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Director
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September News We are so excited to get the new school year started and we look forward to a joy-filled, positive, and productive year with you and with your child! Forming positive, responsive relationships with children and families is my primary goal at the start of every school year. I find that this happens quite naturally when you just spend time with the students and parents informally. I have made it a point to participate in some key times of the day such as: lunch time, nap time, outside time, group times, and Meeting time. One of my favorite parts of working with young children is listening to what they have to say and learning about how they understand the world. I have been working in Early Childhood Education for over 22 years, across all my experiences I have observed many philosophies and styles of education. Throughout all these experiences one fact has remained; All children deserve quality early childhood education in a nurturing, engaging and safe environment with knowledgeable and caring teachers to support them on their educational journey. Please feel free to call me or email if you have any questions. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ At the Jericho STEM Academy your child's health is our number 1 priority! Allergy & Anaphylaxis Policy Upon enrollment at our academy and whenever there are changes, parents are required to provide us with up to date medical information for your child. including any allergies your child may have and any emergency medications prescribed for potential anaphylaxis. The school, parents and doctor will work in conjunction to fill out the required forms. These documents will guide the entire staff in the necessary actions to take during an allergic or anaphylactic reaction. Each classroom has a list of children's allergies with the child's photo next to the allergy. All staff members will be trained in the prevention, recognition and response to food and other allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. Our entire staff also maintain certifications in CPR & First Aid. Let the Fall Fun Begin! From the Director’s Desk: Dear Families, We can’t believe how fast September has flown by! It has been wonderful getting to know you and your children. We look forward to the months to follow and learning more about everyone on our journey together! We have a very exciting and full month ahead of us, filled with fun events and activities. Please continue to read the newsletters as they will contain all the important information you will need to know for the month. Now that summer has come and gone and we are entering into the Fall season, the weather will be getting colder. Please dress your child appropriately for the weather, as it is likely that we will be doing some outdoor activities such as exploring the change in color in the leaves. Please make sure to label all your child’s outerwear so it does not get lost. We are trying to encourage independence and develop self-help skills. Children can learn so much from doing things themselves. When children practice self-help skills they practice their gross and fine motor skills, gain confidence in their ability to try new things and build their self-esteem and pride in their independence. Thank you for helping us accomplish our goals. The days are flying, and our special activities are in full swing. FYI October 7-Our weekly music program begins October 10- Italian Heritage Day-Federal Holiday SCHOOL CLOSED October 13-We will visit The Jericho Fire Department which is in our parking lot. They will stop by with the fire truck and all the children will get to take a photo. Please send back the permission slip so your child can go. October 26- Our older students will visit White Post Farms. October 27-Diwali Celebration October31 Halloween Parade- Please have your child wear a costume over their clothes to school. No masks or weapons please. __________________________________________________________ November is a month to stop to think about the many things we must be thankful for. The leaves are falling, weather is changing daily and what happened to the daylight? Winter will be here before you know it. The children looked great for the Halloween Parade and enjoyed all the party festivities. Thank you for all the party goodies. This month we will be learning about Harvest time, Thanksgiving and Families. The children will learn about life long ago. They will enjoy playing, cooking, and living as the early settlers did. It is hard for young children to imagine a world without television, microwaves, and cars, much less a time without grocery stores The weather is changing, and we want to ensure we can still get outdoors whenever possible. Please make sure your child has an appropriate change of clothes in their class in case of accidents, messy art projects, etc. In addition to a change of clothes please wear, waterproof gloves, a hat, and a jacket to school every day in inclement weather. Remember to label everything. We follow our weather guidelines on when to go outside. If you have any questions on when that is just ask! FYI November 8 -National STEM Day School closed 11/11 for Veteran’s Day We will celebrate World Kindness Day on November 14 Parent/Teacher conferences will be on 11/17. Your teacher will let you know how to sign up for a timeslot. No aftercare or enrichments that day. 11/18-Mickey Mouse Day. Please wear a Mickey Mouse shirt Our Thanksgiving Feast will be on 11/23. The children will be Pilgrims or Native Americans. Each class will have a sign-up sheet for feast goodies. School closed 11/24 and 11/25 for Thanksgiving We will continue the Family Theme, Holidays, cultures, and traditions in December. We would love to learn about any special Holidays, traditions, songs, or recipes your family would like to teach or share with our classes in December. Please send anything you’d like to share with us to school with your child. As a preschool team, we would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to you for allowing us to be part of your child’s life while here at the Jericho STEM Academy. Thank you for your ongoing support, kindness, and thoughtfulness to our academy. We are truly thankful and appreciative. Have a very happy and restful Thanksgiving Holiday! __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ December Newsletter Dear Families, I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed some great family time and of course some wonderful food. We here at the Jericho STEM Academy are thankful every day for the opportunity to spend time with you and your children, and I am thankful for the hard-working staff that we have here every day who always go above and beyond for your children. I am very fortunate that I am part of the Jericho STEM Academy! Please make sure that you read the December calendar of events as we have a lot going on this month. If you misplace your paper copy, it is always available on the website or in a past message on brightwheel. As the weather is getting colder, please make sure that your children have appropriate outdoor clothing. We do still try to take the children out every day when it is 40 degrees or higher. Label hats and gloves so they can be returned to their owner when we find them on the playground or on the classroom floor. We have a new Parent Referral Program. If you refer a friend(s) to our school you receive a FREE week’s tuition. This is an unlimited offer. (Example: For 1 friend = 1 free week, 2 friends = 2 free weeks, 3 friends = 3 free weeks, 4 friends = 4 free weeks, etc.) As a quick reminder, should any of your contact information change, please do get that to us as quickly as possible so that we can update our records here. It is vital that we have accurate contact information for you and for any emergency contacts in case we need to get hold of you. We do need to make sure that all accounts are up to date as the calendar year ends so that your tax statements will be a true reflection for you. You can access them on brightwheel or if you have trouble we can email them to you. Wednesday, December 14th – Grinch Day! Wear GREEN or Grinch gear! Make sure to write a meaningful message to help make the Grinch’s heart grow!! 8 Multicultural Holiday Books for Children The holiday season is a time when we celebrate community, diversity, and the universal joy of giving. In the classroom, we introduce children to holiday traditions observed around the world by singing songs, making art, and tasting favorite local seasonal foods, as well as those from other countries. You can continue the learning at home by engaging in shared reading experiences with your child. Below are some of our all-time favorite multicultural holiday books. 1. Lights of Winter: Winter Celebrations Around the World by Heather Conrad Your child might be familiar with Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah, but what about Soyal or Los Posadas? This book introduces children to 10 winter holidays celebrated around the world. 2. The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving by Jan and Mike Berenstain This story does a wonderful job reinforcing the importance of showing gratitude and giving back to others. After reading, encourage your child to think of ways he can spread holiday cheer this year. 3. Dream Snow by Eric Carle This book tells the story of a farmer who falls asleep on Christmas Eve wondering if Christmas will come without snow. He then dreams about a magical snowstorm that covers him and his animals. Infants and toddlers will love the lift-the-flap version of Dream Snow, which is designed to help stimulate their growing sensory awareness. 4. A Kwanzaa Celebration by Nancy Williams Your child will enjoy learning about the traditions and principles of Kwanzaa as he delves into this pop-up book by Nancy Williams. He’ll even be introduced to African words and pronunciations! 5. Where is Baby’s Dreidel: A Lift the Flap Book by Karen Katz Your little one will embark on a reading adventure as he lifts the flaps to reveal dreidels, menorahs, potato pancakes and other symbols of Hanukkah. 6. Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto This book tells the story of a little girl who misplaces her mother’s diamond ring while making tamales. Not only will your child enjoy the story’s humor, but she’ll also learn the names of foods enjoyed by Hispanic families during the holiday season. 7. Lots of Lights by Kavita Sahai Although the Indian holiday of Diwali already occurred this year, it’s never a bad time to reintroduce some of the traditions your child learned in the classroom. This fun story includes catchy rhymes and adorable characters to keep your child fully engaged. 8. Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin Bringing in the New Year is a heartwarming story about a Chinese American family as they prepare for and celebrate the Chinese New Year. The book introduces food and festivities, such as a dragon parade, dumplings, lion dancers, lanterns, and fireworks. Potty Training Now, during our December break is a good time to try potty training since you will be home with your child for an extended time. Sweatpants or those with an elastic waist are the best to wear. Please make sure that there is sufficient underwear and extra clothes in your child’s cubby during this period. Accidents happen – it is a part of the process. Until your child is completely potty trained, you will need to supply disposable Velcro pull-ups along with diaper wipes You will be notified when the supply is running low We consider a child to be completely potty trained when he or she:
We are happy to work with your child to achieve this important milestone when he or she is developmentally ready and interested in the process. Focus on positive reinforcement (e.g., praise, stickers, and treasures). It is our desire to work closely with the parents during this time and we will do our best to support your at-home initiatives. Children should have already started the process at home. This will help them to be more successful at school. Everyone at the Jericho STEM Academy wish all of our families a very Happy New Year! Important Dates: December 7th trip to Science Museum December 12th Arctic Animals will be displayed December 16th- We will celebrate the first flight at Kitty Hawk by the Wright Brothers December 22nd- Class Holiday parties- All parents will be invited on zoom December 26-January 2- School closed _________________________________________________________ Welcome back and Happy New Year! Thank you to all of you who brought us gifts and goodies. We here at Jericho Stem hope that the holidays were wonderful for you and your family and that 2023 enters with health and happiness. As you read this newsletter, the children have returned to our school after the long holiday break and are very happily adjusting. It is heartwarming to see the children skip or run with exuberance into school after being away for so long. I hope they always find learning to be a joyful experience and Jericho STEM is their “Happy Place”. The children will be participating in winter activities, usually indoors, as the cold months are upon us. Although we like to take advantage of warmer days when we get them. Please make sure the children always have warm coats with them! We do try to make it outside whenever possible! Registration for the 2023-2024 is in full swing. Thank you for spreading the word to your friends and family! Priority Registration for current and returning families closes on February 6 for all families. Please make sure to turn your paperwork in promptly so you can take advantage of the discounts. We will be having a Shelter in Place drill on January 19th. This is just a drill and is used to practice if we had to stay in the building due to an issue outside. Important Notes and Reminders: School is closed Monday, January 16th in observance of Martin Luther King Day. Our school is going on a pretend trip across the United States on January 23rd. ****If anyone has any maps or globes you can donate to the school we would appreciate it. Chinese New Year Celebration on the 24th Children may dress silly for Opposite Day on Tuesday, January 31st! ____________________________________________________________ “Love and Friendship” is February’s special theme It’s amazing to think that we are now in the month of February! The students have been working so hard and I thank all the parents for helping. You are a big part of your child’s learning, and your efforts are sincerely appreciated. Your support helps our school run smoothly and increases your child’s learning and engagement. Thank you! We will continue to work on and expand on the students’ knowledge of math concepts like quantities, patterns, measurement, and data collection, oral counting, and number writing. Science concepts will include how things shadows & light, hibernation & nocturnal animals. February is National Dental Health Month. This month children will be treated to a very important presentation on good dental hygiene. The children will learn about proper dental care and will be bringing home a toothbrush to practice brushing their teeth. We are promoting future happy smiles. COLD AND FLU SEASON IS HERE! This is a great time of year to help your child focus on forming good healthy habits. It is especially important that during cold and flu season parents keep sick children at home to prevent spreading illnesses to others. The best way to keep yourself and your family safe and healthy during the cold/flu season is to:
Students and teachers will celebrate Valentine’s Day in their classrooms. We may need a special snack or treat for that day. Your teacher may contact you to sign up for a healthy or sweet snack. If your child is intending on giving Valentine cards or treats to classmates please bring in enough cards for each student in your child’s class. Monday, February 13th is Super Bowl dress down day! Be sure to wear your favorite teams’ colors or jersey. Monday February 13th- The dentist is coming here for a special presentation. Tuesday, February 14th- is our Valentine’s Day celebration! Have your child wear pink or red to school. Be My Valentine (sung to “Mary Had a Little Lamb”) You’re a special friend of mine, Friend of mine, friend of mine. You’re a special friend of mine, Be my valentine! Black History Month Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by Black Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Our students will learn about influential Black people through books, learning experiences, and classroom discussions. Some goals & concepts we work on: Language Arts: · The children will speak in complete sentences · The children will use pronouns correctly; him, her, it, them, they are etc... Music: · The children will be able to perform music expressively using the concepts loud-soft, fast-slow, and legato-staccato Personal & Social Growth: · The children will work towards being able to solve their own problems in creative and appropriate ways · The children will work towards being able to work and play cooperatively with their peers, both in small and large groups. Toddler goals & concepts * Identify pink (review white and red). * Introduce classifying objects. * Identify the shape of a heart. Language Arts * Show interest in books and stories. Music * Be exposed to many different music types. Personal and Social Growth * Practice using indoor voices while inside. * Use appropriate manners: please and thank you. * Play with other children appropriately. * Review all body parts. Physical * Practice pouring. * Exploring with manipulatives. Summer Program/JUNE SCHOOL We are only 1 month into 2023 but are already planning for Summer! Did you know that we offer a Summer Camp program? Our camp will run from July 5th-August 16th. The children will enjoy many activities during the 7 weeks of camp.. You can choose the weeks that are good for your family. Twice a week the children enjoy our outdoor splash park, team building activities, STEM, music, art, cooking, sports with Coach Steve & dramatic play. ** FYI school ends 6/14. We offer 9 more additional days for a small fee. Please register as soon as you can! ***2/20-2/24--School closed for winter break |