STARGAZER
Age Group: “The Preschoolers” Class Name: Stargazers
(3 years or older by August 31 )
  
Children must be potty trained for this class
During your child’s year in The Stargazer class, they will become increasingly independent. They will develop a heightened sense of self awareness and empathy towards others as they develop social skills and learn how to function in a group.
Teachers will work with the children to teach them problem solving skills. The children learn to take responsibility for their actions. They will also learn to listen to their friends. We see an increase in their feelings of self-confidence and increased competency because of learning these new skills. We want children to enjoy school in a safe, nurturing atmosphere so that they will feel safe to take risks in all areas of development.
Schedule Options:
- Preschool Only, 9:00-11:30AM for two, three or five days a week.
- Preschool Plus, 9:00AM-2:00PM for two, three or five days a week.
- Preschool Full Day, 5-10 hours, 7:00AM-5:30PM for two, three, four or five days a week.
- You choose the days you want to enroll from the days open.
- Group size of 20, ratio 1:10
- Review our Enrollment page to see openings and the Registration for your next steps to secure a spot!
THE PRESCHOOLERS ARE 3 YEARS OR OLDER BY AUGUST 31, Stargazers
Krystal McClellan (Lead Teacher) Since June 2019 (Started in 2010)
8:30 am to 3:30 pm (paid planning 11:30-12:00 PM)
Deirdre O’Dwyer (Lead Assistant Teacher) since August 2024 8:45 am to 4:45 PM
Jahan Vasishth (Afternoon Aide) Since January 2018 3:00 to 4:30 pm
Download:
- The Coat Flip Video: https://youtu.be/3wRKDeKbAcI
- Teaching Preschool to put on their own coat: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ogbl#inbox/FMfcgzGqRGgXxtMlXJqtWsWtwzjxfTDq?projector=1
Here are samples of Weekly Lesson Plans. For current families teachers email parents weekly plans.
Our teachers are intentional in planning and assessing our students’ learning and development. We use the Washington State Early Learning and Developmental Guidelines as our Assessment tool on the Procare App.
Please view the guidelines:
WA Early Learning and Developmental Guidelines 2012
Current Class information:
Family Photos: Please email or bring in a 4×6 sized photo of your immediate family to be displayed in our classroom. Label all family member names and list siblings in order from oldest to youngest. (This will be helpful for our upcoming family project). Thanks!
Our Routines:
-Our daily schedule
-Clean up routine
-How to find our materials
-Group time manners (sitting on carpet, criss cross or legs straight out, hands in our lap and off our faces to keep germs away)
-Table Habits (Using forks/spoons appropriately, holding and drinking from cups properly, asking for more food, asking “Can I clean up, please?” for dismissal, throwing away food in trash and pushing in chairs.)
-Learning our Family Style Dining: (use meal serving items & passing serving bowls)
-Following our line to playgrounds & staying with our teachers
-Introducing Jobs: Calendar Helper, Door Holder, Line Leader, Frog Feeder, Chair & Table Helper, Song Leader (for Snacks and Lunch) & Light Helper.
and probably the most important of them all…. HANDWASHING and Bathroom routines!
Our hand washing routine looks like this:
-Turn Water On
-Wet hands
-Apply Soap
-Scrub Hands without rinsing for 20 seconds. (We often say “make bubbles” and encourage a few ideas like counting to 20, saying the ABC’s, or singing songs like “Happy Birthday” or “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” 2 times in a row. Then we have them double check for visible dirt.
-Rub & Rinse, hands under water.
-Tear off towel to dry
-Use Towel to turn off sink
-Throw away towel in trash
Our bathroom routine is as follows:
– Move step to toilet if needed
– Use toilet. (If they stand to pee they need to lift the seat, and put it back down once done.)
– Wipe with toilet paper, drop into the toilet.
– Ask the teacher for a wet wipe if needed, drop it into TRASH.
– Flush and pants up
– Follow hand washing routine.
Like all habits these won’t be mastered this week but we are spending a lot of time getting the class used to these daily habits and directions. To help us instill these habits and routines we are encouraging you to practice at home as well, especially with bathrooming and handwashing! Not only is it important to keep germs away during this critical time but these are things the children will be doing MANY times throughout their day! Our goal is for all the children to be able to wash their hands and use the bathroom independently but efficiently!
Please bring in at least 1 set of spare clothes for your child, 2-3 sets if they have frequent potty accidents or tend to be messy. Labeling all items is the best way to get your items back! If we send home dirty/soiled clothes they will be in a plastic grocery bag or your provided wet bag hanging in their cubbie. Since the grocery bag ban is in place, we are now encouraging all families to purchase wet bags for soiled clothes. Any type of lined wet bag will work but if you need a quick link click here. Remember to label all bags with names!
Magic Coat Flip:
We will be mastering the magical coat flip as we start wearing coats again. This self-help trick allows the children to easily put on their coat and even the smallest walkers can learn! Whenever the opportunity arises to put on a coat please have your child practice this. It really helps get 20 children outside a lot quicker! Once we are outside we offer help with buttons and zippers. Please watch this quick 30 second video to show you the process: HEREWater Bottles:
We are asking that ALL students have a water bottle everyday. Please bring in 1 leakproof water bottle with your child’s name on it. They will store them on top of their cubbie space and take them outside to our playgrounds. You must take the bottle home to clean it or rotate with a new one every 3-5 days. We will not be washing bottles at school unless there are extreme circumstances (i.e. Dirt or anything unsanitary). Some families bring a new one each day or some take them home on a specific day to clean. Teachers will refill them with water as needed. Children are served water at each snack and lunch as well. If you forget a water bottle we have paper cups they can drink from during that day.
Art File:
In our cubbie area you will find a hanging file folder with your child’s name. Please check this periodically for artwork. Depending on your child’s interest, there may be multiple papers or there may be none. Some art is kept by teachers to display on boards or to see progress throughout the year. We are encouraging children to place their own artwork in their labeled file. This is another way to identify their name and can be a fun learning routine at their pick up time.
Classroom Photos: We will be sharing our classroom Google Photo Album link soon.
Birthdays: Each month I will send out a separate email to touch base about your child’s birthday plans. It’s an exciting time for them and they all love to celebrate with or without treats. If your child has a September birthday you should already have the email. I will be sending out October this week. Until then, if you have any questions about the process feel free to ask.
Krystal McClellan
Lead Teacher – Preschool Class – Stargazers
The Shyne School
(425) 882-1981
Our Stargazer teachers focus on the whole child by continuing to work on social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills. The children’s attention span grows during the year and the time spent in circle time and at special projects will match their growth. Projects and the learning centers are open ended, so children just learning skills can feel successful, while children ready for more challenges can take the activity further. Children must be potty trained for this class and dress themselves if they need to change clothes. The daily schedule is balanced between quiet and active times so children are never over stimulated. Music, stories, sensory play, arts, fine and large motor skills are part of the daily program. Daily special projects vary from cooking, science, and crafts to working on special projects.
In the Stargazer classroom the children have special celebrations such as special visitors, holiday celebrations, and Birthday Parties. They invite parents to join them for Curriculum Night in the Fall, for field trips about 4+ times each year and classroom celebrations. The children also work on special projects twice a year like mailing letters to families, friends, and tracking where the responses come from so they can see how big the world is. We want children to start feeling comfortable standing in front of a group and sharing information about their favorite things and they learn to do this by sharing a special item and performing special helper jobs.
When planning what topic to study next, the teachers observe and ask the children what they want to learn about. Teachers listen and observe the children to see what the group already knows and what they are interested in. The children may show an interest in squirrels for a month, but the teachers are always reading new stories, singing new songs, and adding new materials to the class to expand their learning and stimulate a new area of study. The teachers also know that parents want to see their children preparing for school readiness and work on skills with the children focused on those concepts. Our teachers know that to be successful in school and life children need keen observation and listening skills. Each November to January our teachers sit down for a conference with parents and go over their child’s developmental check list and talk to parents about goals for the children’s individual learning.
At The Shyne School our goal is to provide children with warm and caring relationships with teachers and friends. We encourage active parent participation. When parents feel comfortable with their school and teachers, they can communicate an attitude of trust to their children. There is an amazing amount of growth for children in their third year. At The Shyne School children learn through games, songs, stories, play and hands-on activities. Feel free to join us for fun!
Our school parent handbook is on the Registration Page with full behavior management, curriculum, philosophy and what to bring. In addition, we recommend a wet bag that we can send soiled clothing home in.
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