The Learningden Preschool

February, 2010

Valentines Day Celebration

We will be celebrating Valentines Day this year and in preparation we will be making bags with the children next week. We ask as a reminder that you do not put names of individual children on the card, it would be great if your child could sign the card and have a few extra that way no child feels left out. Also we request that children do not bring valentines with candy in them, the children will be making special treats for that day and they really do not need the extra sugar. If you are interested in bringing something for our celebration or you would like to help out please let Erika, Karin, or your Child's teacher know this week. The following is what we would like to get for the children that day:

Red fruits
Red play dough
Paper hearts
Ribbons

We welcome any of you to choose an item on the list to bring for that day, or if you can we would love for you to join us. We will be celebrating at 10:00 am Friday the 12th.

Summer Planning

Summer is quickly approaching and we thought we would fill you in on some of the special activities we are planning. The biggest news is that we are planning for weekly field trips to take advantage of our beautiful Santa Barbara summers. We want to make the summer fun and exciting while enriching the children with broad new adventures. In keeping with the spirit of Summer freedom we will also implement new discovery centers both inside and outside. The idea here is to have one teacher at each center and let the children choose which centers interest them and have the freedom move between them at their will. Please remember that next month we will handout forms for those who wish to take extended family Summer vacations and would like to reserve your spot.

Children's Health Spotlight - How to help your child sleep

Getting a child who isn’t interested in ending the day to go to bed isn’t always easy. But there are things you can do to help your child wind down at bedtime and prepare for a good night sleep.

Establish a Bedtime Routine -- For preschoolers who crave familiarity, a routine offers comfort. And as the routine is established, your child will learn to embrace and expect it.

Eliminate TV -- It may seem like a relaxant, but the television can actually act as a stimulant. And take it out of your child’s bedroom.

Read, Read, Read -- What could be more soothing than a bedtime story

Let Sleep Come Naturally -- As tempting as it may be to rock your child to sleep or to stay in the room until they drop off, don’t. By 3 years old, a child should be able to fall asleep on their own. Make sure the room is cool and dark, play some quiet music and leave the room while they are still slightly awake.

If your child is still having trouble at night, give your pediatrician a call. There could be an underlying health issue. Let the doctor know if your child snores, is particularly restless or is suffering from nightmares or night terrors.

Family Festival in February - Panels for parents, live music, kid’s activities, parent resources, pregnancy resources and much more! Look in Feb Newsletter for more info.

Valentine’s Day is coming and we ask that Valentine cards not have candy and not have individual children’s names on them. Have your child sign their name and make sure that there is at least 20 cards to ensure that all children get one. We will be having a celebration and making Valentine bags, this will really help us distribute the cards. If you are interested in bringing a special snack or treat please let Erika or Karin know. Let’s make this Valentine’s Day fun and special for the kids. We appreciate your help.

Blue Dolphins

It is all about the blue dolphins this month. They explored space briefly and made spaceships out of recycled glass and bottles, made space mobiles, and turned the classroom into a solar system. It was a lot of fun and perfect timing because they finished travelling the world right before that. Making this very fitting.

Like you have seen in the last couple of months the projects in the blue dolphin class can last anywhere from a day to a year, and may end up somewhere completely different from where they began. If you have not seen the documentation of your children from the travel unit make sure you stop and ask Ms. Karin or Ms Vivienne to show you.

Communication is vital – teachers need to share their observations with one another and with parents, to keep everyone abreast of the constantly shifting curriculum.

This month it is back to earth and they will be learning about their peers and families. This month the blue dolphins will be spotlighting each student in the “All About Me” theme that the children have expressed interest in getting to know their peers and also to be able to share their own interests and passions with the rest of the class. Each child is spotlighted for the day and they are allowed to pick activities, prepare their favorite food, bring things in to share or even bring a treat for their peers.

Purple Sharks

Purple sharks have been busy deciding on the direction their class is going to take next. For the last several months they have been doing many projects and documentation around letters and literature. Since our teachers are not there to simply give answers, but rather to observe, to facilitate learning, and to learn right alongside the children; the children have decided to do a dinosaur and archeology theme. Ms. Amalie, is in the process or creating a digging exploration station, clay, sculpture, tools, and art will all be used in this unit to create something magical. The children will be turning the room this month into a pre historic world.

Rainbow Fish

This month the Rainbow fish have been really focusing on painting and explorative play with different sensory materials and beading stations set up in their classroom.

In the last month what we have been doing with the children is to gain experience by asking questions and hunting for answers. They have been learning to trust themselves, and their decision making abilities, and their curiosity has been met with enthusiasm.

The Rainbow fish Gallery has really become a child inspired focal point for the classroom this month, and we will continue to add to it and expand into clay and sculpture as we finish out Feb.

Ms. June would also like to welcome all her new Rainbow fish to the classroom, the are getting along well and learning new things about each other everyday. During outside time this month the rainbow fish have been and will continue watering our plants in the yard. They have been helping with this all month and have really enjoyed the experience of watching the garden grow. We are also really looking forward to seeing the sunflowers that we planted start to grow. If you have any questions about the Rainbow Fish please feel free to ask Ms. June.

Green Turtles

The small but fun class of the Green Turtles have some new additions this month and several more children starting in March. We have been doing a lot of sensory projects this month and enjoying group time under the sky of butterflies in the group time area.

The art area has also been a great source of fun for the children. Last month the children painted with shaving cream and will begin working with clay this month to add to the mediums that the green turtles use in the classroom. Look forward to some great documentation of the children doing projects in these areas. We have also been utilizing the light room which has also been really fun for them. They are a loving group of children who are progressing and getting to know one another everyday. We are excited to be looking for another teacher to co-teach-in that room in March

Wish List

Area Rugs - Large for light room
Antibacterial cleaing wipes
Seven large packs of multicolor construction paper
Washable blue paint - gallon and liquid watercolors

Thanks to all Parents who contributed to our wish list last month! It is greatly appreciated.

Other News

• The Learningden Preschool is completely funded by your tuition and to make sure that the school is successful for years to come we ask that you pay tuition by the 5th of every month. Because this is so important to the school we are going to start enforcing a $40.00 late payment fee for tuition received after the 5th. If you are having a hard time and need extra time we need to know before the 5th. We also accept credit card payments, as well as automatic payments for tuition, please ask Erika for more information. Non- payment may result in your family needing to find alternative care arrangements until past due is paid.

Past Newsletters:
October '09
November '09
December '09
January '10