Students attending Desert Rose Preschool at Las Sendas are celebrating special holidays and learning new things at the same time.
Learning through Special Events
March was a very busy month. We celebrated the birthday of Dr. Seuss with green eggs and ham for our snack. We read books and made Cat and the Hat hats, which the children enjoyed wearing. We also celebrated St Patrick’s Day, with all the children wearing green and making a magic potion. They also made green art projects.
During the month of April, we are learning about spring, the birth of birds, bugs and flowers, as well as the change of weather.
The pre-k class will celebrate 100 Day. It is not 100 days that we have been at school, but a day in which we will count 100 things. We will count by the numbers 1, 5 and 10. The children will receive special certificates, and finish off the day with 100th Day cake.
We will have our annual Easter Egg Hunt, with lots of surprises and fun things to do. All of the special events and supplies are at no extra cost, but part of the tuition. All parents are welcome to come and be part of our celebration.
Fun with Reading
The children are learning the Zoo-Phonics, which is the same program offered at the Las Sendas Elementary School kindergarten program. All the children are learning to write their names correctly, and they know how to write numbers and letters. We are very proud of our students’ progress in getting them ready for kindergarten. Most members of our pre-k class are enjoying reading books. We have art and music every day, and lots of movement and fun time with all our classmates.
Graduation Day
The last day of school is May 24, with graduation for the pre-k classes. All other classes will receive certificates of completion. Please mark your calendar.
Summer
The summer session will run from June 17 through
Aug. 9. It will run five days a week for eight weeks. I will accept older siblings for the summer, with age-appropriate programs offered. Classes are limited to 20 or less.
Preschool for the fall will start on Aug. 26.
Registration for Summer and Fall Sessions
Registration is going well, with lots of new children joining Desert Rose Preschool at Las Sendas, and lots of returning students for summer and fall. It is not too late to register for both fall and summer. We will have registration ongoing until May. If you are interested, please register at the Trailhead Office with a $25 registration fee.
You can pick any day of the week, half-time sessions or full time sessions. Remember, you pick the days and times you want for your child. All children must be potty trained and live in Las Sendas. Everyone who registers will receive a phone call to verify all the information, and make sure the times and days are correct. If you have any questions or concerns about registration, please call me at (480) 654-4223, or send an e-mail to Jbuttitta@cox.net.
Computers at Home
Let’s face it, computers are part of most people’s daily lives. While hands-on play and books still provide the best way for your children to learn, screen time on the computer can offer another important dimension to their learning, particularly when it comes to math.
Computers can contribute to play and encourage joint problem solving in ways other types of play cannot. Computer games give immediate feedback to a child’s actions, which is very helpful. The games also can help a child’s visual understanding of geometric concepts. For example, on a computer, puzzle shapes are transparent. Children can see the puzzle they are trying to solve as they work out the solution.
Computer activity is often more effective than toys in stimulating vocalization. Such activity also evokes higher levels of social play. Children tend to talk more and explain more of what they are doing on computers than when using other materials. At higher levels, computers allow children to break apart and put together shapes in ways not possible with physical blocks.
Finally, researchers have found children spend the same amount of time in classrooms playing together on the computers as they do in block centers. If your child wants to play on a PC at home, consider the cooperative play on a computer game, which may provide interaction, which can transfer to play, especially for boys.
Please limit the time children spend on the computer.