Bitty Brickie Beat
Summer 2019 Updates
Happy Summer!
We hope you are enjoying this wonderful summer! The ELC staff is preparing for a wonderful new school year that will begin next month! Check out the updates and important dates to put on your calender so you don't miss anything!
Practice Your Letters This Summer For Kindergarten Readiness
Establish a Bedtime Routine Before School Starts
Sleep is important! Think about how you feel when you as an adult don’t get enough sleep. Cranky? Unfocused? Tired? That’s how our Kinders feel, too! As adults we learn to push through the tiredness and get our jobs done (most days). But our Kinders are still learning how to regulate their emotions. So we can’t expect them to just push through and get their work done at school. It’s up to us to set them up for success, starting with bedtime routines. The American Academy of Pediatrics, The National Sleep Foundation, The CDC, and the Mayo Clinic ALL recommend 5 year olds get AT LEAST 9 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period (including naps) and 6 year olds get AT LEAST 10 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period (including naps). Since the days of Kindergarten nap time are over, we’re depending on you to help your child get the adequate sleep he/she needs to be ready to learn. Check out these tips from the National Sleep Foundation to help you establish a bedtime routine before coming back to school.
1. Adjust Bedtimes Gradually.
Starting two weeks before the first day of school, move your child’s bedtime five to 15 minutes earlier at night. The next morning, wake your child (or set the alarm) an equally incremental number of minutes earlier to match it. Continue this process every night until your child is waking at the same time that will be necessary once school starts. Keep in mind: Kids ages six to thirteen typically need 9-11 hours of shut-eye per night—so you’ll want to plan a sleep schedule that allows for this.
2. Introduce an Electronic Curfew.
Put an end to any form of screen time—including use of TV, computers, video games, and mobile devices—at least an hour before you want your child to fall asleep; exposure to these devices can delay the onset of sleep and shorten its duration. Although your kids may not realize it, the artificial blue light that’s emitted from these screens can suppress the body’s release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, thus increasing alertness and resetting your child’s internal clock (or circadian rhythm) to a later timetable.
3. Create a Relaxing Wind-Down Routine.
For about an hour before you want the lights turned off for the night, set aside time for you and your child to do quiet activities, such as taking a bath, reading a book together, telling stories, listening to soothing music, drawing or coloring, or engaging in another calming experience that will set the stage for a good night’s sleep. Repeating this pre-sleep routine (https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/back-school-sleep-tips-0) every night in the weeks leading up to the first day of classes will help your child learn to anticipate sleep time, making it easier for everyone once school starts again.
Kindergarten Orientation
School Bus Orientation Ride for Kindergartners
2019-2020 Kindergarten Supply LIst
The Early Learning Center
Email: sgutierrez@hobart.k12.in.us
Website: www.hobart.k12.in.us/elc
Location: North Wilson Street, Hobart, IN, USA
Phone: -219-942-7263
Facebook: facebook.com/elc