Hello Wonderful Patti’s Play Center Families,
We hope you all enjoyed spring break, it has been wonderful seeing how excited our friends were to return to the classroom this week! There is a lot going on over the next few weeks so I wanted to provide some news about changes and opportunities.
Some of our Wednesday families had the opportunity to meet our Teacher Neng who joined our Patti’s Team this week. Teacher Neng will be joining Teacher Dezreen and Teacher Jennifer on Wednesdays, please join us in welcoming her to our Patti’s Classroom Community!

As of this week, masks are now optional at drop-off and pick-up, provided you are only in the Patti’s Play Center entrance area or on the playground end of the parking lot.  Masks are still required in the building hallways and in the spaces we share with EDS (between the school building and the playground). Masks are also now optional on the playground for teachers and EDS students.  EDS has also made masks optional in their classrooms for children and teachers.  At the current time Patti’s teachers are continuing to mask during most classroom activities. I will be removing my mask for circle time, it has been very helpful already this week for demonstrating some of our calm breathing activities and with our songs and stories about feelings and how our faces show our feelings.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about masking policies.
This Saturday, April 23rd, is Patti’s Parking Lot Yard Sale, the proceeds will be used to set up a scholarship fund for Patti’s!   Our wonderful Parent Board President, Christine Shakleton, has been collecting donations for the yard sale.  If you still have something you would like to donate please email Christine at pattispresident@gmail.com.  To help make the yard sale a success we also would love for you to volunteer some time on the day as well as spread the word about the sale.  Christine has created a SignUpGenius form for volunteers:https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0845abac2da2f94-pattis We also hope our families will all come and shop!  We have had lots of wonderful donations big and small for both kids and adults!
Patti’s Play Center is currently looking for Parent Board Members for the 2022/2023 school year! Returning families as well as alumni families are welcome to join.  This is a fun way to make a big impact on Patti’s Play Center by committing a small amount of time, there are many roles available.  It is also a good way to get to know other Patti’s Play Center Parents. Please reach out to Christine (pattispresident@gmail.com) if you have any questions about serving on the Patti’s Play Center!
A request from the Patti’s Classroom:  We need a few extra pairs of 3T/4T pull-on pants for our spare clothes bins, well-worn and stained are fine, we want things that kiddos won’t want to keep.

  We also can always use plastic target or grocery store bags for diaper changes, they are getting hard to find! If you have some sitting around please send them in.  Thank you!
The MIPA Circus is back on April 30th!  This fun event is being held at the Mercer Island Community Center from 10am-2pm with fun activities and entertainment for all ages, there is even a petting zoo!  Patti’s is hosting a booth to share some sensory activities our kiddos always enjoy! One of our Patti’s Parents, Christine Christenson, is coordinating volunteers for the event and sent this information:
Volunteer link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080448abad28a5ff2-mipa4

COME ONE, COME ALL TO MERCER ISLAND PRESCHOOL ASSOCIATION’S 54TH ANNUAL CIRCUS!!

SATURDAY, APRIL 30TH, 2022 10 AM – 2 PM 

Join us April 30th from 10am-2pm at the MI Community & Events Center for a day of games and fun! Enjoy the entertainment and games with your kids, visit the petting zoo, and then grab a bite to eat at the food trucks. This will be an indoor and outdoor event, weather permitting.

We can’t wait to clown around with you! 

What Circus is all about:

Connection

Being a parent is hard. Being a parent throughout a pandemic is harder. Our goal for Circus is to reconnect with & celebrate our MIPA community.

Support

They say “it takes a village” and, this year, we learned how true that is.  We hope you’ll leave Circus feeling supported by fellow parents, preschools, and island businesses who care about our kids.

Joy 

We want you to leave smiling.  We plan to give you moments of playful connection that will have your family giggling.

Wonder

A good magician never reveals his tricks.  We’ve all got different ideas & experiences up our sleeve, and Circus gives us an opportunity to marvel at all that we can accomplish together.   

Entertainment Schedule:

10:30 am Nancy Stewart

10:45 am Bubble Man

11:15 am Creation Dance Studio

11:30 am Mercer Island Martial Arts

11:45 am Dani & the Bee

12:45 pm Reptile Man

We’ve got more in store for everyone!

Be sure to check back soon for more updates from your Ringmasters!

Ticket information:

All ages are welcome, tickets are required for kids ages 2 through 11. Adults and kids 12+ are free.

MIPA Members: $15

Non-MIPA Members: $18

Want the member discount ticket price, but not a MIPA member yet? Not a problem! It’s not too late to join and have your membership count through next year! Join on the membership page.

Petting zoo tickets are $5 per child, ages 1 and up.

MIPA Member Circus Tickets

Non-MIPA Member Circus Tickets

Parking will be limited at the Community Center. Please plan accordingly.Coming up in May we will also be holding another Saturday Playground Open House as well as bringing back one of our traditional family events: Paint a Pot.  More details on dates and times will be coming soon!
Thank you to all of our families for your support and for sharing your wonderful children with our classroom community!

Cheers, Jennifer 
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