Nursery School September Newsletter

Nursery School September Newsletter

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
NURSERY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
A PARENT PARTICIPATION PRESCHOOL
Serving the Fullerton community since 1968
SEPTEMBER 2008
 
 
PRESCHOOL BEGINS
Everyone is excited to begin the school year and your child’s teacher will do all she can to help your child adjust to happy mornings away from home.  You can help by bringing you child on time and picking him/her up on time.  No one likes to be the last one to go home and these first few weeks are sometimes difficult and the hours long for some.  Don’t be surprised if your child falls asleep on the way home or at the lunch table!  This is a good opportunity for you to make some new friends.  Introduce yourself to others as you enter and exit school.
 
GREETINGS
Our doors will be open and greeting will begin at 8:55 a.m.  All children should be greeted by the director before entering their classroom.  (This is also a health check.)  Please do not go into your child’s classroom until the door is open.  State law requires each child be signed in and out by an adult each day with a legible signature.  When entering the classroom be sure the teacher greets your child.  Say “goodbye” to the teacher to be sure she knows your child is leaving.  School will be dismissed at 12:00 noon.  If for any reason you need to pick up your child early, please let me know. 

SHARING
Sharing will begin soon.  Watch for a note on the teacher’s bulletin board.  Our main focus during sharing is language expression.  Teachers may, at times, request certain theme related sharing items.  If a request is made, it will be posted on the bulletin board outside your child’s classroom.  Remember this will be a job for your preschooler, not another one for you!
 
CONVERSATION STARTERS
     Ask your preschooler what she did in school today, and most likely she’ll say, “I forget” or “Nothing.”  Or, if you’re lucky, “I played.”
     Since we can’t always observe our kids through a one-way mirror, we would like to suggest the following:
·         Read the lesson plans posted outside your child’s classroom door.  This will give you information on what goes on inside the classroom on a daily basis.
·         Learn the names of the children in your child’s class.
·         Ask specific questions about the day or about other children, such as “Did you sit next to Alex at snack time?”  “Did you build with blocks again today?”  “What was your story about?”  This gives your child a place to start.
·         Even if your child reports to you that she misbehaved, don’t overreact.  Remember that most preschool misbehavior is quite normal and predictable.  It is best to always respond in a nonjudgmental way.  For instance, if she days, “I hit Zoe,” ask why before reminding her that hitting isn’t acceptable.  If your child reports that she was hit by another child, remind her that she needs to tell a teacher and the teacher will help her.
    
WHAT IS A PRESCHOOL?
Everyone has a different view of what a preschool should be and what needs to school should meet.  We would like to clarify what we feel a preschool should offer, what our responsibilities should be and what we feel the parents’ responsibilities should be.
 
A Preschool should be ……………
            A place where your child will be kept safe.
            A place where your child will feel loved.
            A place of educational and developmental stimulation.
            A place of fun.
            A happy place.
            A place where parents can feel secure about leaving their most precious possession.
            A place where parents feel welcome and acknowledged.
            A place where it is OK to act like a child.
 
The Preschool staff should be……………
            People who have an abundance of energy.
            People who are enthusiastic.
            People who are creative.
            People who treat children with love and respect.
 
A Preschool’s responsibility is to…………..
            Maintain communication with parents.
            Meet the individual needs of the families it serves.
            Help parents through the separation process.
            Love children through the adjustment time.
            Maintain a healthy and safe atmosphere.
 
The Parents’ responsibility is to……………
            Maintain communication with the director and teachers.
            Label children’s belongings.
            Follow the center’s policies and guidelines.
            Understand that the teacher has more than one child in her care.
            Read newsletters and memos which are sent home.
            Attend parent meetings.
            Voice questions and concerns.
 
A Preschool is a place where a child will be exposed to many new things……………
            Friends.                                                             Germs.
            Creative art projects.                                          Aggression and biting.
            Music and dance.                                                Social interaction.
            Science and math.                                              Adults who love them.
            Dramatic play and language development.            Outdoor play.
            Manipulative activities and block building.             Different cultures.