The Wintonbury Peeper

Keeping Calm during the Winter Recess

Parent Teacher Organization Updates and important Information

Sensory Play

Harvest at Auerfarm

Painting Experiences

Parent Teacher Conference Tips

The Importance of Arriving to School On Time

Community Connections

Dec 7, 8, 9 Early Dismissal Parent Teacher Conferences

Dec 9 PJ Day for the Kids ~ Optional Donation of $1 or Donate through this Link:

https://give.connecticutchildrens.org/team/464330

Dec 14 Wintonbury Day of Kindness: Express yourself in kindness ~ wear a shirt that is your favorite color, has hearts or promotes kindness.

Dec 16 Food Drive Ends ~ Help us Stuff the Bus!

Dec 22 - Jan 2 No School Holiday Break

Jan 11 Early Dismissal Teacher Professional Development

It is lottery season!

This means that the RSCO application opens on Monday, December 5th. You will be able to apply to magnet schools for next school year (2023-2024). How does this impact you?

1. If you have a PK4 student and you are interested in a magnet school, you should complete an application with RSCO.

2. If you have a PK3 student and intend to stay at Wintonbury, you DO NOT have to reapply. Once you are enrolled at Wintonbury your student remains here through PK4.

3. If you have an upcoming/eligible PK3 for the 2023-2024 school year and are interested in a magnet school, you should complete an application. ***If you are applying for a sibling and your other child will be PK4 please email me to let me know. Per, RSCO regulations, families in this situation receive priority for their incoming child when the sibling will attend the same school that following year.***

Please note, families who reside in Hartford and attend Wintonbury receive preference (a preference means a greater chance not a guarantee) to some magnet schools for their Kindergarten year. The following schools participate and you must list them in your application as choices:

-Open Choice (preference in any eligible district)
-Academy of International Studies Elementary School (South Windsor/CREC)
-Glastonbury/East Hartford Magnet School (Glastonbury/CREC)
-Riverside Magnet School at Goodwin University (East Hartford/LEARN)
-Betances Learning Lab (Hartford)
-Environmental Sciences at Mary Hooker (Hartford)

Application open for the lottery on December 5th!

My biggest tip for you is to only list schools that you really want to send your child to. You only get 1 offer per lottery season. Also, apply on time! The on time window is December 5th - February 28th. The lottery will run (usually) during April.

Although winter recess is an exciting time for most children, feelings of joy may be accompanied by anxiety and irritability. During school breaks, children experience several changes including new schedules and routines, traveling, and meeting new people, which can be overwhelming. To soothe your child, consider incorporating the following strategies into your family’s plans for winter recess this year.

Prepare your child. Discuss the transition to winter recess ahead of time. This will allow you to address any questions or concerns that your child may have. Based on your family’s plans for vacation, try to incorporate related books, movies, pictures into this conversation, so your child knows what to expect.

If you are traveling, bring a comfort item for your child. Traveling can be stressful or children, due to long distances, crowded airports and visiting unfamiliar places. Be sure to pack your child’s favorite items including toys, snacks, books and blankets to bring them relief.

Establish a safe place. During winter recess, it is common for children to be exposed to crowds and loud noises, which can cause discomfort. With your child, identify a way for them to communicate when they need a break and space that they can resort to. During this break, have your child utilize additional calming strategies such as deep breathing, listening to soft music, coloring or playing with a sensory toy, until they are calm.

Keep your child active. When children are away from school for long periods of time, families may have difficulty finding activities to keep them occupied. Consider having your child complete outdoor winter activities, arts and crafts, setting up playdates, going to the library, or having your child help you to prepare for winter festivities. You can also make this a game by having your child think of as many activities as possible, and choosing a different one each day.

Get your child involved. During this season, we commonly see acts of acts of kindness. Help your child look forward to winter recess by discussing ways to make others feel happy. This may look like sending gratitude cards, donating to a food pantry or toy drive, or signing up for volunteer opportunities.

Transitions can be challenging for children, but with preparation, gentleness, and meaningful activities, winter break can be enjoyable for you and your child.

Thank you for your prompt pick up of the Lyman Orchards Pies! Volunteers Elizabeth Duteau, Kerra Maurer, and Lauren Best were a huge help with organizing orders, we couldn’t have gotten everything sorted without these helpful parents!

The Coat Drive/ Winter clothing swap is now an ongoing event. Check out the new coat rack just inside the side door entrance. The Wintonbury Swap Shop has child sized jackets, mittens, hats, boot and snowpants. Please continue to donate available items. We are especially in need of larger sizes, 3T-6.

Swap Shops make clothing available to other families, as well as, teachers (who may need specific gear for children), . Additionally, extending the life of clothes by passing them on, reduces our carbon emissions and cuts down on waste. It is also a great way to declutter your home and gain some gently-used clothes that your children can use. Feel free to drop clothing items off and /or shop for what you need. (You do need to donate to shop.)

The Scholastic Book Fair will be taking place in the front lobby on Wednesday (12/7) and Thursday (12/8) from 1-5 PM and Friday (12/9) from 1-4 PM. A portion of the profits from each book sold goes to Wintonbury school! This year there are new features that make shopping easier, including the e-wallet where funds can be placed on a child’s account online and online shopping with books shipped right to your home. We are still looking for volunteers to help with the fair (primarily cashiers). Even a 30 minutes slot would be a huge help. Sign up here. You can also email the PTO to sign up wintonburyPTO@gmail.com.

The next PTO meeting is December 14th at 6 pm in the Wintonbury conference room and on Zoom. Childcare for children preschool age and older can be provided with advance RSVP to WintonburyPTO@gmail.com, Younger siblings are also welcome but need to stay with their parents.

Join The Wintonbury PTO Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6588099102?pwd=d2xscDlzZ25PVys3RmdxK0NzVkUxZz09

Meeting ID: 658 809 9102

Passcode: PTO

• For any questions, comments, and volunteer opportunities please email us @ mailto:wintonburypto@gmail.com
  

• Thank you so much for your continued support of the PTO!

Mandated Flu Shots:

If your child has not received a flu shot by December 31st they will not be allowed to attend school and cannot return until they receive a flu shot and we receive medical documentation (email/fax/dropped off). If your child arrives at school without having received a flu shot and with proper documentation, they will be sent home. Students who receive their first flu shot before December 31st may return to school; however, a booster flu shot is highly recommended.

Lion's Club Visit:

The Volunteers from the Bloomfield Lions Club came to Wintonbury and did vision screenings on 192 Wintonbury preschoolers in the health room. Of those screened, 28 students did not pass and are being asked to follow up with their primary care doctor to get a referral.

Although you’re probably used to seeing your children splash in the bathtub and dig in the sandbox at the playground, you may be surprised to know that the Sand and Water Area, or sensory play, is an important part of our curriculum. Both sand and water are natural materials for learning.

When children pour water into measuring cups, they are exploring math concepts. When they drop corks, stones, feathers, and marbles into a tub of water, they are scientists exploring which objects float and which sink. When they comb sand into patterns, they learn about both math and art.

We encourage children to experiment with these materials. As they do, we ask questions to focus their thinking on their discoveries: “How did the water change when we added the soap flakes?”, “What can wet sand do that dry sand can’t?”, “How many of these measuring cups of water do you suppose it will take to fill this quart pitcher?”

What can you do at home?

If your child particularly enjoys playing with water and sand, you may want to set up some play areas for these activities in your home. Water play can be set up at the bathroom or kitchen sink. Lay a large towel on the floor, and , if the sink is too high for your child, provide a stool or stepladder. Outdoors, you can use small wading pool, tub or old baby bathtub. Give your child a baster, plastic measuring spoons and cups, a funnel and plastic or rubber animals and boats. For a novel experience, add some liquid soap or food coloring to the water.

If a sandbox is not available outdoors, you might use a small dishpan as a miniature sandbox. All you need is a few inches of fine white sand. Collect small items such as shells, rubber animals, small scoops, spoons, measuring cups, sieves and funnels and offer them to your child (a few props at a time). A variety of props will lead to many hours of enjoyment for your child.

Take time to join in your child’s play. Ask them open-ended questions (that have no right answer), this will lead to interesting conversations. Open ended questions often start with phrases like: “What do you think will happen if . . .” or “Tell me about . . .“

Creative Curriculum for Preschool©

During this visit to Auerfarm students looked for signs of fall, visited gardens, collected leaves, seeds, fruits and vegetables and planted garlic. Pictures below highlight some of the experiences in rooms 102 and 104. If you didn't go on the trip, you can access a video, activities and more information through this link: Harvest Virtual Field Trip

Students are enjoying the process of creating art with a variety of painting experiences including tempera, watercolor, and of course finger paint!

Use these tips to prepare for meeting with your child’s teacher and setting the stage for a great partnership.

Before the conference

• If the conference day and time don’t work for your family, reach out and ask for an alternative. Teachers will sometimes arrange an online video chat if scheduling becomes too difficult.
• Make a list of your questions and concerns, and prioritize them—you’ll want to leave plenty of time to hear the teacher’s thoughts.
• Think of examples to share with the teacher of how your child plays and learns at home.

During the conference

Share information about your family

• Let the teacher know about your family’s special characteristics and circumstances—this helps the teacher support your child’s learning.
• Talk about changes or challenges that might impact your child at school (like a new living arrangement or a morning schedule that means your child needs to wake up extra early).

Build a partnership

• If you’re wondering how specific school activities connect to your child’s learning, or if you don’t understand what the teacher is describing, ask!
• Ask about activities and ideas you can try at home to support your child’s learning.

Communicate openly

• If you have concerns, ask how you can problem-solve together. Staying calm and collaborating are the best ways to support your child.
• Ask about the best ways to continue communicating with the teacher and how to stay up-to-date with class news throughout the year.

After the conference

• A conference is not the only time to ask questions or express concerns—be sure to follow up if there’s something you’re worried about.
• Stay in touch! Whether you have a new question or want to share what happened when you tried a different learning activity at home, your child’s teacher wants to hear from you.
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Resources / Publications / Teaching Young Children / October/November 2018 / Message in a Backpack™ It’s Conference Time!

Have you ever shown up to a meeting or an event after it already started? You probably felt a little unsure or uncomfortable at first. That’s what it is like for young children when they come to school late.

Arriving late to school can negatively impact the entire day. It is very important for children to arrive to school promptly between 8:40 and 8:50 am. This ensures that children feel a part of the community by greeting friends, settling in and following established routines. Predictable schedules are comforting for young children and arriving on time is one way to facilitate a positive transition to the school day.

When children arrive after 9:10, staff are pulled away from other commitments and meal counts are impacted. We understand that you may have an occasional day you need to bring your child to school late. If you are going to be late, please contact your child's teacher, so they can submit accurate lunch counts.

Thank you for your cooperation.