Y Preschool: A Day in the Life
Dear Diary,
Today Mommy dropped me off at my new preschool. When I got there, I was scared. But Miss Waugh said Good Morning in a big happy voice. She already 
knew my name even! She asked me to look for my name tag and put it by number 3 on the white board. I only know my name starts with a B and I’m not sure what a B looks like so I didn’t know which one was mine. The teacher said, “That’s okay.” She promised that I would be able to spot my name very soon because we will play zoo games with our letters.
Teacher note: The Y Preschool offers a full curriculum program that includes Zoo-Phonics, a language program that uses visual, kinesthetic and auditory senses to teach letters and sounds. District kindergartens also use this program so children who have attended the Y’s Preschool will have a head start on kindergarten skills.
Dear Diary,
My favorite part of today was making flowers for our rainforest. We get to hang our art all over the walls. Teacher says our room will look like spring very soon. Yesterday we listened to a book about how wasps drink nectar from flowers in the rainforest. Some of my friends made wasps out of yellow paper and black paint but I wanted to use the pretty paints at the flower table.
Teacher note: Throughout the year, the Y Preschool works through 40 developmental assets. We’ll choose one each week and focus activities around it. For instance, during our “creativity” week, we included many examples of play using music, crafts and dancing. We added dress up costumes to play areas and encouraged the children to stretch their imaginations both at school and at home.
Dear Diary,
Today wasn’t my best day. When my classmate rang the tambourine, I was supposed to clean up my Center. But I still wanted to play. When a boy grabbed my blocks and tried to put them away, I didn’t know what to do. So I screamed at him. The teacher sat down next to me and asked me if I had heard the tambourine. Then she asked me if I could tell her what the tambourine meant. I knew what it meant. I just didn’t want to do it. She suggested that I use my words when I feel mad or frustrated and asked me to try again with my class mate.
Teacher note: Core values are a high priority at the Y Preschool. Much of our time is devoted to learning how to work with and around our classmates. We talk a lot about using kind words and working as a team. We believe in allowing children to think through their choices and behaviors and give them the opportunity to make corrections.
Dear Diary,
I love Fridays at my school. We get to do food and fun. Sometimes the teachers ask us to try a new food and they tell us people from far away eat it all the time. Today we had carrots. But not just carrots like bunnies eat. We tasted cooked carrots and mushy carrots, too. I never knew carrots could be so crazy!
Teacher note: On Fridays, we often have a food and fun theme where we introduce foods that complement our seasonal theme or a book we’ve read or a country we’ve discussed. With the carrots, we thought it would be fun for the children to see how the same foods can be prepared many ways.
Dear Diary,
I am sad because my mom told me I will have to go to kindergarten soon. That means I won’t get to come to my preschool every day. I will miss my teachers and my friends. I hope another child will have as much fun there as I did.
Teacher note: We are now accepting students for our 2-3 year old class and Pre-K/4-5 year old class. The year-round school is open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. Families have the option of enrolling for mornings only, school day hours or full days. Please call 246-9622 for information or to set up a visit. We would love to meet you and your child(ren).
