Enrollment Information

We will be accepting applications for the GPPSS Child Development and Preschool Program 2019-2020 school year starting on January 2, 2019 and ending on January 31, 2019. Families on our current waiting list for 2018-2019 will need to re-apply to be considered for 2019-2020.

Visit our website here: https://mi01000971.schoolwires.net/site/Default.aspx?PageID=960

Application Process:

Online applications will be accepted starting on January 2, 2019. Applications will be collected until
January 31, 2019. If there are more requests for admission than space available, a lottery will be held.
If your name is pulled in the lottery, you will receive notification of your placement. Applications are
located on the preschool website, under each specific age group/program. Please schedule a tour prior
to January 31, 2019 if you would like to visit the center. Tours will not be offered during the time of the
lottery due to time constraints and the high volume of requests.

Deposit:

There is no deposit required to apply. If you are selected for a spot, you will be responsible for a
non-refundable registration fee. The registration fee for full day programs is $100.00, and $75.00 for half
day programs. Tuition pricing is available online.

Program Locations:

Programs will be offered at the Barnes Early Childhood Center, Ferry Elementary School, Monteith Elementary
School, Richard Elementary School and Trombly Elementary School. Please visit our website for the hours
and ages of each location. Offerings vary per location.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Grosse Pointe Public School's Child Development and Preschool Program. We will be closed Wednesday November 21-Friday November 23 in celebration of Thanksgiving. We are thankful for all of the amazing children and families we get to work with each day!!

Pumpkin Auction

It is time for the annual Barnes Pumpkin Auction! We love seeing the creative pumpkins available year after year! Each child gets a token to cast a vote for their favorite pumpkin. Then the pumpkins go up for auction!! Who will take home their favorite pumpkin this year? All of the proceeds benefit the Barnes Early Childhood Program.

Happy Halloween!

Miss Wayne County

Yesterday, Miss Wayne County visited our Monteith program to talk about STEM and make slime with the students. The children helped measure ingredients and stir the mixture together. They discussed how it was changing properties, and what it felt like. This visit supported our math and science curriculum objectives with hands on learning.

They also had the opportunity to hold Miss Wayne County's crown, and try it on. Miss Wayne County is a scholarship program affiliated with the Miss America Organization. Each representative chooses a cause close to their heart and dedicates their year of service to supporting that cause. Shelby's cause is STEM, and she believes it is important for all ages to have experiences in Science. Technology, Engineering and Math.

Open House

Just a reminder, the Grosse Pointe Public School District Wide Open House is this Sunday from 1:00pm-3:00pm. All buildings will be open for tours, and opportunities to meet with staff! We hope to see you there!

Waste Free Lunch

We are starting our third week of school!! It has been such a blast getting to meet new friends and teachers. We want to encourage everyone to help us keep our school green by participating in our Waste Free Lunch movement. Reusable containers and silverware make a big difference. 

A Waste-Free Lunch 

• Sandwiches and other main dishes, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and treats in a reusable lunch container
• reusable forks and spoons (we will have extra if you forget to pack)
• reusable drink containers
• reusable lunchboxes

For more tips or ideas, please call the Preschool Office. 

Back to School

We are just one month away from back to school! We are enjoying the last few weeks of our summer program while simultaneously getting ready for the new school year. Welcome Emails from your child's teacher will be out in a few weeks, filled with important information about the daily routine and what to bring to school.

If this school year will be your child's first experience at school, we have a few tips to help with the transition.  

• Start talking with your child about the first day of school. If you are excited, your child is likely to be excited as well.

• Practice your morning routine before the first day. If your child has had a different schedule during the summer, you may want to practice going to bed early or waking up early. 

• Create a consistent drop off routine. Maybe you'll give two hugs and one kiss before you say goodbye. Maybe you will help your child sign in, and give a high five. Whatever you decide, we recommend saying goodbye and letting your child know you will be back after school instead of slipping away or using distraction. Drop off will get easier every day.

• Double check your supplies. Label everything with your child's name or initials. This will help ensure that your child will have the items intended for your child. It will also help prevent items from getting lost or going home with the wrong family. Bottles for the infant room should be labeled with your child's name, date and contents. A supply list is posted on our website.

• Send in a lovie. If your child has a special blanket, or stuffed animal that helps them feel safe, you can send it in. You can also send in a family photo so your child can see you all day long. 

• Check in on your child. If you are feeling nervous about the first day, feel free to call your child's teacher or send an email to see how they are doing. Your child's teacher will also send an update to all parents through our Homeroom app.

Please call the Preschool Office if you have any questions! We will be seeing you soon!

STEM

Yesterday, we were honored to have a visit from Miss St. Clair Shores, Shelby McPherson. Shelby is a graduate from Lawrence Technological University where she studied Architecture and Construction Management. She shared with the students her passion and involvement with STEM. She linked their current experiences- drawing pictures, constructing with legos, to STEM.

She led the students through two activities. The first was building with toothpicks, marshmallows and gum drops. The students constructed various configurations, and shapes. Shelby talked about how making a strong base would allow their structures to grow taller.

Second, the students did an experiment with Chromatography. They saw how one color is made up of many colors. They colored with a single color on a coffee filter and observed the colors separate in water.

We really enjoyed our visit from Miss St. Clair Shores! We wish her the best as she continues to grow in STEM!

Summer Session

The first week of summer preschool is in the books! We had a fun first week with water days, the Kona Ice truck and meeting new friends! Summer is a great time to be outside and learn from our natural environment. On the play ground children have the opportunity to jump, slide, climb, swing and move their whole bodies. Socially, they create their own pretend roles and games with their peers.

As a reminder, we will be closed on Wednesday July 4, and Thursday July 5. 

Summer is almost here!

June 18, 2018 is the first day of our 10 week summer session. Welcome Emails will be sent out this week and plans for a great summer are already underway. Be sure to review the summer calendar for a list of fun events. Hours remain the same: 7:15am - 6:00 pm. See you this summer!!

Teacher Appreciation Week

Wow! What a week we've had! We are so grateful to the generous parents who spoiled us this past week! They brought in so many delicious goodies for themed lunches and snacks each day. We have awesome parents in our program who help support our amazing staff.

On behalf of the preschool leadership, we want to thank all of our teachers and caregivers who are the heart beat of this program. We appreciate all that you do each and every day for your students and the whole program. Thank you! #thankateacher

For bios and pictures of our wonderful staff, please visit our website!

#WOYC18 Wrap Up

Wow! We had a super fun week celebrating the National Week of the Young Child. The Week of the Young Child™ is an annual celebration hosted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers, and families. Each day had a different theme with plenty of fun to go around! Here is a picture review of our week:

Music Monday:

Tasty Tuesday:

Work Together Wednesday:

Artsy Thursday:

Family Friday:

#woyc18

Today begins the National Week of the Young Child 2018! This annual celebration is hosted by the National Associate for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Our classes have different activities planned for each day. Teachers will also be sending home some activity ideas for home, and informational articles from NAEYC. Check back at the end of the week to see pictures!

Music Monday

Tasty Tuesday

Work Together Wednesday

Artsy Thursday

Family Friday

Activities for Spring Break

Spring Break is a fun time when hopefully the weather is warming up, and the earth is turning green again. It can also be a fun week to spend some extra time with the family. We put together a list of some fun and simple activities to do together:

• Make homemade playdough. Children can help with the mixing and measuring but need to be supervised near the boiling water. Add cookie cutters, twigs, pipe cleaners, cars and trucks from around the house and have fun together!
• Go on a scavenger hunt. Bundle up if needed and create a list of things to search for... a squirrel, a red car, a pine tree. Walk around the block crossing items off your list.
• Visit the library. Our local libraries have some great craft and story times available over break. Check out a few new books to read at home while you are there! 
• Just play together! Some times things get so busy- laundry to do, dinner to cook, meetings to attend, we don't have enough time to just play together! Lose yourself in your child's world of imagination. You'll be glad you did!

We hope whatever your break entails- traveling, staying home, visiting friends and family, that you have a safe and fun time. We look forward to seeing everyone when school resumes on Monday April 9, 2018.

Reading Month Fun

We want to thank all of the guest readers who have read to our preschool and pre-k programs throughout the month of March. We have been delighted to hear stories from moms, dads, grandparents, and older siblings. Taking the time out of your day to read to our students really helps them see how important reading is, and how fun it can be. Thank you for reading with us! A big thank you to our classroom teachers for organizing the guest readers and sharing their love for learning.

Spring Fever!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

We are looking forward to the first day of Spring on March 20th! This is always a great time to double check your child's extra clothing and make sure they are weather and size appropriate.

Here are some helpful spring reminders:

March 30-April 8 - Closed for Spring Break

April 16- April 20- Celebrations for National Week of the Young Child

May 28- Closed for Memorial Day

June 13- Last Day for Half Day Programs

June 15- Last Day for Full Day Programs

Mid Winter Break Camp

Last week, Trombly Elementary School hosted our pre-k students for Mid Winter Break Camp! Students and staff enjoyed meeting new friends from different elementary school locations. Special events were planned for break camp including an art class and a bounce house. We hope everyone enjoyed the week!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at the Grosse Pointe Public School's Child Development and Preschool Program! We are celebrating in a variety of ways including baking projects, classroom parties, passing out Valentines and sharing kind words. We hope you enjoy your day!

Miss Wayne County

Miss Wayne County 2018, Hannah Dell visited the GPPSS Child Development and Preschool Program at Barnes today! She visited each classroom with Pete the Cat stories in hand. The children were excited to see a real "princess" at school!! Hannah will be visiting our elementary school locations on January 26.

Thank you, Hannah, for giving your time to the children! We wish you well in the upcoming Miss Michigan Pageant!

Enrollment is here!

We are accepting applications for the GPPSS Child Development and Preschool Program 2018-2019 school year now through January 31, 2018. Families on our current waiting list for 2017-2018 will need to reapply to be considered for 2018-2019.

Application Process:

Online applications will be accepted starting on January 3, 2018. Applications will be collected until January 31, 2018. If there are more requests for admission than space available, a lottery will be held. If your name is pulled in the lottery, you will receive notification by telephone and email.  You will have 24 hours to accept or decline. Please do not submit your application until January 3, 2018. Applications are located on the preschool website, under each specific age group/program.

Deposit:

There is no deposit required to apply. If you are selected for a spot, you will be responsible for a non-refundable registration fee. The registration fee for full day programs is $100, and $75 for half day programs. You will be sent an invoice via email and can pay with a credit card or check. Tuition pricing is available online.

Program Locations:

Programs will be offered at the Barnes Early Childhood Center, Ferry Elementary School. Monteith Elementary School, Richard Elementary School and Trombly Elementary School. Please visit our website for the hours and ages of each location. Offerings vary per location.

You can find all of this information and more, by visiting our website: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

http://gpschools.schoolwires.net/site/Default.aspx?PageID=960

If you have questions you can call the preschool office at 313.432.3809.