The summer session is over, and we had a great time being together, making lots of crafts and learning new things.
This year, we had 2-1/2-year-olds to 10-year-olds in the summer session. All the children got along great. We learned lots of wonderful things, like how to clean pennies with vinegar and salt. We learned about dinosaurs, underwater sea life, and we made volcanoes.
The value of volunteers
The most wonderful thing happened this summer. We had lots of returning students who volunteered their summer time to help us out. It was so nice to have these young girls and boys come to help us with crafts and snacks.
These generous young people even sat down to play board games with the younger students. A big thank you goes to Cassandra Balsley, Ashley Graffice, Emma and Olivia Roy, T.J. and Brandon Sembaluk and Madison Lucky. They all were such great helpers. It was fun having them in our summer session. They truly have learned the valuable gift of volunteering.
Special school, special people
Desert Rose Preschool at Las Sendas is a very special school where children are cared for and loved. We are licensed and in compliance with all state regulations. We have three adults at all times to love, care for and teach your children. They have all had training to work in and teach preschool. In addition, we all have First Aid and CPR training, and everyone has gone through fingerprint clearance.
This is my 25th year of teaching. I taught kindergarten for 14 years, and have been trained in working with special needs children. Desert Rose Preschool has been operating at the Trailhead Members Club for 10 years. You must live in Las Sendas to attend Desert Rose.
All the children will learn all the Early Learning Standards:
Social and Emotional
Knowledge Self Awareness: recognition of expression.
Social Interactions: with others, separation, cooperation.
Responsibility for self and others: self-control, respect.
Approaches to learning: curiosity, creativity, initiative, problem-solving, persistence, confidence.
Language and Literacy
Oral Language Development: Listening and understanding, speaking and communicating.
Pre-Reading Process: Print awareness, book handling skills, sounds and rhythms, letter knowledge, vocabulary development, comprehending stories.
Pre-Writing Process: Written expression.
Mathematics
Number Sense and Operation: Number sense, numerical operations.
Data Analysis: Collection and organization, data analysis.
Geometry and Measurements: Spatial relationships and measurement.
Structure and Logic: Logic and reasoning.
Science
Inquiry: Observations, questions, investigation, analysis and conclusions, communication.
Physical Development, Health and Safety
Physical and Motor Development:
Gross motor, Fine motor.
Health: Personal health and hygiene.
Safety: Safety/injury prevention.
Art and Music
Visual Art: Creating art, art in context, art in inquiry.
Music and Creative Movement: Creating music, music and creative movement in context and inquiry.
Dramatic Play: Creative dramatic play, dramatic play in context and inquiry.
Fall curriculum
The children will have art and music every day, and snacks will be provided. Children will learn to write their names and all the letters of the alphabet. They will learn numbers from one to 20 and above. We will teach them to count to 100 and will celebrate 100 Day with a party. Other subjects to be taught are days of the week, months, weather and the seasons. The children will enjoy lots of thematic learning and activities specific for the early childhood.
Special events
We will have special events, including an open house, the Halloween Parade, Thanksgiving Feast, snack drive for the Sunshine Acres Children’s Home and our Christmas Cookie Exchange. We also will celebrate with a Valentine’s Day party and our Easter Egg Hunt. There will be a graduation ceremony for the pre-k class. Every child will receive the Clifford the Big Red Dog magazine and Let’s Find Out. All gifts and refreshments are included in your monthly tuition. Your child will be ready to enter kindergarten, fully prepared with confidence and maturity.
Fall enrollment
The fall classes will start on Aug. 22. You will receive a phone call and a post card to welcome the student to Desert Rose Preschool. This year, I am going to offer the same options as last year. You can choose the days and times for your child. You will have the choice of morning until 11:30 a.m., or add Lunch Bunch until 1 p.m., or all day until 3 p.m. We must have at least six children for the all-day session to make it work. Last year, I tried to accommodate the needs of the students and parents. So, if you have a special need, please let me know. We will work it out. As a teacher, I am very flexible.
Desert Rose Preschool is not a day care, but a private, educational preschool. Remember, 3-year-olds must be potty trained.
Please call me for more information at (480) 654-4223, or send an e-mail to jbuttitta@cox.net.