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Summer2006 Newsletter
Welcome to the Seventh Edition of our Summer Newsletter
CONTENTS: MEET THE STAFF CHANGE OF SEASON BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION PHONICS AND MATH SCIENCE AND CHILDREN TOILET TRAINING SCHOLASTIC BOOKS RECIPES
_______________________________ Meet the Staff We are very happy to announce that Chantal Bisaillon, a recent graduate from the Early Childhood Education Program, will be substituting for summer holidays. Many of you have already met Chantal. She will be working with all of the age groups this summer. Welcome aboard, Chantal! We also welcome Katie Laprade and Ashley
Lalonde to our daycare family. Both of them are graduates of the Early
Childhood Education Program. Katie is with the Junior Preschoolers and
Ashley is with the Toddlers. Both young ladies bring enthusiasm and fresh
ideas to the program. We are fortunate to have such dedicated people working
with the children. Change of Season Please ensure your child is appropriately dressed for the summer season. Your child needs the following clothing for outdoor play: v Shorts v Sunglasses v Hat v Sandals (closed toe) v The daycare will provide the sunscreen throughout the summer. Please verify that you have signed the permission form for sunscreen application. v Please bring in an extra set of clothes for your child’s cubby and check it regularly to make sure the clothes are seasonal.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EACH CHILD CELEBRATING!
June Toni: 9th Katelyn & Mathieu: 13th Thomas: 14th Dakota: 17th
July Sarah: 7th Riley: 8th Seth: 20th Madison: 20th Sheldon: 29th
August Hannah: 14th Ian K: 22nd Keira: 25th
PHONICS AND MATH We are pleased to be able offer a Phonics and Math program this summer to the School Aged children. This program will be offered 2 mornings a week during July and August by Kelly Leclerc, our volunteer for the summer. Kelly has planned a Phonics curriculum for the children to help them with early reading and writing readiness. This program will build on the skills the children already have and will help them foster a love of reading. We welcome Kelly to the program.
SCIENCE AND CHILDREN: ENCOURAGING A SENSE OF WONDER
With young children, science is continuous wondering, finding out, knowing. Science is thinking, doing, and making the two go together. The raw materials and events of science are all around at home, in the yard and in early childhood and primary centers and schools. Science for young children is catching an insect in a jar, watching it, and feeling the importance of letting it go. It is playing in dishwater with a measuring cup. It is wearing a coat in winter and considering why it is warmer that way. It is seeing how crabs and spiders are alike. Science exercises are extremely important in a child care environment. They are the earliest introduction of the child to the concrete experience of the process of physics. However, we are not teaching physics in the earliest stages (3-6), we are only sowing the seeds of interest: seeds of awe and wonderment at the phenomena of nature. Science experiments are the very essential and integral part of the child’s learning. They have a two-fold purpose: to arouse the child’s interest and to give her the sensorial tools with which to classify her experiences. Introduce them to the child and them stand back, observe, and let her draw her own conclusions. Most children discover the materials skillfully, most are delighted participants in the events. What are science experiments with young children? Some suggestions:
Own bodies Clothing Weather Light Food Water Shelter Wind Plants Ecosystem Sound Animals
TOILET TRAINING
A child’s readiness for toilet training is very individual. Although there are some general guidelines, children progress at their own rate and rushing them often proves to do more harm than good. Prerequisite Skills There are some specific skills a child must have before they are ready for this big step. Physical Skills · They can recognize the sense of urgency · They can control the urge to go · They are able to pull pants up and down with minimum assistance Emotional Skills · The child wants to please adults · The child wants to be a “big” boy or girl · The child like to imitate others · The child can follow directions Communication Skills There are basically three steps that will show that a child is ready to start potty training. · The child can communicate that they have already gone or messed their diaper · The child can communicate that they are in the process of eliminating · They can predict and communicate that they need to go to the toilet soon
SCHOLASTIC BOOKS
A big thank you goes out to all the parents who support our Scholastic Book Club. The free books we have received so far total to 25. Way to go! Here is a list of the free books we have gotten so far: If You Give a Pig a Pancake If You Give a Mouse a Cookie If You Give a Moose a Muffin Beach Day David Oops Oh, David Touch, Taste, Smell David Five Little Penguins Mary had a Little Lamb The Fire Station It’s Mine Careful, Santa Tooth Trouble Piggy and Dad go Fishing The Penguin who wanted to Fly Clifford’s Beach Day Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea I’m so Embarrassed Buzz Bumble to the Rescue Moving House Froggy Learns to Swim Going to the Dentist Going on a Plane Going to a Party Going to the Doctor
RECIPES Sidewalk Chalk2 c. water 2 c. Plaster of Paris 2 Tbsp. Tempra paint (wet or dry) Toilet paper tubes with duct tape over one end Combine and stir together. Let stand a few minutes. Place tubes on cookie sheet lined with foil or wax paper. Pour mixture unto holders. Let stand until semi-firm. Remove holders and let dry completely – ready to use in 1 – 1 ½ hours. *NEVER POUR PLASTER DOWN SINK
SUMMER FUN!! Here Is My Kite Here is my kite with a long, long tail. (pretend to hold kite, stretch arms out.) I hold it and run till I make it sail! (run in place and look up) High up in the sky, the wind blows it around (turn around in a circle) Then I pull on the string, and my kite dips to the ground. (pretend to pull string and touch the ground) Let's Make A Kite
Take the kites outside. Hold them up high and start running, skipping and jumping. Watch the streamers on each kite fly in the breeze. You can also tie strings to the handles on plastic grocery bags, and run, run, run! MUD!!! Mix up a batch of mud to get youngsters thinking about the story Mud, by Cheyette Lewison. Half fill a gallon size re-sealable plastic bag with dirt. Discuss what will happen if you add water. Squish bag to make mud. Talk about some of the children's muddy experiences. YUMMY MUD
Place pudding powder in bag with a little milk. Each child can mix theirs up. Children can use this mixture to paint mud scenes on paper and then lick up the mess!!
Full and Part time Enrollment We are a non-profit daycare dedicated to the healthy development of your child
Spring 2006 Newsletter Welcome to the Seventh edition of our Spring Newsletter
CONTENTS:
STAFF CHANGES SPRING ACTIVITIES CALENDAR CHANGE OF SEASON BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION SCRATCH TICKET FUNDRAISER TIPS FOR TEACHING GOOD BEHAVIOR SUMMER PROGRAM SUMMER HOLIDAYS
Staff Changes
Beginning in May, a new staff will be added to our daycare family. Ashley Lalonde will be working with the Toddlers and Junior Preschoolers. Many of you have already met Ashley. She is completing her final year in the Early Childhood Education Program at St. Lawrence College. She brings new, fresh ideas to the program. We are happy to have Ashley with us.
It won’t be long now! Spring is on its’ way.
SPRING ACTIVITIES Spring! Well, maybe not quite yet, but our thoughts are turning that way. March and April are wonderful nature months, breaking free of the limits of winter. With spring break on the way, what a great time to be looking to some new projects to slip into the day. Gardening with the children can be a fun way to introduce young children to science, and a good reminder for us that another winter is nearly over. Container gardening can be a fun way to introduce children to gardening. Containers can include everything from empty milk cartons, leftover plastic deli containers, purchased peat pots, planters, and so on, depending whether you are focusing on indoor plants or starting an outdoor garden. There are things to share with children at every step in the process. A handful of soil on white paper can start a discussion about what is in dirt, finding bits of decaying plants, old roots, even bugs if you brought it in from outdoors. In addition to planting seeds in the soil, you may also want to plant some in a clear glass, either pressing the seed between the edge of the glass and blotter paper (A thick paper towel works), or dirt up against the glass. This will allow children to see the seed sprout from early roots. Beans and other large seeds are best for this, as they are easy to see. Peas, beans and sunflowers grow quickly to hold interest; petunias and pansies hold up well through the summer; cherry tomatoes offer an exciting harvest for young children. This is also a great time to chart the weather: the wind, rain, snow and changing temperatures. There are flannel boards with clouds, rain, sun and snow emblems to put in the sky. Discussions of weather draw on many concepts from simple ( plants grow in warm weather, temperatures get warmer as spring/summer gets closer) to complex (colliding air masses of different temperatures cause rain). Weather watching is prime for experiments. One fun and easy experiment: take a large bowl and put a few inches of very hot water into it. Cover this with plastic wrap, then put a few ice cubes on top of the wrap. This collection of tiny air masses of different temperatures makes rain in the bowl. In general, there is much to learn through weather. Rainbows can spark a discussion about colors for younger children and mixing which ones to make others for older children. cloud watching can initiate learning about shapes or concepts of small/smaller, big/bigger, many/few, or can draw older children into finding likenesses in the clouds or teach cloud types and wind speeds. Starting your own patch of green and watching the progress can be a nice distraction from the spring break doldrums. Really, warmer days are coming. Think spring!
CALENDAR Please mark the following school closure dates on your calendar: April 14 Good Friday April 17 Easter Monday *Reminder note for stat holidays: As per the daycare Parent Handbook, the daycare will close on the stat holidays as indicated. There is no reduction of fees for the closure.
REMINDER: Daycare fees are due one week in advance each Friday morning. If you require special arrangements regarding payment options, please see me so we can work out a payment schedule.
CHANGE OF SEASONPlease ensure that your child is appropriately dressed for the Spring season. The weather will be wet and the yard will be muddy. Please make sure your child has the following items for outdoor play: ü Splash pants ü Hat & light mittens ü Warm boots Please bring in an extra set of clothes for your child’s cubby and check it regularly to make sure the clothes are seasonal.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EACH CHILD CELEBRATING!!! March April May Tyler – 25th Jennah – 1st Carter – 17th
SCRATCH TICKET FUNDRAISER We are embarking on our fundraising drive once again this year. The Scratch Ticket drive will help us purchase new equipment for the classroom. We are in need of a new water play table and some new cots. We will hold the campaign for one month. Each parent is asked to take a book of tickets and invite friends, families, co-workers to scratch an area of the ticket. The area that he/she scratches is the amount they must donate. Each person participating will receive a coupon from a local merchant. We thank you for support in our fundraising efforts.
We had a very busy February/March. We had a few Special Visitors come to the center to involve the children in a number of topics: Firefighters & Sparky taught us about Fire Safety. We then went for a walk to the fire station to look at the fire trucks and to pick up some smoke alarms; a member of the Dairy Farmers Association told us how cheese curds are made, how cows are milked with a special milking apparatus, and we played some matching games about the Canada Food Guide; we had a special story from a story teller from the library. We sang a song about the Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly. We will be having a visit from a Pilot who will tell us all about flying and airplanes.
Tips for Teaching Good Behavior
Tell her what you want her to do. Avoid saying “Don’t” all the time (this isn’t teaching), and instead tell what or how to do something properly (this IS teaching). For example, instead of saying “Don’t drag your coat on the floor”, you could say “Carry your coat over your shoulder like this so it doesn’t get dirty”. Plan ahead. Before any field trip or special activity, tell the children what is planned, what will happen, and how you want them to behave. You’ll be amazed at how much this helps! Tell, don’t ask. If the child doesn’t really have a choice, then don’t give one. Say, “It’s time to put the toys away now”, not “Do you want to put your toys away?” Make it fun. Help your preschoolers want to do what they have to do. If you want them to pick up the toys, make it a game that you play together. If they have to wait in a line, sing a song together. Set things up to make good behavior easy. Move things to a high shelf or put them away if you don’t want small hands touching them. Organize transitions so children don’t have to wait in line or sit quietly for impossible lengths of time. Use plastic bins to may toy pick-up easy. Use daily routines so children learn what to expect, what to do next. Catch children being good, and encourage him. We often forget to do this! Encouraging him for good behavior helps him understand what you want. Don’t let the child think you only notice him when he misbehaves, or he will misbehave more and more to get your attention! Offer real choices. Sometimes offering a choice allows a toddler to exercise his autonomy and learn to cooperate at the same time. If you tell a boy to put on his jacket, he may say “no”, but he will probably stop and think if you ask “Do you want to wear the red jacket or the blue one?” Try this one during toy pick-up: “Would you rather put those in the box or in the basket?” Telling Why Teaches Cooperation
1. Power Control includes spanking, using force, and taking away things or favors. It also includes not hugging or talking to the child. 2. Reason Control means telling the child why he or she should act a certain way, in simple words the child can understand. Reasoning means pointing out that the behavior could hurt the child or others. For example, if a girl in your class throws sand, power control might be yelling or hitting her. Reasoning might be telling her that throwing sand could hurt other children by getting sand in their eyes, or hers, and she must stop. 3. Reasoning works better. Caregivers and parents who use reasoning are better able to control the children’s behavior and teach them to cooperate.
Redirection What We Saw: The teacher sits in front of the cupboard doors (to the diaper changing table) to keep a toddler from opening them. She sees a boy and a girl climb on the table and removes them, saying, “no, down”. She pulls the chairs away from the table. She sits them dwn on a chair and says, “play choo-choo?”. She begins to sing “The Wheels on the Bus”. The girl smiles and joins in with the actions. Another toddler walks over and joins them, but the boy wanders off. A bit later, he again tries to climb on the table. She tells him, holds him back, and points to the climber. She tells him “Go climb on the climber…go up, up, up the steps…go and climb.” He looks but then joins some children playing in a box. Soon, he again tries to get on the table. She pulls him down saying, “feet on the floor”. She touches his food and pats the floor, repeating, “feet on the floor…feet…floor. Stamp your feet”. She slaps the floor. Another child comes and stomps his feet.
What it Means: The teacher tries a variety of techniques to redirect the toddlers from the undesirable table-climbing activity. She uses words and actions to clearly state the limit. She offers a substitute activity, moving the action way from the table. A favorite action song is a good choice for an alternate activity, as it involves movement and the singing draws the children’s attention. The boy is persistent, so the teacher uses a consistent response, again reinforcing her words by physically removing him from the table. She offers him an alternate location for his climbing, encouraging him to use the climber in the room. Finally, she again restates the limit, telling him specifically what he should do with his feet. The boy exhibits the temperament trait of persistence. He is a child who needs much repetition and redirection away from inappropriate behaviors. It is very difficult to stop a behavior unless it is replaced with another behavior. That is why redirection is so effective. Saying “don’t” is less effective than saying: “Do this instead”.
SUMMER PROGRAM FUN! FUN! FUN! The summer program is scheduled to begin on July and run until August. Children from the age of 5 to 8 years will be able to attend the summer program. Register early, as there a limited number of spaces available and are on a first come, first served basis. The cost is $25.00/half day, $35.00/day or $110.00/week. Registration forms are available from the office.
SUMMER HOLIDAYS All parents are entitled to 2 weeks of holidays without paying daycare fees. You must be enrolled for 6 months before you are eligible for non-payment of daycare fees for holidays taken. Should you wish to take holidays anyway, you will be required to pay for your daycare spot while you are on holiday. If payment is not made, we will assume you are terminating your childcare spot and we will have no choice but to fill it with another child from our waiting list. Check with me regarding your child’s starting date.
Full and Part time enrollment We are a not-for-profit daycare dedicated to the healthy development of your child.
Winter 2006 Newsletter
Welcome to the Sixth Edition of our Winter Newsletter
CONTENTS: THANK YOU CHANGE OF SEASON BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION ADULT/CHILD RATIOS THE TODDLER CREED NINE TEMPERAMENT TRAITS SLEEP HOURS FOR CHILDREN FINGERPLAYS FOR BEDTIME IDEAS
______________________________ Happy New Year to everyone!!
The holiday fun ended
with Christmas, but there are always more exciting activities to keep us
busy in January. December is such a fun month. We love to watch as the
children come to understand the true meaning of Christmas. They learn about
the joy of giving, not just presents, but giving of themselves to make
others feel better. The wonder of the first Christmas story never grows old
and every year the three year old's eyes light up with the retelling.
Change of Season Please ensure your child is appropriately dressed for the winter season. Your child needs the following clothing for outdoor play:
v Snow pants v Warm mittens v Hat v Scarf v Boots v Indoor shoes v Please bring in an extra set of clothes for your child’s cubby and check it regularly to make sure the clothes are seasonal. If you borrow daycare clothes, please return them.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EACH CHILD CELEBRATING!
December – Grace – 3rd Shannon - 26th January – Cierra – 6th, Sheena – 13th, Mackenzie – 19th Ethan – 25th Timothy – 29th February – Brennan – 2nd, Justin – 7th, Harley – 18th Sebastien – 25th ____________________________________
ADULT/CHILD RATIOS Licensing Rules for Child Care (Day Nurseries Act) Ministry of Community and Social Services licensing rules for child care permit no more than 8 children in care with one teacher at one time and the maximum number of children permissible is based on the ages of children in care. The maximum number of children permitted is identified below:
Children 18 mos. Children 2 ½ yrs. Maximum number of children to 2 ½ years to 3 ½ yrs. per adult
………5……… ………8…….. …………………8…………………….
Reduced ratios of 1 staff/12 children occur during the following times:
2 hours after opening 2 hours prior to closing Staff lunch periods ________________________________________________
The Toddler Creed · If I want it...it's mine · If I give to you and change my mind later...it's mine · If I can take it away from you...it's mine · If I had it a little while ago...it's mine · If it's mine, it will never belong to anybody else...no matter what · If we are building something together...all pieces are mine · If it looks just like mine...it's mine
Nine Temperament Traits
·
· Persistent- They are committed to their goals.
·
Sensitive- They
are keenly aware of sights, taste, smells, textures, and sometimes emotions:
they feel what others do not. · Slow to adapt- They hate surprises and find it challenging to shift form one thing to another.
· Energetic- They're on the move. If they're not climbing or running, they're pacing, fidgeting, or taking things apart. · Cautious in new situations- A quick withdraw from anything new is very typical. · Serious- They're analytical, they tend to see what needs to be fixed, and they're reserved with their smiles.
Average Hours of Sleep Needed Daily by Children
Fingerplays for Bed Times
Snow Bears
ONE MOMMA POLAR BEAR CURLED UP IN A BALL. (hug yourself tight)
TWO BEARS SLEEPING SO FURRY AND SMALL (rest head on hands eyes closed)
THREE FRISKY BEARS TUMBLE IN THE SNOW (roll fists hand-over-hand in wheel-like motion)
FOUR BEARS PADDLE, “GO BEARS, GO!” (make forward strokes with hands for paddles)
Baby Bears Five baby bears in the bed,
(Hold up five fingers.) Bedtime
Here is a Baby
IDEAS
No-Sew Blanket
Materials: 1 ½ yards fleece in main color 1 ½ yards fleece in contrast color scissors
Directions: 1. cut selvage edges off sides and straighten the cut edges if necessary 2. lay the main fabric on top of the contrasting fabric, matching corners 3. cut a 4-inch square from each of the corners (cut a 4” x 4” piece of cardboard as a pattern to trace around) 4. cut fringe ½ inch wide and 4-inches in along all edges 5. tie each main fringe and the contrasting fringe beneath together into a square knot (right over left, and left over right)
Now who’s ready to snuggle with a good book, a song and a favorite toy?
Rates and Times Any time your child is here past four hours, you will be charged for a full day. Any time past the hours stipulated on your contract, you will be charged an additional $5,00 per hour. This policy has not been strictly enforced, but will now be effective. Thanks for your cooperation!
Announcements * PLEASE keep toys
at home, except for show & tell day. We are worried
Full and Part time Enrollment We are a non-profit daycare dedicated to the healthy development of your child
Winter 2005 Newsletter Welcome to the Sixth Edition of our Winter Newsletter
CONTENTS: CALENDAR FOOD DRIVE EXTENDED HOURS CHANGE OF SEASON BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION TEACHING ART AT HOME TOILET TRAINING COPING WITH TRICKY TIMES TOY LENDING LIBRARY
CALENDAR
Please mark the following school closure dates on your calendar: Monday, December 26th and Tuesday, December 27th
Food Drive Each year, we ask for donations of non-perishable food items in order to help a family who is struggling to make ends meet. We have donated food to single parents, families with sick children and to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. This year, we need your help more than ever. We will be collecting food until December 17th. We will then package it in boxes for delivery on December 20th to a deserving family. We are counting on your support to make this years’ food drive a huge success.
Extended Child Care Hours We are in the planning stages of providing extended hours for parents who work non-traditional hours. A survey has been sent out and we are waiting for the results. Once we can determine if there is a need for extended care hours, we will apply for an amendment to our license. This is a somewhat lengthy process and will take some time before the program is actually up and running. We will keep you informed on the progress. If you know of someone who is in need of child care after 6 p.m., please let them know about our program.
Change of Season Please ensure your child is appropriately dressed for the winter season. Your child needs the following clothing for outdoor play:
v Snow pants v Warm mittens v Hat v Scarf v Boots v Indoor shoes v Please bring in an extra set of clothes for your child’s cubby and check it regularly to make sure the clothes are seasonal. If you borrow daycare clothes, please return them.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EACH CHILD CELEBRATING!
December February – Jakob - 7th Samantha – 28th Harley –18th January Sheena – 13th Mackenzie – 19th
Teaching Art at Home
Art galleries and museums (many now on-line) help foster an appreciation for art and give the child new ideas for his/her own creations. Try to show your child originals or reproductions; have books around the environment with good reproductions linking the picture with the history. Stories can also help develop the child’s imagination. She may externalize them in her play and artwork. She may become the next DaVInci or Michaelangelo. This is why we have a variety of media for the children in the art room; clay, plasticene, playdoh, paint, crayons & pens, chalk and pastels, water colors, sand and color tablets. The children are able to draw or paint all day if they so desire. We offer art because the children love it. We use basic colors – red, yellow, blue, green and white.
TOILET TRAINING We have implemented the Montessori toileting method. For those of you who are not familiar with Montessori, Dr. Maria Montessori founded the first Montessori school in Rome in 1907. Complemented by her training in medicine, psychology and anthropology, she developed her philosophy of education based on actual observations of children. Dr. Montessori described the child’s mind between the time of birth and six years of age as the “absorbent mind”. It is during this stage that a child has tremendous ability to learn and assimilate without conscious effort. From the age of 9 months, children are put into cloth diapers. By using cloth, the child can feel when (s)he is wet and begins to control his/her bladder. By the time the child is 18 months old, (s)he is completely toilet trained. We ask parents to throw away disposable diapers, including pull-ups, and put the child in underwear. There will be accidents, but as your child begins to feel uncomfortable, (s)he will begin to exercise more bladder control | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
