Presidents Day
Please remember we are closed on Monday February 16th for Presidents Day, we will reopen the next day, Tuesday the 17th. Thank you.
Parent/Family Handbook and Survey
This week you'll have found the updated Parent and Family Handbook in your child's cubby, along with the survey we mentioned last week. Please note, we have extended the due date for the family survey to give folks a little more time. They are now due on Friday February 13th. (spooky huh?!?) Thanks once again for taking the time to provide us with your valuable feedback.
We ask that you give the handbook a thorough read when you are able. A lot of time is spent constructing the guide, and we hope it offers more insight into who we are as a school community, helps explain our philosophy, and clarifies our policies and procedures. If anything in the handbook needs further explanation, please do not hesitate to ask questions. So cozy up to the handbook with a mug of cocoa, a few extra logs in the wood stove, and learn more about MVS.
ITERS/ECERS Assessor Visits
On Wednesday and Friday we had our final visits from Carol, our ITERS/ECERS assessor. You might remember that last week we highlighted the ITERS/ECERS Quality Ratings Assessment as part of our ongoing STARS application. So what are the immediate next steps?
Once we receive our results from Carol, our updated STARS application will be nearly complete. Through the ITERS/ECERS rating, we will also be able to identify our program's strong points, as well as the areas that need improvement. In a few weeks we will have more information to share with families. We appreciate everyone's support and questions about the process. Again, look for more on this topic in the near future!
What's in a Name? Well…Plenty!
For your consideration this week is an article from the Huffington Post by Katharine Rose, Associate Professor in Early Childhood Development at Texas Woman's University. Rose confronts the term "day care" when referring to early childhood education programs, and presents its problematic nature. Rose argues that in using the term day care there is value subtracted from what early childhood educators aim to do. Rose writes, "The term day care diminishes how complex and nuanced offering good quality childcare is." We happen to agree with her! Give it a read here, and of course let us know what you think.
Another point to ponder is what we DO call our school: "An early childhood learning community." If we pick it apart, it has a lot to say:
Early Childhood: We focus on the years of early childhood because we know from experience and research just how much of an impact this time has on children now, throughout their school years, and into their adult lives. (We've mentioned this resource before, but worth mentioning again: Let's Grow Kids!)
Learning: We learn a variety of topics in a multitude of diverse ways here at school, from letter and number recognition, to language acquisition, lifelong social skills, and more; the list truly goes on and on.
And finally, Community: From different backgrounds and experiences we form this unique place for children. Within that community, both parents and teachers nurture and support children as they grow.
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: We made it outside this week, hooray! The common theme the teachers have observed could be called "new levels of independence." Several children are beginning to roll to their sides when they see an object they want, they work hard to reach and touch the object to explore it. Another baby is now rolling completely over, and yet another is crawling to check out the entire classroom, not just the carpeted areas. Much of the time has been spent on the floor this week, and the children seem very content and happy. While on the floor, they have picked up on new objects hanging from the ceiling, including large, bright paper lanterns, and an upside-down umbrella. Featured books included the colorful The Rhythm of My Day as well as What's on My Head?
Infant II: The class has been focusing on acknowledging positive social interactions. For example, when children include a friend, share a toy, or sit at the table politely, both Carly and Kari identify the positive behavior and let the child know that it's something to be proud of. The little steps in the right direction are certainly something to be celebrated. As many of the children are developmentally in a place where language is taking off, both singing and reading have been huge this week. Some of the children are putting together more complex sentences as they communicate with the teachers and each other. The class also did some group art activities, one of which was painting with crumpled tissue paper, which provided both sensory and artistic engagement.
Toddler I: Toddler II has been a room full of energy! In addition to welcoming a new classmate, the kids were able to be active both in and out of doors despite some chilly temps. Inside, the children enjoyed playing with balls and scarves in the neighboring hallway. They also painted with finger paints and watercolors, AND had sand and Oobleck to stimulate the senses; be sure to check out the Oobleck photos below. Melissa and Hannah want to thank parents for all of the variety of fruit that was contributed for Fruit Salad Friday. They also ask for parents to minimize large or bulky items in children's cubbies, this way the children can independently access their own cubby without adult help. Thanks so much!
Toddler II: The class was very excited to welcome Carol into their room this week. Before her arrival, the children practiced shaking hands in circle to welcome her, and they talked about making eye contact when they meet someone. During Carol's visit, the children wanted to tell her all about themselves; the social butterflies of Toddler II wowed her! Also in circle, the kids have been working on name recognition, mainly, identifying their own names in writing as well as the names of their friends. As the children work on this skill, they have been heard pointing out letters in their friend's names as they come across them, "That's an S for ____." Or, "______'s name starts with F!"
Pre-K: Sledding with Sam was a real highlight of the Pre-K week as the class trekked through the deep snow for a sunny adventure on Thursday. Another source of fascination were the new color paddles on the light table. From investigating the paddles, the class wanted to do a bit more with colors, so they did some color mixing experiments with eye droppers and coffee filters. They are observing traveling colors, which they will check in on for Monday. Color themed books include Purplicious and Little Blue and Little Yellow. The students have also started a first draft of rules for their classroom. Thus far they include: 1. Remember to spread out so no area is too crowded. 2. When you have an idea to share, put your hand on your head. 3. We keep our feet on the floor. 4. We draw on paper. 5. When we touch, we touch gently and we always ask first.
As Seen At MVS
And see you next week! -Sam