We have a giving tree located by the window of the front office. This tree has tags with items listed on them. If you are able, please remove a tag, purchase the item then return the gift with the tag attached. Thank you in advance for your generous Christmas spirit.
INFANTS
Merry Christmas! We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and was able to spend some time with loved ones.
We would like to welcome Blakely and Tyler to our classroom.
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- Blakely is five months old, and we are so happy to have her. She is able to roll over and has a wonderful smile. We look forward to getting to know her and enjoying new milestones with her.
- Tyler just started this week and we are looking forward to getting to know him.
William is also five months old. He is rolling over and is trying to sit up. He has a beautiful smile for his teachers and friends. He likes to go outside, swing and look around at all that is going on. - Omar only comes two days a week, but loves to talk and play with the other babies when he is here. He always has a smile for everyone. He is now crawling and is able to move all over the classroom. He enjoys trying all of his food.
- Breanna is growing like a weed. She is not crawling yet, but pulls up and goes everywhere. She enjoys smiling and talking to the other babies in the class.
- Jack loves to go outside. He has learned how to go up the bigger slide. He likes to watch the big trucks working next door. He is learning new words every day. Some of the word he can say are; ball, dirt and thank you.
- Marco is just about ready to walk. He has taken a few steps. Good job Marco. He is talking a lot. Some of the words he can say are; tractor, thank you and ball. He loves to go outside and play in the sandbox.
- Sebastian is doing a great job trying to walk. He has learned to say ball and book. He likes playing peek-a-boo in the little house and playing in the sandbox.
- Canyon loves playing with the multi-colored stacking rings. He loves to go outside, play in the sandbox, and crawl through the tunnels. Some of the new words he is able to say are; ball, book and bye.
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We have such a wonderful group of babies. They all have a unique personality and are all growing so fast. We are so blessed to be able to be in their lives and watch them grow and learn.
During the month of December, we will be painting with lots of Green and Red. We will read all of our Christmas books and sing Christmas songs.
December 6th is our Annual Parent Appreciation Night. We will keep your baby while you go shopping, go to dinner or just sit at home with your feet up. This is our night to let you know that we appreciate you. We will provide dinner for the children old enough to eat table food. Let us know if you would like to take advantage of this night.
December 18th is our Christmas Program and Party. The VPK children perform a Christmas play, and then the preschool children and the toddlers join them to sing Christmas carols.
SHECC will be closed December 24 & 25 for Christmas then December 31 & January 1 for New Years.
Ms. Carmela Ms. Nancy Ms. Phyllis Ms. Teresa Ms. Katie
ONES
Welcome back. We hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving. We believe in giving thanks everyday and we really do have so much to be thankful for, especially our parents and children. Thank you for the continued donations of snacks and wipes, as we are so grateful.
As the first week of December approaches we will be experiencing winter, from making snowflakes and penguins, to exploring our sensory filled with snow. This month brings a lot of Christmas spirit, which we will be sharing with the children through reading, music and artwork. We will be making a lot of keepsake artwork, so please continue to check your child’s folder.
As December also brings some chilly days, please be sure your child has extra pants and long sleeve shirts.
Thursday, December 6th is our Annual Parent Appreciation Night. This is the perfect time to get some shopping done or to have a date night. If you are going to take advantage of this, fill out your form and turn it into the front office.
Our Christmas program and party will be held on December 18th. The VPK children perform a Christmas play, and then the preschool children and the toddlers join them to sing Christmas carols.
SHECC will be closed on December 24, 25, 31 and January 1. May you all have a very Merry Christmas and the best New Year.
Ms. Rita Ms. Courtney Ms. Sandy Ms. Ashleigh
TWOS
So many exciting things are happening during the month of December. First, our Ms. Linda is coming back. This is so AWESOME!! We have missed her so much. We also have a new student that we would like to welcome. Mark makes a wonderful addition to our class.
On December 6th, we will be hosting Parent Appreciation Night. Allow us to keep your children while you enjoy a night off. Do whatever you need or want to do.
December 18th will be our Christmas program and party. We will help the preschool children sing Christmas songs and then we will go to the parish center for fun and refreshments.
SHECC will be closed December 24 & 25 for Christmas then December 31 & January 1 for New Years.
This month we are exploring your child’s love for balls. We will discover what balls are made of, which balls float, and which balls sink. We will also be making up a new game, “Bowling for Blocks.”
There has been no shortage of snacks and juice thanks to your generous donations. We really do appreciate them.
We are looking forward to sharing all the joy of Christmas with your little ones. We will be teaching the children about baby Jesus through books and play. We want the children to know that Jesus is the reason for the season.
The staff at SHECC would like to wish all the parents and children a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Ms. Linda Ms. Cindy Ms. Katie
PRESCHOOL 1
Merry Christmas! The New Year is almost here and we have a lot to do still. We have begun practicing Christmas songs for our annual Christmas program. This is a fun night where we can celebrate the Holy Family, sing Christmas songs and enjoy the Sacred Heart community.
The first week of December we will discuss the Holy family and their journey. We will have our own trip to Bethlehem and dress up. The second week we are going to have fun making gingerbread houses and ornaments. The following week we will talk about Christmas and gifts. The children will use their fine motor skills to wrap items around the class. The last week we will discuss the scents and sounds of Christmas.
Don’t forget to sign up for Parent Appreciation Night. On Thursday, December 6th you can go out and have a night to yourself. We will be here until 9:30 to take care of your little ones. We provide dinner. This is a free service to all registered students to say Thank You to all our parents. We truly enjoy teaching your children.
Ms. Vicki Ms. Erica Ms. Ashlee
PRESCHOOL 2
Our themes for the month of December are Gingerbread, Gifts, Christmas and Penguins. Some of the activities we will be working on are discussing why the gingerbread man did not want to cross the river, and then we will place a gingerbread man cookie in water to observe what happens. We are going to make and wrap gifts for our family and try to move like penguins. To celebrate Advent, the children will make a wreath and we will “light” a candle each week until Christmas. They are also going to begin practicing for our Christmas play, which is on December 18th.
To thank all of you for entrusting the care of your children to us, we will have a Parent Appreciation Night on December 6th. If you are not familiar with this a special event, it is when we feed the children dinner and care for them until 9:30, free of charge. This is a great opportunity to finish/start your shopping or go to dinner and a movie.
We will be closed December 24, 25, 31 and January 1, in observance of Christmas and New Years. May you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year.
Ms. Liliana
VPK 1
It’s hard to believe 2012 is almost finished. We only have three weeks of VPK this month, so we are going to make the most of them. Our main focus will be Advent, a season of waiting and preparing. For us as Catholics this is a good time to reflect on the importance of waiting in our lives. Each week we will light a candle on our Advent Wreath:
• The first candle reminds us of the light of hope that the prophets had as they looked forward to a Messiah who would bring peace and love to the world.
• The second candle reminds us of the dark night when Joseph and Mary found light and warmth in the stable.
• The third candle reminds us of the love and joy which surrounded the shepherds at the announcement of the birth of Jesus.
• The fourth candle reminds us of the star, which guided the magi to the stable where Jesus lay.
The Advent wreath is a powerful way to focus our prayer during this season. The never-ending circle of greens reminds us of God’s unending love and the source of our hope.
We will also do a study on Christmas Around the World. For our CAW, each family has been asked to research and create a small poster representing a different country. As your child brings in their poster, they will share the information.
As we prepare for the coming of Jesus on Christmas, we will be preparing our classroom as well by starting our month discussing Ornaments. We will practice our uppercase and lowercase letters by matching ornaments with letters on them. We will use play-doh and cutters to create different types of ornaments. We will also count, sort and match plastic ones.
Our second week we will do a unit on Cookies. We will touch, taste, see, smell and even hear when we bite into them. Children learn and retain more, when they use all of their senses. We will create a sensory tub using flour and gingerbread mix. The children will measure, mix and create with this. We will read several books on the Gingerbread Boy and practice our one to one correspondence with a cookie matching game.
The week of December 9th, we will discuss Gifts and Christmas Cards. We will start the week by writing our letters to Santa. While we practice writing our names, we will also begin making cards for our family and friends. If you have any used Christmas cards, we love to recycle them by cutting them up and using them for our own cards and decorations.
During these weeks, we will learn some Christmas songs and practice for our Christmas Program. Some of the songs we will learn are: Joy to the World; Away in the Manger; Go Tell it on the Mountains; The Angels Sing and Silent Night. Some of the stories we will enjoy this month are: Asleep at the Stable; The Polar Express; Counting to Christmas, and many more.
Our Seeds Gospel Weeklies will offer us lessons from Mark 13:33-37 and Luke 3:1-6; 10-18 and 39-45. The children will add a candle to our Advent Wreath each week to help mark the passage of time during the four weeks of Advent.
Important Dates to Remember:
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- December 6th is the Feast of St. Nicholas. We will begin with a “Shoe Blessing” then place our shoes outside our door during naptime in hopes that we receive a visit from St. Nicholas.
- December 6th is also Parent Appreciation Night from 5:30 to 9:30. We will serve dinner to the children and have some fun activities for them.
- December 18th is our Christmas Program and Party. Watch for more information.
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May you have a Very Blessed Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.
Ms. Kathy Ms. Katie Ms. Becky
VPK 2
Merry Christmas! During this special time of year, we will be observing Advent. It is the time of waiting for the birth of Jesus. Each week we will journey to the church to light a candle on the Advent wreath. The green branches reminds us of the new life we have in Jesus’ life, the circle represents the eternity of God’s love for us. As we light the candles each week, the growing light represents Jesus’s birth and His bringing of Light to the world.
We will also learn about “Christmas Around the World”. Each family was asked to send in information on different countries and how they celebrate Christmas. These posters will be displayed in our classroom throughout the month. As the children learn about different customs around the world, they will also gain an understanding that Jesus’ love is everywhere.
Our themes this month are Advent, Christmas around the World, Sounds and Scents of Christmas, Ornaments, Foods and Cookies and The Holy Family. We will explore our world through discovery of various Christmas traditions. We will practice patterning and attribute distinction using ornaments and patterning games. We will enjoy learning math skills as we make cookies for snack and play the Cookie Plate counting game. The children love to bake! Baking is a fun and tasty way to teach measuring and counting skills. Of course, the children love to eat what they have made. We will learn about how good it feels to give to others as we make special gifts for our friends.
Our “Seeds” weekly gospels teach us about the preparation for the Birth of Jesus. The themes include “We wait for Jesus to come”, “All creation is ready for Jesus”, “John the Baptist helps us get ready for Christmas”, “Mary is the Mother of God”, “Jesus is here.” During December we will also learn about Saint Nicholas and Saint Lucia and how their love and faith helped them to show kindness to all in need. We will also discuss the importance of caring for others throughout the year by encouraging the children to bring in items for our Food Basket. The Food donations will be taken to St. Rita’s for distribution. Any non- perishable items are greatly needed and appreciated.
Our Parent Appreciation Night is Thursday, December 6, 2012 from 5:30-9:30 pm for all registered children. For those of you not familiar with this event, this is an evening where we keep the kids so you can finish shopping, go on a date or just stay at home and relax. There is no charge for registered children but you do have to sign up in advance so we can be sure to have enough staff and food available for the evening. Siblings not registered may attend for a fee of $ 10.00.
Our Christmas Program and Party will be held in Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 6:45 pm in the Church. Children have been learning songs and working hard on a special performance for this evening. Our program will be followed by refreshments in the hall. Please have your child/ren at the church by 6:30 as we will begin promptly at 6:45 pm. Church attire is requested.
The Christmas Holiday will begin on December 24, 2012 through January 4, 2013. VPK will resume on January 7, 2013. We will have a class party on Tuesday, December 21, 2012. Please watch for more information.
Our excitement is building as we get closer to moving into our new classroom…Did you notice the paint? It looks so nice it won’t be long now. Have you purchased your engraved brick for the new sidewalk? Your children will be among the first children to attend school in the new building, what better way to commemorate their school journey than by having their names leading the way on the path of learning for years to come.
☺Don’t forget to mark your calendars and plan to help at the Kumquat Festival at the end of January ☺
Thank you to everyone for bringing in your monthly snack. The children really appreciate all the yummy snacks.
Sr. Donna and I wish everyone a most blessed Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year! See you next year!
Ms. Cindie Sr. Donna
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It is hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. This will be a busy and exciting month for us.
Thank you to all of our parents who are being so understanding about the parking during construction. We only have a few more weeks to work around the fences. We are so blessed to be getting this new building. All of the construction committee, Mr. Frank Gude and Gude Construction have been working very hard to have this project done as soon as possible. I go over to the new building as often as possible to just look and dream about where we will put things. I am so excited and I know the kids are too.
During the week of December 3-7, we will learn about Advent. We will make an Advent Wreath and individual Advent calendars. Each week we will light an Advent candle and talk about what it represents.
The following two weeks, December 10-21, our theme will be Christmas. We will make Christmas ornaments, decorations and gifts for our loved ones. We will discuss the gift of giving, and how it makes us feel to give to others. We will discuss all of the things we have to give that are not material things.
The week of December 26-28, our theme will be Cookies. We will make sugar cookies and decorate them.
The week of December 31-January 4, we will ring in the New Year. We will talk about our new year’s resolutions and find out if we kept ours from last year.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
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- December 6- Parent Appreciation Night
- December 7- Christmas Parade
- December 18- Christmas Program
- December 24- Jan. 4- SAS & SAES Closed, Christmas Break
- January 7- SAES Closed, Teacher Planning Day
- December 24, 25, 31 and January 1- SHECC CLOSED
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December 6th is our annual Parent Appreciation Night. This is a night that you can leave your child/ren at the childcare center while you go shopping, have dinner, or just hang out. Our hours will extend until 9:30 p.m. Dinner is provided for the children. Siblings are welcome to come too. The fee for a sibling that is not registered at SHECC will be $10.00. All children that are registered will not be charged.
Have a wonderful and Merry month.
Ms. Susie Ms. Laura Ms. Debbie Ms. Shelby
Notes from Toni…..
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established. Proverbs 19:21
We live by this – when you work with 165 children, no two days are alike, even with the best-laid plans. Our teachers prepare lesson plans and a class schedule, but they must be able and willing to be very flexible according to the needs of the children. A child’s time with us must be educational, nurturing, fun, routine, (they need to know what to expect) and developmentally appropriate for their age and ability. Having seasoned teachers, many being with us for 15 to 25 years, we are able to do this.
I have to talk about the new building… We are so very excited. We are told that we may be able to move in over Christmas school break. St. Joseph Construction along with their sub-contractors are working hard to move us into this wonderful new space.
If you have been in the old school building, you know that we have an assorted conglomeration of furniture and equipment. Some of it was built by Mr. Francis Peloquin 29 years ago – much of it is hand-me-down that we received over the years. Much of it needs to be refinished and painted or repaired. We can’t afford new furniture, so we hope to find someone that has the skill to help us with our equipment. If you have this skill, please let us know.
As we close this year – we have so many people to thank, so many blessings words are not sufficient.
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- First, a big hug thank you to our wonderful staff – they go above and beyond. This isn’t just a job to them – it’s a ministry. They are the best!
- Second, a thank you beyond comprehension to our Pastor, Fr. John Murphy. To have a boss and pastor that supports our ministry as Fr. John does is a blessing beyond words.
- Third, a huge thank you to those that served on our Advisory, Finance, Construction and Fund-raising committees. You have heard that it takes a village – we have that village. We couldn’t do it without them.
- Forth, an extreme thank you to Frank and Florian Gude. Frank picked up our building plans that were lying dormant for 10 years and started the building process. Frank has worked unceasingly to accomplish this huge task. Florian has operated as the Construction Supervisor for our project. We couldn’t do this without these two gentlemen.
- Fifth, but certainly not least – we want to thank our wonderful families for giving us the opportunity to care for, nurture, and educate your children. We are so blessed.
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We are so pleased to have Linda and Carmela back from medical leave. I know you missed them as much as we did.
Mrs. Toni