October 30, 2019
Dear P.A.W.S. Families,
Can you believe the first 2 months of school have flown by? The students at PAWS are settling into their classroom routines and schedules. Fall is officially here and the leaves have turned from green to red, yellow, and orange. Each classroom has been talking about the changing colors we see outside and about the vegetables we often see at this time of year, especially pumpkins! I have seen signs of autumn in every classroom with crunchy leaves in the sensory tables; farm stands set up with pumpkins and gourds in the dramatic play areas, and paintings of orange pumpkins, fall leaves, and apple prints decorating our walls. I hope you are finding time to discover and enjoy the delights of the season with your child!
Halloween Reminder
This is an exciting time of year for many children. As a reminder, traditionally P.A.W.S. does not celebrate Halloween, and the preschoolers do not wear costumes to school.
Some of our children are not yet able to tell the difference between real and pretend and become upset or confused by different costumes, wigs, and face paint. We wish to maintain that preschool is a happy, safe, welcoming, predictable, and friendly place to play and learn and we do not wish to have unexpected or upsetting surprises for our littlest learners. Thank you in advance for saving your Halloween costumes for events outside of school. P.A.W.S. students at the Fiske School will not wear costumes to school on Halloween. Each student may look forward to Kindergarten and being invited to wear a costume at school when they are older.
Thank you for keeping your PAWS preschooler’s costume at home on Halloween.
Candy Drive
The preschoolers will participate in the Wellesley Dental Group’s Annual Community Candy Drive. Candy collection bins will be available at the preschool for your convenience. You and your child may donate extra/unwanted Halloween candy that in turn will be sent to U.S. Troops overseas. We will be collecting candy and handwritten letters for the troops from November 1st – 7th, 2019.
The school that donates the most candy wins $1,000. The winner announcement and press event will take place on the 8th November, 2019 at 10 – 11 AM. This year they are expecting the support of the 51st Troop Command of the Massachusetts National Guard, the Wellesley Fire Department, and the Wellesley Police Department.
If your neighbors or colleagues at work have candy they don’t want, please ask them for it, and bring it to the collection bin at P.A.W.S. next week!
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Please be on the lookout for communications from your child’s classroom teacher about the upcoming Parent/Teacher conferences. Teachers have special release time provided to them to meet with families on November 5, 6 and 13. Some teachers will provide additional time to meet with families outside of these designated dates. We encourage all parents and guardians to enjoy the one-on-one meeting time to meet with the preschool teachers to discuss your child’s preschool learning journey this year so far!
Congratulations to PAWS!
The Preschool at Wellesley Schools (P.A.W.S) was recently granted its five-year term re-accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. NAEYC is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. The P.AW.S. community, including the director, teachers/specialists, and families all participated in a rigorous process that involved self-reflection and quality improvement in order to meet comprehensive standards and maintain accreditation over a five-year period. Each classroom team created a classroom portfolio to present evidence of the classroom’s capacity to meet the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria over time. The P.A.W.S. Administrative Team created a program portfolio that contains plans, documents, and records that provide evidence of program implementation of the NAEYC Accreditation Criteria. These materials were reviewed by an on-site NAEYC accreditor over a two-day visit to P.A.W.S. in early October. The accreditor also observed teaching practices in real time in classrooms. To achieve NAEYC Accreditation, a program must meet at least 80% of assessed items for each program standard; 70% of items assessed in the site visit; and meet all required items. P.A.W.S. is proud to announce that they exceeded these standards!
Water Bottles
Staying well hydrated is important for healthy bodies and brains! Please send a clean water bottle to school with your child each day. You may fill it with water from home, or your child can fill it at school. Please be sure your child’s water bottle is marked clearly with your child’s name.
Thank you for your support! Your positive participation, partnership, and care helps to make P.A.W.S. its very best!
Sincerely,
‘Becca Z.
Important Dates:
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Tuesday, November 5 – Early Release for Parent/Teacher conferences – dismissal for all classes at PAWS will be 11:45 AM
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Wednesday, November 6 – Parent/Teacher conferences
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Monday, November 11 – Veteran’s Day – No School
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Wednesday, November 13 – Parent/Teacher conferences
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Thursday, November 21 – Tea With ‘Becca at 9:00 AM
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Wednesday, November 27 – Early Release Day – All classes dismiss at 11:45 AM
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Thursday and Friday, November 28 &29 – Thanksgiving Recess – No School
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Monday, December 2 – No School for Students, Professional Day for Teachers
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December 23 – January 1 – No School – Year End Vacation
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Thursday, January 2, 2020 – School Reopens