The theme of the month is introduced (see sample calendar for an example of monthly themes).

If the theme is a letter or a color, an "I-Spy" game might be played. The director would describe a hidden object starting with that letter or color. A working parent's child would try to guess the object.

Fire Safety week is in October and is a theme for the school. The children learn about what to do when the fire alarm goes off. They practice stop, drop and roll in case their clothes catch fire. Firefighters may come by for a visit, bringing their big wonderful fire trucks.

Toward the end of the circle, the director makes up an "apple story" related to the learning theme of the week, incorporating the names of all the children who bring in an apple that day.

Each story ends by discovering a star in the apple and singing "twinkle twinkle little star". The director calls groups of three to four children up at a time to get a piece of apple as they are dismissed to free play. This helps clear the room in an orderly fashion while making a game out of the process.