The New School Year Has Begun

The new school year is in full swing. Routines are being learned, friendships are being made, and learning is in high gear! There are so many new faces in the center and I am looking forward to getting to know everyone! With that in mind, I want to take a quick minute to go over just a couple of things that may make your lives a bit easier as you settle into your new routines.

First, be sure to check in with your child's teacher everyday. This will ensure you get the information that you need about what is going on in the classroom and with your child specifically. When in the classroom, be sure to look at the Parent Info Board for field trip info, cooking projects, and Show N Tell info. In each classroom there is also a Skill Builder Board" where the teachers post items that the children are working on in class. These items will not be sent home, they will be kept as samples for the portfolio you will be given at the end of the year, so be sure to check out the work when posted. Then, in the office, there is a calendar where the teachers post their field trips and we post important info such as Picture Day (Sept 27th), special events, or closure dates. We will also post these on the sign in sheets. Finally, Leanne will send out next month's bills around the 20th of the current month. Don't panic, it does not mean that you need to pay it when your receive it, it is simply letting you know what the next's month's tuition will be and so you can plan accordingly. Tuition is due on the date you specified on your Financial Agreement. If you don't remember, just ask and we can look it up for you.

If you have any questions, please be sure to ask. There are three of us at the front desk who can answer questions. Barbara, Leanne and I are happy to help in any ways that we can!
Welcome to Harvard Park!

Suzi

Emotions Running On High

New routines, friends, classrooms, and teachers all around can be a lot for kids to handle! Children need a lot of support to get through these times of transition. One of the ways that we can do this is to develop our children's Emotional Intelligence. Teaching children how to communicate how they are feeling is one of the most important things we can do for them. With out the proper tools in their emotional toolbox, children can lash out with behaviors that only make a tense situation worse. When children are experiencing emotions they don't know how to handle, they react in a physical way. They cry, scream, hit, kick and tantrum because that is what they know. If we teach our children how to communicate what they are feeling, we can help them to understand the situations they are in and how to handle them. One simple way we do this is by labeling emotions as we feel them. This goes beyond the simple "mad", "sad", and "happy". Children need to understand that there are many different emotions and how those emotions feel. Then we help them label the emotion they are feeling.

At school we spend a lot of time talking about how we feel, labeling emotions, role playing situations and how to handle them. We read books and discuss how the people in the story are feeling. We examine the character's faces, their body language and try to put ourselves in their shoes. We talk about other ways to solve a problem. The teachers communicate to the children when they are feeling "joyful", "melancholy", or "upset" in order help the children see emotions in action and give them the tools to handle them appropriately.

If you would to learn more about helping your child develop his emotional , just click on the link to the left for a great article with great tips.

SuperTots Sports Class Starts Sept.19th

Multi-Sports Hoopster Tots and Soccer Tots classes are beginning next week. This class is open to children from Green Group to Red Group! Classes will take place in our backyard during in the mornings! If you are interested, please click on the link to the left to register your child online!