Open to all VPP students (including incoming and outgoing) and their friends.
See our “Summer Camp” Page, under “Programs and Tuition” for details.
Christmas Costume Party
Dear Families,
We had SO much fun this morning at the Christmas Costume Party! The children decorated and made posters during free choice time and their team work led to a lovely school.
Inara’s dad, JP, rocked on the guitar and had everyone jamming to the preschool holiday favorites; Jingle Bells, We Wish you a Merry Christmas and Rudolph. Of course no Christmas Costume party is complete without celebrating everyone’s birthday and Thanksgiving, so by request, we also sang Happy Birthday and I’m Glad I’m not a Turkey!
You can see the first batch of pictures on the website, and I know there were lots of cameras so I’m sure more will be posted soon!
I truly can’t imagine a more fun place to go to work each day!
Sarah
This Week in MWF Pre-K!
Good evening!
Wow- what a beautiful weekend!! I hope you are all enjoying it.
I wanted to tell you that last Friday we had SO MUCH FUN making our own science experiments during small groups! It was amazing – they were so happy and having a blast (no pun intended!) We used baking soda, vinegar, soapy water, water color, shaving cream and lots of glitter! Each child had their own try with beakers, test tubes, eye droppers, etc. They really got into their scientist roles. We had lots of amazing, sparkly explosions!
This week we will be celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday!! I think he would be 109 years old! Lots of Dr. Seuss books will be out, and we will read a few in our small groups. This is a great introduction to rhyming! We will also do some really fun Dr. Seuss activities during free choice and in small groups.
Monday, one star group will read Cat in the Hat and then try balancing a cup, a small sandbox rake, “milk,” books, a fish, a toy ship and a little toy man! The other star group will read Ten Apples Up On Top and then try balancing a stack of bean bags and an apple on their heads! Wednesday we will do the same thing, but switch groups so they all have the opportunity to do both activities without rushing.
Friday for small groups we will make Oobleck at the outdoor table – super fun to play with! And in the kitchen we’ll make Dr. Seuss ice cream hats! Does anyone have a copy of Dr. Seuss’ Bartholomew and the Oobleck that we could borrow Friday? If so, I’d love to have it by Wednesday so I can pre-read it in case I need to “shorten” it.
I’m looking forward to our festive week!
Warmly,
Tess
Thank You!
Dear Families,
Thank you for your generous support of our food drive! Both food barrels were full when the food bank picked them up on Friday! Best of all, the kids all got to watch the man put the barrels in the truck – a highlight of the day! :)
It is so great to be able to do projects like this with the kids. Even 4 year olds can change the world!
Thank you!!
Love,
MWF Pre-K
This Week in MWF Pre-K!
Good evening, Families!
Well, I think I jinxed the good weather when I sent out my last note! Hope you are all enjoying the rain and hail! 
It was definitely a good day for puddle stomping…
Tomorrow we will have a visit from Aditi’s dad (Tues/Thurs family), Dr. Goyal, who is a pediatric dentist in San Ramon. He will teach the children about dental health and what they can expect when visiting the dentist.
It will be a “backwards day,” with our group meeting with Dr. Goyal, then snack, then free choice time.
Friday during small groups, the children will have the opportunity to create their own science experiments. We will work five to a table and they will each have a tray and a variety of science tools and ingredients available to them. It should be a lot of fun!
I’m looking forward to seeing all of you tomorrow!
Warmly,
Tess
2013-2014 Registration NOW OPEN
Registration is NOW OPEN for the 2013-2014 School Year!!!
To register, you must have Toured Our School and received a Registration Form & General Info Policy. Submit a completed registration form plus your registration fee of $60 and first month’s (September) tuition (we can accept checks or cash). Families may drop off registration during school hours*. We will begin accepting registration from the general public on February 4. Please note that registration cannot be accepted before the dates listed above. Please find the registration envelope on the table just outside the front door of the school. You will take the lowest number sticker, put it on your form and place the form, with payment, in the envelope.
If you have any questions please contact Molly Matthews at info [at] valleyparent [dot] org
* School Hours: Mon-Thurs 9-3:30; Fridays 9-12
License # 073400683
Food Drive Project and Invitation
Dear VPPS Families,
Please join us in collecting food for our food drive. We are collecting food for the Contra Costa County Food Bank.
In talking recently about our dreams for the world, we came up with lots of good and thoughtful ideas. Collecting food for the food bank is a way we can incorporate all of our dreams in one project. We wished for everybody to be nice (like Frankenstein!), to be friends and hold hands, for no more sickness, to be brave (like Merrida from Brave!), that everyone has good dreams, that everyone gets to have a unicorn, and that everyone has enough food to eat. …… You have to be brave to move forward and help out in the world. It is nice to be a good friend to those in need. Having healthy food in their bellies will help children avoid illness, have good dreams, and play and imagine things that children imagine – like unicorns! ….. Wow, a food drive can solve a lot of problems!
Food collection barrels will be out from tomorrow until February 15. There are also bags at the sign in table which list needed foods.
Thank you for your support!
Love,
MWF Pre-K
This Week in Pre-K!
Good evening!
It’s very late, but I just wanted to give a quick summary of what we will be doing this week.
First, some background information – which I guess isn’t so quick!
As you know, the children have been talking a lot about dreams and are interested in that subject. When we talked about Martin Luther King, we talked about “awake dreams” – how Martin Luther King had a dream for the world – like wishes. (This is a big concept, but we talk and they are catching on.) We then thought about our wishes for the world. They are hanging on the window above the play table near the science area. There are wishes for everybody to be nice (like Frankenstein!), to be friends and hold hands, for no more sickness, to be brave (like Merrida from Brave!), that everyone has good dreams, that everyone gets to have a unicorn, that everyone has food to eat, etc. Last Friday we talked about how we can make our dreams for the world come true. With the common thread, we decided to have a food drive for the Contra Costa Food Bank. (…… You have to be brave to move forward and help out in the world. It is nice to be a good friend to those in need. Having healthy food in their bellies will help children avoid illness, have good dreams, and play and imagine things that children imagine – like unicorns!) Wow, a food drive could solve a lot of problems!
Our food drive will officially start Thursday, as the bins are being delivered some time tomorrow. Tomorrow in our small groups, we will make posters to hang out by the bins, and later tomorrow I will send an email inviting the whole school to join us in our food drive. Please don’t bring any food tomorrow, as we need to get the posters done and everything ready first. Then they will be excited to bring food on Friday – or any time until the 15th of February, when the bins will be picked up. …… We will also read a really fun book tomorrow – a new one that Sarah brought in after the break. They take part in the story – super fun!
Friday we will read The Mitten Tree, a book about acts of kindness. Then we will make paper mittens with dictation about kind things we can do. We will also do a fun activity with our names!
I hope you all are doing well. We have been blowing get well wishes to all of our sick friends – and our lucky friends on vacation!
See you in the morning!
Tess
Preschool Next week!
Dear Parents,
There is no school on Monday because of Martin Luther King’s Birthday.
Next week our class will start learning about babies!
We will learn how to change a diaper (great fine motor and cognitive skills) and swaddle a baby. The children will have dolls to practice with.Then we will wash the babies.
I have a few Monday/Wednesday parents bringing their babies in to demonstrate. I need real babies for Tuesday and Thursday at group time if anyone wants to share their baby with us-E-mail me if would.
We will also do some science experiments using diapers and water- testing how many cups of water a diaper can hold and how much it will weigh- Also what holds more water a sponge or a diaper.
I will be reading, Everyone Poops. and Sam’s Potty.These books usually lead to some interesting discussions and can be inspiring to the children working on their potty training skills.
I’m still missing a few baby pictures of your children. I don’t want to start that game until everyone has one. Please send a picture in if you haven’t.
Some of you have asked about Valentine’s Day. We have a party at school and the children will deliver Valentines to their class and the Pre-K class. So approximately 30 valentines will be needed. I will send more information on that as it gets closer.
Thank you to the people who came in on Maintenance Day last weekend! The school looks great. I love the new gate locks in front.
Today I am going to see the Elephant Seals today at Ano Nuevo Reserve-near Half Moon Bay. The elephant seals come every year to have their babies at that spot. The link to make reservations is AnoNuevo.ReserveAmerica.com
If you want to make reservations or learn more about it.
Have a wonderful weekend!!!
Miss Leslie
Preschool Class!
Dear Parents,
First I have to say how impressed I was with your children during our evacuation from school on Wednesday! All the children were so calm and followed directions. On Monday we will be doing the projects we missed because of the evacuation. One group is making gingerbread men and the other the gingerbread men experiment and an intro. to hand sewing project.
Wednesday is Pajama Day! Children (and working parents!) are invited to wear their PJ’s as we celebrate the last day of school before Winter Break. Drop off and pick up times will be the same as normal.
We’ll have a normal free choice and snack time, and at 10:30 we’ll have special music with Inara’s daddy, JP. The remainder of the day will be a fun celebration. Our activities will include warm coco and gingerbread cookies in the kitchen, musical chairs in the block room, mitten bean bag toss in the library, jingle bell necklaces and reindeer food in the activity area, and face painting in the yard. It should be lots of fun!
I have been watching for a common theme and interest among the children. It became very obvious last week. Most the children really love babies. They like to hold babies, take care of them, act like babies and talk about themselves as babies. So,after the break we will start learning about babies! How to take care of them, how they grow and what we were like as babies. I’d like to start the year with a baby picture of each child to start playing games with. If you could be on the look out for a picture of your child between 6 mos. and a year to bring to school ( just old enough to see similarities from what they look like now.) I’m really excited to start!
Remember the last day for MW is Wednesday, December 19th. Enjoy your weekend!
Leslie Szumowski