MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | PARKWAY BAPTIST PRESCHOOL | OCTOBER 2018

Why Colors and Shapes?

Have you ever wondered why preschool classes teach colors and shapes before most any other thing? These first teachings

in preschool and kindergarten are basics that your child needs to know before she learns the "other basics" of reading, writing,

and math. Understanding color and shape is a tool for learning many skills in all curriculum areas, from math and science to

language and reading. For example, when your child learns to discern the similarities and differences between colors and

shapes, she is using the same skills she needs to recognize the differences between letters and numerals.

When young children are asked to mathematically sort objects (such as leaves, rocks, shells, or keys) they usually use the

most obvious attributes of color and shape, plus size, to categorize the items. When your child plays, he uses sorting and

classifying skills as he observes similarities and differences of color and shape, makes comparisons, and organizes this

information into piles. This seemingly simple process (that we use every week when we sort the laundry or find things in the

grocery aisles) is the foundation for living in a mathematical world.

Fall is a wonderful time to become a nature spy with your child in your neighborhood and work on sorting skills. Observe

natural objects such as leaves, twigs, and stones and compare their size, shapes, color and texture. This activity engages large

muscles as you collect items and also puts to use the sense of sight and touch as you sort the items.

To mix things up for your older preschooler encourage your child do some of the more tactile works blindfolded. Other sorts

can be combined with fine motor work utilizing your child’s small object pincer grasp, tongs or tweezers. Your child can put

the objects into sorting trays, bowls, cups, egg cartons, divided containers, paper lunch bags or simply line or stack them up.

Fabulous Fall Read Aloud Picture Books

Apple Trouble by Ragnhild Scamel

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

We’re Going On A Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger

When The Leaf Blew In by Steve Metzger

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves by Lucille Colandro

The Scarecrow’s Hat by Ken Brown

Helping Out

Please take time to swap out your child’s change of clothes in his or her backpack from warm

weather clothing to items more suited for cooler fall days.

Parkway Baptist Preschool and Mother’s Day Out 12465 Olive Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63141 314-434-5811 weekdaypreschool@ parkwaybaptist.net

Community Fall Festival On Saturday, October 27, Parkway Baptist Church will be

hosting a fun-filled Community Fall Festival.

The festival will include games, a visit from St. Louis Blues’

Louie, Fredbird from the St. Louis Cardinals, give-a-ways, a

bounce house, illusionists, popcorn and cotton candy, and

Trunk or Treat with lots of candy. Feel free to wear your

costume, but nothing scary or violent. The Festival is from

2:00 to 5:00 p.m. and will happen rain or shine! Register at

www.parkwaybaptist.net/fallfestival

Parents and children are so intimately linked spiritually that you cannot talk about a child’s faith without also talking about the faith of the parent. Faith formation is not something we teach our kids but something that is learned together as a family. Steve and Valerie Bell have written a book called, “Faith-Shaped Kids: Helping Your Child Grow Spiritually”. (Steve & Valerie are members of Willow Creek Community Church in the Chicago area. Steve is the executive vice-president of the Willow Creek Association and Valerie is the CEO of Awana. They have 2 grown sons and 5 grandchildren.) It is nine lessons they have learned from their parental years about how a genuine faith in Christ is formed in a child’s life. As I read this book, I realize how much it resonated with my own family and my parenting years. This school year, I’d like to take this opportunity to share some of their insight and mine about this book and the incredibly powerful influence of parents on their children’s faith.

LESSON ONE: Faith is the Greatest Life Advantage

No parental passion is more worthy for any parent’s child than that the child should be gifted in faith. That is a dream my husband, Charlie, and I had above any other… that our children be gifted in faith. Why? Because no other life blessing is more crucial and determining. Next to faith, all other blessings pale. Faith is life’s most outstanding asset. It gives the greatest leg up in life. A trusting relationship with God is life’s greatest treasure.

Think about the dreams you have for your child… maybe it’s intellectual giftedness. But it’s also potentially limited. High IQ without the ability to tap into God’s wisdom is a highly limited resource – one that falls short of its world-impacting promise. Maybe you’re pursing athletics for your child. I always felt such pride watching my sons shoot the winning shot, striking out a batter or my daughter acing a volleyball serve or scoring the winning run. But what makes a world-class athlete? It’s courage, tenacity, and endurance – all inner qualities of God-given strength. Maybe you have a child that stops traffic with their good looks. The world loves a beautiful face but consider that without faith, when outer beauty fades, all may seem lost. What a difference faith makes in all the giftedness areas of life!

God gives faith but parents shape it. Faith-shaped kids are developed most readily through faith-shaped parents. Parents play the most defining role in a child’s spiritual formation. Dad or mom matter more than peers, environment, school, church, or any other kind of formal religious education.

Be a spiritually involved parent, and your message to “trust God” will find a receptive place in your children’s hearts.

Ministry Moment, Becky Wescoat, KidZone Ministry Team Leader

Faith-Shaped Kids

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October 2018

Scholastic Book Club Choosing the perfect book for themselves is a treat for kids that keeps them

reading, and research shows that kids who choose their own books read more.

There is a wide selection to choose from this month in the Book Club flyer.

Book order slips need to be returned by October 15. Please make your check out

to Scholastic Book Clubs and give the order form to your child’s teacher or place in

the basket. Or, feel free to place your order online using the code on the order form.

Firefighters Visit The Creve Coeur Fire

Department will be visiting

with the children during

October. The firefighters will

arrive with their equipment

and allow the children to see

the fire truck and ambulance.

They will be talking about fire

drills, having an emergency

plan for your house, and how

to stop, drop and roll.

Pajama Parties The Preschool and

Mother’s Day Out children

will enjoy a Pajama Praise

Party on Tuesday, October 30

and Wednesday,

October 31.

Please send your child to

school in their favorite

pajamas and tennis shoes.

We will play in the gym so

that our pajamas will not get

dirty.

There are various

activities planned and special

snacks for these fun and

exciting days!

Pajama Parties

Book Orders Due

Fall Festival 2-5 pm

School Pictures Watch your child’s

backpack for more

information about

School Pictures

coming soon!