Uncategorized – Wee Creations

December 2021

Wee Creations Christian Preschool

December 2021 Newsletter

Looking out my window, it sure looks like winter has arrived! This means opportunity for our preschoolers to play in the snow! We have snow shovels, snow ball makers and sleds ready for fun times! Your job is to make sure that your child has all their snow gear with them, unless it is a rainy or icy day. We do have a few extra items that can be borrowed if necessary – snow pants, mittens, hats.

We will be spending the month of December focusing on Christmas – playing Christmas music, making Christmas crafts and talking about the greatest gift of all – Jesus Christ!

Mrs. JoJo is putting the finishing touches on the Christmas video and we are hoping you will enjoy watching it as much as we do!

Reminder – our last preschool day for 2021 will be Dec. 17. We plan to return on Jan. 3, 2022! At that time, Mrs. JoJo will take over as Preschool Supervisor and Mrs. Scheele will finish the year as teacher.

We are conducting interviews for supply staff and anticipate that new staff will be joining our team soon!

We thank everyone who is keeping their children home when they have coughs and colds etc. Unfortunately, COVID has not disappeared yet!

BIRTHDAYS

Allison turns 3 on Dec. 10! Yusha turns 3 on Dec. 11!

Also remember to check your Seesaw account on days when the weather is stormy. When Woodstock Christian School is closed, we are also closed. Because they are a private school, they do not always follow what other schools are doing.

As Board and Staff, we want to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a blessed new year!

November 2021

Wee Creations Christian Preschool

November 2021 Newsletter

As we have the first two months of the preschool year complete, we are happy with the progress that our students have made. Even if there is a bit of hesitation at drop off time, they are soon content and busy playing in the classroom. We have been learning about apples and pumpkins and falling leaves!

In consultation with the preschool board, it has been decided that we won’t have an in person gathering to celebrate Christmas this year. Instead, we plan to record the students singing some favourite songs or sharing some of their other skills on a video that will be shared on a USB with every family.

PLEASE NOTE – IF YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR CHILD TO BE ON THE VIDEO, YOU MUST LET THE TEACHERS KNOW NOT TO INCLUDE YOUR CHILD

Along with the USB, your family will also receive some other treats to celebrate this special season!

As noted on the Seesaw announcement, refunds for cancelled classes will be reflected on your December payment.

Thank you to those who have submitted a family photo to the preschool – please keep them coming! Mrs. JoJo is planning to create a family photo album so you won’t be getting them back. You may email them to joanne@weecreations.ca If you want your back, we can make a copy.

We try to get outside whenever the weather is suitable – please bring clothing that will keep your child warm and dry AND remember to label as many items as possible!

BIRTHDAYS

Brynlee turns 4 on November 5! Sylvia turns 3 on November 6!

Gideon turns 4 on November 14! Liam turns 3 on November 14!

Our Christmas break will follow the TVDSB schedule. Our last preschool day for 2021 will be December 17. We plan to be back at preschool on January 3, 2022!

As winter is on its way, we remind everyone that in case of a snow storm or ice storm that causes the Woodstock Christian School to close, the preschool will also be closed for the day. Watch for a notification on the SEESAW app. FYI Woodstock Christian School is a private school and does not always make the same decision as the public or Catholic school transportation on bus cancellation/school closure. We follow the decision of Woodstock Christian School.

October 2021

Wee Creations Christian PreschoolOctober 2021 Newsletter

The children have been making the adjustment to preschool in the pastweeks. Unfortunately with the change in weather, colds are going around.We are thankful for the opportunity to use the school gymnasium on morningswhen the weather is not great for being outside.

Thank you to the parents who came out to the AGM on Sept. 16! At that meeting5 members were elected to the Board of Directors. We appreciate Meghan Kools,Sarah Simut, Alicia Boccabella, Andrea Imhof and Abby Hiemstra for serving in thisway.

Please take note! We do not have many supply staff that we can call on whenone of our teachers is sick, so please check your Seesaw app before coming topreschool – it may be that we have to cancel class if we don’t have enoughteachers. If that happens, you will receive a discount on your next month’s fees.If you know of anyone who would be available and interested in doing supplywork for us, please have them contact us!

October marks the opening of our afternoon class on Tuesday and Thursday!This class has a combination of new students and students who are also in someof our morning classes. Mrs. JoJo will be the lead teacher for this class of 8 withone support staff to help with arrivals and departures and cleaning.

BIRTHDAYS

Mrs. Kuipers has a special birthday on October 5!Aiden turns 3 on October 6! Vivian turns 3 on October 28!

The preschool marks 31 years on October 9! God is good! We thank Him for Hismany blessings through the years!

ALL classes are full with wait lists. There has been some movement so don’t giveup hope!

Preschool will be closed on Monday, October 11 as we celebrate Thanksgiving!

September 2021

Wee Creations Christian Preschool

September 2021 NewsletterWe are so excited to welcome 46 families to preschool this year! Don’t worry – we won’t have more than 16 children on any given morning or afternoon!

Our morning classes are full and we will open the afternoon class (Tuesday and Thursday 12:30-3:00) once we have 5 students making the commitment. It will be capped at 8 students due to staffing requirements. Let Mrs. Scheele know if you want a spot.

Our teaching staff this year will consist of Mrs. Scheele, Mrs. Kuipers, and Mrs. Dreise (who would like to be known as “Mrs. JoJo”). Miss Pannekoek will be our support staff and Mrs. DeBoer will be one of our supply staff. Brittany MacMillan will be our Resource Consultant from CHILDINU OXFORD.

Due to the uncertainty of where things are going with COVID-19, we have decided not to have any field trips this fall. I feel like if we can have a “normal“ fall, that is enough.

Reflecting on the chaos around us, and the divisions in so many families, churches and businesses, I am reminded that God only asks us to follow Him one day at a time. He does not want us to live in fear of what is coming next – He already knows! And it’s better that we don’t.

We are in need of a new board of directors. These parents will be voted in at our AGM on Thursday, September 16 at 7 p.m. We are hoping to have the meeting outside at the school, so bring your lawn chair! If the weather is not suitable, we can take our chairs inside. No children at this meeting, please. The meeting usually takes about 30 – 40 minutes. The staff will be making a presentation about their plans for the year.

BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to Lydia who turns two on September 29! She will start class in October.

SEESAW will be our main form of communication so please make sure you are connected!

PICKUP – if someone other than the person dropping off your child will be picking them up, please be prepared to have ID ready to show the staff, until we get to know everyone. That person must also be on your list of “persons authorized to pick up”. If it is someone not on your list, please send a note authorizing that.

SUNSCREEN – parents who want their child to wear sunscreen are encouraged to apply this before dropping your child off.

Here is a prayer by Dr. Benjamin Shaw that I find very helpful during this turbulent time.

“A prayer for today: O Lord, deliver us from grumbling and complaining. Deliver us from self-seeking and arrogance. Deliver us from envy and boasting. Deliver us from being irritable and resentful, and always having to have our own way. We are prone to these things. We excuse them as, “that’s just me.” We excuse others as “You do you.” Remind us that such is not the way of Christ. Instead, the way of Christ is patient and kind. The way of Christ rejoices with the truth, not just with who wins the argument. The one who walks in the way of Christ is full of hope and endurance. Those who walk in the way of Christ are sustained by him in all difficulties and trust all his promises. Cause us to walk in Christ’s way today. We pray in his name. Amen” (Exodus 16-18, 1 Corinthians 13-14)

June 2021

Hooray, we made it through a very challenging school year! Many extra requirements for cleaning, protecting and supporting plus some shutdowns thrown in. And now a large road construction project!

Thanks for your patience throughout this year.

We are thankful for extra staff to help meet the new standard. Miss Pannekoek and Mrs. Westerhof have been so helpful to Mrs. Scheele and Mrs. Kuipers! We are also thankful for government funding to help cover these costs.

Our last day of preschool will be Friday, June 18.

If you have a registration form at home for your child to come back next fall, please return it soon!

Also, if you know of any young families looking for preschool for September, please send them to us! We have room in every class.

BIRTHDAYSKaramjot turns 4 on June 24! Ethan turns 4 on June 30!

SUMMER BIRTHDAYSAbigail turns 5 on July 14! Lauren turns 4 on July 31!Ruby turns 4 on August 22! Isla turns 4 on August 31!

Tax receipts for fees paid between January and June 2021 will be mailed to you once they are ready.

Please put it in a safe place for next tax season!

It looks like we won’t be able to have professional photos done this year because of the lockdown restrictions affecting photographers.

We plan to do a study of road construction equipment this month – since it is happening right outside our door! And of course, we don’t want to forget to honour our dads for Father’s Day!

A big thank you to our board of directors who are always running things behind the scenes – we couldn’t operate without you! Rachel Vandenheuvel (Pres.) Suzie Steen (VP) Jackie Kotzeff (General member) Joanne Dreise (General member) and Janelle Markvoort (General member) as well as our Administrative Assistant Jen Uchacz.

Our shade sail is up and gives some shade to the children and staff during our time in the playground.

Sunscreen and sunhats are still a good idea. It is preferred that parents apply sunscreen to their child before drop off. Please let us know if you are needing us to apply it.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL THE DADS IN OUR FAMILIES! You are a very important part of our lives!

May 2021

Wee Creations Christian Preschool

May 2021 NewsletterWe are so excited to be back at preschool! We are looking forward to spending more time outside as the weather improves.Following our annual inspection on March 31, we are required to have parents sign a form for the “Authorization to Administer Non-Prescription Skin Products”. These will be given out at the school door at drop off time. Please sign and return promptly – thank you!

BIRTHDAYSJaxon turns 3 on May 3! Miller turns 3 on May 30!HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO OUR PRESCHOOL MOMS! We know that you are all working hard to navigate these trying times and we are here to support you!

The preschool will be closed on Monday, May 24 for Victoria Day but will offer class on May 25 for the Monday group.

We are hoping to get our shade sail installed soon – that will give us some protection from the sun when we are in the playground. Until then, please apply sunscreen to your child before arrival time. Also remember to send your child with a water bottle, clearly labeled with their name. That way if they get thirsty outside, they can grab their water bottle from their backpack for a quick drink.

Please remember to label your child’s belongings, even if it’s just their initials.

Registration for September 2021 is ongoing so if you know of someone looking for a childcare spot in the fall, we have room!

April 2021

Wee Creations Christian PreschoolApril 2021 NewsletterThis is my favourite time of year, for several reasons.

Spring is a season of renewal, when the plants come back to life. We have planted spinach seeds in a tray in our classroom and will be checking each week to see if there is something growing. We can usually spend more of our preschool morning outside in our wonderful playground as the weather improves. The children have adjusted to the routine of preschool and are familiar with the teachers and other children, so there is more elaborate play happening. We are in the final lap of the school year and hope that we can finish the school year in person! It was terribly disappointing to miss this part of the school year last spring due to the lockdown.Easter time is here! It is wonderful that God sent his son, Jesus to earth as a baby to live as a human being – the fact that he could do so without sin and therefore die and come back to life again to pay for our sins, is even more wonderful! Praying that you all have a Blessed Easter!

We are still looking into options for school photography and will let you know as soon as that plan is finalized – of course, it will depend on being able to be physically at school! It has been a big help to have Miss Pannekoek back in the classroom. We are still waiting for our annual inspection to happen.

BIRTHDAYSMrs. Scheele has a birthday on April 7!Elsie turns 3 on April 8! Mark turns 4 on April 9!The preschool will be closed for Good Friday and Easter Monday. April 2 and 5.

We will be also be taking our spring break from April 12 – 16.

We will be saying Good Bye to Liam and Ibaadat in our Wednesday and Friday class. We welcome Odin.

There are no spring field trips being planned. We will work on making our outdoor experience even more fun (but within the COVID-19 restrictions).

A REMINDER to label your child’s spring jacket, and rubber boots. It often happens that parents buy new clothes for a child and they don’t recognize it and will sometimes refuse to put it on!

March 2021

Wee Creations Christian Preschool

March 2021 Newsletter

We are back into routine at preschool and the classroom is full of activity and learning!

We are loving the opportunity to play out in the snow! On rare occasions we get to use the gym (when the school is having a PA or PD day). This is a treat for the children.

We welcome Mrs. Annemarie Westerhof as our Program Assistant on Wednesday and Friday mornings. She will be supporting our students with extra needs.

We anticipate that Miss Pannekoek will return to preschool on March 10.

Registration packages for September 2021 will be available early in March. We plan to offer classes on all five mornings as well as Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

We will be welcoming Mrs. Joanne Dreise to our staff in September. She will be mentored into Mrs. Scheele’s position over the course of the next school year, so that Mrs. Scheele can retire when she is ready!

BIRTHDAYSDustin turns 5 on March 7! Ariel turns 5 on March 10!Nicole turns 4 on March 10! Zoe turns 4 on March 13! Nora B. turns 4 on March 16!

The children’s feet have been growing and many of them have preschool shoes that are getting too small. We may send your child’s shoes home in their backpack when they need replacing.

Reminder: the Ministry of Education has postponed the March break for elementary and secondary schools until April. The Woodstock Christian School is following this recommendation and we will also. This means that we will be open all weeks in March and closed April 12-16 for the Spring break.

The screening app has been working well and we thank all parents who are doing this before arriving at preschool. It helps with the flow of students at arrival time.

The government has tightened requirements regarding symptoms – if anyone in your household has one symptom, everyone is required to stay home until

1. A negative Covid test has been received OR

2. An alternative diagnosis has been received OR

3. It has been 10 days after the onset of symptoms and symptoms have resolved.

February 2021

Wee Creations Christian Preschool

February 2021 Newsletter

We are happy to be back in class! There is a wonderful layer of snow in our playground.

Miss Pannekoek is away until March 10 but we are thankful to have been able to meet our staffing needs with the help of Mrs. DeBoer and Mrs. Westerhof.

All students must use the online screening tool before arriving at preschool. If for some reason, you cannot do that, we do have a QR code at the school entrance that you can scan into your phone.

It is definitely notable that students are not coming to preschool with colds, coughs and runny noses.

This helps all of our students to stay healthy. This protects the staff from illness as well.

BIRTHDAYS

There is something special about February 24, this year! All of our preschool birthdays fall on that day.

Elizabeth turns 4 on Feb. 24! Isaac turns 3 on Feb. 24! Miss Pannekoek has a birthday on Feb. 24 also!

February also means Valentine’s Day. Because of Covid restrictions, it’s best if we don’t exchange cards and treats. Just remember that God loves us and wants us to love each other.

As most of our students will be heading off to JK next fall, we are focusing on some school readiness skills. 1. Using the toilet, wiping their own bottom, washing and drying hands. 2. Getting dressed for outside time with minimal help.3. Asking for help when it is needed.

September is 6 months away, so don’t panic if your child can’t do all these things right now. Just take opportunities to encourage their independence. Their new teachers will appreciate it!

In the January newsletter, it was mentioned that Mrs. Scheele’s mother was dying. For those of you who don’t know, she passed away on January 6. She is remembered as a kind, loving person who was always thinking of ways to help others. Mrs. Scheele is thankful for the extra weeks off from preschool.

Registration packages for September 2021 will be available soon! We are offering classes each weekday morning as well as Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. All classes will need a minimum number of students in order to operate. We plan to welcome Mrs. Joanne Dreise as our third staff member, with the intention that she will take over as Supervisor at some point in the next school year.

January 2021

Wee Creations Christian Preschool

January 2021 Newsletter

We trust everyone had a good break, celebrating Christ’s birth, spending time with family, and doing your best to stay healthy.

We welcome 5 new students this month: Isla, Lauren and Mark join the Monday class, Ava and Jaxon join the Wednesday/Friday class.

Birthdays

Camilla turned 4 on January 2! Tom will turn 4 on January 9!Norah turns 4 on January 19! Samar turns 4 on January 28!

Mrs. DeBoer and Mrs. Westerhof will be doing supply work from Jan. 11 – 15, so that Mrs. Scheele can spend time with her family (her mother is dying).

Please remember that no payments will be taken for January but whatever weeks we are open this month will be charged in addition to your February fees on February 5. Please make sure sufficient funds are available to avoid a surcharge of $20.

December 2020

Wee Creations Christian Preschool

December 2020 Newsletter

I’m happy to report that we have all settled into a nice routine together. Staff and students are enjoying their classes. It has been decided in consultation with the preschool board and staff that we will continue with our current model of running class three mornings per week for the rest of the school year (as long as there isn’t another shutdown). A few new students will be joining us in January.

BIRTHDAYS

Micah turns 3 on Dec. 7! Juliette turns 3 on Dec. 8!Sam turns 3 on Dec. 26! Liam turns 3 on Dec. 28!

Our Christmas break will follow the school schedule – we will be closed Dec. 19 – Jan. 3, reopening January 4, 2021, if all is well.

At registration time, every family received a set of ASQ surveys to complete about their preschooler(s). If you have not returned yours yet, please do so as soon as possible. The more info we have about your child, the more we can tailor our program to help each one succeed.

Please be sure to bring appropriate clothing for outside play. Unless it is raining or icy, we hope to be out there. It is so good for the children and staff.

Normally we would be busy practicing for our annual Christmas social at this time. Sadly that is not the case this year. We wondered about putting together a video of the kids singing but then we remembered that we are not even allowed to sing indoors. So sad! So we will do Christmas crafts with the students and send home lots of photos of the children at preschool.

Our resource consultant, Mrs. Barb Emms from CHILDINU OXFORD has begun visits to the classroom to help us with strategies for some of our students. We are thankful for her!

Thank you to everyone who is keeping their child home when symptoms like a cough, runny nose etc. are present. We have to be so careful especially now that cases are increasing in our region.

From the Board and Staff of Wee Creations; we pray for a blessed Christmas for each of our preschool families. Stay safe and stay well!

November 2020

Wee Creations Christian Preschool

November 2020 Newsletter

Our first month of preschool has gone quite well with some adjustments along the way. This month we welcome Dallas to our Monday class and Liam to our Wednesday and Friday class.

It has been good to get outside every day except one in October. Please be sure to send along suitable clothes for your child to wear outdoors and label everything even if it is just your child’s initials.

We had our annual playground inspection done recently and some work is required – we are not sure if that will happen this fall or in the spring. The playground might be unavailable for a day or two during that time.

You may have heard in the news recently that there was an outbreak of Covid-19 in a licensed home child care in Oxford County. That is why it is very important to follow the Board of Health recommendation that children DO NOT participate in more than one group for child care. Children who are being cared for in a home child care or other daycare are not allowed to attend preschool.

BIRTHDAYSDallas turns 3 on Nov. 16! Emily turns 3 on Nov. 25!

Remember to check your child’s backpack when they get home from preschool. That is where you will find newsletters, and crafts that your child created at preschool.

Also remember to send a water bottle/cup with your child’s name on it.

Thank you to everyone who logged on to our Annual General Meeting. We are thankful to Jennifer Baan for her years of service to the board. We also say good bye and thank you to former members Ashlea Strickler and Wilma Molinaro. We welcome Joanne Dreise, Jenna Smith and Suzie Steen as new Board members.

Lastly, I want to thank parents for being diligent in keeping their children home when they have symptoms of any kind. I know it is disappointing for the children and the parents when they have to miss preschool but we want to do our best to keep our families, students and staff as healthy as possible.