Spring is upon us up on the hill at East Andover Village Preschool. As the warmer weather has been approaching, we have been searching for signs of spring: birds chirping, the arrival of bugs to our playground, and observing woolly bear caterpillars. A vole was also spotted on our playground and gave us the opportunity to observe it and learn about an animal we do not often see up close.
We have explored mud, both inside and outside, along with experimenting about how much dirt and water is needed to help plants grow. Soon, we will begin our Early Sprouts curriculum of seeding again as we grow tomatoes, Swiss chard, beans, squash, carrots, and bell peppers for many recipes throughout the year.
We had an extremely successful Hop-a-thon at the beginning of the month. Thank you to all who helped! All of the fundraising efforts over the course of the school year have allowed us to purchase some new materials for the classroom, such as Magnatiles, which are translucent, magnetic, geometric pieces; new people for our block area and doll house space; geometric shape puzzles that can also be transformed into other three-dimensional building shapes; and a new game for our playground called “Kick Croquet.”
As I write this article, our school is participating in the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s week of advocacy and focus on the early childhood education field called “The Week of the Young Child.” Each day of the week has a special focus for how children learn in different areas of curriculum such as music, cooking, working together, and in the arts which we have also incorporated into our classroom. We have been fortunate enough to also invite community members such as Margo Coolidge for music and Terri Stoecker for theater games.
It is time to register for Summer Camp with themed weeks such as Under the Sea, Blasting Off to Space, and Going on a Safari. There are trips planned to Odell Playground, the New London Barn Playhouse, and the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium. There is limited space, so please contact us at 735-5105 or EAVP@nulltds.net today!
There are also spaces still available in our Fall Preschool Program of 2015-2016. To set up a visit or to receive information, please contact us at 735-5105 or EAVP@nulltds.net.