Inside, the students have been working on their eye-hand coordination and finger muscles (fine motor skills) by poking holes around a pattern. They used a giant push pin with a piece of carpet or foam under the paper. Try this at home!

Finally, the class has been getting ready for Boot Skate by "skating" in the classroom! Empty cereal bags make the perfect "skates" on carpeting...try it at home!

WLC's Scholastic Book Fair was a great success!

Thank you to parents, grandparents, community members, and staff for supporting the WLC Library’s Scholastic Book Fair in early December. It was the top-selling book fair. The library will receive over $1800 worth of books and headphones for the students. Through the teacher wishlist program, your generosity also placed 65 books in the classrooms. Plus an additional $51 dollars were donated to the “All for the Book” Tootsie Roll sucker program. The money is used right away to buy books for the library while Scholastic matches the amount to support kid programs across the United States. Thank you again for your support.

Angela Hoek WLC Media Specialist.

STRIKE!! Looking for a fun family activity that is indoors to avoid the cold, how about bowling? The kindergarteners will start off the new year with the bowling unit, and soon be ready to hit the lanes! They will learn how to hold the ball, which foot to step forward with, and how to get down low so the ball is rolled instead of thrown. After bowling, we will kick off the soccer unit focusing on dribbling, trapping, not using our hands, and kicking at a target to score a GOAL!!! Students will also be learning about the importance of physical activity to keep their bodies healthy, and how faster movements corresponds to faster heartbeat and breathing.

Before leaving for winter break, the kindergartens got to do tumbling and yoga to learn all sorts of different ways to move and balance their bodies. Students also got to learn all different ways to move on scooters, while working on the 3 different pathways; including straight, zig zag, and curvy.

REMINDER: Students need their tennis shoes EVERYDAY for physical education! It is important to have good shoes that fit properly for running and moving to avoid injuries and to be as successful as possible while learning new skills.

Keep Your Kids Safe & Avoid Cabin Fever: Cold Weather Safety Reminders for the Family

Keeping your young child busy can be challenging even when the weather is perfect, but when cold weather (and ridiculous amounts of snow!) arrive and force us indoors, that challenge can be even greater. However, getting those kids outside to burn some energy is possible most days as long as you keep a few safety precautions in mind.

Keep an Eye on the Thermometer

There is no hard and fast rule on how cold is too cold to let the kids out to play, but consider both the air temperature AND the wind chill when using your judgment about outdoor playtime during cold weather. The chart below shows how quickly frostbite can set in based on various temperatures and wind speeds and can serve as a handy reference when deciding how much outdoor playtime to allow this winter.

Image (Wind Chill Chart) credit: https://www.weather.gov/safety/cold-wind-chill-chart

Layers, layers, layers!

Because children’s bodies are smaller than adults, they lose heat more quickly, so are at higher risk when out in the cold. Dress your child warmly and in layers when heading out into the cold. Wool is often warmer than cotton, so consider a wool layer. Cotton also soaks up water easily and doesn’t hold much warmth. Waterproof outer layers, including snow pants and coats, will help your child stay dry. Don’t forget gloves or mittens, socks, warm boots, and a hat. Mittens allow fingers to touch and maintain their warmth better than gloves and a good hat helps prevent body heat loss, much of which occurs through the head. Fingers, toes, ears, noses, and cheeks are the areas most prone to frostbite, so make sure all of these areas are as well covered as possible. Adding a scarf can keep the cold away from the neck, chin, and cheeks, while also protecting your child’s lungs from the cold air.

Image credit (Dressing Cold for Weather): https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/weather-awareness-preparedness/Documents/winter-safety-checklist-families-children.pdf

Check in frequently to enforce “warm up breaks”, have children swap out wet clothes, and ALWAYS supervise higher risk activities, such as sledding, snow tubing, snowboarding, and ice skating. Stay away from streets and snow plows as snow plows cannot slow down or turn quickly and cars may slide when trying to stop or turn. The snow, salt, and ice thrown by plows is also dirty and can cause injury. Do not allow children to dig deep into snow banks or build forts with a “roof” as these may collapse and cause injury or suffocation.

When getting out to sled, make sure all equipment is in good condition and look for a hill that is not too steep, has a level run off for stopping safely, is free of bare spots, holes, fences, rocks, trees, or poles, and does not end near a street or body of water. Always sled feet first or sitting up. It is also recommended that your child wear a helmet while sledding.

Know the signs of frostbite and hypothermia and what to do if they occur.

-Frostbite: skin turns white or yellowish gray and can blister, your child may say that the skin hurts or feels like it is burning, or the skin may be numb. If you suspect frostbite, bring your child indoors immediately to begin warming up. Do not rub the affected area or pop any blisters. Soak the affected area in warm, not hot, water for 20 minutes or apply a warm washcloth if soaking is not possible. Then dry, cover child with blankets, and give something warm to drink. If symptoms persist, have your child seen by a healthcare provider.

-Hypothermia: shivering followed by sluggishness, being clumsy, slurring words, unconsciousness. This is a medical emergency. Call 911. While waiting for help to arrive, bring your child inside, remove wet clothing, wrap in blankets or warm clothes, and give something warm to drink.

So get out and enjoy this snow crazy winter while keeping your family safe and taking breaks to keep warm!

Preschool parent cars will be lining up along Franklin, the length of the parking lot, as they wait to turn right onto 14th N Street.

Kindergarten parents will continue to line up along the WEST side of Franklin just north of the parking lot entrance.

Thank you for your efforts in following these plan to keep everyone safe.

Please review the 2 maps below for preschool and kindergarten traffic plans.

We want to keep Franklin Street free of parked cars during drop off and pick up so parents waiting in cars can line up there and not block the street.

Thank you for your efforts in following these plan to keep everyone safe.

Please see the maps and contact the office with any questions. (507) 233-8300