Dear Panda One Families,
Spring has sprung! Bees are buzzing, trees are budding, and the daylight hours are growing increasingly longer each day. However, it is springtime in Colorado, and as many of us know, the weather can be quite unpredictable this time of year. That being said, please keep your eyes and ears on the daily forecast and bring your child to school dressed accordingly.
Before we jump into April’s agenda, we’d like to give a quick shout-out to everyone who contributed to our St. Patty’s Day Social last month – THANK YOU!!! Your support is greatly appreciated.
April at a Glance
This month we will be welcoming spring into our classroom – and what’s spring without a little spring cleaning? The children will get to play (and paint) with feather dusters and spray bottles, use soap and water to clean our toys at the sensory table, and play with child-size brooms and dust pans which we will be adding to our dramatic play area. They will also be continuing to work on their self-help skills by practicing cleaning-up after themselves after and mealtime and playtime. While outdoors, we will be taking some time to notice and talk about all of the changes that are occurring around us: melting snow, rain showers, budding trees, green grass, birds chirping, squirrels chattering, and bunnies building their nest in the garden. The children will also be using magnifying glasses to examine flowers, soil, bugs and more! These observations and conversations will help the children develop a better understanding of the change in seasons.
To celebrate Easter, the children will be exploring in Easter grass in the sensory table, singing “Little Bunny Foo Foo”, and learning to dance The Bunny Hop. They will also be hunting for Easter eggs on the playground during our Annual Easter Egg Hunt (details below)!
In honor of Earth Day, the children will be doing a sensory activity with water, sand, and shaving cream to represent the earth. We will also be learning about things that grow, so the children will be “growing a garden” in Playdough using fake seeds and silk flowers. They will also be planting real seeds in potting soil, and learning how to water and care for their seedlings.
Friendly Reminders
Sunset Academy will be closing early, at 4:00PM, on Friday, April 12th. We ask that you please make arrangements to have your child(ren) picked up early that day as our staff will not be available after 4:00PM. Thank you in advance!
Sunscreen
Please provide a bottle of sunscreen, to be kept in the classroom, for your child during the upcoming spring and summer months. For children who will be arriving to school after 8:45AM, we kindly ask that you apply sunscreen to your child prior to dropping them off at school; we will reapply it before going outdoors in the afternoon.
Upcoming Events
National Library Week begins on Sunday, April 7th. We invite the children to bring their favorite books to school to share with the class during circle time.
Panda One Annual Easter Egg Hunt – Happy Easter! Weather permitting, we will be having an Easter egg hunt on the playground on Friday, April 21st, during our regularly scheduled recess time. Plastic egg, healthy snack, and treat donations are welcome. Also, the children are encouraged to bring their Easter baskets to school on that day.
Transitions
Beginning Monday, April 1st, we will be welcoming several new friends, Lukas, Keira, and Rafael, to Panda One. Kiera will be graduating from Koala Two, while Lukas and Rafael are new to Sunset Academy. Please join us in welcoming all three children and their families to the Panda One Classroom.
April Curriculum
Week 1: Weather and Clouds
Week 2: Outer Space
Week 3: Easter/Spring
Week 4: Earth Day/Planting and Gardening
STEM Theme
Air, Rain and Sunshine
Important Dates
4/1: April Fool’s Day
4/7: National Library Week Begins
4/19: Panda One Annual Easter Egg Hunt – Don’t forget to bring an Easter basket!
4/22: Earth Day
Wednesdays: Little Belly Breaths with Miss Pam*
Fridays: Musicare with Miss Amy*
*By registration only
As always, we welcome your feedback! Should you ever have any questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns, please do not hesitate to speak with one of us.
Until next month, take care!
Sincerely,
Miss Becka, Miss Elena, and Miss Emily
The Panda One Teachers