The Trinity Times Newsletter-MAY 2011

 From the Desk of Sue Gaertner

The last column of the year is typically when I thank all the wonderful and deserving people who helped make the school year so successful.  I still intend to use this column for that purpose.  Yet, I cannot proceed without making a very personal and emotional observation about the year.

From the day that my precious nephew, Mason, was diagnosed with a brain tumor on Christmas Eve, my family has received incredible offers of help and support from the Trinity family.  The love, encouragement and prayers that we receive are a constant source of strength.  They are empowering more than you can know.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you so very, very much.   YOU are one of the reasons that, even in the face of such difficult circumstances, our faith is unshakable.

Our school had a very successful year and that is because of the hard work and dedication of many wonderful people.  I am very grateful for the support and guidance of the Parent Advisory Board.  We are blessed to have had such an outstanding hard-working group of people dedicated to the success of Trinity.  I am inspired and overwhelmed by your commitment.  I am especially grateful to Board Chair, Katie Colvin.  Her dedication to Trinity and wise counsel made her a pleasure to work with.

A huge thank you to our devoted teachers and assistants for creating an environment in which children feel loved and can flourish.   Your devotion to our school is tremendous.  It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with each of you.  Thank you for all that you do.

Thank you to Reverend Kirk Reed. Pastor Kirk is leaving Trinity and heading to Arizona to begin his retirement.  Thank you, Kirk, for being committed to the success of our school! TCNS is a strong and close community in large part because of the wonderful work you have done!  We will miss you, and we all wish you happy and sunny years ahead!

Thank you also to the church staff and especially our custodian, Louis Rice. You rescue us many times - and always with a smile.  Together you make the school a place where children can grow in confidence and feel secure.

Thank you to the parents for your support and kindness.  Your children reflect the goodness in each of you.  Thank you for making our staff always feel appreciated. 

Last, but never least, I need to thank the precious children who have opened their hearts to us and, in turn, will forever own a special piece of our hearts.  

I hope you enjoy the summer months.  Make time to create happy memories!    I’ll be here and available most of the summer to answer any questions you may have.  If you are leaving Trinity I wish you love and happiness wherever you go.  If you are returning for camp or school, I school, I hop you know that I will be thrilled to see you!!

Stay well and be happy.

Love, Sue

Ready-TWO-Grow

Betsy Segal, Byrd Rhyne & Laurie James

Spring has sprung in Ready Two Grow! 

We have been discussing the weather and how April showers bring May flowers, and how spring is a time of new growth. The kids sang “Wind Wind Let it Blow” as they made colorful kites.  We sprouted blooming flowers by using markers on flower-shaped paper, then sprayed them with water and watched the colors fuse together.  With all the rain we have been having, the kids love singing “Jump In the Puddles” and “splashing” in the water!  Using eyedroppers and colored water, we made our butterflies come to life with color.  We painted “eggs” for Easter, using colored glue on paper and then dusting them with glitter.  Everyone loves a project with glitter!  We made bunny ears and did the “Bunny Hokey Pokey!”

The kids have learned a new game of creating a train!  All the chairs are lined up one behind the other, the kids grab their snack (always important to have when traveling) and away they went on the train to far away places for an amazing adventure!  It is great to be three!

We all feel very fortunate to have been a part of the children’s first experience at Trinity and have so enjoyed watching your children develop and expand their world.  They are all such amazing kids.  We have been able to see their personalities emerge and absolutely adore sharing in their humor and play.  We have observed relationships blossom this year among all of our children.  If you are able, please do try to arrange some play dates with your child’s new friends over the summer.  Doing so will make starting school in the fall that much easier!

Have a great summer!

Miss Betsy and Miss Byrd and Miss Laurie

  

Parent-Tot

Betsy Segal & Kathy Stein

For the past month we have been exploring all things spring! We painted “eggs” for Easter, using colored glue on paper and then dusting them with glitter.  Everyone loves a project with glitter!  We made bunny eggs and hopped around the room!  The kids used eyedroppers and colored water to create flowers from a coffee filter.  They really took their time with the droppers and were fascinated watching the colors fuse. 

We have noticed lots of playing in the kitchen.  The kids love the birthday party sets and crowns are always a must!  The kids continue to gravitate toward each other and tend to move in groups doing things.  The water table is always a popular meeting spot, and the children are enjoying getting their hands wet. They are interacting more with each other and with us! They enjoy others coming over and sharing in their play.  During circle time, we have been singing about rain and love to “Jump in the Puddles” and get “wet!”  We are getting more and more requests, which we love, the children love to sing and have their favorite songs!

Miss Kathy and I feel so lucky to have been a part of the children’s first experience at Trinity and have so enjoyed watching them develop and expand their world.  They are all such amazing kids.  We have really gotten to see their personalities emerge and to share in their humor and their play.  We have observed relationships blossom this year among all of our children.  If you can, try to have some play dates with their new friends over the summer.  Doing so will make starting school in the fall that much easier!

Miss Besty & Miss Kathy

News from the TERRIFIC THREES!

Carol DeGraff, Sue Gaertner, Luanne Hampton,

Byrd Rhyne & Betsy Segal

April was a FUN month!  The children loved sharing their knowledge and learning new information about dinosaurs.  We talked about 4 different dinosaurs and then made a graph to answer the question,  "What is your favorite dinosaur?"  (It was a tie between Apatosaurus and T-Rex. )  Our dinosaur unit would not be complete without building our own volcanoes.  The children were mesmerized watching the chemical reaction of vinegar, baking soda and red food coloring.  It erupted with "hot" lava running down the sides.

We had a special visit from the Springtime Bunny.  He left us a note in the classroom and footprints leading to the parlor where the children found a basket full of eggs.  The eggs and the basket were a real treat!

There are some great things planned for May.  The children will become gardeners by planting grass and taking care of it.  The biggest thrill for them will be taking scissors and giving their grass a "trim".  We will make special surprises for our Moms.  We will decorate our room with flowers, turning our classroom into a Spring Garden.  We will visit the 4 year old classroom.  And we certainly hope there will be lots of warm weather so we can play outdoors with our friends.  The end of the year promises to be filled with fun! 

With only a few weeks left of school we want to thank you so much for letting us be a part of your child's very important beginnings and for being wonderful parents.  Your children are all so very special and they have enriched our lives each and everyday.  We will miss all of you.  Have a wonderful, fun-filled, safe summer.

News from the FABULOUS FOURS!

Happy Baird, Ginny Lezama & Luanne Hampton

Say it ain’t so!!  Is this really May?  The last newsletter?  End of year happenings?  We always struggle to say goodbye to our fabulous children and families.  It’s been a wonderful year thanks to you, parents, and your children.

Our art gallery looks beautiful and our artists are so proud of their work.  Who knows, you may be witnessing  future world renowned  works of art before they become enormously famous!

Thank you to the following moms for sharing a book with us for their child’s birthday: Ellen Dabrowsky, Molly Ervin, Shoshana Miller,  and Jean Cottingham.

We cannot let May go by without visiting the Old West after our travels to foreign countries.   I reckon we’ll be havin’ a heap o’ fun with our little whipper snappers on Western Day.  We sometimes have to remind those little varmints to mind their p’s and q’s so we don’t have to hog tie any of ‘em!  We’ll round up the doggies, mend some fences, rustle up some grub and have a real Hoe Down with some square dancin’!  Yee Haw!!

Before the end of the year, we’ll have our own Magic Show Day where the kids can show us a magic trick. We’re always amazed and impressed!

As Ginny, Luanne and I reflected on the cute and touching things that were said over the past month, we realized that so much of it is part of the context of the day and gets lost in translation.  From an explanation about loving people because of the “feeling in my heart” to describing a new spring jacket as one that “breaks wind!” It is all so precious and we are so fortunate to share in the lives of these little miracles. Thank you.

At graduation when we sing, “So long, farewell…” we’ll hope it’s only “’til we meet again”. Come visit us anytime and help your child remember what a great place Trinity is.

Kindergarten Enrichment

Valerie Dashiell, Byrd Rhyne, Joyce Ladin & Laurie James

From the Desk of Miss Byrd

It’s the final countdown in our KE class!  We’re approaching the end of the alphabet and almost ready to be first graders! The children are losing teeth, learning new things and getting taller!  They’re ready!

“T week” was Terrific with Turtles!  I brought my children’s little Red Eared Sliders in to see and hold.  (We really washed our hands before and after!)  We learned about many types of turtles, the difference between tortoises and turtles, what their shell is made of and what they eat!  This animal has really been around for a long time!

“U week” was split between the grammatical and the fantastical!  We started the week with a discussion on prefixes and focused on “un.”  We looked at how it changes the meaning of a word. “Fit” becomes “unfit.”  “Real” becomes “unreal.”  The second half of the week, we looked at what UFOs are!  We discussed the meaning of acronyms as well.  Each child then created its own UFO!

We created vases with tissue paper flowers for “V week” and did some Easter projects, too!  We learned about the many interesting things of the whale for “W week!”  They learned a fact, wrote the sentence and created a picture to go with their fact.  As we have been doing all year, we discuss non-fiction and fiction and their purpose. 

As we wind down the year, we are preparing for our graduation ceremony!  Our last day is Friday, June 3rd, and we will be having a KE graduation.  For most of my students, this is the end of a great career at Trinity Church Nursery School.  I’ll get times to you in a few weeks, but it will be the end of the day.

As always, thanks for allowing us to spend this time with your children.  We love them and enjoy our time together!

 Ms. Laurie & Ms. Byrd

From the Desk of Mrs. Dashiell

 It has been wonderfully rewarding and delightful having your children in our Kindergarten Enrichment program! Each child helped to create an environment of discovery and a love of learning.

Our class has been busy making Mother’s Day gifts and gift bags in anticipation of your special day! We hope you had a Happy Mother’s Day!

On Tuesday, May 10th, we went to Wagner Farm! The children loved seeing and learning about all the animals. The weather couldn’t have been nicer, either! It was a beautiful and fun day. A huge thank  you to Melissa, Amy, Jana, Nicole and Anne for being our “Old MacDonald” moms!

We are creating a “Memory Portfolio,” which includes some o the children’s beautiful artwork, story dictation, and special days together.

Our Class Picnic will be on Tuesday, May 31st. Please join us on the grassy area next to the playground at 11:30 for a picnic lunch and a surprise!

We hope you have a fun summer, and we thank you for sharing your children with us!

 -Mrs. Dashiell & Mrs. Ladin

CHAIR’S CORNER

With Mother’s Day having just passed, I wanted to share a poem that has circulated through email many times, but is still worth reading.  I also encourage you to go to YouTube and type in “The Gift of an Ordinary Day” – it is a reading by Katrina Kenison set to music  – that will make even the most stressed out day feel like a blessing.  Here’s to all of you wonderful Trinity Moms!

Before I was a Mom (Author Unknown)

Before I was a Mom

I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom
I slept as late as I wanted
 And never worried about how late
   I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom,
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys
 or forgot words to lullabies.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't worry whether or not my
 plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been pooped on,
 Spit up on,
   Chewed on,
   Peed on,
   Or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom,
I had complete control of myself;
 My thoughts,
   My body,
   And my mind.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so that doctors could do tests or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't
 want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
 when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew something so small could affect my
 life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of having my
 heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel
 to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a
 Mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
 could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of
 the night every ten minutes to make
sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
 The joy,
   The love,
   The heartache,
   The wonderfulment,
   Or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so
much before I was a Mom.

Byrd Rhyne knows a family who is giving away an awesome swing-set for the backyard! The set is gorgeous, only seven years old and in fabulous condition.  The only “cost” is disassembling it and taking it home. Contact Tim Fagan, tfagan@homefinder.com.

THE END OF THE YEAR PARTY!!

 May 15

Magic 4:30/Pizza 5:30

We can't believe that the end of the year is almost here! Let's get together and celebrate another fantastically fun year at TCNS! Dennis DeBondt will perform his fantastic magical feats for everyone to enjoy!

A warm thanks to the many families whom have donated books to Bernie’s Books.  This has been our most successful book drive ever!  Bernie’s Books will get your donation into the hands of children in need.

         BIRTHDAY BOOKS

            Speaking of books, the Trinity Church Nursery School Library has grown tremendously this year just like our children. Thank you to everyone who has made a donation. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Each book is a treasure and will bring years of enjoyment!

 Fond Farewell!!

It is with a heavy heart that we say Goodbye and Happy Retirement to our beloved Carol DeGraff!  We will miss her ever-present smile and effervescent style; however we share Carol’s happiness as she looks forward to spending more time with her adorable grandkids.   Carol…. Thank You for 9 years of devotion and for loving the kids at Trinity in the extra special way that you do!!!  We wish you and your family many happy days ahead!