West Side Preschool

Reminder! No school tomorrow.
Have a great weekend and we'll see you on Monday!

We LOVE seeing everyone's big smiles every day!

If you read for 5 minutes a day with your preschooler, you'll expose them to about 282,000 words in a year. 👍

If you read for 20 minutes a day with your preschooler, you'll expose them to about 1.8 MILLION words in a year. 😮

Swish! Nothing but net!

Reminder! West Side Preschool follows the Richland School District calendar for closures and holidays. There is no school this Friday, October 4.

It's almost October but the weather is still nice, so get out on those trikes, bikes, and scooters!

West Side is a co-op preschool, meaning families are invited to participate in their children's first school experiences. It's a special experience, a chance for parents to see how their child interacts with other children in the class while also being included in a fun game, like a tea party!

SPLAT! Painting with hammers in the Butterfly Room!

At West Side Preschool painting your own hand is totally fine because we know that a lot of learning (and sometimes amazing artwork!) happens through messy play. 🎨

Children develop their social skills just by playing around and with other children. Learning social skills before elementary school sets children up for future success. Playing together and learning together at West Side Preschool!

Here's something fun to do if your preschooler doesn't have class today. 📚

Theo cannot WAIT to see our community at the upcoming Preschoolers Reading Circle event at the Richland Public Library tomorrow⬇

📅 Friday, September 20, 2024
⏰ 10:00-10:45AM
📍 Richland Public Library

Will you join us?

Have you noticed the parent library in the hall? West Side parents are welcome to borrow materials any time. Just pick something out and mark it down on the form on the wall above the bookshelf.

Outside play is so important for preschoolers! Benefits range from promoting physical and mental health, improving sleep, and providing opportunities for cognitive, social, and emotional learning.

Read more about the benefits of outdoor play here: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2019/outdoor-play-is-essential

If you've been in the Butterfly Room lately, you might have noticed that there's a (pretend) fire truck in there! The 3-4s classes have been having fun learning about them.
🚒🦺👮‍♀️🚨🚔

Does your student have a West Side Preschool t-shirt? You can purchase one any time, just ask in the office.

Some families have even had their students wear their West Side tees to school most days just so they didn't have to worry about getting paint, markers, or glue on their good clothes. (We have adult sizes, too, and parents are welcome to wear them on their helping days to keep their clothes paint-stain free!)

P.S. Lots of alumni tell us they still have their tees saved in memory boxes. 🥹

What does a day at West Side Preschool look like?

Each classroom has its own schedule that includes indoor free play, outdoor free play, classroom time, circle time, music, story time, and clean up time. One class might have music first while another has outdoor free play first.

A structured day introduces students to the schedules and activities they'll find in Kindergarten.

How do YOU say good bye to your preschooler? 😁

"See you later, ALLIGATOR!" 🐊
or
"Bye-bye, BUTTERFLY!"🦋
or
"Out the door, DINOSAUR!"🦕

Play dough is ALWAYS popular at West Side!

Put your shoes on and grab your WSP tote bag! Preschool classes start this week!

Say hello to the 2024-25 West Side Preschool Staff! Many familiar faces and a couple of new ones. They're not new to West Side, though, because they're parents of WSP alumni!

Hold on....West Side Preschool gives parents homework?? 😲

As a co-op, we ask parents to help out with the behind-the-scenes work because it helps us keep tuition as low as possible. Parent Work Packets are one of the ways we ask parents to help. In the packet you'll find a simple task, like cutting out pumpkin shapes or gingerbread people for art projects.

After you meet your teacher, don't forget to pick up a Parent Work Packet on your way out. Our teachers truly appreciate the help. 😁

Meet and greets start today and continue all this week. We're really excited to see you!