Inquiring Minds
January 2018
The School for Young Children at The University of Saint Joseph
From the Director, Sue O'Donnell
Happy New Year!
One of my favorite early childhood educators was a woman named Bev Bos. I saw her speak at several national early childhood conferences. At one workshop she shared a list of essential elements she felt children need in childhood. Even after many years, I think this list is so powerful and useful. It makes me reflect upon how we integrate these elements into children's life at SYC.
Children Need:
- A sense of belonging
- Recognition- hopes and dreams
- The ability to take Risk-emotional, social, cognitive, and spiritual
- Power- appropriate opportunities to be in control
- Humor- kids laugh 400/days, adult/6
- Alone time
- Support- opportunities to develop skills necessary to become supportive people/listeners
- Self-regulation
- Mentors- models for children
- Reseeding- everyone needs to give back
- Productivity
In addition to this list- I would add that children need time to connect with nature and the outdoors. As you know, SYC considers time outside an essential element to children's learning and physical exeperince. Please bring your child's snow gear each day during the winter and even early spring months. As with everything...please LABEL EVERYTHING! If your child stays for afternoon backpack, please bring an extra set of mittens.
Family Conference Day
Friday, Jan 12, 2018, 07:45 AM
238 Steele Road, West Hartford, CT, United States
IMPORTANT DATES
- January 10th: PAC Meeting, 6:30-8pm
- January 15th: Martin Luther King Jr Day: Preschool CLOSED, Backpack OPEN
- February 2nd: Family Movie Night 6-7pm
- February 19th and 20th: Winter Break, Preschool CLOSED, Backpack OPEN
PJ Day for the Kids!
SYC participated in CCMC's PJ Day for the Kids on Dec 8th. Staff and children wore their PJs to school and raised funds for Connecticut Children's Medical Center. We raised $336.50!
Way to go and thanks to all who participated and made donations!!
Focus and Self Control
Self-control and focus are both important skills for children to practice in order to succeed in school. Children play many fun games and activities in the classroom to help them learn these key life skills. Here are some that you and your child can do together at home.
Swap in different words to favorite songs. Have fun singing songs with a twist. For example, sing "the wheels on the train go round and round" instead of "the wheels on the bus go round and round." Does your child notice when you use different words? This game can help children develop listening skills.
Play games like Simon Says, I Spy, and "I'm thinking of something that starts with the letter..." These games help children practice focusing, paying attention, and remembering rules-all while having fun.
Play an opposite game. To help your child think flexibly, try playing a game where you do the opposite of what you say; for example say "Simon says touch your feet" while you touch your head. Or say you will dance quickly to slow music, then put on fast music and dance slowly.
Play sorting games while cleaning up. Suggest picking up toys of a particular type, color, or shape. "Let's pick up the blue crayons first, then the red crayons." Even cleanup time can be fun and help children focus and think flexibly.
Try singing a song while waiting in line or at a restaurant. Children who have tools to help them manage their behavior while waiting-like singing a favorite song-are ultimately more successful in pursuing goals with less frustration and distraction.
Choose books, games, and activities that reflect things your child finds interesting. Be it trucks, flowers, or bugs! Children focus best when they care about a topic. What does your child talk about? What themes come up as she/he plays?
NAEYC Message in a Backpack
Room 1
Room 2
Room 3
School is back in session and we are all very busy at SYC!!
Room 4
Room 5
Room 6
WINTER WEATHER IS HERE!!
We play outside every day during the cold weather. Please make sure to send your child to school each day with:
- a warm coat
- a hat
- a pair (or two) of gloves or mittens
- snow boots
- a snowsuit or snowpants
After snow has melted, our playground can still be muddy enough to require snow clothes. Please take winter gear home each day and return it to school the next day. Children can carry snow clothing to and from school in their SYC reusable bag. Make sure to LABEL everything with your child's name in order to prevent lost items.
Afternoon Backpack Families:
Please send in an extra set of labeled mittens for the afternoon, as mittens used in the morning tend to be too wet for reuse in the afternoon.
THANK YOU!!
PAC NEWS
Happy New Year and welcome back to school!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the coat drive, especially Sue who organized the event. We had an amazing response, 30 coats! Donations were taken to Best Cleaners and then distributed to those in need in our community.
Placemats were delivered before the winter break! A huge thank you goes out to Kate Pascucci for organizing this project and for making it a success as well as the parent volunteers who created the masterpieces. The placemats all turned out amazing and we are all looking forward to enjoying them at our dinner tables.
Upcoming events to keep a look out for:
- Family Conference Day is on January 12th. The Staff Appreciation Committee will be providing helathy snacks to keep the teachers energized for the day! Please see the PAC bulletin board to sign up to help with this event.
- On January 15th, Martin Luther King Jr Day, when preschool is closed, we are planning a meet up at Flight in New Britain. They have Kid's Flight from 10am-12pm and the cost is $10/hour per child age 6 and under. More details to come!
- Look out for order forms for SYC Spirit Wear in your child's picture pocket!
Mark your calendars for this year's Spring Fundraiser/Auction, which will be held on Saturday April 28th at SYC! Its is our biggest fundraiser for the year and a fun night out for parents. Its a parent-planned and parent-run event so please consider volunteering to help make it another successful year! Sign up sheets and more information will be provided in the upcoming months on the PAC bulletin board as well as via email.
Our next PAC meeting will take place Wednesday January 10th at 6:30pm in the SYC conference room. Babysitting is provided for ages 3 and up and everyone is encouraged to attend. There is a babysitting sign up sheet on the PAC bulletin board. Please sign up so that we can plan for childcare needs.
We will begin planning for the Spring Fundraiser. Please join us to find out ways to make this year a success.
Please continue to check out the PAC bulletin board for updates and volunteer opportunities as well as lookout for our emails! Do not hesitate to contact or stop us in the hall anytime with any questions.
Emily Safino and Melissa Bowman
The School for Young Children at The University of Saint Joseph
Website: usj.edu/syc
Location: 238 Steele Road, West Hartford, CT, United States
Phone: 860.231.5560
Facebook: www.facebook.com/schoolforyoungchildren