News & Notes
October 2019
No School Reminder
There will be no school on Wednesday, October 9 in observance of Yom Kippur. There will be no school on Monday, October 14 in observance of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Absences
If your child will not be in school, please call to report his/her absence. If your child attends the Juniper Hill Building, please call the office at (508) 788-2380. If you child attends the Framingham High School program, please call (508) 782-7003 (Adrianne Paul). Please leave your child’s name, teacher’s name and the reason for the absence.
School Picture Day
Pictures will be taken on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, October 28th – 30th . Your teacher will let you know the date and time for your child’s classroom.
Student Pride Night
The B.L.O.C.K.S. children and staff are pleased to invite you to our Student Pride Night on Wednesday, October 23rd for the Preschool program. Preschool children can come to school with their parents to share the many things that they do in school. Please see the attached schedule for the date and time for your child’s classroom. Mark your calendar now!
Did You Know? Health Notes From The Nurse
When to keep your child home from school:
It’s early and your child tells you he/she doesn’t feel well. How do you decide if your child is sick enough to stay home?
Use the following guidelines to help you make a well-informed decision!
Do not send your child to school if he/she has any of the following:
- Fever of 99.6 or higher. No school until 24 hours fever free without Tylenol, Advil or Motrin!
- Painful sore throat that interferes with swallowing
- Yellow or green discharge from your child’s nose
- Abdominal pain that lasts longer than 30 minutes and is not relieved by going to the bathroom
- Severe earache
- Red, itchy eyes or eyes with drainage
- Inability to keep food or liquids down/vomiting
- Diarrhea
If you are still not sure whether to keep your child home or you send your child to school and would like your child checked, call the School Nurse, Lisa Larsen, for advice! Her phone number is: 508-782-6972. Children at the High School should call Ann Beaudet at 508-782-7606.
A Healthy Reminder
Healthy habits of good nutrition and physical activity at an early age will help reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and other health problems. As parents and guardians, you can help your young child grow and develop through healthy lifestyles of diet and activity. Please contact me with any questions or concerns about your child’s nutritional needs. Thank you for your commitment to your child’s health!
Lisa Larsen, RN
Sending in Food
We would like to ask for help from families who send snacks/lunches. Most children bring very healthy foods and we support your efforts by encouraging children to eat what you have sent. However, sometimes the child does not want to eat the food sent unless it is cut up or peeled the way you may do it at home.
We are fortunate that our children are supervised by their classroom teacher and/or assistant when they eat snack/lunch during the school day. However, your help would be most appreciated by sending food items ready for your child to eat independently. For example:
If your child likes fruits that are peeled and cut up, please send that fruit already cut and peeled in a container.
If your child does not like the bread crust, please cut it off so that they eat all of their sandwich. We have found that children eat sandwiches best when the sandwich is cut in half or quarters.
Food handling requirements for adults and our staff are very strict, so your help in this area will be greatly appreciated.
On behalf of the BLOCKS staff, we thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance.
Juniper Hill Playground, Gym and other Building Play Space Use
We would like to remind parents that the Juniper Hill playground, gym and other building play spaces are to be used only by Juniper Hill classrooms during school hours (8-2:15). This allows us to maintain safety standards and follow rules to ensure children's well being. Thank you for your cooperation.
TV and Children
Recent research makes it clear that young children learn a lot more efficiently from real interactions - with people – than from TV or computer screens. This research has prompted the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend the following:
- Remove the TV from your child’s bedroom.
- Turn off TV as background noise as this distracts both children and adults from staying on task.
Please be mindful of how much time your child is spending in front of the TV, computer, iPad, iPhone or similar devices!
Flu Vaccines Are Important
Flu is more dangerous than the common cold for children. Each year, seasonal flu places a large burden on the health and well-being of children and families.
It is estimated that each year in the U.S., there are more than 20,000 children younger than 5 years old who are hospitalized due to flu. Even children in this age group who are otherwise healthy are at risk simply because of their age. In addition, children 2 years of age up to their 5th birthday are more likely to be taken to a doctor, an urgent care center, or the emergency room because of flu than healthy older children. To protect their health, all children 6 months and older should be vaccinated against the flu each year. Vaccinating young children, their families, and other caregivers can also help protect them from getting sick.
Programs for Young Families at the Early Childhood Alliance
PTO Meeting
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2019, 07:30 PM
Juniper Hill School, Upper Joclyn Avenue, Framingham, MA, USA
Don't Forget!
Preschool Tuition Payments are due on the first of the month.
B.L.O.C.K.S. Preschool
Email: kromine@framingham.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.framingham.k12.ma.us/blocks
Location: 29 Upper Joclyn Avenue, Framingham, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 788-2380
Twitter: @blocksschool