Tag: students

Back-to-School Books For Preschoolers

IPS is currently closed for summer vacation. Please enjoy an encore post on a very timely back-to-school subject!

Stick and Stone tells the story of two friends who support and show kindness towards each other.
A book to help promote self-esteem and self-confidence for the new school year!

A great way for parents to prepare their children for a new experience is to read books about the topic at hand.  A story read aloud provides children with a setting, characters, and activities that they can relate to.  Books also act as a springboard for questions both raised by the children and facilitated by the readers.  Reading a book aloud, as well as discussing and answering questions, can help alleviate anxiety about a new situation.

There are many wonderful back-to-school books available for your child’s reading pleasure.  Read on for a list of highly recommended books from The International Preschools to help kick off the school year!

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Back-to-School Jitters: Separation Anxiety

IPS is currently closed for summer vacation. Please enjoy an encore post on a timely back-to-school topic!

Pre-K children during their first days of school at IPS.

Separation anxiety (and the separation process) can be one of the most difficult times of the year for children and parents alike!  At The International Preschools, we take separation seriously and strive to provide the most productive and nurturing route for our students.  Click below for a blog post on separation anxiety and how to deal with it, which I run every year in September.  Happy first days of school!

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End-Of-Year Memories from The International Preschools

Last week’s blog spoke about the end-of-the-year celebrations that were occurring (or about to occur) at The International Preschools. Many classrooms initiated the first (and only!) in-person celebrations to happen all year long, all of which took place outdoors at nearby Central Park or Carl Schurz Park. Please enjoy some photos from the end-of-school festivities!

  • Congratulations IPS Class of 2021!
  • Parents, caregivers, and children unite for the Red Room’s end-of-year celebration!
  • The Red Room at 76th Street gathers for a photo op on the last day of school.
  • 76 Pre-K 3 at their in-school Zoom graduation ceremony.
  • Green 1 teachers at 76th Street celebrate their students at Central Park.
  • Parents and caregivers picnicked at Central Park with special snacks and blankets.
  • Green 1 students at 86th Street spend time with their beloved teacher on the last day of school.
  • Lunching together with 76 Green 2 at Central Park.
  • Current and former IPS students (and brothers!) commemorate a great year!
  • Spending time with good friends at Central Park.
  • 86th Street’s Red Room gathers on a parachute in the park for their end-of-year festivities.
  • 86 Green 3 says cheers to a job well done with a pizza party!
  • Park time for the Green 2 class at 86th Street!
  • The Red Room’s students and teachers play “Guess Who?” with baby photos at Central Park.

Thank you for a great year!

Be sure to visit the blog in the coming weeks for more IPS fun, including a look at IPS Summer Camp!

Wishing your child was a member of the IPS community? He/she can be! Apply online today!

Celebrating the 2020-2021 School Year

What a year! Nine months ago, in September 2020, the teachers, students, and administration of The International Preschools entered the school year with a mixture of feelings, from hope to excitement to uncertainty. A lengthy list of protocols allowed for our school to remain open five days a week, for the entire school year.

The 76th Street Red Room’s “butterflies” enjoy some time together in Central Park before “flying off” to the Green Room!

And what a success it has been! With copious amounts of hand washing, sanitizing of materials, and the wearing of masks, IPS students were able to come to school safely to play, learn, and socialize. With support and trust from the IPS parent community, we were able to remain open during an uncertain time. With hard work and dedication from the IPS teachers and staff, an environment as similar as possible to the one that IPS children had known pre-pandemic came to be.

The Junior Kindergarten class at 86th Street strolls through nearby Carl Schurz Park, enjoying the time together…and the great outdoors of NYC!

As the last days of school come and go, many classes are commemorating the end of school with something that hasn’t happened all year: an in-person picnic for families, students, and teachers at Central Park (for the West 76th Street location) and Carl Schurz Park (for the East 86th Street location). For other classes, “Zoom parties” have been scheduled, so that parents, families, teachers, and students can come together to mark the end of a wonderful (albeit different) school year.

Thank you to all of the members of the IPS community for your dedication and support of our school!

Interested in learning more about the IPS community? Read about our play-based learning curriculum on the IPS website.

Already know everything you need to know about IPS? Apply online today!

Summer Camp Returns to The International Preschools!

Camp is back! Although COVID-19 derailed the summer camp season in 2020, the IPS community is happily welcoming our fun-filled summer session back to its students and teachers in June 2021.

Camp is back for Summer 2021!

Here’s what to expect from IPS Summer Camp 2021, and why you should sign your child(ren) up immediately…

Water play and the sprinklers are a highlight of IPS Summer Camp!
  • Transitions:  Camp provides a relaxed environment for children new to IPS.  It’s a great way for incoming IPS students to get used to our school prior to the start of the new year.  For children transitioning from half-day to full-day, the easygoing setting allows for students to become accustomed to the longer school day, which in the afternoon provides outlets for increasing self-help skills (i.e. taking out and cleaning up after lunch, setting up rest mats, etc.).
  • Friendships:  Current and incoming IPS students will have the opportunity to make new friends and foster old friendships.  For our Pre-K students, camp provides the chance to be in “class” with peers that will be in different classes in the fall.  It’s also a great way for exiting IPS students to spend one last summer in a loving, nurturing, comfortable environment.
  • Gross Motor Activities:  Let’s get moving!  Half-day campers will receive one hour each day of indoor (gym) and outdoor (backyard) play, depending upon the weather.  Full-day campers will receive two hours of free play; one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
  • Sensory Activities and Water Play:  All campers of all ages will engage in a variety of sensory-stimulating activities, from sand tables to water tables to sprinkler time!
  • Flexible Schedules:  Camp is being offered for three weeks this summer, from June 14th through July 2nd.  You can choose to sign your child(ren) up for one, two, or three weeks.  The best part is, the weeks do not have to be consecutive; you can sign up for whichever weeks fit your summer schedule.  It’s a win-win!
  • Special Days and Camp Themes: In keeping with IPS’ play-based learning philosophy, our camp will boast an Olympics theme. The sports, flags, and international theme of the Summer Olympics will play a role in many parts of the camp day, from art to games to books!
  • IPS Teachers and Staff: The camp is staffed with current IPS teachers and administration…all familiar faces to our current students, and faces that will become familiar to our incoming students!
The Olympics are coming to IPS Summer Camp!

We are looking forward to seeing you this June at IPS Summer Camp!

To sign up for IPS Summer Camp, visit our website today!

Not a member of the IPS school community, but would like to be? Apply online so your child(ren) can come to IPS Summer Camp as well!

Scenes of Winter at The International Preschools

The Pre-K 2 children create a “friendship snowflake’ during their winter unit.

It’s been an eventful January! We welcomed the new year, began units on polar regions and winter weather, and witnessed the inauguration of the next United States president. Here’s a look at some fun activities that have taken place within our classrooms over the last several weeks…

The Pre-K 3 class honored Inauguration Day by dressing to the nines and watching some of the festivities as they occurred.
The Red Room went “ice skating” (using paper plates as skates) after listening to a reading of Angelina Ice Skates by Katharine Holabird.
Exploring “snow” (the instant kind!) in the Green Room at 86th Street.
Playing with shaving cream “snow” at 76th Street.
Happy New Year from Green 1, who celebrated by making “fireworks” sounds via jumping on bubble wrap!
Mitten lacing results!
Snow people creations from the Green Room!

Happy Winter to all!

Ready to join the IPS community? Learn more about our application process by clicking here.

Books To Help With “The New Normal”: Masks, Greetings, and More!

With masks and social distancing now becoming the “new normal” here in New York and across the country, it can be hard to determine how best to explain these changes to young children. In any new type of situation, one of the best ways to teach children about something new is through reading.

Fortunately, there are several great books for preschoolers and school-aged children available for purchase. Here are a few books that we have used here at The International Preschools inside of our classrooms:

  • If You Can’t Bear Hug, Air Hug by Katie Sedmak: A cute story demonstrating the different ways that people can greet each other and participate in activities together, even when keeping away from handshakes and hugs.
  • The Love Behind the Mask by Lizy Toth: A story about the importance of wearing masks and how they protect others.
  • Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen: Although not about masks and social distancing, this book reinforces the idea of resilience and how friends and teachers can be their own type of family.
  • Lucy’s Mask by Lisa Thompson: This book finds a fun side to the not-so-fun parts of social distancing for kids: creating and wearing your own mask.

Interested in learning about how our school has reopened in Fall 2020? Visit our website by clicking here: https://www.ipsnyc.org/fall-2020-reopening-plan/

Welcome Back to IPS!

After being closed since March due to the global pandemic, The International Preschools opened its doors to many happy parents and students during the week of September 7th.

Red Room students choose a "mask" each day as a welcome activity during meeting time.
Red Room students choose a “mask” to “wear” each day during Morning Meeting. It’s a fun way to normalize and make masks a part of a preschoolers’ day.

To accommodate new hygiene protocols and social distancing guidelines, IPS has implemented certain aspects to our daily routines. All adults wear masks when inside the school building. Parents drop their child(ren) off at the door instead of walking children to their classrooms to reduce the amount of people in the building. Parents and caregivers are required to fill out a “health questionnaire” upon entering the building, confirming that their child (and themselves) have not been exposed to, or exhibited symptoms of, COVID-19.

Finally, our school has strongly encouraged that all children, from the Red Room (2s) to the Junior K (4s/5s), to wear masks for the duration of the school day. We are happy to report that our students have embraced “masking up,” wearing masks of their own choosing. Some students have excitedly displayed their homemade mask designs…IPS sent each student a white cotton mask to decorate as a gift for the 2020-2021 school year.

Wearing a mask while playing with the farm animals = fun!

We are looking forward to an exciting, fun-filled 2020-2021 school year!

Do you know a family who is looking to apply to preschool? Tell them about us and send them a link to apply online: https://www.ipsnyc.org/apply/

Fun Outdoor Activities For Your Kids During COVID-19

Building and sharing at the sand table during IPS Summer Camp a few years ago.

Although we are well into July and the COVID-19 outbreak, at least here in the tri-state area, has decreased significantly, more families are choosing to make the summer of 2020 a low-key summer. This means less going out, less traveling, and more time spent in and around the home.

As adults, we sometimes forget about the simplicities and plethora of activities that can entertain little and big kids alike.  Looking for some ideas to up your outdoor game?  Read on!

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June Zoom at IPS

Back by popular demand!  Several parents at The International Preschools showed interest in signing their children up for Zoom classes through the month of June.

As a result, we have had extra Zoom classes running at our 76th Street and 86th Street locations!

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