Sealed With Love, Your Monthly News
February News
Dear Learning Cottage Families,
We are excited to celebrate Valentine's Day in our individual classrooms. Please click the link below under [Important Dates to Remember] for our Valentine's Day Party details.
Additionally, let us celebrate and share in Black History Month! The Learning Cottage strives to celebrate the beauty in each of us! In this newsletter, we have provided resources to celebrate the beauty of Black History Month with your little ones! We have also provided helpful resources to navigate through Black History with your little ones.
Peace, Love & Learning
Ms. Kerri
In This Edition:
- February Birthdays
- Dates To Remember
- February Curriculum
- Family and Teacher Of The Month
- Valentines/ Friendship Celebrations
- Kid Friendly Resources - Celebrate Black History Month!
Little Birthday Sweet Hearts
- Eve S. 2/3.
- Sebastian S. 2/9
- Liat R. 2/10
- Luna H. 2/10
- Isabella D. 2/11
- Carter K. 2/12
- Josie P. 2/15
- Oak H. 2/16
- Ms.Katie 2/18
- Mila J. 2/21
- Ms.Jennifer 2/23
- Ms.Liah 2/25
Important Dates To Remember
Kick Off Black History Month!
Check out the resources below!
Classroom Valentines Parties
This is a candy free event. Toddler through Kindergarten students will need to bring in Valentine's from home for this celebration. Infant families, your child will make a special craft in class. Please see this link for more information.
Dentist Visit
Smile Works will visit Preschool through K to educate students on the importance of healthy teeth.
There are no school closures this month. We will be open for Presidents Day.
People In Our Community
February Curriculum at The Learning Cottage
Infant
Sensory & Math: Utilizing the shape of the month, children will sing songs about the heart shape. They will enjoy activities as using fun, feelings sensory bottles.
Literacy: Together, our early learners will explore stories such as; "Tap Tap Bang Bang", "Counting Tools From 1- 10", "I Love Tools" and "Delivering Your Mail."
Through these wonderful stories children will focus on language development, while learning and utilizing the following signs:
"Hat", “Happy", "smile", "hurt”, "Truck" and "Heart"
Color: Pink
Shape: Heart
Number: 7
Toddler I & II
Science & Math: Each week, students will be introduced to photo cards with community helpers; such as a nurse, doctor and dentist. Together, the class will fill a bag with a few new tools while discussing and exploring the tools and their use.
Literacy: Together, our early learners will explore stories such as; "Going to the Doctor", "If I were a Dentist" and "I am a Garbage Truck."
Through these wonderful stories, children will focus on language development, learning and utilizing the following signs:
"tools”, "help", "Truck" and "Heart"
Color: Pink
Shape: Heart
Number: 7
Jr Preschool I & II
Art: This month, in Jr Preschool, children explore the jobs of our community helpers! Children will use party hats to make caution cones, create a doctor's bag using real materials such as band-aids, gauze or cotton balls and paint a tooth white with a toothbrush.
Science & Math: Children will be introduced to and practice many jobs of our community helpers; while exploring the number 7! As mail people children will create mail and place 7 stamps on the envelopes. As doctors, children will exercise in sets of seven. In our "construction zone" children will model teamwork and build a community as well!
Literacy: Together, our early learners will explore stories such as "Whose Hat is This?", "Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do", "Mail Truck's Busy Day", "Delivering Your Mail" and "The Helpers In Your Neighborhood."
Color: Pink
Shape: Heart
Number: 7
Preschool
Literacy:
Preschool Letters of the week: Uu, Vv, Yy & Zz
In addition to phonemic awareness, Preschool students will journey through Aesop’s Fables, learning lessons of their short tales, and having an opportunity to story tell using puppets to retell the fables heard themselves! This month students will also practice their rhyming skills as we gear up for, Read Across America and the celebration of Suess-tastic books!
Stories such as:
Aesop’s Fables: “The Grasshopper and the Ant”, “The Lion and the Mouse”, “The Fox and the Grapes” and “The Tortoise and the Hare”.Math/ Science:
Number- 7
A nurse, dentist, construction worker and police officer will encourage children, week by week, to sort and classify tools for their jobs; and find shapes to create early algebraic thinking while also highlighting their community importance.
Art:
Students will meet another set of community helpers: farmers, truckers, grocers and chefs! This set of community helpers will encourage the children to use their dramatic play instincts and creativity, through play and art, while also learning the importance of good health, bringing our foods from “Farm to Table”.
Private Pre- K
Literacy:
Focus will be given to different types of Authors (Fables, Journalism, Comic and Funnies)
Letters of the week: Uu, Vv, Yy & Zz
Students will learn about fables, parts of a fable and lessons learned through stories such as: “The Tortoise and The Hare”, “The Crab That Walked Sideways”, “The Grasshopper and The Ant”. They will learn of Beatrix Potter and her journal which was turned into the story, “Peter Rabbit”; explore the wonder of Stan Lee and the formation of comic books. Children will end the month by learning about Dr. Seuss and his love for encouraging children to read!
Additional Stories such as:
“Aesop's Fables ”, “Peter Rabbit” and “The Boy Who Lived on Fairfield St.” (Dr. Seuss), “The Boy Who Invented the Tv”, “ABCs of the Beatles”, and “What to do With an Idea”.
Science- Week by week students will study inventors who helped change the world such as Einstein, Farnsworth and Bell. Children will be challenged to imagine a world without the inventions of the lightbulb, TV or telephone. In the science center they will enjoy STEM activities that encourage them to be inventors themselves.
Math- Students will explore the number 7 through Montessori lessons. In small groups, children will use shapes to create math sentences and then use early algebraic thinking, by creating equations, filled with shapes to create an invention!. (ex: Oval + Square = lightbulb)
Art: Week by week students will explore decades of music, instruments, artists and fashion! They will meet artists such as Billie Holiday, The Beatles, The BeeGees and Will Smith with focus on Jazz, Rock n Roll, Disco and Hip Hop!
Private Kindergarten
Math I can:
Students will explore the mathematical concept of: The amount or
number of something, equations to represent quantity to solve word
problems.
“I can use objects, drawings and equations to represent.”
“I can solve and model word problems.”
“I can compare quantities between numbers.”
“I can act out adding and subtracting situations by representing
quantities.”
Literacy I can:
Students will explore the concept of: Common digraphs, that work
together to make a new sound, and onset and rime to decode new
words.
“I can hear digraphs and link sounds to letters..”
“I can visually scan words with digraphs to check for letters and
sounds..”
“I can break each word at the onset and rime.”
“I can make words by changing the initial or final digraph..”
Science and Cultural Studies I Can:
Students will explore the concept of: Helpers in their neighborhoods
who provide services to help others in their community.
“I can understand the different roles community helpers play.”
“I can identify community helpers in my neighborhood.”
“I can understand the importance of keeping my community safe.”
“I can understand my role in my community.”
February Character Development
Trustworthiness
In learning to keep promises, children will be use an egg as a guide in showing them how easy it is to break a promise, but with care and love; you can be more mindful of keeping your promise. They will make kindness promises for the classroom and for one another.
Kindergarten
Now that children understand the Rock Brain thinking, students get to play the role of Superflex. Please remember Superflex is not a superhero who defeats bad guys, Superflex is the hero inside us who helps our feelings and choices. Children will truly enjoy this month as they will learn to defeat the very first “unthinkable” … Rock Brain.
Life Skills
Dental Hygiene
In correlation with their learning about dentists this month, they will learn the importance of choosing healthy foods, brushing, flossing and more! Children will also take a "virtual" field trip to the dentist! (Pre- K)
Kindergarten P.E.
Kindergarten will continue the Story Time Soccer
Spanish (PreK)
“Tilly The Tortoise”
After hearing her friends talking about all the fun they have in autumn, winter and spring, Tilly the tortoise is determined to skip hibernation and try to stay awake for the entire year so she can see the seasons.
Kindergarten
Lesson 9 - Foods
Children will navigate spanish words for common foods all month long, we will play grocery store, restaurant, sing songs in spanish about foods and so much more!
Celebrate Black History Month!
Listen. Act. Unite.
I am Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"Hair Love"
Family Of The Month
The Guarnieri Family
When we asked The Guarnieri Family what they love about The Learning Cottage they had this to say:
"We knew we wanted to be a part of The Learning Cottage before our first child was born. They have created a caring and supportive atmosphere where both of our children have thrived. When our oldest, Xavier, had a difficult time transitioning back into daycare after being out for a period, Ms. Kerri, Ms. Andrea, and his teachers all took extra time with him to help him re-adjust and understand that he was in a safe and fun environment. The staff works hard to make sure that each day is filled with engaging and varied activities to help our children grow and it’s always fun to hear their stories when they come home each day. Our youngest, Scarlett, would like to comment on this honor by stating: “Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum! Grrrrrrrrrrr!”"
Thank you Guarnieri family, for not only your support on our campus but most importantly, in your children's early education.
Teacher Of The Month
Ms. April
She hopes to help children with developmental skills to learn and grow into happy confident people. In her spare time she enjoys reading, walking, and the beach.
The Learning Cottage LLC
Dedicated to serving children and families locally by providing a quality Early Childhood Education while promoting healthy habits, community outreach and sustainability for our future.
Email: info@sarasotalearningcottage.com
Website: www.SarasotaLearningCottage.com
Phone: 941-343-2102