Unity Preschool News
September 8, 2022 - Week One
Ms. Linda's Letter
Dear Preschool Families,
What a wonderful first week of preschool! We enjoyed the smiles, hugs, and laughter of your children. Your children are a delight and we thank you for trusting your child's preschool education and faith-building to us. We are grateful for your generous and heartfelt support including the many supplies that you provided. We will be using them throughout the school year. We are so excited to begin this school year with you and help your child have a year filled with learning, adventure, friendship, and fun! Please continue to keep Unity Preschool in your prayers as we pray for a successful and healthy year for all.
Much love,
Ms. Linda
Director
Color and Spirit Days
Color Days: Each month we will have at least one "Color Day" when we ask your child to wear something to school with that color on it (example - shirt, pants, socks, hair bow, or shoes). Our first Color Day is Thursday, September 22. Wear something BLUE to school on this day.
Spirit Days: We will continue to host fun internal events in our classrooms on the last Thursday of each month. Our first "Spirit Day" is Thursday, September 29 and we will celebrate author Peter Reynolds by hosting "DOT DAY." Please wear something with polka dots to preschool.
October 27: Halloween Celebration - We will have Halloween parties in our classrooms.
November 22: Feast Day - We will celebrate Thanksgiving in our classrooms by enjoying a Thanksgiving meal prepared by some special Unity Preschool friends.
December 15: PJ Day - We will all wear our pj's and enjoy some Christmas fun.
Staff Updates
Three's Update: We are excited to welcome back
Ms. Brandi!
Ms. Brandi was a former Four's teacher at Unity Preschool. After a year off to courageously fight her battle with breast cancer, she has returned to assist
Ms. Becca in our Three's (Monkey) room. We were sad to say good-bye to Ms. Lauren who is teaching at the Fort Mill School District Pre-K program, but we are thrilled that
Ms. Beth decided to take her spot as our new Lead Three's teacher. Ms. Beth assisted Ms. Becca in the Three's class last year and will work with
Ms. Laura in the Frog room.
Returning Staff: Ms. Danielle and Ms. Jen will once again lead our Busy Bee's class (Twos). Ms. Danielle also works in our Preschool Office on Mondays and teaches Music to our Fours classes. Our entire Fours staff is returning this year: Ms. Maureen and Ms. Kellie in the Fish room and Ms. Elizabeth and Ms. Sarah in the Owl room. Ms. Carolyn will be working in the Preschool Office on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will serve as a substitute when needed along with Ms. Linda, our Director, who begins her 14th year at Unity Preschool.
Scholastic Book Fairy Program
The simple and enjoyable act of sharing books with your child helps them learn pre-reading skills such as understanding the sounds letters make, developing a bigger vocabulary, and building background knowledge. Reading to children from an early age can help prepare children to enter kindergarten with the skills they need to succeed.
Because we recognize the importance of reading, your preschool child will receive a birthday book, a Christmas book, an End-of-Year book and with the help of our Book Fairy Campaign (see link below), we hope to provide some additional books this year. This campaign is being advertised within our church, but you are also welcome to support our campaign. Last year each child received 8 books from the funds that we raised.
Three times a year we also send home Scholastic Flyers so that you can choose some new books to purchase for your children. The preschool earns points from your orders that we can use to purchase additional books for our Preschool Library. Watch for our first Scholastic Flyer Order from in your child's backpack next week.
Unity Presbyterian Church Event - Parents' Night Out
Coffee and Connections, a Parents’ Night Out event for parents of children 5th grade and younger, will be held on Friday, September 23rd from 7:00-8:30 pm with special guest singer/songwriter and PCUSA pastor, Steve Lindsley. If you are looking to gather with other parents of young children, reconnect, listen to some music, hear a good word or two, and just “be,” then this night is exactly what you are looking for! Free childcare will be offered from 6:45-8:45 for those attending the event. You can sign-up below.
Busy Toddler
One of my favorite resources is The Busy Toddler. The author, Susie, is a former teacher with a Master's in Early Childhood Education and a mom to three kids. Her mission is to bring hands-on play and learning back to childhood, support others in their parenting journey, and help families make it to nap time. She offers many fun activities for toddlers and preschoolers.
Here is a link to her printable fall bucket list with simple and cheap activities for families to enjoy during the fall months: https://busytoddler.com/fall-bucket-list-for-toddlers/
COVID Update
We updated our COVID plan and it is in the yellow parent information folder. Our Response Plan is also posted on the Unity Preschool website under the "COVID Policies" tab. We have worked hard to design a COVID protocol that will keep our Staff and your children safe, while doing our best to make this year as normal as possible. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
It is essential this year to maintain good communication and to keep your children home if they are not feeling well. If your child or an immediate household family member has tested positive for COVID, please let Linda know ASAP so that proper procedures can be followed to minimize the spread. We follow the CDC protocol regarding quarantine, isolation and mask wearing.
Car Line Reminders
*Safety: If your child has been removed from your car, please do NOT pass other cars ahead of you. We often have to remove children from both sides of the cars and the car line is not designed to be two lanes. Please remain in your vehicles during car line (morning and afternoon). Our Assistants will unbuckle your child(ren) in the morning.
*Car Tags - Morning: Please use your car tags in the morning for the month of September. This will help us as we get to know you, your child, and your car.
*Car Line: Just a reminder that we begin unloading in the morning at 8:45 a.m. We begin loading the Twos and Threes at 11:55 a.m. and the Fours at 12:10 p.m.
*Car Tags: If you need extra car tags, let us know. If you place your car tag in the window, be careful if you roll down your window. Windows like to eat car tags:)!
*Handicap Spaces: You may notice some cars parked in the handicap spaces during car line pick-up. We have four families with children in both the Two's and Four's classes. The Two's are picked up 15 minutes earlier than the Fours classes. These cars will be parked there between the two pick-up times so that we can safely and efficiently load all children and minimize car travel around campus.
Miscellaneous
*Folders: Each child received a plastic pocket folder with his/her name on it. Those folders will go home every day. Please review and empty them and return them on your child's next day of school.
*SeeSaw App: Most of our communication this year will be through this Newsletter and your class SeeSaw app. Please download the Family Seesaw App or you will miss fun pictures and teacher announcements. Contact your child's teacher if you need assistance.
*Photo Release: Just a reminder that you signed and dated a photo release on your child's online registration form. The photo release allows us to post pictures of the entire class on SeeSaw and/or in our School Newsletter. We will NOT post pictures on Facebook or Instagram and no names are used with any pictures that we post.
*Outside Reminders: We go outside every day as long as it is not raining or too cold. Please apply sunscreen in the morning, if needed, and wear tennis shoes/close-toed shoes and socks. We have mulch and a sandbox in our Park area and comfort is more important than fashion.
*Label Clothes: Please remember to label jackets/sweaters/extra clothes that you send to school so that we can make sure they go home with the correct child.
*Tuition: Our next tuition withdrawal date will be Monday, October 3rd.
Unity Preschool Staff 2022-23
Front Row - Left to Right by teaching pairs:
Ms. Maureen and Ms. Kellie (Fours - Fish)
Ms. Sarah and Ms. Elizabeth (Fours - Owls)
Back Row - Left to Right by teaching pairs:
Ms. Carolyn (Librarian/T & Th Helper/First Call Sub)
Ms. Danielle and Ms. Jen (Older Twos - Bees)
Ms. Brandi and Ms. Becca (Threes - Monkeys)
Ms. Beth and Ms. Laura (Threes- Frogs)
Ms. Linda (Director)
Questions, concerns, or comments? preschoolatunity@gmail.com or (803)396-8454
Unity Preschool
Unity Preschool does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and other school-administered programs.
