Helping Hands School

It has been a week of pajama days, holiday baking and a lot of thoughtfulness here at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School. Enjoy a look at just some of our fun. Happy holidays, everyone!

Our December fun and learning continues here at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School. Themes this week included gingerbread, trains and holidays. Of course, we talked about the snow too, including the possibility of more. Preschoolers tend to like snow.

Our piggy banks are continuing to fill. Thank you for caring and sharing.

Thank you also for admiring and voting for your favorite bulletin board. They were ALL awesome, and it was a close contest and we’re happy to announce that the winning board is “The Who’s in Whoville.” At 3:30 on Friday, there were 804 votes for this board and 801 for “The Cookies.” Unbelievably close and so much fun.

Hope you’re enjoying the snow day and also enjoy a peek at more of our fun and learning this past week.

Due to weather conditions, Helping Hands and Academy NS will be closed today, Friday, December 16th.

This post contains 8 photos of current bulletin boards decorating the halls at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School.

Join in on our FUN competition and vote for your favorite board by "liking" it on Facebook. Please vote only once. Yes, we'll be watching for numerous likes.

It may be difficult to choose because our bulletin boards always look terrific, but the holiday boards are extra special. Thanks, everyone.

We will tally votes on 12/16 and we’ll announce a winner that day. The winning class will receive a $100 gift card to purchase something for their classroom.

Let the fun begin!

Sharing for our friend Nancy Cupolo, who has written a beautiful book. Nancy was the speaker at our Parent Night here at school back in November and has been doing presentations at our school for a very long time. Congratulations, Nancy and Lisa!

Our December fun and learning continues and classroom themes this week included trees, holidays, gingerbread, balls, and trains. These themes were incorporated in a variety of ways, and we counted, sorted, labeled, and shared and had a great time together.

Piggy banks are filling as we share our pennies. Thank you for sending them in! On the last day of school in December, we’ll take all the coins collected and will donate them to Stewart’s Annual Holiday Match Program.

On Monday we will post photos of the bulletin boards in our school hallway, and you’ll be able to vote for your favorite. It’s going to be difficult to choose, they’re all awesome, but try to pick just one when you vote.

Enjoy a look at just some of our fun this past week. Busy, busy!

We are continuing to collect and recycle. Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who donated to Helping Hands for Giving Tuesday! The Steamroller ramp and platform have been ordered. Once it arrives we will post pictures of our students using this awesome piece of equipment. We are overwhelmed by the generosity we received!

December! It’s a fun time to be in preschool, that’s for sure. Classroom themes this week included helping others, feelings, food, bears/hibernation, trees, forest animals and shapes.
There may have been some holiday activities too as classrooms prepare for our annual holiday bulletin board contest. More details on that to follow.

We are collecting “Magic Pennies” in all our classrooms. Putting the coins in piggy banks is a great fine motor activity. As we count them, we talk about how we’re sharing. Sharing is caring! On the last day of school in December, we’ll take all the coins collected and will donate them to Stewart’s Annual Holiday Match Program.

Enjoy a look at just some of our fun this past week.

Please remember Helping Hands tomorrow for Giving Tuesday! We are raising funds to purchase a Steamroller Ramp and Platform. This equipment will help our students develop motor planning skills, build bilateral coordination and provide sensory input! To donate go to our website at www.helpinghands.org and click on the DONATIONS tab.

Feeling thankful for so many things here at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School. Last week’s first little snow was exciting for our preschoolers and an anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday has been building up with lots of turkey projects, stories and songs.

Our sharing boxes overflowed here and this past Friday we sent 7 packages of “coffee and candy” to a U.S. military base in Kenya, Africa. So exciting!

Happy Thanksgiving, all! No school 11/23 -11/25, we’ll return on Monday.

Please remember Helping Hands on Giving Tuesday! We are raising funds to purchase a Steamroller Ramp and Platform. This equipment will help our students develop motor planning skills, build bilateral coordination and provide sensory input! To donate go to our website at www.helpinghands.org and click on the DONATIONS tab.

Another busy week here at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School. Turkey sightings have been happening in classrooms and we’re continuing to enjoy time out on our playground, which is unusual for November, but we’ll take it.

Friday, 11/11, is Veteran’s Day, no school. Enjoy the day together and if you can, thank a veteran. Our “coffee and candy” box that we’re sending to a U.S. military base in Kenya, Africa is growing. Thank you for all that has been sent in. We know of two fathers stationed there who will both appreciate and will share with others. We will mail this package on 11/18 so if you’d like to participate, please share before then.

On Tuesday, 11/15, from 6:30 – 7:30 pm, we’ll be hosting Parent Night here at school. Professor Emeritus, Nancy T. Cupolo, shares that she’ll be presenting on "Alleviating Children’s Stress: Creating Peaceful Environments." If you haven't, let us know if you plan to attend.

Have a great long weekend and enjoy a look at some of our fun and learning this past week.

The first week of November is done! Wow, time is flying by. Classroom themes this past week included leaves/squirrels, forest animals, day and night, scarecrows, harvests and food, and all about me. A great variety of topics for sure. Some are still talking about their Halloween adventures too. Lots to talk about and we love to encourage communication.

Thank you to everyone who has donated to our food drive. Our sharing boxes look awesome all filled up and overflowing. Also getting full is our “coffee and candy” box that we’re sending to a U.S. military base in Kenya, Africa. Thanks, everyone.

We are loving these 70 degree days in November and playground time is awesome. Today, a couple of classes spent time outdoors planting flower bulbs. It will be fun to watch them grow in the Spring. Lots of growing taking place here, kids and flower bulbs!

Have a great weekend, everyone and enjoy a look at just some of our fun here at school this past week. Next week, no school on Friday 11/11. Veterans Day!

Yes, Happy Halloween! It was a busy and fun day at school today. Lots of classroom photos and stories on Class Dojo and here are a couple of examples of just some of the team spirit here at school today.

Whether you are trick or treating, just sharing or doing neither one, have a fun night all! If possible, get a good night’s sleep too.
🥰

It has been a busy week here at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School. Classroom themes included pumpkins, leaves, and scarecrows. Lots of art projects, activities, and books all about these topics. So much fun!

We have also had fun on the playground, amongst the falling leaves. Unless it was raining and then we got the wiggles out in our classrooms and in our gym.

Lots of thoughtfulness is currently taking place here at school. Sharing boxes are set up in the lobby and hall way for our food drive and it is always nice to see them fill up. Our holiday assistance program is in process and we’re also collecting “coffee and candy” to send to a U.S. military base in Kenya, Africa.

Monday is Halloween and we suggest that you check with your child's classroom for specific Halloween plans if you’re unsure. We’re looking forward to some pajama parties, scarecrows, spotted dalmatian dogs and some costumes. Classroom activities vary from room to room, taking into consideration a multitude of factors.

As Pete the Cat says, "It's All Good."

Leaves, pumpkins, acorns, all the autumn things here at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School this past week. Lots of fun as we learn.

Enjoy a peek at some of our recent activities.

Send in OR drop off. Either way, we'll make sure they get recycled and then we'll receive money for each pair that we send in. Thank you!!

It has been a busy week here at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School. Classroom themes included autumn, leaves, pumpkins, squirrels & acorns, and fire safety/prevention. We’ve had a lot of fun both outdoors and in our classrooms.

We are looking forward to Parent Conference days coming up next week, 10/19 and 10/20. Check with your child’s teacher to confirm your day/time. Know that we look forward to sharing information with you and also to you sharing information with us.

Here is a look at just some of our fun and learning this past week. Enjoy!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and as per our tradition, we at Helping Hands School designate a day each October to wear pink. We wear it in a visual show of support for survivors, early detection, research and for those affected by cancer in any way. Today, Thursday 10/13, was our Wear Pink Day. Here’s a photo of us gathering in our gym at the end of the day.

Yes, send us your gently worn sneakers! :)

We were made aware of this and we're sharing with you. :)

It’s Fall Y’all and we’re having lots of fun with seasonal themes, that’s for sure. Leaves, pumpkins, scarecrows – all the things!

Remember that Monday the 11th is a holiday, no school. Enjoy the long weekend, everyone.

It’s apple season! This past week we had apples to sort, count, paint, paint with AND eat. Themes this week also included farms, construction and transportation. Over the next few weeks we’ll be seeing a lot of pumpkins and we’re looking forward to that and all of the other October fun that comes with the new month.

Parent Information Nights are planned for next week. Check with your child’s teacher for your room’s specific date and time. Our first in person open houses in a couple years! No school on Friday, October 7th (Staff Development Day) and no school on Monday, October 10th (Columbus Day). Busy, busy!

Enjoy a look at just some of our recent fun at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School.

It has been another busy week here at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School. Classroom themes included apples, transportation and autumn. This week we had warm, sunny days and days that it poured. On the pouring days, we may have sang “Rain, rain, go away……” but we made the best of things both in the classroom and in our gym. Today we experienced cooler temperatures but no one complained about being outdoors. Preschoolers like to move and we provide a variety of opportunities to get the wiggles out.

Enjoy a look at just some of our fun both in class and outside.

Yes, thank you to everyone!!

If you’ve been following us, you know that we recently had artificial turf installed on a part of our playground. We’re planning on adding more fun things to this area in the future.

This past weekend we received a donation from the Circle K Regulators at the Kayaderosseras Fish and Game Club on Geyser Rd. in Ballston Spa. Miss Sandy very happily accepted a check for $1670 from weekend raffles at the club.

Helping Hands School would like to thank the cowboys and cowgirls that so generously supported us.

Miss Sandy and her trail boss and friend, Smoke House Dan. :)

It has been a busy week here at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School. Inside we're busy making friends and learning new routines, songs, etc. Outside, we've missed our playground this week, but it has been fun to watch the work being done on it. On Monday we'll be able to choose between playing on the grass and playing on the new artificial turf. Of course, the same train and slides are still going to be lots of fun too.

Next week classroom themes will include apples, farms, construction, transportation and Fall. It's going to be fun!

The Early Childhood Family and Community Engagement Center offers a variety of trainings for parents and educators. Here is information on an upcoming family training series.

Workers arrived early this morning to begin the process of installing artificial turf on part of our playground. Soon we'll have a choice of moving and playing on our real grass, which we love, or on artificial turf which is easier for our children with mobility delays. We're going to make it fun to play everywhere on our playground.

We have had a couple fundraising events for this project and we very much appreciate all the help we've received. Thank you!

It was a short first week of school here at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School, but it was a very busy one. For the children, there’s so much to learn the first week of school. Daily routines, names and so much more. Each day there were fewer tears, more smiles and more fun.

Know that we’re looking forward to another year of preschool play, fun and learning.

We truly were very busy, but here are just a few smiles from our first week of school.

Hello!

We’re so excited to be starting another year of preschool fun and learning here at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School. The first day for students is Wednesday, September 7th and we’ve been very busy getting ready. Lots of cleaning and classroom preparations have taken place throughout the building. At this moment, our floors are so clean and shiny! We also did some work on our playground train. It has been both propped up correctly and freshly painted. Ready for some kids to come aboard!

See you soon!!

Today is the last day of our summer program. If you’re returning in September, enjoy the break and we’ll see you when you return for a new school year. If you’re going to kindergarten, know that we’ll miss you and we look forward to visits from you in the future. Please stay in touch!

Today’s photos are of our butterflies! We watched them grow and fly away. Be like the butterflies, continue to grow, fly away and come back to visit.

Also continue to try to stay happy and healthy!!

Ahoy! It was another week of happy campers and pirates here at Helping Hands and Academy Nursery School. Classroom themes also included general summer fun and oceans and beaches. Once again, lots of smiling while we played and learned.

Next week is the last week of our six week summer program. That said, we’re also busy getting ready for the 2022-2023 school year and looking forward to another year of preschool fun and learning.

Enjoy a look at just some of this past week’s fun. Stay healthy and happy!