New at Tri-Village Nursery School!
This year we are happy to offer a digital hybrid option for our families!
Our goals for Remote Learning:
· letter names and their sounds
· understand number concepts
· recognize, spell and write our first names
· hold pencils, crayons, and markers correctly
· retell familiar stories
· answer questions about stories
· learn simple nursery rhymes and fingerplays
· concepts of print: left to right direction, holding a book right side up, letters form words, words form sentences
· build vocabulary and listening skills
· patterning and sequencing
· fine motor skills
· gross motor skills
· explore a variety of art processes: painting, drawing, gluing, collage, mixing colors...
· use a variety of art materials: crayons, tempera paint. watercolors, chalk, markers, pastels…
· sing songs and chants · and so much more!
· understand number concepts
· recognize, spell and write our first names
· hold pencils, crayons, and markers correctly
· retell familiar stories
· answer questions about stories
· learn simple nursery rhymes and fingerplays
· concepts of print: left to right direction, holding a book right side up, letters form words, words form sentences
· build vocabulary and listening skills
· patterning and sequencing
· fine motor skills
· gross motor skills
· explore a variety of art processes: painting, drawing, gluing, collage, mixing colors...
· use a variety of art materials: crayons, tempera paint. watercolors, chalk, markers, pastels…
· sing songs and chants · and so much more!
How will we meet these goals?
Last year we used a platform called Bloomz and it worked well! You can use it from your laptop, tablet, or from the app on your phone. It’s a bit like Facebook, but with added privacy. Everyone can post, like, comment, and upload pictures and videos. We will post our circle time lessons and you and your child can watch the videos when it’s convenient for you! We will post other learning prompts for you to use when the time is right for your family. We can also send private messages to the whole class, subgroups, or between two individuals. You can message each other as well. We will have a Zoom meeting weekly for the entire class. These sessions will be completely optional. We understand that you may be dealing with multiple children at home with you, you may be working from home, working out of the home, and we all have many responsibilities. Things have been complicated by Covid-19, and flexibility is key! As the school year progresses, we may need to tweak the “how”, but the goals will never change. We want your child to be ready for a four-year-old class next year, or for kindergarten! We’ll get there with cooperation, hard work, trust, and compassion for each other. We are here to help you and your family navigate uncharted waters. We see our class as an extended family, working together, and physically distanced in order to help your child fall in love with school, no matter what that school looks like! It’s imperative that you understand how important you, the parents, are to a successful school year! We know this year is unique, uncertain, and frankly, pretty disappointing. Please help your child by modeling a positive attitude and saving discussions of any disappointment you might be feeling about the effects that Covid-19 is having on preschool, for times when your child won’t overhear you. We intend to make your child feel just as important, and loved, as if we were in school together. Your positive attitude will help your child have a wonderful, and successful experience!
· Handwriting Without Tears – our main curriculum. We will use their workbook to practice writing letters, shapes, and numbers.
· Circle time - a time for learning letter sounds, days of the week, calendar concepts, rhyming, and so much more. We will upload a circle time video Monday– Thursday. You can find an example of one on our website and our Facebook page.
· Fine motor skills – strengthen hands and fingers by manipulating play dough, using tweezers, paper punches, cutting leaves, paper, straws…
· Art activities– help reinforce fine motor skills. They also help children express their thoughts and feelings creatively. Mrs. Kauffman, an artist herself, will provide projects and activities you can easily source from your home.
· Music activities –provide opportunities for children to enhance their listening skills by exploring sound, rhythm, volume, tempo, and making observations and predictions. We sing. A lot! Fingerplays add fine motor skills to music!
· Gross motor activities –children use their imaginations and their muscles as they engage in healthy, fun activities. We will provide ideas to get your child up and moving! Ice skate on carpet with waxed paper, transfer toys from one container to another while balancing on one foot, play a run and sort game by tossing household items in the yard and having your child run to collect and sort the items by color, size, beginning letter…
· Block play –using what you have at home, your child will develop creativity and problem solving. Children also get to experience concepts such as organization, cause and effect, classification, size and shape discrimination, and spatial relationships. Use traditional blocks, plastic cups, folded paper…
· Story time –helps children develop an enjoyment and appreciation of literature. It also enhances their knowledge base, comprehension, and vocabulary skills. We will be reading and talking about lots of books!
· Science activities –provide hands on opportunities for observation, investigation, exploration, making predictions, and experimentation. We will give you ideas to try at home!
We are hoping to be able to periodically share some unique materials from the classroom with you. Art supplies, manipulatives, toys, books, etc… You will pick them up at school during school hours *added 11/11/20, use them for further enrichment of what we will be doing online, and return them to school where they will be cleaned and set aside for at least a week before sharing with another family. This is totally optional, but we want to give you some tools to use in your home if you feel comfortable with that.
· Handwriting Without Tears – our main curriculum. We will use their workbook to practice writing letters, shapes, and numbers.
· Circle time - a time for learning letter sounds, days of the week, calendar concepts, rhyming, and so much more. We will upload a circle time video Monday– Thursday. You can find an example of one on our website and our Facebook page.
· Fine motor skills – strengthen hands and fingers by manipulating play dough, using tweezers, paper punches, cutting leaves, paper, straws…
· Art activities– help reinforce fine motor skills. They also help children express their thoughts and feelings creatively. Mrs. Kauffman, an artist herself, will provide projects and activities you can easily source from your home.
· Music activities –provide opportunities for children to enhance their listening skills by exploring sound, rhythm, volume, tempo, and making observations and predictions. We sing. A lot! Fingerplays add fine motor skills to music!
· Gross motor activities –children use their imaginations and their muscles as they engage in healthy, fun activities. We will provide ideas to get your child up and moving! Ice skate on carpet with waxed paper, transfer toys from one container to another while balancing on one foot, play a run and sort game by tossing household items in the yard and having your child run to collect and sort the items by color, size, beginning letter…
· Block play –using what you have at home, your child will develop creativity and problem solving. Children also get to experience concepts such as organization, cause and effect, classification, size and shape discrimination, and spatial relationships. Use traditional blocks, plastic cups, folded paper…
· Story time –helps children develop an enjoyment and appreciation of literature. It also enhances their knowledge base, comprehension, and vocabulary skills. We will be reading and talking about lots of books!
· Science activities –provide hands on opportunities for observation, investigation, exploration, making predictions, and experimentation. We will give you ideas to try at home!
We are hoping to be able to periodically share some unique materials from the classroom with you. Art supplies, manipulatives, toys, books, etc… You will pick them up at school during school hours *added 11/11/20, use them for further enrichment of what we will be doing online, and return them to school where they will be cleaned and set aside for at least a week before sharing with another family. This is totally optional, but we want to give you some tools to use in your home if you feel comfortable with that.
Outdoor Meetings
At the start of the year, we will schedule short, outdoor, physically distanced meetings with each family. The idea is to get to know you and your child a bit, and for you to get to know us! If you would prefer to do this via Zoom, that’s great too! The choice is yours. We will offer an optional, weekly outdoor meeting for small groups of children from our class! Masks won’t be required as long as physical distancing can be maintained. You may drop off your child or remain with us. It’s totally up to you! This will be a way for us to get to know your child and interact with them, and for them to get comfortable with us! Both educational and social, we think this is a great way to provide your child with many skills they will need for kindergarten.
What will these meetings look like?
·up to five children per group; each group is a cohort to minimize exposure
· one hour meetings; please have your child use the bathroom before our meeting
· locations: playgrounds, TVN grounds, possible outdoor field trips (apple picking, Five Rivers trails)
· activities: gross motor games and activities, art experiences, circle time activities, letter and number hunts, obstacle courses, nature walks...
Added October 11th, 2020: In person meetings will be weather dependent. In person cancellations will consider the temperature, conditions. and wind chill to consider if it is safe and comfortable to be outside. Cancellations will be provided by 8:15 am the day of the meeting (Tuesdays). If the in person meeting is cancelled, zoom sessions will be held at 10:15am and 11:30 am. You should attend the zoom meeting associated with your in person meeting group time.
If your child needs to use the bathroom during the one hour in person session, a teacher will take the child to the restroom inside Tri-Village Nursery School. Please have your child use the restroom before school starts.
Rules for outdoor meetings:
YOU MUST fill out your teacher health form before any in person meetings. Your teacher will provide a link or look at our parent orientation page for the link. Added 9/13/20.
The outdoor meetings are a great way to have focused one-on-one time with your child if you wish to remain with your child. In order to create the safest environment possible, we are asking parents to come with just their child, no siblings.
If the remote-hybrid school has a case of COVID-19 we will: Added 10/19/20.
What will these meetings look like?
·up to five children per group; each group is a cohort to minimize exposure
· one hour meetings; please have your child use the bathroom before our meeting
· locations: playgrounds, TVN grounds, possible outdoor field trips (apple picking, Five Rivers trails)
· activities: gross motor games and activities, art experiences, circle time activities, letter and number hunts, obstacle courses, nature walks...
Added October 11th, 2020: In person meetings will be weather dependent. In person cancellations will consider the temperature, conditions. and wind chill to consider if it is safe and comfortable to be outside. Cancellations will be provided by 8:15 am the day of the meeting (Tuesdays). If the in person meeting is cancelled, zoom sessions will be held at 10:15am and 11:30 am. You should attend the zoom meeting associated with your in person meeting group time.
If your child needs to use the bathroom during the one hour in person session, a teacher will take the child to the restroom inside Tri-Village Nursery School. Please have your child use the restroom before school starts.
Rules for outdoor meetings:
YOU MUST fill out your teacher health form before any in person meetings. Your teacher will provide a link or look at our parent orientation page for the link. Added 9/13/20.
- Everyone must have a mask on their person in case physical distancing cannot be maintained. They must wear the mask if asked. We hope that we can play games, sing songs, have fun, do an art project, all from at least 6 feet apart. If that becomes undoable, masks will be required. If your child need assistance from a teacher, we will put a mask on.
The outdoor meetings are a great way to have focused one-on-one time with your child if you wish to remain with your child. In order to create the safest environment possible, we are asking parents to come with just their child, no siblings.
- IF you must bring siblings to our outdoor meetings:
- They must not join in the activities.
- If they become a distraction you must remove them from the area.
- Please remain aware of the sibling at all times.
- Everyone over the age of 2 must have a mask on.
If the remote-hybrid school has a case of COVID-19 we will: Added 10/19/20.
- Notify Albany County DOH
- We will not have in person meets for the remote-hybrid classes for 14 consecutive days
Thank you so much for considering enrolling your child in our virtual classroom! Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions! Jodi Civill & Kim Kauffman ([email protected])