Holly Tree News

Pumpkin Pie Playdough!

2011-09-22T15:46:00.001-05:00

We made pumpkin pie playdough today. It smelled so good!!!

Balloon Release Day: Prayers to God

2011-09-15T15:21:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun today releasing our prayers to God! He is always listening and knows our every need.

Open House Night!!

2011-09-08T16:59:00.000-05:00

Tonight we had our Open House with Fall Brownies, Harvest Trail Mix, and Apple Cider Tea! Each class had so much fun with games and prizes and scavenger hunts around the classroom. We even gave away a Fall Harvest Recipe Basket for whoever guessed how many candy corns were in the Jar. Our teachers prepared Welcome Packets that listed everything we would be learning this year and explained how we prepared the children for Kindergarten. It was a great night!!

July Happenings

2011-08-03T17:56:00.000-05:00

We have had a very fun and full summer so far!! We just celebrated out Pre-K Graduation with a Kindergarten Bootcamp theme! They all did an amazing job. All the children each received a Graduation Photo Album, bubbles, gifts from Ms. Jessica, and dog tags. We also had a visit from Mr. Bond the Science Guy who talked to us about the Space and the Solar System. There is nothing better than Summer Quest at Holly Tree!!!!!!!!!

Summer Quest Guests!!

2011-07-28T14:06:00.001-05:00

We have had tons of fun this week with all our incredible guests! We had Wiggles and Shakes Nashville Zoo, Officer Sam came and talked to us about school safety, and Ozzie from the Sounds! We are having such a great time this summer!!

Faith Family Fun Night

2011-06-20T15:45:00.000-05:00

We had such a great time at our Faith, Family, Fun Night!!

The kids did such a great job during worship, playing in the moon bounce, making smores, and just hanging out on the playground! It was a great opportunity for our families to connect and I look forward to the next one.

Life Guard Guest

2011-06-10T09:27:00.000-05:00

This week we are learning about everything to do with the Beach! We know there will be a lot of swimming and water play so on Thursday we had a local Life Guard come in and talk to the kids about water safety. They listened very attentively to every single word!! He taught them about when to call for help and what to do if they or someone else gets into situation where they would need help. It was very informative and they even left handouts for parents. This is perfect because every Friday we have Water Play Fun so I am sure they will be using all the safety tips they learned!!

Dad's Drop In Devotion

2011-06-02T13:15:00.000-05:00

When and Where: 2 Times and Location

1) 1st and 3rd Thursday, Holly Tree Christian Preschool 1384 Holly Tree Gap Rd. Brentwood Tn. 37027 - On Franklin Rd past Moores Lane, by Brentwood Rental.

2) 2nd and 4th Thursday, Holly Tree Christian Preschool 201 Seaboard Ln. Franklin Tn. 37064 - Across from the Cool Springs YMCA.

What; Drop-In for a bite size nugget of truth to help you in your day.

Contact; Kendall Rush, Branches Ministries; 615-955-0356, branchesministries@gmail.com or visit www.hollytreechildcare.blogspot.com

Presented by Branches Ministries
Sponsored by Holly Tree Christian Preschool

Faith Family Fun Night

2011-06-02T13:12:00.000-05:00

When: June 16, 6:00 pm

Where: 2 Locations

1) Holly Tree Christian Preschool 1384 Holly Tree Gap Rd. Brentwood Tn. 37027 - On Franklin Rd past Moores Lane, by Brentwood Rental.

2) Holly Tree Christian Preschool 201 Seaboard Ln. Franklin Tn. 37064 - Across from the Cool Springs YMCA.

What: An evening of Faithfilled Worship, Fun Crafts, and Family Smores.

Contact; Kendall Rush, Branches Ministries; 615-955-0356, branchesministries@gmail.com or visit www.hollytreechildcare.blogspot.com

Presented by Branches Ministries

Sponsored by Holly Tree Christian Preschool

Camp Fire Kids VBS!!

2011-06-02T13:10:00.001-05:00

When: July 11-13th, 6:00 pm - 7:45 pm

Where: 2 Locations

1) Holly Tree Christian Preschool 1384 Holly Tree Gap Rd. Brentwood Tn. 37027 - On Franklin Rd past Moores Lane, by Brentwood Rental.

2) Holly Tree Christian Preschool 201 Seaboard Ln. Franklin Tn. 37064 - Across from the Cool Springs YMCA.

What; Three fun evenings of Worship, Crafts, Activities, and Snack. Drop-in welcome or Pre-register.

Contact; Kendall Rush, Branches Ministries; 615-955-0356, branchesministries@gmail.com or visit www.hollytreechildcare.blogspot.com

Presented by Branches Ministries
Sponsored by Holly Tree Christian Preschool

Summer Quest Family Picnic Kick OFF!!

2011-06-01T15:02:00.001-05:00

I hope everone had a great Memorial Day weekend. It was great to have a long weekend and just have fun in the sun. We had a great start to our summer with our Summer Kick Off Family Picnic!! It was really hot outside but the kids enjoyed bringing a sack lunch to school and having an extended play time. Thank you to all the Holly Tree parents that came and made it so special!!

This summer is going to be jam packed with awesome activities!!
Next week is Sand Castles, Red Cross Visit on Water Safety, and make Beach Collages.

There is no other place like Holly Tree for Summer Fun!!!

Mud Day

2011-05-17T19:00:00.001-05:00

We had a blast today playing in the mud for Mud Day! The kids took off their shoes and made dirt foot prints. They also painted beautiful earthy paintings with sticks. Of course it wouldn't have been appropriate to not have "MUD PIES"!! We had chocolate pudding and oreos all mixed together. The kids loved getting to experience nature. It stimulated all the senses and was a great learning experience for them. I am looking forward to doing it again next year! Thank you to all the families that came and took part.

Up in the Air

2011-03-14T18:32:00.001-05:00

On Friday, a very cool tradition here at Holly Tree took place. The big balloon release! Right now we are studying "Up in the Air" as our curriculum theme for March and what better way to bring together education, faith, and fun, than with our balloon release! You see, this isn't just any old balloon, it's a special balloon. It's a balloon with a special prayer attached.

Each child dictates a prayer that they would like to send and their teacher will write it down for them. Then, the child decorates their prayer and they tie it to a balloon. Anticipation is palpable as each student goes outside with their prayers. Then in one big swoop the balloon is swept away, off to the sky!

It is so much fun and each year we look forward to this special event. This year was no exception, and we can't wait to do it again!

The Fun Bus!

2011-03-07T10:16:00.002-06:00

Last Thursday was a big treat for everyone here at Holly Tree! Since we were the big shot winners of our Never Grow Up Fitness Fanatics competition (That's right, most family participation out of 7 centers!) we had the Fun Bus come to celebrate!

All children ages two and up were able to participate on the bus, and our smaller friends had a blast in our moon bounce! We had snacks, drinks, and most of all FUN!! It's safe to say that the kids tired themselves out and I have to admit... I may have slid down that slide a few times! It was irresistable, see for yourselves!

Thanks so much everyone for helping make us number one two years in a row! We had a great time celebrating the big win and can't wait for next years Fitness Fanatic frenzy!!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

2011-03-02T16:08:00.001-06:00

March 2nd gives us a lot to celebrate! Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss. So in honor of Dr. Seuss and Read Across America, our Pre-K class had a Seuss-tastic day complete with Seuss inspired snack!

Of course, what better snack to have on this awesome day than green eggs and ham! Some were brave enough to try it, others simply said "I will not eat them Sam I Am!" but everyone was pretty impressed that the meal they had read about earlier that day was sitting right there in front of them!

For more tips on Read Across America, or how to get your child motivated to read, visit www.readingrockets.org!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Brentwood Rental Visits!

2011-02-28T17:20:00.002-06:00

We've had an awesome time this month learning all about trucks and big machines! We've learned about their pieces and parts, how they help us have fun, that some of them do specific jobs, and that some are people powered!

It's been a blast, and we're sad to see this fun theme come to an end. However, one thing Holly Tree knows how to do best, is go out with a bang! Our neighbors at Brentwood Rental have tons of trucks and big machines, and you'll find that many of the children stare in awe at the place across the way when they're leaving at the end of the day. I've even heard many a toddler point and say "Truck!" while heading for the door, anticipating their view! So needless to say it was a real treat to have them bring over one of their very cool and very big machines!

Thanks so much for the good time neighbors! Now on to our next curriculum theme, Up in the Air! I wonder if we can get a plane in the parking lot.... hmm....? :)

Classroom Spotlight

2011-02-21T10:40:00.002-06:00

We certainly love ALL of our little ones here at Holly Tree. It's so fun to see their smiling faces each day and definitely entertaining to hear all of the inventive things they have to say!

With that said, there is definitely a certain class though that is never without a visitor and certainly never short on love and smiles. That class is our Nursery! The smallest friends we have at school are often the talk of the town and even have older children eager to stop by for a visit, or a look through the window.

It's not hard to see why...

A few of our Nursery friends weren't available for pictures on this particular day but they are a bundle of fun as well! After an extensive interview, the Nursery kids would like you to know the following about their little corner of Holly Tree!

Teachers: Mrs. Meghan, Ms. Cyndi, and Ms. Anna! (we love them a LOT by the way)
Favorite Activity: The exersaucer or the swing!
Favorite Time of Day: Meal times... all of our meal times :)
Favorite Classroom Book: Baby Animals
Favorite Baby Sign: "More" or "All Done"

There you have it folks! Now you know a little more about the little kids at the end of the hallway!

Fitness Fanatics Finale!

2011-02-15T17:14:00.001-06:00

Here we are everyone! The fabulous Fitness Fanatics race has come to an end. We had so much fun with you all throughout our competion and want to thank everyone for your enthusiastic participation. It was great getting to see what you all do to stay active as a family and we hope that while the competition is over, you will continue to move and play together!

This was a tight race and each week our leader board moved families around. The hours logged were more than we could of hopped for and we're so excited to see that you all had fun! I won't keep you waiting this time, but once again thank you so much for a great Fitness Fanatic race! Can't wait to do it again next year!

The winners of our 2011 Fitness Fantic competion, with an outstanding 34 hours logged, is the Golden Family!! Congratulations guys! They have earned a free week of tuition and bragging rights until our 2012 race! Be on the lookout for their championship picture with the trophy!

Thanks again everyone!

Fitness Fanatics Leader Board Update

2011-02-08T15:40:00.001-06:00

What's that I hear? Why yes... it IS the sound of this steam engine rounding the corner and heading for the finish line! A NEW family is holding our number two spot this week, which means one of our contenders has fallen from the top five. It looks like by the time our winner is announced, all of our top five families will be in the 20's with their time logged! For busy families today, that's incredible! We're going to shake things up this week and start from the bottom of the winners circle with our fifth place spot, the MARTINEZ Family has fallen one spot this week but is still holding strong with an awesome 14.5 hours of fitness time logged to date! They are party animals over at the Martinez house logging time at both jump parties, and dance parties! Great work you guys. Just above them in the number four spot is the DUNN Family with 17.25 hours! They worked hard this week and the nice weather this weekend allowed them to get some extra activities in. All sorts of activities played in to their big number gain this week and we're excited to see where they'll climb to next Tuesday! Just above them by only 15 minutes, is the COLLINS family holding the middle of the pack! They are still favoring the YMCA, Wii, and Pump it Up as their go-to activities and it's definitely paying off! In second place with an amazing 21.75 hours logged is the SCHEFFLER Family! They're our new face of the week and it looks like they were on vacation all last week. They enjoyed a huge playground, swimming, walking and running on the beach, and playing catch on their fabulous family vacation which has pushed them to the head of the pack just one week shy of our grand finale! Holding strong in first place is the GOLDEN Family with 22.5 hours of family fun time logged. They've enjoyed playing outside, the trampoline, and walking around the block as a family. It looks like their consistency in their close to home activities has earned them the top spot for the last two weeks! Great job Golden Family! With the Schefflers close behind them, it's a toss up as to who will be our overall winner next week! We know that the Collins, Dunn, and Martinez families are no strangers to competition and they've all consistently been in our top five since day one! Will one of them pull to that first place victory? Only time will tell! And not much time, you've only got 6 days left! So get moving Fanatics! We can't wait to see what you will surprise us with next week! This is your announcer signing off!

Publix Visit!

2011-02-03T19:36:00.000-06:00

One of the very important activities we've been discussing during Fitness Fanatics is healthy eating! Making good choices for our bodies to grow big and strong is very important and our kiddos were lucky enough to have the opportunity to test what they've learned! You can tell by the photographs that they were certainly captivated. :)

Our neighborhood friends, Publix, came out to visit and talk about healthy eating choices, they even brought samples! The children learned about what types of healthy foods make good snacks, and took a picture tour of the grocery store to find out where these items can be located! They also received handy shopping lists, coloring books, and Publix Pals goodie bags! It was a real treat :) to have them out!

Thanks for an awesome visit Publix!

Families First Visit

2011-02-01T12:28:00.000-06:00

As our Fitness Fanatics competition continues we're introducing some fun and exciting special guests to our kiddos!

Our special guest last week was the incredible Families First Martial Arts! They were so much fun teaching the students a few moves, but more importantly teaching them that being active can be a blast!

Each classroom had their own private class that was about 15 minutes long. Both instructors were very energetic and had the kids up on their feet in no time. Check out the pictures below and see for yourself!

Thanks so much! We had a blast! Next week Let it Shine Gymnastics is coming to visit so be on the look out for those photos soon!

Fitness Fanatics Leader Board Update

2011-01-18T10:49:00.001-06:00

Well, it's that time folks! The first edition of our leader board update! Wonder who's in the lead? What did they do to get there? Is it you? Is it your friend? Who's on their way to that free week of tuition? I know... the anticipation is making your heat race... which by the way is an excellent way to burn calories. Way to get that heart rate up! Ok, ok... I'll stop. Ready?

*In my best announcer voice* - Here we are folks, round one! It's been a great week in Fitness Fanatics competition. The turn out has been outstanding but remember there is still time to get in on the race if you'd like! Stop by the announcer desk for more details! It's been a tight race all week but the SCHOEN family has pulled ahead in first place with an exciting 4 hours of family fitness time! How did they do it? Well there was lots of snow time, sledding, snow angels, and cleaning out that snow piled drive way! What a way to work your biceps Schoen family! They also did some playing ball and walking to round out their first place take over. Close behind in a neck and neck tie is the BRANDON Family and COLLINS Family! They each logged 3 hours of family fitness time playing in the snow, playing Wii Sports, and just general play! That's what we like to hear. You know that Collins family were our big winners last year... I wonder if they'll take it again? The VANDENBURG family is close behind with a 45 minute snow play and dog chasing session! Sounds like even the pets are getting in on all this fitness fun! It looks like they'll be a big contender this year, already logging hours towards next weeks leader board in just these last few days! The McMAHAN family is rounding out our top five with a total of 30 minutes in the snow last week! It's anybody's game at this point as we still have four weeks to come in this competition. Fans have to wonder, who will be on top next week? And did everyone log their hours yesterday? It's likely that next weeks leader board will be sure to shake things up a bit as our big Fitness Fanatics 2011 race continues! This is Kelle in the announcer box signing out!

See you all next week for round two!

Our Leader Board

The leaders of the pack!

Leave Your Mark!

2011-01-13T10:03:00.054-06:00

At Holly Tree, we strive to be a big family, because that's what we're really good at - families. We plan lots of events centered around time together with your children, and with other parents and children at our center. We encourage parent involvement and love to see the smile on the kiddos faces when Grandma or Grandpa are in town for a visit and get to pick them up from school. We love families so much, it's in our mission statement as number two on the list, our faith being the first.

If you can't tell by now - we REALLY love you guys! Because you're what makes this job so special, and there's no way we could do it without your support. It takes all of us working together and having fun together to encourage and grow faith focused, smart, and courageous children.

So, we got together and thought about how we could show our appreciation for all the special moments and times you've given us over the years. You all leave your mark on Holly Tree in some way, and we talk about how we miss you once the little one goes off to "Big School" and we wonder how the new baby is doing or how the new job is going. Unfortunately your little ones grow up so fast! Life moves at a quick pace, and while we are fortunate enough to enjoy you for a short few years, it's not nearly long enough.

So how do you tie all that together? Well by using a favorite around here of course! ART.

We wanted to start the Leave Your Mark tradition here so that we could have a daily reminder about all the special people that have had a hand in making Holly Tree the amazing place it is. Unfortunately we can't go back to 1979 and begin there but we can certainly start where we are. So from now on, every year we will choose a new picture to be painted by your thumb prints and we will hang it in our hallway. It's a beautiful way to physically leave your mark on our special place here.

This year's design was appropriately, a Tree.

It's halfway through and we still have a few more thumbprints to place on our tree but I wanted to show you the fun project that is almost complete!

If you haven't yet, stop by the front office to "Leave Your Mark!" The campaign will run through Friday January 21st!

Fitness Fanatics Pep Rally!

2011-01-11T15:42:00.000-06:00

Last Friday we had our Fitness Fanatics Pep Rally to kick off our 5 weeks of fitness! Each classroom picked an activity to do and the parents were able to participate in a round robin of events! The kids had a bunch of fun trying out new games and on the way out the door families were able to decorate their sneaker and sign up to participate in FF!

Remember - you can still come by the front office and sign up to participate. The winning family will earn a free week of tuition!

Fitness Fanatics is Back!

2011-01-05T18:26:00.001-06:00

It's that time of year again! We hope you all had a great Christmas and a very happy New Year!! Of course, following New Years people have many hopes and goals for the year ahead. Holly Tree is no different!

This year we have taken big leaps in the fight against childhood obesity and we plan to continue that into 2011. We're adding more nutritional items to our school menu every week, and we're encouraging our children to get up and get moving, to have fun being active, and to take care of their bodies. We're also paying close attention to our portion sizes to make sure that our kiddos are getting all the nutrition that they need!

Recently, Holly Tree has been named a Gold Sneaker Facility and we're proud to hold the title! (You can read all about what it means to be a Gold Sneaker Facility by clicking here) In fact, Holly Tree Christian Preschool is the FIRST school in the Brentwood area to bear the title!

Our Gold Sneaker stamp of approval has come just in time for our annual Fitness Fanatics program! Last year Holly Tree Brentwood was the overall winner out of all of our NGU centers and we can't wait to make it a consecutive year! Our 2011 FF program will focus on family activity. We want to encourage you to have fun and be active together! So all of your points logged this month will be for active time together as a family. Have a dance party in the living room, go for a walk after dinner, ride your bikes down the road, play at the park, throw the ball outside, go swimming (indoors this time of year please :) ), go hiking at one of our beautiful TN state parks! Just get moving, and encourage your children to do the same.

Remember, the winning family will win a free week of tuition!

Fitness Fanatics Kick Off!

Friday, January 7 2011

4:00-4:30

We hope you'll join us for a round robin of ideas to get you guys moving together and some tasty, healthy snacks! Be sure to decorate your sneaker and let everyone know you're a Fitness Fanatic! Can't wait to see you all at the finish line!

Gingerbread Houses Galore!

2010-12-21T17:43:00.000-06:00

Today was a tasty day! Our creative juices were flowing and our mouths were watering as we built gingerbread houses! The kids had a blast using the different candy decorations but I think their favorite part was eating it (as it is for us all!)

We used the traditional made-at-school-gingerbread-house tools: Graham crackers, icing, paper plates, and candy!

I don't suspect that any of you will be seeing these to take home, so here's a few photos!

Santa Clause is coming to Holly Tree!

2010-12-20T15:35:00.002-06:00

Holly Tree was blessed with a very special guest last Thursday. Mr. Santa Clause himself was here to listen to Christmas lists short and long!

Some of our little friends were not nearly as excited about the man in red as others... but Santa was patient and made sure that all children who wanted to tell Santa their wish lists, could.

At the end of his visit, Santa wished everyone a very merry Christmas and jingled his sleigh bells over the loud speaker as he drove out of sight! :)

We're so glad he was able to make an appearance with his busy schedule this time of year. Thanks Santa!

It looks like rudolph got off of the sleigh to come say hi!

Or maybe Hannah and Emilia are posing as reindeer and sharing the
accessories... together they make a great rudolph!

What does God want for Christmas?

2010-12-10T15:25:00.001-06:00

Our Holly Tree Christmas Program was a huge hit this year!!

We want to say a special thank you to all the parents who came to support your little ones. The clapping, smiles, and encouraging hugs helped your students feel confident and special during their play and we hope it was a memorable experience for you all!

This year we focused on the play "What does God want for Christmas?" and as our mock JAM class was going on, the children opened box after box to complete the most adorable living nativity you've ever seen! Finally it was time to open the last box... it's exactly what God wants for Christmas... and inside was a small mirror. What God wants for Christmas, is you! What a beautiful lesson to plant into the hearts of all of our children! Along with the amazing choir it was a show to not be missed! We are already excited about next year.

After our play we enjoyed lots of snacks and tasty treats! A HUGE thank you to all of our parents and staff who brought in their specialties to share with everyone!

Holly Tree Ministries is already looking forward to our Easter program, and with our seasoned cast we know it will be another big success!

If any parents have pictures they would like to submit to Holly Tree for the blog or for the center, please e-mail them to Mrs. Kelle or Mr. Kendall!

Ms. Madeline, AKA Sheep # 2 praying

Sodium

2010-12-06T13:38:00.000-06:00

Hello all! I wanted to post on our awesome Family Ornament Craft night and our tasty Hot Chocolate Bar after school but.... for the life of me I could not find the camera while these fun events were going on (I think one of Santa's Helpers took it to take some pictures for the fabulous slide show you'll all see at our program tomorrow night!) so I apologize, but it was so fun watching all of you guys interact with your little ones and enjoy the time together!

Today, I'm excited to tell you about a new location in Franklin for families!

Sodium Inc. is a faith based non-profit location for families to "Connect. Refuel. [and] Thrive." They just opened, and we're always on the look out for fun places for our families to enjoy and it looks like we've found another winner! Their goal is to provide a place where families can reconnect, have fun, relax, enjoy each other, and communicate - all in one place! We will have brochures here at Holly Tree for our families soon so keep your eye out for that, but until then, check out their website at http://www.sodiuminc.com for more information!

Sodium is located at:
1725 Columbia Avenue (Suite 100)
Franklin, TN 37068
615-260-5916
Monday - Saturday 8am - 8pm

Have a blessed day everyone! We can't wait to see you all tomorrow at our Holly Tree Christmas Program!

Thanksgiving Feast!

2010-11-22T12:22:00.000-06:00

On Friday we had an amazing time with all of our families during our annual Holly Tree Thanksgiving Lunch! We served turkey, ham, stuffing, green beans, scalloped potatoes, rolls, pumpkin and pecan pie, and more! With cars lining the road and parents lining the halls it looked like another big success. It's always so nice to have family and friends come out to enjoy a special part of our time here at school and we want to thank everyone again for making our Holly Tree Thanksgiving so very special. We are VERY thankful for all of you and hope you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving this week!

Happy Veteran's Day!

2010-11-12T12:17:00.001-06:00

We've had an exciting day yesterday in celebration of Veteran's Day! One of our dad's - Mr. Seth, who's also a veteran, came to our school to show us some cool pieces of his uniform that he used to wear, and to read us a story called "The Soldier's Night Before Christmas!"

The kids had a blast playing with the helmet, flashlight, backpack, and uniforms and the story was very sweet. It's about "the Santa of soldiers" who brings notes and pictures from children back at home to soldiers who are staying far away at Christmas time.

The children also wanted to show Mr. Seth how well they knew the Pledge of Alliegance! It was a very special treat and we were so glad we were able to say "Thank You!"

We hope all our veterans had a very blessed Veteran's Day!

Fall Festival Time

2010-11-01T15:23:00.017-05:00

We had a blast this past Friday at our annual Fall Festival! Each classroom played fun games like pin-the-nose-on-the-jack-o-lantern, Candy Corn Toss, and Ooey Gooey Guess! It's safe to say however, that the crowd favorite was trick-or-treating from classroom to classroom. All the kiddos looked adorable in their costumes and it was really OUR treat to spend a special day with our families! Thank you so much to everyone who came out to help! It was a huge success and we're already looking forward to next year.

Pumpkin Painting!

2010-10-25T15:31:00.000-05:00

In honor of Halloween coming up and all of the creative pumpkin ideas this time of year, we are holding a pumpkin painting contest at Holly Tree! We've had some amazing entries and can't wait to see who's voted our Prize Pumpkin Painter! There are so many different kinds of designs you can paint and I've seen some I never would have thought of... Sponge Bob, Dora - when I say creative, I really mean it! Thank you to everyone who's entered a pumpkin! I'm excited to see who comes out on top :)

Fire Truck Visits!

2010-10-07T13:37:00.000-05:00

This morning was a BIG morning here at Holly Tree! The coolest thing at the fire station came to visit and it brought all kinds of cool things like fire-fighter equipment, a tall tall ladder, and a loud horn! If you guessed our local fire truck - you are correct! The kids had a blast playing on it and learned some great information along the way. Since this week was Fire Prevention week we wanted to show the children just who has to show up when there's a fire and what kinds of tools they use to put out a fire. The fire-men talked with our students about when to call 911, what to wear while riding a bike, and what to always put on when you get in the car. We were very blessed to have them out so here's one more great big thank you to our Brentwood fire department!

World Smile Day Visit!

2010-10-05T11:36:00.000-05:00

Dr. Buzz - a family friendly dentist in our neighborhood, Brentwood, stopped by for a visit last Friday. We were excited to talk to our students about keeping their smiles healthy and strong and were very pleased with the fun and interactive talk given by Dr. Buzz's staff! Thank you so much Dr. Buzz! I know we learned a lot, like brushing our teeth at least twice a day, brushing our teeth front and back and round and round. We also learned that flossing is important too for those pesky germs that like to play hide-and-seek! It was a great experience and we're looking forward to having you back Dr. Buzz!

Happy Belated World Smile Day!

Open House!

2010-10-01T09:43:00.000-05:00

We had an amazing Open House this week complete with fun games and fellowship! Our teachers worked hard at pulling together different samples of your child's work and putting together activities for our families to participate in, all while getting to know their teacher and classroom! It was a fun time had by all and the directors enjoyed going from room to room and watching the interactions! We're looking forward to next year and hope you can all make it out again!

Bounce Night!

2010-09-20T17:10:00.000-05:00

I sincerely hope you were able to make it out to bounce night! It was super fun and it was awesome to see everyone together! It's always great to fellowship with both Holly Trees and you throw in some Jets Pizza and cake... Sign me up! :)

JAM Picnic is a Success!

2010-09-08T13:27:00.000-05:00

Thank you so much to all of you who came out to our JAM Picnic last week!! It was so great to see so many of you out there with the holiday weekend coming up and we had a ton of fun with everyone! For those who couldn't make it, we hope you can make it to our next awesome family event which is

Monday September 13 from 5:30-7:30 at the Jump Zone!

The recital was adorable and it was so sweet to see how much they had practiced and learned over the summer in their JAM classes! The moon bounce was hopping, as always :), and the tug-o-war and watermelon eating contests we're a blast to watch! I'm pretty sure everyone went home with a cool prize, and it is easy to see that we have the best looking families and kids while you all took your fall family photo's!

We hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did! Have fun reliving the memories with the photos below!

JAM Picnic

2010-09-01T14:53:00.001-05:00

Liam: Hey Cooper, have you heard? The JAM Picnic is tomorrow!

Cooper: No way?! That's tomorrow?

Liam: Yep! I hope you guys out there are going too! There's going to be a moon bounce, free food, awesome prizes, and fun family games!

Cooper: Cool! Hey, I heard they're even giving away a free week of tuition!

Liam: Yep, I'm hoping to win it as a prize for mom.

Cooper: Totally. That would be way better than the prize I just made for her!

Liam: Oh man! Cooper, you're so funny!

JAM Picnic, tomorrow, September 2nd from 6 - 7:30. Cooper, Liam, and the rest of us can't wait to see you there!

Lost Sheep Petting Zoo

2010-08-23T12:39:00.000-05:00

Everyone here was so excited about the petting zoo that came this passed Thursday! We're finishing up our Young Author's - Stories of God's Word theme this week and one of the parables we've studied during this summer theme was the parable of the Lost Sheep. It was great to see how the children learned about the story and then related it to something that was special to them. In the parable Jesus tells us a story about a shepherd who will leave his heard of 99 sheep to find his one lost sheep. And when the sheep is found the shepherd rejoices and calls all of his neighbors around to tell them the good news!

The petting zoo was a treat for the children to see up close and personal how special some animals can be to us. They learned that if one animal can be special, think just how special THEY are! It was so much fun and we can't wait to do it again next year!

Music is the coolest!

2010-08-13T15:48:00.000-05:00

This afternoon we had a special surprise classical music guest... we wanted to keep it top secret but now we'll spill the beans.... it was.. Mrs. Kati!!

Who would have known your super director is also gifted in Piano & Clarinet!? The kids were astounded and excited as Mrs. Kati showed them how to make beautiful music with an instrument.

Who knows, maybe we've inspired some future composers or musicians here at Holly Tree! If so, feel free to come back as our special guest one day :)

I'm a Rock Star!

2010-08-13T14:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we dressed like Rock Star's in honor of our Mini Maestros summer theme! Although lots of the prop guitars and cool vests came off in the early morning some of our kids continued to rock it throughout the afternoon to their favorite praise and worship songs!

Rock and Roll is a tough job :)

Publix Last Supper

2010-08-10T16:44:00.000-05:00

On Friday we had a fun and tasty visit from our friends at Publix! We talked about different foods that they may have served at the last supper, and what kinds of healthy foods we can put into our bodies to give us energy and strength! We got lots of goodies from the Publix Preschool Pal club and can't wait to see them again! Thank you to all our friends at Publix for the great visit!

Mr. Bond the Science Guy!

2010-07-28T09:49:00.000-05:00

We had a Silly Scientist join us yesterday for some cool experiments! The children watched in awe as he went from one thing to the next. If anyone is having problems getting their preschool aged children to sit still... consider becoming a scientist! :) Lots of the children were able to volunteer so it was great having them participate.

Homemade Butter

2010-07-26T19:21:00.000-05:00

For our first day of History Hopping we decided to churn butter! When we agreed that we couldn't procure a Churn for each classroom we went to our next best source - plastic baggies! Each classroom was given a ziplock bag filled with heavy cream. They turned the bag back and forth slowly, each taking a turn. After a while the children began to observe the cream clumping, and turning into butter! It was a very cool experiment and we were excited to see it work. After the butter had formed they drained the buttermilk out of the bottom of the bag and spread their butter across some tasty graham crackers! Not bad for a day's work. :)

Missionary Visit

2010-07-26T12:33:00.000-05:00

Our friend, Mr. John came to visit on Friday to talk to our students about his mission work in Mexico. A few weeks ago our children drew pictures and wrote letters to the children that John works with in Mexico. Your students helped to spread love and the word of God to these children and John's team was very thankful!

We were able to learn where Mr. John's missionary work is done... high in the mountains in Mexico, and we talked about how he is able to tell other children that God loves them. It was one of my favorite special guest visits we've done all summer. I must admit, my favorite part was at the end of the presentation when our children prayed for the children in Mexico. It was very touching and easily a special guest visit we won't soon forget!

My Hat's off for You!

2010-07-14T14:16:00.000-05:00

Crazy hat day is always a favorite dress up day and this past Thursday was no exception! You were all very creative and definitely put on your "thinking cap" for this one! :) Whether it was your favorite hat or your crazy hat, thank you for participating!

Our next dress up day will be Thursday July 22nd - Wear Rojo, Blanco, and Verde! (Red, White, and Green - to celebrate our Fiesta Amigos - Missions to Mexico theme!)

Holly Tree First Annual Field Day!

2010-07-12T12:25:00.000-05:00

Our first field day was a big hit and we're so glad the kids could enjoy the morning outside doing special activities! The theme was FUN and we sure had a lot of it! We participated in a spoon and egg race, Water ball toss, Horse-shoes, Fireman Relay, and ended the event with Silly String!

A few unsuspecting directors were also attacked with silly string :)... it is certainly never a dull moment around here! We had a lot of fun and even enjoyed the surprise of our Silly String encounter.

What a great way to end a great week! Thanks so much to all of our volunteers! We can't wait for next year!

Moses visits JAM!

2010-07-06T17:07:00.002-05:00

The start to this July has been wonderful and we couldn't be more excited about the special guest we had today at Holly Tree Brentwood! Moses himself taggged along for our JAM (Jesus And Me) class and all of the kids were really excited to meet him and ask him questions!

Is that really him?!

Moses taught us about the Ten Commandments that God
gave to him, then we were able to draw pictures of our own!

Moses talked about the rules that God gave the Israelites and to all of us. The children were able to participate by explaining what each commandment meant and were happy to give their own spin to each one :). Moses will be visiting Holly Tree Cool Springs on Thursday and I'm sure they will have just as good a time! Thank you so much Moses for stopping by!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-22T17:20:00.001-05:00

We hope you all had an awesome Father's Day weekend! Friday we had our Dicing and Donuts with Dad breakfast and it was great seeing the Dad's bright and early for the special treat with their kiddos. The spread of bananas (for dicing), donuts, muffins, and coffee was complimented nicely with the proud look on the children's faces when they brought their dad in for breakfast. :)

We hope you all enjoyed it just as much as we did!

Williamson's Best!

2010-06-18T17:22:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again! Time for you to vote for Holly Tree Christian Preschool as Williamson County's best childcare center!

How? I'm glad you asked! Go to www.williamsonparent.com and look to the right of the header. There will be a rotating display and on one of the turns you will see a yellow seal that says "best of parenting" click on that! Enter your e-mail address and click through until you get to the "best childcare center" option. Once you're there, it's easy! Type in Holly Tree Christian Preschool! Then you're done.

That's it! It will take less than two minutes of your time so go ahead! Tell everyone you take your child to Williamson County's BEST!

Food Paint!

2010-06-17T18:20:00.001-05:00

Today our kids were treated to a very cool lesson on how to paint with food! Imagine a tortilla as your canvas, marshmallows and pretzels as your brush, and corn syrup with food coloring as your paint! Our special guest walked the children through each tasty step as they got closer and closer to their reward of eating their masterpiece!

It was a lot of fun and a really cool way to tie in the theme! The kids learned a lot about mixing and using their imaginations and I am sure they'll be talking about this all weekend!

Jumping for the Jump-o-Lene!

2010-06-15T16:49:00.000-05:00

What is a Jump-O-Lene you ask? Well, it's a moon bounce, no it's a trampoline, no it's a ball pit, no - it's all of those wrapped in one!! Last week we had a blast learning to juggle scarves and enjoying our awesome Jump-O-Lene!

Tons of fun? I think so! My only disappointment... the directors and staff are just a little to big for it! :)

Wee Chef's Begin!

2010-06-14T09:50:00.001-05:00

We're now on to our second theme of the summer - Wee Chef's Cooking With Faith!

The center had been transformed into a biblical market place in the Land of Milk and Honey. We have a spice shop, a bake shop, heavenly desserts, the garden, the grocery, and the fruits of the spirit! I love tying in all of our classroom themes to a biblical theme. It's such a great opportunity to plant seeds of the word in their little hearts!

We have lots to look forward to with Wee Chef's! We're cooking with Kati and making Jello Jigglers later this afternoon, making ice cream, painting with food, making mana, doing personal pot holders, dressing like chefs, and a special guest is coming to do a dough tossing demonstration for our grand finale!! It's going to be awesome. I can't wait!

Just a few reminders as we continue into this summer fun:

* Please put bug spray and sun screen on your children before school in the morning. As the temperature heats us we want to make sure we stay safe! Also, please remember that we will not be going outside if the heat index is above 95 degrees. We are utilizing earlier and later outside play times so we can avoid the heat of the day.

* When you see a special guest event on your calendar, come join us! We love having you here to see all the fun your children are having so you are always welcome to stop in for any of our activities!

That's all for now! Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!

Water Play!

2010-06-10T16:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our second water play day of the summer and by the looks of things it is going to be a wet and wacky summer! Every Wednesday we all come to school suited up and ready to play in the sprinkler! Some children love running full steam ahead into it while others like to run around the outside catching drops here and there, but either way the sprinkler is a great way to get everyone smiling and having fun! Look here for yourself!

We try to mix in different sprinklers so that the kids don't get bored. I wonder what kind of wacky ater play day we'll have next week!? Stay tuned!

Carnival Craze!

2010-06-07T11:33:00.000-05:00

Well our Summer Quest kickoff has been awesome! With Carnival in full swing the kids are enjoying dressing up like clowns, water play, popcorn and movie day, and we all had such a blast when the zoo came last Friday! She brought a snake, parrot, and skunk for the Nashville Zoo's Sense-Sational animal show and it was incredible! The kids learned about how the different animals explored the world around them and a great time was had by all :)

Our Big Top Bible Adventure is going to continue full steam ahead next week with face painting, cotton candy, juggling and the jump-o-lene!

Here are a few pictures from our Zoo adventure!

Hope everyone has a great start to their week!

Trike-A-Thon!

2010-05-25T15:06:00.000-05:00

In support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Holly Tree hosted Trike-A-Thon this past Friday! Each student raised money for the hospital while learning about riding toy safety for the upcoming summer. On Friday, everyone brought in their bikes to practice what we learned. The kids had so much fun showing off their incredible, but safe, bike skills and it was such an honor to be involved with a wonderful cause. We hope you all had a great time, and we look forward to seeing you next year at Trike-A-Thon, 2011!

Hang 10 in 2010

2010-05-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

It is always so bitter-sweet when graduation rolls around. We're always so proud of our students and how far they have come over the years. Some of them have been attending since they were infants! But of course, we miss them when they move on to "big school."

Our 2010 graduation was no exception! The ten children we graduated this year have learned so much! From asking questions about carbon dioxide to reciting bible verses, they were smiling and proud as they showed off their skills.

Getting our caps and gowns on!

Patiently Waiting

We had to make sure those caps stayed put!

Not pictured: Miranda and Dakota

Singing and Dancing to "Good Morning!"

Congratulations Holly Tree Graduates! We're so proud of you!

Flooded With Love

2010-05-17T10:35:00.002-05:00

Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25: 37-40

Holly Tree Christian Preschool in partnership with GraceWorks Ministries and New Song Christian Fellowship are collecting donations to help in the Nashville flood relief effort. So many families were effected during the recent flooding this May and we would like to do all we can to help. Holly Tree was blessed with little damage within our families and we would like to spread our blessings to others. We are collecting non-perishable food items, new sheet sets, new towels, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and first aid supplies. All donations can be dropped off in the baskets outside your child's classroom. Please give what you can to help support and spread love to our neighbors during their time of need. Let's fill up those boxes everybody! Donations are due by Wednesday May 26.

We love Mom!

2010-05-10T08:22:00.001-05:00

The sweetest sounds to mortals given are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven. ~William Goldsmith Brown

***

We hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day! Our Mommy and Me Tea was a big hit and we loved seeing all of your smiling faces bright and early friday morning.

Each classroom had a lot of fun making their recipe card holders but my favorite thing they did was the "All about Mommy" questionnaire! Their answers were just too cute!

Here's an example from one of our 3 year olds: "What is Mommy's favorite food?" - Cheese!

Thank you so much to all our Mom's who give so much love and support here. We appreciate you!

***

My mom is a never-ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~Graycie Harmon

Sending Prayers

2010-04-21T13:24:00.001-05:00

During JAM week last week, each day represented something fun we were going to do for our relationship with Jesus. Friday was "Send prayers to God." Along with our family picnic we had a balloon release to really give the kids a visual representation of prayers going to heaven. They each dictated to their teacher what they wanted to pray about and then we tied them to the balloons.

I have to admit, while we were tying the prayers onto the balloons it was hard not to get a little choked up. They are so sincere and so sweet and it shows that they really know God takes care of important things, like our families, or our favorite toys, and especially us.

Then I went outside with over 100 balloons in my hand to pass out and I got to play chase with some of our toddlers. It has to got to be one of my all time favorite memories here at Holly Tree! Running around the playground with a ton of balloons in my hand watching two year olds chase me with their arms straight out. What a fun day, surrounded by so much love. This, we will certainly be doing again.

Family Picnic is a Hit!

2010-04-19T12:52:00.016-05:00

Wow! I am still in awe of how awesome our families are here! The turn out for our family picnic was beyond anything we expected and we are so thrilled all of you could join us. We hope it was a wonderful memory making afternoon for you all!

The Stone Family was our big winner in the picnic basket raffle! Congratulations!

We know it's not always easy to get off of work, but these are the things that make Holly Tree what it is, a family. Thank you so much for joining us, I am already thinking about next year!

Eco-Exploring Babies!

2010-04-15T10:25:00.016-05:00

Our curriculum theme this month is Eco-Exploring and while our older kids know exactly how to have an outdoor adventure, our smallest friends at Holly Tree are still experiencing the world around them. Most of their day is spent sleeping, eating, playing, and... well... diapering :) but when the sun begins to go down and there is a soft breeze in the air, we like to take our babies out on their own adventure!

Wondering how they feel about that? Well, see for yourself!

I'd say Eco-Exploring is a favorite!

Easter Party!

2010-04-06T11:34:00.005-05:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Easter weekend! We celebrated on Thursday with Resurrection Eggs, an Easter egg hunt, egg dyeing, and of course, cupcakes! It was great seeing all the parents that came out and watching the children hunt for Easter Eggs could not have been more fun!

Sorting our eggs to share with friends

Look what I got!

The hunt is on...

Found one!

I think this is a good one.

Jackpot!

Resurrection Eggs!

Jackson and Mallory are putting stickers on the eggs they dyed

Hi Preschool II!

Frankie wanted to dye his egg blue!

Looks like we're ready!

Go, go, go!

Whew! After all that fun in the morning and a good nap, we woke up for a special snack, it looks like everyone enjoyed themselves doesn't it?

Happy Easter everyone!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for....

2010-03-31T11:46:00.002-05:00

ICE CREAM!

Especially Pre-K two! They were also super patient and appreciative when Mr. Kendall delievered their Ice Cream Party on Tuesday! Pre-K two at Holly Tree of Brentwood won the prize for most in attendance at our first annual Jesus And Me (JAM) concert! With over 60% of their class showing up for Faith, Family, Fun... and of course, Food! This was an ice cream party with all the fixin's - chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and even sprinkles! From the looks of things, they really enjoyed their yummy, and well deserved treat.

Congratulations Pre-K two! And thanks again to everyone, from every class at Holly Tree Christian Preschool of Brentwood and Holly Tree Christian Preschool of Cool Springs, who made JAM such a success!

Palm Sunday Celebration

2010-03-30T11:01:00.000-05:00

In honor of Palm Sunday and the beginning of our Easter celebration, Monday we made palms and listened to the story of Jesus entering the city! When I asked the students of our Pre-K class why they were making palms, one of them replied "Because they laid them down for Jesus!"

Here they are "Parading through the streets!"

I just love Easter! We hope everyone had a wonderful Palm Sunday!

April Events!

2010-03-29T18:38:00.007-05:00

I'm pretty sure the A in April stands for AWESOME! At least at Holly Tree it does. When I took a look at our new calendars I got really excited, but don't take my word for it, see for yourself! Here's what we have to look forward to this month:

April 1st - Easter Parties!

April 2nd - Closed for Good Friday

April 5th - Pick up your Blue Ribbons for Child Abuse Awareness Month

April 6th - JAM Classes Begin!

April 8th - Prayer Request Day and Family Prayer @ 10am

April 9th - Sunflower Growing Competition Starts Today! May the tallest class win!

April 12th - JAM week and Week of the Young Child Kick off!

April 13th & 15th - Moon Bounce Day - too fun!

April 16th - Balloon Release Day and Family Picnic Day! Bring a blanket, a sack lunch, and a smile! Fun Family Time

April 19th - Dress in Green and Blue for our Earth Week Nature Walk!

April 22nd - Earth Day! Playground clean up and trail mix after our hard work!

April 23rd - Sun Chip Bag Experiment Begins! I think it will take two weeks... what about you?

April 26th - Shel Silverstein Day! "I can not go to school today... said little Peggy Anne McKay..." Love his poems!

April 28th - Wake Up Wednesday!

April 29th - Kite Day! We're hoping for wind today!

April 30th - Featured Musician "They might be giants"! Awesome!

We're all looking forward to seeing you guys around and out for those family events!

Mark your calendars now for all of our special activities.

JAM and Dessert Bake Off a Huge Hit!

2010-03-29T15:09:00.001-05:00

Everyone here could not be happier about the success of our first annual JAM session! It was a great kick off for our Jesus And Me program and definately set a great tone for the fun ahead! The rain didn't stop us one bit, and our JAM session turned into the best block party this side of 65! Here are some of the events that made the night so special...

Face Painting!

Family!

Friends!

Music!

Arts and Crafts!

Prizes!

So much to do! I know you're wondering about the food, but don't worry, there was plenty of that to go around too! Holly Tree provided lots of drinks, chips, and tasty hamburgers but our parents were the champions of the evening with their after dinner treats! We had an awesome turn out for our Dessert Bake Off, anyone with a sweet tooth was satisfied with the spread our fabulous families provided.

What we will do next year to top this... I have no idea! A huge thank you to all of the families and staff who helped make the night such a success, it really was one for the memory book!

JAM Concert Tomorrow Night!

2010-03-25T18:49:00.002-05:00

Everyone here is so pumped up for the JAM concert! I'm most excited about the Dessert Bake Off but... that's just me. From Conductor Jack, Moon Bounce, Face Painting, Free Food, and Raffles, Holly Tree is taking Faith, Family, and FUN to a whole new level! We hope everyone will be able to make it out! Rain or shine, JAM will be happening from 6:15 - 7:30 at Holly Tree of Brentwood and everyone is welcome to join us.

Even Patrick is excited about JAM :)