4/18/13…

Hello parents, guardians, and special folks!

So much exciting news to share!

Unbelievably, it’s time to start talking about graduation! The ceremony is taking place on Thursday, June 13th. Time is TBD. We have been preparing essentially all year for this day! There are so many fun surprises that we can’t wait to share with you not only as a class, but along with our friends in Pre-K 2! It will surely be a day full of spectacular memories! Please expect a letter coming home shortly detailing monetary information for this special day. This graduation fee will cover the following: personalized sashes, graduation summer backpack goodie bags, refreshments, decorations, and finally gifts for the very special people and faculty in that have made our year so incredible. If you have any questions once you receive and read through this letter please feel free to contact me as always via email KFenton@OLCAcademy.net or through your child’s communication folder.

As you saw, we have the Culture Fest coming up! Please note the list of items for our class basket outside of the main office to the right. Thank you SO MUCH to all those who have signed up already. If you have not, please do so ASAP so we can get the ball rolling on our colorful crayola basket!

Next, we are holding a school Spring Concert on Wednesday, June 5th at 6:30 pm. We already have a beautiful musical number picked out that expresses what we think of the world around us here at Pre-K in Rockaway Blvd. Stay tuned for more information on tickets, ect. to be sure you don’t miss this show!

Finally, we have entered our 8th unit in Happily Ever After. Ask your child about our new story, “Tug Of War”! It’s a silly tale that has many messages worth discussing, such as the importance of internal stregnth as opposed to strictly physical power or beauty. You may be surprised by how insightful your little philosophers can be…

Thank you once again for your continued support. As I peered around the room during pack-up time I must admit I became a little emotional. I can remember my lines of students needing coats zipped and buttoned and backpacks packed like it was only yesterday, and now it’s a room full of little voices squealing how, “They did it themselves!” I am so proud of them every day. I can’t wait to celebrate all of their success with you in only a few short months.

 

Be well!
Ms. Fenton

 

3/18/12

Greetings!

A few friendly reminders/comments…

This week our focus is the letter Q, the number 10, the upcoming spring season, and our new “Happily Ever After” Unit revolving around the story “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse”. Please return homework (completed in its entirety) on Friday.

Thank you so much for sending in cartons for our Easter baskets! They are positively adorable, and I can’t wait to see them full of treats and colorful Easter grass!

This Friday is parent/teacher conferences. Each child went home today with a note in his/her folder containing spaces where you can indicate your preference regarding time of meeting. Please return ASAP so that I can assign the most convenient times for each family. Remember that each conference lasts a 10 minute maximum, and please try to arrive about 5 minutes early to ensure our schedule runs efficiently. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

This Friday (3/22) and next Wednesday (3/27) are half days. Please pack snack for your child, dismissal is at 11:30.

If you have any questions/comments/concerns please feel free to e-mail me at KFenton@OLCAcademy.net. Thanks!

 

3/12/13

Hello Everyone!

I hope this message finds you well, safe from this soaking storm! As the second trimester comes to a close, the students are learning about many new things. Specifically, St. Patrick’s Day, the upcoming spring season, and of course, Easter. I continue to be impressed by the information your children come to class with, as well as their thirst for more! We have truly terrific discussions based around these special holidays and new environmental changes.

This week we are learning about the letter Q and continue our counting quest with the number 9. Encourage your children to count things around them and notice numbers in their everyday life. You will be pleasantly surprised by their skills, I assure you, and I’m sure they’ll be super proud to share their mathematic expertise with their loved ones! We are also well into our seventh Happily Ever After Story- The Nightingale. The story has a focus on the color black, identification skills, sequencing, and also a great representation of emotion and feelings. I find these lessons particularly interesting and meaningful as your children and I explore how we’re feeling, why we feel this way, and great steps to take should these emotions be negative. We have a very thoughtful class!

A notice was sent home to please send in an empty, clean carton to class. It will be especially helpful if this carton is cardboard (think orange juice or even cardboard milk carton) as the plastic ones have been impossible to cut safely. Our magnificent helper Ms. Sheela has been hard at work turning these everyday items into a special Easter treat we will decorate and use for some Easter surprises! Several students brought them in today and they look spectacular! Please do so as well!

Within the next few days I will be sending home a notice about Parent-Teacher conferences. Like last trimester, I will ask you which time slot you prefer. From that preference, I will give you an assigned time. Please be courteous to other parents and show up on time (even 5 minutes early is wonderful!) and be prepared for a meeting of up to 10 minutes ONLY. Should you desire longer time, I would be happy to schedule another meeting at a later date.

Thank you very much for your continued support and consideration. Should you ever have ANY questions, comments, or concerns..please do not hesitate to e-mail me at KFenton@OLCAcademy.net. I check my e-mail several times daily and will reply within 24 hours of reception. Have a great night!

Sincerest regards,

Ms. Fenton

2/10/13

 

Greetings Parents and Special Guardians,

I wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful Catholic Schools Week! The children really enjoyed events such as Sports Day (we were on the Ducks team!) and Teacher Swap (they got a visit from our 128th street Pre-K teacher Ms. Blaine)! We even got a personal in-class visit with Bishop Cisneros, he was very kind and grateful for our “Mission Statement Book” gift project!

This week we will be learning all about President’s Week and Valentines Day! The week will be full of activities based around these important times in February. We will also be learning about the number 6, letter “n”, and finishing up our Unit “Poems, Jingles, and Rhymes” in Happily Ever After.

There will be no school during the week of 2/17/13. I hope you have a restful week off, and look forward to seeing you all again on Monday, February 25th.

I would like to encourage all of you to reference the dress code in the Family Handbook. There have been many instances of uniform violation lately. The Handbook states that, “The OLCA gym uniform may be worn with white socks and white, blue, or black sneakers. No light-up features or neon colors may be worn with sneakers.” During the winter months it’s no surprise that you want to bundle your children up so that they stay warm. HOWEVER, undershirts and the like (long sleeved beneath the t-shirt, ect.) should also remain in code with the schools color. This implies that it should be navy, light blue, or white, NOT a pattern or pink and purple polka dot, for example. Should these code be broken, your child will be given a violation, which must be signed and RETURNED to school.

As a school, when we create mandates and collectively follow them, we foster an environment of unity and respect for our values as a Catholic academic establishment. This is very important to me, and will only help your child’s experience at OLCA.

Thank you for your continued cooperation and support. Please feel free to e-mail me at KFenton@OLCAcademy.net with any questions or concerns. Thank you!

1/14/13

Hello All!

I hope this message finds you all well…I just wanted to post about a few reminders at this point in our year.

-If you STILL have not sent in a complete change of clothes for your child, I implore you to do so! I can not explain how much easier and more comfortable it is for your child should an accident occur for Ms. Sheela and I to have a spare set on hand and slip them into it discreetly and quickly.

-This flu epidemic has sent us into a state of emergency. We have had many children out, and I anticipate these numbers to remain consistent for a little while as the illness fades. I have seen on the news and heard on the radio many times in the past few weeks that it is essential for those suffering with the flu to remain in home and isolated from others that they could potentially infect. I understand that staying home can be difficult and I sympathize with having to arrange for help, however with the interest of our very large and adorable healthy crowd (that seem to love to play and laugh in very close proximity to one another) I encourage all those parents who witness symptoms to please keep your child home so that they may heal quickly and prevent spreading their illness.

-School is CLOSED on Monday January 21st.

-Please check the handbook for uniform mandates.

Thank you for your consideration in all of these matters. Please feel free to contact me at KFenton@OLCAcademy.net for any and all questions.

 

 

Parents and guardians,

Wow! I can’t believe we’ve reached December already! This is sure to be a very exciting month in Pre-K 1 as we learn all about Christmas and welcome the Winter season. I can’t tell you how excited I am to share these special moments with our class–have you heard about Juan Lightening (class voted name–you should’ve heard all the suggestions! haha)? He is our class elf that visits every day since we are such a well behaved class . Every morning he is in a different spot and we all love to scoot in the room and hunt for him. He’s welcomed the Christmas season, brought a great deal of holiday cheer, and graciously refreshed our memories of the importance of good behavior.

The song that we are singing for the Christmas show is “Silent Night”. We have been practicing daily, but I encourage you to practice the words with your child as well. The more prepared we are, the better the show will be! We are singing the first verse twice and it will be accompanied beautifully. We have some tricks up our sleeves that you’re sure to enjoy!

Thank you to those parents who have brought in a change of clothes for your child. I URGE you to do so if you haven’t already. It is in the absolute best interest of your child to have a clean set of clothes should an accident occur.

Next week is picture week. Please send in your forms if you would like any pictures to take home. As a reminder, children are to wear their uniforms for pictures.

Finally, I’d like to remind everyone that we have a student with a sensitive peanut allergy. I am eagerly requesting that you avoid sending your child in with any products containing peanuts to avoid any and all emergencies that could potentially occur. I understand that children at times have very picky taste, but I’d like you to consider that if it were your child, I’m sure you’d appreciate the same courtesy.

Thank you so much, as always, for your understanding and cooperation.

Best,

Ms. Fenton

 

PRE-K 1 AT ROCKAWAY BLVD.