Do you know someone who is a "Champion of Children"? Please take some time to think about the people that you know who work with children; someone who has made a difference in the learning or well-being of a child.

Think about...

Please join us in recognizing the 2012 "Champion of Children" nominees. Major donors are also recognized during the evening. 

Check out the "Champions of Children" section of our website for nomination guidelines and forms as well as information about purchasing tickets.  

This fall the Preschool Foundation once again sponsored their annual raffle.  Thirteen preschools/prekindergartens took part by selling the raffle tickets.  Each participating preschool received 50% of their total sales for use in their preschool.  Board members and friends of the Foundation also sold tickets.  Together we were able to raise $7,538.00. 

The Prekindergarten classes at Fairhaven School won the $200.00 gift card that was generously donated by Wintergreen. They sold just over $1,200.00 worth of tickets. Congratulations!

The draw for the prizes took place December 20 and prizes were delivered before Christmas. 

The Foundation would like to thank the following businesses and groups for their donations:

• Best Buy - Kobo Ereader Touch Edition
• Ramada Hotel and Golf Dome - 1 night stay, $25.00 food voucher and 4 buckets of balls.
• Scholastic Bood Fairs - bag of books
• Krazy Kiley's AudioTronic - ladies wristwatch
• Lottery Group - iPod Shuffle
• Inspired Photography - gift certificate
• Doug's Spoke'n Sport & anonyous donor - child's bike, helmet & knee pads

Thank you to all the preschools for taking part. This is a win-win project. Participating preschools get much needed funds for their preschool and he Foundation's portion is used to further the mission of the Preschool Foundation.

Sometimes preschools have difficulty funding the purchase of new books and materials.  Finding the funds to cover the cost of field trips can also be difficult. 

Thanks to the generosity of the Blair & Kristin Richardson Foundation we are able to offer two grants to help with these expenses.

Preschools can apply to the following grants through the Preschool Foundation:

• The Lorne & Phyllis Richardson Preschool Fieldtrip Grant (in honour of Blair's parents)
• The Fred & Joan Herron Preschool Book and Learning Materials Grant (in honour of these long-standing and energetic former members of the Saskatoon Preschool Foundation Board).

The maximum amount available for each of these grants is $160.00 per academic year. They are intended to support fieldtrips and the purchase of books and learning materials respectively.

Preschools that have applied for and have received grants report how these gifts have made an impact on their students and allowed them to provide educational opportunities for their students.

For more information on grant application, preschool reps can check the Foundation website or contact the office at spf@spsd.sk.ca or 683-8384.

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." —Plato

The word gets back to this writer sometimes that preschool is "just playing." Or that a spouse believes that preschool activity is not worth the hard-earned cash that it takes to pay the monthly fee. Some think that a daily dose of kid TV is good enough for the child. Please read on to better understand the benefits of two hour's worth of early childhood learning and care.

The 95 or so preschools in our community generally have a routine that involves a number of activities that engages and interests children. A morning or afternoon session might go something like this:

• Circle time. An opportunity for children to share experiences or for the teacher to use puppets. "Show and tell" allows children to pull all sorts of magic out of their pockets!
• Puzzles, art work and crafts give children the opportunity to use and develop hand dexterity and eye-hand coordination.
• Story time gives kids a break and encourages their imagination, involves their listening abilities, and provides a stage for new sounds and words.
• Large muscle development is important in these small bodies too! Climbing, balancing, jumping... all encourages their physical development.
• Snack time provides a timely nutritious break in all the action but also models good nutrition habits for the future.

These are but samples of the variety of activities that might take place in any of Saskatoon and area preschools. If you are curious about preschool and would like to register your child, please contact the preschool(s) that interest you. The teachers and registrars would be interested to hear from you.

'Play is a child's work' according to the professional educators, psychologists, and health care people who work with them. It is serious stuff. Combined with language and speech development, it is natural and worthwhile for three and four-year olds.

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