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March 2024 Newsletter

March Newsletter

A Note from Our Principal (Header 2)February was a great month at our school! Our students celebrated diversity, friendship, and love. Valentine’s Day was enjoyed with class parties and special treats. In anticipation of spring, our teachers are busy planning meaningful learning activities that will help students gain an appreciation for the changing seasons.

Sincerely, Stacy Borwick

National Reading Month March is National Reading Month! Our teachers have exciting activities planned that include reading and reenacting favorite books, introducing students to new titles, and much more. Keep an eye out for additional details through Links 2 Home.

Open House / Family Referral Bonus Do you know a colleague who has recently had a baby, a friend in need of care who just relocated to the area, or a family member who is seeking a new preschool for their child? Invite them to our Open House on March 16th. When you refer a friend and they enroll, you’re eligible for a free week of tuition. Ask us for details!

Join Us For Our Next Parenting Workshop on March 19 

Learn strategies to help your child cope and manage their feelings at our next parenting workshop, “Helping Children Manage Anxiety” with Sarita Patel. We will identify and discuss common anxiety triggers such as school situations, social dynamics or lack thereof, sleep, and separation issues. Sign up at: https://conta.cc/3UnQnhn

Family Survey Launching Soon! Our enrolled family survey will be launching the week of March 11. This survey provides the opportunity for you to share your positive experiences within our school community and give feedback on our areas of opportunity confidentially.

Did You Know?  When children retell stories, they grow vocabulary, learn to sequentially describe events, and build the skills needed for fluent reading comprehension.

Summer Camp 

Registration for our Unforgettable Summer Camp is now open. The wait is over! There is nothing that compares to watching your child’s confidence grow and seeing them have fun and make friends. By enrolling, you’re giving them a summer they’ll never forget. Please contact us to learn more.

Important Dates March 2 – Read Across America DayMarch 10 – Daylight Savings TimeMarch 16 – Open HouseMarch 19 – First day of springMarch 29 – End-of-month folders go home

 

Hands-On Activities to Teach Your Preschooler About the Environment

 

Children are programmed to explore and experiment with their environment from the very beginning, even as infants. The Scientific Exploration component of our Links to Learning curriculum supports the development of scientific inquiry and expands upon children’s natural curiosity. Science activities develop many important life skills, but the most important benefit for young children is teaching them how to think and develop a sense of curiosity and wonder.

 

Below are some hands-on, age-appropriate activities to spark wonder and learning in your child.

 

Infants (0-1 year)

Provide toys that have incremental sizes (nesting cups, stacking rings) and toys that allow for the discovery of cause and effect (pop-up toys, interactive sound books).

 

Toddlers (1-2 years)

Encourage your child to observe and explore natural materials indoors and outdoors. Make a telescope using a paper towel tube and encourage them to look for certain objects. For example, ask, “Do you see anything that is green?” or “Can you find any insects?”

 

Beginners (2-3 years)

Involve your child in observing events in nature and discuss the observations.  Make a birdfeeder to hang in your backyard and ask your child “What is the bird doing?” or “Can you tell me what you see?”.

 

Intermediates (3-4 years)

Help your child learn about the five senses: see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Encourage them to use their five senses when exploring objects. Go for a nature walk and listen to birds, look at the shape, color and speed of the clouds, smell the pine-scented air, feel the rough bark.

 

Pre-K/Pre-K 2 (4-5 years)

Build new structures with your child using various materials such as empty boxes or coffee cans, sticks, cardboard tubes, etc. Talk about what you see your child doing as they are building and ask open-ended questions.

 

Something for all ages!

Find opportunities to talk about the weather every day and make it relevant to your child’s real-life experiences and routines. An example for younger children is, “It’s cold outside. We will need to put on our hats, gloves, and coats before we go to the playground.” Once your child is old enough, have them evaluate the weather each morning. Based on their evaluations, allow them to determine what clothes to wear. Talk about the different choices of apparel and why they may or may not be appropriate

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