Themes
-Dr Seuss
-Pirates
-Transportation
-Bed Time
March 5 – Twin day for the Monday/Wednesday classes – dress like a family member or classmate
March 6 - Twin day for the Tuesday/Thursday classes – dress like a family member or classmate
March 11 - Board Meeting 7pm - everyone is welcome
March 12 – Dress like a pirate for the Monday/Wednesday classes
March 13 – Dress like a pirate for the Tuesday/Thursday classes
March 18 – Miss Marg comes to read to the Tuesday/Thursday classes
March 19 – Wear mismatched socks for the Monday/Wednesday classes – Down Syndrome Awareness Day
March 20 – Wear mismatched socks for the Tuesday/Thursday classes – Down Syndrome Awareness Day
March 26 – Pajama Day for the Monday/Wednesday classes - details below
March 27 – Pajama Day for the Tuesday/Thursday classes - details below
May 8 - Open House drop in 4:30-6:30pm
***We are still accepting applications for substitute teacher’s assistants. If you, or someone you know, has early childhood education experience and is at least 18 years of age, please forward a resume to carstairsplayschool@gmail.com
Registration
Registration is now open for the 2025 – 2026 Playschool Year!
For those parents with a child currently enrolled in the Carstairs Playschool, we recommend registering for the upcoming school year as soon as possible as spots are filling up quickly. If you are aware of other Carstairs families interested in having their child join Playschool, please let them know they can find the registration forms on our website.
4 Year Old Parents
Kindergarten is coming soon and we want your children to be as confident as possible to start their first year of school.
There are four skills that your children should be doing consistently upon entering kindergarten:
1. Your child must be able to hold a pencil correctly (proper pencil grip – tripod grasp)
2. Your child must be able to hold scissors correctly (thumb’s up)
3. Your child must be able to recognize his/her name
4. Your child must be able to put on his/her own shoes, and zip up his/her own coat
We have been working on these skills with the children since the beginning of the school year and they all have been doing very well. Any extra work at home with these tasks would be beneficial to the transition from playschool to kindergarten.
Pajama Days:
The children can come to playschool in their pajamas and they can also bring a pillow and a stuffie. Regular classroom routines will be followed, however we will be including a few different games and activities. Each class will be watching a movie and will have popcorn as a treat, please send your child with a regular snack as the movie won’t be played until the end of class.
Donations
Some donations we would really appreciate this month are:
Large white paper plates
Table Time
This month, the three year olds will be working on diamonds, and then doing a review of the shapes they have learned. We will then move on to working on vertical lines, and we will be starting to learn the vocabulary for the Handwriting Without Tears program. These activities will aid the children in recognizing familiar two-dimensional shapes, and will allow them to use correct top-to-bottom, left-to-right directionality for symbols. At this time, they will be practicing holding a crayon and using their helper hand to stabilize their papers. At craft time, staff works one on one with the children and we are able to help them with proper pencil grasp, holding scissors correctly, and following one or two step directions.
At the beginning of the year, playtime for three year olds usually involves parallel play, where the children play beside each other but not with each other. As the year goes on, this slowly transitions into imaginative play where the children will start creating games that involve more than just themselves. This is where we are at now in the three year old class and there are some really close friendships emerging! During this kind of play, the children are learning problem solving skills, sharing, taking turns, as well as new ideas they may have not thought of themselves. All the skills are extremely beneficial for the children and are preparing them for the more structured four year old program.
This month the four year olds will be working on letters G, S, J, and D. Practicing these letters will help the children learn to use correct top-to-bottom, left-to-right directionality for letters, while holding a crayon with proper pencil grip and using their helper hand to help stabilize objects and paper. Mrs. Gerle works closely with the children to help them with their pencil grip as well as help them with the letters in their name. They have come so far with their name writing and their understanding of the lingo used in the Handwriting Without Tears Program.
Ms. Johnson focuses on some kind of scissor practice which may have to do with the theme or the letter being worked on. The children love this center and all of them have improved significantly with their scissor skills.
Tips for Supporting Learning at Home – How to Build Independence in Preschoolers
During the preschool years, children begin to truly develop their sense of independence. This is immensely important for building confidence and a sense of self.
> To nurture independence, structure the day. When children can anticipate their day, they are better equipped to take on responsibilities.
> Start small. Before going outside, for example, your child may put on their own hat and get their shoes from the closet.
> Let your child choose. Involve them in choices, like what to wear. Provide 2-3 options, and then praise their ability to make a choice.
> Let your child help. Children love to help! When you allow your child to help, even if it takes you longer to get things done, you foster their confidence and give them an opportunity to learn something new.
> Let your child solve problems. Allow your child to try things that are hard and to solve small problems on their own. Wait until they ask for help or assist only in getting them to the next step in a task. You can acknowledge that something is hard and let them know that you are proud by offering praise for trying something on their own, or for the first time.
> Give your child chores. Simple tasks like picking up toys or putting laundry in the basket allow your child to have reasonable responsibility, and those tasks also help with maintaining routine and structure throughout the day.
