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Director's Note...
Dear Parents,
Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to our Preschool Christmas Service last evening. You can watch again with family at https://youtu.be/_AVJ3TGm57s. As we share our last week of 2022 with you and your family and prepare for the new year we are thankful for each of you and the blessing that you are to our school. The New Year is a good opportunity to see how we are doing and to plan for the future. Your input is very valuable to us. Please take a moment to complete our survey so that we can serve you better as we plan for our Accreditation Visit in March and our 2023-24 school year.
Thank you to everyone who brought in boxes for Operation Christmas Child. We brought in 475 Operation Christmas Child Boxes! 8th Graders were wonderful Elves and the shoeboxes processed are heading to Ecuador and the Philippines. May God bless all who receive a box of love!
Grace and Peace,
Mary Wolfinbarger
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This Week in Jesus Circle
Bible Story: God Leads Us to Worship A Star Announces the Savior (Matthew 2:1-12) Discovery Points: Law: Because we are sinners, we need a Savior. Gospel: The Holy Spirit works faith in Jesus in our hearts through the Gospel. Sanctification: Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can worship Jesus with gifts of love. Bible Words “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” Isaiah 60:1
You can read this week's story in "The Story Bible" on pages 287-289.
Lesson 36
Dear Family: Your child learned the story of the Wise Men this week. As you look at the picture in the Student Book or a children’s Bible, ask your child what led the Wise Men to baby Jesus. How did they know a king had been born? Find a star ornament or make a glittery paper star together. Hold it up and have a family parade through your house. Tell everyone to follow the star. Point out that a star led the Wise Men to Jesus. Today, it is God’s Word in the Bible that leads us to Jesus. The Holy Spirit shows us Jesus, our Savior, who was born to save all people.
Our chapel offerings will go toward the Grantparent Program. The purpose of the Grantparent Program is to provide tuition assistance to students in urban communities so that they can receive an excellent Christian and academic education. Many children living in urban communities need to hear the Good News of Jesus in a safe, nurturing environment, but they can't afford tuition to attend a Lutheran school.
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Upcoming Dates
*Each Wednesday morning join our Parents in Prayer Group in the courtyard at 8:15 a.m.
Join us each Thursday for coffee and fellowship in the Gathering Grounds
November 27 - December 18 Christmas Family Fellowship
Sign up here: fcf.aslc.church
December 5-14 Spark of Love Toy Drive
Jesus called disciples to do His work in His name. These disciples make a difference by sharing His message through acts of service in the world. Here at Abiding Savior Lutheran School, Jesus has called His children to be disciples that make a difference in the same way.
Spark of Love sends a message of hope to needy children that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, and caring Christians.
“Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16
As a school, we will be participating in the Spark of Love toy drive from December 5th through December 14th. Please bring new, unwrapped toys, or stuffed animals with the tags still on to place in the boxes located in your child's classroom. As a special treat, one of our local fire engines will come and pick up the toys in their fire truck. If the firetruck is not able to come and pick up the toys, OCFA Captain/Firefighter Dawes will collect them, and then he will deliver all the toys to the distribution center.
Thank you for participating in such a wonderful service project.
If you have any questions, please contact Michele Dawes at mdawes@abidingsavior.com.
Wish your teacher, your buddy, your brother or sister, and all your friends a very Merry Christmas with a Jingle Gram. Sales will start Monday, Dec. 12th , and will continue through Thursday, Dec. 15th. Each jingle gram is $1.00. Selling times are from 7:45 am-8:15 am and 3:00 pm-3:15 pm in front of the school office. Parents may also purchase Jingle Grams anytime during the school day in the school office. All Jingle grams will be delivered on Friday, Dec. 16th.
December 19-22: Christmas Camp
2022-2023 Calendar
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Parent Teacher League News (PTL)
Thank you to everyone who participated in the See's Candy Fundraiser. We sold over $19,000 in candy and raised over $5,700!
PTL is putting together a breakfast and luncheon for the wonderful faculty and staff at Abiding Savior. Please sign up to donate food or a monetary donation to go towards food on the link HERE. The luncheon will take place on Wednesday, December 14th. Please note the specific times that donations should arrive. You can bring your items to the kitchen off the school gym. Thank you in advance for your generosity and support!
PTL | Parent Teacher League
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From Our Handbook
Discipline Policy
The Abiding Savior Lutheran Preschool staff is integrating the principles of Conscious Discipline into our program as our classroom management model. As we acquire the Seven Powers for Self Control and the Seven Basic Skills of Discipline, we gain the ability to become proactive instead of reactive in conflict moments. We are learning to accept conflict as a teaching opportunity instead of viewing it as a disruption to learning. Each of the seven powers has a slogan to help adults remember to use it in conflict situations. The powers and their slogans are as follows:
Power of Perception: No one can make you mad without your permission Power of Unity: We are all in this together Power of Attention: What you focus on, you get more of Power of Free Will: The only person you can make change is yourself Power of Love: See the best in others Power of Acceptance: The moment is as it is Power of Intention: Conflict is an opportunity to teach From the Seven Powers for Self Control emerge the Seven Basic Skills of Discipline. These skills promote a peaceful inner state in children. From this state, children are free to learn, cooperate, and help each other to be successful. Each of the seven skills has a slogan to help remind teachers of the purpose of each skill. The Seven Powers for Self Control, along with The Seven Basic Skills of Discipline, define Conscious Discipline. The Seven Basic Skills of Discipline and the slogans that support them are as follows: 1) Composure: Becoming the person you want children to be 2) Encouragement: Building a school family 3) Assertiveness: Saying "no" and being heard 4) Choices: Building self-esteem and willpower 5) Positive Intent: Creating teaching moments 6) Empathy: Handling the fussing and the fits 7) Consequences: Helping children learn from their mistakes (Bailey, B.(2001) Conscious Discipline: 7 Basic Skills for Brain Smart Classroom Management. Oviedo, Florida: Loving Guidance, Inc.) The principles of Conscious Discipline align easily with the teachings of Jesus. The belief that we are all sinners leads to the realization that conflict will never be eliminated in this world. We are not attempting the impossible through fear of punishment. We will never use corporal punishment. There is a "safe place" where children take themselves to regain their composure. A staff member will point to the "feelings faces" on the wall and assist the child in identifying their feelings, using breathing techniques to regain composure, and modeling an assertive voice with our friends. We follow the example of Jesus and use moments of conflict to model and teach loving behaviors and forgiveness to provide guidance and direction for the child who was hurt and those who did the hurting. Teachers state the intent of the action (problem); give them the benefit of the doubt that they didn't know what else to do (positive intent); set the limit; teach alternative solutions, and have the children practice it. We teach forgiveness by forgiving; we teach love by loving the children and their families. We model the seven powers and seven skills of Conscious Discipline as we teach them to our students. Through this modeling and teaching, we are helping our students to develop self-discipline. We are helping them develop problem-solving skills that will benefit them throughout their lives and into adulthood. The purpose of discipline at Abiding Savior Lutheran Preschool is to instruct the children in proper conduct. Discipline also teaches children to develop self-control to live according to established standards of behavior in our society. We believe busy and interested children seldom have behavioral issues. However, the teacher may redirect the child's behavior when inappropriate behavior occurs. Should this prove ineffective, teachers use "time with the teacher," meaning that the child and his/her teacher will have the opportunity to sit together, talk about the situation, and pray together after the talking time. We want to emphasize that the child is loved and cared for at all times. We believe it is important to model Law and Gospel as taught to us in the Bible. We encourage the children to practice forgiveness in their dealings with others. Techniques of discipline must be fair, consistent, and respectful of children and their individual needs and stages of emotional development. Acceptable discipline techniques used by our teachers include: 1. Giving two positive choices 2. Encouraging positive, helpful behaviors (what you focus on, you get more of) 3. Setting fair and consistent standards 4. Providing clearly-defined expectations 5. Redirecting the child to appropriate activities 6. Temporarily removing the child from a stressful situation 7. Limiting the child's participation in certain activities 8. Sending the child to spend time with the director 9. Contacting the child's parents for removal from the preschool Discipline techniques our teachers do not employ at any time include: 1. Corporal or unusual punishment 2. Physical punishment such as spanking, slapping, hitting, pinching, shaking, or any other infliction of pain 3. Verbal abuse, hostile threats, or derogatory remarks about a child or his/her family 4. Placement in any restraining device. Restriction or confinement by physical means except when a child is in danger of hurting him/herself or others 5. Humiliation or frightening punishments 6. Intimidation 7. Coercion 8. Mental abuse 9. Other actions of a punitive nature including, but not limited to, interference with daily living functions (i.e., eating, sleeping, or toileting; or withholding of shelter, clothing, medication, or aids to physical functioning)
Mistakes are opportunities to learn responsibility in an atmosphere that expects conflict and uses it to teach. Rather than using punishment and rewards, which rely on judgment, Conscious Discipline uses consequences, which depend on reflection. Logical consequences are administered with the intent of helping the child learn to make better choices.
2022-2023 Parent Handbook
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Extra Curricular Activities
We offer several enrichment programs for your child. There is limited space in each class and a minimum number of participants required to offer the class.
- Amazing Athletes – This is a sports and fitness class offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:30-12:15.
- Showtime Dance – This is a dance program which includes Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop and Jazz. Dance is offered Monday for Mrs. Morgan and Mrs. Rivers' classes; Monday for boy's hip hop;Thursday and Fridays for all other classes from 11:30-12:15.
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Parenting Tip from Conscious Discipline
My 7-year-old daughter is really bossy. She bullies her sister and bosses her friends around when they come over. What can we do to discourage her from behaving this way?
Discouraging a child or a child’s behavior (young children do not separate who they are from what they do) is dangerous ground to walk on. Discouragement is like taking an antibiotic. Antibiotics destroy bad bacteria, but they also kill a significant number of good cells at the same time. Instead, I would focus on what you want the child to do and then decide on how to encourage that behavior. In this case, the new question we could ask ourselves is “How do I encourage my seven-year-old daughter to be more cooperative with her sister and playmates?” With this question, the following steps could be helpful:
Teach the victims of her bossiness to use their assertive BIG voice in setting a limit on the seven-year-old’s behavior. Shubert’s BIG Voice is an excellent resource toward this end. For example, if the child pushes her sister, go to the sister first and say, “Your sister just pushed you. Did you like it?” When she says, “No,” tell her to say, “Stop, I don’t like it when you push me.” In bullying and bossy situations, it is imperative to go the victim first, empowering children how to deal with these situations. More often than not, we chase after the aggressor saying such things as, “Was that nice? How would you like it if people treated you like that?” or “Why are you doing this?” or, “That’s mean, go to your room.” None of these comments teaches either child what to do in social settings.
Teach the bossy child another way of communicating. Turn to the aggressive child next and set a limit. “You wanted your sister to move so you pushed her. You may not push, pushing hurts. When you want you sister to move say, ‘Move, please.’ Say it now for practice.”
This process of teaching will take some time. Research indicates that for a child to learn a new skill or concept it takes 2000 times in context. The good news is that you no longer need to ask your child, “How many times do I have to tell you?” because now you know the answer… 2000. Stick with it; change will happen as your children internalize these new skills.
Conscious Discipline Website
Conscious Discipline and the Bible
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In Our Prayers
Thank you for your continued prayers for the loved ones connected to our center. If there is a need in your family and you would like to add someone to the prayer list, please let me know. This week we pray for:
+ Our December birthdays including Isai, Robbie, Caylee, Natalie, Aaron, Mrs. Morgan
+ Our December baptism birthdays Elizabeth, Caitlyn, Isla, Winston, Natalie, Lily, Jaxon
+ This week we also pray for the following students: Abraham, Caitlyn, Aaron, Zane, Nakoa
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