Another freezing morning in Napa! Can’t go outside?

As adults we may be thinking cozy up by the fire or read a good book with a blanket and tea, but how will we get our children to sit still inside for hours!? Although they would like those and many indoor activities with you, it just won’t usually be for hours!

Send them outside for lots of science fun and creativity!

First, let me remind all that children do not get sick from going outside in the cold.

It is virus germs and bugs that breed so nicely in a warm indoor environment that gets us ill! Children do need to dress appropriately so as not to have to fight off a chill, but again, this is not where the illness comes from. There is not bad weather, just inappropriate clothing and there isn’t a better place to explore than outside in nature! I’ve read great reviews of some schools that are held entirely outdoors, even one of our own California Council of Coop nursery schools is held entirely outdoors in Southern California.

So bundle up and go out to play!

During a recent class, one working daddy was telling me great stories of some of his own winter memories as a child. He lived on a farm and even on frozen mornings, there were chores to be done and animals that needed feeding. This daddy recalled many mornings anxious to get out into the yard just to check/break/and play with all of the frozen feeding troughs! Oh the senses and sounds on a cold quiet morning!

Our winter temperatures recently have made for some great play in our school backyard and there are so many simple ideas for outdoor winter fun at your home too.

One of our classes discussed some of their ice ideas for class:

“We could wear socks if we didn’t have gloves.”

We could play “ice bowling if we froze water in a balloon for a ball and water in coffee cups for bowling pins”……although this child’s idea does not understand all facts of the ice as of yet, his ‘creativity is flowing’ and he’s not far off!

We HAVE frozen a nice round tub of water to be a ‘hockey puck’ and we played ice hokey with small brooms and rakes.

Recently, we placed many, many, shallow pie pans of water in the yard for morning exploring. We froze the water in the birdbath and froze small cups of colored water as well. In the morning, many science minds were turning as the children poked, cracked ice, and lifted ice in small sheets like thin glass. Many were enjoying the sound of ‘breaking glass’ as they threw their ice sheets. Some children floated items on top of small ‘icebergs’ in the water play tables. And of course as sensory learners, licking of the ice was also a part. (You may wish to freeze juice or clean cups of water for this, we didn’t. ) Some of the children played till their fingers “burned or stung” as they said, and it was a great way to talk about freeze burns and not just heat burns. (We also provided warm water play and warm melting tray experiences inside for the children to warm their hands when done playing.) At home, just send them into the bath or be ready for soup or warm cider for breakfast!

At home, with just a small amount of prep, you too could send your children out to play and explore. Here’s a few ideas:

Beyond ice and frost:

Take a walk outside and see your breathe’ in the early morning! … A new bit of science and power of our heat!

Also, due to bare trees, while taking a walk, look for nests in bare trees. Nests, ready for the return and usually so usually elusive due to leaf, now visible!

I know, Napa is not the ‘big winter picture’ like some states, but short of going to Tahoe for the weekend, I’m sure your children will help you with many more icy cold ideas for good winter fun….outside!

Rain?! OH my, that’s another science adventure!

Bundle up and have fun!

Happy Winter,

Mz. Lori

Can Frost

Can Frost is an easy science project that teaches kids about condensation. Frost forms because of a change in temperature.

What You’ll Need:

Learn about Can Frost

Step 1:

Fill a small metal can 1/4 of the way with water.

Step 2:

Stir 4 tablespoons of salt into the water.

Step 3:

Add enough crushed ice to fill the cup, and stir the solution.

Step 4:

Observe what happens on the outside of the can.

Although I have one last camping event ahead, I feel as if yesterday was the real last day of summer.   For many of you families that have children in elementary school, it WAS the last day of summer vacation!

Yesterday was my last weekly visit to the local Farmers Market.  I love Tues. mornings to connect with all of our sweet nursery school families and so many alumni….they too remember my promise to see them at the weekly market.   Before heading out, I received a call from a former NVNS President, Alice Jackson.  She wanted me to know that she had a lovely history write up of our school from 1970!  I dropped by to pick it up on the way to the market and there I also reconnected with her 2 grandchildren that previously attended NVNS.  One was heading to middle school, the other off to her last year of elementary school.   We reminisced about favorite old songs and activities while also talking about their excitement for starting a new school year. Alice herself says she gets together regularly with 7 other previous NVNS Board members!  This fills my ‘heart basket’ with the sweet reminder of how special our NVNS community becomes for so many.  Many students in high school also reconnected!

I always say at beginning parent meetings that you may meet some life time friends at NVNS, and our time together may change your life.  This is wonderful as I also say that we do not do our best parenting work is isolation.  It does take a village!

At the market, I could feel the excitement, the anxiety, the bittersweet flavor of the day as I connected with so many ready to attend their new schools.  I think I reconnected more yesterday than any other Tuesdays all summer! I met with sweet young families just ready to begin their education journey together at NVNS and others off to high school.   There were hugs and tears and a few text messages asking if I was still there as a ‘hug to send them off’ was needed. One child held me so tight but then quickly jumped up with excitement to head off for the special haircut needed to start school!  I remember those days as a child and as a parent; excitement for new adventures and sadness for the end of the sweet bliss of summer time.

Journeys as parent and child together will forever have endings and beginnings as a continuous cycle.  Enjoy your moments TOGETHER, no matter the age of your children, because as always, Together We’re Better!

Please stay connected with NVNS and watch us grow as well.  This year’s school board is well under way with tasks at hand to create another great year at NVNS! Thanks to all of them and all of you who created Napa Valley Nursery School.

Again, stay connected.

With love, Mz. Lori

Just a tiny bit more:

As I have been seeing the years of connections of people from NVNS, I was also sharing our new baby guinea pig, CC, with everyone.  I was thinking about all of the guinea pig pets that have made an impact in the classroom with children.

During my years with NVNS we have gone from Snowball, Sugar, Copper, Penny, Mohawk, Jelly Bean, Cuddles, Toot and Puddle, and Tom, we can’t forget Tom. Which pig was there during your years?   Come see our new Candy Cane, CC, and many other things that have grown and changed at our school!

This first week from school I have been watching a finch nest on my porch. What seems like only days ago, Mama and Daddy bird were preparing their nest, then nurturing the quickly growing babies. Today I watch as the fledglings flutter, flap and fly! Time passed ever so quickly, just like all the years of our time with our children!

This first week of summer, I also attended two wonderful swimming parties….certainly the true sight, sound and feel of summer!

The first party included preschool fledglings from this year. They were confident and happy swimming fish and mermaids! It was lovely to show them that we will always continue to see each other, even though nursery school had come to an end. It was a wonderful warm beginning of summer fun.

The second swimming party I attended was that of teen age alumni of NVNS. What a wonderful sight of continued Together We’re Better! Both boys, girls and families often make life time friends at NVNS and I am always in awe and delight to watch and listen to continued growth and forever holding hands and sticking together.

Some families separate and reconnect throughout the years and I am proud that NVNS had a supportive beginning for families with like ideas and desires for their children as well as the understanding of the need of community to do our best parenting work.

My first summer dinner night out, I bumped into alumni as well, a lovely family celebrating their two teen girls ready to graduate to new schools. This happens so often in our little town. I am always delighted when people check in throughout the years and I see the changing faces.

I so appreciate how our community of Napa Valley Nursery School continues to support our school, me and each other.

Together We Are Better!

Grab a hat, seek shade and time to enjoy our quickly passing time with children. Happy summer fun to all!

Love, Mz. Lori

I wish thank so many of you for sharing this season with our nursery school!

 It started a few weeks ago when a ‘sunflower fairy’ put the biggest, tallest, sunflower in our play yard one night.  They kindly strapped it to the climber with gardeners tape and the children climbed up and down all morning. They asked if I grew it and of course, that led to more info and questions.  Then, it was gone almost as quickly as it had arrived.  Thank you Sunflower Fairy.  Since that share, we have received so much more!

People have shared apples, apple orchards, Chinese apples (pomegranates), figs, gorgeous leaves, ornamental corn, gourds galore and beyond!

Our week of school with a shared beautiful, wooden apple press was also soooooo delightful!   This is a most delicious time of year that includes healthy food AND eye candy in all sorts of colors and textures.

The classes all made spicy apple cake, apple sauce, and dried apples.  The MWF class continued the sharing by serving it to their guests at Saturday School.    Saturday School was a joy and many extended families were able to see why we keep so busy supporting our little school. 

The sharing continued.  Each class gave so much food to the Salvation Army where the children see that the sharing and giving continues beyond NVNS.  The most joy for me was watching the sweet efforts of the children as they navigated the full, awkward, wagons of food through the school and across the street, crunching leaves and greeting neighbors as we passed on our way.

NVNS families are still busy. As we speak, they are working together building the parade float to kick off yet another season!

Please enjoy your children and family time as well as the harvest of a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner.

I am ever so thankful for NVNS families and alumni that continue to hold hands and stick together.

Together we are better.                                

With a warm heart, Mz. Lori

It was lovely to see alumni and new NVNS families at our annual Fall Frolic picnic. We frolicked, ate, laughed and played. If you didn’t get a chance to ‘kick off’ the season with us, plan ahead as we do it again in the Spring!

The warm autumn days and cold nights are adding color all over town and the nursery school play yard trees are also changing. Autumn is full of many wonderful sensory items for our preschoolers. The sights, the smells, the sounds, the autumn ‘crunch’, can be enjoyed just by taking a neighborhood walk, slowly, and with a bag for treasures. Many children have already been collecting ‘treasures’ through their neighborhoods (as have I) and they are filling our science center. Many items are also being used at the build center. It’s a lovely season to slow down and take a look/touch/smell.

We are delighted to have Connolly Ranch sharing their apple press with us this month! Many of you have been sharing your harvested apples and we will press many! Mmmmm! Apples and other autumn harvested foods will be pressed, dried, peeled, cut, tasted and you will also see math taste tests on our school walls. Take a look.

Thanksgiving is best understood by a preschooler as the sharing of our harvested foods. As the holiday approaches, we will have turkey talk, drama and songs. We will also dramatize sharing the harvest with big feasts and the gathering of relatives. Vocabularies will increase with words like feast, cornucopia, relatives, wattle, and scamper. We will leave the pilgrim/Indian themes for elementary school.

To further explain the sharing of harvest and food at Thanksgiving, we will be walking to the Salvation Army’s kitchen (across the street) to deliver canned food. On Mon. and Tues., November 21st and 22nd, please send a can of food with your child to assist with the learning process of giving and sharing. Extra cans, dried goods, and turkeys are always welcome! We will fill our preschool wagons! Alumni, please feel free to drop items by our school for extra giving!

I am very thankful for Napa Valley Nursery School families and wish you happy Thanksgiving gatherings! I recall so many of my own great memories of gathering with family for the holidays. We told stories, made up silly languages, played till late hours outside or football in the mud. Sitting round the table together will encourage the passing down of family traditions. Have your children create a fun list of things to ask grandparents!
Enjoy your family time TOGETHER.

Thankful that we are also TOGETHER at NVNS,
Mz. Lori

Plate Making Day
Mark your calendars for Wed. Nov. 9th. Anytime between noon and 4pm, you may come into class to draw pictures on special paper to be made into plates or bowls. These are wonderful keepsakes and also make nice gifts.

The bowl or plate processing fee is $7.50. Everyone from students, alumni, and neighbors are welcome to attend this major drawing event.

Younger children may like to avoid the elementary afterschool rush by coming in as early as possible to draw.

Dr. Louise Hart at NVNS!   Tues. Nov.8th, 7pm.

Don’t miss!  We are delighted to have Dr. Hart come into our program to share her expertise and wisdom on parenting, parenting styles and much, much more. As a parent, you will leave with new ‘tools’ and techniques to assist you with your ever important role. You will also have a chance to purchase her books. Please invite a friend if you’d like. Dr. Hart will be speaking on parenting of all ages of children.

Recycle Recycle Recycle–Calling all Laserjet ink cartridges!

We are still collecting ink cartridges both large and small for their recycling points.  We are trying to purchase another overhead projector for our science center with our recycling ‘points’.  Please remember to bring them into class with you. If you can, ask your place of work, or your dentist office, or or or.   The more we recycle, the more points we will have to receive great items for our classrooms.  

The SSA encourages parents to lead by example. If you practice sun safety, your children are likely to model those sun safe habits. Teach your children at an early age to wear hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen outdoors.

I am enjoying the slower pace of the morning routine and taking in the sweet smells of the yard while having morning coffee. I have also been enjoying the amazingly thoughtful summer baskets, overflowing with summer play, that were given to me at the end of the year by our classes. I am loving all the summer yummies included within and the gardening/play items. Thank you all so much! Gardening items and a new kumquat tree for my citrus collection has also made for lovely summer days of play and planting for me. I have also seen many children at the Tues. Farmers Markets and I am delighted for hugs, catch up, and yummy sharing of berries, cherries, music and beyond.

I hope you have all been enjoying your family time, vacations or staycations. Our summer weather has been extreme. I hope your summer days have also been an extreme change from our school days. The slower pace of summer certainly matches with the preschoolers desire for long hours of uninterrupted play. The summer weather is also conducive to modeling creativity as we adults take some of our daily chores outside where children will of course follow. Eating, playing and sleeping outdoors brings on a whole new excitement to our usual daily routines. Outdoor eating of meals also means less worry about spills and messes. Your children will love to assist with the set up both of mealtimes or hauling their play items outside! It takes great energy and creativity for kids to make new play spaces outdoors. The set up and hauling is the most important part of the play, rather than the actual play. One of our families shared a story of her children building their own drive-through McDonalds. Again the hours of set-up were the best part. (By the way, these children don’t ever go to McDonalds but they were certainly figuring out the ‘Happy Meal’ toy idea.) That all said, I cannot pass up any lemonade stand along my drives as I love the promotion of such great play. Yesterday I actually stopped at a lemonade stand (now 1.00 per glass rather than the old days of .10  ), and an alumni family saw me and stopped as well! They too remembered how I appreciate these great kid efforts.

Summer also pleases the sensory system as we play water, water, water! Whether swimming or hoses, summer is the time to let it flow. I’ll list some fun water ideas and then let your children take it from there.

Summer is a special time. Enjoy the sweet pace, sip lemonade and enjoy your family. Summer play and vacations whether distant or in your own back yard, make lovely memories.

Enjoy your days together,
Mz. Lori

Summer water play ideas:

• Paint the sidewalk with water and watch the evaporation science
• Spray bottles can water, splash and clean
• Let your children wash the car….talk about their set up time!
• Freeze small toys in water and have children spend time melting and retrieving their items
• Play ice hockey on the driveway or sidewalk with big ice cubes and a broom
• Make a spraychestra using a spray bottle and assorted metal, tin pans or other items. Spray to play!
• Use sidewalk chalk and then paint with water
• Rather than water balloons, use small nerf balls soaked in a bucket of water to toss and splash
• Use an umbrella in the sprinkler
• If you have many more ideas, be sure to post them below!

Have fun!

As this weekend sets off our summer, I also sit still awhile with sweet memories of our school year together.
Each one of our classes had some fun, wet, play days together as we prepared for closure. I thank all of our party parents and other parents that brought in so much for our celebrations. Our water days included surfing in pools and in the rain. We didn’t let the weather change our fun plans or our attitudes. Twas shivering fun! 

Our Finale this year was as always, sweet and somewhat bittersweet. Our Littles actually leave the nursery school nest as birds in full flight, ready to face the next journey together with families in new schools. Their show consisted of many fun choices and last minute changes. Some shows with 8 participants had only 3, and some with 3 parts, changed to 10 participants. A sweet pride and comfort comes over me when I see these young people making confident choices on their own. I also, so honor the parents for their support of their children’s individual styles. Some children totally surprised us all by doing every show….or at least wanting to! Older siblings had a furlough day from their own schools and many were able to come and support their siblings with great help and pride. I am also always delighted that alumni families come back to help me with the Finale and many extra family members also attend.

This year was an extra special year for me at NVNS. I have been honored to be at this lovely school program as it celebrates 60 years of community. I think back with awesome memories at my own 25 years at NVNS. Every year brought its own growth and changes. Each board brought new goals and energy and has made changes to completely support and grow our special school program. This year’s school board was no exception to that rule. In the beginning, this year’s board brought its pride and TLC to honor our special anniversary year. They set lovely goals and accomplished them! Honoring our school philosophy, the importance of children being with family, we set out to simplify some of our program requirements and allow families to enjoy school community activities. This board also set lovely goals to solidify NVNS as a business and bring electronic versions of such business up to speed. The work involved was long on hours and filled with passion. This year’s growth goals met, NVNS will now grow forward with comfortable new goals and continue to receive TLC from new school families.

As we all grow and change, please keep NVNS in your hearts and continue to hold hands with us. We have seen the power of Together We’re Better.

Much love, thanks, and honor to all of you.
Have a go slow summer and enjoy the little things.
See you at the Farmers Market!
Mz. Lori

Either way, I wish to blah, blah, blog about the reflections I have been having this year honoring the 60th anniversary of Napa Valley Nursery School! My life has been ever so changed and I wish to tell you about those things dear to my heart…..

Throughout my years (and many types of tears), I have had the beautiful opportunity to watch children and families grow and change. I have watched children and parents both work and play together to support each other through this new journey of parenting and family living. I was lucky enough to be a part of this program with my own children!

Sharing and caring is evident every day at NVNS. Together, we set a very healthy environment to explore and play. Parents observe and participate in the early years of development, watching moment by moment detail as their children reach out for more. Parents reach out too. I have seen so many beautiful friendships (including some of my own) grow and develop. Parents hold hands and stick together in their new journey. Some will become lifelong friends and others will be the supportive arms along the way. So many families have come and gone throughout my 25 years, each bringing so much to our little community. People have shared their wisdom, time and talents and their selves to keep our business of community open. Throughout 60 years, with much laughter and tears, people have shown how valuable our nursery school becomes, not only to children, but to parents and families.

I have been honored to be a part of families working together to support each other through great celebrations, new business’, the birth of new lives, and also work through many a family or personal crisis. We have been together for the loss of teeth, loss of limb, and the loss of life. Children and parents have carried casseroles and created carnivals for families with skinned knees to skin cancer. NVNS has been the community place where families gather together to do their best work.

Beyond all of the great growth changes made to NVNS, families continue to grow beyond our community. I cannot begin to count how many NVNS families had/have been involved in the foundation, opening, and growth of Napa Valleys Charter School, Stonebridge. The beautiful community playground Fantastico was also rich in NVNS family efforts! Families have outgrown NVNS but continue to stay committed to produce a rich community where parents and children and teachers come together.

I am so proud to be a part and see how we have stayed true to our Napa Valley Nursery School vision/mission statement. I can only imagine how much more is in store as we make such positive changes together. Truly, together we’re better.

Vision: Napa Valley Nursery School is an engaging environment for children, families and community to grow together.

With much love,
I thank you all.
Happy Anniversaries!
Mz. Lori