FRIENDSHIP DAY… AKA VALENTINE’S DAY

Preschoolers at Richmond Elementary School prepare for a day to honor the PEOPLE, PLACES and THINGS they CHERISH

Each year on February 14th, many people exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special “valentine.” The day renowned for romance dates back to 269 and is the result of Saint Valentine, a priest who found himself in jail after he continued to marry people after a Roman Emperor banned the marriage of all people.  While Valentine was in prison, he sent out letters to his friends and signed them by writing... “Remember your Valentine”. He died on February 14th… and we remember his acts of kindness by cherishing loved ones on 2/14.   

Why is this note of history important to PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT????

In the preschool classroom, I continue to find Friendship Day, to be “THE DAY” that represents a literary milestone for young learners. Each and every year when I turn the calendar to the second page and find a grid depicting 28/29 squares, I also find preschoolers READY! Since birth, a child has prepared his/her ten fingers, two hands, arms and shoulders and one torso to become strong enough to WRITE and magically without a hitch in FEBRUARY it happens! This observation and statement (children find success with writing letter formations by FEBRUARY 14th) are not depicted on any child development continuum; however I have found it to be 100% accurate! Years of lifting, twisting, turning, stretching, pinching and, pulling result in a four and half year old body that is ready, willing and able to WRITE! Saint Valentine most likely did not realize his WRITING and passing would be connected to child development by an early educator, but I find the connection noteworthy :)!

To celebrate our annual preschooler’s literacy milestone, young writers will participate in VT Writes Day on February 11th and do one THING they CHERISH…WRITE! We have marked our calendar for this amazing, fun annual day of writing and will stop everything in our classroom for JUST SEVEN MINUTES of WRITING! Our writing prompt will be to write about the PEOPLE, PLACES and THINGS you cherish! I feel confident our young writers will surpass the seven minute challenge… results will be posted early next week!     

This week, we will also played our SEE, THINK and WONDER Game by using the following photograph as a prompt. I look forward to hearing about our Preschooler’s observations, thoughts and wonders!

   

Please remember to have your child return their friendship cards by Thursday. Also, it would be helpful for fruit to be cut up in bite size pieces verses sending the unprepared fruit to school. Children will be making individual pattern fruit kabobs with the fruit salad.  

THANK YOU

Suzanne