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first walk of the new school year!
[Notes from Shawna] Hello Folks!!
I hope that you have all gotten off to a wonderful start to our new school year. The children have come back with energy, smiles and hugs! We have been planning and moving things around to meet the needs of the children. Please let us know if you have any questions about things you are seeing.
Please be sure that cubbies are STOCKED! Children get pretty, dirty while playing and with the heat, water is being used daily. Some children do not want to take their clothes off, so extras are imperative.
Please remember that tuition is due on the 1st of the month, with a grace period until the 10th. If you pay after this date a late fee will apply.
Also, as a reminder, there will be an open house on Thursday September 14th!
September Newsletter [Cate ELC]
[MISS SHYLA]
Hello Families! My classroom (Ivy, Desmond, Henry and Willa) is learning all about textures this week! Our indoor classroom has texture books for the children to interact with and picture frames that frame various textures such as soft rugs, rough sandpaper and smooth leather. We’re learning words like “rough,” “scratchy,” “soft,” “smooth” and wet. Take a look at the lesson plan posted on the cork board by the front door to see the various sensory activities we have planned and which types of textures we will specifically be discussing so that you can continue the learning at home!
[MISS GISELLE]
Our focus for the next couple weeks will be emotions! Navigating through social situations can be tricky at two years old, so focusing on how we feel can be helpful. We will be discussing what emotions we feel, and what we can do with those emotions. As a class, and throughout the day, we will also be observing our friends’ emotions, and discussing how we can help our friends when they feel sad, angry, etc.
This unit will be so fun; already, our class is full of love and kindness. Any favorite books on emotions would be appreciated, as well as discussions at home about emotions.
[Miss Katya]
Hello parents! I’m excited to join the Cate ELC family and looking forward to what the school year has to offer. Within the first couple of weeks I feel like I am a part of the ELC family already, so thank you!
These past few weeks I have been observing my friends interest in our outside classroom. I can’t wait to incorporate their current curiosities in our lesson plans.
[Story of the Month]
Henry Flannery was starting to show a lot of interest in using the potty after seeing
a few of his friends begin the potty training process. He asked his teacher if he could try to sit on the potty too, which
she happily agreed to!
After he came out, Mahana smiled and asked, “Henry, did you try to go pee on the potty?” Henry said, “Yeah I did!”
Mahana responded by giving a thumbs up and saying, “Good job Henry I’m so proud
of you!”
The Development of Empathy (by Christina Vlinder) By letting children work out most conflicts on their own, while adults provide narration and keep things safe, we show that we trust that children will develop empathy without being “taught.” In my toddler class, there is a child, Shanice, who has always been driven to interact with her peers. She loves giving the other children hugs, taking their clothes on and off, touching their heads and faces, talking to them, and taking toys from them. Here are three examples of Shanice interacting with her peers. I wonder if you see the same thing in these play vignettes as I do? Shanice pulled a toy away from Maria. Maria frowned and picked up another toy. Shanice pulled that toy away too. Maria began to cry, and Shanice grinned widely. “Maria sad. Maria crying,” she said to me.“ Yes. Maria is sad. She wants the toy,” I responded. A few moments later, Maria stopped crying and watched Shanice with a serious expression on her face. “Maria sad, Maria crying,” Shanice repeated. She stopped crying. Is she sad? I’m not sure.” I moved to get a better look at Maria’s face, and Shanice looked at Maria more closely too. After a few minutes of further back and forth, Shanice went over to her mother and continued her conversation about whether or not Maria was sad and why. A little while later, Natsu fell and bumped his head. I was near Shanice at the time, and we had another conversation about emotions.“ Nat sad,” Shanice said, again with a smile. “Yes, Natsu is sad. He fell. It hurt.” “Hurt,” Shanice said. “Hug.” “Natsu is getting a hug from his Auntie. I think he is starting to feel better.” We watched Natsu together as he calmed with his aunt. Shanice went behind the curtain to look out the window. Adrian, was sitting in his father’s lap nearby. He called out, “Where is she!” Hearing this cue, Shanice popped out from behind the curtain. “There she is!” Adrian said triumphantly, and they both laughed. They repeated this interaction many times, making everyone–both adults and children– laugh. It’s a lot harder for adults to watch the first play scene than the other two, but I believe they are all part of the same process: developing empathy. Empathy is a very complicated skill. It requires: -firsthand knowledge of the somatic sensations of emotions, which babies develop starting at birth -the ability to recognize and repeat vocabulary about emotion, which happens in early toddlerhood -theory of mind (knowing that someone else can think or know something different from you), which doesn’t fully develop until the preschool years -the ability to pull together this knowledge to predict an emotional response, or to read an emotional response, and then act on it in a way we adults can see. This process doesn’t happen consistently until children are in preschool, although we will see many signs of it before then. As children get more experienced with conflict resolution and empathy, we will see more reciprocal interactions like the peek-a-boo game and fewer games that upset the other child. In the meantime, our job is simply to remain calm, narrate, and keep the children safe.
[Miss Alicia and Miss Crystal] Miss Crystal and Alicia have become a fluid team caring for your precious babies. They have been dedicated to implementing the RIE principles of respectful care and have thoroughly enjoyed every day spent with your little ones. Alreadya month into the school year and so much development has occurred. So far, we have witnessed them practice their fine and gross motor skills by grasping, rolling over, standing and climbing! The bonds created in this short time are genuine, loving and most of all fun!