. Please take a few minutes to read it and mark your calendars.

From the emailed notification, you can click into the website using the password you received at parent orientation. Be sure to take this extra step because you will be able to see photos of classroom activities. Please remember, if you pull a photo from the website, please do NOT post it on any social media or any public space. These are only for families, so you can enjoy seeing your child at preschool.

In my blog, I will also share tidbits from Dr. Becky Bailey’s Conscious Discipline. We use Conscious Discipline strategies and techniques to help our students learn self-regulation. I shared some of this at Orientation and will continue to share more each week.

All classes have now experienced their first days of preschool for 2025-26!  There were a few tears, but I anticipate these won’t last long.  Adults, you handled the "good-byes" very well - positive, short, and sweet!  Thank you for the trust you place in us! You have precious children and we feel very fortunate to have you as part of our school family.  Each day will get easier!

The teachers know their students already, which is wonderful! Please give me a little grace to learn everyone’s names! I have 6 classes of students to learn and it may take me a while. Thanks!

Anyone else feel me on this one?

      We are missing a few forms.  (We are required to collect new forms each year.) We will be in touch if you’re missing one of the following: health form, emergency contact form, or a photo permission form.  Also, please make sure you have a weather-appropriate change of clothes at preschool.  And thanks for bringing a water bottle and nut-free and sesame-free snack each day! Just be sure your child’s name is on everything you send to preschool.

FOBS

We have had some issues with fobs this week, but we think the problem is remedied (thank you for your patience and grace!). Remember if you ever forget your fob, just ring the bell to the right of the door and one of us will let you in. Here’s the fob schedule:

Classes begin at 9:00 you may arrive between 8:50-9:10

Dismissal is at noon (key fobs will work from 11:50 - 12:10)

Lunch days dismissal is at 1:00 (key fobs will work from 12:50-1:10)


I’d like to leave you with this quote, “A teacher plants the seeds of knowledge, sprinkles them with love, and patiently nurtures their growth.” – Unknown

Here’s to a year of watching this take place!


Peace,

Ms. Shelly