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September Scenes
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In This Issue
September Scenes
Thoughts from the Director
Musical Notes
Auction Action
Tanaka Farms Field Trip
Notes from Co-op
Please Pick a Job
Important Dates
Oct 7: Tanaka Farms Field Trip
Oct 21: General Meeting 7pm
Oct 24: Cleanup Day 9am
Oct 26/27: Pre-K Conferences
Oct 30: Pajama Day
Full Year Calendar available at: www.hilltoppreschool.com/Calendar.html
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 Reminder: Pre-K will be closed all day on Monday, October 26th,
and half the day on Tuesday, October 27th for parent/teacher conferences. Sign-up sheets for the conferences will be available soon in the Pre-K classroom. |
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| Thoughts from the Director
Recently, at least nine people forwarded me a link to a New York Times article written by Alfie Kohn, author of eleven books about human behavior, education, and parenting. The article, which is titled "When a Parent's 'I Love You' Means 'Do as I Say'", explores evidence supporting the importance of loving children unconditionally.
We asked for permission to reprint the article in its entirety here in the newsletter. However since we hadn't heard back from the New York Times by our publication deadline, we decided to enclose the link only (click on article title above). Please take a few minutes to read this interesting and thought-provoking article!
Learning with Love,
Lynette
Musical Notes
Greetings Hilltop Families!
I hope you are all having a wonderful start to the year. I am so very happy to begin another year at Hilltop, leading music and movement activities with your children.
We have begun weekly classes in the Pre-K room on Thursday mornings with the Fiddle collection.
 Are your children buzzing like bees, or picking imaginary fruit from the air? “Here is the Beehive”, a chant, and “Apples and Cherries”, a song, are two of the selections we’ve done so far. Each have hand motions which children often will do spontaneously on their own long before they learn all of the words.
Song books and CDs will be distributed this week. If you are a new Hilltop family, you will receive an educational DVD along with your songbook and CDs. This DVD features our co-founders, Lili Levinowitz and Ken Guilmartin, who speak informally about the philosophy of the Music Together program, and give lots of examples of how to continue the musical fun (and education) at home.
I’m excited to get to know your children and watch their musical dispositions blossom. I will be posting my observations and anecdotes here monthly, in addition to educational nuggets about music development in young children and how you can nurture it at home. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at info@beachmesamusictogether.com.
Musically,
Ms. Kindel |
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Auction Action
The days are ticking away until our biggest fundraiser of the year - the annual auction on Friday, November 13th from 6pm to 10pm
Check out some of these great items we've received:
- A private party for 8 at Dream Dinners
- $350 photography gift certificate from Caught in the Moment Photography
- $100 gift certificate to Picaboo.com
- And many more....
How can you help? Glad you asked! Please start:
1) Purchasing your tickets at the auction-dedicated website
2) Bringing your donations to school so they can be grouped into exciting bid packages
3) Bringing in baskets and basket decor (ribbons, fancy bows, small filler items like candles, etc.)
4) Continue to solicit more donations. $150 per family is the minimum, but don't stop there! The more the better!
5) Sell raffle tickets for our 50/50 raffle. Send them to work. Ask the neighbors. These are easy to sell!
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Tanaka Farms Field Trip
The last day to RSVP for the Tanaka Farms field trip is Friday, October 2nd. To RSVP, email ljfortino@yahoo.com. This is a pre-paid field trip, so please turn in your fee by Monday, October 5th.
On the day of the field trip (Wednesday, October 7th) please remember:
Meet at Tanaka Farms at 9:30am. Hilltop will be closed the day of the field trip.
This is a parent participation field trip; parents must accompany their children.
Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. We also suggest sunscreen and a hat - it can get hot in the fields.
Bring a bag to hold your vegetables and pumpkin. |
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Notes from Co-op
Hello Co-op Families,
The school year has begun! The days have been busy and enjoyable. The children are making new friends, learning the routine and having lots of fun. Our morning gathering time has been going very well, with all of us enjoying songs, finger plays, taking turns as well as learning everyone’s name. We are having a great time during story time too. The children love stories and enjoy participating.
Our classroom is beginning to be decorated by the children’s artwork. The All About Me posters have been displayed on the cabinets. The children enjoy looking at them and talking about them. They are so happy to see pictures of their family and friends.
During the next few weeks we will introduce the children to Skippy and Sadie, our  classroom Mascots.
Skippy and Sadie are cuddly stuffed dogs. Each child will have a turn to take Skippy or Sadie home for a few days. Each dog has a journal where you can write about the adventures your child has with Skippy or Sadie. You may also add photos and your child may draw pictures. After a few days, please return the dog and the journal to Hilltop. We will read the journal entry to the children and then pass Skippy or Sadie along to the next child. This is another way to make the connection between home and school deeper as well as a way to create communication between the children.
We have some events coming up in October and November. Our first will be a field trip to visit Tanaka Farms pumpkin patch. We will be able to select a pumpkin and some seasonal vegetables. Please wear enclosed toe walking shoes. Next, we will have Pajama Day on October 30. The children, teachers and working parents all wear their pajamas to Hilltop. The children may also bring a stuffed animal, blanket and wear their slippers. You might want to pack regular school shoes too, just in case. Then, in November we will have another field trip to the farmers market. We will purchase vegetables to make Stone Soup. Stone Soup is a family celebration at Hilltop, held about a week before Thanksgiving. It is always a very special day and we hope all our families are able to attend. Check your Hilltop email or the bulletin boards for more details about these upcoming events.
Lastly, we want to thank all of the parents for all your hard work. Hilltop would not be the wonderful place that it is without all your generous contributions!
Love,
Jennie, Sara, Sara and Lynette |
Have You Picked Your Job?
Attention Level 1 families, have you picked your job yet? If you are not sure what that means, chances are you have not yet picked one! Not only does the school rely on parent participation to help the school run smoothly, but it is part of your admissions agreement to hold a job throughout the school year. There are still several important positions that need to be filled:
- Two Ways and Means Committee Assistants
- Classroom Project Assistant, Pre-K
- Pre-K Cupboards and Misc. Assistant
- General Housekeeper
- Gardening Assistant
- And several more.....
Please contact Stephanie Gallegos at amerimelt@aol.com to pick your job and receive your job book. The job book will tell you all you need to know to complete your obligation! If you have any questions, please let Stephanie know!
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