Community Bulletin Boards

This is a fun idea we implemented last year to foster family engagement.  Each month we send home an object, usually on card stock, for each child to decorate as a family. Attached is a note telling them to decorate at home with their families and not to forget their name, also the date which we would like them back.  Normally I give a week for it to be returned, its ok if they come in after we love that they take the time to participate!   In the entry area we post both a preschool board and a toddler board with all of the creative art pieces that come back.  Displaying them in the entry area has proved to encourage all to participate and for the children to really look at everyone's art.  They love to find their piece and are always excited to tell you what they did at home to create it.  Here are a few examples of the boards are children created last year:

Most of the templates came from TheMailbox but any shape template can be used.  We have a lot of new ideas for this school year....we can't wait to see what they come up with!

Let's start where fairytales begin....

Once Upon a Time there was a teacher named Miss Nicole who decided to open up a preschool! So she wished upon a star and poof a bright and shiny school appeared stocked and ready just for her! All the most precious children of the land came to her and she taught amazing lessons to the perfect little children and they learned and lived happily ever after! Now wasn't that just the most adorably ridiculous story you ever did read?!

My name is Miss Nicole and I did open up a preschool  three years ago and while I wish some pixie dust could have sped up the process truth is a lot of hard work from many people made my dream come true!  I teach children everyday and I hope that I provide them with experiences they enjoy.  I get to learn, love and play each and everyday with the children I am lucky enough to teach (some days I do not feel that lucky though lol).  

So I decided to share my story and my ideas with all of you (eeks! hopefully someone will read this)...I get a lot of ideas and inspiration from fellow bloggers so I wanted to contribute too.  Hopefully you will be able to use some of my ideas and share yours with me!  Teaching is such a collaborative effort!  

Here is a picture from last years Preschoolers!  Our Community Bulletin Boards...stay tuned for the photos and explanation of what we do!

If you follow me you can expect lots of creative art projects (we love them) with lots of pictures to help and maybe some witty repertoire to get us through those days that do not end with Happily Ever After!