Miss Jessica from Dance Moves will be offering professional dance classes to our children on Wednesday mornings beginning September 7. This will be optional and in addition to our curriculum. Miss Jessica’s manager will be at our open house tomorrow night with more information. If you have been thinking of adding balet/dance to your child’s schedule but are stuggling with finding the time, this is a great way to do it! The entire school will be invited to the yearly recitals so even if your child does not participate in the classes, you will still be able to see what they learned.

Parent Testimonial:  After having my child in a few child cares and being a former teacher myself, I was getting pretty frustrated with the places, the teachers and the way I felt when I dropped her off……which was a very unsettling feeling Well, I prayed and guess what???!!!?? I “just happened” (aka answered prayers) to meet Kerry!!!!! Since we have been here, I honestly can say there has not been a single time I have dropped her off and felt anything but….at peace The kids get SOOOO much there! All of you guys (teachers) are awesome and MORE than qualified to teach these kids, but you have that extra gift…..LOVE! My daughter has so much fun and you do so many “things” oh my goodness, I can’t even name them all, AND they are learning every step of they way!!! WOW! I just have to say thank you, thank you, for LOVING our children!

Our annual fundraiser “the smarty party” is planned for September 18!! Please mark your calendars now and invite ALL of your family and friends!!!

One last reminder that school will be closed next week. All of us at Creative Learning hope you are able to spend quality time with family and friends. We will be very excited to see ALL of you on Monday August 2.

I hope everyone is having a great week so far and staying cool in this warm weather. Thank you for all that you continue to do to make Creative Learning such an incredible program!

During the past few very hot weeks we are staying busy and cool while enjoying plenty of hands on science. All of the children are having a ball on Water Wednesday as well as taking care of our animals early in the morning before it gets too hot. The home made ice cream and popsicles have helped us stay cool during the scorcher days as well!

This week we will all be celebrating independence day in our art work. Monday the children will be creating some united states flags, as well as their own ‘this is who I am flags!’ Tuesday brings some creative fireworks (be prepared to see glitter coming home on your children this day!) while Wednesday we look at and express our emotions in & through art. Finally, Thursday the children will be making some beautiful lanterns that will really teat both their hand eye coordination as well as their ability to be patient and follow directions!

Thank you AGAIN for all that you do as parents of our incredible students!!! We love and appreciate all of you.

Ripe Tomatoes

CONGRATULATIONS to our graduates this week and an early happy Memorial Day to all! This week we are focusing on our ‘big little’ graduates as well as the idea of change and new beginnings! We can’t believe that the time has already arrived where we have to say goodbye to our first round of graduates from the Creative Learning program! Some of these sweet children have been with us from the very beginnings of the program. While it is bittersweet, as we will miss EVERY single child’s presence and input in every part of our day at school, we are also bursting with pride for all that each child has accomplished, expressed and created with us! We know that they will continue to thrive and flourish as well as pass on their creativity and enthusiasm for art and education as they spread their wings and fly from our creative nest! We can’t wait to hear back about all of those amazing things that they are doing and experiencing out in their new educational environments! We can’t tell all of you how much we truly appreciate having had the opportunity to spend time every day teaching, laughing, learning, expressing, and creating with each and every child here! Thank you, and congratulations again our ‘big kid’ graduates!

June 1st – PICTURE DAY AT CREATIVE LEARNING!!!! The photographers from General Photographs will be at Creative Learning next Tuesday from 7am until 6pm. They will be taking the photographs between 7 and 1 and then will have them ready for viewing and printing between 1 and 6. They are offering the “Putting on the Ritz” theme for pictures that day because we have so many little performers and creative thinkers. They will be offering costumes and props that will go along with this theme. If you are opposed to your child being in “costume,” do not hesitate to let us know. Examples of the photos are near the sign in sheet at the Welcome Table.

Our next big event will be graduation which will be held on May 26 at 10:30 AM. The focus will be on the older children, but everyone will be involved. You are all invited!! We will have our graduation ceremony first and afterward we will have lunch together. Please plan to join us for this special day. MANY of the older children will be leaving us in the Fall and this will be their formal completion ceremony. Most of these children have been a part of Creative Learning since the beginning day and it is exciting as well as sad to see them grow and move forward.

This week we are preparing for Memorial Day as well as the graduation of our friends who are about to transition into kindergarten. We will be creating everything from flags and stars, to poems, pins and caps. In emotions art time we are focusing on the emotions of shy as well as the need to get and give comfort. We are so impressed by the levels of emotional self expression that we have been observing in the children (that’s from the two year olds to the five year olds)! It is such a major feat for children of this age range to be able to emotionally understand and verbally express what they are feeling. We are doing this work with the children as a way to provide an alternative to tantrums and/or aggressive behavior (or at least to hopefully minimize such outbursts of emotion). When a child can communicate to us more clearly with words, what they are feeling there is less of a need to act out in other more physical,and often less desirable, ways. Of course there will still be tantrums and outbursts, as sometimes the emotions are too big and overwhelming for words alone, and also it is a life long process to be able to fully understand and healthily express oneself! We are just hoping to give them a head start on this journey, with the idea of creating healthier, more expressive and communicative adults! It is because of this group’s incredible progress in this area, I am able to discuss and introduce such complex ideas as the need to comfort themselves and others!

REMINDER: School is closed the last full week in July. St John’s Episcopal is having their vacation bible school that week and will be using our school for the activities.

Thank you all for everything you do!

Thank you so much to all the parents for helping out on our fabulous field trip! We had so much fun learning about the tea plantation and exploring the grounds. This was a special trip because even our youngest students came with us. We would not have been able to do this without all of the support from all of you. You are the reasons are field trips are so successful!

Have a great rest of the week!

We have been observing changes in our garden and recording these changes in our science journals. We have also been learning all about the animals that make our playground their home. It is such an exciting time of year!

Parents don’t forget about our field trip planned for this Friday, April 30th. Please fill out a permission slip located on the sign in table and the cost is $1.00 per child. We always have so much fun and the children always learn so much.

Please help us take care of our school pets. If you are willing and able, please sign up to take our school pets home with you for a weekend. You can choose between DJ (our gerbil), Jimmy Pig (our guinea pig), and/or Kachow & Mater (our two baby bunnies). Miss Alyssa has taken a lot of time and energy putting together travel kits for each of the animals. This should make it very easy for you to take them home on Friday.

Spring conferences will be held April 26, 27, 28. Be sure to check the sign up sheet so that you can chose the time that is best for you and whether you would like to meet with Miss Sarah, Miss Kerry, or both teachers. These conferences are NOT mandatory. They are offered as an additional way for us to communicate about your child.

At Creative Learning, we are always striving to improve and by giving us your feedback, we will know which areas need improvement.  Spring surveys will be sent out to all parents, so please help us by completing and returning them to school.

Have a great week!

Join us Friday, April 09, for Creative Learning’s Spirit Night on James Island between 5 and 8 p.m. Come show us your school spirit.

Mr Al concert is Tuesday. If you and/or your child are going on this field trip, please arrive at school at 8:45.

Our Easter Egg Hunt is Wednesday! Please send 10 plastic eggs filled with treats on Wednesday morning so that your child can participate in this fun annual event. Parents and additional family members are welcome to attend and participate!!!

Monthly tuition is due on Thursday. If your child will not attend on Thursday and Friday, please pay monthly tuition earlier in the week.

Creative Learning is closed on Monday, April 4 for Spring Break/teacher work day. Have a great week.