Spring Quarter News 2012

Director’s Corner
April showers bring May flower, green grass, budding trees, and three – year –olds who look at spring with curious eyes! As the environment changes with the warming weather, animal life changes too. Baby animals appear, pool animals appear, pond animals emerge, and tadpoles turn into frogs.

Summer Camp Registration
We are accepting applications for Summer Camp beginning April 1st. Campers are going to participate in various theme related activities on site and off site. Our swimming pool will be open all summer. All children who can swim will be able to cool down in the pool daily and the others will have the opportunity to sign up for lessons and learn with our swim instructors. Wonderful themes like Hawaiian Hullabaloo and Pirates Adventure are being planned for our happy campers. Come join the fun!

Georgia Pre K 2012-2013 Registration
We have opened our doors for Georgia Pre K registration for the school year 2012 -2013 from February 21st. Please remember to bring all the forms along with Birth certificate, Proof of residence and other required documents back to the school after you have picked up a packet from us. Our spots fill up very quickly, so very soon you will be on the waiting list. Hurry!

Extra change of clothing
All children (even the four year olds) need a change of clothing in case of an accident. There have been several times that the children have had accidents and they do not have a change of clothes or the parent cannot be contacted. Please make sure that your child has a change of clothing pertinent to the weather. We do not have extra clothing on site.

Scholastic Book Club
We provide the opportunity to bring you the Scholastic Book Clubs every month and Scholastic Book Fairs from time to time. Each month your child receives an order form with different types of books and educational products. For every order we receive the center receives FREE books. So please help us enrich our classroom libraries and our children’s minds with wonderful and exciting books. See the monthly take home letter with your book order form.

Friday Folders
Don’t forget it is very important to check your child’s folder daily and specially on Fridays. The children work hard on their projects and papers. At times, important office memos may be in your child’s folder coming home to you on Fridays. Please make sure to sign the papers if required, and pay attention to all the upcoming events happenings at our school, enriching you child’s experience in learning.

Spring soccer, softball, recitals, games, and energy galore all signal that spring is in full swing and “Marvelous May” is here. Your children are excited with Spring fever and eager to end the academic school year as the activities of the year wrap up and the countdown to summer begins. We will be keeping their energies focused on positive things as by providing opportunities for fun & sun, self-expression & recreation, and enjoyment this month!

Upcoming events

Spring Portraits April 10th-11th: Parents are going to love this spring’s Cap and Gown and additional Spring portraits. Great backgrounds and spring dresses to come.

Spring Break April 2nd-6th: GA funded Pre K and Henry county schools closed.

April 9th: No school for GA Pre K

Blood drive April 19th: Donate to save a life. Give to the Life South community blood drive

May 17th -- Pre-k End Of the Year Program :  Join us for a wonderful performance with your young pre schoolers who have learned so much in the last year and are ready to showcase their talent on a big stage. All children will perform in a group and will also display their individual talent with confidence on the big stage in front of at least 200 or more audience. Parents would enjoy this event and also find out how much their child is prepared for Kindergarten. All that is needed now is to make sure that they keep up with some Academics during summer too; else the long months might easily wash out our hard work over the year. Sign up for a few weeks of summer camp to encourage our young explorers, while they enjoy swimming too.

May 18th -- Last day for our Pre-k: We wish them farewell as the school year ends and welcome them for summer camp. Teachers are always proud of each child's progress and tearful to miss them. We also encourage parents to appreciate teachers by writing thankful notes. Check out the fun filled camp activities with the swim lesson opportunity and exciting themes and encourage your child to attend. Our educators will keep them on progress for Kindergarten time in few weeks to come..

May 25th – Last day of school for Henry County:  We wish them farewell as the school year ends and welcome them for summer camp. Check out the fun filled camp activities with the swim lesson opportunity and exciting themes and encourage your child to attend. Our educators will keep them on progress for the upcoming school year...

May 28th   Memorial Day – Barrington Academy will be closed Memorial Day is a great way to remember our patriotic heroes who sacrificed their lives to help us breathe the air of freedom.

June :  Fun field trips to Starlight skating rink, jump and play, movie theaters and park .Another Field trip to one of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta location to read books and take fun things to the children at CHOA and to rejuvenate the community feeling in our summer campers.

Eventful MDA Hop-A-Thon
We are honored to reach our goal of to send a child to camp. Isn’t that wonderful to be part of this experience every year to participate in the Hop-A-Thon for a worthy but sometimes forgotten cause ? Two million volunteers are the driving force that enables MDA to accelerate its worldwide research program and provide diagnostic and follow-up care through 220 clinics nationwide. At the Academy we implemented the curriculum for a week-long disability awareness lesson plan; hands-on activities for the children with books and a video; and distributed some free educational materials.

April Highlights

• April is National Humor Month
• April is Lawn and Garden Month

May Highlights

• American Bike Month - Good weather
• Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month - Watch out for Pollen and more..
• Flower Month - Spring Does brings all colors in plants

• Zoo and Aquarium Month - Most visits are done during this month
• Potty Training Awareness month -- really true
• National Tennis Month - best weather to play sports

Themes:  for April
Spring: Spring is in the Air. Our students will have fun experimenting with sand and flowers and watching bugs and butterflies.
Books: The Boy Who Didn't Believe in Spring, Spring Has Sprung! Bear in the Big Blue House
Experiments: Making handcrafted Bug and Butterfly, paper flowers

• Lush Gardens: Students will be learning about different types of plants and flowers planted in Georgia gardens. We will also be planting little seeds in pots and watch them grow with tender care.
  Books: The Carrot Seed, The Gardener
  Experiments: Making Flower pots, Painting with Potato
• Tadpoles and Frogs: This theme will help the students explore the life in a pond. Tadpoles and Frog are the main invertebrates to be found in a pond and we will learn about their life through our eyes.
   Books: The Hare and The Tortoise, Mrs. Turtle and Her Kids, From Tadpole to Frog, Lifecycle of a Frog
  Experiments: Make turtles with balloons, Make frogs with bottle caps
• Baby Animals: Students will learn about animals and their babies. Puppies, kittens, calves, fawns, cubs, ducklings, piglets and chick will be the topic of discussion. So much to learn here!
  Books: Chicken Little, The poky little puppy
  Experiment:  Make bunnies in the grass, Make little ducklings

Themes:  for May
"Shades of spring" Students will be reading books by: Leo Lionni, Kevin Henkes, and Lois Ehlert
Books: A color of his own, Lilly’s Purple plastic Purse, Color Zoo
Experiments: Make fruit salad; Make colorful flower bouquet, Rainbow collage
“Magical moms” “Students will be reading books by: Remy Charlip, Marion Dane Bauer, and P.D. Eastman
Books: A On my mother’s Lap, My mother is mine, are you my mother
Experiments: Flowers for mothers, I love mom crafts ..
 “Lions, Tigers, and Bears”  “Students will be reading books by: Rod Campbell, Sandra Boynton, Duglad Steer
Books: Dear Zoo, Hippos Go Berserk, Zany Zoo
Experiments: Create your very own Zoo animal train, Make Lion mask, make a bear cave
“Lovely Ladybugs” “Students will be reading books by: Melanie Gerth, David Crossley, and Eric Carle
Books: Ten Little Ladybugs, The grouchy Ladybug, Look out Lady bug
Experiments: Create Lady bug friends, make rock ladybugs, make lady bug hats

June: Summer Camp