Blossoms: A newsletter for the family and friends of Rose Blossom Nursery School

February 2004

Dear Parents,

January was a busy and happy month for the students of Rose Blossom School. The dinosaur theme was of great interest and fun to the children, and they enjoyed the singing, art, and calendar activities, as well as the board games and special dinosaur writing booklets.

I was very pleased to be able to provide more space for the parents to watch our January performance, in the church space next door, and also to have more room for the children to "skate", and move around, during the show.

However, as it turned out, it seemed that the room was too new and intimidating for some of the children, and we have decided to keep the monthly performances in the school space, even if it means being crowded during show time. We are hoping the familiarity will help the children to relax and have fun, which is, of course, more fun for all. We also want to acknowledge that sometimes, children of this age find it more important to sit with their parents, than perform for the audience, on show day. We hope that if your child chooses to sit in the audience with you, that you are not too disappointed.

Of course, if all of the children choose this option, there is no show that day, so we will see how it goes.our intention with the monthly performances is to invite family and friends in to Rose Blossom School for 15–20 minutes to see some of the songs that the children are enjoying during the month. We encourage, but do not insist, that the children participate in the show. We also encourage the parents to make their departures as the children are washing hands for snack time. If you plan to take your child home after the show, please let us know in advance. Thank you!

Happy Birthday!

Joseph 2/24/99

At Rose Blossom School, we celebrate the children's birthdays with an earthly walk around the sun, for as many times as their birthday age. They also make a crown, which they wear for the celebration, and sometimes all day! Happy birthday to our February birthday boy!

For Parents: You may have already noticed a new binder on the sign-in counter. It is full of articles of interest about education and other topics for parents. Feel free to read and copy any of the information. There is some good stuff in there!

New Students of Rose Blossom School

A warm welcome to Mira Everett, Isabel Hammana, and their families.

Open to the Community:

Peacemaking with Heart Language, ongoing sessions, Monday nights. Donation basis, from 6: 00p.m.- 8: 00p.m. at Rose Blossom School. The classes are modeled after Dr. Marshall Rosenberg's work with Nonviolent Communication. This is a fun and fascinating process, offering ideas and options for dealing with potentially difficult situations. See flyer on the counter for more information.

February Themes

Shapes, Outer Space, Valentine's Day

The children are very intrigued with the concepts of planets, gravity, orbits, and the sun and moon. We are also talking about shapes, which allows us to point out that the planets are spheres, and also to look for shapes all around us, in our environment. Valentine's Day is, of course, very special for the children. They have decorated their "mailboxes", and are ready deliver valentines.

There are currently 28 children enrolled, and 2 teachers. If you want to put the children's names on each valentine, the mailboxes are in alphabetical order for easier mailing. Ask Sharon for a list of the children's names. However, it may be easier to mail the valentines without names on them. Please be prepared to help your child "deliver" the valentines before the Wednesday February 11th, and Thursday February 12th Valentine Parties at school. Thank you!

Save the Children is a leading international nonprofit relief and development organization working in more than 40 countries worldwide, including the United States. Their mission is to make lasting, positive change in the lives of children in need. In addition to helping improve health, education and economic opportunities, they also mobilize rapid life-support assistance for children caught in the tragedies of natural and man-made disasters. In the theme of valentine's day, I will be suggesting to the children that offering pennies, nickels and dimes to this effort is a way to extend themselves in friendship to children around the world. We have a fluffy pink piggy bank, and I hope to encourage generosity and compassion in the children with this gesture.

Previous Newsletters

• January 2004