Category "Pre-K Newsletters"

Thank you to all who participated in our Family Pumpkin Decorating Contest. All entries were very creative and looked awesome!! Congratulations to our winners and thanks again to all the families for participating and helping us judge. We hope you had as much fun creating them as we did admiring them.

Our Fall Fundraiser Was A Success! Thank you for supporting our school with sales and donations. We exceeded our goal and raised $2,000!!! We’ll use these funds to purchase iPods for our classrooms and a light table. Thank you so much for all your support.

SYMPTOMS OF ILLNESS
Cold and flu season is upon us. Please keep your child home if they are showing ANY signs of illness. Last month we had to send a few friends home with runny noses. Please help keep everyone safe and healthy by keeping your child home if they display any symptoms of illness. Thank You!

HOLIDAY
As a reminder we’ll be CLOSED 11/25 AND 11/26 for Thanksgiving Break.

SPARE CLOTHES
Please make sure your child has spare clothes at school that are appropriate for the changing weather. If you think it’s time to update your child’s change of clothes, bring in a new set of fall / winter clothes and put them in our clothes drop off box. We’ll send home the old clothes in exchange for the warmer ones.

JACKETS AND SWEATSHIRTS
Please make sure your child is bringing a jacket/sweatshirt to school everyday. Because of our unpredictable weather, we highly recommend sending your child dressed in layers. Wear a sweatshirt or long sleeves and bring a light jacket. The mornings tend to be cold, while the afternoons get very warm. We spend lots of time outside regardless of the cold weather so please make sure your child is suitably dressed. We can’t stress enough-LABEL ALL JACKETS, COATS AND SWEATSHIRTS! Even if your child has a hook with their name on it, it’s important to label the item. If you’re missing any of your child’s clothes be sure to check our lost and found box near the front entrance.

Please take a look in our Lost and Found box to see if anything belongs to your child. Any items remaining after December 17th will be donated to charity.

REMINDERS
Our daily activities begin promptly at 9:00 am. DO NOT BE LATE! Children should be at school by 8:45am so they have time to check out the activities in the classroom before we get started. If your child will be absent, please call before 9am.

Share days are WEDNESDAYS and THURSDAYS ONLY.

TEDDY BEAR PICNIC
Bring your Teddy Bear to school on 11/17 and we’ll have a Teddy Bear picnic for the letter T.

Congratulations big brother Ryan and the Hashemi Family for welcoming baby Nick to the family!

A NOTE FROM MISS JENNIFER

Dear Parents,
This is to inform you that my last day at Growing Years Preschool will be November 23, 2021. I will be taking some time off to take care of my son Nicolas.

To the parents, I say thank you for allowing me to be your child’s teacher. It has been a wonderful and rewarding 3 years working with wonderful families.

To all my students, I say thank you, for when I teach I also learn. These past few months we have grown together. A little bit of you will always be with me. Always strive to be the best that you can be!

Ms. Jennifer

THE PRE-K CLASS
Beginning November 24th, the Willow class will combine with the Redwood class making one Pre-K classroom (The Redwoods). Miss Elli and Miss Michelle continue to lead the Redwood Class with the assistance of Miss Roxann when necessary.

We will continue to look for quality teachers to join our teaching team. If you know any fully qualified preschool teachers, please share our job posting. We can be found on Linkedin, indeed and a link is located on our Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/gypreschool

THE REDWOODS
What a fun month October was! We made a beautiful leaf collage, we made slime, and we carved, dissected and studied pumpkins. We used real pumpkins in our science area to experiment with baking soda and vinegar. The results were explosive!

Our Halloween rice table was a very popular place to enjoy sifting and sorting. We made bats, pumpkins and had a great time exploring the playdough using Halloween shapes and cutters.

We have had a lot of participation with our letter box. Thank you to all who have been bringing in something fun to help the children remember our letter of the week.

Our Halloween party topped off our month of fun with costumes, games, dancing, and lots of laughter. We look forward to next month as we will be focusing on Thankfulness.

Our letters of the week will be:
D: For Day Of The Dead as we learn about and celebrate Dia de los Muertos.
M: For Mixing Colors. The Redwoods are showing an interest in mixing colors.
T: For Thanksgiving. We’ll introduce a “Thank You” jar to our class this month in hopes of helping our Pre-k’ers remember to say Thank You. Every time someone says “Thank You” they can add a pom-pom to the jar. When the jar is full, they will get a special surprise! We will also be taking some time to reflect on what we are thankful for.

We’ve Been Singing…
Walk In The Dark
5 Little Pumpkins
Mr. Pumpkin
The Goblin In The Dark
What’s Your Favorite Ice Cream?

Books We’ve Been Reading
Pancakes! by Lotta Nieminen
Chocolatina by Erik Kraft
The Spooky Wheels On The Bus by J. Elizabeth Mills
Grumpy Pants by Claire Messer
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Bat! by Lucille Colandro
The Great Monster Hunt by Norbert Landa

THE WILLOWS

October was so much fun! Our themes for the month were Fall, Halloween and pumpkins.

Last month we talked about the changing of the seasons and watched the leaves start to change color on our trees outside.

We painted leaves with watercolors, made Jack-O-Lanterns, ghosts and bats and we even made cool slime!

We explored spooky Halloween playdough, Halloween colored rice and we shoveled out the seeds of pumpkins.

We learned about the different parts of the pumpkin; stem, skin, flesh, pulp and seeds.

Don’t forget to bring items from home to put in our letter box each week. The children enjoy sharing their special items and it helps them understand the connection between letters and their sounds.

This month we’ll talk about what it means to be thankful and share some of the things we are thankful for. We’ll learn about the Pilgrims and the Native Americans and the first Thanksgiving.

We’ve Been Singing…
Mr. Pumpkin
Five Little Pumpkins
Walk In The Dark
I’m A Jack-O-Lantern

Books We’ve Been Reading…
It’s Pumpkin Day by Laura Numeroff
One, Two…Boo by Kristen L. Depken
Happy Halloween Biscuit by Alyssa Satin
I Like Pumpkins by Jerry Smath
How To Scare A Ghost by Jean Reagan
When Dragon Moves In by Jodi Moore

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Miss Elli, Miss Michelle, Miss Jennifer

HALLOWEEN PARTY
We will have a Halloween party on Friday 10/29. Wear your costume to school today! Bring a change of clothes if you stay all day! If your child does not come to school on Fridays they’re welcome to join us from 9:00am – 11:30pm. Please let us know in advance if your child is coming so we can set a spot for them at our party table. We’ll share our costumes, play games and parade around the yard at 10:15am.

Due to COVID restrictions parents will not be allowed to view our parade in person but we will be setting up a Zoom meeting so you can view the parade virtually. Zoom meeting info. will be sent via email the week of October 25th.

PUMPKIN DECORATING CONTEST
It’s time for our annual Family Pumpkin Decorating Contest! If you are interested in participating you’ll need to register, so be sure to look for the sign up sheet. Remember, we’re looking for FAMILY produced entries. Make sure your child is an active participant in the decorating process. Pumpkin entries may be dropped off at the preschool throughout the week of the 18th but ALL entries must be submitted by the morning of Thursday 10/21 to be considered for judging. Our judging will be based on 3 categories–Silliest, Spookiest and Most Creative. We need you to help us choose our winners. Please vote (one ballot per family please) for your favorite in each category. More information regarding our contest will be sent home later in the month.

PROGRESS REPORTS & FALL CONFERENCING
This month you will receive a report regarding your child’s preschool experience over the last few months. There will be a calendar posted on the sign in/out board for you to schedule a conference if you would like one. Conferences are conducted in the afternoons/evenings and will only be available to those who schedule an appointment.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS
During the beginning of November we will be learning about the celebration Dia de los Muertos (The Day Of The Dead). We invite you to bring a photo of a loved one that has passed away and we will display it on our Ofrenda (altar). Please have your photo turned in by 10/29.

LETTER BOX
Each of our classrooms has a special Letter Box. Please encourage your child to find an item at home that begins with the letter of the week and bring it in to share in our letter box. Be sure to refer to our calendar to see which letters we’re introducing each month. Having tangible items in our classrooms to represent the letter of the week help us reinforce our lessons and understanding of letters and their sounds. Please make sure your child is an active participant in finding something to bring, and remember to have fun!

To protect the health and welfare of our Growing Years community, please keep your child home if they are showing ANY symptoms of illness.
This past month we*ve had children out with runny noses and coughs. We appreciate that our families have been keeping their children home, sometimes for extended periods of time as a precaution.
As we enter cold and flu season, we ask that you remain vigilant and continue to conduct well checks at home each morning and keep your child home if they are showing any symptoms of illness.
If anyone in your household is awaiting the results from a COVID-19 test or has tested positive for COVID-19, please keep your child at home and contact Growing Years when you have the results of the test.
We greatly appreciate your ongoing efforts to keep our Growing Years Community safe.

Watch for Symptoms (From The CDC)
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported * ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
**Fever or chills
**Cough
**Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
**Fatigue
**Muscle or body aches
**Headache
**New loss of taste or smell
**Sore throat
**Congestion or runny nose
**Nausea or vomiting
**Diarrhea

The Redwoods

We had a fun first month of school. We played games and sang songs to learn each others names. We explored golf ball painting, finger painting, car painting and apple painting.

We’ve been playing a variety of music games and have enjoyed starting to decorate our classroom for Halloween.

We began our letters of the week by introducing “Colorpillar”. Each week the new letter of the week will be hidden somewhere in our classroom and we’ll have to hunt for it to add to our existing Colorpillar. Thank you to all who have been encouraging their Redwood to bring something in for the letter box!

For the letter “A” week we explored apples and participated in some fun apple activities. We even cored and peeled apples with a special apple machine and then dehydrated them to make yummy apple chips. Thank you for bringing apples to share with our class.

Last month we also had drills and practiced what to do in the event of an Earthquake or a Fire. We practiced “Duck and Cover” during our earthquake drill and learned where to go if we hear the fire alarm.

This month we’ll learn about the season of Fall and all the changes we see. We will celebrate Halloween, learn new songs and read spooky stories together.

Books We’ve Been Reading
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
The Duckling Gets A Cookie? by Mo Willems
Do Not Lick This Book by Idan Ben Barak
The Gingerbread Man Loose At The Zoo by Laura Murray

We’ve Been Singing…
Where Is Thumbkin?
Willoughby Wallaby Woo
Slippery Fish
The Grand Ol’ Duke Of York
Down By The Bay
5 Little Ducks

The Willows

The Willows had a fun first month of school!

Last month we introduced the letter “A” and had a lot of fun with Apples. We painted with apples and made apple prints. We peeled apples with a cool peeling machine and we used a dehydrator to make apple chips.

We explored a variety of sensory activities. We played with playdough, kinetic sand and water blocks.

We painted with our fingers, feathers, mashers, berry baskets and soda bottles.

We had drills and practiced what to do in the event of an Earthquake or a Fire. We practiced “Duck and Cover” during our earthquake drill and learned where to go if we hear the fire alarm.

The Willows have been learning how to count in Spanish. Next month we will continue numbers and introduce the days of the week in Spanish.

We look forward to the month of October! We are excited to learn more of our alphabet, learn Halloween songs and read spooky stories. Our themes for the month will be Autumn, Pumpkins and Halloween.

Books We’ve Been Reading
The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall
Pigs To The Rescue by John Hillman
Under The Apple Tree by Steve Metzger
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
Dragons Love Tacos 2 by Adam Rubin

We’ve Been Singing…
The Itsy Bitsy Spider (In Spanish)
Ram Sam Sam
5 Little Monkeys
Days Of The Week
Alligator Pie

HAPPY FALL TO ALL!

Miss Elli, Miss Michelle, Miss Jennifer

Welcome To A New School Year!

Please take the time to read the monthly newsletters thoroughly, as they are filled with important information regarding upcoming events. Newsletters (past and present), calendars, and menus may also be accessed on our website gypreschool.com. Please make sure to pick up the hard copy of your newsletter at the beginning of every month.

Reminders

**Children must be at school by 8:45a.m.

**Check your child’ cubby container everyday.

**September is a 4 week tuition month (count the Mondays to determine the number of weeks).

**When signing your child in/out, you must sign your FULL signature. Signatures must be LEGIBLE so we are able to identify the individuals picking up/dropping off.

**Make sure your child has spare clothes at school. Promptly replace any used items of clothing.

**Children staying for nap must have a CRIB SIZE blanket. Blankets must be able to fit folded in your child’s nap mat. Blankets that are too big will be sent home.

**Share items are allowed WEDNESDAYS and THURSDAYS ONLY! All share items must fit in your child’s cubby. Books are allowed everyday.

**All jackets, sweatshirts, spare clothes, share items, books, etc…must be labeled with your child’s name. Growing Years is NOT responsible for lost items. LABEL EVERYTHING! Check our Lost and Found Box for missing items.

**Be sure to review the “What We Did Today” board in your child’s classroom to see what fun activities are offered each day. This is a great conversation starter with your child at pick up time!

**Make sure your child is coming to school wearing PLAY CLOTHES. We play hard and get messy! Paint, playdough, dirt and other goodies will get on their clothes. The children are encouraged to participate in many tactile and sensory experiences that are often messy, therefore children must be dressed appropriately when coming to school.

School Pictures

Ahern Photography will be here on Wednesday 9/8 to take school pictures. Look for picture packet envelopes in your child’s cubby the week before picture day. Please return your envelope along with payment by the morning of picture day. Pictures are purchased BEFORE photos are taken. All children will be included in our class photo (even those not purchasing pictures).

If your child does not come to school on Wednesdays you’re welcome to bring them in at 10am to have their picture taken. Our class group picture will be taken after all individuals.

Emergency Comfort Kit

If you haven’t already done so, please compile / update your child’s Comfort Kit and bring it to school A.S.A.P. Comfort kits should include pictures of your family, a comforting letter written to your child, and a variety of non perishable foods that your child enjoys / is considered a special treat. A book, a small notebook, a pencil and small games were other items suggested on our Comfort Kit instructions.

Family Picture

Bring in a picture of your family by Friday 9/17. Please bring a picture that we can keep at school all year long. These pictures will be laminated and placed in your child’s portfolio at the end of the year. Make sure your child is in the picture along with the family. Pictures should be no larger than 4″ X 6″.

We’re Collecting Apples

The Redwoods and Willows are collecting apples for special projects and activities during the week of letter “A”. Please bring in apples to share for these activities (2 or 3 per child). We need apples of all sizes and colors. We’ll be collecting apples from Sept. 7 – 10.

Tuition

If you have any questions regarding tuition please speak to Miss Shalimar. If you need a monthly receipt for your tuition payments please attach a request to your tuition check. You only need to submit one request and after a monthly receipt will be provided for you. Receipts are sent out at the end of the month or when tuition is paid in full. Receipts should be picked up at the entrance of the main building.

It is suggested that you request a monthly receipt if you need a record for tax purposes or employment reimbursement programs.

Tuition may be paid weekly, bi-weekly or monthly and must always be paid in advance. Tuition checks should be placed in our tuition box located on the front desk. All cash payments should be handed directly to a staff member (preferably in the afternoon) and a receipt will be provided for you. Dependent care forms should be dropped off in the tuition box and picked up at the main entrance.

Portfolio’s

Your child’s portfolio is a compilation of photographs, art work, stories and observations that document their growth and development throughout the course of the year. Each family is required to contribute $40.00 for the cost of picture developing and portfolio materials. Sample portfolio’s are on display in the main building. We prefer the portfolio fee to be paid in CASH
(a receipt will be provided). The portfolio / supply fee goes directly to your child’s portfolio therefore we ask for cash payments. Please submit payment for your child’s portfolio by Friday 9/24. The portfolio fee was referred as the supply fee in your admission agreement.

Safety Drills

Throughout the year we will regularly conduct Earthquake and Fire Drills. We’ll teach the children when and where to use “Duck And Cover” and practice evacuating our classrooms in the event of a fire. Occasionally during these drills we will activate the alarm to familiarize the children with the sound. Conducting drills and educating the children on the proper way to react during an emergency is essential. Discussions of earthquakes and the sound of the alarm can trigger feelings of anxiety and nervousness in children. You may notice a change in your child’s behavior around the time of our practice drills. We recommend creating a safety plan and practicing drills at home as well.

Birthday Celebrations

Please keep your child’s birthday celebration simple. Do not bring pinata’s, goody bags or toys. Bringing a special snack is a great way to celebrate your child’s birthday at school. Our class will sing and make the birthday boy or girl feel special.

Some suggestions for birthday snacks: fruit salad, Jello cups, yogurt, rice krispy treats, ice cream cups, cereal bars, cookies, fruit snacks, popsicles, donuts. Please NO CAKE OR CUPCAKES or anything with nuts, as we have children with severe nut allergies. Please consult with your child’s teacher in regards to the number of students in the class.

Star Of The Week

Star of the week is a great way for everyone to get to know your child. It builds self-esteem and shows our class that everyone is special and unique. Every week we will have a new Star Of The Week. The week before your child is the Star we’ll send home instructions and ideas on how to decorate your child’s special Star Of The Week Board. Return your decorated board the start of their special week. During your child’s week, feel free to come in and share stories about your child with the class. You may also bring a special treat for the class if you so choose. Your child’s Star Of The Week board will be displayed in our classrooms for the entire week.

If you wish to celebrate your child’s birthday or star of the week with a special snack, please provide pre-packaged, store bought treats as opposed to homemade. All treats must be NUT FREE.

Book Orders

When ordering books from our book clubs, please be sure to make checks payable to Scholastic Book Clubs. NO CASH will be accepted. Drop off your order form and payment in the tuition box. Orders can also be placed online (preferred).

Fall Fundraiser

On September 30th you’ll find Fall fundraiser information in your child’s cubby. There’s no obligation to participate. All profits from our fundraiser will go toward the purchase of items for our school. All sales are online and will be delivered directly to the purchaser.

Letter Box

Each of our classrooms has a special Letter Box. Please encourage your child to find an item at home that begins with the letter of the week and bring it in to share in our letter box. Be sure to refer to our calendar to see which letters we’re introducing each month. Having tangible items in our classrooms to represent the letter of the week help us reinforce our lessons and understanding of letters and their sounds. Please make sure your child is an active participant in finding something to bring, and remember to have fun!

Website–Facebook–Smug Mug

Want to know more about our staff? Be sure to check out our staff profiles on our website~ gypreschool.com.There you can also access our past and present newsletters, menus and calendars.

Want to see current pics and video clips of activities happening in our classrooms? Visit our Facebook page~ facebook.com/gypreschool

Be sure to check out our PRIVATE photo sharing site at SMUGMUG.COM. Invitations to join our group on smug mug were sent to the email address you provided on your child’s photo/media permission form. If you did not receive an invitation to join Growing Years Preschool on SmugMug.com, be sure to check your spam folder.

If you did not receive an email or would like to add an additional parent email address, please send us an email to [email protected] with your request to join. Be sure to check smugmug.com regularly to see updated photos and videos of our fun and exciting classroom activities!

Air Quality

As we approach fire season we will be checking the AQI (air quality index) daily to determine if it is safe for outdoor play. We will stay inside and play when the AQI is above 100. We may adjust our schedule to allow for outdoor play in the morning before the AQI becomes unhealthy in the afternoon. We run air purifiers in all of our classrooms daily and will run the air conditioners as well.

Goodbye

We’re sad to announce Miss Patricia will be leaving Growing Years. Miss Patricia is going back to school and will be focusing on her studies. We wish her all the best! Her last day will be 9/10. Miss Roxann will be assisting in the Maple Class until we find a new teacher to join our team.

We Look Forward To A Great School Year!
Miss Elli, Miss Michelle, Miss Jennifer

We will return to our regular business hours beginning June 14^th

Our hours will be 7:00a.m. – 6:00p.m. (We will no longer open at 6:30a.m.).

With the Covid restrictions easing, our cohorts of children and teachers will now be allowed to mix with the other’s group inside the classrooms and on the playground.

Our class sizes will also increase beginning June 14^th. The teacher to child ratio will return to 1:6/ 1:10  (2-3 teachers per class).

The children and teachers will continue to wear face masks. Children will NOT wear masks during outside time, mealtimes or during naptime.

Children will socially distance at mealtimes and naptime while their masks are off.

Parents will continue to drop off and pick up at the front entrance and will not be permitted in the classrooms at this time.

Lunch will NOT be provided. Full day and extended half day schedules will need to bring a lunch. Lunches must not contain food items with nuts. PEANUTS AND TREE NUTS ARE NOT ALLOWED AT ANY TIME.

We will continue practicing frequent and proper handwashing, shoes off inside and daily disinfecting.

Children arriving to school before 7:30a.m. may bring breakfast from home but it must be eaten or put away by 7:45a.m.

All children should be at school by 8:45a.m.

Full Day Program–Drop off: 7:00a.m. – 8:45a.m.   Pick up: 3:30p.m. -6:00p.m.

Extended Half Day Program—Drop off: 7:30a.m. – 8:45a.m.    Pick up: 12:45p.m.

Half Day Program—Drop off: 7:30a.m. – 8:45a.m.    Pick up: 11:45a.m.

We will continue to adapt our policies and practices as the directives by the Alameda County Health Department continue to change.

It’s been an unprecedented school year but we made the best of it and we’ve enjoyed our time together. Thank you for all your support throughout the year. Summer time is here and that means lots and lots of outside time. We’ll also continue to introduce themes as well as review letter and numbers through games and hands-on activities. Please make sure your child is at school by 8:45am.

THANK YOU!
Our staff would like to thank you for all of the Hearts, Flowers, Food and Treats that were sent to us during Teacher Appreciation Week. We appreciate all the wonderful notes and messages.

SUNSCREEN
Make sure to read, sign and return the attached sunscreen permission slip. Sunscreen WILL NOT be applied unless this form is returned to us with your child’s sunscreen. Each child must have their own sunscreen. Teachers will re-apply in the afternoon as needed. It is the responsibility of the parent to apply sunscreen in the morning before school.

GROWING YEARS CLOSED
Growing Years will be CLOSED the following dates: July 5th and August 12th & 13th.

PIZZA PARTY
We’re celebrating the end of the school year and the beginning of the summer with a Pizza Party! There will be dancing, fun games, and pizza for lunch!

Friends who do not stay for lunch time are welcome to join us. They should be picked up at 12:45pm.

SUMMER CURRICULUM
During the summer we will be planning a variety of theme days and activities. Please make sure you read your newsletter carefully so you know what’s happening throughout the month.

We try our best to schedule theme activities on varying days throughout the month in order for everyone to get a chance to participate. Because we must maintain our child/teacher ratio, we cannot allow schedule changes or drop-ins in order to participate in the theme day. We’ll make sure your child has a chance to participate on his/her days.

SUMMER CHANGES
Some of our Pre-K friends will exit this month for a summer break before heading off to Kindergarten. We wish them luck as they move on to the big school. This month we’ll also welcome new Preschool and Pre-K students. You may notice new faces and hear about new friends as the summer progresses. Please join us in welcoming our new students and their families.

*If your child will NOT attend in summer, you will owe 1 week tuition for the month of June (6/7 – 6/11). Children are expected attend the last week of school.

VACATIONS
Please verbally remind your child’s teacher of any vacation time you will be taking this summer. Just let us know the week before you leave.

If you requested schedule changes for your child during the SUMMER SESSION these changes will begin June 14th.

LAST MONTH…

We were very busy in the month of May. We finished working on our letters and completed the entire alphabet!

We had fun on Crazy Hat Day and shared our awesome hats. We’ve been busy working on a life size paper version of ourselves which we will display at our graduation celebration.

We’ve been creating with paper mache on balloons using colorful paper, liquid starch and flour. We have also been conducting science experiments using milk, food coloring, dish washing soap and q-tips.

We have caterpillars and ladybug grubs in our classroom and we’ve been observing them and watching them grow. We learned about the life cycle of insects and we can’t wait to see our butterflies and adult ladybugs emerge from the pupa stage.

This month we’ll learn some new songs, read some great stories, have some fun theme days, welcome new Preschool friends into our class, and spend lots of time outside in the sunshine.

Books We’ve Been Reading
The Wonky Donky by Craig Smith
The Dinky Donkey by Craig Smith
The Grinny Granny Donkey by Craig Smith
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Songs We’ve Singing
Number Rock
ABC’s By Me
The Growing Years Song
The World Is A Rainbow
I’m Something Special

We Look Forward To A Great Summer!
Miss Elli and Miss Patricia