Early Excellence Express
December 4, 2020
MERRY AND BRIGHT
At the Early Excellence Academy, we strive to provide developmentally appropriate learning activities woven into joyful learning experiences. This season is no different. Although our activities look different this year, we have planned some really amazing ways to celebrate holiday traditions and experiences.
We start the season off with BIG travel plans! On December 10, students will board the Early Learning Jetliner and travel to five countries to learn and explore holiday customs and traditions other than their own.
ALL ABOARD! Students will board the Polar Express on December 11 and venture to the North Pole during our Polar Express Day.
MERRY GRINCHMAS! Students will learn to grow their heart three sizes bigger as we reinforce our prosocial skills with fun "green" activities.
Gross motor skills will be put to the test as students challenge and cheer on their classmates during REINDEER GAMES, set for December 17.
Finally, no holiday would be complete without a proper celebration. On December 18, students will celebrate and make crafts during Winter Wonderland.
We are excited and very much looking forward to the days ahead. Our hearts are filled to see such amazing progress in every element of development from our students. Their independence is flourishing and we want to celebrate each successful moment!
Warm Wishes!
Megan
KINDNESS CHALLENGE UPDATE
LANGUAGE LAB SPOTLIGHT SKILL
Students continue to build a positive climate as they work on skills such as problem solving, teamwork, communication, critical thinking, creativity, and leadership.
Hear from Ms. Michelle on this week's skill set focus and how you can assist our children in transferring skills from the classroom to home and the community.
During our Morning Meeting we talk about our Harmony Goals and recite our EEA promise. The children are so proud of themselves when they recite the Harmony Goals and EEA Promise. Sanford Harmony is the Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum we use to teach and model the SEL skill set. They recently launched an app. We will being exploring this app in the Language Lab in the coming weeks. I absolutely love it, it is user friendly, has single and multi-player games (great for including siblings). My favorite is the Relaxation Station. The Relaxation Station has 3 visuals to choose from and guides the user to breathe in and out while calming music is playing in the background. I often use breathing techniques in the Language Lab to help children to feel in control. I love that the Relaxation Station is simple enough that our savvy Littles will be able to use it with guidance and work towards independence. I recommend exploring the app and determining if it will be a great resource for your family.
Simply search Sanford Harmony Game Room in Apple’s App store or Google Play, using the icon in the photo below, on your tablet or mobile device.
Let me know if you have any questions.
In Kindness,
Ms. Michelle
POLAR EXPRESS DAY
Our CTE Education and Training Pathways program has organized this event scheduled for Friday, December 11th!
Early Excellence Academy students will arrive wearing pajamas and will be escorted to the THS classroom located in EEA for Polar Express Day! EEA teachers will guide students through Polar Express Day which includes movie and train activities. Students will enjoy hot chocolate and prepackaged bags of popcorn while they watch the Polar Express movie.
In order for your child to participate in Polar Express Day, please complete the electronic consent form HERE by Wednesday, December 9th.
UPCOMING EVENTS: YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT
December 9
December 10
- Mad About Plaid: Wear your favorite flannel
- Holiday World Tour
- Polar Express Day (wear your pajamas to school)
- Confetti Party (EE-2 year old classroom only)
December 14
- Camo-Ho-Ho-Ho (wear camo to school)
- January Needs Assessment Results Due
December 16
- Grinch Day (wear green or a grinch shirt)
December 17
- Reindeer Games (wear red and white)
December 18
- Winter Wonderland (wear red or green)
January 4
- Staff Workday: EEA will operate on a modified schedule
- Snacks and hot lunch will be provided.
January 5
- Staff Workday: EEA will operate on a modified schedule
- Snacks and hot lunch will be provided.
January 15
- Progress Reports sent home
STAFF WORKDAYS
Meals and snacks will be available at EEA from the Child Nutrition Department on January 4 and 5.
The Early Excellence Academy will be operating on a modified schedule. All students must be picked up from the center by 4:30 p.m.
UPDATE FROM TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMISSION
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has extended the emergency rules (PDF) related to health and safety standards for child day care operations that became effective on June 25, 2020. This extension makes the emergency rules effective through December 21, 2020.
There are no changes to the content of the emergency rules, and these emergency rules continue to include many of guidelines from the Open Texas Child Care Checklist (PDF).
Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures
**REMINDERS**
*Please pull up to the first available orange cone. If no cone is available, please wait inside your vehicle until a spot is open.
*Placing carseats in the middle or passenger side of your vehicle is safest when loading and unloading children.
Staggered Drop off and Pick up times can be found HERE.
Please note that the drop off and pick up windows include 15 minutes from the time published.
Please note that a child can be picked up earlier or dropped off later than the posted times.
STUDENT ILLNESS PARENT HANDBOOK REMINDERS
Our first priority at the Early Excellence Academy is providing a healthy, safe learning
environment for all children. Each day, upon arrival, your child is given a visual health
check to ensure that he/she is healthy and prepared for fun and learning. If your child gets sick at school, we will notify you as soon as possible. If we are unable to reach you, we will notify the emergency contacts on your list in the order listed.
Children/staff will be sent home as soon as possible if any of the following is experienced:
1. The illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in activities (as determined
by the staff).
2. The illness results in a greater need for care than the staff can reasonably provide
without compromising the health or safety of other children in the classroom
3. A child is experiencing any of the following conditions:
a. A temperature of 100 or greater that is accompanied by behavior changes and
or other symptoms of illness including but not limited too: lethargy, uncontrolled
coughing, inexplicable irritability or persistent crying, difficulty breathing, and/or
wheezing
b. Uncontrollable Diarrhea
i. Actively potty training: Not contained in the pull-up, and/or exceeds two
or more stools above the normal for that child
ii. A toilet-trained child: Has two or more abnormally loose stools and/or
the diarrhea is causing soiled pants and clothing
c. Head lice or eggs
d. Vomiting (2 or more times)
e. Sore throat with swollen tonsils or glands, white spots in throat, or throat that
hurts when swallowing
f. Colored discharge from the nose
g. Constant, deep, or hacking cough
h. Signs of conjunctivitis (pink eye), such as redness or discharge from one or
both eyes
i. Undetermined rash
j. Any reportable condition that the local health department or primary care
physician has determined to be contagious.
Tomball ISD has released the updated Return to Work handbook for employees. This handbook has listed the following conditions associated with COVID:
- Measured temperature equal or greater than 100.4*
- Chills
- Close contact with a person who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19
- Congestion or runny nose*
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Feverish Feeling*
- Headache
- Muscle Pain
- Nausea or vomitting
- Headache
- Muscle Pain
- New loss of taste or smell
- New uncontrolled cough*
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing*
- Sore throat*
*Children with new or worsening signs or symptoms will not be allowed entry into EEA until 72 hours (3 days) have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever reducing medication.*
Parents should be vigilantly monitoring the health of their child and not send them to the program if they are displaying any symptom of COVID.
MENU
SACK LUNCH DAYS
Students will need to pack a sack lunch on the following days:
Spring Semester
- January 18
- February 15
- May 28
Lunches should be packaged using disposable materials only.
Please note that no food deliveries will be allowed to EEA.
EEA TEACHER WEBSITES
Please visit teacher websites for additional classroom information !
YOUTH SERVICES SPECIALIST
Referrals can come from any school staff, parents, a friend, other agencies, or the community. If in doubt, feel free to contact Samantha at
SamanthaPromise@tomballisd.net
281-357-3280 (EXT. 3310)
Contact Us
When dialing into EEA from an out of district line, please dial the main number to our district, 281-357-3100, then dial our EEA extension, 2620. If you are phoning from an in district line, please dial the extension only, 2620.
Email: meganparker@tomballisd.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/tomballschools.net/earlyexcellenceacademy/home
Location: 30330 Quinn Road, Tomball, TX, USA
Phone: 281-357-3100 2620
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TISDEarlyExcellenceAcademy/?ref=share
Twitter: @TISDEarly