It’s been awhile since I last wrote, and that’s because things at VMS have been hoppin’! Needless to say, this blog will be a long one...

Our summer program, Little Villagers, was very successful with lots of fun in the sun, engaging weekly themes and projects, and plenty of opportunities to slow down (just a little!) for the dog days of summer. Many thanks to our summer staff who made this such a great way for our little ones to enjoy their summer break.

We took advantage of the excellent weather we had over the summer to make some improvements to our facility. The pine trees around the fence were either removed or trimmed and the underbrush cleaned out; old bushes and piled up mulch were removed from around the building; the shed was given a face lift; the entire fence was completely replaced; a cushy-thick layer of mulch was applied to the playground; the area around the playground was re-graded for optimal storm water drainage. A lot of work, but so worth it!

The energy and excitement projected from both students and families as we began our school year was remarkable. It’s truly such a joy to greet everyone each and every day; the 9:00 drop off is one of my favorite times of the day. And now, a few weeks into the school year, the children are all settled in, doing lots of great work and making new friends. Speaking of which, we continue to welcome new friends into our classes as the weeks unfold. The children are so welcoming, and it’s not long before the new classmate is acclimated and on their own learning adventure.

Activities that have already happened here at VMS this school year include...

• a very successful coat drive to support Linkages to Learning- Germantown; thank you to our generous families and Daisy Troop 1342 for contributing!
• our Bedtime Stories event coincided with our first Parent Information Night for the year, What Every Parent Should Know About Their Child’s Preschool Experience; thank you again to Daisy Troop 1342 for being guest readers in the classrooms!
• field trips to date include apple picking at Water’s Orchard, learning about insects at Meadowside Nature Center; a trip to Larriland Farms to pick pumpkins, rained out last week, will soon be enjoyed by those classes going to the farm.

Looking forward...

• Fall Harvest and Halloween parties and parade
• Our annual Thanksgiving Sing-a-long and Feast
• Food drive to support Gaithersburg HELP
• NEW! Outdoor Christmas tree lighting ceremony and sneak-peak at our Scholastic Book Fair
• New and gently used toy drive to support Linkages to Learning - Germantown