Dear CCP Family,
THANKSGIVING is coming. I love the feeling of gratitude. I also love preparing dinner for my family and having them around my table. Over the Thanksgiving break we will be apart for a while - preschool is closed Nov. 24-28. As you celebrate with family & friends, I wish you safe travels, good health, and much patience, love, and peace.
A colorful turkey from the Duck class!
GRATITUDE - As we have prepared for Thanksgiving at preschool, we have have talked turkeys and food, but we have also focused on gratitude. Gratitude is a mindset and value. To promote the attitude of gratitude in your home, encouragement is key! Focus on the positives. Notice & encourage your child's efforts as he or she practices the pro-social skills of kindness, caring and helpfulness.
In our preschool family, we are trying to be aware of being helpful to our friends and teachers. As you plan for Thanksgiving, find little jobs that involve your preschooler and allow them to help with preparations. They can put the napkins on the table, make place-cards, put fruits or vegetables in a basket, decorate a butcher paper tablecloth, count out the forks, etc. Allowing little ones to help makes them feel important and develops the pro-social skills we all want. Notice and encourage their acts of kindness and helpfulness.
While I’m talking about gratitude, I’d like to give a shout out to Pastor Lee, Christ Church’s Family Pastor (and our chapel time leader). Almost every morning, you’ll find him smiling at the front door with his yo-yo, greeting everyone as they enter. Pastor Lee is not required to be here in the mornings; he wants to be. Did you know that after you all exit the building, he checks the doors to make sure that they are all locked? The next time you see Pastor Lee, thank him for his dedication and service to us!
FRIENDS-GIVING is here at the church on 11/23 at 5pm. All are welcome! Good food and fellowship! Can it get any better than that (say that in Chandler Bing’s voice & a turkey on your head)?
BOOK DRIVE - Our book drive is coming to an end this Friday. If you have any gently used or new books you’d like to donate, drop them in the bin right outside the Blue Whale room by tomorrow. Thank you to all who have donated already. You are sending the gift of literacy out into the world!
ANGEL TREE BEGINS! Come grab a tag off the tree in the Narthex, go shopping, and return the gifts on or before December 7th (there are detailed instructions on the back of the tags) The gifts will be delivered to the families at Frank Porter Graham Elementary.
PRESCHOOL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM- Please reserve Thurs, Dec. 18 at 9:30 for our annual CCP Christmas Program in the Sanctuary. Each class will sing a song or two and we will tell the Christmas story. It is our gift to you! M/W classes, please come too!! Take your child to their classroom at 9:00 and find a seat in the sanctuary. We will begin at 9:30. Please keep in mind that you may need to park in the municipal lots around Southern Village since the whole school will be assembled.
CHANGE OF CLOTHES - Please be sure you have changed out your child's extra clothing to something that is appropriate for the cooler weather. Also please make sure all removable clothing is labeled with your child's name. The teachers sincerely appreciate that!
WIPES - Cold/flu season is upon us! If you have an extra canister of Lysol or Clorox wipes or a can of Lysol spray that you could donate, we could sure put those to use. Thanks!
YOU - I want to take a moment to tell you how grateful I am for YOU! Each child, family, and safekeeper in the CCP Family is important and precious. I LOVE being a partner in your child's education. Thank you for choosing CCP and for trusting us to play and learn with your little ones.
A CONSCIOUS DISCIPLINE MOMENT: I-MESSAGES - Children will disobey you. It is part of their developmental journey to find and test limits. I-messages can help when frustration sets in. I-messages are skills that originate from owning one’s feelings and claiming one’s power. If you believe children make you angry, you will be unsuccessful. Own your feelings and express them directly with an i-message. Here’s an example: “When your toys are left on the floor, I feel frustrated because I might trip and hurt myself. Pick up your toys and put them on the shelf.” If your child hits you to obtain your attention, say “Ouch! I don’t like when you hit me. If you want my attention, say, ‘Mom, I have something to tell you’ or put your hand gently on my arm. That’s a signal that you need me.” I-messages can help you set boundaries for your child in a calm, yet assertive way. Then, just as importantly, follow boundary-setting with what you want your child TO DO. (paraphrased from Conscious Discipline, p.118-120)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Peace,
Shelly
Bonus Tidbits:
Getting old is no picnic, but it’s much better than the alternative.
