Welcome to

   

For Parents

 

  

Click here to view or print the Preschool Parent Handbook.

Click here to print a Child Health Report form.

Click here to print an Emergency Contact / Parental Consent form.

Click here to view or print the McKnight Child Care Parent Handbook.


 The United Way
Did you know that if your employer participates in the United Way Campaign, you can designate the funds you donate to go to St. Paul's Preschool?  Simply obtain a United Way Contributor's Choice form from your employer and specify our preschool's code, 941482, and the monthly or annual amount you wish to contribute.

 

Fostering Tolerance and Respect

Children are born without biases about other people of any race, culture, gender, or disability. We sometimes wonder if we can raise children free of prejudice by just leaving well enough alone and making sure not to pass on negative attitudes. Unfor­tunately, it doesn't work this way; society's messages are too pervasive. As parents and teachers, we need to take positive action if children are to grow up comfortable with who they are and respectful of others.

We want to work with you to create a program that helps to counter society's messages of bias and reflects the cultural back­ground of all the children and families. To begin with, we choose books, dolls, and even pictures on the wall, with an eye to finding balance and showing children what they see too little of elsewhere. For instance, we make a point of showing men and women of all ethnic backgrounds doing a variety of jobs, men as well as women doing household chores and spending time with children, and different kinds of families enjoying themselves.

Are we doing all this to be "politically correct"? Not really.

We're committed to helping children grow up confident of their own identity, respectful of other people, and aware of the rich diversity of their community and world. We can do this only by working closely with our families, hearing your perspectives, and finding out more about the cultural background that each child brings to the program.

Parents are even more important than teachers in children's development of attitudes. If you have any questions about how our program is addressing issues of bias and diversity or if you want to talk over issues that arise at home, please let us know what you're thinking or wondering. Of course, we are far from having all the answers. We want to hear what you're thinking, and we're always happy to talk things over.

 


 TOGETHER TIME FUN


Heart People

Materials:
Construction paper in different colors
Glue or paste
Doilies

Directions:

·        Using different colored construction paper, trace and cut hearts, ranging in size from two to six inches.

·        Glue the hearts together in different combinations to form heart people, using large hearts for heads and bodies, smaller ones for arms, legs, and so on.

·        Decorate with markers and doilies.

·        Write a valentine message on it for a special someone.

You can also try making different heart animals.

 

Handprint Poem
 This is a gift for an adult to make with a young child. It's a poem with a handprint and an optional photo of the child.

What you'll need:
Small child in play clothing.
Print out of handprint poem.
Optional small photo of child.
Water based paints - finger paints or tempera paints.
Bowl or something to hold the paint.
Brush or sponge to apply paint to child's hand.
Paper towels or some other way to do a quick cleanup!

How to make it:
Here's the poem for you to copy, format and print:

Sometimes you get discouraged
Because I am so small
And always leave my fingerprints
On furniture and walls

But every day I'm growing --
I'll be grown some day
And all those tiny handprints
Will surely fade away

So here's a little handprint
Just so you can recall
Exactly how my fingers looked
When I was very small

Put a date here
Love, put child's name here

 

What to do:

·        Print the poem.

·        Apply the paint to the child's hand, and then press their hand to the paper near the poem. This might take several attempts to get a good print, patience is the key.

·        Clean that little hand, before you get handprinted, too!

·        Personalize with the date and name.

·        Let dry, then glue on a photo, if desired.

 

Paper Love Bug
 You know those pesky love bugs that fly in the air? Here is a paper love bug that your kids will adore!

What you'll need:
Empty toilet paper tube
Pink paper
Scissors
Glue
Pipe cleaners
Pen, maker, crayons, or pencil

How to make it:

·        Paint or cover an empty toilet tube with pink paper to make the body of the bug.

·        Cut two hearts from construction paper.

·        Attach these with tape or glue on either side of the body.

·        Encourage your child to draw a face on the top of the tube. Pipe cleaners make great antennae.

·        Write a cute message on the wings such as "Valentine, you make my heart flutter."

  

Valentine Frame

Materials:
Candy hearts
Glue
Photos of person sending the valentine
Paint or markers
Large popsicle sticks
Construction paper
Ribbon

Directions:

·        Glue the popsicle sticks together in a square to make the frame.

·        Cut out a piece of construction paper to fit into the frame.

·        Paint or color the popsicle sticks the color of your choice.

·        Glue candy hearts around the frame for decoration.

·        Glue your picture, or a loved one's picture, into the center of the frame.

·        Glue ribbon on the back of the frame for easy hanging.

 

Snow Painting
Mix water and food coloring and put the solution in spray bottles.  Spray it on snow to make colorful designs.

  

Coffee Filter Snowflakes
 Materials:

Coffee Filter, Scissors, Blue Tempera paint, water, and a paint brush.

Directions:

Take some blue paint and water it down. Then paint a coffee filter with the paint. Once it dries fold it in half, then in half again, and then in half one more time. Cut it like you would a snowflake. When you open it will look like a blue tie dyed snowflake.  Looks great in a window.   

 

Foot Print Penguins
Materials:

6" X 9" white and black construction paper, one of each per child
Black and yellow markers
Scissors
Glue or stapler

What to do:
Trace the child's shoe on the white paper and have the child cut out, helping if necessary.  This will be Penguin's body. Fold the black paper in half so it measures 6" X 4.5".  Trace the child's hand with wrist on the fold.  Cut out. These will be the wings.  Glue or staple the black wings (folded lengthwise) around the penguin’s body on each side (kind of over the top of the head and down the sides).  Draw eyes and beak with black and yellow markers.

More to do:
Glue the penguin on blue paper and use finger tips to print with white paint to create snow all around the penguin.

 

Tortilla Snowflakes
Kids will have a lot of fun making these cold weather recipes! Using kitchen scissors, have kids cut out tortilla snowflakes just like they would make snowflakes out of paper. Fry slightly in oil and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

 

Books

The Biggest Kiss by Joanna Walsh

Happy Valentine's Day, Curious George by by N. DiAngelo & Mary O'Keefe Young

The Biggest Valentine Ever by Steven Kroll

The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Caldecott Medal)

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems (Caldecott Medal)

In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak (Caldecott Medal)

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (Caldecott Medal)

Snowflake Bentley (Caldecott Medal Book) by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Snow (Caldecott Honor Book) by Uri Shulevitz

The Big Snow (Caldecott Medal Book) by Berta Hader

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

 

Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children