Preschool Staff Newsletter
2/10-2/13
Happy Friendship Week!
With Valentine's Day approaching, please remember our district and family handbook food policy. If parents ask or you would like to do a food related activity, it must be healthy such as fruits or vegetables, should be a small group activity involving the student's participation, and lastly approved. I'd like to encourage us to refer to Valentine's day as a "Friendship Day" to promote the positive friendships our children have with each other.
Hope you have a fun week!!
Love, Ms.Lisa
Kindness Tree
This month we are capturing kindness in our program. A suggestion from the Teaching Pyramid encourages creating a classroom Kindness Tree. The tree promotes and encourages positive interactions among peers. The classrooms have been asked to a create one. The tree will display leaves that notate any kindness acts our students are observed doing. Once the tree becomes filled with leaves, they will be sent home for each child to proudly share with their family. I am very excited to display our current classroom Kindness Trees.
ECERS Results are in for Crown Preschool!
The ECERS scores came in last week. After reviewing, we'd like to share some areas of improvement all staff can become aware of:
- Hand washing: Many of our students are getting ill and one way to cut down the spread of germs is to follow the ECERS recommendation under Personal Care Routines; children must wash their hands upon entering the classroom, before and after eating, before and after using any kind of messy play including play dough, indoor/outdoor water, indoor/outdoor sand, after picking noses or sneezing in hands, and after using the restroom.
- Wait time: Occurs when there is a periods of waiting, 3 or more minutes, without engaging the students. An example of this is when students are waiting to wash hands or enter the classroom. Staff should engage students by singing songs, having conversations, practicing stretches, telling stories, or providing an activity. When children aren't engaged, their brains seek stimulation, you've probably observed this when students begin pushing and touching each other.
- Outdoor environment: Activities such as balance blocks or a tunnel must be placed 6 feet away from the fixtures and fall zones.
- Music: Although musical instruments were available, a radio/CD player for children to use independently was not. Teachers will be getting CD players soon.
- Using language to develop reasoning skills: Explaining logical relationships with children while they play with games that stimulate reasoning. This also includes explaining reasoning while they are using materials designed to stimulate reasoning.
Toileting Preschool Students
Questions often come up regarding the procedure of providing supervision when students use the restroom. Here are reminders from licensing's Title 22 regulations:
- Students must be supervised at ALL TIMES, this includes when they are in the restroom. Our students could fall forward and get hurt or forget to clean themselves. This is why an adult is required to supervise them. Our job is to provide safety and supervision, so the answer is yes, you must keep your eyes on students even when they are using the restroom. They seldom ask us not to look. I usually "pretend to look away" but always explain to them, "I need to keep an eye on you to keep you safe and help you if you need it".
- We are allowed to have 2 students in the restroom, 1 using the toilet and 1 at the sink. Some of us have 24 students needing to use the restroom before a transition and the wait time can get rowdy so helping follow this process helps. Please do pair the same sexes together, boys/boys, girls/girls, since some of our students are at early stages of discovering their genitalia.
- Not a Title 22 Regulation: For sanitation reasons remind students the restroom sink is to be used only after using the restroom. Non-toileting reasons for washing hands must occur at the classroom sink. This rule can be modified if you disinfect the bathroom sink before students use.
Please ask for clarification if needed.
Event Information
Steps to Understanding Your Child's Behavior
All are invited to attend an Healthy Developmental Services, HDS parenting series. Families and staff are encouraged to participate, but no children will be allowed. This is a series of two sessions offered. The second class will occur Saturday February 29, 2020 at the same time and location. Please direct all inquires to Ms. Lisa, lisa.alonso@coronadousd.net or (619) 522-6085. Thank you!
When?
Saturday, Feb 22, 2020, 08:45 AM
Where?
199 6th Street, Coronado, CA, USA
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RSVPs are enabled for this event.
A great article on How Anxiety Leads to Disruptive Behaviors
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