August is a great time to get ready at The School of Grace. We begin the month with a week of summer camp, greeting old friends and making new ones. For many children, this is similar to preschool orientation, when they get a taste of what the school year will offer.
The Parent Workday is next, when staff, parents and church members work as a team to clean the classrooms and prepare the playgrounds for the beginning of the school year. Who would imagine that sanitizing toys and washing windows could be fun? We combine this event with breakfast, making what would seem like a task, more social. This time, the adults are greeting old friends and making new ones.
Then the staff converges for the back to school Teacher Work days. We begin the week with a staff meeting: sharing stories from the summer; developing a curriculum focus for the year, and discussing the nuts and bolts of the upcoming year. Throughout the week, staff prepares their classrooms and makes home visits. The home visits are truly my favorite part of the week because we spend time in each child’s home getting to know them. Over the years, we have found that taking time to meet with each child in his/her own environment makes the transition into the school year much smoother. When a child arrives at school, he or she already knows the teachers and is ready to jump right in! On Thursday night, the parents arrive for Parent Orientation. We begin with a large group meeting where we get to know each other and learn the philosophy of the school. This year, the staff presented a light hearted skit depicting aspects of a preschool day and tips for parents. Then the parents head to the classrooms to learn about their child’s class and sign up for Helping Parent Days during the school year. Our teacher workdays end on Friday with a day of Infant/Child/Adult CPR and First Aid training.
The last days of August include half days for the children, where they come to school with half the class for a shorter amount of time. This allows them to engage in the classroom experience, getting to know a few of their classmates at a time. After a half day, most children arrive for their first full morning eager and prepared to begin the school year.
August is over and our staff is positioned and ready for action. The previous month was filled with small steps of preparation that set the precedent for success. Walking through the halls and on the playground, parents and staff witness the joy, laughter and budding of friendships that anchor our program. All of the August events set the stage for building confidence and successful experiences at The School of Grace, where we strive to help all children and their families reach their greatest potential.
If you missed out on our August activities, you are still not too late to join our preschool family. We find that because we are well prepared and our classes are small, children who begin during the school year transition easily into our classrooms.
So come join us, we’re ready and eager to open our doors to you and your child!
-Lynn Hess, Director