Hummingbird Haven
Weekly Newsletter 2-3-23
Love Notes
Please have fun with the Love Notes! The look on your child's face when we read it to him/her is PRICELESS!
Each family has been provided with 4 blank Love Notes; one note per child for each day of delivery. If you lose some, please let me know and I can replace them. Homemade love notes sent in will have the written content transferred onto a school-provided Love Note; only use the blank ones we send.
Love Notes are DUE on February 9 and should be placed in your child's folder so they are protected and I can find them.
Valentine's Day
We do not have a classroom Valentine exchange. This is partly because of the holiday restrictions as a GSRP program but it is mostly because it is just not age-appropriate. Some children understand the concept but it causes distress/stress more often than not. Some examples are....
- a child doesn't want to give the fun colorful favorite cartoons away. After all, it's his/her FAVORITE character (because they picked out the box) and they now have a connection to them because they have looked at/handled each and every one. Cue the giver meltdown....
- a child refuses to give one to a less favorite classmate and is vocal about it ("you're not my friend"). Cue the tears and hurt feelings of others...
- a child doesn't want to or isn't ready to write names on Valentines (cards are too small or child isn't writing well yet) and forcing it takes the joy out of writing at a time when writing should only be joyful. Cue the giver writing resentment...
Bottom line, there is LITTLE JOY in traditional Valentine exchanges at this age.
We will do Valentine-ish things that week and the Love Notes are a more appropriate way to send a Valentine. It is FOR them and from their loved ones.
Light Up the Night
Global School Play Day
Designed to bring awareness to the importance of unstructured play for students in schools around the world. Over a million students from 75+ nations on 6 continents participated in the GSPD! Global School Play Day is for public schools, private schools, and homeschool families in order to spreads the word about the benefits of play.
Here is a video by Dr. Peter Gray discussing the decline of play in today's children. https://youtu.be/zB5_KAOjboc
Here at WoW, we are already focused on play. So instead of spending the day in our same classroom, we move around the building and play in all of the shared spaces. We have ample materials that we don't always have time to get out and use. This made our spaces even more exciting!
Oompa Loompa Explanation....
Firefly Forest's door. Are you kidding me!?!?! 😍
Our students became Oompa Loompa's who were suddenly looking for jobs because the Gingerbread House put Willy Wonka's Factory out of business.
As you may have heard, The Gingerbread House won the contest. They earned it!! :-)
Thank YOU!
- Gross Motor room
- Library
- Dance Studio
- Gym
- Art Studio
- Outdoor Classroom
- Natural Playscape playground
I can't wait to see the building total!
Even if your family didn't buy or sell any coupon cards, I encourage you to order from Hungry Howie's-Fenton once in a while. It's not often we get such amazing support from franchised businesses!
Family Sledding Day Fun!
Library books should not stay in folders or backpacks. Keep them at home for reading and rereading until Thursday.
Checking out books from WoW's Lending Library
These books can be read by any family member to your student. As you know, multiple readings of the same book greatly improve literacy skills for children.
Here is how this will work:
- Books will be DUE on Thursday each week,
- A new book will be checked out on Thursday
- Students are allowed to have TWO books checked out at the same time
- Students may NOT check out any more books until those are returned
- However, if the two books have not been returned, a book can be selected for the classroom library but it will not go home.
- There will be a Name Card in a pocket for the book, this must stay in the pocket
- If a book is lost or damaged, we ask that it be replaced with a gently-used book from your home library. Do not buy a new book (our library consists of donations)
Happy Reading!
As part of the transition to winter, please reference this chart for our policy of when we will or will not go outside.
Sneezes and Coughs
If you have to sneeze, remember to sneeze in your elbow
Achoo, achoo
If you have to sneeze, remember to sneeze in you elbow
Achoo, achoo
If you have to sneeze, then sneeze in your elbow
If you have to sneeze, remember to sneeze in you elbow
Achoo, achoo
***Replace sneeze with cough. :-)
Important Dates for Hummingbird Haven
Important Dates
(dates can be changed or added so please check often)
Revised 2-3-23
Thursday, February 9: Love Notes are due
Monday, February 13 - Thursday, February 16: Love Note Deliveries
Thursday, February 16: Light Up the Night (family event) 6:00-8:00pm
Friday, February 17: NO SCHOOL at WoW (including Friday childcare)
Monday, February 20: NO SCHOOL, President's day
Wednesday, March 8- Friday, March 10: NO SCHOOL for GSRP only
- Parent/Teacher conferences
Monday, March 27 - Friday, March 31: NO SCHOOL, Spring Break
Thursday, April 20 - Friday, April 21st: NO SCHOOL for WoW (including Friday prek childcare)
- staff will be attending at MI Early Childhood Conference
Monday, May 1: NO SCHOOL - professional development day
Wednesday, May 24, LAST DAY of class for GSRP
Final GSRP Homevisits: May 25, 26 and May 30, 31
Previous CLASSROOM Newsletters
January 27, https://www.smore.com/4a9zd
January 13, https://www.smore.com/kryc5
January 10, https://www.smore.com/c5br6
December 9, https://www.smore.com/mgj34
December 2, https://www.smore.com/vmn8d
November 18, https://www.smore.com/zpj64
November 11, https://www.smore.com/bh1eu
November 4, https://www.smore.com/um31b
October 24, https://www.smore.com/myuet
October 19, https://www.smore.com/hz8s7
October 9, https://www.smore.com/jcef0
October 2, https://www.smore.com/6dj35
September 23, https://www.smore.com/de7h9
September 15, https://www.smore.com/tmfzh
September 4, https://www.smore.com/xvbrwPrevious SCHOOL newsletters
January, https://www.smore.com/s56zx
November, https://www.smore.com/vg4z1
October, https://www.smore.com/vtrn7
September, https://www.smore.com/3wtp5Previous DISTRICT newsletters
January, https://www.smore.com/azsc6
December, https://www.smore.com/5hkzg
November, https://www.smore.com/42z8q
October, https://www.smore.com/4nctb
September, https://www.smore.com/6q9sfMiss Becky, World of Wonder
Email: bduncan@fentonschools.org
Website: https://www.fentonschools.org/ellen-street/
Location: 404 West Ellen Street, Fenton, MI, USA
Phone: 810-591-8324
Facebook: facebook.com/WoWFAPS
Twitter: @WoWFAPS