Early Childhood Connection
May 7, 2021
Hello Preschool Families and Guardians,
Today marks National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day and the month of May celebrates Mental Health Awareness. National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day shines a national spotlight on the importance of caring for every child’s mental health and reinforces that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development.
There is not one person that hasn't been impacted by the events since March 2020. In fact, the pandemic may have been particularly distressing for children and youth across the globe who are trying to make sense of all this. Our children were thrust into a space where, yes, they have been able to spend more time with their parents or primary caregivers, but how many children are struggling with the loss of being a child? Missing school, missing sports and extra curricular activities, peer interaction and a social connection? More than ever our mental health matters, our children's mental health matters.
This past week we also honored our teachers and nurses as we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week and Nurse Appreciation Week. Both teachers and nurses are vital aspects of the Early Childhood program and we thank them for their commitment to our students and their families and their dedication to the program.
I'd also like to take a moment to wish all the moms, step-moms, bonus moms, grandmothers, aunts, biological or otherwise to have a restful and enjoyable Mother's Day on Sunday.
The ECE newsletter is always full of important and relevant information. While lengthy, this is a one stop shop for preschool resources. To help guide you through each edition of the newsletter I want to highlight each section of the newsletter:
- Current Events will be shared at the top of each weekly newsletter;
- Highlights from our Early Childhood staff;
- Nurse's Corner will provide you with updates from our ECE nurse, Deb Meier. There you will also find a link to the Universal Child Health Record form should you need it;
- Our attendance policy and overview;
- Framework that contains additional resources for at home student learning, complete with links and suggestions for brain breaks, gross motor activities, and more;
- Crisis counseling services and resources as provided and supported by local NJ agencies;
- ECE website another wonderful resource filled with websites, activities, and links to even more resources to support the academic and social emotional needs of our youngest learners;
- Preschool Organizational Charts with contact information for the various people at each site, by organization, to help you get your concerns and questions heard and answered;
- and finally our PK Reopening Plan where you can find specific information pertaining to our reopening/ COVID policies and practices.
Best,
Lauren Eakin, Supervisor of Early Childhood
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
OUR TERRIFIC TEACHERS
Ms. Lyuda Orel
Brandt 105 presents their masterpiece for the Hopes Annual Art Auction.
All of the students participated in our group art project “Unity” which will be offered for sale at the Hopes Annual Art Auction. Every child picked a color and painted their line first, then we did two more layers where they painted over their friends’ lines creating Unity, Harmony, Friendship, and good memories while enjoying teamwork! The students made predictions about how much money their parents would be willing to spend to win the painting at the auction. Looks like we will beat the Sotheby's prices!
Science Experiments
Ms. Polly Makris
Science Eyes
Making a rain cloud in a jar is obviously a simplistic model of how it actually rains, but it gives young children a hands-on visual that is extremely valuable to their learning. Plus, it's fun!
Nurse's Corner
COVID-19 and seasonal allergies can share similar symptoms. It's important to recognize and assess how your child is feeling so you can administer the proper care. If your child suffers from seasonal allergies, there are treatments to ease symptoms and find relief. If your child doesn't have a history of seasonal allergies and are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, it is best to have them tested as soon as possible.
Please see the chart below for a helpful comparison of symptoms, and remember to consult your child's pediatrician with any questions or concerns.
(source: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America)
~ Nurse Deb Meier, Hoboken Early Childhood Program
Attendance Counts and Matters!
If your child will be on site attendance will be recorded in class.
Students are expected to attend school daily, unless they are ill.
Vacations:
Please be cognizant of school calendar when planning vacations. These will be logged as an unexcused absence.
May 2021 Framework: Camping Theme
ECE Website
This year, we'll be providing a facelift to the ECE Available Resource webpage starting with a name change. Since this website is so much more than available resources, this site will simply be referred to as the ECE website.
This webpage will be a work in progress and will be updated frequently. Be sure to visit often!
Contacts
Reopening Plan
Department of Early Childhood
leakin@hoboken.k12.nj.us | 201-356-3695
Diana Milne, Community Parent Involvement Specialist
dmilne@hoboken.k12.nj.us | 201-356-3698
Denise Valetin- Brookes, Early Childhood Clerk
dbrookes@hoboken.k12.nj.us | 201-356-3695
Deb Meier, Early Childhood Nurse
dmeier@hoboken.k12.nj.us | 201-356-3756