November is the month for giving thanks and I would like to thank ALL of the carnival volunteers, community donors, family donors, sponsors, parent group volunteers, high school volunteers, Young Life, Northminster Church and all the church members who contributed to the success of this year’s preschool carnival.  Here are some wonderful photos of the carnival.

Each year I am amazed at how successful the carnival is, and think to myself, that it cannot be any better, and each year, the parents prove me wrong! Thank you for that, I am truly blessed! We could not have done it without each and every one of the people involved and I am so grateful for all of you and your tireless efforts to pull off such a huge event. Your efforts continue to amaze and humble me.

Many Blessings,
Shelli Harder

What a wonderful time everyone had at the Get Acquainted Potluck! I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. I want to thank everyone who came and shared a dish. It is always exciting to see the dad’s at the preschool!

Our second Kindergarten Options Information Night is Wednesday, October 7, 2009 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. This event is open to the public so you are more than welcome to bring a friend to this informative event. We also need 5 or 6 parents to help us by baking 2 dozen cookies and bringing them to the office on Wednesday, October 7th in the morning. Thank you for your help!

Our open house will be on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to see what your children have been doing in preschool since September. We hope to see you all there!

The classrooms are transforming as we speak, getting ready for that special day at the end of October. We have a Halloween Parade on October 29, and October 30 around 9:20 a.m. Please, no masks if you choose to have your child dress up. Mrs. Keri’s friends do not participate in the parade. Ask your child’s teacher about their procedures for this event. You are invited to stay and take pictures.

Our enrichment programs start this month. We have a puppet show on October 20th and 21st at 10:30 a.m. On October 26th and 27th at 10:30 a.m. we have a Fire Safety program with two Fire Fighters from our preschool community. One is a former dad and the other is a current dad at our preschool.

A safety reminder for all parents, please, please make sure the gate is closed behind you when you enter and exit the preschool. Make sure you hear that click of the lock when you close the gate. Thank you!

I would also like to remind parents that you need to please keep your children home if they are sick. The only way to keep your children healthy here is if you help us by keeping your children home when they are sick. If they have a persistent cough and runny nose and are not feeling well, they need to stay home or see a doctor. If they have a fever, vomit or have had diarrhea, they must be symptom free for 24 hours without medication before they are allowed back at preschool. Please help us keep the children and staff at Northminster Preschool healthy!

I have seen a lot of donations coming in for the Carnival already. Thank you, thank you, thank you! The classroom bins for the silent auction baskets will be in front of the classrooms with the theme attached. Your donations will help create a beautiful classroom basket to be auctioned off at the Carnival on November 14, 2009.

As I walk around the school each day, I am reminded of all the efforts past and present that the parents have done to help make Northminster Preschool one of the best in this area. It is because of parents like you that we are able to look at our school both inside and out and be proud of both the physical plant and the teachers and staff who make it special. I am extremely grateful to be the Director of Northminster Preschool. We have an amazing group of parents, children and staff here. We are so blessed! Thank you for all you do as parents to make it a pleasure to do my job.

As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please stop by the office. If not, you can still stop by and say hello!

Shelli Harder, Director

The Northminster Preschool will host its annual Wild West Carnival for preschool aged children on Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 10am to 2pm.  The Carnival features game booths, pony rides, clown face painting, jump houses, bake and craft sales, silent auction and raffle drawings.

Inclusive wristbands may be purchased in advance for $20 per child or on the day of the event for $25 per child; individual tickets will also be available at the door.  Silent auction and raffle prizes have been generously donated by local businesses, student’s parents and faculty and include many gift certificates from restaurants, spas, arts organizations/shows, sport activities and more.  The silent auction themed gift baskets are a great place to shop for holiday gifts.

A printable copy of the flyer may be obtained by clicking HERE

Welcome back everyone! We are so happy to see our returning students and also all of the new faces.

I have a few reminders and a request for help. The first reminder is to please, please always close the gate behind you when you go through one. Safety is our number one priority and we need your help to keep the gates closed and the children safe. The second request is to please drive slowly and carefully in the parking lot. We have 95 children a day transitioning in the parking lot. We need to always be diligent about driving slowly. Please be careful leaving and turning into the alley and exiting the alley. Also, if you leave the preschool going out onto Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, it is illegal to make a left hand turn onto Clairemont Mesa Boulevard from the church parking lot. It is dangerous and a hefty ticket if you get caught. Also, no children can be left in the car in the parking lot while you take your child into the preschool. That is a violation of the California Vehicle Code.

If you are going to be using our extended care program in the afternoon and your child will be staying after 1:30 p.m., please bring a beach towel with your child’s name on it for our nap mats. Please take the towel home at the end of the week for laundering.

On Thursdays and Fridays you have the option to sign-up for snack. We provide snack but we have found that parents enjoy bringing something different or “special” for a day and since we are limited in what we can provide to 95 students, it also gives a variety to the children. This is a voluntary sign-up only. You do not have to participate. If you do bring snack, please check with your child’s teacher for food allergies in the classroom. They have a list of food allergies and can let you know if there is a specific allergy. We are a peanut free facility.

I also have a few calendar reminders for you. On Friday, September 18, 2009, we will be having our first parent group meeting in the Fireside Room. All parents are welcome to come and share their fund-raising ideas and we also have positions we need filled for the parent group. Thank you for your support.

Pictures will be October 1, 2009 and October 2, 2009. Shugrue Photography will be taking school pictures again this year.

On the second week of school you will be getting a packet from Genevieve. This fundraiser is replacing Innisbrook, which is a wrapping paper, candy, miscellaneous products type fundraiser. It is our first fundraiser of the year. We typically bring in $1200.00 or more for this fundraiser. If you would like to make a straight donation instead of buying the products, that is welcome as well!

Our “Get Acquainted Potluck” is Wednesday, September 23, 2009 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. We will be having dinner in the Church Hall and your children will be coming to the preschool classrooms. Teenage youth from the Northminster Church youth program will be here to watch your children. We will provide pizza to the children and you will bring a dish to share with the other parents. This is a great way to meet the other parents in your classroom and also connect with the parent group. We had a wonderful turnout last year and are very excited to have the event again this year!

Northminster Preschool is a non-profit preschool. We rely heavily on fund-raising to help us fund large projects of improvement for the preschool. While this is an important part of our school, we want you to know that all participation is voluntary. As we stated in our orientation, there are many ways to participate in the preschool besides contributing to our fundraisers. We are very appreciative of your time and/or your donations. Your donations last year helped replace the gates, fences and this summer, paint all the classrooms and add ceiling fans. This is due to YOUR fundraising efforts!

We are a diligent preschool on proper hand-washing techniques and sending children home who are sick. We need YOUR help this flu season by also emphasizing hand washing at home and keeping your children home if they are sick. I am in constant contact with the County Health Department on what the protocol is regarding the flu. Your children must be fever free for 24 hours WITHOUT the help of medication before they are permitted back into the preschool. We have also purchased cleaner that kills the flu virus and is non-toxic.

We are looking forward to a wonderful school year with your children. I am always available if you have any questions or concerns and if not, please just stop by to say hello. My door is always open and I would love to hear from you!

Shelli Harder
Director

Welcome to Summer Fun!

We have a lot of exciting and fun activities planned for your children.  I want to remind all parents that Thursday and Friday are our messy dirty water days. We will have water tables out, as well as water in the small sandbox by Room 3.  Please remember to bring an extra set of clothes, sox and shoes those days.  Please do NOT send your children in their best shoes or clothing those days.  If you have younger children, please always pack an extra set of clothing from shirts, shorts, underwear, sox and shoes.  You may put them in zip lock bag and write their name on the bag.  Make sure you check their bags daily for soiled clothing.  If your child is not potty trained, please provide diapers daily, and we will provide the wipes.  Please also remember to put sunscreen on your child daily.  We have extra in the office if you forget.  Due to possible allergies we are unaware of, we are not permitted to apply sunscreen to your child.

On July 7, 2009 and July 8, 2009 Whatever Little Pony will be here to take the children’s pictures on a real pony.  They take everyone’s picture and then before the summer program is over, you have the opportunity to buy the pictures.  There is no obligation to purchase the pictures, however, if you do purchase them, a portion of the money is returned to the preschool.

I would like to take this opportunity to explain our billing process if you drop-off early or pick-up after 12:00 p.m.  We bill per quarter hour.  If you drop-off at 8:00 until 8:55, we charge $1.35 per quarter hour.  If you pick-up after 12:05 p.m., again, we charge $1.35 per quarter hour.  We will have your total due at the end of Summer Fun.  Please also remember that extended care pick-up is at 2:00 p.m. The late fee starts at 2:01 p.m. and is $2.00 per minute. Since we bill off of your sign-in sheet, please make sure the time you write down is accurate and legible.  We have 120 different handwriting times to read at the end of the month!  Also, California Department of Social Services requires each child to be signed in and out every day they are in attendance at the preschool.  Please make sure you or your designated drop-off or pick-up person is signing in and out.  Also, please make sure if you send someone to pick-up your child that they are on the pick-up list.  Let them know they need to bring identification and show it in the office before we will release them.  Thank you!

We do all of our communication via email and notes home.  Please make sure the office has your correct email address.  Communication between the parents, the teachers, and the office staff is what makes the preschool work for everyone.  We are always here to answer any questions or concerns you may have.  Korin and I are available to help you in anyway we can to make your transition smooth.  Please feel free to call us or stop by anytime.

We hope all of the new parents and returning parents have a great summer and welcome to Northminster Preschool’s Summer Fun!

Shelli Harder, Director

Wow, is anyone else amazed that it is May? We have one more month of preschool and then it is Summer Fun! The school year goes until June 23, 2009. We will have our all school picnic on June 24, 2009 at Lindberg Park. There will be more information to follow next month.

We have our big Art Celebration night on Thursday, May 14, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. It will be a combination of singing, photos and an art show. Please feel free to bring your camera! This is the third year of this show and your children have been working hard the past couple of months in preparation for our celebration. We have had nearly 100% participation the past two years. It is an event you won’t want to miss! Please bring your children to the church sanctuary and have them sit with you until we are ready to sing. After they sing, you will take them down to the preschool to tour the classrooms. Make sure you save time to tour all of the classrooms. This gives you an opportunity to see what the other classrooms are like and who the teachers are that make Northminster Preschool so special. We are so excited about this event, so please join us!

The preschool will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2009 in observance of Memorial Day. Also, please keep an eye open for the Summer Fun letter and room assignments. Those letters will be going home on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 and Thursday, May 28, 2009.

The parent group and I are really excited to tell you about a new fundraiser we are doing this year in preparation for Northminster Preschools celebration of 40 years in the community! The preschool opened its doors in 1970 and has been making an impression in the surrounding communities ever since. We are going to be selling 6×6 tiles for $25.00. The children will then have the opportunity to paint them in the classrooms the week of May 25th. Then those tiles will be put up on the walls facing the playground as a reminder of your child’s time here at Northminster. If you have siblings that have graduated from Northminster and they would like to do one, we will have some available for them as well. This is a fundraiser sponsored by the Preschool Parent Group. Mr. Moyers from Mrs. Alcala’s room has generously offered his time to put the tiles on the wall for us. Thank you!

We will be holding a food drive this month for CCSA. They have had a record number of people in the Clairemont Community come by for food these past few months. They are running low on spaghetti, spaghetti sauce and canned fruit. If you have the ability to contribute any of these items to our food drive, we will have boxes outside the classrooms the entire month of May. Thank you in advance for your continued support of this important cause.

I would like to remind parents who participate in lunch bunch to please help us make pick-up time easier on everyone by signing your child out and leaving the playground area. It is extremely difficult to do our count and transfer to the next group of teachers if we have children on the playground when we have all of the other children off of the playground area. Thank you for your support and understanding. Safety is our first priority!

Vacation Bible School registration is still open but filling up quickly. If you would like to participate in this fun event (run by our own Korin McCoy), the registration forms are available — HERE.

On behalf of the entire staff at Northminster Preschool, we would like to thank you for all of the small and large things you have done this past year to make our school special. Not only have you shared your culinary skills with the children, you have donated supplies, time and love whenever we have needed it. You are an amazing group of parents and I wanted to let you know that what you do for us does not go unnoticed!

Shelli Harder

Wow! It’s spring already? It never ceases to amaze me how the time goes by so fast and your little ones grow by leaps and bounds!

A reminder we will be closed next week, April 6-10, 2009 for spring break. There will be a nice surprise for you when you get back! That surprise was made possible by all the hard work everyone did at the Carnival last fall.

Since it is now April, I want to remind parents that if you want to schedule a conference with your teacher to check on their progress, please feel free to do so. We do not set aside a specific conference week, so if you feel you need to touch base with your child’s teacher feel free to ask for one. This is available the entire year, not just in the spring.

The office continues to work on classroom assignments for the summer and next fall. If you signed up for Summer Fun, we will be sending out a letter in June with classroom and teacher assignments. The fall letter will go out in August.

Our next big “event” is our Art Celebration night on Thursday, May 14, 2009 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. We have special things planned, so please mark your calendars for this fun and memorable night. We have had an amazing turnout the past two years we have done this event and would love to see you there. Grandparents are welcome too!

We are trying a new fundraiser this month called Butter Braids. Look for those forms in your child’s bag. We will have samples at the preschool for you to taste. This company is owned by a former Northminster Preschool Parent!

Thank you to everyone who attended the pancake breakfast last Sunday. It was a wonderful day! Those children of yours were so cute. They are why we love our jobs here at Northminster Preschool!

We will be holding a peanut butter and jelly drive in May to help out CCSA’s cupboards. Look for boxes outside the classrooms next month. This organization helps people right here in our community.

I want to thank all of the preschool parents for your time, hard work and commitment to our preschool. Thank you for all that you do for us and thank you for sharing your children with us!

Have a safe and wonderful spring break and we will see you in a week!

Shelli Harder
Director

We are transitioning from the month of Love to spring! We are starting the first week of March off with our spring pictures with a real baby lamb. If you are interested in this, please fill out the form and bring your order form and money into the office by the morning of the pictures. We also have a picture with the background they will be using this year if you would like to take a look. It is in the office on Korin’s desk.

We will also have Irish Dancer’s visiting on March 13 and March 17, 2009. This program is courtesy of the parent group fundraising. Please also remember that priority registration is March 2, 2009. We need to have all of your paperwork in for both Summer Fun and Fall registration by March 10, 2009. We have past priority and then after that all spots will be opened up to the public. If you do not get your paperwork in on time, we cannot guarantee a spot for your child.

Another calendar note for you is we are again participating in CHIP, a child i.d. program. This is a voluntary program for you to participate in. They will be at the preschool on Friday, March 27, 2009. More information will be coming home soon. Also, pizza days for the month of March are Thursday, March 19, 2009 and Friday, March 27, 2009.

Please also note on your calendars the preschool will be closed Monday, March 16, 2009 for a professional growth day.

Remember, my door is always open for any questions, comments or concerns!

Shelli Harder

Wow, you can tell we are transitioning into the month of love! Your children will be working on master pieces of art that reflect this theme. They will be learning songs about love. All classes celebrate Valentine’s Day and have special instructions for you for making valentines for their class. Please check with your child’s teacher.

There are some dates in February to note on your calendar. The preschool will be closed Monday, February 9th in observance of Lincoln’s Birthday and Monday, February 16th for Washington’s Birthday. On Tuesday, February 10, 2009 and Wednesday, February 11, 2009 the “Jack Straws” will be here to sing to the children with a pirate theme. Again, this enrichment program is put on by the funds raised by the parent group at Northminster. Pizza days for the month of February are Thursday, February 19, 2009 and Friday, February 27, 2009.

The parent group coffee hour is Friday, February 13, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. We will be starting to fill positions opening up for next year by parents who will be leaving the preschool. If you wanted to help this year but were new to the whole “preschool experience” please think about coming to this meeting to see what needs they will have next year and how you can help. We are always looking for new ways to fundraise and your input is important to us!

In mid-February, your child will have an opportunity to create his or her very own stationery. A picture drawn by your child can be turned into stationery – professionally printed in color – and available for you to purchase at a very reasonable price. In addition to note cards, you can print notepads, party invitations, return address labels, and stickers. These heartwarming note cards provide a meaningful and effective way to support our school and would make a great Mother’s Day gift. Orders will be due at the end of February.

Priority registration is March 3, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. for children and siblings currently enrolled in the program. We will be sending home registration packets on Monday, February 23, 2009 and Tuesday, February 24, 2009 for Summer Fun and Fall enrollment. If you have a sibling coming into the program, please stop by the office and pick up a registration packet. Your children have priority in the program however, please keep in mind your forms need to be in the office no later than March 9, 2009. We have past-priority registration March 10, 2009 and open enrollment March 12, 2009. Any spots available in the program on those dates will be offered to new children.

While every effort will be made to honor teacher requests and number of days, the office reserves the right to fill classes based on age appropriateness, child dynamics and boy to girl ratios. There will be 28 spots available for 5 day pre-k between rooms 2, and 3. We cannot guarantee you receive the teacher and number of days requested, so the room and number of days will be filled on a first come, first served basis. If you do not receive the number of days you want, you will be put on a waiting list for first priority for those days in the order your registration was received.

You may have noticed some new gates around the preschool. All of the gates will be replaced by next weekend. Since we have a new gate by rooms 3 and 4, the same rule applies on keeping the gate closed at all times. This is for the safety of your children.
Bear Fence Co. is doing the job and Chris Finlay, the president has been working with me on pricing and doing a great job getting me what I ask for at a reasonable price. If you have a job in the future for your homes, please keep them in mind. The gates are courtesy of the parent group fundraising and the money raised during the carnival. Thanks to all of your support for our fundraisers, we are able to continue to do things to upgrade the facilities to make this preschool better every year!

On behalf of the staff of Northminster Preschool, I would like to thank all of you for your hard work, dedication and fundraising efforts. You and your children are the reason we love what we do and dedicate ourselves to returning year after year! As always, if you have any questions, concerns or ideas, please feel free to stop by my office. My door is always open for you.

Shelli Harder

Wow, 2009! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Welcome back everyone! We are into the swing of the New Year already! We are excited to be back and are looking forward to a great 2009 with your children.

On Tuesday, January 13, 2009 and Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. we will have Mad Science here as part of Northminster Preschool’s enrichment program. They will be sharing their program called “Special Effects”. Your children will enjoy this show. A calendar reminder for you: the preschool will be closed on Monday, January 19, 2009 in observance of Martin Luther King Holiday.

I am sure that most of you are aware of the two large potholes in the alley. If you would like to help get those large holes fixed you can go to the website www.sandiego.gov/street-div and put in a service request. Our address is 4324 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and the two perpendicular streets are Cole Street and Du Bois with the parallel street being Conrad. I have filled out a request for service for the alley to be graded and repaved (wishful thinking!) but at the very least it would be helpful to have the two large holes fixed! Thank you for your help!

I want to thank all of you who donated toys to CCSA before Christmas. The organization was very appreciative of your efforts.

Since we are going into the heavy cold and flu months, please remember to keep your child home if they have an excessively runny nose, fever, diarrhea, or vomiting. State regulations require your child to be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. This also applies to vomiting and diarrhea. We want to keep everyone happy and healthy this year!

We have accumulated a lot of jackets, shirts, and miscellaneous items in our lost and found in the office. Please stop by and see if any of these items belong to you!

On behalf of the entire staff we wish you a happy and healthy 2009! Remember, my door is always open if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Shelli Harder, Director