Peapod Tattler
Dedicated to my beautiful, wistful
,wildly creative daughters who
inspired this creation. Love what
you do and you will never fail.
Volume I
Est. February 5, 2008
Monday, January 26, 2015
The Ozarks’ First Nature Preschool
Notes from the Nest
Hello Parents,
It was so nice seeing everyone at Open
House! We are still a work in progress
but it is coming along beautifully.
Lesson plans are posted outside of
classrooms beginning this week. Check
out the learning experiences happening
in each room!
Please label any items such as diapers
with your child’s name. If you have
cubby friendly options for kids naptime
items, such as half size pillows, that
would greatly help us to manage our
space. We also need a change of clothes
for your child in a gallon zip lock bag
with their name on it. We are going
outside a lot to explore our new space so
extra clothes are a must in case we get
into something fun (such as mud). 
Thank you, see you all this week!
~Miss Carly
Parent Education
We will be conducting fire and tornado
drills this week, it is a great time to review
those procedures with your child at your
home as well. Ready in 3 is a free
publication that will be in your mailboxes
this month as a tool to help your family
design a plan. Our emergency plans are
posted in each classroom and copies are
available if you would like one. Offsite
evacuation sites are something every parent
needs to note: : Learning Center babies
would come to Preschool, and Preschool
kids would go to the Learning Center
(Carly’s House). Our secondary location
for both is Holy Trinity Catholic Church
2218 East Bennett, 65804.
Preschool: 2214 East Seminole, 65804
Peapod Learning Center: 1355 S Black
Locust Place, 65809. It is always a good
idea to have your teacher’s phone numbers
in the event of an emergency also, so please
touch base with them and connect! My cell
phone number is 417-413-8977. Preschool
land line is in the works- stay tuned for
updates. Make a plan and play it safe!
Upcoming Events:
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Winter Weather
In the event that Springfield Public
Schools closes due to weather, Peapod
also closes. Please monitor local news
for information on weather related
closings. KSPR 33 also has a text
message notification system that will
alert you if Springfield Closes.
Tuesday January 20: Stories to Go, 10am
Wednesdays 10am, Organ Wise Guys
Fridays at 10am: Stretch and Grow
Monday, February 2, Groundhog’s Day
Valentine’s Day Party, Friday Feb 13,
3:00pm
Thursday, February 12, Zoo Class 3:00pm
Monday, February 16, Presidents’ Day,
Peapod Closed
Tuesday, February 17, Stories to Go, 10am
Carly’s Kitchen
*Menu items subject to change due to unforeseen kitchen emergencies. 
January 26-30, 2014
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Milk, bananas,
wheat toast
with butter
Milk, apples,
blueberry
muffins
Milk, oranges,
bagels, cream
cheese
Milk, red
delicious apples,
banana nut
muffins
Milk, pears,
buttermilk
biscuits and
assorted jams
Lunch
milk, Cabbage,
Cauliflower,
and tomato
soup over
linguini with
sausage, apple
slices
Cheese, black
bean and corn
enchiladas,
Cajun rice,
romaine salad
with mixed
baby tomatoes
House casserole
(penne, home
made beef
marinara, Italian
cheeses, basil,
and parmesan)
Steamed
broccoli and
beans, milk
Pulled Pork
Sliders with sweet
cabbage slaw,
crispy baked fries,
baked beans, and
milk.
Shrimp tacos with
siracha aioli and
sweet and sour
slaw, whole wheat
tortillas, squeeze
of lime, fresh
pineapple wedge,
and crispy hush
puppies.
Snack
Baby carrots,
ranch, and
wheat crackers
Oranges
(cuties),
goldfish
crackers
Celery sticks
with ranch,
town house
crackers
Plums, wheat
crackers, cheddar
cheese
Oranges, Graham
crackers,
Hazelnut spread
(Nutella).
Breakfast
Seeds
(birth-three years)
Domain
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Self and Social
(SSD)
Practice saying
good morning
Puppet story
Creative plan in
kitchen
Practice teacher
names
Practice friends
names
Language and
Literacy
Clifford Book and
circle time with
songs
Sign language for
daily activities
Read aloud with
friends, kids select
stories
Clifford’s Colors,
crayon practice
The Very Hungry
Caterpillar,
Caterpillar Colors
Cognitive
I spy- objects in
books
Building with
blocks
Practicing the first
letter in my name
Shape puzzles
Nature Object
Search
Math
Counting cheerios
at snack
Glue cheerios to
numbers
Count trees
outside
How many friends
are here today?
What’s a number?
Physical
Development
Hop over the stick
game outside
Dancing!
Balance practice
Baby Yoga with
Tori
Copycat exercise
Health
How do we blow
our nose with
tissues?
Clean up song
with Miss Sam
Learn sign
language for
diaper
Song: This is the
way we wash our
hands
Practice using
napkins at
mealtimes
Sensory
Melted Snowmen
Project with Miss
Sam
Plastic bag Paint
Play with Miss
Tierra
Shaving Cream
snow in the
sensory table
Polar Bear Hand
Craft
Make a Caterpillar
snack
Notes from the Seeds
Hello Parents,
We are having a blast here in the infant toddler
room making new friends and learning together.
It has been a joy getting to know all of the new
babies here at Peapod. We have a lot of winter
themed sensory crafts planned for your little ones
this week. We will be stretching our growing
muscles during baby yoga with Miss Tori and
learning a fun hand washing song and practicing
blowing our noses with tissues. I will be working
on sign language with the babies, working on our
balance, and much more. We cant wait to get to
know your families better! Please contact me with
any questions (417) 217-1081.
Miss Sam
Lead Teacher, Seeds
Saplings
Preschool
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Morning Meeting
Bird Finger Poem,
Feather exploration
All about Nests
All about Beaks
What do birds eat?
Review
Writing Center
Writing with
feathers in salt with
ink
Different types of
nests (Make a Bird
Guide)
Adding to bird
guide, drawing bird
anatomy
Feather writing
Bird Guide
Feather Writing
Bird Matching
Math Center
Feather Patterns
Graphing birds we
see
Cheerios on pipe
cleaners
Counting worms,
birdseed play dough
Feather patterns
Science Center
Feathers as
camouflage, bird
matching memory
game
Exploring nests,
making our own
Bird puzzles, using
different types of
beaks
Bird memory game,
using different types
of beaks
Bird seed sensory
box
Dramatic Play
Camouflage, Bird
watching
Outside collecting
materials, nests
Camo, act out bird
movements
Birdseed play dough
cooking in the
kitchen
Baby bird play
Art Center
Making birds
Edible nests,
gummy worms,
making birds
Making Beaks
Birdseed play dough
sculptures
Bird Egg painting
Making birds
Books/Literacy
Parrot Book
“Feathers”
“Birds and their
Nests” , Create a
play nest, discuss
parts of books
“Pardon Me”,
Birds
“A Bird Life cycle”
“Let’s Go Hugo”
Sprouts
(two to three years)
Domain
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Self and Social
Send Home “All
About Me”
worksheet
“My Hand Art”
“How I feel”
“Class Collage”
with individual
pictures
Hands are not for
Hitting
Language and
Literacy
Ladybug of
Orchard Ave
“I spy” (I describe,
they guess)
“Swat The Letter”
Alphabet Sorting
Ladybug of
Orchard Ave
review
Cognitive
Who is tallest?
Ordering game
Straw Necklacesthey make and
choose colors
Match the toy
animal to picture
of the animal
“Mystery Bag”
Who is Missing
Numbers with
Cheerios
“How tall am I?”
“How many
Bubbles?
Matching
Numbers
Architecture
Puzzles
“All the Supplies
Animal Yoga
Snowball Throw
Pretend to be
Swamp Animals
Balancing games
Health
Vegetable
Painting
Fruit do Art
“Learning to wash
our Hands”
Toothbrush
Painting
Growing Germs
Science, Art,
Sensory, etc.
“Water Freezes”have children fill
up container with
water and see how
its frozen in
freezer later.
Salt Art
“Hershey Kiss
Project”
Pipe cleaners
through the
strainer
Fabric Collages
Mathematics
Physical
Sprout News
Hello Parents,
My name is Rachel and I am the new lead teacher for the Sprouts! We have had so
much fun these past few weeks and I am so excited to start this newsletter so you
guys can be aware of what our day entails! Here is our schedule for this week. I will
be with the kids Monday through Thursday, and Liz teaches on Fridays. (I like to
pop in on Fridays and say hello!). The kiddos LOVE to go outside, so weather
permitting, we may include more curriculum for the outdoors with week. We also
start every day with a morning book that the children choose. I try to base my
lesson plans off what the kids have been interested in, for example the activity
“How Many Bubbles” was based off the kids noticing “Nemo” in our hand soap.
They are all great little learners and seem to be very excited to be in our new
classroom. I can’t wait to see what this year has in store for us!
Miss Rachel
Staff Schedule
January 26-30, 2014
Classroom
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Learning
Center
Chelsea open-12
Jenna 8-6 (L)
Tori 12-drop
Chelsea open-12
Jenna 8-6
Tori 12-drop
Chelsea open-drop
Jana 8-6
Chelsea open 12
Jenna 8-6
Tori 12-drop
Chelsea open-drop
Jenna 8-6
Seeds
Jana open-12
Tierra 12-close
Sam 730-drop(L)
Tierra 8-close
Sam 730-drop 2 (L)
Tori 8-drop
Sam 730-drop 2 (L)
Tierra 8-close
Sam 730-drop 2 (L)
Jana open-drop (L)
Tori 8-1
Tierra 1-close
Sprouts
Rachel 730-drop
Rachel 730-drop
Rachel 730-drop
Rachel 730-drop
Liz 730-drop
Saplings
Kelsey 730-530
Terre 830-1
Tessa 1-drop
Kelsey 730-230
Katie 230-close
Terre 830-1
Liz 1-drop
Kelsey 730-330
Katie 330-close
Kelsey 730-230
Katie 230-close
Terre 830-1
Liz 1-drop
Kelsey 730-330
Katie 330-close
Teachers,
It is exciting to see what you are planning in your classrooms. This week we are posting our lesson plans for
parents in the newsletter and on bulletin boards. Learning Center girls, yours will be the same format as the
Seeds and will go on our bulletin board at the house. Tessa and I will be visiting each classroom on a weekly
basis to observe lessons and help guide you in the process of planning, reflecting, observing the children, and
utilizing those observations to drive instruction. With the beginning of the year, it is also time to get
professional learning plans together. If there are any workshops or classes you are interested in taking that
spark your interest, let me know. We will all need 18 hours of training for the year for accreditation.
Thanks, Carly 
Peek at the Week
January 26-30, 2014
“What you get by achieving
your goals is not as important as
what you become by achieving
your goals”
~Henry David Thoreau
• Bring a backup meal every day in case the kids eat everything. I
am working on my amounts but cooking for 50 is not perfected
yet, make sure you have teacher food planned.
• First impressions are the most important, and we have lots of
new families. Classrooms need to be ORGANIZED. Clutter is a
killer – keep your countertops, shelves, and cubbies cleared off.
• There is a yen and yang with casual wear and put together
appearance. If you are going super casual you need to make extra
effort in other areas. If you have rolled out of bed to come to
work, it shows. Keep it comfortable but professional.
• Cleaning supplies can’t be out on counters, they have to be
under sinks.
• Hand sanitizer- all of this will be disappearing this week, it is not
allowed by licensing. Hands need to be washed when the kids
arrive, before meals, after diapering, and when coming in from
outdoors.
• Use all three steps, not just bleach spray. Test your solution every
day to ensure it is OK. I will be randomly testing the solution.
• Mark your calendars, we have a Nature Revealed class February
28 from 830-1230 with Jay Barbar from the Missouri
Department of Conservation so please make sure you keep that
morning free. Yes, you are paid to go, and it is awesome.
• Bring backup clothes in your trunk in case someone snots,
poops, or throws up on you. 
• Bring outerwear and appropriate shoes each day- we will be going
outside twice a day minimum unless weather is freezing.
• Website of the week http://www.childrenandnature.org/