Sunday

All About Emma

     Emma was next in our sequence for "All About Me" presentations. She did a superb job with her public speaking skills as she shared facts about herself to her classmates. Emma spoke with the utmost of confidence and maturity while filling everyone in on important details. It was an absolute pleasure watching Emma proudly shine.
Here are some things we learned about Emma:
Favorite color - pink
Favorite animal - cat 🐈
Favorite food - bananas 🍌
Favorite thing to do - read books 📚
Favorite place to visit - Vermont 
When I grow up I want to be - queen 👸
If I had one wish I would wish for - lots of cupcakes 🎂
     Emma beamed as she achieved the "Student of the Month"award. She was especially excited to show her younger sister, Isla.  Thank you for giving us the opportunity through your "All About Me" to learn new and interesting facts about you!

      We had a marvelous time celebrating Emma's 4th birthday here at school! Classmates enjoyed the delicious cupcakes and goody favors that she brought in for her party.  SMART START friends gifted  Emma with a birthday book and sang "Happy Birthday!" in English and Spanish. We love having Miss Emma here with us at SMART START.  She is a significant role model, kind friend and an intelligent, adventurous, unique and lovely young girl!  We look forward to exploring 4 years old with her!

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💙 Mary and Francesca 💙

Thursday

Welcome Brooklynn

     We are pleased to introduce, Brooklynn, to our SMART START family! Brooklynn has transitioned with ease and we love having her!

     Brooklynn was excited to take part in some of our class favorites here at SMART START, most notably "Show and Tell" and "Sharing Snack."  She was delighted to bring in her favorite stuffed animal friend, Poppy, and tell us all about her.  Brooklynn was a kind friend and passed Poppy around to all of her classmates.

  For snack time, Brooklynn brought in peanut butter puffs and proudly passed out the snack to the group.  As with all of the students, Brooklynn exuded confidence and excitement as she shared the tasty treat.



     Happy 2nd birthday, Brooklynn!  We had so much fun celebrating with you here at school and we hope you did, too!  Thank you so much for bringing in the delicious and adorable smiley face cupcakes to share with your friends as we celebrated your special day! Her new SMART START friends presented Brooklynn with a birthday book and sang "Happy Birthday."  It has been lovely getting to know you, Brooklynn and we look forward to spending many more fun-filled days ahead with you and watching you grow!  You are such a sweet and smart young girl!



💙 Mary and Francesca 💙

All About Nora

     Nora was our next proud presenter for "All About Me".  She did a marvelous job sharing her poster with our SMART START bunch.  Nora shined as she spoke with confidence and enthusiasm.  It was evident that she really enjoyed sharing these special interests with her friends and teachers. 
Here are some fun things we learned about Nora:
Favorite color - pink
Favorite animal - tiger/cat 🐈
Favorite food - pizza 🍕
Favorite thing to do - go to a Hibachi restaurant 🔥
Favorite place to visit - indoor playground
When I grow up I want to be - princess 👸
If I had one wish I would wish for -  a truck

    
     Nora was given the "Student of the Month" award for good conduct. She was all smiles as we handed her the award!  Nora was especially excited to show her big brother, Theo!  Thank you for sharing your "All About Me" poster with us, Nora!  We loved learning more fun and interesting things about you!

     SMART START friends presented Nora with a birthday book and sang "Happy Birthday" in English and Spanish. We had so much fun celebrating your 3rd birthday at school and we hope you did, too! It has been rewarding watching Nora blossom here at school and make tremendous progress in all areas.  She is a sweet, inquisitive and smart young girl!  We look forward to seeing what this year has in store for you, Nora!
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💙 Mary and Francesca 💙

Monday

Happy 4th of July!

     SMART START Patriots have been busy learning all about Independence Day and the United States of America here at school.  The 4th of July is an exciting, action packed and history filled holiday that we incorporate into curriculum and celebrate with our young learners. We hope you enjoy a look at our 4th of July celebrations and activities!



     SMART START's eager group read all about Independence Day during story times both in our indoor and outdoor classrooms.  Circle time friends listened intently, whether on an indoor rug, outside on a blanket or together under the oak trees. We studied the history of the holiday, its celebrations and traditions. Preschoolers shared 4th of July memories and what they are doing this year!  

Here are some fun facts the children learned about Independence Day:
  • The day we celebrate our freedom
  • The Pledge of Allegiance 
  • There are many men and women who work hard to keep our country free and safe
  • America's first president: George Washington 
  • Family and friends gather together and typically grill outside and eat festive foods
  • Red, white and blue is worn by many and the colors used to decorate
  • Decorations feature flags, fireworks, stars, stripes, 
  • Songs surrounding the holiday: "You're a Grand Old Flag", "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America"
  • Many towns have parades

     It is important for the younger generations to understand why we celebrate holidays and the meanings behind them.  Making these connections at such a young age will provide the knowledge and wisdom needed to reflect on future holidays. 






     Students worked diligently on their mathematics holiday worksheet  consisting of different groups of patriotic symbols. All used one to one correspondence to count each object and then wrote the number amount in each box.  Miss Francesca and some of our veteran students assisted when needed. All are making great strides in the mathematics department as we practice daily.

     Holiday based worksheets make learning more interesting for our pupils. Most often they do not even realize the focused on skills at hand as they are fascinated by the festive component!  


     Barny enjoyed listening to stories and playing dress up with our patriotic class. Even though Barny is a stuffed friend, he has a remarkable way of teaching the children about kindness, inclusion, respect, compassion, empathy, responsibility and acceptance. Barny has been a wonderful addition to our classroom and has helped make SMART START a better place!


     It was a perfect, hot Summer day when we brought out SMART START's slush machine. This activity was part of our Happy Birthday, America celebration! Star Spangled slush makers worked together in pairs to fill the machine with ice, press down the button to grind the ice, hold the cup to catch the shavings and add red, white or blue flavoring. Fun was had by all while making this tasty treat!

 A hands-on activity as simple as slush making fosters many benefits for our preschoolers such as:
  • independence
  • self-esteem
  • creativity
  • curiosity
  • patience 




     SMART START had its very own 4th of July parade right here in our backyard!  Our young nationalists assembled together with American flags in hand and hats on their heads as they  proudly marched around.  Even Caroline and Charlotte took the liberty of joining in the festive fun!  Smiles graced their darling faces as they waved the flags back and forth and sang, "You're a Grand Old Flag." We love witnessing their spirit, excitement and pledge to our country!




     All sporting 4th of July hats, necklaces and other attire, classmates gathered around as we celebrated America's birthday!  A special thanks to Cody and Kinsley for bringing in Star Spangled cookies with crackling jimmies for a very special sharing snack! The children also savored the red, white and blue slush they made prior to the party.  Miss Francesca entertained the group with a 4th of July story and all sang classic songs!




Click below to see more 4th of July fun at SMART START!


                                        


     SMART START chorus members sang “Happy birthday to America” and “You’re a grand old flag,”  Our older students sang beautifully while assisting the younger children with the lyrics. Incorporating music into our curriculum is extremely beneficial for language acquisition, mathematics and reading skills. 

"You're A Grand Old Flag"






     We hope you have a safe and fun-filled time celebrating our country this year on the 4th of July.  As always, thank you for your kindness and support as we continue to educate, enrich and enhance the lives of your child(ren).

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💙 Mary and Francesca 💙