PRESCHOOL 2020-21

Welcome to Homegrown Preschool! 

I am excited to offer preschool again this fall! After five successful years of teaching in Kaysville, I look forward to another wonderful preschool group in 2020-21. My purpose in teaching preschool is to create a fun and personal learning opportunity for the students and to provide financial support for my missionary sons and daughters.

I will accept registration for up to eight students for the 2020-21 school year. Students must be Fall 2021 Kindergarten eligible and be fully potty-trained.

Summer P.E. (Printables for those Long Lazy Days...)

My Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Flickinger, was awesome! She played the piano, sang songs, did crafts, taught us to read and color, and loved us like a grandma.

One thing I will never forget is her wonderful awards. Mrs. Flickinger gave awards for everything! Tying your shoe, learning the colors, reciting the days of the week, counting to 100, etc. She also gave awards for outside skills like riding a tricycle (those were allowed on the kindergarten playground back then), crossing the monkey bars, and jumping rope. Each award was handmade and could fit in a fun envelope where we collected them through the school year. 

This summer I wanted to re-create Mrs. Flickinger's awards for my own little school children. After all, jumping rope is almost a lost art! I enlisted my daughter, Emma, to help me and together we brainstormed 22 physical skills that kids could work on. Emma designed an award for each skill with a place to check off the skill or put a sticker when it is mastered.

I've attached the pdf of our award sheets. Just print, cut, punch holes, and make a small booklet for each child. 

We anticipate lots of outdoor fun! And I'm hoping for double-dutch (or at least proficient) jump-ropers by the end of the summer.

Summer P.E. Page 1

Summer P.E. Pages 2-4

The Reading Race

I love books. From my earliest memories I recall snuggling next to my mother while she read from “Charlotte’s Web,” “Little House on the Prairie” and “Pippi Longstocking.” My older sister and I became friends with Sue Barton, Nancy Drew and the Boxcar Children. Our winter evenings were rich with family reading times, and our lazy summer days were filled with library trips and stacks of books all around us. My favorite pastime is still curling up with a good story. However, too much of anything can be, well, too much!

Sisters and Sun

I went on a getaway with my sisters last month: that’s six sisters leaving 32 children and six supportive husbands to spend time together in sun country during the grey winter weeks. Since all of us are busy moms, we set the date months ahead of time and bought plane tickets. The flights to Phoenix were relatively cheap, and we pictured ourselves basking by the pool in the lovely warmth, miles from our usual snowy abodes.

Papa's Song -- The Story Behind the Story

The Hunsaker Family, Christmas 1993

It was December of 1993 when Papa's Song happened.  I was a junior at the university and life was coming to a bend in the road.  During the Christmas break, I had several touching moments at home with my family.  The most memorable was on Christmas Eve, when Papa rocked me by the tree for the last time, singing a song he had sung to me every Christmas for as long as I could remember.

The Real Pilgrims

It’s November, and I’ve been reading a lot of Pilgrim stories lately. When the kindergarteners come home at lunchtime, we sit by the fire and thumb through a few books before they tuck in for their naps. Squanto, Massasoit, William Bradford and others are coming to life from the pages of beautifully illustrated stories about the First Thanksgiving. Images of golden-orange pumpkins, fat turkeys and a thatch-roofed colony by the sea have sparked our imaginations and our family conversations. The stories have made me reflect again on the Pilgrims. Which Pilgrims? The real ones.

Happy? Halloween

I love holidays. But I must admit that Halloween is a bit scary. Take it from a mother’s point of view: nine children = nine costumes. Crazy! How creative and artistic can one parent be? Not to mention the dreams of my over-zealous 4th grader. “Let’s all be Harry Potter figures this year!” she plans. “Daddy can be Dumbledore, you can be Professor MacGonagal …” I can’t even fathom adding two more people to the dress-up list. However, there are a lot of possibilities with a big family.

CHITTY CHITTY CHILDREN

A friend gave us two tickets to the Hale Center Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Scanning through the online list of 2013 shows, I quickly chose "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" as the play I wanted to attend and made reservations.  A few weeks later, my husband and I drove to the theatre and took our seats in the top row.  The stage looked small and round below us.  A simple curtain covered it and as I watched the theatre fill up, I couldn’t help but feel skeptical that one of my favorite movies could be effectively produced in such a small arena.  

I Pledge Allegiance

I am grateful for the many inspired men and women, both past and present, whose dedication to God has made this nation great. Please enjoy this video which pays tribute to them.

Family Reunion 2014

I believe in family reunions!  Our children can be strengthened and uplifted by extended family aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.  Plus, reunions are so much fun!!!

Brite Families, Bright Future

One of the greatest parenting tools I've ever discovered is Brite Music.  Created by composer Janeen Brady for her nine children, the songs and stories found on the Brite albums are childlike, uplifting, and fun!

I was raised on Brite Music, starting when my parents purchased their first record in the early 1980s.  Thankfully, the music is now available in downloadable form.

Why use music to teach and train children?  Music is a powerful tool.  We retain 10% of what we hear, 40% of what we see, 60% of what we hear linked to a story, and 90% of the messages we hear through music.  If children can sing a song back to you, they are retaining 99% of the message!

Also, music stirs powerful emotions within us.  That which we sing we believe more deeply.  Music can inspire feelings of patriotism, love, memories, and positive experiences.

Brite Music is a tool to teach children self-esteem, honesty, obedience, patriotism, and even safety skills.

Check out all of the Brite Music on their website:  www.britemusic.com

Watch for more stories about how I've used Brite Music in my everyday motherhood.