October has been a flurry of Pilgrim events! From the Banned Book Storytime, Potty Training Workshop, Fall Fest Trunk or Treat, PCPS Ofrenda Table and our Costume Parade, I think it’s fair to say this month had something for everyone.

As November prompts us to reflect on what we are thankful for, we are especially thankful you are part of our community! Pilgrim could not be the special space it is without the wonderful children, families, teachers, staff, board members and volunteers we have. Each person here contributes to the positive and supportive growth of our young children. Thank you for being with us! November also provides numerous fundraising opportunities that directly support or Ruth Prescott Scholarship Fund and PCPS families. Thanks to generous donations and participation in our annual fundraisers, we are proud to have been able to grant $20,000 in scholarships to PCPS families in 2025-26 school year. Every bit of support helps us support our families, more info on upcoming fundraisers below.

The arrival of November also begins the hustle and bustle of the holiday season AND schedule upheaval as we set or clocks back an hour with Daylight Savings Time on November 2nd. As DST and additional joyful family celebrations, experiences, guests or travel plans often disrupt our regular schedules including meal, snack and nap and play times, it’s important to be mindful that some children may experience a few more big feelings during the next few months. We know preschoolers thrive on routines and consistent boundaries and expectations and recommend as you are making your plans; it is more than OK to keep the season simpler to honor your child’s basic needs and routines. This article offers a few more tips for setting up your child and family for holiday success: Strategies for Kid-Friendly Holidays

Lastly, we recognize the current political climate and federal level executive decisions are impacting our community in a variety of ways including increasing anxiety, stress and insecurity. As community is our middle name, PCPS is committed to being a community which supports one another in times of our greatest needs. If your family is experiencing food, financial or physical insecurity due to the Government shutdown or increased ICE activities, please reach out to explore community based resources and ways our Pilgrim community can support your family.

With gratitude each and every day,

Emily Norman

As the weather changes, it is important that children come to school dressed to play in colder weather. All classes will have outside time when the “feels like” temperature is above 20 degrees and precipitation is light during their outdoor playtime. Nature Preschool will be outside daily in all weather except severe weather events. Once temperatures fall below 60, children are most comfortable with layers and light jackets. As temperatures continue to decrease, additional layers, warm coats, hats, insulated gloves or mittens and boots are essential daily gear! See the above image for more guidance. If your child begins their day outside, please send your children prepared to play in all weather. If your child begins their day inside, please send their gear with them to change into.

Now is also the perfect time to encourage your child to begin dressing themselves, a practice that includes MANY early learning goals for children! It’s our goal for children to master self-help skills such as dressing independently as they grow at Pilgrim. Families can help your child achieve this goal by planning extra time to give them opportunity to practice independent clothing skills including zippers, buttons, pulling pants up and down, taking shoes on and off, and putting on coats. We often use the flip trick for coats with preschoolers: tag to toes and over the head it goes! It’s also helpful to practice the order of putting on outdoor gear: Snow pants, coats, boots, then hat and gloves.

To help Teachers ensure extra clothes, mittens, coats, hats, shoes, boots with the right child: please label ALL your child’s belongings! Now is also a good time to change over your child’s extra clothes stored at school from shorts and t-shirts to pants, long sleeves (a second set of gloves are a good idea too!) Has your child outgrown last year’s snow pants, hats and gloves? We ALWAYS need extra winter gear for those sometimes forgotten items. You can drop off winter clothing donations to your child’s teacher. Thank you!

Health and Wellness Policy Reminder

Fall and winter is the start cold and flu season! The best ways to reduce the spread of illnesses in a community such as our school are to:
1. Wash hands regularly: At arrival to school, before and after meals, after wiping noses, sneezing or coughing into hand, and using the potty.

2. Stay home when sick and while recovering: All children and staff must stay home at LEAST 24 hours or a full school day when absent or sent home from school due to illness. In order to return to school, everyone must be fever, diarrhea and vomiting free for 24 hours without use of medication, completed 24 hours of antibiotics if prescribed AND all symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, sneezing, lethargy are greatly improved. To help identify if symptoms are improved enough for school: coughs are unproductive of phlegm and occur less than once every 3 minutes, mucus is clear and noses do not need to be wiped more than once every 5 minutes and children have energy to engage in playful learning. Families are encouraged to send recovering children to school in a mask, but they are not required with the exception of COVID-19. When in doubt, reach out!

3. Report all illness absences on first day of absence using the Illness Tracking Form for return to school guidance. You do not need to fill out each day for same illness form unless symptoms change or you have a diagnosis. The form also helps us identify any highly contagious illnesses that require additional communication to families of exposure and classroom cleanings per DCFS.

4. Keep a clean and healthy environment: Each classroom has HEPA air purifiers for their room size, we extend outside playtime on warmer days and open windows when possible. We practice effective handwashing techniques and wash hands regularly (see above) and encourage children to “catch their cough or sneeze in their elbow” instead of their hands. Daily cleaning procedures include disinfecting high touch surfaces and materials at least daily, removal of materials that have been mouthed, sneezed or coughed upon, and additional deep cleaning during extended breaks and when a case of a highly-contagious disease has occurred.

Please refer to the Health Policy in the Family Handbook for more information. We appreciate your help in keeping Pilgrim a healthy space for us all!

Vision and Hearing Screening

In partnership with The Collaboration for Early Childhood, all children aged 3 and above receive free vision and hearing screenings in our program. These screenings are held during our regular school day on 11/17 and 11/18. You can find out more about the screening project at Collaboration for Early Childhood Screening

Safety Drill Notification

We will hold our annual lock down practice during school hours on November 3rd. We hope we never have to use the skills a lock down drill provides, but practice helps us best prepare our children and teachers for every event. Families received a copy of our Pilgrim Safety social storybook, classrooms will read the developmentally appropriate books again before the drill, and we recommend families do as well. When talking to children about intruders it’s important to provide information without adding additional fear. Language we use for preschoolers in talking about staying safe in our classrooms: We lock the doors and be quiet as a mouse when our school may not be safe. Someone we do not know is inside and this makes sure everyone is safe until we find out who it is or help arrives.

The procedure for this non-invasive drill is: Administration notifies classrooms of the drill, teachers then turn off lights in room, lock doors and cover windows, and be “quiet as a mouse” as a class. Maria and Emily then walk through the building, listening and attempt to open the doors. If we open the door we simply say peek a boo we see you! At the end of the drill, we then give the all clear to teachers and resume our activities. There are no loud sounds or scare tactics used at any time.

Just a reminder, per DCFS requirements, we conduct a minimum of 10 fire drills, 2 weather drills and 1 lock down drill per year. All classrooms have participated in at least 1 fire drill this year and our next weather drill will occur on a Tuesday or Thursday to ensure each class has a practice opportunity. If another lock down drill is planned, we will alert families ahead of time as some families choose to opt out of attendance on these days. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out.

Classroom Corner: Triangle Room

During October per the request of numerous students we explored space!
At the sensory table, we conducted an experiment to see how craters are created using golf and ping pong balls in flour.

We learned about our solar system and the role of astronauts through various books. "Only One" by Deborah Hopkinson and Chuck Groenink is a great book that explains the universe. By the end of our two weeks of exploration of space, friends were experts knowing the names of planets of our solar system. 

We danced under the stars and created cratered moons with glue, salt and droppers filled with silver vinegar. This activity also helped our friends learn patience, wait their turn and listen to instructions as there were multiple steps involved.

Friends made a night sky as a group and created foil-stamped art to make planets and together we made a beautiful universe. 

• Haeyoung and Lauren

Pilgrim Community Preschool Events and Fundraisers

Let Lou Malnati’s Oak Park make lunch or dinner for you and your family on Tuesday, November 25th, 11 am to 10 pm! Whether you dine in, take out, or order delivery: mention Pilgrim Community Preschool and use promo code GIVEBACK25, 20% of your purchase total is donated to our Ruth Prescott Scholarship Fund. A delicious win-win day!

Pilgrim Community Preschool Holiday Artisan Market & Cookie Walk December 6 10 AM- 2 PM

Are you are a crafter or artisan and would like to participate in the Artisan Market? We have two options: Register for a table to sell your creations using our Registration Form OR donate a few of your creations for our “Pilgrim Makes” table full of creations by Pilgrim Teachers, Staff, Families and Church members.

The beloved annual Cookie Walk is made possible with your support! We need many volunteer bakers to bake 3-4 dozen cookies or join us for a PCPS Baking Night on December 4th to bake & decorate cookies together. Empty cookie boxes are sold during the event to be filled by these scrumptious baked goods until they sell out. Reminder, all Artisan Market and Cookie Walk proceeds support our Ruth Prescott Scholarship Fund!

Sign up to bake or help during the event below

Pilgrim Congregational Church Family Events

Oak Park Community Family Events