From the Principal’s Office
It is hard to believe that it is May and we are busy planning for summer camp! Let’s hope that the rainy weather is behind us so we get out and enjoy the sunshine and smell the spring flowers.
Teacher Appreciation Week
May 4th – May 8th is Teacher Appreciation Week and we have planned something special each day for our teachers. Everyone should have received an email about the themes for each day. Please contact the office if you would like to donate a breakfast item for the staff to enjoy on Friday morning.
Mother’s Day Tea
All Mothers and Grandmothers are invited to join us for Tea and Cookies on Friday May 8th. It is our small way of thanking all of our wonderful moms!!
Construction
We will send out email reminders and updates as soon as possible in regard to road construction and lane closures. Thank you for your patience.
Cubby Clothes
Be sure to stock your child’s cubby box with summer clothing items, now that the weather is getting warmer. It’ also a great time to check the sizes of the clothes you have stored in your child’s cubby. Lastly, remember to keep 2 full changes of clothes in your child’s cubby box and an extra pair of shoes.
Safe Footwear
Please keep in mind that the safest shoes for children to wear at school are tennis shoes. Sandals, open-toe and slick-soled shoes may not be worn to school. This policy is stated in the Parent Handbook under the Personal Belongings/Clothing section. With summer coming please do not allow children to wear flip-flops or open-toed sandals to school. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but our main objective is to protect the children.
________________________________________
Reminders
* Don’t forget to check your child’s cubby for important information from their teachers and the office.
* Please make sure that you are signing your child in every morning and out every evening. Thank you for your consistency with signing the book!
* Parking Lot Safety – Remember to drive slowly and cautiously through our parking lots. There are several small children and their families in the parking lot throughout the day and we want to be sure that everyone is safe! In addition, please do not leave children in the car unattended. It is also important that you do not leave your car running while in our school.
*When dropping off or picking up your child, you must enter and exit through the front doors only. Please do not allow other families to “piggy back” in after you, even if you recognize them. As a safety precaution, this will help us to monitor who is coming and going from the building at all times. Though you may be tempted to use the playground gates or side kitchen door, please refrain from doing so. Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.
* Tuition Due – Tuition will be due on May 11th and 26th. Please make sure that your account is current with the tuition cycle. There will be a $25 late fee assessed to all payments made after Wednesday of the tuition cycle. If you are interested in our automatic withdrawal program please stop by the office to pick up an authorization form.
________________________________________
Important Dates to Remember
May 4th-8th – Teacher Appreciation Week
May 8th – Mother’s Day Tea at 3:30
May 25th – Enchanted Care will be CLOSED for Memorial Day
________________________________________
From the Education Department
Developing Writing Skills in Young Children: From Crayons to Concepts
In the early preschool years, writing starts with practicing fine motor skills and progresses to include concepts such as vocabulary, sentence structure and inventive spelling. Our curriculum builds the foundation for writing beginning with our infants. Our teachers not only instruct students how to write, but they also help instill a love of writing and self-expression.
Below are activities we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about writing, as well as fun activities to try with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS
• In the classroom: Our infants and toddlers practice picking up and placing objects into containers, building hand strength and coordination.
• At-home activity: Give your child plastic cooking utensils, such as spoons and spatulas, along with a large bowl. Place appropriate finger foods in the bowl, and encourage your baby to pick up the utensils and use them to move the food around. Choose utensils with different sized handles so your baby learns how to grasp and hold objects in various ways.
BEGINNERS (Ages 2-3)
• In the classroom: During imaginative play, teachers provide pens, markers and crayons to encourage students to practice writing. For instance, they pretend to own a restaurant and write food orders, and pretend to be doctors and take notes about the condition of their stuffed animals.
• At-home activity: Incorporate writing activities during playtime. Bring sidewalk chalk outdoors and ask your child to write what they see. Don’t correct spelling or proper letter formations. Show enthusiasm in any efforts he makes, as this is how children learn that words are powerful and have meaning.
INTERMEDIATES (Ages 3-4)
• In the classroom: Different writing tools and surfaces make writing more interesting for children. Our Intermediates use chalk on a chalkboard, form letters using modeling clay, and finger paint on canvas.
• At-home activity: Three year olds enjoy mimicking adults in their daily activities. Allow your child to engage in a new writing activity with you, such as writing a grocery list or a thank you card. Explain to him what you are writing and the purpose it serves.
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (Ages 4-5)
• In the classroom: Teachers make writing fun for our older preschoolers by creating a classroom post office and asking the children to write and mail letters to each other. Through this activity, students practice communicating thoughts and ideas on paper, using proper grip, writing first and last names in correct case, and writing words independently by using inventive spelling. Inventive spelling encourages a love for writing and reinforces phonics. Traditional spelling is encouraged as students move into more formal writing in early elementary grades.
• At-home activity: After a family outing, invite your child to write about his day in a journal. Encourage him to use uppercase and lowercase letters. If he asks for help writing more challenging words, have him attempt to spell them by sounding out the word and writing the letters that make that sound. Invite him to read his journal entry to you.
We provide many opportunities for our preschoolers to develop and practice their writing skills. By setting this foundation, they will be better prepared to communicate thoughts and ideas through writing in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education
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May Newsletter
From the Principal’s Office
It is hard to believe that it is May and we are busy planning for summer camp! Let’s hope that the rainy weather is behind us so we get out and enjoy the sunshine and smell the spring flowers.
Teacher Appreciation Week
May 4th – May 8th is Teacher Appreciation Week and we have planned something special each day for our teachers. Everyone should have received an email about the themes for each day. Please contact the office if you would like to donate a breakfast item for the staff to enjoy on Friday morning.
Mother’s Day Tea
All Mothers and Grandmothers are invited to join us for Tea and Cookies on Friday May 8th. It is our small way of thanking all of our wonderful moms!!
Construction
We will send out email reminders and updates as soon as possible in regard to road construction and lane closures. Thank you for your patience.
Cubby Clothes
Be sure to stock your child’s cubby box with summer clothing items, now that the weather is getting warmer. It’ also a great time to check the sizes of the clothes you have stored in your child’s cubby. Lastly, remember to keep 2 full changes of clothes in your child’s cubby box and an extra pair of shoes.
Safe Footwear
Please keep in mind that the safest shoes for children to wear at school are tennis shoes. Sandals, open-toe and slick-soled shoes may not be worn to school. This policy is stated in the Parent Handbook under the Personal Belongings/Clothing section. With summer coming please do not allow children to wear flip-flops or open-toed sandals to school. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but our main objective is to protect the children.
________________________________________
Reminders
* Don’t forget to check your child’s cubby for important information from their teachers and the office.
* Please make sure that you are signing your child in every morning and out every evening. Thank you for your consistency with signing the book!
* Parking Lot Safety – Remember to drive slowly and cautiously through our parking lots. There are several small children and their families in the parking lot throughout the day and we want to be sure that everyone is safe! In addition, please do not leave children in the car unattended. It is also important that you do not leave your car running while in our school.
*When dropping off or picking up your child, you must enter and exit through the front doors only. Please do not allow other families to “piggy back” in after you, even if you recognize them. As a safety precaution, this will help us to monitor who is coming and going from the building at all times. Though you may be tempted to use the playground gates or side kitchen door, please refrain from doing so. Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.
* Tuition Due – Tuition will be due on May 11th and 26th. Please make sure that your account is current with the tuition cycle. There will be a $25 late fee assessed to all payments made after Wednesday of the tuition cycle. If you are interested in our automatic withdrawal program please stop by the office to pick up an authorization form.
________________________________________
Important Dates to Remember
May 4th-8th – Teacher Appreciation Week
May 8th – Mother’s Day Tea at 3:30
May 25th – Enchanted Care will be CLOSED for Memorial Day
________________________________________
From the Education Department
Developing Writing Skills in Young Children: From Crayons to Concepts
In the early preschool years, writing starts with practicing fine motor skills and progresses to include concepts such as vocabulary, sentence structure and inventive spelling. Our curriculum builds the foundation for writing beginning with our infants. Our teachers not only instruct students how to write, but they also help instill a love of writing and self-expression.
Below are activities we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about writing, as well as fun activities to try with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS
• In the classroom: Our infants and toddlers practice picking up and placing objects into containers, building hand strength and coordination.
• At-home activity: Give your child plastic cooking utensils, such as spoons and spatulas, along with a large bowl. Place appropriate finger foods in the bowl, and encourage your baby to pick up the utensils and use them to move the food around. Choose utensils with different sized handles so your baby learns how to grasp and hold objects in various ways.
BEGINNERS (Ages 2-3)
• In the classroom: During imaginative play, teachers provide pens, markers and crayons to encourage students to practice writing. For instance, they pretend to own a restaurant and write food orders, and pretend to be doctors and take notes about the condition of their stuffed animals.
• At-home activity: Incorporate writing activities during playtime. Bring sidewalk chalk outdoors and ask your child to write what they see. Don’t correct spelling or proper letter formations. Show enthusiasm in any efforts he makes, as this is how children learn that words are powerful and have meaning.
INTERMEDIATES (Ages 3-4)
• In the classroom: Different writing tools and surfaces make writing more interesting for children. Our Intermediates use chalk on a chalkboard, form letters using modeling clay, and finger paint on canvas.
• At-home activity: Three year olds enjoy mimicking adults in their daily activities. Allow your child to engage in a new writing activity with you, such as writing a grocery list or a thank you card. Explain to him what you are writing and the purpose it serves.
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (Ages 4-5)
• In the classroom: Teachers make writing fun for our older preschoolers by creating a classroom post office and asking the children to write and mail letters to each other. Through this activity, students practice communicating thoughts and ideas on paper, using proper grip, writing first and last names in correct case, and writing words independently by using inventive spelling. Inventive spelling encourages a love for writing and reinforces phonics. Traditional spelling is encouraged as students move into more formal writing in early elementary grades.
• At-home activity: After a family outing, invite your child to write about his day in a journal. Encourage him to use uppercase and lowercase letters. If he asks for help writing more challenging words, have him attempt to spell them by sounding out the word and writing the letters that make that sound. Invite him to read his journal entry to you.
We provide many opportunities for our preschoolers to develop and practice their writing skills. By setting this foundation, they will be better prepared to communicate thoughts and ideas through writing in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education