HOLIDAY PARTY
On Wednesday, December 21st we will be having a “special visitor” at Haytown. We will also be having a special snack that day – sign-up sheets will be posted outside the classroom doors. School will reopen on Tuesday, January 3rd . Terrific Two’s and Three’s will start on Monday, January 9th or Friday, January 5th.
Holiday sing-a-longs: youngers on 12/14 and olders on 12/15
Extended hour days are Dec. 7 and Dec. 13. Sign-up is located outside the office door.
CALENDAR CHANGES
Because of the snowstorm and ensuing power outages, we lost a full week of school from October 31st through November 4th. To make-up those days, we will be tacking a week on to the end of the school year. So now our last day of school will be May 24th (May 25th for Fantastic Fridays). Of course, this can change if/when we have any snow days.
Also found out that most of the public schools have changed their calendars due to those missed days or other reasons. So, in concurrence with that, there will be no school on Monday, January 2nd. School will start on Tuesday, January 3rd. But now we have to make-up that day, so school will be in session on Monday, February 20th (for anyone that normally comes in on a Monday).
REGISTRATION FOR 2011-2012
This year has been great, so we are running the same basic programs for next year. Registration materials will be available later in December. For financial planning, please remember that your registration forms are accompanied by two months tuition and a registration fee – these are non-refundable. If this is a financial hardship, please let me know and we can work out an alternate payment plan.
Also, if you are unsure about placement or readiness for your child, please contact the teachers for a conference.
We will also be doing an Open House/Big Jeff concert in January. If you know of anyone interested in our school, please have them come. More details to follow.
HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS Several parents have approached me recently about “events” on the playground after school. Please, please, please be careful with your children on the playground, before and after school. The children know the rules about being kind to each other both physically and verbally – about keeping hands to themselves, about not walking up the slide, about not standing on top of the box on the pirate ship, about not hanging from their knees on the overhead ladder… But, of course they have to be reminded about this. Our staff is very vigilant during outside play – the children know there are consequences if they don’t follow the rules. I ask that the parents stay on top of this after school, too.
We try to go out to play almost every day. Since the weather has turned colder, please send your children with warm coats, hats, and with mittens that have non-slip palms (for safety on the climbing equipment). Please make sure that their names or initials are on their coats. If the playground is covered with snow, we will not go outside unless we first send a note home stating that we will.
This is the time of the year for colds, flu, and viruses. Since this is also a time of great exposure for our little ones, we ask that you take special precautions when sending your child to school. Please make sure that your child has been fever-free for 24 hours, vomit/diarrhea free for 24 hours, and have had 24 hours of an antibiotic (if they needed that) before returning them to school. Remember that there is an “Illness Log” outside the classroom doors so that you know what is “going around”.
NOTES
- Scholastic Books is doing very well. We’ve gotten many new titles to add to our library. Many thanks to Sandra Somers!!!
- Tuition ($350/$439/$455) is due on the first of the month. There is a $5 late fee if it is paid after the 10th of the month. Please let me know if there is ever a problem with paying the tuition – I would be glad to work out an alternate payment plan with you.
- There is still room in our Fantastic Fridays program. It runs from 9-12:00 and includes about 1 ½ hours of phys. ed, story, snack, outside/free play… It is taught by Fran Saitta.
- In spite of the power outages, in spite of not having school for a week, the fund riser turned out to be a great success!! Many thanks to those who came and for our very, very hard-working board of directors!
- Please remember that if the weather turns bad, you can always pick up your children early or not send them to school. We all have a variety of cars and driveways!
- The Thanksgiving Feast was incredible. The children were amazingly polite and well-behaved. Many thanks to all those who sent in food or helped out on that day.
- We are still collecting the caps for Aveda. We have already sent in 3 boxes of tops – about18 pounds worth!!!
- A note about teaching/using sign language: From Parents magazine, “Experts say that teaching children this age the signs for words and the alphabet can help with letter recognition and build their vocabulary. Kids just think it is fun.” It also adds (along with Handwriting Without Tears) a kinesthetic component to letter sounds – in addition to the visual and auditory. So that aids many children who learn primarily this way.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!
