October 2025 NEWSLETTER!

DATES TO REMEMBER:


Thurs., Oct. 2 – Room Parent/ Parent Volunteer Group meeting at 9:15 a.m. in room 201.

 

Fri., Oct. 3 – School Closed for Staff In-Service.

 

Wed., Oct. 15 – The Stand Fundraiser 11:00 a.m.- 9:00 p.m. Dine in or Take out.

 

Wed., Oct. 15 – OPEN HOUSE 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. All are Welcome!

 

Fri., Oct. 24 – EPCC’s Preschool PUMPKIN PATCH on our play yard. Every child will receive a pumpkin.

 

Mon., Oct. 27 – Fri., Oct. 31- SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR.

 

Wed. Oct. 29 – Halloween Parade in Fellowship Hall. (9:15 a.m.-9:45 a.m.)

 

Fri., Oct. 31 – In Class Parties.

 

Fri., Oct. 31- The children will be Trick or Treating in the school.

 

Mon., Nov. 3 – TUITION DUE.

 

Mon., Nov. 3 – Fall ’26 Kindergarten sign ups begin.

 

Thurs., Nov. 6 – Room Parent/Parent Volunteer Group meeting at 9:15 a.m. in room 201.

 

Tues., Nov. 11 – SCHOOL CLOSED for Veteran’s Day.

 

Fri., Nov 21 – PS & K Thanksgiving Feast 10:15 a.m. Fellowship Hall.

 

Wed., Nov. 26, Thurs., Nov., 27 & Fri., Nov 28 – SCHOOL CLOSED for Thanksgiving Holiday.

 

Mon., Dec. 1 – TUITION IS DUE.

 

Thurs., Dec. 4 – Room Parent/Parent Volunteer Group meeting at 9:15 a.m. in room 201.

 

Mon., Dec 15 – Holiday Show and Bake Sale in the Sanctuary. More info to come in Dec.

 

Fri., Dec. 19 – In Class Holiday Parties. 

 

Mon., Dec. 22 – Fri., Jan. 2 – SCHOOL CLOSED for Winter Break. 

 

Mon., Jan. 5 – REGULAR SCHOOL SCHEDULE RESUMES.

                                   

MARVELOUS MONTHLY MAXIMS

Drinking Deeply From Good Books!

 

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

 

CONGRATULATIONS MRS. VANESSA CEYCA!

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH- Ms. Vanessa is our wonderful, nurturing, hardworking and energetic 5-day-a-week teacher in Room 104. She first joined our school in 2019, helping in Rooms 204 and 106 while two teachers were on maternity leave. She always works hard, puts her students first, and greets everyone with a big smile. Ms. Vanessa is married and has two daughters, Stella, who started preschool in Room 106 and is now is in 3rd grade, and Sky, who is in our Pre-K program this year. Mrs. Vanessa took a short break from teaching while expecting Sky and happily returned to our school this year. Ms. Vanessa’s favorite color is sage green. She loves peonies, baby’s breath flowers, reading, binge-watching shows, and sea turtles. Her favorite holidays are Thanksgiving and Christmas. She enjoys collecting concert tickets and shopping at Nordstrom Rack. Some of her favorite places to eat are Lucille’s BBQ, Porto’s, CPK, Panera Bread, and Chick-fil-A. For dessert, she loves crème brûlée, chocolate cake, and chocolate chip cookies. Thank you, Ms. Vanessa, for all your hard work! One Team, One Dream, One Goal! 😊

 

FROM THE DIRECTOR:

 

CHILDREN’S CENTER TELEPHONE EXTENSIONS: The following are our phone extension that might be helpful to you: Directors Cathleen Trapani and Anie Kederian at Ext. 1, Bookkeeper Tracie Cordle at Ext. 2.

 

TUITION:  Please remember    that tuition is due on the first of each month unless otherwise arranged with the director.  There will be a $25.00 late fee added to your tuition account if payment is not received by the 7th.

 

ROOM PARENT/PARENT VOLUNTEER GROUP MEETING:  Our second meeting will be held on Thurs., Oct. 2nd at 9:15 a.m. in room 201 (upstairs). If you are interested in helping with our school events or with classroom parties, please come to the meeting to find out what

you can do. 

 

BENEFITS OF BEING ACTIVE: When kids are active, their bodies can do the things they want and need them to do. Why? Because regular exercise provides these benefits:

         Strong muscles and bones

         Weight control

         Decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes

         Better sleep

         A better outlook on life

Healthy, physical active kids also are more likely to be academically motivated, alert, and successful. And physical competence builds

self-esteem at every age.

 

HERE'S SOME AGE-BASED ADVICE: Preschoolers: Preschoolers need play and exercise that helps them continue to develop important motor skills-kicking or throwing a ball, playing tag or follow the leader, hopping on one foot, riding a trike or bike with training wheels, freeze dancing, or running obstacle courses. Although some sports leagues may be open to kids as young as 4, organized and team sports are not recommended until they’re a little older. Preschoolers can’t understand complex rules and often lack the attention span, skills, and coordination needed to play sports. Instead of learning to play a sport, they should work on fundamental skills.

*Experts taken from “Motivating Kids to be Active”- KidsHealth. (www.kidshealth.org).

 

ILLNESS POLICY:  As expected, colds and viruses are already going around. Thank you for keeping your children home when they are sick.  By doing so, we can stop the spread of illness a little bit faster. Check our Illness Policies for more information.

 

NUT FREE SCHOOL:  Due to severe, life-threatening allergies, we are a “nut free” school. A nut is a fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, which is generally edible. At E.P.C.C. this includes: peanuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, brazil nuts, chestnuts, pine nuts, candlenuts, beechnuts, filberts. Our “nut free” policy is in place to ensure the health and safety of the children under our care.  When you drop off your child each day, we want you to feel comfortable leaving, knowing that we are doing our best to keep all of the children under our care safe and healthy.

Please note: Nutella is a cocoa and hazelnut spread, and therefore not allowed at school. Sunflower or cookie butter are acceptable alternatives and can be found at Target, Trader Joes and other markets.

 

HEALTHY SNACKS AND LUNCHES:  Please remember that children are required to bring their own ready to eat lunch, 2 snacks and water bottle. Please keep snacks healthy. Fruits, veggies, cereal bars, string cheese and crackers are always popular choices. Remember to send utensils with your child’s lunch if he/she needs them.  Teachers cannot leave the classroom to get spoons and forks for the children.  Additionally, be sure that all snacks and lunches are sent to school” ready to serve.”

 

EMERGENCY DRILLS:  Each month we will be practicing fire and earthquake drills as part of our curriculum.  These drills are required by the state and are not meant to frighten the children. Take a moment to ask your child how these drills are carried out in their classrooms.

 

FUNDRAISERS:  We will have a few fundraisers throughout the school year. Our first fundraiser for the month of September was held at McDonald’s on Sept. 25th. Our October fundraisers will be Tupperware and The Stand in Encino on Wed., October 15th and November we will have a See’s Candies fundraiser; we will send more information in few weeks. Although you are not required to participate, we appreciate any and all participation.

We raise funds for:

         Our E.P.C.C. Pumpkin Patch (all Children receive a pumpkin).

         Replacing, repairing and purchasing new equipment for our classrooms and play ground. Examples . . .  

          balance bikes, water table, basketball hoops, etc.

         Snow Day.


ATTENTION! CALLING ALL 2 YEAR OLDS:  We are now accepting children who are 2 years old. They may come to school in pull ups if you are working on potty training at home and we will assist in helping you to daytime potty train your child while they are at school.


HELP OUR SCHOOL GROW!!! We still have space available for enrollment for this school year. If you recommend us to your friends and they enroll their child/children have them, write your name on their child's application as a referral then...after their child enrolls and attends for 3 months, we will credit you $100.00 toward your child's tuition as a big

THANK YOU for recommending us.

 

WORSHIP: For any families interested in finding a church home, First Presbyterian Church Encino, offers a worship service at 10:00 a.m. including Sunday school program for all children. All are welcome. For more information you can contact the church’s office @ 818-788-1147 and ask for Greg.

 

EPCC WEBSITE: Please be sure to check out our website epcckids.info and our Instagram account @ epcc_kids to see activities, art projects and more.

 

OPEN HOUSE:  On Wed., Oct. 15th. We will host an Open House from 6:30-7:30 p.m. This is a great opportunity to come in and meet the teachers in an informal setting. The children love to show off their class work to friends and relatives so invite the whole gang. This also gives parents of our Pre-K kids a chance to check our exceptional Kindergarten program. Don’t miss this great night. Invite the whole family! Don’t forget to support EPCC by enjoying dinner at The Stand-Encino.

 

E.P.C.C.’S PUMPKIN PATCH: Friday, Oct, 24th will be our annual E.P.C.C. Pumpkin Patch Day all the children will receive a pumpkin of their choice during their outside time. For more information check out Peeking Over the Fence with Mrs. Gael on the last page.

 

HALLOWEEN PARADE, BAKE SALE & BOOK FAIR: On Wed., Oct. 29th, we will host our annual Halloween Parade and Sing-A-Long in Fellowship Hall from 9:15 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

Children are encouraged to wear costumes to school; however, masks and weapons are not allowed. Be sure to send a change of clothes for after the parade.  Plan on joining us for this fun parade. The children will be practicing the songs all month long. Tues./Thurs. children are welcome to join in the parade, but we kindly ask that parents stay for the event.

 

BAKE SALE: There will be a sign-up in your child’s classroom for you to bake and donate some yummy festively wrapped goodies for our bake sale on Wed., Oct. 29th. All the homemade baked goods will be available for purchase during our Halloween Parade you can shop for festively wrapped delicious treats to eat, share or take to work. We appreciate your support!

           

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR:  Get ready for the holidays! Join us for the Scholastic Book Fair Mon. Oct. 27 – Fri. Oct. 31.  Give the gift of knowledge and spark a love for reading in your children. We can’t wait to see you there! Happy reading!

 

HALLOWEEN PARTIES: Friday October 31st- Rooms 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 &106.

 

TRICK or TREAT!!! Fri., Oct. 31st the children will be Trick or Treating in the school.


KINDERGARTEN  REGISTRATION:    On Mon., Nov. 3rd priority registration will begin for our Fantastic Kindergarten program for Fall 2026. Registration will be open only to families currently enrolled in our preschool program and will be on a first come first served basis.  Only 24 spaces will be available for the upcoming school year.  You can check out our Kindergarten between 6:30- 7:30 p.m. on the night of Open House. You can also schedule a tour by emailing or calling the school to make an appointment to check out our fabulous Kindergarten program.

      

PARKING LOT SAFETY:

Please enter through the Balboa entrance and exit onto Paso Robles. Our parking lot is a one-way lot. Our parking lot can be a busy place at certain times of the day.  Please help keep it as safe as possible for your child. We offer the following tips and ask for your cooperation:

  • Please hold your child’s hand in the parking lot.
  • Please make sure your child doesn’t run ahead of or behind you upon arrival and pick up.
  • Please drive slowly in the parking lot.
  • Enter the parking through the Balboa entrance (closest to the church building).
  • Exit under the apartment building onto Paso Robles.

If you park on the street, please note the following:

  • Parking is limited on specific days – note the street signs for times and street cleaning.

SOME GENTLE REMINDERS

         Please pick up your child on time as teachers have other commitments elsewhere.

         Each day, please clean out your child’s lunch box. Soft-sided lunch boxes get especially dirty and tend to absorb odors if not washed out               daily.

         Please drive slowly and cautiously in our parking lot.


TEACHER TALK:

 

ROOM 101:  We are off to a great start!  Everyone is adjusting beautifully to our schedule and routine.  We are busy recognizing our names and learning our initials. We are reviewing our shapes and colors and having fun making collages, practicing our cutting and working our small muscles.  We learned the difference between fruits and vegetables and planted a radish garden. We are also discussing our emotions and appropriate ways to deal with them. We are encouraging good manners always, especially during snack and lunch time. We have also been practicing our earthquake and fire drills. Soon we will be cutting out pumpkins, ghosts and bats. Just a reminder our Open House will be on Wed., Oct. 15th from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. hope to see everyone there! Our annual Halloween parade, and sing-a long will be Wed., October 29th from 9:15 a.m.- 9:45 a.m. in the fellowship Hall and our class party and trick or treating will be on Fri., October 31st. Remember, the children may bring books to class every day, but share day is only on Friday. Thank you, to Jacqueline Dion for donating some great toys to our school. Please send a Ziploc bag with extra clothes labeled with your child’s name to stay inside their cubby and if you would like to donate Clorox wipes, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for your help and cooperation.

                                                                                                                                                Mrs. Geni & Ms. Jazmin

 

ROOM 102:  What a pleasure it is to see the children settled in their new classes. In September, we read lots of books and explored many different forms of art. We also had fun learning about apples and shapes. In October, we will be preparing for Open House and learning about nocturnal animals, pumpkins and Halloween.  We will also learn lots of songs for our Halloween Parade. Our classroom is working hard to get ready for Open House.  Be sure to invite family and friends to this very special night. We will be picking pumpkins from our own pumpkin patch this month. Just a few reminders: be sure to label all of your child’s belongings, make sure shoes cover toes and heels. if you would like to donate Clorox wipes, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at Open House!

                                                                                                                                                                                                           Mrs. Asma & Mrs. Tamara

 

ROOM 103: We are so excited to move into Autumn and see the leaves changing colors and falling to the ground all round us. We are busy decorating for the fall season and the Halloween Holiday. We will be learning several Halloween songs. Our Open House is on October 15th from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. We have been busy making friends, sharing, following directions, and working on our good manners. As we learn more about Halloween, we will discuss "fantasy" being “considerate” and "nocturnal" animals. If you would like to donate disinfecting wipes or baby wipes to our class, we would greatly appreciate it! This will help us keep away the germs.

                                                                                                                                                                          Mrs. Jennifer & Ms. Camila

 

ROOM 104:  Wow!  It’s already October!  We will be learning about fall leaves, spiders, pumpkins and bats. Halloween stories and songs will be part of our curriculum this month too!  We have been practicing our earthquake and fire drills. In October, we’ll be decorating our classroom for Open House. Please join us for the event on Wednesday, October 15th, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our annual EPCC Pumpkin Patch on Friday, October 24th! We’ll also be having a Halloween Parade and sing-along on Wednesday, October 29th. To cap off the fun, our class party and trick-or-treating will be on Friday, October 31st. Children who attend on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are invited to join the celebration! Please remember to send a Ziploc bag with extra clothes labeled with your child’s name to stay in their cubby. Fridays are our share day. If you would like to donate disinfecting wipes and baby wipes, we would greatly appreciate it! Thank you for your help and cooperation.

                                                                  Mrs. Vanessa & Ms. Cyntia

 

ROOM 105:  It is such a joy for us to see how well the children are adjusting to their new class, new teachers and new friends. This month we will be learning about Fall, spiders, bats, skeletons, owls, pumpkins and witches.  Ask your little goblins about our “spooky town.” This will surely put you in a Halloween fright!  Our Open House is on Wednesday, October 15th, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. EPCC pumpkin patch is on Friday, October 24th, Halloween parade and sing-a-long is on Wednesday, October 29th and trick or treating and class parties are on Friday, October 31st. Children who attend three days are invited to join the celebration! Please take a moment to welcome Theron (Theo) Patterson and his family to our classroom!!!  If you would like to donate disinfecting wipes and baby wipes to our classroom, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.                   

                     Mrs. Sossi & Miss Ana

 

ROOM 106: October is here!!! This month we will talk about our feelings and help our youngest friends learn how to express themselves. We can’t wait to start our fall and Halloween art projects. We will be singing lots of Halloween songs. Our Open House is on Wednesday, October 15th, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Halloween Parade and sing-a-long is on Wednesday, October 29th, the class party and trick or treating will be on Friday, October 31st. Remember to check your child’s backpack for important papers and projects that are sent home.  Also, please bring extra clothes including socks and shoes and please label everything. Please take a moment to welcome Yara Motanis-Shoufany and her family to our classroom!!! If you would like to donate baby wipes and disinfecting wipes, we would greatly appreciate it! This will help us keep away the germs. Trick or treat!!!

                                          Mrs. Karine, Ms. Paula & Ms. Vianey

 

PEEKING OVER THE FENCE WITH MRS. GAEL:  Friday, October 24th will be our annual E.P.C.C. Pumpkin Patch! Our play yard will be transformed into a festive area of face painting, tattoos, bean bag toss and activities. The court yard will be set up with a “Patch” of pumpkins, one for each child to choose for their own. The children will participate during their regular outside time, 106, 105, 104, 103  from

9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. 102, 101 from 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Parent volunteers are welcome to set up at 9:00 a.m., assist with activities and clean up at 11:30 a.m. It’s a very FUN day for our children 😊

 

AFTER NAP: October is here, and we are happy to see how fast the children are adjusting. Our October theme will be Halloween and Fall.  We will be busy learning new songs and dance moves, lots of arts and crafts such as spiders, ghosts, bats and Jack-O-Lanterns.   Leaves are falling and the weather is cooling.  Please provide your children with jackets, extra clothes, socks and pair of shoes.  Don’t forget to label all their belongings to avoid any confusion. Be sure to check out our art boards in the hallways, as they are full of beautiful art work handmade by your little artists. 

Thanks!

               Miss Vianey, Mrs. Narine Mrs. Vanessa, Miss Ana Mrs. Tamara, Miss Marissa    Miss Nicole and Miss Gianna,

 

KINDERGARTEN:

We had our first full month in kindergarten… what fun! We are enjoying our poems each week and loved studying apples, space and all about pumpkins and vegetables. We have many more interesting and fun science units coming up for the month of October. We have so much to learn! We have completed letter books C, O, and G and took our first two math tests! In September, your children were authors and illustrators to many “famous” books that will be available in May! We have been busy! Messy/Fun Fridays have been a blast, and we are enjoying the sensory experiences. Cooking is a big hit with the children. They love measuring and mixing, even more than they like eating the end product!  We also went on our first fieldtrip to the Tree People. We had a lot of fun. Our field trip this month is to Underwood Family Farms Pumpkin Patch on Friday, October 24th. More details to follow soon. All children under 8 years of age must be in a car seat.  Please label your car seats with your child’s name and bring it the morning of the fieldtrip. Open House is October 15th from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Come see all the fun things we have been working on. Also, invite any parents who have younger children that might want to enroll their child in our program for next year. We will be closed for our Fall Institute on October 3rd.  We will be celebrating Halloween on Friday October 31st with a Halloween experience day. Thank you all for signing up for the supplies needed for this special day. We would love to have parent volunteers on Halloween. You don’t want to miss the fun if you’re available. Thank you for trusting and sharing your children with us, we are having sooo much fun in kindergarten!!