February 2017 Newsletter

Coming Events

Valentine’s Day
Party
Tuesday,
February 14th

Presidents’ Day
No School/
No Extended Care
Monday,
February 20th

2017-2018
Registration due
Friday,
February 17th
 
Spring Break
No School/
No Extended Care
Monday, March
27th through Friday, March 31st


Registration 2017-2018
Registration forms were distributed on February 2nd for next school year.  These forms are only for current students planning to return next year.  Siblings and referrals must register with a different form which can be obtained in the office.  If you do not receive a registration form for your current student , please call the office.  Forms are due by Friday, February 17th  accompanied by a $200 deposit.  After this deadline, when all currently enrolled students and siblings have had the opportunity to register, the school will then confirm new students for any remaining classroom openings.
 
BEWARE!
  We have been aware of some very unfortunate incidents in the near vicinity of our school.  One involved a purse being stolen from an unlocked vehicle while the parent went into the daycare to pick up their child.  This was around 5:45 in the evening.  Child care centers tend to be targeted for these types of crimes as valuables are most often left behind in vehicles for short amounts of time unattended.
  The other incident involved several cars being broken into in a church parking lot between 9:30 and 10:30 am on Sunday, January 8th.  Windows were shattered and possessions were stolen. Also, the Liberty/Powell YMCA has been the latest target.
  Please take extra care and caution when taking that quick trip into school, a grocery store or drug store.  Lock your vehicle and make certain that all personal items are not visible through a casual glance in your car.

Observations
    One of the best ways to learn about Montessori, and to see how and what your child is doing, is to come and observe through the observation windows.  The school has an open door policy in which you are welcomed and encouraged to come and see your child in action.  At first, you will only focus on your child, but after a few visits, you will be able to see other children, watch the interaction and socialization, observe children working with the didactic materials, and be taken in by the activity and flow of a classroom of twenty four independent explorers.
  The observation windows are for your convenience and allow observations without disrupting the classroom.  We do ask that at anytime the classroom is in session, whether it is at the beginning or at dismissal, that you do not enter the room while the class is in session.  If you need to get your child, please ask and we will be happy to do this for you.  We thank you for respecting your child’s environment.

The school will be completely closed on Monday, February 20th.
There will be NO Extended Care.

Please Label Clothing
Please label your child’s clothing (hats, mittens, etc) for ease of finding the owners if lost.   Also, when sending in replacement clothing for your child’s clothing box make sure you put the child's name on the bag.

Snow Boots
When sending your child to school in snow boots, please make sure to send in a pair of shoes to change into.  Snow boots make it difficult for a young child to maneuver around the classroom during the day. 

 Snack Information
 Some parents have wondered “When is snack served in the classroom?”  With the exception of special occasions such as birthdays or days that French is taught and time is restricted, snack is placed in the classroom at the beginning of the session.  Two children at a time may take a seat at the designated snack table and serve themselves the snack that has been provided by a parent according to the snack calendar.  If you know that your child will be late or absent on your assigned day, we ask that you call another parent to exchange days.  If snack does not arrive at the beginning of the session, a substitution will be made in order to allow enough time for every child to participate.  The children really enjoy this time to eat and visit with a friend.  Thank you for your interest and participation!
 A couple friendly reminders…
     Avoid snacks with trans fat (partially hydrogenated oil).  Trans fats are industrial fats that keep products shelf stable, so all your crackers, all your snack chips have fat in them, and that fat is usually going to be a trans fat.  The only way to know that it’s trans fat is to look at the ingredients and see the words ’partially hydrogenated oil’.
       Large napkins are greatly appreciated accompanying a birthday snack, also, school does not keep a supply of spoons.  Therefore, if the snack you provide for your child’s class requires spoons, please be sure to send them along with the snack. 
For Preschoolers (Ages 3-5) the following preparations are recommended:
· Prevent choking by shredding or cutting meat into small pieces, no larger than one-half (1/2”) cubes.
· Cut cheese into thin slices or small one-half inch (1/2”) pieces.
· Round foods like grapes should be cut in half lengthwise so the shape is no longer round.
· Cut cherry tomatoes, grapes (lengthwise) and strawberries in half.
· Peanut butter—spread peanut butter thinly on toast, crackers, fruit or vegetables.  Do not serve in large globs. (This reference is for packed lunches, not snack as we do not serve nuts at our school).
· Hard candy over 1/2” in diameter and gum should not be provided to preschoolers in child care.
Thank you.

Child Pick Up
Thank you for providing the office with a note regarding the transportation of your children.  Just a reminder,  when both parents are out of town and transportation has been assigned to friends, neighbors or relatives; please be certain to indicate their contact information on the permission note.