Handling separation.... Usually by meeting children with parents in small groups the first day, separation is not so difficult on the second day. Please don't try to "hard-sell" Escuela or the idea of "growing up" to your child. Most children decide quickly that school is a fun place to be. Children pick up emotional cues from parents' facial expressions. Don't let your child see that you are fearful about leaving. Kneel down to make eye contact, help remove a coat, watch as the name tag is hung, then give a hug, explain when you'll return, say "adios" and leave. If you linger, your hesitance will reveal your concern and increase the child's anxiety. We have articles for you to read if you need more help. Sometimes it is necessary for parents to try other approaches. We'll let you know if your child remains anxious for a long period of time.
Parent and Teacher Communication.... A monthly newsletter will be posted on this website. It will include dates to remember, and a snack list indicating when your child will bring snacks to share with classmates. In addition, we will be noting our key learning experiences for each week and providing suggestions for activities you and your child might do together at home to reinforce what we're doing at school. We'll be a strong team. We have scheduled Conferences in December and March but are certainly available for a special conference at a parent's request. We appreciate telephone calls telling us of little problems so that we can prevent them from becoming big ones. We like hearing about what your child enjoys so we can continue to provide positive experiences. Check out the staff page for contact information.
Parent Participation..... Escuela would like to encourage parent involvement by offering you a number of opportunities to learn about your child as he or she interacts with peers in a rich, learning environment. The best way you can do that is by visiting Escuela, without siblings of your child to distract from your special time together. We hope that you can visit sometime after October, when your child is the Snackee. We will keep you so busy; you'll wonder where the time went. The following is a list of ways you may be involved and contribute to enriching our program as well.
- working/playing with small groups of children during free choice time in our classroom or outdoors
- preparing materials upon teachers' request
- doing "show and tell" about your job or profession
- serving as Safety Guard for a class by standing at the stop sign in the hall and making sure that only children with parents or caregivers go beyond it
- Sharing a hobby or collection with small groups of children at one station during free choice time
- preparing a hands-on science experiment to offer children in small groups duirng free choice time
- reading stories to children or printing their dictated stories for them to illustrate
- cooking or baking with a small group of children
- providing guidence in artistic expression or offering new art mediums
- bringing extra tools and providing woodworking experiences
- serving as a facilitator for a support group, sharing literature or experiences common to parents
Opportunities are limitless. Moms, dads, grandparents - you are always welcome whether you come with a specific plan or just to "hang out" with your child.
Appropriate clothing... Please send your child in casual, comfortable, washable clothing. If a child has difficulty getting pants undone in the bathroom, he or she sometimes hesitates to use the bathroom. Children may wear dress clothes on program days if they would like. We provide paint aprons but they are sometimes inadequate for the more vigorous artists. We have a few sets of dry clothing in case of accidents and would like them returned after cleaning. Please label all outerwear and check the lost and found box on a regular basis. Sick child... Parents will be contacted to pick up a child who appears to be ill. Until the parent arrives, the child will be provided a quiet area, excluded from activities with other children. Please do not send a child who has a fever, is vomiting, has diarrhea, pink eye or an undiagnosed rash. If a child has a health condition that requires regular medication, parents may sign an Authorization for Giving Medicine form to have a teacher administer it. In an emergency, if immediate attention is needed, 911 will be called. The staff will then contact the parents or others listed on the child's registration form. Food allergies should be brought to our attention. We can help your child decide what to eat of the snack provided or you can send a special snack. Book Orders.... Since this may be your first experience with a school book club, we'd like to explain how it works. Scholastic Book Club offers classics and new books at reasonable prices. When you receive the order form, you can assume that orders need to be turned in within a week and that the order will be sent soon thereafter. To place an order:
The books are delivered in about two weeks. Our school gets points for every book purchased which earns us free books for the classroom. |
(one gallon). We appreciate snacks which are quickly served. Chex mix can be placed in baggies or dixie cups. We do have access to a freezer so frozen treats may be brought. If you forget to provide the snack on your child's designated day, we will use our emergency supply which you may replace. If you need to change snack days with another child because of vacation plans, please feel free to make those arrangements. One of your child's snack days will be on or near his or her birthday. Please let us know if we have missed noting your child's special day. Summer birthdays are celebrated with "unbirthdays" in the spring. Programs and Special Days... Sometimes routines are changed. There are three brief programs througout the year - the last day before break in December, mid-February and just before Mother's Day in May. We do not have a costume party at Halloween, nor do the children exchange valentines. A gift box is placed in the hall a few weeks before Christmas for those who would like to contribute to a group gift for the classroom, which would benefit all children and teachers. It has been used to purchase toys and equipment of good quality. Discipline... At Escuela we think of discipline as instruction, training and correction which develops self control. We try to be fair (by setting rules that are age-appropriate and necessary for the safety and enjoyment of the group), firm (by insisting that the limits be recognized consistently), and friendly (by stating disappointment or disapproval of an action while keeping it separate from feelings about the child). We use the following methods of guidance:
"Time Out" will last no longer than five minutes. Our staff will seek additional professional guidance if our methods of discipline are insufficient or ineffective in individual cases. We will work with parents for the benefit of all concerned. As mandated by State law, staff will file suspected child abuse and neglect reports with the Ward County Child Protection Agency. |
Snack ideas.... We ask that the snack be nutritious... fruit, celery, carrots, pretzels, small cookies, muffins, but please NO CAKES or CUPCAKES even on birthdays. We ask that the snackee bring cups, napkins, and water for 25 