New Offerings for 2020-2021

We are excited to announce that GPPSS will be expanding our Early Childhood Program to the southern end of the district at Trombly, 820 Beaconsfield, Grosse Pointe Park. This program will offer full day preschool child care to 2.5-5 year olds, with hopes to replicate Barnes Early Childhood Center's Infant and Toddler component in the coming years. Children will be placed in classrooms according to age:

• Preschool Prep (2.5-young 3's) 
• Preschool (3's) 
• Pre-K (4's) 

The District will be hosting a Preschool Info Night at Trombly on Thursday January 23, 2020, 6:30pm-7:30pm.  

The District will also have representatives from our program at the Preschool Fair on Wednesday January 29 2020, 6:00pm-8:00pm at the Woods Library!

Please call the Preschool Office with any questions- 313-432-3809.

Applications for 2020-2021

The 2020-2021 school year application period is Jan 2, 2020-January 31, 2020. Applications will be posted on our website. Families wishing to tour the facility should schedule their visit prior to January 31, 2020. Please visit our website for detailed information! Call the Preschool Office with any questions: 313-432-3809

Open House

The GPPSS District Open House will take place on Sunday October 20, 2019 from 1:00pm-3:00pm. All schools will be open including The Barnes Early Childhood Center! No appointment is necessary if you would like to come tour our building and learn more about our programs!

See you there!

2019-2020

The 2019-2020 school year is underway and we are settling into our new routines. We are looking forward to another fun year of learning, playing and exploring our world. 

Here are few important upcoming dates:

October 10- Programs closed for Staff Professional Development

November 5- Programs closed for Election Day/Staff report for Professional Development

November 27-29-Programs closed for Thanksgiving Break

Please call the Preschool Office if you have any questions 313-432-3809.

Enjoy the year!

Summer

Our summer session is in full swing! We are enjoying the outdoors as much as possible this summer with sprinkler days and playground fun. The fresh air and large open spaces provide great fun, and great opportunities for physical development. The last day for summer preschool is Thursday August 22. We hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!

End of the School Year Wrap Up

3 weeks are left in our 2018-2019 school year. We know they are going to fly right by! This school year has been a great adventure in play, exploring, problem solving and acquiring new skills. Our 10 week summer program begins on June 17th and runs through August 22nd. Our summer will be spent enjoying water days, outdoor experiences and play based learning. Thank you for a wonderful school year!

Preschool Volunteer Day

On May 4, several staff members from the Child Development and Preschool Program volunteered at Gleaners Community Food Bank. This was a great morning to give back to the community, and to grow closer as a team. Our group packed bags containing all of the ingredients necessary to make a delicious bean soup. In about 3 hours, we packed nearly 10,000 pounds of food.

We enjoyed our second annual Gleaners trip and are already looking forward to next year!

Music Class

Once a week, our music teacher Ms. Christine, visits the full day early childhood classrooms at Barnes, Trombly, Monteith and Ferry. The children love when she plays the ukulele! Children have opportunities to explore vocal pitch, rhythm, speed, and a variety of musical genres. Music can bring together children and adults of all developmental levels and ages. Music supports many areas of our curriculum including giving children confidence in moving through space, gaining control over their bodies, and the ability to keep a steady beat. It exposes them to aspects of language such as rhymes and alliterations, and gives them opportunities to express themselves and build a strong sense of self. Music and movement activities support Bilateral Coordination which helps children use both sides of their body together. This coordination supports skills needed for reading and writing. We are so fortunate to have this special weekly music time in addition to the music and movement our classroom teachers are providing each day! 

Programs Closed for Spring Break

All programs will be closed April 8-April 12, 2019 for Spring Break. Classes will resume on Monday April 18, 2019. We wish safe travels for those who are traveling. See you soon! 

Having fun!

Here is a look at some of the things we have been up to already in 2019! Learning every day and having fun while doing it!

Letter S

In Preschool Prep this week, families brought in pictures from home of "S" words to share with the class. We learned some great, new words! There are so many fun ways to incorporate letters throughout the day. 

Activities to try at home:

• Look for letter "S" while you are driving with your child. You may see it on a billboard, or stop sign.
• Look for "S" words while out for a walk. You might see the Sun, a skate board, a swing.
• Act out being a slithery snake, or a crawling spider. 
• Use masking tape to create the letter "S" on the carpet and drive cars on the S road. 

We hope you have fun incorporating letters in to your day! 

2019!

Happy New Year! We are looking forward to great 2019!

Upcoming News:

• Enrollment for new students for the 2019-2020 school year is taking place now through January 31, 2019. Please visit our website for an online application.
• All programs will be closed on Monday January 21st in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Representatives from our program will be at the Preschool Fair on Wednesday February 6, from 6:00pm-8:00pm at the GP Library. 
• Mid Winter Break Camp for Pre-K students is February 19-22 at Trombly Elementary School. 

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!