Did you see the sunrise this morning? The skies were gloriously colored yellow, orange and red. It was simply wondrous. I saw the same look of wonder last Wednesday as two of our groups walked through the Capitol dome. The architecture of the rotunda is stunning. Thank you to TAEYC, our state professional association, for a fun filled day in a mock classroom. If you would like to see photos, check out our FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM pages.
Here is the news for the week:
- Ms. Lara will host Chapel on Wednesday.
- Happy birthday to Ms. Stacy on Wednesday as well.
- Our PreK class will travel to the Scottish Rite theater on Friday.
- Summer registration is closing this morning. Please EMAIL THE PRESCHOOL OFFICE if you still intend to attend our summer program. I will confirm summer registrations next Monday.
- Tuition is now due for April.
- If you have an automated payment set up, please stop you payment after April. In May, we apply your security deposit. We will send new invoices with your new balance for the upcoming school year, plus the May BSC and ASC charges. If you have any questions, you may consult the FUMP PARENT HANDBOOK, or just let us know.
Director’s Blog: PROMOTING IMAGINATION IN PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS. I came across this article recently and wanted to share it with you. Often times, parents may wonder about the benefits of imaginative play in the classroom. In this environment of academic rigor, why is play such a significant focus in a preschool classroom?
“Imaginative curriculum nurtures a child’s core competencies that are crucial for STEM education: collaboration, curiosity, exploration, creativity, and critical thinking (Reighard, Torres-Crespo, & Vogel, 2016). These five concepts require an imaginative zeal that is naturally cultivated in preschool classrooms because they are all intrinsic in early childhood. One recent longitudinal study revealed thatkindergarten students collectively thought of more than 100 uses of a common paperclip when they applied their imaginations. By the eighth grade, those same students could think of only a dozen uses, evidence that nine years of academic instruction that proposed only one right answer to any question had squelched their creativity and wonder (Abbais, 2011). Preschools that promote imagination give young children tools for lifelong learning and teaching.”
That is just one example cited in the article. (The first bit of the article is a little tedious, but keep reading!) As research shows that imagination is the key to lifelong learning, FUMP promotes creativity and imagination throughout our program.