The Wintonbury Peeper
Wintonbury Early Childhood Magnet School
May, 2023
In This Issue
Principal's Message
Mental Health Awareness Month
Parent Teacher Organization Updates and important Information
Earth Day Celebrations
Baby Animals at Auerfarm
Toys and Games
Classroom Highlights
10 Things Kids Can do to help Earth
Important Dates
May 8 (through the 12th) Teacher Appreciation Week
May 9 Second Cup of Coffee Front Lobby 8:50 - 9:30
May 10 Early Dismissal Teacher Professional Development
May 17 PTO
May 19 Sunny Train will perform for all classes (sponsored by the PTO).
May 24 Early Dismissal Teacher Professional Development
May 25 Family Art Night 5:30 - 7:00
May 29 No School Memorial Day
June 16 Last Day of School
Second Cup of Coffee
Join Mrs. Straker, Ms. Whyte and Mrs. Smith-Horn for a Second Cup of Coffee on Tuesday, May 9, in the front lobby. Enjoy a cup of coffee and breakfast treat along with discussion on transitions (how to bring closure to the school year, prepare for the next school or adjusting to summer).
THANK YOU
A HUGE thank you to the entire Wintonbury community for raising $544 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. On May 3, in combination with ACES (All Children Exercise Simultaneously), Wintonbury students and staff hopped and danced to Better When I'm Dancing by Meghan Trainor. The accompanying picture is Room 301 enjoying the movement.
Principal's Message
By Samantha Straker
Monday, May 1st was National Principals' Day. Classrooms brought me special handmade gifts, visited my office to say hi, and wished me happy Principals' Day. I was once again reminded how lucky I am to be Principal at this amazing school with amazing children, families, and staff.
On Monday, May 8th we get to celebrate our staff for Teacher Appreciation Week! We have a week full of appreciation planned with support and collaboration from families and the PTO. Our staff are not only highly qualified but they are highly dedicated and passionate about early childhood. We appreciate them SO, SO much!
If you have the availability to do so please send you teachers an email of appreciation this week or give them a shout out at drop off or pick up!
News from the School Nurse
Health Room Reminders
1. Sunscreen
It is not too early to begin applying sunblock to your child. A broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher is best. It should be applied at home before your child comes to school. Sunscreen and bug spray are considered over the counter medications by our school physician and these cannot be administered by staff unless medication order is filled out by your doctor.
2. Ticks
Please begin checking your child daily for ticks. Between trips to the farm and daily outside learning time your student it at risk of getting one. The key to Lime Disease Prevention is early removal of a tick. If a tick is removed within 24 hours there is less risk of disease. More detailed information is below:
Before You Go Outdoors
Know where to expect ticks- moist and humid environments, particularly in or near wooded or grassy areas. Always walk in the center of trails in order to avoid contact with ticks.
After You Come Indoors
- Check your clothing for ticks.
- Shower soon after being outdoors.
- Check your body for ticks after being outdoors.
- Check these parts of your body and your child's body for ticks: Under the arms, in and around the ears, inside belly button, back of the knees, in and around the hair, between the legs, and around the waist.
How to Remove a Tick
- Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible.
- Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
- After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
- Dispose of a live tick by submerging it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. Never crush a tick with your fingers.
From our Social Worker
By Natasha Whyte
May is nationally recognized as mental health awareness month. During this time, it is important to identify ways to promote healthy social, emotional and behavioral wellbeing in children, so they can thrive at home, in school, and in their communities. To nurture your child’s mental health at home, explore the following the ideas:
- Be attuned to your child’s needs. In addition to meeting your child’s physical needs, also respond to their emotional needs. This involves matching your child’s emotional state, helping them to label their emotions and validating them. This will make your child feel supported and help them to self-regulate overtime.
- Establish consistent routines. A predictable environment allows children to feel confident and safe, ultimately reducing their stress. Also, routines that involve quality time with family such as getting ready for school together or eating dinner together, foster a sense of belonging in children and a strong family relationship.
- Provide opportunities for social interaction. Research shows that socializing is related to increased mood, high self-esteem, and the development of prosocial behaviors. You can encourage interaction by bringing your child to the local library, the park, setting up playdates, and enrolling your child in extracurricular activities.
- Encourage healthy habits.Physical health is associated with increased mood and reduced stress. You can protect your child’s physical and mental health by providing them with a nutritious diet, adequate sleep, physical activities and limiting their screen time.
For additional ways to support your child’s mental health, visit https://kidsuncomplicated.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Mental-Health-Activities-for-Kids.pdf
PTO News
The PTO has been busy planning and assisting with several upcoming events and we appreciate all your support. Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8-12 Thank you for all the generous contributions that have been submitted. If you would still like to contribute to help fund the things we have planned for the staff, please send in cash or check in an envelope labeled "PTO" with your child or use the Venmo code displayed. Please sure to write PTO donation in the comment.
We are in need of parents to volunteer for the PTO Board for next school year. We would like to hold nominations at the next PTO meeting. Joining the PTO is a great way to meet other parents, get to know the school staff better, and help plan fun events for our kids. If you can commit 1.5-2 hours per month with an occasional extra hour or 2 if needed for an event or fundraiser we would love to hear from you, please email WintonburyPTO@gmail.com. Descriptions of the Board roles can be provided upon request so if you would like more details please let us know.
We are also looking for volunteers to help with clearing out garden beds at Wintonbury so our kids can plant fresh plants. We are planning on helping the Go Green Committee during the half hour or so before pick up one of the days next week. If you are able to help please email the PTO and let us know which days could work for you. Working with the Go Green Committee, the PTO has recently helped purchase new garden beds as well as additional toys and tools to help transform the courtyard into a complete outdoor classroom. We are so excited for the kids to have even more fun in the courtyard!
We have provided a lot of information in this newsletter and there is even more info to come, so keep looking out for emails and flyers from the PTO in the next couple weeks as we finalize some end of the year events!
Please join us at the next PTO meeting on May 17 at 9 am in the Wintonbury conference room or via Zoom.
Join The Wintonbury PTO Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6588099102?pwd=d2xscDlzZ25PVys3RmdxK0NzVkUxZz09
Meeting ID: 658 809 9102
Passcode: PTO
For any questions, comments, and volunteer opportunities please email us @ mailto:wintonburypto@gmail.com
Thank you so much for your continued support of the PTO!
Curriculum Corner
Earth Day Celebrations
By Lisa Thomas of the Go Green Committee
The Wintonbury community focuses on planting and recycling as ways to celebrate Earth Day.
This year, Wintonbury held a school-wide planting of sunflower seeds. Each child planted a sunflower seed in a fruit cup which we recycled from the school lunches. Classrooms are watching their seeds sprout in a variety of locations including window sills, the green house, and grow labs. As the sprouts grow and the weather warms up, some plants will be transplanted outside of our school for all to admire as they bloom, and others will be sent home with students so they can share the process with their families.
The sunflowers will beautify our Earth as the vibrant colors blossom and we will continue the recycling process as we harvest the seeds, dry them out, and replant them next year. The following books from our school library were used by some classes as literary extensions: Sunflower House by Eve Bunting and Rosa’s Big Sunflower Experiment by Jessica Spanyol.
For more information on encouraging earth friendly habits, please refer to the article in the parent resource section.
Sunflowers beginning to sprout
Room 304 measures growing plants using rulers..
...and nonstandard measurement with unifix cubes.
Auerfarm: Baby Animals!
On this field trip, students explored and learned about baby animals. Many baby goats (kids) were born in late February and have been an attraction every since. The children checked in on the kids and also visited the chicken coop. The nesting boxes were checked for eggs and eggs that were found were compared and contrasted for size, color, and shape. In the farm classroom, student had the opportunity to pet a bunny and a chick, as well as observe baby chicks and ducklings in their habitat.
Room 106 ~ Petting a rabbit
Room 105 ~ Petting a rabbit
Room 105 ~ Petting a rabbit
Room 101 ~ Holding a chick!
Room 106 ~ Watching the chicks!
Room 105 ~ Exploring the inside of an egg with light
Room 204 ~ Making bird nests
Room 102 ~ Chicken coop dramatic play
Room 105 ~ "Eggs" in the sensory table
Toys and Games
Toys and games include puzzles, various table blocks, small construction materials, such as Lego pieces, board games, and collections of objects (loose parts such as buttons, shells, bottle caps). When children use toys and games, they explore how things work, use their imagination, strengthen and control the muscles in their hands, work cooperatively, solve problems, and learn content area concepts.
When children use toys and games in the classroom, we encourage them to talk about what they are doing. For examples, we might say, "Tell me about the design you made." "How did you get those rings to fit together?" "Can you tell me know the blocks you picked out are the same?" Such questions and comments help children develop thinking and language skills.
What You Can Do At Home:
YOU play an important role by selecting toys ad games that are safe, interesting and appropriate for your child. More importantly, research shows that the most creative children are those who have had adults involved in their play. Here are a few ways that you can be involved in your child's play with toys and games.
Observe: Watch as your child plays and notice his or her abilities and interests.
Play: Follow your child's lead and join his or her play.
Imagine: Keep in mind that there is more than one way to play with a toy. Be creative and embrace your child's creativity!
Enjoy: This isn't a time to drill your child or test what he or she knows. Just have fun being together, talking and playing.
Good toys do not have to be expensive. You might collect various small objects such as buttons, seashells, rocks and plastic bottle tops. Make suggestions such as "Put all of the buttons that are the same color in a pile." or "Group all of the beads that are the same size." Encourage your child to tell you about the design he or she is making or to explain why things belong together.
Playing with toys and games at home promotes your child's development in many ways.
Adapted from Creative Curriculum.
Room 101 explores a variety of toys and games during centers.
Classroom Highlights
Pill Bug Investigation in Room 304
Mrs. Mayhew introduced the children to crustaceans by displaying them on a metal tray on the carpet. Using skills of observation, student made comments about the way the bugs moved and looked.
- Daniel said "they look oval shaped"
- Cairo said "they move so fast".
- Hazel said "they crawl"
Mrs. Mayhew also made some "wondering" statements to inspire observation and thinking skills, such as "I wonder why some roll into a ball and other don't." Investigation and exploration continued at the Discovery Center during center time. Through research, the class learned that pill bugs eat dirt and rotten wood, live in damp areas and roll up when they are scared.
Science Experiment in Room 204
By Karen Savvides, Roo 204 Teacher
Room 204 has been furthering our exploration of the Signs of Spring we started at Auerfarm by focusing on planting seeds and observing flowers around the school. The students have noticed the various colors and varieties of flowers such as daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, phlox and mums. In order for the students to see firsthand how flowers “drink” water in order to grow, and to capitalize on their interest in rainbows, the students conducted an experiment to see what would happen to white carnation flowers if they drank colored water. We had two control flowers which were put in regular water and six experiment flowers that were each put in a different color water. The students then predicted how long it would take for the flowers to change color. They also observed the flowers using various magnifiers and recorded their observations in a Carnation Observation Book. After much discussion and curiosity, the students discovered that it took five days for all of the experiment carnations to turn color.
Colorful carnations
Students made predictions
Students documented plant changes
Parent Resource
10 Ways Kids Can the Earth
From a young age, children are interested in the world around them, and how to help the Earth as a kid! Earth Day gives us a unique opportunity to talk more about how our kids can help this wonderful planet that we inhabit. Kids can help save the Earth by making small changes now that will last them a lifetime!
Kids can Conserve Water
- Turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth, don’t fill the bathtub up too full, & be conscious of how much water you are using when you play outside water games over the summer.
Kids can Save Electricity
- Unplug the iPad charger when it is fully charged, turn off the TV when you’re not watching it, turn off the lights when you leave a room.
Kids can Minimize Food Waste
- Be aware of food waste by saving your leftovers for later or putting less on your plate next mealtime. Check out this article for 7 ways to avoid food waste!
Kids can Recycle
- Learn how to recycle various items and materials, & then be sure to do it correctly each week.
Kids can Care for Animals & Insects
- Bees & spiders might seem scary & icky, but they all serve a purpose in our environment. Learn more about the critters in your environment – they are fascinating!
Kids can Waste Less Paper
- Use both sides of a piece of paper to color, use scrap paper from other projects, or color on other fun materials like old cardboard boxes.
Kids can Pick Up Trash
- Help your local community by throwing away trash that you find on the sidewalks, at the playground, or around your school.
Kids can Walk to Places
- If there is a park, store, or library close to you, encourage your family to walk there together instead of driving the short distance.
Kids can Try Composting
- Composting allows you to turn your trash (like kitchen or yard waste) into reusable soil for your garden, which keeps this trash out of landfills and water treatment facilities.
Kids can Keep Learning About Earth
- One of the best ways that you can help the Earth is to continue to learn about it! There are amazing bits of science all around us every single day. (Try out these 30 science experiments for kids as a good place to start!) Keep learning & keep trying – together we can keep our Earth an incredible place to live.
Article from Adore Them: https://www.adorethemparenting.com/10-simple-ways-kids-can-help-the-earth/