Dear CNS Families,
Earlier this month, our awesome parents came together for an incredible cleanup at the school, showcasing the spirit of teamwork and commitment to our children's environment. Thanks to all who participated, we successfully removed a mountain of fall leaves, replaced the kitchen sink faucet, and fixed a leaky hose. The lower playground's playscape was power washed in preparation for painting, while our picnic tables received a fresh stain, enhancing their appeal. We even deconstructed the play car, setting the stage for future fun!
But the hard work didn’t stop there! Over the following weekends, our volunteers continued to make significant strides. We proudly installed a new fence behind the yoga platform, ensuring a safe and inviting space. The playhouse received a much-needed makeover with a new roof and siding, and it was pressure washed, ready for a fresh coat of paint. Excitingly, we also began the reconstruction of the play car, promising more adventures for our little ones.
As we look ahead, a group of enthusiastic volunteers will gather over Thanksgiving weekend to wrap up all outstanding projects. Together, we are creating a vibrant and nurturing environment for our preschoolers to thrive! Thank you to everyone who contributed their time and effort!
Matthew Hendrix, House and Grounds Board Member
What’s New
Raise Craze was a Huge Success
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, we raised $10,576 during Raise Craze, surpassing our $9,000 goal to fund all school supplies for a year at CNS! With the additional money, we’ll be able to invest in beautiful, high-quality, and reusable materials for our school celebrations, including our Solstice event, art shows, and cultural celebrations. These materials will not only enhance the experience for our students and families, but they’ll also be a lasting investment that will help CNS events shine for years to come!
Raise Craze is our largest fundraiser of the year, dedicated to promoting kindness and supporting our mission. One of the best things about CNS is we feel very strongly that teachers should not need to buy supplies out of pocket. Families were encouraged to not only make a donation but also to pay forward an act of kindness. In addition, students participated in activities that promoted kindness both in the classroom and the wider community.
Holiday Pop-up Shop at CNS
This year CNS is creating a Holiday Pop Up Shop at school, so your children can “shop” for items (free of charge) for their special people for the holidays. Teacher Amy Johnson is spearheading the effort to collect donated items to stock the shop with.
“I am hoping I can encourage you to gather things from around your house you are no longer in need of…pot holders, wooden spoons, key chains, your wedding toasting flutes…(come on you’re not using those…) to donate to our shop!”
There will be a plastic storage bin outside of the barn for the next couple of weeks to receive any donated items. We would be so grateful for anything you can part with, and we know the students will be tickled at the chance to pick out unique gifts for the holidays!
CNS at the Guilford Tree Lighting Ceremony
As in past years, the CNS children have been invited to participate in the Guilford Tree Lighting, on Friday, Dec 6th from 5:45pm to 6:30pm. Stage(s) will be set up near the town Christmas tree in front of Town Hall. There are a variety of acts, with CNS forming the Nursery School Choir.
The CNS children will perform in the second half of the tree lighting ceremony, singing “Jingle Bells” and then “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” as they greet Santa. Everyone will then sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
If you’re interested in having your child participate, please email Ali Beauvais at abbeauvais11@gmail.com. The children will gather no later than 5:30, and we will be given a meeting spot as it gets closer. We will also need a few parent volunteers to be on stage with the children. Registration is not required - last-minute participants are welcome!
Community Survey Reminder
Please take a moment to fill out the CNS Community Survey, if you haven’t done so already. Your feedback will help our school community thrive!
Save the Date - Co-op Holiday Art Pop-up
In the spirit of the season and because we're hoping to bring you more community events, we'd love for you to join us for our first Co-op Holiday Art Pop-up!
Come do art with us and your kiddos! The event will be Saturday, December 14 at 10:00 am, and the cost is $20 per family. This is a parent/child event with limited spaces. Please RSVP through Brightwheel.
Family Spotlight
The Palladinos
Lauren and Nick Palladino are parents to Tessa (4), William (3), and Annie (1 month). Tessa and William are both in Ms. Sullivan’s afternoon class.
Nick is an ER doctor at Bridgeport and Milford Hospitals, and Lauren is a pediatric ER doctor at Yale.
We’re new to Guilford! We just moved here this summer from outside Philadelphia.
We’ve been spending lots of time getting to know our new town, and have especially loved exploring the hiking trails, beaches, playgrounds, and pizza!
Our CNS co-op role is the Little Folks Fair Booth Chair - Publicity.
Classroom Corner
Our Cultural Enrichment class has been studying India. This week they learned about the holiday Diwali and its traditions. They made their own diyas out of paper plates and air dry clay and painted them using the back of a paintbrush. They are beautiful! They also learned about the history of henna and made their own henna designs and got amazing henna tattoos.
Rachel Daniels, CNS Director
