"Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude." A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh
e-RPDS                                                                                             11/15/2017
Letter from the Director
Dear Redeemer Community,

"You will never have this day with your children again. Tomorrow they'll be a little older than they were today. This day is a gift. Just breathe, notice, study their faces and little feet. Pay attention. Relish the charms of the present. Enjoy today!" -unknown

Thanksgiving is around the corner which usually means time with friends and family. This year my heart is especially full as I anticipate the return of our son Aden for the first time this semester. As we get closer to the date, the thought of having my family of five all under one roof nearly brings me to tears, but the kind that start with a grateful heart. 

While sending our first to college has been an adjustment for all of us, my mom taught me as a young mother to embrace each stage of life with my children because growing up and change are inevitable. From newborns to college students and beyond, we are lucky to accompany one another on the journey.

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to remember how fortunate we are to have children in our presence. The above quote not only makes me think of our Redeemer students, but my own children as well. We are so blessed - plain and simple. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families from all of us at Redeemer!
 
Best regards,
Mary

Classroom Updates



Mrs. Barta's Pre-first:
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me last Friday. It was wonderful to share all the progress and growth your children have made so far this year. The Pre-first students are working hard and it shows. In Language Arts, we continue to focus on decoding words, glued sounds, tapping sounds and blending. The wheels are turning and I am seeing this translate from reading into their writing as well. We have many opportunities to write in Pre-first and the children enjoy being able to express themselves through writing. In Math, we have been learning about ten frames, odd/even numbers, tally marks, patterning and place value. We will continue to build on these concepts throughout the year. In Social Studies, we are learning about the pilgrims and native Americans. As a class, we just wrote and illustrated our own version of the First Thanksgiving.Have a wonderful holiday with family and friends!

Mrs. Smith's and Mrs. Vandenberg's Kindergartens:
Kindergarten has been working together to create projects which reflect the story of the first Thanksgiving. In retelling the story of that first feast, we have been discussing the importance of helping one another and of gratitude. In creating our own Thanksgiving feasts, let's include our children in the cooking, cleaning, or preparing the table. This is a wonderful opportunity for the whole family to be involved in the process of creating something meaningful for friends and family. We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving  and cherish your time  together. We can't wait to hear about our students adventures with the ones that they love!

Mrs. Faint and Mrs. Baker's Pre-k:
We are in full holiday mode in our room with turkeys, cornucopias, and thankful thoughts. Snakes and the beach both made the list of things for which we are thankful! We have been extending vocabulary by exploring opposites, practicing writing on little blackboards ( where mistakes are easily erased) and taking our turn this month to either light or put out candles in chapel. Thanks for taking the time to come to conferences and enjoy your family this week!

Mrs. Loeb and Mrs. Vahedi's Pre-k:
Whether we are crowded around the table, or on a log, obviously there is ALWAYS room for one more!  Our children remind us all the time of what is important. When we announced that we were getting a new little girl in our class, no one said "there is no room". When we said she wouldn't always understand us, they said "We can help!" Your children have demonstrated endless acts of thoughtfulness and kindness. So as Thanksgiving approaches, we are grateful for your children!  Thank you for attending conferences with open minds and hearts. We love how much your children mean to you, and how hard you work to make them happy and do what is best for them! As you could see from their work, they are trying hard to write names, cut, and make sense of the world, and the alphabet, in a fun and constructive way. Your children are socializing, laughing, gluing, dressing up, and singing their way into being 5! They are awesome!  We have completed the letter "Ii" (think itch), made icky slime, sent Jessie Bear home on two more adventures, and sent home the first part of our Alphabet book. Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming quickly; there will be much singing and excitement in homes and hallways! Enjoy!

Mrs. Hooper and Mrs. Grieves' 3s:
We have had some fabulous Fall weather so the 3 Day 3's have exercised their large motor skills climbing and running on the playground, riding bikes and "creating" in the sandbox.  YELLOW SQUARES are November's color and shape  and Little Boy Blue is our nursery rhyme for the month. We have water colored Autumn leaves, painted squirrels with acorns and stitched yellow square cards! The children's small motor skills are improving; scissors and crayons  are out each week in the classroom helping to advance their skills!  As the children prepare for the all school Thanksgiving service next Tuesday, we are practicing the many special songs and discussing all that we are Thankful for....friends, sisters, brothers, mommies, daddies and our 3 Day 3's class to name a few! Thanksgiving corn with its square kernels and a colorful Turkey with its square feathers have helped the children learn that squares have 4 equal sides.  Have fun playing  shape and color
"I SPY"  with your kiddies to help reinforce what their learning! Looking forward to seeing you all at the service next week and we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving full of food, fun, and family.... ENJOY!!

Mrs. Schroeder and Miss Ball's 3s:
The 5 day 3s are expert greeters! We have been practicing saying hello and goodbye to the people we meet throughout the day, as well as asking a follow up question. For example, "Hello Mrs. Knott. How was your day?" We also were lucky to have Mrs. Knott come to our classroom and read us a book about how to be a kind friend this week. With Thanksgiving approaching we have been discussing being thankful. Our children are thankful for many things such as their toys, food, treats, friends, but most of all they say their families.
We have started working on our new rhyme, Little Boy Blue, the color yellow and squares! You can try asking your child why squares favorite number is 4 as well as why triangle likes 3 and circle 0. We have been making patterns in any way possible the last month. To make patters we are using colors, shapes, objects, drawings, people, food, sounds, movements ect. We have also introduced sequencing with cards, by acting out and photographing a process and also by examining how a story is structured. We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, we are truly thankful for having your children in out class!


Mrs. Arrup and Mrs. Yanega's 2s: 
The Holidays are in full swing in the Arrup 2's.  We have been very busy creating fall crafts, decorating turkeys, listening to Thanksgiving stories and singing our song, "Hello Mr. Turkey".   We even went on a scavenger hunt through school in search of the color brown and square shapes.  Mrs. Yanega and I are so thankful to have your children in our class.  It fills our hearts when they enter each morning with their sweet smiles and ease into our morning routine. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your families. 


Mrs. Wyatt and Mrs. Zuidema's 2s:
With the leaves finally turning and Thanksgiving just around the corner, the Wyatt/Zuidema Twos are having a great November. Our themes this month have been Fall, Thanksgiving, the color Brown, and Squares. You should see lots of turkeys, as well as lots of signs of fall projects coming home in your children's folders. During Circle Time, we have been working on a squirrel and acorn pattern and reading lots of books about fall. We have also been searching under different colored houses for a dancing turkey and searching under different colored leaves for a little mouse. Ask your children to sing the turkey song for you. It is one of our favorites. Please remember so send/bring in a seasonally appropriate change of clothing for the cubbies. It is also a good idea to keep a hat and mittens in backpacks or cubbies. The mornings can be quite chilly on the playground. We wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving. As always, thank you for sharing your amazing children with us.

Lunch Bunch:
Lunch bunch is feeling thankful!  They have worked really hard on their thankful leaves for the  bulletin board. You can find many things are students are thankful for, parents, friends, pets, even July!  It is a joy to see the different things they have to say.  We are working hard in learning our new holiday songs. You should start hearing the beginnings of Christmas songs!  We have been exploring nature and our garden. We picked radishes and then painted pictures of them. We will never making fall projects with various items we can find in nature. We are using them changing colors of the leaves to practice our Spanish color words. We took full advantage of last weeks rainy days and painted rainy day pictures. We took advantage of our time playing in the nursery to use " tickets" to ride the rocking horses. It was a good experience using sharing , taking turns and waiting patiently.  We have new lunch table groups to encourage new friendships and new dynamics. They will change again after holiday break. Please remember the unpredictable fall weather and layers are great! Thanks for sharing your kids with lunch bunch.  
Office Notes:

Thanksgiving Project
As part of our continued outreach, the Parish Day School children are asked to bring a special food item, as indicated below, to our Thanksgiving service on Tuesday, November 22 at 9:15 am.  The food collected will be distributed to the Govans' CARES Food Pantry.  The meaning of the donation will be discussed in light of the Thanksgiving holiday.  If you are unable to donate the assigned item, any non-perishable, canned or boxed food will be gratefully accepted.
 
2s
Boxed Biscuit/Muffin/Pie/Corn Bread Mix
Hooper 3 Day 3s
Canned/Jar Gravy and/or Cream of Mushroom Soup
Libby 5 Day 3s
Canned Pumpkin
Loeb Pre-k
Instant Mashed Potato
Faint Pre-k
Box/Bag Stuffing Mix
Kindergarten
Canned Vegetable- green beans, corn, sweet potato,
Pre-first
Canned Cranberry Sauce

Re-enrollment Forms:
Re-enrollment forms for current students for the 2018-2019  school year were mailed home on October 20. In order to reserve a place for your child in our program, we must receive the form by December 1. If we do not have the form by December 1, we cannot guarantee your child a spot. Please note that no money is due at this time. Click   here for the Re-enrollment form. If you have questions, please contact the school office.

Car Line Reminder:
If possible, please try to have your child unbuckled when you pull up to car line. We appreciate any help you can provide in ensuring a speedy and safe car line!

Date Changes:
For those of you who registered to participate in "Kids Love to Give!", the date is December 2. This event is a replacement for the Cookie Baking Project that was scheduled for December 9.

The Pre-k Sneak Peek is being moved from Thursday, February 8 to Thursday, February 15. This event is for parents in our 3s classes.


 

Scholastic offers affordable books for every age and reading level.  Click HERE to order.  Our activation code is JB4C8  and orders are due by 12/1.  Books will arrive in time for holiday gifting. Merry Reading!

_____________________________________________
UPCOMING CALENDAR EVENTS:

Tuesday, November 21 9:15 am-Thanksgiving Service- break begins after the service.  

Monday, November 27th- School Resumes

Saturday, December 2nd  - 8:30 am Kids Love to Give Parish Hall
*Please note that this event is open to families who registered by November 15. 

Tuesday, December 19th 10:00 am- Christmas Service- break begins after the service. 




Program Highlights:
Boots for Baltimore
We did it!!! We raised enough money to buy 30 pairs of boots for homeless men and women in the Baltimore area. Our students loved adding their coins to class collections and watching them grow, but they also felt important knowing they were helping people in our community. We celebrated our efforts by wearing our boots to chapel. A very special thank you Sophie Coates and Chrissy Levering, our Community Service Co-chairs, for the organization and time they put into making our efforts so successful this year.

MAESA Conference
On November 3 the Redeemer faculty and staff boarded at bus at 6:00 am to attend an all-day conference in Falls Church, VA dedicated to early childhood education. Not only did we learn many new ideas and suggestions that can be implemented into our program, we enjoyed time together. The faculty and staff at Redeemer are dedicated to quality professional development and our roles as early childhood educators. While required to earn 6-12 hours annually, many of our teachers go well beyond those numbers. Redeemer is grateful for the teachers' dedication and time!

PDS Sunday

This past Sunday we celebrated a beautiful service dedicated to the relationship of our church and school. It was wonderful to see many current and former Day School families come together as a community. We want to extend a very special thank you to our Rector, David Ware, and his staff for putting a lot of heart and care into planning the morning. We are all lucky to be part of such an amazing community!

null
In preschool we recognize the privilege, responsibility and joy of educating our youngest students. Alongside their parents, we work diligently at building the foundation for their ongoing and lifelong learning. Be sure to click on the link below found in every issue to see our wonderful students in action. Enjoy!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR STUDENT VIDEO
"Fun and Learning at Redeemer"


Please visit our website


Interested in learning more about our 
Kindergarten 
and 
Pre-first?

Please visit:
to learn more about 
The Church of the Redeemer

RPDS CURRENT VALUES:
Courage
Thanksgiving
Cures for Tattling
Self-control

Community News





Contact Us
Redeemer Parish Day School
5603 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210
410-435-9510

Mary Knott, Director
mknott@redeemerbaltimore.org