Monthly Parent Night Outs

Our monthly Parent Night Outs have already started! If your child went to this month's, you might know that Ms. Tish did a science night! The kids made their own snow globe to take home, had pizza, and watched a movie while waiting for Mom & Dad. They had a ton of fun.

So far we have two more months of Parent Night Outs planned for you to have the option of bringing your child to Jellybean for a few hours while you enjoy a night to yourselves. In February, Ms. Rachel will be hosting the evening while the kids make big valentines, eat dinner, and watch a movie. In March, Ms. Ozzy will be hosting a drive in movie night! The kids will decorate a box that they bring from home as their "car", watch a movie, and eat dinner.

We talk about these Parent Night Outs every day during group time so the kids get super excited. You may hear them mention it at the dinner table or in the car on the way home. Check Juju's desk every month for the sign up sheet for the Parent Night Out of the month.

See you in the classroom!

Letter from Ms. Jenn - Sensory Play

I love sensory play! It is messy, fun, and children learn so much from it.  When children play in the sensory table they expand and define all areas of development:

Social Emotional: The sensory table allows so many opportunities for children to feel good about themselves and about the decisions they make since there is no right or wrong way to do it.  Children also have the opportunity to learn to cooperate and work side by side with their peers. When children work side by side with others they learn to understand someone else’s viewpoint while also being able to express themselves and share their ideas with their friends.  Not to mention the way the sensory table helps relieve stress!

Cognitive: The sensory table has so many learning opportunities that you wouldn’t think of. Math skills: things like measuring, size, counting, matching, conservation, sorting, and classifying.  Science skills: things like cause and effect, gravity, and learning the difference between solids and liquids. 

Physical: Fine motor and large motor skills are also defined while children play in the sensory table.  Children define their fine motor skills by sifting, pouring, grasping, and spooning.  They define their large motor skills by using their whole bodies to explore materials or using their feet when we have a floor sensory activity.

Creative:  Children can explore freely in the sensory table and make their own decisions on how they want to manipulate the materials in the table.  Being able to use your own creativity is a big self-esteem builder!

Communication/Language: When children are interested in something they are more likely to talk about it.  Many children are drawn to the sensory table since it is open to interpretation on how to use it, so this is the perfect spot for conversations to begin and continue.  Children also learn pre-writing skills from pouring, grasping, and spooning.

Life Skills: Children have the opportunity to work on problem solving and decision making as they determine how they are going to use the materials in the sensory tub.  They also learn skills like sharing with others in a small space and how to divide the material so all children can play. 

Sensory play is always a great idea for play time that enriches as well as interests the children. Enjoy!

- Ms. Jenn

What to Expect at Kindergarten Readiness Night

For those parents that have a child in the Purple Group, you may have heard about our Kindergarten Readiness Night on Wednesday. If you're coming, awesome! You'll learn a little bit about what to expect when you attend on Wednesday and what all you'll get out of it. If you're not coming, you can use this information to do your own research on how to prepare your child for Kindergarten.

Here's what to expect on Wednesday:

• Presentation from Juju: The wonderful and informative Juju will give a presentation throughout the entirety of the evening. All in all, this should take less than an hour. She'll talk about what Kindergarten is like, what to expect as a parent who is new to Kindergarten, and how you can prepare yourself and your child for this big step in their lives: not only academically but also emotionally. She'll also give you some resources for you and your child to get you started before summer arrives. These resources include the Kindergarten Readiness Packet and the Kid's Packet that she'll give you to take home.

• Kindergarten Readiness Packet: This packet will include enough tools for you to basically take home the presentation. It includes articles about Kindergarten, preparing your child, and how your child learns best. It also includes a master checklist so you can evaluate your child to make sure they know what they need to know for Kindergarten and some things you may need to help them with before that day comes. We don't want to pressure them as they're exploring and learning on their own, but we do want to make sure that they know the basics before Kindergarten so they don't get lost within the curriculum. Every child learns at their own speed but if we can provide the tools and subjects and get them interested, they'll thrive even more. If you want some different activities or ideas on how to get them started on preparing for Kindergarten, we have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to Pre-K work. Find it here.

• Kid's Packet: Lastly, there will be a kid's packet for you to take home to your child. This includes things like worksheets, books, and pencils to get your child started on the road to Kindergarten Readiness. We want to get them excited about Kindergarten and excited to learn these new big kid things.

If you have any questions about Kindergarten or how we join you in getting your child ready for Kindergarten, bring them to the presentation and Juju will be glad to answer them.

POTM: Biting Policy

The following is taken directly from our handbook. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

One of our most difficult jobs is informing parents that their child has been bitten. Unfortunately, biting does occasionally happen in any center. Here are a few reasons why: 
• Young children (under 30 months) do not have the language skills to express themselves. Biting is a form of non-verbal communication. It is like hitting or pushing. It is a way of saying no. Most biting stops by the age of three when children become able to verbalize their needs. 
• Young children often feel frustration because of their lack of vocabulary and motor skills. Biting is a way to get attention or release frustration. 
• Young children explore by putting things in their mouths. 
• Young children bite more when they are teething. 
• The discomfort of illness, particularly sinus or ear infections, can cause a child to want to bite on whatever is near. 

When a pattern of biting has been established by one child, we have several steps we take to minimize the occurrences: 
• We talk to the children to try to get them to verbalize their needs. For example, “Ted took your ball. Tell him, ‘My ball’”. 
• We try to have more than one of each toy so that children won’t have to compete for them. 
• We look for biting patterns. Teachers will document bites along with times, who they are biting, and events that preceded the bite to try to establish the bite triggers for that child. 
• We “shadow” the child. If a child has bitten more than twice, a teacher will shadow that child throughout the day. This means that the child will always be within arms reach of a teacher so that they can intercede if the child tries to bite again. 
• We communicate with parents to see if the behavior is happening at home, how it is handled at home, and if any changes have come about that may have triggered the biting. 

If a bite does occur, we comfort the child who has been bitten. We apply an ice pack to try to minimize swelling. If the bite broke the skin or it seems very bruised or large, we will notify the parents. We will only notify you of the situation-not the child who bit. Jellybean Daycare & Preschool will not expel young children for biting. Unfortunately, biting is developmentally appropriate for this age. It is our responsibility to break the cycle of biting and help children learn appropriate ways to communicate their needs. 

Biting in children older than 30 months will be handled as stated in the discipline policy.