It's a Good Day in Pre-K

May is my favorite month. Time to open the pool, get the BBQ ready and celebrate the kick off to summer. May is known as a month of transition. Hopefully, our April showers are gone and spring flowers are blooming and the weather is more promising. In Pre-K we are starting the process to move your little ones to kindergarten. Your component school districts have already started kindergarten screenings and I know they are super excited to work with your kids. May is also Mother's Day. While every mother should be celebrated everyday, I hope all the mothers out there enjoy this special day, you deserve it.

A long time ago in a classroom far, far away...or not so long ago in a classroom right around the corner! For all you Star Wars fans May 4th has been dedicated to Star Wars day. A day where Star Wars fans can celebrate all things Star Wars. In one short month we will be celebrating all things Pre-K. Your little Jedi will have mastered the skills necessary to move on to kindergarten. One Jedi master, Yoda, was known for his wise words, wisdom and advice. One of his best quotes can relate to our pre-schoolers, "Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is." Wonderful indeed!

The flower and garden center has opened in our Pre-K site at Catskill. Students have been learning about parts of the flower, what makes grass and flowers grow. Plants are a great way to introduce kids to Science and the scientific method. Our students sure were engaged and enjoyed learning and discovering!

April symbolizes hope, potential and joy and is often when most kite fliers start dusting those kites off and flying them proud. At Red Mill, communication skills teacher Mrs. Sobol, welcomed our Pre-K students in to learn about kites, and then they made some craft kites to bring back to class!

A while back I shared that we have been using 3D printers in some of our Pre-K classrooms. For me, who grew up in the 80's, I remember how cool it was to have a pair of red and blue shaded 3D glasses! I couldn't have told you what 3D meant, but I thought I looked cool wearing them. I still remember the first movie I watched, JAWS 3-D. Now, we are making 3 Dimensional toys with our students. Our students are learning things that a few years ago you may only have learned in high school or even college. We are moving into a new age in education, but our Pre-K students will be ready.

Our students in our Pre-K classroom in Hudson have decided to use their 3D printing skills to help others. And "others," in this instance, are animals! Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Utter have been teaching the students about community helpers all year. What better way to help the community than giving back. They voted on animal toys that they made and will be delivering in the near future to their furry friends.

This month Mrs. Carbone and Ms. Labarge visited our classrooms with Osmo. The students had to listen to what Mo the Monster instructed them to draw, and to their delight their drawings came to life. I wish I had their expressions on video as they were amazed and in hysterics at the same time.

What is phonemic awareness? Phonological awareness allows children to recognize and work with the sounds of language.

Why is Phonological Awareness Important? Phonological awareness is a strong predictor of reading success. It is especially important at the earliest stages of reading development and is a foundation skill for reading and writing. How Can You Support Phonological Awareness at Home? Attached is a letter with free activities and videos you can do with your child at home to enhance their skills as future readers!

https://heggerty.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PreK-Summer-Support-Parent-Newsletters-English.pdf

https://heggerty.org/summer/

Email: michael.burns@questar.org

Phone: (518) 479-6898