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Contents: Sharon’s Column ............................ p. 1 Reflecting on Registration ................ p. 2 Thanks for the Giving ...................... p. 3 Family Fun Day 2011 ....................... p. 4 Partying with PSF ........................... p. 6

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Friends of PreSchool Family Update ..... p. 6 “Young Minds Require Creative Discipline” - Workshop by Sylvia Ford p. 7 Memorial at El Carmelo ................... p. 8 No Time to Cook ............................ p. 9

Sharon’s Column

February 2012

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It is that time of the year again. Spring is ready to bloom and we are preparing for registration for next year’s classes. Or, as we at PreSchool Family refer to it, “in-house registration.” As you think about your choices and what classes best fit your schedule, please remember that PSF is about being a place that fulfills our need for community, meaningful relationships, and a sense of belonging. As you will hear from your teachers, choosing classes in order to stay together as a group doesn’t work for many reasons. I would suggest that the better way to build community is not for groups to stay together from year to year, but to build a bigger and more inclusive community each year in a new class with different families. Not only is this healthy for the whole community, but it provides us with a wonderful opportunity for role modeling for our children.

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In-house registration will be held from March 5 through 15. Class placement letters will be sent on March 19. Please make sure you turn in your paper work for next year’s classes during the allotted time frame. Registration will take place in your parent education classes. For registration, please read the detailed instructions. Also, please remember it is impossible for everyone to get their first choice. As was the case last year, PreSchool Family will not be offering summer school this coming summer. Not only will it give the administrative team a summer break, but it will allow me time to enjoy the wedding of my oldest daughter. Erin, who started in PSF when she was three months old, will be married in Palo Alto on July 14, 2012. I wanted to let you know how pleased we are that our community has embraced the PAUSD Preschool Special Education programs now located with us at Greendell. We are giving all our children a real world experience of what an inclusive community is all about. The teacher who started in the

February 2012

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(Sharon’s Column, cont.)

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• Do kids actually nap in the nap class? Now is a great time to bring up your concerns and questions in your parent meeting, or to talk to other PSF parents who have been through the program. Although it might be more comfortable to stay with the group you've come to know this year, registration could also be an opportunity to expand your circle. You never know who might become your child's close friend or who might eventually end up in the same elementary school. A wonderful thing about PSF is that all the kids end up playing together in the Fours yard most days of the week, so friendships can last and grow throughout your time at PSF. Over the years, our family has had the great fortune to have had eight PSF teachers, and I would be happy to sign up for any of their classes again. I've found that each class also means change for me: from learning to thoughtfully observe my children as they toddled their way through the 12-18 and 18-30 month classes, to developing trust in other parents in the Twos as I dropped my kids off for the first time, to bonding with my fellow work parents as we watched our kids develop friendships in the Threes class, to helping kids work out conflicts on their own in the Fours. Somehow all the craziness of scheduling works out in the end, and we can carve out those precious hours in which we can unplug and tune in completely to these amazing kids.

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P 11 class in the beginning of the year moved to Palo Alto High School in January. We were very fortunate to have Shannon Coleman join us as an experienced special education preschool teacher. Shannon is the mother of three boys and holds her credential and MA from San Jose State. She is an outstanding teacher, and she joins a very strong teaching team. We are pleased to have her with us.

Reflecting on Registration

By Christine Norberg

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The time has come for registering for classes for the fall of 2012. This might mean moving up from an observation class in which you stay with your child to dropping off your child for other parents to watch one or more days a week. It might also mean becoming a work parent at a station rather then following your own child's movements through class. While this transition can be an exciting move towards independence for our kids (and us!), it might also bring up some questions such as:

• What will the new class structure be as my child moves to the next age level?

• Should we try to stay with the same families in our current class?

• What is the teacher like? • What are the work day expectations

for parents? • What's the deal with those cards the

Threes parents wear around their necks?

February 2012

Thanks for the Giving

By Lissa Kaplan

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Bikes, skateboards, and scooters, oh my! Our Sponsor a Family program at PreSchool Family and Young Fives was very successful this year. Thanks to your generous donations and a few wonderful folks who stepped in at the end, we were able to provide gifts and food gift cards to all the families we had sponsored. A lot of our requests were for gift cards. As much fun as it is to purchase an actual gift, giving a gift card is almost as if we are giving the parents the gift of being able to purchase a present for their own child. Most of the families do not have the means to do this, so it is nice for them to have the opportunity to actually choose a gift for their own child. For the past several years we have also been helping a family of eight siblings who lost their parents. They were separated for a time until the oldest sibling managed to get them all back together, and they have worked very hard to stay together. They are extremely proud that the oldest brothers and sister received scholarships to attend college. They are very proud that their teenaged disabled brother is now able to walk (they were told he would never do so). The oldest sibling is now in her thirties and adopted two children who are now five and seven (they have been with her since they were drug addicted infants). She also fosters a seven-year-old girl. She

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is truly amazing! She adopted these babies because after raising her siblings, she wanted someone to call her “Mom.” The Fours and Young Fives classes did a wonderful job of providing new and gently used items for this family. (Because we know this family, we are able to work with them, and, therefore, able to give them some used items.) While all the families received grocery store gift certificates, the children in Fours and Young Fives brought nonperishable food items to donate so that they could feel a part of the giving, as well. This family is especially grateful for food donations because they use it as back up when money is really tight. The mom portions it out during the year. (She also kept some of the gifts aside for birthday presents – she was so excited about being able to do that!) A special shout out to the Fours and Young Fives families for really making a difference for this family! Families helping families is what we are about here at PreSchool Family and Young Fives. We support one another’s children and each other in the classroom and in many other ways, as well. We are there to offer support when needed for happy times as well as sad ones. We build a village by caring for each other’s children and for each other. This is one of the most special things about our program: we build community. It is so wonderful that we are able to spread our good fortune and share with others. Thank you and happy 2012!

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February 2012

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It seems like Family Fun Day happened so long ago (about four months have passed!), and who remembers what went on? Let me jog your memory - we had lots of late fall sunshine; Grounds for Dismissal filled the playground with recognizable tunes (did you know that several members of the band have grown-up children who attended PSF?); home-made bake-sale items were perused and eaten on the spot; popular games - like Scoop-a-Duck and Fishing - attracted the kids; pizza and warm corn on the cob were offered in the Fours yard; Magic Mike entertained parents and kids in the MP Room (turning a felt bunny into a real one!); the Train offered rides throughout the day; and expertly sewn capes, crowns, wands, and eye patches dazzled the eye for sale. The success of Fun Day 2011 is due to every participant - parents, teachers, and staff - in our community. It is wonderful and important for all of us to work together to do something for the school, and while we know it’s sometimes hard to work a booth shift, contribute to the bake sale, tell your friends to attend, and sell raffle tickets, our school is stronger and better for it. Thank you so much for your time and energy! Additionally, Fun Day 2011 raised the most money our school has ever raised, which was incredibly exciting. Thank you for making it such a successful event. Special shout-outs to the following

Family Fun Day 2011: Games, Music, Food and

Fun!

By Daphne Ross

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people for going above and beyond the call of duty. Fun Day could not have happened without them!

• Treasurer and Co-Chair: Debbie Dell'Oca

• Raffle Chair: Sandra Bilyeu • Caps and Crowns Chair: Hege

Nordskog • Book Chair: Zeng Zhu • Prize Chair: Dana Nelson • Publicity Chair: Sara Kopit-Olson • T-shirt Chair: Margaret Rickling • Decorations Chairs: Bina

Bhattacharyya and Roland Dreier • Print Chair: Stuart Sussman (PSF

alumnus) • Train: Nicole Reich-Weiser • Scoop-a-Duck: Brenda Dampier • Fishing: Diana Whittier and Scott

Burke • Tattoos and Bags: Satomi Okazaki • Lollipop Tree and Alligator Pull:

Kylee Miller • Cannery Roll: Cathy Finkelstein • Lil Squirts: Teresa Kelleher-Zepeda • Face Painting: Jen Coakley • Flag Making: Nari Yee • Bake Sale: Ann Holum • Food: Heather Kosanovich • Obstacle Course: Elaine Chase and

Kelly Kirscht And many, many thanks to Sharon, Susie, and Leo, who are the glue that keeps this event together year after year. Nothing would be possible without you guys! As we all know, Fun Day comes around every year, so mark your calendars for the Saturday before Halloween, October 27, 2012! We welcome volunteers, so if you’d

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• San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles

• San Jose Repertory Theater

• San Mateo Ice Center • Sharks Ice • Sizzler Steakhouse • Sky High Sports • Sprinkles • Starbucks (Charleston

and Independence) • Sundance the

Steakhouse • Taber Food Services,

Inc. • Tahoe Donner

Association • The Dragon Theater • The Gymboree

Corporation • The Jungle Fun and

Adventure • The Tech Museum of

Innovation • TheatreWorks • Uforia • Village Stationers • Winchester Mystery

House • Yamagami’s Nursery • Yoga Source

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• Gold Star Gymnastics • Golfland

Entertainment Centers

• Happy Hollow Park and Zoo

• Hennessey House • Hess Cellars • Hiller Aviation

Museum • Kalish Photography • Kepler’s Bookstore • Landmark Theaters • Laser Quest • Media Center • Mollie Stone’s Markets • My Gym • Oakland A’s

Community Fund • Oakland Zoo • Piazza’s Fine Foods • Pizza My Heart • Planet Granite • Red and White Fleet • Rick’s Ice Cream • Round Table Pizza

(Colorado and Middlefield)

• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

• San Francisco Zoological Society

• San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art

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• Adventure Toys and Teacher Supplies

• Ambassador Toys • Aquarium of the Bay • Asian Art Museum of San

Francisco • Bay Area Discovery

Museum • Beach Blanket Babylon • Bella Viva Orchards • Billy Jones Wildcat

Railroad • Body Kneads • Books, Inc. • Broadway by the Bay • Byington Vineyard and

Winery • California Great America • California Theater Center • Calistoga Inn and Brewery • Charles M. Schulz Museum • Cheeky Monkey Toys • Children’s Discovery

Museum • Children’s Fairyland -

Oakland • Classic Kids • CuriOdyssey • Drawn 2 Art • Exploratorium • Fine Arts Museums of San

Francisco • Garden Court Hotel • GoKart Racer, Burlingame

(Fun Day, 2011, cont.)

Thank You to Our Fun Day 2011 Sponsors!

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like to play a bigger role in next year’s event, please talk to Susie or Sharon in the office. Lastly, we are always trying to make Fun Day the best it can be, so I welcome any comments or feedback. You can contact me at daphne.ross@gmail.com.

Friends of PreSchool Family Update

By Jane Dick, President and PSF alumna

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The Friends of PreSchool Family (FoPSF) board has been hard at work this year. In addition to rolling out brand-new websites for both PSF and Friends of PSF (check them out at www.psf.pausd.org and www.fopsf.org), we've spent some time reaching out to decision-makers and fellow educators in Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). Every few years, we like to connect with the members of our Board of Education, the Superintendent and other District administrators, as well as PAUSD school principals. This year, we hosted two breakfasts to introduce them to PreSchool Family and the wonderful things that

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We have been off to a great start with this year's Friends of PreSchool Family (FoPSF) fundraiser -- the Fun Parties! So far, we have been treated to a private Zumba class, a Fashion Playdate, a Family Photo Shoot, a Quilting Party, Make a Ladder Bracelet, Read Between the Wines, All About Cupcakes, Estate and Will Planning, and Valentine's Day Fun. Thank you to all the gracious hosts of these parties and to our wonderful PSF families who attended to make these parties successful! Parties Still to Come

• Indian Cooking Party • Make your own Soap • Bread and Breakfast • Holi Party • Ukrainian Egg Decoration • Tie Dye • Donkeys and Donuts • Yoga • Family Camping

Don’t miss out on the fun! We still have spaces in the following parties. You can view the details and sign up in the PSF office. Bread and Breakfast with our very own PSF Teacher Monica McHenney

Date: Saturday, March 3, 2012 Time: 9:30 a.m. Family Fun Price: $15 per person

Partying with PSF

By Sujatha Ganapathy, Dana Nelson, Karla Berry and Ritu Upreti, FoPSF

Development Committee

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Holi Party

Date: Sunday, March 25, 2012 Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon Family Fun Price: $20 per family

Yoga

Date: Saturday, April 21, 2012 Time: 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Family Fun Price: $15 per person

Fun Parties are a great opportunity to build community outside of school and get to know the parents and children who attend PreSchool Family. Check them out today!

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(Friends of PreSchool Family, cont.)

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happen on a daily basis at the Greendell site. We started with the short video, Growing Together: The PreSchool Family

Story, and followed with a tour of PSF led by Sharon. The questions they asked, the responses to seeing the classrooms and hearing the details of the program, and the energy by the end of each morning made it clear that these stake-holders appreciated the chance to see, to learn, and to inquire -- and that they were impressed and encouraged by what they witnessed. Our goal is to ensure that the pre-K programs are seen as an integral part of our school district and of our children's development. Within the PSF community, our Development Committee has been working hard, as always, running a very successful Fun Party program again this year. Thanks so much to all who have participated, either by hosting a party or by signing up for one. This program is a great combination of fundraiser and community-builder. The Development Committee is also ramping up plans for our annual Class Gift campaign -- stay tuned for more details from your class representative. We also continue to reach out to our alumni. About 200 people came back to campus in October for a spirited Alumni Picnic, which included great music from local favorite, Hey Mom (a band formed by PSF alumni). We also continue to seek ways to increase awareness of the PreSchool Family program and are working on our spring speaker event, which we offer free to the community. If you have questions about our work, any interest in working with our board, or have

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This workshop highlights the aspects of early brain development that help us understand why young children can’t always do the right thing or control their behavior. Discussion will include information that can help adults be more creative and effective with limit setting, along with strategies and techniques that can promote positive self-guided behavior in children from approximately two to five years old. Where: The Cubberley Auditorium When: Thursday, May 3, 2012, from 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. Cost: Free and open to the public Sylvia Ford M.A. is an Early Childhood Consultant who has been working with children and families in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 30 years. She conducts educational seminars and provides many other services for parents, including private consultations that give parents information

“Young Minds Require Creative Discipline”

A Workshop by Sylvia Ford

Sponsored by Friends of PreSchool

Family

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suggestions for projects to benefit PreSchool Family or the parenting community at large, please contact me at jane@dick.org.

Memorial at El Carmelo Elementary School for Howard-Dias Family

By Susan Choquette

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In response to the tragic automobile accident last July that claimed the lives of Ana-Maria Dias, Robert Howard and daughters Samantha and Veronica, a fund-raising effort is underway at El Carmelo Elementary School to create a memorial on the El Carmelo campus. Here at PreSchool Family, the tragedy was especially significant because the family was such an integral part of our program, as well as the personal connection of our own Teacher Cindy Howard. A maple tree will be planted in a central spot on the El Carmelo campus and a

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memorial bench will encircle the tree. The estimated cost for the memorial is $5000. If any additional money is donated, organizers say that it will be given to Partners in Education (PiE) and to PreSchool Family. Donations of any amount may be dropped off or mailed to the El Carmelo office (3024 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, 94306). Checks should be made payable to the El Carmelo PTA—Howard/Dias Memorial. For more information, contact Michele Kasper at mekasper63@gmail.com or (650) 858-1807).

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(Sylvia Ford Workshop, cont.)

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on child development. Sylvia specializes in working with preschool staffs, helping teachers to improve environments, activities, discipline techniques, etc. She also conducts child observations in order to help families and schools better understand difficult behaviors and developmental norms of individual children. As a member of the faculty at Skyline College, Sylvia has been teaching courses in early childhood education since 1996.

February 2012

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Turkey Meatloaf Serves 4-6 Ingredients 1 c chopped yellow onion (1 large) 1 T good olive oil 1/2 t kosher salt (or 1/4 t table salt) 1/4 t black pepper 1/3 t fresh thyme leaves (scant 1/4 t dried) 2 T Worcestershire sauce 1/4 c chicken stock 1 t tomato paste (you could use ketchup) 1 1/4 lbs. ground turkey 1/2 c plain dry breadcrumbs 1 egg 1/4 c ketchup Directions Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a sauté pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Set aside to cool. Combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well (using hands is most efficient) and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased, rimmed sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for

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New Year’s Soup Serves 6 Ingredients 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 T extra virgin olive oil 3 carrots, cut into 1/8-inch rounds (about 2 cups) 3 parsnips, cut into 1/8-inch rounds (about 1 cup) 1 bunch collard greens, stems removed 3 c cooked black-eyed peas 2 T chopped fresh oregano

No Time to Cook

A Recipe Corner for Busy Families

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1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich. EDITOR’S NOTE: This cooks a long time, so be sure you start it early enough. I make two and freeze one. I’m almost ready to double the recipe at my house so we have leftovers. I found this on www.chinesegrandma.com. The recipe is adapted from a turkey meatloaf recipe from The Barefoot

Contessa Cookbook.

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(No Time to Cook, cont.)

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4 c vegetable stock 1 T apple cider vinegar sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Directions In soup pot or large Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for 3 minutes or until soft. Add carrots and parsnips and sauté 3 minutes. Chop collard greens into bite-size pieces and add to pot along with black-eyed peas and oregano. Add vegetable stock, bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes. Stir in apple cider vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve. Serving suggestion: For a heartier meal, stir 1 cup cooked quinoa or millet into soup before serving. From Clean Start by Terry Walters