Fall 15 Newsletter - Hampshire Cooperative Nursery School

NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
Table of
Contents
Upcoming Events!
Director's Letter .... page 2
President's Letter.... page 4
Thanksgiving Festival
Activities Reports
Hike-A-Hill ..... page 5
Fall Soccer ..... page 6
Class Reports
2-Day Class ..... page 7
3-Day Class ..... page 8
4-Day Class ..... page 10
Afternoon Class ..... page 11
Monday November 23
9:00a-11:30a
Monday December 21
Holiday Sing-Along
4-Day class @ 9:30a
3-Day class @ 10:00a
3-Day Class Family Fun Day
Date TBD, Winter '16
Board Directory ... page 12
104 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755
(603) 643- 4640
www.hampshirecooperative.org
NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
Notes from the Director
Meg O'Leary
As my role at HCNS changed from being a
classroom teacher to becoming the director, I
was unsure how it would impact my
relationship with the children and their families.
I am excited to discover that the opportunities
continue on a daily basis. I have the joy of
starting my day out by greeting the children as
they walk through the front door with their
parent, nanny or grandparent. Throughout the
morning, I receive wonderful hugs, am often asked to read a book, am graciously included in fun
conversations about new discoveries, and even asked to join in their play. When I was a teacher in the
classroom, we would talk about filling each other’s buckets with acts of kindness ...well, my bucket
continues to be filled each and every day at HCNS!
I am so fortunate and honored to continue to be a part of this school which celebrates childhood, and
focuses on encouraging children to develop at their own individual rate and to learn how they learn
best ~ through play. When asked what makes our
school different, I begin by telling them about the
community of incredible families, delightful children,
and dynamic teachers. I then share our philosophy of
learning through play. It can be difficult to truly grasp
the importance of play in a child’s development. AnniKaisa Osei Ntiamoah, a teacher in Finland, says it best
in an article posted in The Atlantic:
“[Children] learn so well through play, they
don’t even realize that they are learning
because they’re so interested [in what
they’re doing].” 1
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NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
Director, continued
I recently came across a research summary put out
by the Minnesota Children’s Museum2 and share
some quotes that so clearly explain what the
philosophy of HCNS is all about:
“Play may seem simple, yet it is profound to a child’s
development. Play makes learning something that
happens naturally and joyfully, when a child laughs
and wonders, explores and imagines…
“In the short and long term, play benefits cognitive,
social, emotional, and physical development…
“Play builds the foundation for a lifetime of learning…Conclusion: Play is learning.” 2
What a joy it is to be a member of this exciting and child-centered community!
1 http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/the-joyful-illiterate-kindergartners-of-finland/408325/
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NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
President's Letter
Mike O'Leary
It’s hard to believe that we are already two months into the school year! November is here and winter is
fast approaching.
This year, we welcomed three new teachers: Susie Matter (2-day), Marcie Wagner (4-day), and Giovanna
Lepore (Afternoon). We also said goodbye to our Director, Linda Shemanske, who was replaced by longtime 4-day teacher, Meg O’Leary. Transitions can be difficult, but thanks to the dedication and hard work of
our staff, it has been a smooth one.
Our soccer program was once again a big success, thanks in large part to our Chair, Eileen Nickles, and our
head coaches, Sandy Bailey and Joe Miller. We are also grateful for all the assistants who volunteered their
time, and the kids (and parents) who participated each week.
On a similar note, I would like to extend a big “Thank You” to everyone who participated in the Hike-a-Hill
event. The money raised goes a long way in supporting our Music Program, which I know is a hit with kids
and parents alike. The Original Works fundraiser is also well underway, so keep an eye out for updates.
Have a great rest of your Fall!
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NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
Hike-A-Hill
A merry band of HCNS hikers made it to the top of Balch Hill
on October 24th, where they enjoyed scavenger hunting, fallthemed treats, and soaked up the sunshine. Many thanks to all
who pledged funds in support of the event, which raised $960
to support the school's music program. And a special thank you
to Courtney Johnson and Eileen Nickles, our four-day class reps,
for organizing all of the fun!
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NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
Fall Soccer
A huge thanks to the players, parents and coaches who were all a
part of the success of our 2015 Fall Soccer season! A combined total
of 63 children attended the Wednesday and Saturday sessions,
coached by the amazing Sandy Bailey (Weds) and Joe Miller (Sat), as
well as the many volunteer parent coaches who offered their
enthusiasm and energy. Go Team!
Photos courtesy of Hannah Swift Photography
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NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
2-Day Class report
We’re off to a great start in the 2 day class. Our class adjusted smoothly to school life
together. The first few weeks of school we
discussed how our school home is the same and
different than our family homes. We got to
know one another as the kids shared about
their families and homes. This theme also helped
us become familiar with our classroom and
school schedule. The children look forward to
their helping child days to feed the fish, report
and chart the weather and share snack. We are
working on using our whole bodies to listen and
help others listen during our circle time. We explored the fall together using all
of our five sense whenever possible. We
investigated and learned about acorns and
squirrels, we marveled at fall leaves, we tastetested and compared apples, and we got messy
with pumpkins! We complemented our fall
themes with cooking apple sauce, apple-cheddar
pies, zucchini-carrot muffins, and pumpkin
pancakes with banana jack-o-lantern faces. Our
class loves to be outside, exploring nature and
burning off energy!
In addition, the students enjoyed playing
Susie Matter
in the water table. We spent a few days
discovering things that sink and float. Did you
know that brown acorns float, but green
acorns usually sink?! We also have loved racing
cars, marbles, acorns, etc. down ramps
observing and investigating how the incline of
our ramp and the objects raced affect speed. Throughout all of our learning and
playing, I really enjoy sneaking in some preliteracy skills. We have worked with some
phonemic awareness with the first sounds in
our names and with /p/ for pumpkin, counted
syllables, worked on making the connections
between written and verbal language, and
done some choral “reading” with repetitive
phrases in our read aloud stories. I’m looking forward to growing with
this fun and curious class this winter!
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NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
3-Day Class report
Sandy Bailey
Our Harvest Festival was an amazing school
wide community event. We painted paper bag
pumpkins, pressed apple cider, made masks,
planted bulbs, decorated cookies, created spider
crackers and put our school garden to bed.
Meg and I even acted out one of your children’s
favorite stories. (The Little Old Lady Who Was
Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams)
Thanks for all of your support in making this a
memorable event! We were fortunate enough
to be able to use an apple cider press that we
borrowed from an alumni family.
Fall in the 3 day class has been full of fun and
frolic. In the first few weeks, the children
learned new routines and about their
surroundings. It was also a time to connect
with old friends and welcome new friends into
their lives. The children loved sharing their
family photos and are frequent visitors to our
class photo books to admire not only their
family, but their classmates' as well. They also
seem to enjoy looking at Leaf Man by the 3day
class and Our Favorite Apples.
The children and I have noted the arrival of
fall and have begun to observe the changes to
the environment. We will be painting with pine
braches as we finish our discussions of the
differences between deciduous and coniferous
trees. Do you know what a leaf gall is? Soon
your children will. I have been amazed at the
knowledge and insight your children have
already shown during our early rug discussions
about apples, pumpkins and leaves. It is exciting
for me to see through your children’s eyes. I
am also learning something new every day!
Our trip to Cedar Circle Farm was also a
memorable one. Please look in our All About
Me book that we are creating for individual
favorite memory of the trip. We weighed our
classroom pumpkin last week and estimated if
we weighed more or less than our pumpkin. We
were surprised to discover that we all weighed
more than our pumpkin, as it took five of us to
carry the pumpkin to the wagon!
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NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
3-Day Class report, continued
In the weeks to come, our focus will change to helping our winter animal friends survive the
unpredictable New England climate. We will also start our discussions about hibernation. A bear
den / bat cave will be created in the loft area. We also will discuss numerous ways to help winter
birds as we invite them to our feeders.
Your children have been super enthusiastic about music class with Ms. Katie on Mondays. We have been
enjoying songs about leaves, apples and pumpkins. We have also been repeating rhythms and patterns with
our voices and bodies. Did you hear about our hiking music class? Ask your child...it was such a joyful
experience!
I have already seen such growth in your children as they have settled into their new routines. I
look forward to watching and enjoying as they discover the world around them.
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NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
4-Day Class report
Marcie Wagner
yummy pumpkin treats, and we tried to grow a
pumpkin in a pumpkin (which didn’t work out so
well).
What a great start to the year we have
had in the four day class! Our class is really
starting to act like a family. We take care of each
other, protect each other, and sure enough
sometimes even argue with each other. At the
end of the day though, no matter what happens,
we all love each other and go home with smiles
on our faces.
We ended our time studying about pumpkins at
the pumpkin patch where each child was able to
pick out a pumpkin to take home. We also learned
about fall leaves and why they change colors and
how to identify different kinds of trees based on
their leaves. We enjoyed a scavenger hunt outside
searching for fall items in nature. This past week we
studied about one of our big community
helpers...Fire Fighters. They made fire trucks and
fire dogs, and we even did an experiment on how
fire burns and how to put it out. We dressed up as
firefighters to welcome the real firefighters when
they came to visit us with their big red truck.
It’s been a fun fall in the 4 Day Class, and I look
forward as Thanksgiving and winter approach and
what we will be able to learn in the months ahead!
In September our class focused on
learning about ourselves with our “All About
Me” theme. We talked about taking care of our
bodies with health and nutrition, we covered our
five senses, and we even made life size cut-outs
of ourselves and decorated them with our
families (they are currently displayed from our
ceiling).
October, as you might expect, held fall
themes for our class. We spent time learning
about pumpkins and their life cycles. We tasted
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NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
Afternoon Class report
Giovanna Lepore
We have been enjoying the wonderful fall weather
in our outdoor program! The children
enthusiastically have approached the nature
program in all its diversity.
In September we explored the seed pods in the big
field by the Connecticut River and visited the
Dartmouth organic greenhouse. The children made
woodland baskets from their seed collections. We
also cleared out our climbing tree in the enchanted
forest: we use this tranquil spot for playing. We are
also exploring a variety of New Hampshire plant
and animal species: we researched snakes, and then
each child made their own snake from a stick.
October is bat month and we are enjoying learning
about these mysterious creatures. We also do
weekly cooking and go hiking: we recently explored
Mink Brook Conservation Area. This winter, we
look forward to more exploration and discoveries
around the Connecticut River area!
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NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
2015-16 Board Directory
Director
Meg O'Leary
[email protected]
President
Mike O'Leary
[email protected]
Vice President
Adrienne Flower
[email protected]
Treasurer
Jinelle Lawson
[email protected]
Secretary
Michelle Schembri [email protected]
Registrar
Akiko Ujiie-Huston [email protected]
4-Day Class Reps
Courtney Johnson [email protected]
Eileen Nickles
[email protected]
Jason Pettus
[email protected]
Susanne Holubar [email protected]
3-Day Class Reps
2-Day Class Rep
Jessica Moschetti
[email protected]
Afternoon Class Rep Susanne Holubar
[email protected]
Website/Technology Chris Huston
[email protected]
Gardening
Tina Baldwin
[email protected]
Soccer
Eileen Nickles
[email protected]
Newsletter
Amelia Cullinan
[email protected]
Enrichment
Joanna Leyenaar
[email protected]
Maintenance
Marnie Welch
Events
Eileen Nickles
Adrienne Flower
[email protected]
[email protected]
Marketing/Publicity
Grants
Librarian
Music Librarian
[email protected]
Michelle Schembri [email protected]
[email protected]
Catherine Rieke
[email protected]
Susie Matter
[email protected]
Katie Kitchel
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