SAND & DIRT BOX NEWS March 2013

Back By Popular Demand…

“JUST FOR FUN” SUMMER CAMP

May 28th - June 14th

FUN daily activities include water play, games, arts & crafts,

songs and stories. New theme each day!

Snacks will be provided.

Children ages 3 through 5 are eligible for camp.

Session #1 May 28 – May 31(four days) 9 am - 1 pm

Session #2 June 3 - June 7 (five days) 9 am - 1 pm

Session #3 June 10 -June 14 (five days) 9 am - 1 pm

Children will need to bring a lunch and a water bottle with them each day.

There is a one-time non-refundable registration fee of $35 per child or $50 per

family registering more than one child. Register for more than one week and receive

a discounted tuition rate.

Single week rates: Session #1 only: $170 Session #2 or #3 only: $210

Combination week rates:

Session #1 and #2 combined OR Session #1 and #3 combined: $340

Session #2 and #3 combined: $375 All 3 weeks: $525

A minimum of 25 children each week are needed in order to hold summer camp.

If interested, please fill out the sign up sheet in the office by Monday, March 11th.

If there is enough interest, registration forms will be available on Friday, March

15th.

Hope to see you at Camp…”Just For Fun”!

Page 2

FAMILY FUN NIGHT AND AUCTION

Although Family Fun Night is NOT a fundraiser, our auction held that evening

raised $1,200 for our school. Also, one of our fabulous families was able to utilize their company’s

matching gifts fund as a way to further increase our donations. Many

companies offer matching gifts to non-profits. We would gladly accept a

donation from yours!

Auction Winners are:

Colangelo/DePaola Pizza & Craft Party Maci Reynolds

Evans/Moye Lunch & Craft Party Gabriella White

Bocskor/Bingham Meadowlark Garden Day Ava Carter

Magness/Uranga Pool Party Anson DeVinney

Zoe Robell

DIY Picture on Canvas Lesson Georgetta Carroll

Andrea Dahl

Ellen Szymanski

Sonia White

Lucky winners should coordinate specific dates with the individual teachers.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Great fun and

standing room only

at our annual Family

Fun Night!

Page 3 SAND & DIRT BOX NEWS

CONCOCTION THURSDAY STAY & PLAY When I was little and couldn’t fall asleep, I would go in to the bathroom and

mix together whatever I could find in the medicine cabinet. Shaving cream,

baby powder, toothpaste and hair gel were all mixed with a q-tip and always

without the knowledge of my unsuspecting parents!

Thursday, March 14th is

Stay & Play Concoction Thursday! Have your child Stay and Play this day and he/she will

come home with some fun bags of goo!

OH WHAT FUN WE’LL HAVE !!!

FILLING OUR BUCKETS I recently stumbled upon a wonderful book, “Fill a

Bucket: A Guide to Daily Happiness for the Young

Child” by Carol Mccloud and Katherine Martin. The

book explains that encouraging words and actions

help children know they are loved, valued, and

capable.

Every month I’m going to be teaching children about

a different character trait that will help them “fill

their bucket”. Each child has a bucket that is kept

in their classroom.

Last month we talked about ways that children can

show love. I heard answers such as giving kisses,

picking up toys, and helping a friend. All day

children worked at filling their buckets. I saw

Louis reach out to help Kai up after he fell on the

playground, and I saw Ava and Zoe holding hands as

they walked into the school. By the end of that

day, our “school bucket” was overflowing. Our next

bucket day is March 12th.

Samantha Dabich (5

Day Pre-K class) has

her bucket that’s been

filled with hearts

representing the love

she’s shared with

others!

KINDERGARTEN READINESS

This is the time of year when parents sometimes agonize over whether or not

they should send their child to kindergarten in the fall. It’s not an easy decision

and what is right for one child isn’t necessarily right for another. Monday, April 29th, Kindergarten Teachers from Westbriar Elementary School

are coming to Epiphany to share their thoughts about Kindergarten Readiness.

This informal meeting will be from 2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. I realize that we’re going to have to be a bit creative with the time schedule as

this is right when elementary school children will be getting home. In order to

try to accommodate everyone, we will be providing childcare. However, to

ensure I have enough teachers available, PARENTS WILL HAVE TO REGISTER

FOR CHILDCARE IN ADVANCE. I’ve listened to FCPS Kindergarten Teachers speak at events in the past, and I

think you’ll find this afternoon event very informative. My hope is that the

information you receive will help make your decision a bit easier. Of course,

your child’s teachers are always available to answer any questions you have. Look for registration forms soon.

Bill Fowkes, our

beloved Storyeller,

with the help of

Mrs. Bingham take

our 4-day Pre-K

kids on a ride

during a story

about the

continuing

adventures of

Jungle Joe!

BOOKS WE’VE BEEN READING

If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Joffe Numeroff & Felicia Bond

The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

Time To Sleep Denise Fleming

Here Comes Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara

When Winter Comes by Nancy Van Laan & Susan Gaber

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Clifford’s First Valentine’s Day by Norman Bridwell

Snowballs by Lois Ehlert

Stranger in the Woods by Carl Sams & Jean Stoick

The Snow Family by Daniel Kirk

Seal’s Silly Sandwich by Dorothy Sklar

Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley & Anne Miranda

Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Ed Emberley & Anne Miranda

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST STUDENTS

Emeron is in Mrs. Bocskor & Mrs. Bingham’s 4 day Pre-K class Emeron Streetman 3/17/08

Aspen & Murry Streetman

9490 Virginia Center Blvd. #430

Vienna, VA 22181

C/ 303-921-0183

email: aspenstreetman@yahoo.com Hannah is in Mrs. Magness, Mrs. Urenga & Mrs. DeVito’s 5 day Pre-K class Hannah Barry 2/11/08

Sarah & Shawn Barry

10674 Oakton Ridge Ct

Oakton, VA 22124

C/804-397-9251 (Sarah)

email: SarahLNBarry@gmail.com

We’re so glad you’ve found Epiphany Preschool!

NATURE CORNER

We have hired Elizabeth Burke to work with our 3-year-olds for the rest of this

year. Elizabeth, a Certified Environmental Educator and Interpretive Guide, has

been teaching our preschoolers (and teachers) the beauty of nature for several

years. Through her nature program, Mud Pie Planet, she has created schoolyard

gardens, nature classes, rain gardens, and writing projects. Elizabeth has a true

passion for sharing nature with children and adults and is responsible for opening

my eyes to the importance of experiencing it with our preschoolers.

Thanks to funds raised at our Auction, work begins on school gardens this week!

Our back garden this year will not only have pumpkins and gourds, but 8 separate

garden plots. Each class will plant and maintain their own 2 plots. Our front

garden beds will be filled with vegetables and herbs that will be harvested

before school is out in May. (Look for Farmers Market Thursday coming this

Spring!) We’re also extending our garden at the school’s entrance and adding

plants to our sensory and butterfly gardens.

It’s a busy time outside around Epiphany. Children love to help and are very

proud of their accomplishments!

Mrs. Magness & Mrs. Uranga’s class is hard

at work cleaning up the playground getting

ready for Spring!

DONATION OPPORTUNITY

Epiphany Church is again supporting Camp Highroads, a non-profit Christian

Adventure Camp and extension ministry of the United Methodist Church. Camp

Highroads is in need of various items in order to make their summer camp

successful.

Over the last two years, children at Camp Highroads have created an enormous

variety of crafts using the supplies collected by churches. They have made

crafts as part of nature classes and crafts that stretch the children’s

imagination. Many crafts have been included in devotions and nature classes,

such as a butterfly sheet that teaches about metamorphosis and provides an

illustration of becoming a new creation in Christ.

Camp Highroads is especially low on some of the more consumable items such as

glue, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, clay and playdough. They are also low on balls,

Frisbees, nets, and compasses.

If you are interested in donating items, please consider dropping them in the

“Highroad Donations” box in the hallway between the church and preschool. The

box will be picked up in mid March.

JOYFUL NOISE CHOIR

Please join us on Sunday, April 28th to hear our preschool’s “Joyful Noise

Choir” sing during Epiphany’s 11:00 a.m. Church service.

This is an annual spring event and all preschoolers are invited to sing and their

families are invited to attend. After the service there is a reception in the

Fellowship Hall.

Our wonderful music teacher, Miss May, works extremely hard to help the

children learn the songs. She does an amazing job and the children are always so

proud and excited to share their songs with us.

I hope you’ll be able to attend. Permission slips will be coming home soon.

CALENDAR

MARCH

4 4’s Storytelling with Bill Fowkes

5 3’s Nature Education with Miss Elizabeth

12 3’s & 4’s—Fill Their Buckets with Mrs. Frick

13 3’s & 4’s—Chapel with Pastor Rob

20 3’s & 4’s Enrichment—Peter Rabbit Interactive Theatre

25-29 Epiphany Closed—Spring Break

30 EUMC Easter Egg Hunt—10:00 a.m. Church Grounds

APRIL

1 4’s Storytelling with Bill Fowkes

2 Director’s Coffee—At Drop-Off—In Office

9 3’s & 4’s—Fill Their Buckets with Mrs. Frick

15 Epiphany Closed—Student Holiday

17 3’s & 4’s Enrichment—Under The Sea

24 3’s & 4’s Chapel with Pastor Rob

28 Spring Sing in Church—11:00 a.m.

29 Kindergarten Readiness Parent Ed—2:00—2:45

Fellowship Hall

THANK YOU!!!

Many Post-Valentine hugs and thanks for all

the Valentine cards, gifts and goodies!. You

made me feel very loved!