Natick Preschool
Your Weekly Update from Natick Preschool
Principal's Message
Greetings Preschool Parents and Guardians,
I have so enjoyed seeing your children at work and play at each of our four sites. They can be seen engaging socially with each other, sometimes with teacher support and other times spontaneously. One of my favorite things to witness is how these bonds grow over the course of the school year resulting in more and more spontaneous interaction and extended social exchanges. Your children can also be seen following routines that are intended to build muscle memory for strong habits of mind and approaches to learning. They are learning to sequence 2-3 steps within learning activities (first, find the yellow blocks, then stack them) in a manner that is forming their ability to employ a systematic approach when completing academic tasks they will face in later grades. We truly appreciate partnering with you on your child's preschool journey.
Have a wonderful weekend,
MaryBeth
Natick Preschool Principal
Important Things to Know!
Play in early childhood is an effective way to support building responsive relationships, strengthening core skills, and reducing sources of stress—all of which can help children and families thrive. We've compiled a list of resources that can help build brains and make everyday moments fun.
Play time is thinking time, language time, memory time
PLAY progresses and expands with repetition. (You may be feeling, “No, not again!”)
20 - 40 exposures to new vocabulary words before they are truly mastered…...play allows for natural and contextual repetition.
Early play will be action based (cut the pizza, put it on a plate, eat) and grow to incorporate feelings (Do you like your piece of pizza?) This will develop later in kids with ASD or ADHD or language delays (harder to distinguish among emotions)
Talk about feelings (help me open this, why are you making that face, oh ‘cause it is hard to open it. Once open, I feel happy it’s open and proud that I opened it.
Encourage novel scenarios or recent experiences (vs. things they’ve seen on tv or in a book)
Later as kids start reading, remember there will be those that have trouble with the words (decoding) but can understand the language (kids who’ve had more experiences playing, are better able to do this)
Play also leads to being able to tell a coherent story from beginning to end which then translates into writing.
Play can enhance empathy; develop ability to think through how other people/characters feel
5 Reasons to Read Aloud to Your Kids (courtesy of: All About Learning Press)
1. Reading aloud to children creates a lifetime interest in reading.
2. Reading to young children extends their attention span.
3. Reading aloud to children aids in language development.
4. As you read aloud, the power of a child’s imagination is strengthened.
5. Reading aloud helps build a child’s comprehension.
Natick Preschool School Council
Meets virtually, once per month, typically in the mornings 8am - 8:45am
If you are interested in serving on the school council, please email me at mkinkead@natickps.org.
What is School Council?
The School Council, in serving as representatives of our larger school community, seeks to enrich and enhance opportunities for teaching and learning that result in improved learning outcomes for students. We strive to improve the supports available to teachers, students and their families as we work together to better meet the needs of all our learners.
Reminder for Parents Who Want to Volunteer--CORI Checks
Reminder If you want to volunteer in schools, you must have a CORI check conducted and you must go into the building with identification (drivers license or passport) to do this. Click here for description of what a CORI check is and does. Without a CORI check, you cannot volunteer in the school. Here is the form to fill out for a CORI. Preschool volunteer opportunities include being a Mystery Reader for the class, presenting a family tradition and supporting special projects.
Social Emotional Learning and Independence
Support Social Emotional Learning and Independence at home using the same language and systems we use at school
Handwashing at Home video
Schedules, Visuals, Daily Living and Social Emotional Learning These can help!
- How To Use PBIS at Home complete with printable red birds (don’t have a printer? Have your child make some red birds or choose what household item you can use to represent them.)
Make Clean-Up Fun
Quick Links
Speak Up, Natick!
Send us your questions or ideas via Speak Up, Natick!
Bullying Incident Report
Use this form to report a bullying incident.
PowerSchool Support
Technology Support
COVID-19 Updates
View the latest COVID-19 updates from NPS.
- Title I: Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990Title II
- Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990Title VI
- Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964Title IX
- Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
- MGL, Ch.76, Section 5: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 76, Section 5