From Kathy’s Desk
April 2018
Wow! What a wild weather month we had! Are we finally done with all the snow days?!
Though unpredictable weather-wise, we still managed to check off lots of our “to-dos” in March. Our “Pioneer Days” theme was a lot of fun for the kids and quite educational as well. PEDP became Little House on the Prairie for the month. With covered wagons, maps of the Oregon Trail and homemade cherry pies…move over Laura Ingalls! The cast and crew of “Willy Wonka” were also tirelessly rehearsing for our shows that will debut in just one week! The introduction of the Simple Circus program was also met with rave reviews from all participants. Can YOU spin a plate on top of a pole?
CURRICULUM
Our theme this month will be “Super Heroes”. I don’t know who’s more excited for this theme, the kids or the teachers?! We will be learning about all kinds of super heroes, both fictional and real. What characteristics make up a super hero? Who are the super heroes in our community? How can you be a super hero? Get ready to put your cape on as we soar into a super fun month!
FIELD TRIPS
April 3rd (Explorers): Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln
April 24th (Adventurers): Blue Hills Reservation in Milton
CLASSES
Kids Cooking Green for the Minnows—registration is open! This class starts Tuesday, May 1st. Please note that registration for this class must be done online @ www.kidscookinggreen.com.
“Coding”, a 6-week program for grades 2nd-5th, will be held on Thursdays 3:15-4:15pm beginning April 26th. Details for sign-up will be out next week. Stay tuned!
PUERTO RICO CONNECTION UPDATE
Our students received and sent their first letters to their overseas pen pals in Puerto Rico! Several of the PEDP teachers are also enjoying participating in the Pen Pal Project and made connections with their own P.R. counterparts. With all the snow we had to talk about, I’m sure there were some interesting letters shared!
Due to the snow day interruptions, we decided to postpone “unplugging” to April. Stay tuned for the date to be announced when we will ask everyone to UNPLUG! No lights, no computers, no electricity of any kind for a whole day.
FYI: As of today, our Puerto Rican friends have been without power for 200 days.
MUSICAL
Come to a night at the theater! We have a cast of over 40 students that have been rehearsing for three months now and they are ready to perform Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory! Shows will be held on Friday, April 6th and Saturday, April 7th at 7:00 PM in the Peirce Auditorium. Tickets are $10 each and they are available now at PEDP—please ask for Rachel, Joanne or Kathy to purchase tickets. This is such an exciting an rewarding event for everyone. Flower bouquets and concessions are available for purchase both evenings. You can also send a “Break a Leg Wish” to actors or stage crew in the show by buying a card to fill out prior to the beginning of the evening performances. We hope all PEDP families will show their support by attending the show. A really fun evening!
“Sip & Shop” Thursday, April 26th 5:30 – 8:30 pm
Want a fun night out with your friends? How about updating your wardrobe and decor while supporting a great cause? Bring a friend to our Open House and join other PEDP moms for a “Night of Style”. We are excited to be partnering again with fellow PEDP mom and Ellie Kai representative, Suzanne Winton, while also introducing bSilverbangles, and Chartzie to bring you this event (check out their websites!). In addition, 20% of every purchase will be donated to support the PEDP Scholarship Fund. Come join us for a glass of wine and gal pal time, while trying on some super cute clothes, handmade silver bracelets and eyeing something special for your home! Save the date! Details will be emailed next week.
ENROLLMENT IN PEDP FOR 2018-2019
The deadline is past now and some programs are filling up. If you have not yet turned in your application for next year, I strongly urge you to do so soon.
MINNOWS MESSAGE from Kim Ryan, Minnows Coordinator
Early Minnows
The Early Minnows learned about life in the Pioneer Days: what kinds of places they lived in, what food they ate, even what games the kids played. They made their own marbles out of clay, built tee pees from paper bags, and painted with berries.
April’s theme is Superheroes! I know the Early Minnows will be excited about this theme!
Late Minnows
Homemade jam, tin can lanterns, whirligigs, taffy pulling, covered wagons; these are just a few of the projects the Minnows created during our “Pioneer Days” theme!
Our next theme, “Superheroes”, is sure to bring out the hero in all of us!
On Tuesday, April 3rd, we are asking all Minnows to come to EDP dressed as their favorite superhero or wear their super hero accessories. We will be superheroes for the day!
On Tuesday, March 27th, the Minnows and Barracudas participated in a popcorn special event. They made popcorn balls, played popcorn games, blind taste-tested different popcorn flavors and made beautiful popcorn art! So much fun and popcorn everywhere!
The Minnows that participated in the Circus club last week raved about it! They learned how to juggle scarves and plate spinning. There are certainly some talented kids in this group and I can’t wait to see what they learn going forward!
Don’t forget Kids Cooking Green is happening in May. Registration is open!
Finally, the Minnows say goodbye to the Treehouse and will spend the rest of the year in their Greenhouse home base.
As always, feel free to contact me at kim@peirceedp.com
BARRACUDA BUZZ from Joanne Malouf, Barracudas Coordinator
Even with the snow days March brought, we still had a lot going on in the Barracudas. We finally had our “Popcorn Lovers” special event with the Minnows. The Tuesday group had a great time creating nature paintings with popcorn as the blossoms, making popcorn necklaces, playing several popcorn related games, making popcorn balls and even tasting the many flavored popcorn toppings that Kim had. I heard the jalapeno flavoring was a bit spicy. For “Pioneer Days”, Carol created an edible covered wagon, Laurie made stick puppets, Dylan had the kids write about what their pioneer town would be like and I made yarn dolls.
Explorers Trip Program: With Ski/Snowboard make-up days and a Tuesday snow day, we finally made it to the John Smith Sports Center with the Adventurers. This is always a favorite trip of the kids; one of the third graders even said it was his older sister’s favorite PEDP trip. The kids played football and soccer on the indoor field while others played in the Zig Zag Zone, the padded playground and bouncy slide. Our next trip was to The Hall at Patriot Place. The kids loved trying on some of Brady and Gronk’s uniforms and trying to kick a field goal in the kicking simulator. We were also able to see the snowplow used to clear the field for John Smith (of the John Smith Sports Center) to kick the winning field goal in the original “Snow Plow” game back in December of 1982. Ask the kids if they remember who I told them was at that game (PS – it wasn’t me!). March came in like a lion for sure but it seems to be going out like a lamb. Here’s hoping for sunshine and warmer weather in April.
Please feel free to contact me at joanne@peirceedp.com with questions or concerns about your child or the Barracuda Program.
SHARK TALES from Rachel Bastarache, Sharks Coordinator
Well as the new month approaches, the Sharks will be swimming up to the Treehouse for the remainder of the year. We have had a great time in March discovering how the pioneers lived. The Sharks made homemade butter and bread, used simple things like berries as ink, made their own potholders using looms, and some even created their own rag dolls!
Last Tuesday, the Adventurers group had a great time on our field trip to Guard-Up. They all enjoyed roleplaying battles against each other to capture their enemies’ flags. The Adventurers next trip, hiking at Blue Hills Reservation, will be on April 24th.
Swimming into April, the Sharks will participate in clubs on Wednesdays. They will be choosing from the Duct Tape Club with Ms. Rachel, Construction Club with Mr. Sean and Wall Art Club with Ms. Nancy. Sounds like a lot of creativity will be happening on Wednesdays! During our “Super Hero” theme this month, the Sharks will get a chance to create their own super hero by learning how to develop their own super hero comic book and create super hero outfits. They’ll also learn about and cook with “Super Foods”! It looks like an exciting month coming our way!
Please feel free to contact me at rachel@peirceedp.com Happy Spring!
PROGRAM CLOSURES THIS MONTH
Monday, April 16th in observance of Patriots Day
SPRING VACATION WEEK
Though our regular after-school program will closed during Spring Vacation week, PEDP will be open for interested families Tuesday, April 17th through Friday, April 20st 8:00am-6:00pm each day for an additional cost of $100/day. Sign up today for field trips, crafts and lots of fun! Registration deadline is Wednesday, April 4.
REQUESTS AND REMINDERS FOR ALL PARENTS…
* The Early Birds program ($10 per day) and extra hours ($12 per hour) are available to all families when needed. Just ask!
* Please remember that you must notify PEDP whenever your child will not be attending for the day. You may do this in person, by phone (617-332-5881), in writing, or via e-mail: kids@peirceedp.com There is a calling fee of $25 if the staff need to make phone calls to find out where your child is at attendance time.
* Want to know when all the upcoming events are for the year?! Check out our PEDP “Calendar-at-Glance” on our website! www.peirceedp.com
Thanks for reading!
Kathy
