The Trinity Times Newsletter- MARCH 2011

LETTER FROM SUE

Dear Parents,
A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped to make our benefit.  PEACE LOVE TRINTY was a success! 

Special thanks to our very own rock star, Byrd, for balancing her roles with tremendous grace and carefully attending to every detail!  

Thank you, Tricia Chookaszian, for creating the fabulous bid book! Thank you to Molly Sullivan for taking us back to the 60s with the peace signs and lava lamps!

Thank you to Karen Ansary for the slide show filled with smiles, and to Matthew Gilson for the film that made us laugh so hard we cried!  

Thank you to Kelsey Davies for the beautiful portraits of our precious children!  Thank you to our auctioneers extraordinaire, Katie Colvin and Fred Gerster! 

Finally, a  thank you to everyone who helped with set up, check out, invitations, raffle, donations, and SPIRIT!  We could not have done it without YOU! We will announce our total as soon as we can!   Be on the lookout for items that were un-bid and parties that are still available!
Thanks You!   

- Sue

Parent teacher conferences are Thursday, March 17 and Friday, March 18.  There is no school or Lunch Bunch on these days.  Conference signup sheets are located in each classroom.  If you cannot come into the classroom to sign up, please contact your teacher to assist you.  On conference days, please park in the parking lot and enter the building via Wilmette Ave.  Please do not use the classroom doors.  A sign will direct you to your conference room.  

Conferences are 10 minutes for Ready Two Grow and 15 minutes for the other programs.  (There are no conferences for Parent Tot and Kindergarten Enrichment.) The conference are for parents only. 

For your convenience, Room A downstairs will be available for children to play in with parental supervision, allowing you to swap childcare with someone else if you schedule your conferences back to back.  The teachers are looking forward to sharing their observations with you!  

News from Ready-TWO-Grow
Byrd Rhyne, Betsy Segal & Laurie James

February was all about love in the Ready Two Grow class!  We discussed Valentine’s Day and explained that it is the holiday where we tell everyone important to us how much we love him or her.  The “hug” holiday!  We learned two cute Valentine’s Day songs.  The children used heart stamp rollers to decorate hearts that we hung in the room.  They made “kisses” for their sweeties.  We laced foam hearts.  We read some really sweet Valentine’s books.  “Roses are Pink Your Feet Really Stink” was a huge hit along with “Lilly’s Chocolate Heart.”

We also continued dictation, making a book about our families whom we all love! The children told the entire class many great things about their families!  I love the one child who just flat out said, “I am so precious!”  She is correct. All of your children are precious to us!

It is so much fun to watch the children become more confident in the room and move out of their comfort zone to explore and try new things.  For  the first time, the children used the puppets and did small shows for their friends.  They set up the chairs for the audience and served food. It was great to see new kids play together and share ideas. 

During rug time, the children are learning to recognize their name and the sounds the letters make.  We have added the “line ender” job and that is equally as impressive as the line leader! 
Last week, we played freeze dance. Boy, can your kids move!  They loved dancing and singing to songs.  We played Beyonce’s, “All the Single Ladies,” and someone noted that it sounded like the Chipmunks! 

We are really enjoying your children and look forward to March 17, when we can sit down with you and discuss your child in greater detail during parent-teacher conferences! Looking forward to seeing you then.

News from the Tots!
Betsy Segal, Kathy Stein & Joyce Ladin

February has been a red hot month for the Mom and Tot class.  The tears have been replaced with smiling faces and an eagerness to explore the room.  The kids have quickly discovered all the activities in the room and have enjoyed trying new things. They are talking to each other, working together in the kitchen, and sharing ideas, suggestions, and diaper stories.  In the bike room, the favorite activities havebeen tossing the ball and kicking the soccer ball.  Many are quite good!

Red was the color of the month, which lends itself to lots of Valentine’s Day projects.  We did lacing with foam hearts, painted our Valentine’s Day kiss with q-tips, played in red water, and painted on pink paper with red and white paint.  Circle time is always special with a surprise in the sparkle bag!  This week we found scarves and did the old time favorite peek-a- boo!  The children love singing and always ask to “do it again!”

Ms. Kathy, Ms. Caroline and I feel very fortunate to be able to spend our Mondays with your sweet children!

News from the TERRIFIC THREE’s

Carol DeGraff, Sue Gaertner, Luanne Hampton,
Byrd Ryne & Betsy Segal

We began the month of February with our polar expedition.  The children, packed with binoculars, flashlights and maps, had great fun following the arrows through the nooks and crannies of the church to the North and South Poles!  They especially loved the surprises that awaited them.

When we returned from our expedition, it was time to prepare for Valentine's Day.  The children enjoyed making their special valentine for Mom and Dad.  Each child went into the church office and stamped their own envelope.  They were so excited to think their letters were going to the "real" post office and not just into their cubbies.  They also enjoyed learning the song “Skinnamarink” and had fun creating hearts at the easel and the art table.  The highlight, however, was the party.  The children loved mailing their own valentines.  It took a LONG time, but they truly enjoyed doing it themselves.  They especially loved playing "HEART BINGO."  It was great fun, and everyone was a winner yelling "BINGO" together.

During the month of March we look forward to our conferences with you, and the opportunity to share our observations about your child's growth.  The dates are March 17th and 18th and sign up sheets will be available soon.

We are currently in the midst of our nutrition unit.  We began by learning about milk.  We read a wonderful book that explains very clearly the process that brings milk from the cow to your table.  The children then tried their hands at "milking" a cow via our pretend milking machine.  They loved this activity, and it was surprising how much of the "milk" actually got into the pails!  We then learned about vegetables and created beautiful still life paintings which are displayed on our bulletin boards.  It's amazing how talented these young artists are when you see their eggplants, carrots, string beans and tomatoes!  Learning about fruits and making fruit salad was a treat.  The children did a great job slicing and dicing all the wonderful pieces of fruit they brought to school.  Sampling different breads from around the world was "scrumdiddlyumptious."  Italian bread and pumpernickel were the favorites along with the pita and matzo bread.  We are looking forward to studying more "food that makes your body grow" with many opportunities for hands-on scientific observations.

News from the FABULOUS FOUR’s
Happy Baird, 
Ginny Lezama & Luanne Hampton

The children are intrigued with the idea of life in the Middle Ages.  The thought of dressing like a “fancy” princess or defending the castle as a knight, are definitely some of the high points.  We’re learning about the many features of a castle such as the keep, the moat, the portcullis, the drawbridge, and the loophole windows.  Imagine the dark, cold interior and the need to all sleep in the same bed just to keep warm!

Our Camelot Ball will be a regal affair as we dub the Knights and Ladies and sit in thrones.  Watch for your personal invitation to witness the event! (Move over, William and Kate!)
As we prepare for conferences, we see the children continually learning as they build, measure, count and play with blocks, cars, babies, pretend food, snack, etc.. There is a lot of creative building and imaginative play, and Letter and Number Bingo, Sorry and Chutes and Ladders are fun board games for this age. Checkers and chess hold the attention of some, whether it’s played by real rules, or made up rules that are agreed upon by both players!  The interest in math and letters varies with each child.  We are not pushing anyone to perform.  As important as math and reading skills are, the good social skills are essential for kindergarten and beyond.

We look forward to exploring outer space and learning more about our Solar System.  We’ll also have a Barber/Beauty Shop Day in April as well as start our unit on famous artists.
Thanks to Jean, Lilly’s mom, for coming in and sharing information with the children about the Chinese New Year and to Ben’s mom, Traci, for reading for his half-birthday, and to Nancy for reading for Robbie and Clare’s half-birthday.

The school year is flying by, but we still have lots of great themes and events to enhance our days. As I was watching the video and slide show at the fundraiser, I was reminded of what fun it is to work and play at Trinity, and Ginny, Luanne and I know how fortunate we are to be part of the Trinity family. Thanks again for supporting us in all we do!
Happy, Ginny and Luanne

KINDERGARTEN ENRICHMENT
Valerie Dashiell, Joyce Ladin, 
Byrd Rhyne & Laurie James

From the Desk of Miss Byrd
Wow!  I’m always amazed by how fast times goes, but in this class, it seems to go into hyperdrive!!  We just sit down for lunch, and it’s time to go!  That’s because your kids are so interesting and fun, and we have tons to do!

“P week” brought popcorn! We read books about it and and planted it!  We made everyone’s favorite –  popcorn balls!  We also Painted a Poster on Paper with Purple and Pink Paint to welcome Ms. Byrd back from her trip!  The students also made a collage with “P” things-  popcorn, pipe cleaners, pom poms, paper clips and pasta!

“Q week” was a celebration of Valentine’s Day and Questions!  Each child came up with a question to be answered by each classmate!  Look for this book to cycle through the families.  It’s very interesting! 

"R week" brought an interesting snack!  Ricecakes, raisins and raspberry jam made an “R” treat that was delicious and creative!  Kids made faces and peace signs… it was great! 

"S week" made us dance to the Cha Cha Slide!!  Slide to the left!  Slide to the right!  It was fun to do and to watch your little rockers!  We also learned about snakes!  How they slither, eat and sleep!
We know the time goes so fast because we are all enjoying ourselves so much!  Thanks for allowing us this time with your children! -Ms. Laurie and Ms. Byrd 

From the Desk of Mrs. Dashiell
Our KE Valentine’s Party was filled with fun; Valentine’s cookies baked by Mrs. Ladin, marshmallow treats, games, and songs, including “We Should Be Together,” “I Have A Little Valentine,” and “A Bushel and a Peck.”

We are revisiting classic fairytales and using a variety of art mediums to illustrate the stories such as paint, collage, chalk, markers, and crayons.  The children loved “Rapunzel,” The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “Snow White,” and “Thumbelina.”

In March, we will be traveling to Germany, France, Israel, Scotland, and Russia, and discovering their culture through music, dance, picture books, and food.

On Tuesday, March 15, we will be having our Pajama Pancake Party! Please have your child bring their favorite stuffed animal and board or card game!

In Science, we explored how molecules become polymers by creating a new compound. Our experiment was to make colorful “Blobber!” It was very messy and fun!

We hope you have a wonderful Spring Break at the end of this month. We will look forward to seeing you again when school resumes on April 5th!
-Mrs. Dashiell & Mrs. Ladin

**** KE UPDATE ****

Applications for fall Kindergarten Enrichment will be distributed via the cubbie express after the school district completes the lottery for am / pm kindergarten.  If you have not already registered your child for fall kindergarten please contact your local elementary school. 

The CHAIR’s Corner
By Katie Colvin

Dear Trinity Families:
In the spirit of how my crazy life has been lately, I thought I would write to you about a hodgepodge of items.  I do hope some of them are of interest to you!

The Trinity Benefit.  What a great night!  Thank you to all whose hard work truly paid off to make the event tons of fun and remarkably successful.  And the merriment continues . . . Mark your calendars for the parties you signed up for and keep an eye out for the “on the table” bulletin to sign up for the last few spots at the available parties.  As I always say – Trinity families rock – so take advantage of a great “excuse” to spend time with these fun people!

Upcoming Events at Trinity.  Moms, mark your calendars for April 7th – Annie Burnside will guide our Parent Workshop by discussing her book “Soul to Soul Parenting.”  It will be an evening event so make sure you have coverage for the little ones at home.  Also, save the date of April 14th for Trinity’s annual Reach Out and Read event that is great for the entire family.  A donation of new or gently used books is the entry “fee” – so clean out your bookshelves and join the fun!  Details forthcoming.
District 39.  The District 39 Referendum has created quite a buzz in the community.  Since two of my children attend (and two others will attend) Wilmette public schools – I realized I needed to get educated about the issues.  I have attended meetings, read the District’s website materials, and chatted with friends about the current deficit.  Through all of this – I was quite surprised to learn how many people are NOT educated about the issues and have made inaccurate assumptions about the issues involved and the circumstances surrounding the Referendum.  Please take some time to educate yourself on the important issues that impact Wilmette schools.

Have some fun.  Not that you need me to tell you this, but just do it.  I recently had a weekend full of picking up family at the airport, working on a 2nd grade book report, hosting a 6-year old birthday party, going to the Trinity benefit, managing the food sales at a Carnival, and having a family party for that same lucky 6 year old.  I was somewhat “dreading” all of my obligations on that Friday afternoon as I discussed the weekend with my seven year old.  When I told him about all I had to accomplish – his eyes got big and he said “Awesome – you are so lucky!  You are going to have the best party-filled weekend!”  And he was right – I just had to change my attitude – it was a ton of work, but also a bunch of fun!
-Katie

LUNCH BUNCH NEWS

Session 3 Lunch Bunch begins the week of March 7.    Please contact our Lunch Bunch Coordinator, Molly Sullivan, any time your child will not be attending Lunch Bunch on their scheduled day. Thank you!

Calling All Parents!!!

We know there are a lot of talented parents out there!  If you have a talent or skill or hobby that you would like to share with your child’s class, now is the time to let your teachers know!  Do you play an instrument?  Do you know magic tricks?  Do you have an interesting collection?  Or, would you like to just spend some time with us and read a book to the class?   Your child will be thrilled when you share your time with their class!  We hope to hear from YOU!

HOST AN EXCHANGE STUDENT!

Consider hosting an exchange student from Spain this summer!

June 28 - July 26

Learn about another culture, share meals, traditions

Students have English classes and planned activities 9-5 on weekdays

Nationally accredited program: The Center for Cultural Interchange

Call Darryl Newman, a Trinity dad, at 773.504.2446 for more info or email:
darrylpablo2011@yahoo.com

Gracias!

Pictures from our Groovy Benefit

TCNS Helping Hands
Director:
Sue Gaertner
sue@trinitywilmette.org

Professional Staff:
Happy Baird
Sarah Condry
Valerie Dashiell
Carol DeGraff
Luanne Hampton
Laurie James
Joyce Ladin
Ginny Lezama
Byrd Rhyne
Betsy Segal
Kathy Stein

Parent Board Chair:
Katie Colvin

March 7—Session 3 lunch bunch begins
March 8 —Board Meeting
March 17 - 18  No school – parent teacher conferences
March 28 – April 3—No school – spring break
April 4 -School resumes

REGISTRATION UPDATE

Please help us spread the word that we have openings in the 3 Year Old Afternoon class and the 4 Year Old Afternoon class for the 2011 – 2011.   If you know someone interested in our school please have them contact Sue or our registrar, Betsy Crosswhite.