Unity Preschool News

Dear Preschool Families,

Merry Christmas! We are looking forward to a fun and joy-filled few weeks spending time with your children as we enjoy their excitement and anticipation during this most magical season of Christmas. We will have fun together sharing Christmas stories, making ornaments and cards, exploring our Christmas sensory bins and nativity sets, and singing Christmas songs - new and old. We are looking forward to sharing our Christmas Program with you on Wednesday, December 17 at 11:30 in the Sanctuary. It will be a brief (very brief!) retelling of a favorite nativity story including Christmas songs that the children are learning. My sincere hope is that during this time of faith and family, the true meaning of Christmas will fill your hearts with His love and perfect peace.

Christmas Blessings,

Ms. Linda

Director - Unity Preschool

P.S. The banner in the picture was made by your children this year and is hanging in the Preschool lobby area. Special thanks to our Unity members Cathy Schaefer and Doris Dunn for helping us make this beautiful keepsake.

We look forward to RED day on Thursday, December 11! We will have two color days in January:

January 9 - White Day

January 23 - Gray Day

Our December Spirit Day will be Thursday, December 18! Plan to wear your pajamas to school on our last day before the Christmas holiday.

Please mark your calendar for Wednesday, December 17 at 11:30 in the Sanctuary. We will be telling the story "This is the Stable" and sharing some Christmas songs that we have learned so you are invited to bring guests to enjoy some Christmas spirit with us. Doors will open at 11:15 and there is plenty of seating in the Sanctuary for everyone. Please park on the front lawn. Your child will be dismissed to you from his/her classroom following the program (length is likely 15 minutes or less!). The children will return to school the next day (December 18) which is pajama day - a fun and exciting way to end the school year before our long Christmas break.

A light table is a translucent, flat surface with a light source underneath, the light shines up towards the top of the table. You may think a light table is just for science exploration and discovery, but there’s so much more to it than that. The possibilities for playing and learning with a light table in our preschool classrooms are endless! Our light table is used to enhance literacy, math, fine motor, problem-solving, social, and writing skills in fun and playful ways. Children are naturally drawn to the gentle glow of the light table and will stay there for long periods of time, which is great for stretching those budding attention spans.The light table can be used for everything from open-ended play experiences to arts and crafts, to teaching academic concepts, and more. We currently rotate our light table each week so our Three's and Four's classes are able to use it one week/month.

This week we are featuring our Frog Class teachers: Ms. Brandi and Ms. Laura.

Ms. Brandi Laughter (rhymes with "daughter') and her husband, Brentley, relocated to Fort Mill a few years ago from the South Asheville area. They have three busy boys: Brent (19 - Freshman at Concord University in West Virginia), Jack (14 - Gold Hill Middle School ) and Will (12 - Gold Hill Middle School). Brandi's family are active members of Sisk Memorial Baptist in Fort Mill. All three boys enjoy sports so Ms. Brandi's family can be found at the fields on most weekends.

Ms. Brandi taught Preschool at Arden Presbyterian Preschool for four years and prior to that she was a Pharmacy Technician. Ms. Brandi was a former Four's teacher at Unity Preschool but took a year off to courageously battle breast cancer. Now she is actively involved with the Nothing Pink organization serving as Prayer and Support Director.

Here are a few of Ms. Brandi’s favorites:

Favorite Foods: Salads, Charcuterie and Mexican food

Favorite Music: Very little that I do not enjoy dancing to.

Favorite Book: "It's Not Supposed to be This Way" - Lysa TerKeurst

Favorite Movie: Any comedy, Hocus Pocus, and the Sand Lot.

Favorite Activities: Doing activities with my family - kayaking, ball games, and family movie nights.

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Ms. Laura Vaughn is in her fifth year at Unity Preschool serving as our Three's Assist in the Frog room. Ms. Laura is a former fourth and fifth-grade teacher. Ms. Laura and her husband, Richard, have two children, Riley (18 - Nation Ford High School) and Garrett (15 - Fort Mill High School). Ms. Laura loves traveling, the beach, and being a boy mom and a marching band chaperone!

Here are a few of Ms. Laura's favorites:
Favorite Foods: Japanese, Mexican and every sweet on earth.

Favorite Music: Country

Favorite Book: Every Sandra Boynton book and every Colleen Hoover book

Favorite Movie: Shag and Pretty Woman

Favorite Activities: Spending time with my family, Girls weekends and Day dates with my hubs

The Unity Children's Ministry Team is hosting a Birthday Party for Jesus for families with young children on Saturday, December 13th, at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall at Unity Presbyterian Church! We will enjoy crafts, games, and activities that remind us of the birth of the baby Jesus. No registration is needed. Bring your own baby Jesus and an unwrapped gift of diapers of any size, wipes, baby food, or baby formula to share with families in need through the Fort Mill Care Center.

You are invited to join us for the Season of Advent and Christmas at Unity Presbyterian Church. As you make plans with your family for Christmas, you are welcome to attend one or more of our services on Christmas Eve as we celebrate Christ’s birth and God’s gift of love that comes down to transform the world even now:

11 AM - Children and Family Service (no nursery)

2 PM - Service of scripture lessons and singing familiar carols, with communion (nursery for ages 5 and under)

4 PM - Service with chancel choir, communion, and candlelight (nursery for ages 5 and under)

6 PM - Service with special music, communion, and candlelight (nursery for ages 5 and under)

11 PM - Service with scripture lessons, familiar carols, communion, and candlelight

Current Student/Sibling Registration for 2026-27 School Year: We will distribute more information following our holiday break, but forms and payments will be due on Thursday, January 22, 2026, to reserve your spot for the 2026-27 school year. Additional information will be posted on our website in January if you are referring new families. Our Older Two's class is for children who turn 3 between September 1, 2026 and February 1, 2027 and our age cut-off for our Three's and Four's classes is August 31. If you have questions about our classes for younger siblings, please contact Ms. Linda.

Just a reminder that we do not have school on the following dates:

Christmas Holiday: The weeks of December 22 - January 5. All classes resume on Tuesday, January 6.

MLK Holiday: Monday, January 19

FMSD Work Day: Monday, February 2

Winter Break: The week of February 16 - February 19

Spring Break: The week of April 6 - April 9

Graduation (Fours Only): Wednesday, May 20

Last Day of School: Thursday, May 21

*Warm Jackets and Hats: We go outside if the temperature is above 40 degrees. Please send your child in warm jackets, hats and mittens. The children need the fresh air and exercise!

*Label Items: Please remember to label your child's items so that we do not mix them up.

*Tuition Withdrawal: Our next tuition withdrawal date will be Monday, January 5.

Front Row - Left to Right by teaching pairs:

Ms. Maureen and Ms. Kellie (Fours - Fish)

Ms. Kristen and Ms. Alison (Fours - Owls)

Back Row - Left to Right by teaching pairs:

Ms. Carolyn (Office Assistant, First Call Sub, Librarian)

Ms. Jennifer and Ms. Meghan (Older Twos - Bees)

Ms. Becca and Ms. Sarah (Threes - Monkeys)

Ms. Brandi and Ms. Laura (Threes - Frogs)

Ms. Linda (Director)

Unity Preschool does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and other school-administered programs.

Email: preschoolatunity@gmail.com
Website: https://www.preschoolatunity.com/
Location: 303 Tom Hall Street, Fort Mill, SC, USA
Phone: 803-396-8454