December  2009

Theme — Our Family Traditions
Text Box: INDEPENDENCE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LIFE-LESSONS YOUR CHILD ACQUIRES. As teachers, our role in fostering independence is to provide your child with: Support Encouragement in exploration Patience An age-appropriate environment (as well as age-appropriate expectations) The opportunity to make appropriate choices One aspect of the children’s independence that we are focusing on is their ability to communicate with one another in appropriate manners. We try to provide them with the tools necessary to properly introduce themselves to other children, for example, when they want to join someone at an activity. We also are encouraging them to express & communicate what their needs & feeling are in a safe & appropriate way. We want the children to learn to control & verbalize their frustrations & feelings, so rather than jumping in & speaking for them, we guide them through the process of appropriately expressing themselves. This is a 2-way street. We hope to see children able to say, “Please stop”, as well as see children think of real ways to make an “I’m sorry” situation right again. Encouraging independence by allowing children to speak for themselves & develop problem-solving skills will provide them with a sense of accomplishment & competence which will benefit them in all areas of communication. - - - Teacher Andrea Text Box: PLEASE BRING TO SCHOOL A PICTURE OR AN OBJECT FOR ONE OF YOUR FAMILY TRADiTIONS WITH A DESCRIPTION OF YOUR TRADITION. Even just a little written piece is fine. And please pick ANY tradition that is important … you don’t have to limit it to December holidays! Text Box: Classroom Goals: We are encouraging each child’s confidence and independence: By voicing needs (for example, being able to tell someone to please stop bothering) By making positive choices By supporting our friends Text Box: TTh Classes Text Box: Featured Area: WATER IN THE TEXTURE BOX What are the children learning as they wash “babies” in the texture box? (Some schools call it a sensory table.) While washing the dolls, children are practicing gentleness and caring. While sharing the space with another, they are gaining language skills as well as negotiating skills. While playing in the water, they are experimenting with the physics of water—volumes, as they pour from a fat container into a tall skinny one; gravity, as some of the water runs down their arms. For many children, washing “babies” is a wonderful and needed soothing, calming interlude.

à Please return any blue tag gifts from our Giving Tree by Mon 12/7, and any green tag gifts by Wed. 12/9.

à School is closed from 12/19, and re-opens on Mon. 1/4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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