NURSERY RHYMES - JUNE 2011

DIRECTOR'S CORNER
It is a busy end of the school year
here at the Nursery. The children are
busy caring for the nine chicks and six
ducklings that were hatched during
our embryology project. This project
is made possible by The 4H Club and
Cornell Cooperative Extension of
Westchester. Nancy Caswell and her
staff, annually organize with local
farmers and local farm organizations
to provide this remarkable opportunity
for children throughout Westchester
and into NYC. This year the chickens
will be placed at the Stone Barns Center
in Pocantico Hills and the ducks
will be placed at local farms following
a stopover at the Yorktown
Grange Fair Grounds. Stone Barns
Center is a working educational
farm in Westchester and can be visited.
For information go to www.stonebarnscenter.org.
Late in May, the older classes took our
annual trip to The Little Red Lighthouse.
It was a dreary drizzly day,
but the trip was once again a resounding
success. Upon return, the children
have been busy in the block area building
bridges, lighthouses and barges.
At the art tables children have been
constructing lighthouses and drawing
about their experiences.
This year the Spring Bazaar had to be
held indoors due to rainy weather, but
it still brought Nursery families and
neighbors together once again. As a
fundraiser it was a success, but also
seeing families and friends from years
past reminds us that the Nursery is an
integral start for the families of the
community. Having grandparents mention
that their grandchildren attended
the school more than 20 years ago,
speaks to the longevity of good memories
and foundations that began in this
school. Thanks to all the families who
fulfilled their obligations and volunteered
for their shift and especially
those who went above and
beyond. Our fundraising
committee did a wonderful
job – many of whom
are outgoing families!
Parents worked quite hard
this year trying a few new
fundraisers and a few tried and true
events. Thanks for supporting our
school, through fundraising or by fulfilling
your requirements which help
keep our costs down, so that we may
maintain the high quality program the
Amalgamated Nursery School has always
been. This year we purchased
new playground equipment that took a
bite out of our reserve funds. We will
probably need to continue to fundraise
for the purchase for another year,
but your children have been making
jubilant use of the equipment and I am so pleased to
have taken the plunge to purchase it.
Thanks to the Nursery staff who work hard each
day to provide the rich experiences for the children.
The school is blessed with a dedicated, nurturing,
caring staff. We are indeed fortunate to
have each member of our staff working here.
As you read through this newsletter, you will most
likely see references to children’s literature. In
fact our annual trip to the Little Red Lighthouse was
sparked by the fact that many teachers had a great
love for the book The Little Red Lighthouse and the
Great Gray Bridge and wanted to share that with
the children. At school books are an integral part of
your child’s day and they should be an integral part
of their life. Over the summer months keep this
relationship alive by finding books that relate to the
families activities and by extending books that you
have already read together.
Books about family activities are relatively easy to
find. Our local librarians are more than willing to
help you in your quest. For example if you go to the
zoo, find a book about animals; if you walk along a
park with a pond, get a book from the library that
discusses pond life; if you have a new baby; find a
book about infants and siblings. The possibilities
are endless.
If you are unsure about the type, level or topic of
books to choose always feel free to ask the librarian
or the person who works in the children’s section of
the bookstore. They can help you find appropriate
books of interest. Look for other books at used
book sales, yard sales, thrift stores and flea markets.
Extending a book that your child enjoys and has
read is easy too. It’s as simple as providing materials
for children to draw or paint the favorite part of
the book. You can also act out what the characters
in the book do. If the characters are firefighters
or astronauts or chefs, gather a few props to spark
the child’s play. Supporting a child’s imaginary play
supports problem solving skills, creativity and fosters
rich language development. If characters
plant a garden, try planting a few seeds. If the
story or a part of it takes place at a bakery or grocery
store, in a forest, or at a swimming pool, read it
just before you set out for the same kind of place.
Once there, you and your child can notice things you
saw in the book, point out things you haven’t seen
before, and look at the book again when you get home.
When children read about familiar activities or when
they act out favorite stories, books come alive for
them. Reading becomes more meaningful, more
memorable and more fun.
As the year comes to a close, we wish our graduates
and other students who are moving on to other
schools a warm goodbye – but please stay in touch.
We thank you for letting us enjoy and work your
children. I hope that while they were at the Nursery
they developed friendships and learned to work
with others, developed a rich sense of curiosity and
a strong sense of confidence so that they will know
when to lead, when to follow and when to stand on
their own. All the best!
Have a wonderful summer!
Lisa
-


LITTLE HANDS II
Here we are at the end of another school year. This
wonderful group of children has shown a great deal
of growth. It always amazes me that a class of children
that meets only 4 hours a week can develop
routines, favorite activities and friendships.
This year the children were not fond of block building,
but they certainly loved trains. They enjoyed
the building of different track layouts, were pretty
good sharing the trains and really learned to use
their bodies carefully as the year went on so as not
to destroy the layout.
The children were also an observant group. They
enjoyed watching and learning about the different
animals that were in our room – Marlin the fish,
Chubby the frog, and most recently the caterpillars
that will hopefully emerge as butterflies by the end
of the school year.
They certainly love experimenting with art! I am a
strong believer in process oriented art – meaning
the process of gluing, painting and collaging is more
important than the finished product. Early in the
year, using glue was an adventure – in fact just drizzling
colored glue was art for them. Then, as they
became more experienced glue became a substance
that allowed them to stick other items on to a construction.
Paint can be used to represent one color,
or blended to make another. They learn that they
have control in their expression, they determine
what colors to use, where to put an item in a collage
or whether their strokes are broad and long or dabs
of color. For most of the younger children they are
still very experimental, still learning to control their
movements and placements –but they sure are enjoying
the learning process!!
Where I have seen the most growth has been in
their gross motor ability in the park and also in their
language development. Early in the school year, our
new climbing equipment was challenging for many of
the children – but now they are confident, sure
footed veterans! They are so proud of abilities and
take new risks each visit. The room was a quiet
place early in the year. Now the conversations, comments
and questions are filling the air.
All throughout this year they have become much
more aware of each other. On their journey to becoming
social beings (and it is a journey) they have
learned a great many things –most positive and a few
negatives! They notice when friends are absent,
they know who they enjoy playing next to, they are
beginning to know how to share, they recognize when
a friend is hurt and things that make them feel better,
they have in general learned it feels nice to be
nice, but in addition, they know who they can get a
rise out of and sometimes how to get a friend the
scream – despite teacher intervention!! So we continue
to work on problem solving and how to make
and keep friends. These things are part of learning
to get along in a group setting. It is hard for young
children to begin giving up thinking about themselves
for the good of the group. That in essence is what
Little Hands is about - learning social competence –
it is the beginning of the long road to becoming a
good member of a community. Research has shown
that this social competence is crucial to later school
and of course lifelong success.
Today we were able to share some of the excitement
with the three year olds as the chicks
hatched. We had been visiting the incubator and the
children were amazed to see the results. As the
day ended there were 9 chicks hatched. We will
also enjoy visiting the ducks as they grow.
I’d like to thank Jean and Meg for their caring attentive
manner–always laced with some humor to
keep us all smiling!
The children have amassed some favorite music as
the year has gone on. I plan to burn a CD for each
family with a few favorites. Two particular songs
by Laurie Berkner, “I Know a Chicken” and Telephone
are by far favorites! If you don’t know her music
please seek it out for your child, along with the classics of Raffi. I have borrowed copies of both artists’ CD’s from the library.
We look forward to seeing all our friends again in school next year, except for Michael Ervin who will be attending
another school in the fall. We will miss him and wish him and his family well!
Have a wonderful summer, make use of your Cool Culture Cards and visit the library - below I have listed a few of our favorite LH books this year.
Clip Clop by Nicola Smee
Hide and Snake by Keith Baker
Mrs.Wishy Washy by Joy Cowley
Piggies by Audrey Wood
This Little Chick by John Lawrence
Across the Stream by Mirra Ginsburg–

Our Farewell, Until We Meet
Again In September
By: LITTLE HANDS III
The smell of summer is in the air
and unfortunately the time has
come to say good bye. The children
have grown and blossomed so
much since the very first day of
school.
Since our last newsletter, we have
celebrated several holidays, Valentine’s
Day, St. Patrick’s Day,
Easter, and Chinese New Year.
We read books such as My First
Chinese New Year by: Karen Katz,
cooked Chinese Fried Rice, and
created wonderful art which were
hopefully displayed at home so all
could see.
We also explored various bugs
(dragon flies, lady bugs, worms,
and ants), including the transformation
of butterflies. We had
the opportunity to have a lady bug
farm in our classroom, which we
visited everyday and then released
in the park for them to help our
gardens. During our lesson I asked
each child “what do you think lady
bugs like to eat?” Following is
their responses:
Ava: Marshmallows
Kol: Crickets
Amani: Crickets
Valentina: Their babies,leaves
Dylan: Cheese Doodles
Nicolas: Grass
Paz: Salad
Mary: Lettuce
The children loved to see
them fly away. We also introduced
walking sticks to the
children. They experienced a
walking stick, walking on their
arms and how sticky their legs are.
We read stories such as The Very
Quiet Cricket, The Very Hungry
Caterpillar The Grouchy Ladybug
and The Very Busy Spider all by:
Eric Carle, As you can see, we
spent quit some time on this unit
and the children enjoyed every
step of the way.
Lastly, the children were able to
see the hatching of our chicken
and duck eggs. We would take occasional
walks to the incubator to
view the eggs. We would discuss
their color (of the egg), what colors
they thought the chicken or
duck would be once it hatched, and
what type of food they thought
the chickens and ducks would like
to eat.
Overall, we have had a wonderful
school year with lots of growing,
physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Now it is time for the children
to practice what they have
learned with their friends over
the summer, bloom some more,
until we meet again in September.
May you all have a safe and pleasant
summer vacation. It has been
a pleasure to have you all in my
class.
Sincerely,
Luz, Jean, & Lynn

THREE'S AM
Our eggs arrived on May 11th and
are due to hatch on the 31st. We
have been looking at our science kit
about the changes that happen inside
of the egg every day. It contains
twenty one plastic eggs with a
picture inside of each egg. Our children
are becoming good observers
by describing the difference they see
when we compare the last two eggs
we opened. We went “buggy” in our
class both morning and afternoon.
The walking sticks have
given children the opportunity
to hold one and feel it waking
up their arm.
Pill bugs and ladybugs are
also in our classrooms as
well as caterpillars. The children are
eager to look for bugs when we go
to the both parks. We also had an
opportunity this month to learn
about compost. Stephanie
Surya’s mom gave us a tour of
the Co-Op’s compost bin located
right next to our Tire Park. We
learned how the many bugs we
saw living in there help break up the
leaves and turn them to soil.
The beginning of June will provide
the opportunity for more learning
about birds as we’ll be observing
how our chicks grow. Please come
by and visit both Minia’s and my
classroom. We hatched chicks and
Minia hatched ducks. This is a very
exciting time for all of us. We are
planning to culminate the year with
a unit about the ocean/water play
and will visit the sprinklers at the
Fort Independence Park A.K. “Pigeon
Park” on Sedgwick Ave. We will also
explore with bubbles.
We cannot believe the end of the
school year is quickly approaching.
In the month of March we learned
about spring through a lot of reading
and observations of our outdoor environment.
We looked for signs of
spring and read about many animals
born during this time every year.
We also learned about different
means of transportation. We
charted how many children come to
school by walking, by car, by bus, or
by train. Also, how many of us had
been in a plane, ship, train, or a
boat. They all enjoyed the unit
about boats but enjoyed ships the
most. Playing with water was the
focus as we learned which items sink
and which float. We celebrated St.
Patrick’s Day with readings, art and
cooking. We all enjoyed eating
green eggs and ham.
In April we learned about Easter and
Passover. Easter baskets were
made out of newspaper and the
Matzo covers were decorated
beautifully with their drawings
using fabric markers. We all
enjoyed a piece of Matzo with
butter or plain during snack
time. During the beginning of
May our focus was making the
Mother’s Day present and reading
books about mothers. Are You My
Mother? By Eastman became our
favorite story. We hope you enjoyed
the canvas the children made.
Then, we visited the Firehouse on
Bailey Ave. and our focus was fire
trucks. All the rain this month did
not stop us from going to either trip.
The lighthouse trip was well attended
by parents. Thank you for
all your support. The two class
books are circulating right now. Enjoy
the pictures with your child that
tell the story of our trips and engage
your child in conversation about the
trip.
The moving up ceremony ,June 8th,
is a time to learn new songs and
sing some old songs too. We hope
to see every one there. Before the
end of the school year, we will start
sending two children at a time to
visit Minia’s class. This will help the
children have a smooth transition
into the UPK. They will be the “big
kids” in the school next year.
We had a wonderful year with your
children. It is hard to believe
these are the quiet, hesitant,
children who walked into our
room nine months ago. They
have grown into confident,
verbal, independent children.
It is always a pleasure to see
them grow, form friendships,
and mature during the year.
I would like to thank Alma and
Nicole for your hard work and
dedication. This year in particular
we had a challenging group of children.
You were always there for the
children and for me. Thank you to
Vicki for volunteering in our classroom.
The children enjoy your presence
in the classroom. We all learn
a lot from you. I would also like to
thank Lisa for having confidence in
my role as a teacher. It means a
lot to me.
We would especially like to thank
you, the parents, for your cooperation
and support this year. Thank
you so much for your donations.
Parental support is what makes this
school so especial. Thank you, most
of all, for entrusting your children to
our care. We have enjoyed every
experience while being part of your
children’s growth.
We wish you a wonderful summer!
Maria, Alma, and Nicole

PM UNIVERSAL PREKINDERGARTEN
Chickens, Lighthouses, and The Rhythm of the Rain
Dear Parents,
It’s hard to believe that the school year is
drawing to a close. The time has flown by so
rapidly. It seems as though we were just meeting
the class for the first time, and now they
are preparing to embark on new journeys as
they enter kindergarten and beyond. Time
really does fly when you are having fun.
We spent our rainy spring learning about rain
and water, which made our indoor days more
fun. We played at the water table, listened to
Handel’s Water music and Melissa, our student
teacher worked on making a HUGE rain stick
with us. It was hard work. We had to hammer
lots of nails into the large tube that was going
to be our rain stick. Then we had to paint it and
fill it with beans. When it was done it sounded
awesome! Now we can make it “rain” in our
classroom any time we want!
Our recent trip to the Little Red Lighthouse
was a lot of fun for everyone, even though the
weather was not so cooperative. Traveling on a
big, yellow school bus was fun in and of itself,
but the lighthouse was simply amazing! We went
on a scavenger hunt, searching for interesting
items along the banks of the Hudson River, and
then we climbed to the top of the lighthouse.
What a view! We saw so much from the top, including
boats, geese, and of course the Great
Gray Bridge! We took quite a few pictures and
are turning them into a memory book for our
classroom. Then we can revisit our trip many
times and talk about the things we saw and did.
When we returned from the trip we began
working on our own lighthouses using a variety
of items that we would ordinarily either throw
out or recycle. It was fascinating to see what
the children chose to build their own unique
lighthouses. It’s very exciting watching them
begin to take shape and express each child’s
individuality. I’m sure we’d love to see these
beautiful lighthouses guarding our shorelines
and protecting the boats on the water!
We are very excited that our chicken eggs are
going to hatch soon. It will be pretty amazing
to watch them hatch and see the cute little
fuzzy chicks that were curled up inside. Every
day we have been looking at pictures of what is
going on inside the eggs
and how the chicks are developing.
May 31 is supposed
to be hatching day.
We will have to pay careful
attention to the incubator
in the coming days.
After the eggs hatch we
will have the responsibility
of caring for the chicks.
It’s a tall order, but I
think we’re up to the challenge.
We are now raising caterpillars, and if all goes
well, we’ll have butterflies in our classroom.
Taking care of animals and watching them grow
and change gives us a sense of wonder and responsibility.
It’s nice to see other creatures
growing up just like we are.
Our class has accomplished so much this year,
and they eagerly await the new adventures that
kindergarten will bring. Our friends will be going
off to new schools to embark on new experiences.
We know that, wherever your children
are headed, they will be bringing a whole year’s
worth of school experiences that will prepare
them for whatever lies ahead. We have truly
grown this year, not just as individuals, but as a
community of learners. When you consider that
many of these children didn’t
know one another just nine
months ago, it’s gratifying to
see how they have become
such good friends.
Since September we have
seen such tremendous growth
in all our children in all areas
of development. We are proud
of their accomplishments and
are excited to see what challenges the future
holds. We know our children will be more than
ready to meet those challenges.
We would like to thank each and every parent
for your cooperation, help, and the faith and
trust you have in us in caring for your children.
We thank you for the pleasure of their company,
and for the privilege of being their teachers.
It has been a gratifying having them as a
part of our family this year. Have a great summer!
Peace.
Andrea, Alma, & Yasmin


The Made Up Song
By Emily Bernstien-Dunkel
The Nursery School is very cute and fun because it is full of little kids!!!!!
Every time I come here I just remember being a little kid.
Yaa Yaa, I just like it so much ‘cause it’s full of little kids.


FULL DAY UNIVERSAL PRE-K
Museum of Natural History and the fire house. We went to
the Little Red Lighthouse. We used all these experiences
to inform our work in the classroom. For example
our block corner recreated the firehouse and the
light house and the great gray bridge. Our
loft contained a supermarket and a pond.
Housekeeping was sometimes a pizza shop,
or an office or a bakery,or a fire engine.
All this playing, helped us to expand our language,
as well as develop our artistic,
math, science and social
skills.
We baked a lot of bread and cooked up a
storm. We painted and drew. We made buckets
of playdough. We cut. We read stories
and acted many of them out.
We made a ton of class
books. Many parents came to
visit, and enriched our classroom.
We were lucky enough
The end of the year is always
bittersweet… so happy to
see how much and how well
our children have grown, how
ready they are for their next
steps and so sad to see them
go.
It’s been an incredibly exciting
and stimulating year for
the children. We began the
year with a trip to the lake,
and weather permitting we
are planning to go there one
more time.
We took neighborhood trips
to the supermarket, the
pizza store, the Amalgamated
offices, and the boiler
room. We went to the Muto
have 3 student teachers
over the course of the year,
Kathy, Annet and Sabena who
also helped enrich our classroom.
Many thanks to our great
classroom staff, Kirsty, Lucy,
Jan, Jean and Nicole whose
hard work, helped to keep
the classroom running
smoothly. Thanks to Vicki,
for volunteering with us and
helping out in the classroom.
Thanks to the parents for all
your efforts in maintaining
the school and fundraising
for us. Thanks to Lisa for
always being there to help
Wishing you all a great summer
and much luck and success
in meeting the challenges
to come.
Minia

CONGRATULATIONS to our 2011 graduates
Sky Cumbe
Aniya DeLasNueces
Matthew Fiedorczuk
Madison Frascati
Aaliyah Markman
Ryan Marrero
Elani Montes
Nyah Ortiz
Jaedynn Patino
Ali Saad
Mohamed Saad
Kamand Salehina Sammak
Esmeralda Sanchez
Jeremiah Vaca
Emily Valentin
Niya Valentin
Jose Vinueza
Jad Assaily
Veronica Kanachova
Nadia Pagan
Matthew Singh
Laila Ayala
Keira Burgos
Diana Camilo
Olivia Cosgrove
Tristen Duranti
Michael Farnsworth
Nicholas Frade
Raquel Gomez
Hiram Gonzalez
Christian Herring
Martha Mena
Michael Polanco
Luke Reyes-Whited
Carter Tomlinson
Jade Villafane
Tara Yarahmadi