2’s – Last month the children were introduced to themselves and each other. Now we extend that idea, Ms. Bre and Ms. Kristin will focus just on the senses. There will be lots of cooking, crafts, and songs.

3’s- If you thought September was fun, October is even better if you are three! Ms. Jennifer, Ms. Aisha, and Ms. Stacy will introduce Eric Carle, the celebrated children’s author. His books are delightful, and the children will enjoy not only his emotional characters, but also his colorful and crafty illustrative techniques. Ms. Jamie Cruz has been busy introducing the students to the Spanish language!

4’s- Ms. Leigh and Ms. Dorothy’s 4’s classes finish their alphabet unit with a party with the children’s introduction/review of our language’s building blocks. The next focus is on fall and those pesky backyard critters, squirrels. The month continues with a quick study of more advanced shapes and secondary colors. They get quite involved in finger-painting and color mixing with different mediums. Ms. Sandra will continue vocabulary Spanish lessons with the class.

Pre-K -Ms. Moesta and Ms. Withers’ pre-kindergarten classes will hit the trail as they learn about horses! They will explore the different types and parts of one of man’s oldest animal friends. Ms. Sandra will continue vocabulary Spanish lessons with the class.

K- The  Kindergarten class will end the transportation unit with a brief study of the solar system and our planet, Earth. We finish with a wonderful astronaut party complete with space food. While amongst the stars, we study the constellations and the mythology behind each star group. Hopefully they will be able to find the Big Dipper on Halloween night.

The two-year old classes look at themselves in a unit we have named “It’s All About Me” (of course it is). They look closely at themselves from head to toe. They will learn how they relate to their environment by consciously exploring it. For many of these children this is their first experience away from home. We plan to make it a fun and positive one. Their days are filled with many sensory experiences as they look at themselves and talk about their eyes, hair, muscles, etc.

The three-year olds usually settle into the routine of school very nicely. Because apples, school, teachers, and September seem to go together, the threes begin the year with a quick look at apples. They will learn about Johnny Appleseed, eat, paint, and color apples. It is an extremely fun unit and gives the children a chance to experiment with many different mediums. This will be followed by an in-depth study of shapes and colors. The grand finale will be a Shape and Color Hunt (Similar to an Easter Egg Hunt only we hunt shapes.)

The four-year-olds devote September to the alphabet – Sounds boring, but not the way we do it! This first month of letter and sound identification is an introduction for some and reinforcement or even review for others. The four year olds’ parents will receive a detailed calendar of events for the month of September. This kind of unit provides tremendous opportunities for music, poems, foods, gross and fine motor experiences. Try to help your child remember bubble (B), glitter (G) and Ice cream (I) day. If you missed the snack sign-up sheet, call your child’s teacher. Leigh and Dorothy have outstanding ideas and would appreciate the help.

Pre-Kindergarten classes will also be doing a quick review of the alphabet and consonant sounds. One of the advantages of beginning the year with an alphabet overview is the opportunity it gives the teacher to assess fine motor skills and strengthen cutting and gluing abilities. Ms. Moesta and Ms. Withers can’t wait to show the alphabet in a whole new way!

The Kindergarten classes spend most of September studying the history of transportation. The unit is divided into three areas – land, sea, and air. Of course, once we blast off into space, we have a wonderful astronaut party complete with “space” food!

2’s – Our two-year-olds finish the year learning about the warmer season of summer. They will celebrate the end of the year with a fun picnic and water play.

3’s– They will study Dr. Seuss and his zany characters. The Cat in the Hat and all his friends– Horton, and Yertle become our vehicles for learning. Rhymes, math, crafts, and songs all focus on Seuss themes during these last days. It all ends with the notorious breakfast at Broad Bay featuring Green Eggs and Ham

4’s – The Four-year-old classes will be introduced to the accomplished children’s writer and animator Mo Willems. The humor in his books will capture imaginations and the cartoon illustrations are delightful for little eyes.

Pre-K– They will celebrate many stories of Dr. Suess, with crafts, math, rhyming words, and fun snacks.

K – Kindergarten prepares for their final ceremony. They review all they have learned from the unit studies, then write about their favorite unit as well as illustrate it. On June 11th we will have our graduation ceremony for our kindergarteners. Mrs. Profilet will send out more information as we get closer to the big day. Bring your camera and tissues. This is a nostalgic moment for all of us!

2’s– Ms. Kristin and Ms. Bre will dive into the many shapes that make up the world around us. They will explore individual shapes as well as what can be made when we put the many shapes together. Get ready for lots of fun food, games, books, and crafts to reinforce the shape of the day!

3’s– The month of May takes Ms. Stacy, Ms. Aisha, and Ms. Jennifer’s classes outside! The three-year-olds investigate the many changes of spring. We take a look at plants, animals, and BUGS!

4’s– Our fantasy-oriented fours will continue their sojourn in the land of make believe. They discover the world of castles, dragons, princesses and knights this month. Medieval knights and fairy princesses come alive for them, and they’ll find that most dragons are rather sensitive and lovable creatures. The children finish the unit with a royal ball fit for any king or queen. The four’s indulge in fantasy to their hearts content.

Pre-k– The PreK class continues to be environmentally aware as they focus their attention on birds of prey. Children will learn why the hawk has a hooked beak and toes with strong, curved talons. Where does the Osprey live and what do they eat? Learning is so much fun!

K– Kindergarten has an exciting month. Mrs. Profilet’s class will be learning about the stages of plant development, butterfly development, and frog development using a complete hands-on approach. The kindergarten rooms have become laboratories where seeds sprout, caterpillars spin cocoons, and tadpole’s metamorphosis into frogs.

2’s- Ms. Kristin and Ms. Bre continue to help our youngest children discover their growing capabilities. This new unit is titled “Fun with Food”! They will make cinnamon pretzels, play with dough (and spaghetti), paint with fruit and sample many tasty and healthy treats.  At the end of the month each will have a small repertoire of snacks they can make “all by myself.”

3’s- For our 3’s, this month involves a delicious study of what we feed our body. Our goal is to help the children learn about “good” foods and the main food groups. This unit involves quite a bit of cooking and sampling with each food group. They will make a variety of real food and paint with vegetables and fruit. The grand finale is a yummy party, and a class created cookbook! 

4’s- The 4-year-old classes will study Dr. Seuss and his zany characters. The Cat in the Hat and all his friends– Horton, and Yertle become our vehicles for learning. Rhymes, math, crafts, and songs all focus on Seuss themes during this month. It all ends with the notorious breakfast at Broad Bay featuring Green Eggs and Ham (of course!) The children have a grand time with all this while an incredible amount of learning takes place.  

Pre-k- Our pre-kindergarten class have learned an incredible amount about endangered species and the habitats necessary for their survival.  They now focus on tropical rainforests.  The children become aware of the fragility of this unique ecosystem as well as experts on bugs, snakes, and other inhabitants of this vanishing habitat. 

K- Kindergarten’s unit of study is the human body.   It’s time to find out a bit more about ourselves!  We’ll start by looking closely at our skin and work our way through the body systems to the heart (the most important part!).  The children’s academic progress amazes me.  Many are now learning long vowel sounds and spelling!  As spring progresses, we plan to incorporate creative writing into each week’s lesson.  As these masterpieces come home it is important that you be extremely positive in your comments.  PLEASE don’t make any suggestions for improvement and don’t even think of mentioning spelling.  Creative writing is a very personal and sensitive process.  A careless remark can be devastating.

2’s- The two year old classes will explore the many adventures of Pete the Cat. These best-selling picture books present the wiry Pete with his white shoes and eclectic friends showing that it’s cool to be you. With boundless poise, creativity and energy, Ms. Kristin and Ms. Bre do an exceptional job with their charges.

3’s- Our three year-old classes will be introduce life on the farm. The focus of this unit is farm animals and their products. Although the school doesn’t take field trips, the petting zoo at the Norfolk Zoo and Hunt Club Farm have many farm animals the children can touch and feed. As the children become more aware of their environment, their curiosity deepens. These studies are designed to help them organize their world.

4’s – The four-year-old classes take an in-depth look at nature and begin their study of local birds. This is really an impressive unit. By the time it’s over, the children can accurately identify about twenty-five different species of birds as they return to Tidewater for the spring. It also ends with a marvelous bird party (pass the worms, please)!

Pre-K– Our Pre-K classes will now study the world of insects! Bugs are fascinating little creatures, and the children start looking very closely at them with this unit. We hope to raise a crop of ladybugs and watch our family of ants build their home!

K– The kindergarten class will study Dr. Seuss and his zany characters. The Cat in the Hat and all his friends- Bartholomew Cubbins, Horton, and Yertle become our vehicles for learning. Rhymes, math, crafts, and songs all focus on Seuss themes during these days. It all ends with the notorious breakfast at Broad Bay featuring Green Eggs and Ham (of course!).

2’s- Ms. Kristin and Ms. Bre continue to help our youngest children with the exciting process of learning.  The children will explore the concept of opposites as they compare and contrast the world around us!

3’s– The three-year-olds go on a safari this month and study the animals at the zoo.  As the month goes by, they become experts on animal features and behavior.  

4’s – Our four year old classes are saddled up and moseying along as they learn about horses, cowboys, and rodeos during the Wild West unit.  This is an exciting unit that combines the factual information on horses with delightful stories of the American cowboy.   In keeping with their developmental levels, the fours will enjoy stories and songs about the Wild West.  The unit ends as the children enjoy a “rodeo,” BBMS style!

Pre-K- Ms. Moesta and Ms. Withers will lead the PreK classes in covering the hodgepodge of February–Ground Hog Day, Lincoln and Washington’s Birthdays, and Valentine’s Day.  It’s a great time for the children to learn a bit about our country’s history, the pledge of allegiance, and those anecdotes about George and Abe.  Busy

K- The kindergarten classes take a trip back in time to the age of reptiles to study dinosaurs.  These budding paleontologists learn to identify close to twenty-five dinosaurs before attending a dinosaur hunt at the end of the month.  This is one of our favorite studies, and the children love it.  Much time is also spent working on hand writing, math facts, and the concept of fractions.

Although next September seems a long time away, it’s time to for registration. Returning students have priority for placement until the end of January. I suggest making your request as soon as possible as spots are filled first come first serve.  It’s a two-step process:

Step 1:  You (the parents) complete the paper registration form. We will then know what class you want for your child. You will receive an invoice for the registration fee through Brightwheel once the form is processed.

Step 2:  Next, through Brightwheel, you will receive a few forms and agreements to complete. Every required field must be filled out completely for you to submit the form. 

Remember, it is important to register in January, classes will open for new students in February.

Although it seems terribly far in the future, now is the time to start planning for next school year. Those of you who plan on returning to our school next fall should plan to register. Families that are currently registered at BBMS will be able to register on January 6th, 2025. Registration forms will not be taken before that date.

Registration information will soon come home for the 2025-2026 school year. Parents will receive paper forms coming home with students and e-forms coming through Brightwheel.

Many parents of current four-year-old students are concerned about properly placing their child next year. Some parents will choose an additional preschool year before kindergarten, but some do not. If you are unsure if your student would be most successful with this additional year, I encourage you to consult with their current teacher, Ms. Charlynn or myself. Kindergarten is only open to those children turning 5 on or before September 30th. If your child turns 5 after this date, our PreK class is the correct placement.

If you are registering a sibling for the 2-year-old class, they must be 2 years old by May 31st. They are considered a current family and can register on January 6th.

Registration will not be open to new families until February.