Welcome to Pre-School for Three's!

Welcome Pre-School families!  Hosanna is so excited to be a part of your child’s first school experience.  We are going to have a great year learning, playing and exploring.  It is our desire to partner with you and we hope this information will be a helpful guide.  If you have questions or suggestions please visit with the teacher.

The Pre-Three Teacher

OUR DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAM                  

What is a developmental program?  To put it very simply it is learning through exploration.  We will encourage this type of learning by supplying well-thought-out materials that fit all stages of the children’s development.  We also plan to introduce academic learning in small doses as stepping stones for the grades to come.

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE       

ART

Art primarily will be self expression with an occasional guided project.  We will use crayons, markers, watercolors and tempera, painting with brushes as well as our hands to encourage fine motor skills development.

BIBLE

Bible is the most important time of the school day.  It is the first subject that is taught each day and by its very nature it should be the most interesting and exciting subject.  Bible time will include the flag pledges, songs, memory verses, prayer time and Bible stories.

MUSIC, POETRY AND FINGERPLAYS

Using preschool poems and finger plays, we will enhance the children’s love of poetry and music.  They will also be in formal music class once a week with Mr. Conrad.

NUMBERS

Math is a wonderful new world to three-year olds. Saying that they are three years old and understanding what “three” means is something they can achieve this year.  We will spend a lot of time counting objects around us, reading counting books and singing counting songs.  Later in the year we will introduce each number from one to ten, teaching them to recognize the numeral and then match that number to the correct amount of objects.

LETTERS

The three-year-olds will be introduced to the shape and sound of each letter in the alphabet using songs from the Sing, Spell, Read and Write curriculum.  We will also use games and books to make learning letter recognition fun.

LITERATURE          

Read Aloud:  Every day the students will be read to from good literature.

 
CLASSROOM RULES         

1. Listen carefully.

2. Follow directions of the teacher and any other Hosanna adult.

3. Respect others.  Be kind with your words and actions.

4. Respect school and personal property.

5. Work and play safely.

 
DISCIPLINE          

At the preschool level, discipline is simple.  If a child is doing something that is inappropriate, I will first utilize re-direction, trying to direct the child into a more appropriate action or activity.  If this doesn't work, I will then have the child sit in "time out", (usually 1 minute per year of age).  When the time is up, I will talk with the child and make sure s/he understands why the behavior was inappropriate.  If the problem involves another child, I will include that child in our discussion.  This is usually all it takes for the preschooler.  If your child is placed in time out, I will make it a point to discuss this with you at dismissal time.  If the inappropriate behavior continues, I will request a conference with you to discuss a plan of action for your child.  Refer to the Hosanna handbook for more school wide discipline procedures.

SHOW AND TELL         

We will have a show and tell time at predetermined times during the school year.  This is a fun way to work on language development as well as beginning public speaking.                                

LABELING ITEMS         

Please label all clothing.  Every year we find clothing items in the lost and found.  If they are labeled we can return them to their owner.

BIRTHDAYS          

Parents are welcome to bring in a birthday snack on the school day closest to the student’s birth date.   Please notify the teacher in advance.  Several birthdays in one week may be combined into one day.  Summer birthdays will be celebrated in June.

SNACKS           

We will have a snack time each school day.  Each child is responsible for providing this for themselves.  Please send only nutritious, non-sugary items.  A small drink will be allowed.

Here are some ideas: Fruit, Yogurt, Muffins, Veggies, Bread, Chips, Pretzels, Crackers and Cheese or Peanut Butter.

BOOK ORDERS        

About 3 times a year, I will be sending home book order forms from which you may purchase books for your child.  This is a wonderful way to get quality books at a reasonable price.  Each time you order books, we earn free bonus points that we can spend on books for our classroom.  What a great way to build our class library!

PARENT VOLUNTEERS         

We welcome your help in the classroom.  If you would like to come in and lend a hand with art projects, field trips or parties, please let us know.  If you have an area of expertise in one or more of the themes we learn about, we would enjoy your input.  For example: one parent brought in scuba gear and photos of a trip to the coral reef.  What a treat!

    
Revised 7-27-09