Welcome to December!
As we look in the rearview mirror at Thanksgiving and begin to head for the holidays, let’s keep our focus on “thankfulness” just a bit longer. Miss Rachel created a Thankful Tree on a bulletin board near the auditorium. Everyone in our in-person and virtual PEDP was asked what they were thankful for. It is heartwarming to see how many family member’s names are up there. Pets are also high on their list! We at PEDP are thankful everyday that we get to spend quality time with your children. We are grateful for the trust you place in us and the support you give to the program.
Holiday Craft Boutique
For those of you familiar with the Holiday Craft Fair, we will be having a smaller, scaled-back version (a “boutique”) at PEDP this year. When several of the children asked if we were having the Craft Fair this year, we realized how important this community service tradition is to them. Over the next few weeks, everyone will be making crafts for the boutique as part of their regular schedule. On December 15-16-17, each teacher will have an opportunity to bring their group during the afternoon to purchase gifts for their family/friends. Families will be able to visit the outside Bake Shop during pick-up time. This year, proceeds will go to support the Newton Food pantry. Look for an email with more specific details about the Holiday Boutique.
Virtual PEDP
Our virtual PEDP students enjoyed visits from in-person staff this month. Miss Nancy supplemented our Boston lessons with live, video clips filmed in downtown Boston (she even put a Peirce shirt on mother duck from the Make Way for Ducklings statue on the Common). Miss Rachel popped in to ask for our contributions to the Thankful Tree and Miss Kathy joins us every Monday to ask students the “Question of the Week”. We will continue to work to integrate the in-person and virtual program through shared lessons and pop-in visits.
Weather Reminders
With the cold weather coming, here are a few reminders.
- When school is canceled due to inclement weather, PEDP is also canceled.
- The weather has been up and down these past few weeks and colder weather is on our doorstep. We go outside every day unless it is raining or extremely cold. Here are the general guidelines we use for outdoor play during the winter.
– Below 60˚, we require children to wear a second layer and below 50˚ it must be a jacket.
– Below 40˚, we require a hat and gloves/mittens in addition to a warm jacket.
– When there is snow on the ground, we require boots and snow pants.
December Dates
December 15 – 17 Holiday Craft Boutique
December 24 – January 4 Winter break
January 11 Board meeting*
*All are welcome. Contact program for Zoom link.
December Theme
The December theme is “Call of the Wild”. We will be studying animal habitats and their adaptations. We have exciting activities planned (e.g. dioramas, name that animal sound, identify your inner animal personality, tracking, and more).
Happy Holidays to all our PEDP families! We wish you a happy, more tranquil and healthy 2021!
Cheers,
PEDP Staff
