Heath Extended Day Program

Please follow us on our new website!

2011-04-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

< http://www.heathextendedday.org >

Heath Extended Day will no longer be using blogspot to post our newsletters. We have taken your suggestions and have create a website. Please check us out and keep up to date with our newsletters, photos and happenings at

< http://www.heathextendedday.org >

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

Marching into March with PreK Extended Day

2011-02-28T14:26:00.000-08:00

Whats happening in March at PreK Extended Day?

- We have been continuing with our letter of the week in Pre-K, we will be starting March off with the letter P. Through our letter of the week activities the students become familiar with the sounds of each letter, the shape each letter holds, and how to write each letter. Our activities daily include a book and a craft that relates to our theme or letter of the week.

-Fresh Fridays are happening every Friday in Prek Extended Day! This means that we cook after rest. The kids love to cook and see the transformation of food. This is a great opportunity for us to introduce new foods and incorporate math elements.

-Children have been earning Warm and Fuzzies! A warm and fuzzy is a pom pom that children earn when they commit random acts of kindness such as using manners, helping friends and teachers, sharing, and simply doing and saying things that make you feel warm and fuzzy. The children are working towards a party!

-March 2nd we will be celebrating the Doctors birthday! That is Dr.Seuss of course! Theodor Seuss Geisel better knowns as Dr.Seuss was born in 1904 and would be 107 years old today! We will be reading many books by Dr.Seuss on this day as well as creating fun hats in his recognition! We will continue to discuss and read Dr.Seuss books through the month of March.

-The first day of Spring will spring upon us on March 20th. We will be welcoming the spring season by doing some planting in our classroom! Keep your eyes open for our spring blossoms on our window ledge.

New Additions to our Class!

Everyday of the week we are lucky enough to have student interns from Wheelock College join us for a couple hours! These students are studying early childhood, elementary education, and criminal justice. Please give them a warm welcome to the Heath Community.

Work Out Wednesdays! On Wednesdays Nelly joins us for a yoga! Wednesday afternoons from 1:30 to 2:00 Nelly, a yoga instructor, joins us and does a session with the kids. As well as yoga Nelly incorporates Spanish language into her lesson. We are working to reiterate the Spanish words they are learning. Keep your eyes open for yoga poses and ears open for some Spanish vocabulary words.
    For example:
    Dog-Perro
    Cat-Gato
    Lion-Leon

March Madness in K/1

2011-02-28T14:24:00.000-08:00

Whats happening in K1?

-Ahoy Mateys! K1 Will be kicking off March with Treasure Hunt Week. During the first week of march we will acting as pirates creating eye patches, treasure maps and treasure chests. On Thursday we will have our school-wide treasure hunt! All pirates be ready heave ho in search for the treasure!

-March 2nd we will be celebrating the Doctors birthday! That is Dr.Seuss of course!Theodor Seuss Geisel better known as Dr.Seuss was born in 1904 and would be 107 years old today! We will be reading many books by Dr.Seuss on this day as well as creating fun hats in his recognition!

-This month and for the remainder of the year we will have two new HEDP members, please welcome Flat Stanley and Flat Sally! Please let us know if you and your family would like to include them in your travels!

-St.Patricks Day is on Thursday March 17th, we will be celebrating all week through lessons about Ireland and the origin of this day! On this day 5th and 6th grade students will be creating crafts and activities that they will be doing with the k1 students.
-The first day of Spring will spring upon us on March 20th. We will be welcoming the spring season by doing some planting in our classroom! Keep your eyes open for our spring blossoms on our window ledge.

New Additions to our Class!

Everyday of the week we are lucky enough to have student interns from Wheelock College join us for a couple hours! These students are studying early childhood, elementary education, and criminal justice. Please give them a warm welcome to the Heath Community!

As well, we have two high school volunteers Connie Schmidt, the sister to Nicki and Vicki, and Megan.

We want to thank all the heath older students who volunteer as well, the kids love your company and we appreciate all your help. Thanks to Evan Owens, Josh Justice-Pope, Aidan Perry and Tomas Munarriz.

A Brief look into our calendar- A detailed calendar can be found on our welcome board behind the sign-out station.

March Madness Events:
Dr. Suess
Treasure Hunt Day
Mardi Gras
St. Patricks Day
Magic Trick Day
The Pancakes Birthday

K-1 Wish List
-Cleaning luxuries (Lysol wipes and paper towels)
-Wipe Board Markers
-Cookie Cutters (shapes, letters, holiday themed)
-Clean socks (for puppets)
-Shoe Boxes
-Magazines
-Lego People
*All donations accepted and greatly appreciated*

Welcome Interns and Volunteers!

2011-02-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed, HEDP has been packed with many new faces! I am pleased to announce that we are continuing to work in cooperation with Wheelock Collage as a Field Learning Placement. In addition we will be hosting Brookline High students and Heath Leaders In Training (middle school students).

We have 2-4 volunteer's and interns in each classroom every day of the week. The Wheelock inters will be observing students over the next 8 weeks for a Human Growth and Development Course while the high school and middle school learners will assist children with literacy skills, homework assignments, science activities and gym games. We are fortunate to have such a wide array of learners who are willing to help out, teach and share their skills with your children.

Please help us welcome all interns, volunteers and LIT by introducing yourself and asking them how they like HEDP. Your support and cooperation will help these students, educators, advocates and caring members of the community become future professionals.

Kindly,

Noelle

February News in 2/6

2011-02-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

February 2011
Heath Extended Day

2-6 Newsletter
Wish Days Granted in January…

During the month of January, we granted many special days that were
wished for by the kids. Wishes we fulfilled during January were:
Edible Art day, Candy day, Soccer day, Movie day and Pizza day.
Edible Art day was a huge hit!

The kids made “sushi” out of angle
food cake, twinkies, fruit roll ups, Swedish fish and gum drops! The
kids did a fantastic job using these foods to create realistic looking
pieces of sushi. Also, during Edible Art day, the kids made creative
towers using marshmallows and toothpicks. During candy day, the kids
participated in a game of candy trivia. They learned fun facts about
candy and even learned about some candy slogans.

In addition to
learning about candy, the children crushed pieces of hard candy,
created their own candy mold out of tin foil and melted the crushed
pieces in the oven to create homemade lollipops in the shape of their
mold. They also learned out to make “gummy bears” using gelatin.

During soccer day, the kids got to spend a great amount of time
playing Soccer in the gym. With all the snow, they haven’t been able
to play the sport that we most often see them playing on the field
during the spring and fall!

For those who did not participate, we
gave them an opportunity to sew soccer ball pillows! Finally, the
kids enjoyed movie day and pizza day. On movie day the kids relaxed
in the library and watched, Cheaper by the Dozen and they enjoyed the
a special pizza party day. We have so many more wishes to fulfill in
February!

Please look for notices regarding upcoming Wacky Hair and
Electronics Days!

Winter Reminder and information
We will continue to bring the kids outside to play during the winter.
Your child MUST have a hat, gloves, and winter jacket. To play in the
snow, kids must also have snow boots and snow pants. On days where
when we are able, we will take the kids sledding on the back
playground. Your child must have a helmet to go sledding. Please
feel free to store sleds and helmets in the upstairs extended day room
during the school week. Please label your child’s belongings!

There are still spots for ice skating at the Riley Rink in Cleveland
Circle. Please see a 2-6 teacher if you would like to sign up your
child. We go weekly on Wednesdays and will continue to do so through
March 9th. The kids who have already signed up are having a blast!

OH Baby!

We are happy to announce that Caitlyn had her baby girl, Sofia, on
Monday, January 24th. Mom and baby are doing great! The kids each
created a page with thoughtful messages and beautiful pictures
congratulating Caitlyn and welcoming Sofia! We binded the pages to
create a special book from the 2-6 children!

WISHLIST

We are seeking 8 new Motrola Walkie Talkies to keep our lines of
communication open. We hope to get ones that are rugged and take
rechargeable batteries. Your help is appreciated!

http://www.motorola.com/Business/XN-EN/Business+Product+and+Services/Consumer+Two-Way+Radios/T8+Walkie+Talkie+Radio_XF-EN

Keeping warm in K1

2010-12-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

What’s happened at HEDP-
A brief recap of November

•    On December 1st in 1955 Rosa Parks decided she would no longer be subjected to unequal and unjust treatment. Mrs. Parks' actions sparked the Montgomery bus boycott which became a major catalyst in the Civil Rights Movement. To commemorate this historic moment K-1 read "The Crayon Box That Talked" by Shane DeRolf, about the diversity and acceptance of others. K-1 made their own "box of crayons" expressing each child's uniqueness and our community as a whole. Please take time to view our "box of crayons" that is displayed in the hallway.

•    As a class we discussed and learned about harvest and squirrels. The children realized that between September and December the squirrels have seemed to disappear and one student asked, “Do squirrels hibernate like bears?” This question kicked off our squirrel study. The children learned that while we have started to see less tree squirrels they do not hibernate in the winter they stay active all year round, but in the winter they stay in their nests to conserve their body heat. Ask your children some other interesting facts about squirrels. The children made their own squirrels using the information learned and the squirrels are scurrying about the classroom walls!

•    The K-1 class has continued to earn “caring chains” by completing caring and kid acts to their peers and we are proud to announce that they have completed our challenge and earned a caring chain party! We will be celebrating on December 9th with a special snack of pizza and popsicles as well as a cooperative game of soccer! Please continue to congratulate and encourage your child’s caring behaviors.

Interactive Classroom- A look into the projects happening at Extended Day-

-We have jumped into winter at HEDP!! The
K-1 children have all made predictions about when the first snow will occur. Their predictions have been added to our “Snow Poll.”

-We will be learning about the Inuit culture and children will be constructing igloo’s using sugar cubes to replicate the homes of Inuit people during the cold season in the Arctic Tundra.

-We will be transforming an area of our classroom into a “Winter Wonderland Village.” The children will be using an assortment of materials such as craft sticks, cotton balls, Q-tips, pine cones, glitter and clay to create the homes and scenery for the winter wonderland.

-Continuing our “Fresh Fridays” we will be cooking an array of holiday treats on Fridays.

Holiday Happenings at HEDP- Donations Through December 17th
Horizons for Homeless Children was founded in 1988 as an independent, non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to serving young homeless children and their families. Horizons for Homeless Children touches the lives of more than 2,700 young homeless children each week in Massachusetts through Play spaces (educational and recreational spaces) in shelters and 175 children through its three Community Children's Centers, Boston's only comprehensive, full-time early education and childcare centers specifically for young homeless children. In addition to direct service, we advocate on behalf of young homeless children and their families with policy makers and provide training and technical assistance to related service providers.

Horizons for Homeless Children is supported primarily by charitable gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations. Every gift helps!
For more information please feel free to contact Scott at www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org
•    ART SUPPLIES
•    Paint (watercolor, school paint, and finger paint, all in larger sizes), paintbrushes, paint daubers and large sized crayons and markers
•    Craft supplies (glitter, craft sticks, pompoms, colored pipe cleaners, feathers, buttons, gallon and regular size glue bottles, Crayola Model Magic Clay, Play-Doh and rolling pins, cookie cutters, stencils, wiggle eyes )
•    Paper (easel, finger paint, construction, shiny, tissue paper, contact paper, poster board, butcher roll paper , preschool lined)
•    Large rolls of paper and paper rack
•    Stickers, Magnetic letters and shapes
•    Felt board and story pieces
•    Child safe scissors - round edge, plastic
•    Waterproof smocks
•    Water based stamp pads with stamps
•    Tape: masking tape, colored tape, scotch tape
•    Dry erase markers
•    Ballpoint pens
Books
•    Multi-Cultural
•    Diverse family types
•    Children/adults with diverse abilities
•    Books without words
•    Spanish books
•    Spanish/English books
•    Board books
•    Books with grandparents
•    Big Books for group story times
•    Books on tape
Computer Equipment / Electronics--New or Gently Used
•    Laminating film rolls
•    CD/Tape Players (shock proof if possible)
•    Cordless electric drills
•    Digital camera
•    used cell phones
Help HEDP support Horizons for Homeless Children Donations Through December 17th

We wish you and your family a New Year filled with all the best!

Warmly, HEDP PreK and K1 Teaching Team

2-6 December News

2010-12-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

December 2010
Heath Extended Day

2-6 Newsletter

Holiday Spoon are now on Sale!

We are so proud of all the hard work, creativity and imagination that the 2-6 kids put into decorating spoons for Project Bread’s Holiday Spoons Project. Project Bread is an anti-hunger organization with a mission to end hunger in Massachusetts. Each spoon costs $2.00 and all the money raised will be donated to Project Bread to help raise awareness and help feed hungry families. Please see a 2-6 teacher if your family would like to buy a spoon! Heath Extended Day would like to make sure each and every family has a warm meal and place to spend the holidays. Please see Noelle should your family need help with providing a meal or any other essential item during this holiday season. As always, your name and situation will be kept to our high confidential standards.

Building relationships, self esteem and confidence

The kids participated in two meaningful group activities this month. The first, a compliment game where kids sat in a circle and were each given three chocolate tokens. Taking turns, each child had to give away one of their tokens to another child that they chose while giving a compliment or acknowledging a good deed that the other child did for him/her. We observed tokens being given for: “being a good friend and sticking up for me,” “for including me when I was alone,” “for being helpful,” “for helping me when I fell down.” Knowing they were able to keep and eat the tokens after the game was over, some chose to give up more of their tokens so they could compliment another person in the group even if that meant having less for themselves, “it doesn’t matter how many you have left,” one child pointed out. The second meaningful activity the kids took part in was an activity in which a teacher gave ten statements beginning with the statement. “I am somebody who…” Kids were challenged to think of themselves s and step to a designated spot in the room depending on if they agreed, disagreed or were neutral with the statement based on their own experiences. Some statements were, I am somebody who: has teased another person using hurtful words, is comfortable telling another person to stop if I see them teasing someone else, is comfortable making my own decisions even if they are different than my friends, who will try to make sure my words and actions won’t hurt anybody. The kids were really able to reflect on their own and others experiences. These two activities seemed to successfully build relationships with one another as well as allow children to gain self esteem and confidence with sharing their thoughts and ideas.

Holidays Around the World

During the month of December, the 2-6 kids will be learning about different December holidays celebrated around. They will learn the history of each holiday, take part in a traditional game or activity and make a recipe that is enjoyed at the holiday. If your family has a special December holiday that you celebrate in your homes, we would love to teach the kids about as part of this unit!

Horizons for Homeless Children

HEDP is donating needed supplies to Horizons for Homeless Children during this holiday season. The children decorated donation boxes for art supplies, books, and computer equipment/gently used electronics! If you would like to donate, donation boxes will be located daily if the cafeteria, k-1 HEDP classroom and 2-6 HEDP classroom. We will be collecting donations through Friday December 17th

Horizons for Homeless Children was founded in 1988 as an independent, non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to serving young homeless children and their families.

Horizons for Homeless Children touches the lives of more than 2,700 young homeless children each week in Massachusetts through Playspaces (educational and recreational spaces) in shelters and 175 children through its three Community Children's Centers, Boston's only comprehensive, full-time early education and childcare centers specifically for young homeless children. In addition to direct service, we advocate on behalf of young homeless children and their families with policy makers and provide training and technical assistance to related service providers.

Horizons for Homeless Children is supported primarily by charitable gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations. Every gift helps! For more information please feel free to contact Scott at www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org

Art and Craft Supplies

Paint (watercolor, school paint, and finger paint, all in larger sizes), paintbrushes, paint daubers and large sized crayons and markers glitter, craft sticks, pompoms, colored pipe cleaners, feathers, buttons, gallon and regular size glue bottles, Crayola Model Magic Clay, Play-Doh and rolling pins, cookie cutters, stencils, wiggle eyes, paper (easel, finger paint, construction, shiny, tissue paper, contact paper, poster board, butcher roll paper , preschool lined). Large rolls of paper and paper rack

Stickers, Magnetic letters and shapes,Felt board and story pieces .Child safe scissors - round edge, plastic

Waterproof smocks, Water based stamp pads with stamps

Tape: masking tape, colored tape, scotch tape

Dry erase markers, Ballpoint pens

Books

Multi-Cultural, Diverse family types, Children/adults with diverse abilities, Books without words, Spanish books

Spanish/English books, Board books, Books with grandparents Big Books for group story times, Books on tape.

Computer Equipment / Electronics--New or Gently Used

Laminating film rolls, CD/Tape Players (shock proof if possible)

Cordless electric drills, Digital camera, used cell phones. Events, News and Reminders

Monday, December 6th: Building Architecture Meeting in the Heath Auditorium at 7:00. Dinner and childcare will be provided to HEDP families. Dinner will be served from 6:15-7:00. Please RSVP to Noelle.

Thursday, December 9th: Meet the Principal Finalist at Heath from 7:45-8:45. Dinner and childcare will be provided to HEDP families. Dinner will be served from 7:00-7:45. Please RSVP to Noelle.

Thursday, December 9th: Early Release Day Field Trip: Ice Skating at Frog Pond. Please return permission slips no later than Wednesday December 8th. Space is limited! Helmets are required for this trip.

Thursday, December 23rd: Early Release Day: Pizza and Movie Day. No lunch is served in school. Heath Extended Day will provide pizza for lunch as a gift! We will close at 4:45pm on Thursday December 23rd due to the Heath school 12:00pm dismissal.

Ice Skating

Ice Skating at the Reilly Memorial Rink in Cleveland Circle will begin on Wednesday January 12th and will continue weekly on Wednesdays until March 16th. Children must bring their own skates and helmet for this trip. Skates are as little as $25.00 at Dicks Sporting Goods $20.00 at Toys R Us and $18.00 at Amazon! Please look for notices regarding this special opportunity for Brookline Extended Day Programs

Kid's Corner Let’s hear what they have to say!

“I like Trippin Out because you get to go to new places that I have never been before and we get really good snacks.” 6th grader

“I enjoy coming to Extended Day and socializing with the teachers and playing games like speedball.” 6th grader

“I enjoy coming to Extended Day because it is a fun environment!” 5th grader

“Extended Day has fun field trips on half days.” 5th grader

“I like when we make food because it is a special snack. I liked the apple crisp.” 5th grader

“I like going to Extended Day because when it is close to a holiday you can do special parties for it.” 3rd grader

“Extended Day is cool because they have really fun games.” 2nd grader

The 2-6 teachers would like to wish you and your family a happy and healthy New Year!

Early Release and Early Dismissal and HEDP

2010-11-08T11:06:00.000-08:00

Heath Extended Day will be open on all 12:30pm early release days from 12:30-5:45pm We usually have a special theme for the day and offer activities to keep our day fresh and exciting. This Wednesday will be be offering an All About Art theme and we have two fun events happening. The MFA will be visiting with a small collection and great hands on activity while the 2-6th graders have the opportunity to take a trip to the ICA. Please feel free to see a teacher should you be interested in your child attending one of these offerings.

We will be open from 12:30pm-5:45pm on these early release days

Wed. 11/10/10---All about Art
Thur. 11/18/10---Super sports and games
Wed. 12/1/10
Thur. 12/9/10
Wed. 4/6/11
Thur. 4/13/11
Wed. 4/27/11
Thur. 4/5/11

Heath Extended Day will close at 4:45pm on all 12:00pm early dismissal days. These days usually fall near vacations. Please note that lunch is not served on 12:00pm dismissals days and you will need to pack your child a lunch should they attend HEDP.

Here are the two 12:00pm early dismissal days that have been announced.

Wed. 11/24/10
Thur. 12/23/10

Please note that HEDP is closed for all vacations, holidays and snow days.

Fantastic Fall Happening in K/1

2010-11-08T10:51:00.000-08:00

What’s happening at HEDP in the K/1 Room?
 
-The K-1 class kicked off November by recognizing Election

Day. We began our unit by showing the children the process

 of voting; the teachers role-played how to vote on Monday,

November 1st. The children were able to view the mini-play at

Precinct 14 in The Heath School Gymnasium; this experience

provided the children with a first-hand interactive look into

voting. We will continue learning about the election process

and responsibilities of being a citizen. The objective of

this theme is to provide children with knowledge of how

the hierarchy of government is run as well as seeking their

rights and responsibilities as people and within the classroom.
 
-The k-1 students will be turning an area of our classroom into a

precinct where the children will be able to vote on various elements

that occur in our classroom, such as snack and art projects.
 
-Through this month we will be taking a deeper look into the

fall season. Elements of this theme will include studying harvest,

squirrels, the change of weather and exploring the changes that

occur in nature. We will be bringing acorns into the classroom

and discussing the fall of the leaves. 
 
-This month we will be incorporating baking and cooking into

our curriculum. Due to the season we have an abundance of apples

which we have used to cook with on Fridays. We will be making a

variety of snacks. The opportunity to cook will allow the children

to utilize various skills of following a recipe,  incorporating

math and science, and using cooking tools such as, blender,

measuring cups, skillet, a hand mixer and so forth.
 
 
Interactive Classroom-  A look into the projects happening at Extended Day-
 
-We will be designing a Ballot Box in which we will utilize when we

have a class-wide vote in order to secure the right to privacy.
 
-American Flags or American Flag pillows using felt. The children

will have the option to turn template into a flag or stuff it for a pillow.
 
-Cornucopia’s using classroom materials such as paper plates,

magazines and paint.
 
-Autumn Wreaths designed by the children using objects of

nature collected.
 
-Gourd Observations and Exploration- This activity will include

children drawing and describing gourds using various math materials

to measure and sense to explore.


A brief recap of the end of October
 
 
-We began a “caring chain” in our classroom. Our caring chain has

become quite long since mid-October and the children are very proud!

The purpose of the caring chain is to build community within our classroom

and ensure that students are taking care and looking out for each other.

In order to earn a caring chain link a child must be spotted completing

an act of kindness and when he/she is spotted they may write their

name on a link and the teacher records why the child is being recognized!

Check out our caring chain for your child’s acts of kindness. When our

chain reaches the end of the classroom we will celebrate with a party of choice!
 
 
-MAIL BOXES- Each family now has a mailbox for their children.

The mailboxes are located on the doors entering Extended Day. Be sure

to check your child’s mailbox as notices regarding our calendar and

events will be going out. These mailboxes are available to keep you

informed, so if you see mail, please grab it!
 
 
A look into your child’s day-
 
2:20-2:30 Children arrive from class, place belongings in cubbies

and meet on Alphabet rug for attendance and snack overview.
 
2:30-2:45 Snack and quiet activities; when a child finishes eating

their snack they may choose a library book on display, complete a

worksheet, game or small activity related to themes or concepts

being studied during the school day, or draw on a mini-white

board independently.
 
2:45-2:55 Clean-up and Line-up for Outside
 
3:00-3:40 Outside Play. During this time children will be playing

a whole class organized game for 15 minutes and then will be able

to explore the structure and outdoors with peers.
 
3:45-4:15 Homework and Dear time- During this time the Kindergarteners

are read a story and then paired up to complete a math or literacy

game or activity. The First graders are taken out of the room to

the cafeteria or 2-6 classroom to complete some of their homework

packets and read for the remaining time.
 
4:15 Clean-up, re-group as one class and wash hands for  2nd snack.
 
4:30-5:00 Activity Time- At this time two activities occur; two

art activities or an art activity and an interactive game .
 
5:00-5:30 Choice time
 
5:30-5:45- Clean-up and cool down read aloud


K-1 Classroom Wishlist
 
• Clorox Wipes
• Dry Erase Markers
• Paper Plates
• Magazines
• Paper Towels
• Lysol Spray

2nd-6th Grade

2010-11-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

November 2010

Month in review…

HEDP Halloween Party was enjoyed by all

The children in 2-6 worked so hard during the month of October to prepare for the HEDP annual Halloween party. We are so impressed by their creativity and ideas that contributed to the success of the party. The children made and hosted carnival inspired games activities for the k-2 children to enjoy. Games and activities included: Witch Hat Ring Toss, Halloween Cup Knock Down, Pin the Wart on the Witch, Bean Bag Bucket Toss, Pumpkin Ball Toss, Ghost Pop Pull, Spider Jump, Tattoo Station, Cupcake Decorating Station, Feely Boxes, Face Painting, and a Halloween Book Mark Station. Thank you to much to all the families who donated treats and supplies for the party.

Cooking, Sewing and Beading

When the children were not busy with party preparations, they were busy sewing, cooking and beading. With apples in season, the children made two delicious recipes: Apple Turnovers and Homemade Applesauce. Furthermore, the children sewed their very own pumpkin treat bags for some Halloween treats. Finally, the kids enjoyed making beadie buddies using pony beads. Some created Halloween buddie buddies while others made other kinds of creatures such as snakes, lizards and Pokemon characters! All of these activities are great for building children’s skills in different areas such as measuring, counting, patterns, attention to detail, fine motor, imagination and creativity!

Upcoming attractions…

Project Bread Holiday Spoons Project

HEDP will continue its annual participation in Project Bread’s Holiday Spoons Project. Project Bread is the state’s leading anti-hunger organization, dedicated to preventing and alleviating hunger in Massachusetts. Project Bread funds over 400 food pantries, soup kitchens, and food banks all over Massachusetts. The Holiday Spoons Project is a fun meaningful way for children to learn about hunger and help feed hungry children in Massachusetts. Children will use their creativity and imagination to decorate wooden spoons using a wide variety of art materials. In years past, kids depicted cartoon characters, people, animals and more! We can’t wait to see what they come up with this year! We will sell the kid’s creations to friends, families and teachers for $2.00 each. All the money raised will be donated to Project Bread to help in its mission to end hunger in Massachusetts. Furthermore, we hope to help raise awareness about the issue of hunger in our community through group discussions, books and activities.

Early Release Days….

November 10^th: All About Art

Choice 1: Field Trip to Institute of Contemporary Art

Choice 2: Hands-on Art workshop presented by the Museum of Fine arts, here at Heath

November 18^th. Games From Around the World

Choice 1: Field Trip to Lucky Strikes for bowling.

Choice 2: Games from around the world with HEDP teachers.

November 24^th. Pizza Party

12:00 dismissal, no lunch will be served at school. HEDP will have a pizza party lunch and movie day. HEDP

*More information and permission slips to follow*

Annual Meeting News

2010-09-29T19:28:00.000-07:00

The Heath Extended Day Annual Meeting will take
place on Wednesday

October 13th from 5:30pm-6:30pm.
This will be a great opportunity to

learn about the program, meet our
teaching team, hear from our Board

of Directors and enjoy a bite to eat. We will be
providing childcare

and dinner for all those who attend.

Pre-K and K/1 News!

2010-09-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

September 2010

Heath Extended Day
Pre-K & K-1 Newsletter

Welcome Families!

It's hard to believe but it's that time of the year again - the beginning of a new school year. Welcome back! We would like to take this opportunity to welcome all the Pre-K, and K-1 families into the Heath Extended Day Community. There's a lot of excitement ahead of us, including new teachers to meet, new books to read, new friends to meet and new skills to master and we are so thrilled to have this opportunity to share in these experiences with you and your children. The K-1 team has worked hard through the summer to plan fun and engaging themes and activities to ensure a positive extended day experience for your children.

Meet the K-1 Team

Alyssa Davis: I am so delighted to be a member of the Heath Extended Day K-1 team. I recently graduated from Wheelock College where I studied Early Childhood Education. I have been a member of the Heath Extended Day Community as a float teacher for four years and I am thrilled to further my position and work more closely and interactively with the children.

Jackie Lattuca: I am so excited about joining the HEDP K-1 teaching team and am eager to work with you and your child. I join HEDP with many years experience working with children in a preschool and after-school setting. I have many topics of interest such as nature and animals that I look forward to sharing with your child.

Sidoney Daley: I am returning to the Heath Extended Day team for my second year. I had a wonderful and enriched experience last year and am excited to be part of the team once again. I am currently enrolled in a graduate program at Umass Boston where I am studying early childhood education; I look forward to utilizing my knowledge to facilitate learning at Heath Extended Day.

Fall into the School Year!

We will be kicking off the school year with a theme, “Me, My Family, and My Friends.” Through this unit we hope to promote self-confidence, get to know you and your children, and focus on aspects of friendship. We will be reading books such as “I like Me” By Nancy Carlson and “Chrysanthemum: By Kevin Hankes. The children will be making self-portraits along with other crafts and will be asked to bring in photos and other belongs that are important to them.

News to note:

Pre-K families: Please send in a queen size pillow-case, change of clothes, family photo small blanket or stuffed animal for our rest time.

All Pre-K children can purchase milk from the cafeteria for .50 per day beginning October 4th. Please contact Noelle should your child be interested in purchasing milk from the Heath School cafeteria.

Please send in one small (softball size) pumpkin for your child.

K/1 families: Please send your child in with a baby photo of them for a project we will be completing.

Please send in one (softball) size pumpkin for your child.

Please supply your child with one change of clothes in a ziplock bag.

Wishlist:

Shoelaces
Tissues
Newspapers
Papertowels
Pumpkins

2-6 Welcome Letter

2010-09-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

September 2010

Heath Extended Day

2-6 Newsletter

Welcome Families!

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome all the 2-6 families to the 2010-2011 school year! We are so excited to see so many familiar faces from last years 2-6 group and to meet the new families that will be joining us this year! It is with our greatest pleasure to have this opportunity to work with you and your child to ensure a successful school year and to ensure a positive after school experience for your child! The 2-6 team has brainstormed a number of new and different activities and projects for the coming year, however, we also look forward to hearing about the interests of this years group in order to create a curriculum that meets the needs of all the children!

An Introduction to the 2-6 team…

Malaina LeSage. Malaina will be returing to Heath Extended Day for her fourth year working with the 2-6 group!

Caitlyn Hawkins. Caitlyn began working at Heath Extended Day as part of her internship at Wheelock College. Now, Cailtlyn joins us for her second year as a 2-6 teacher!

Jared Mael. Jared will be returning to Heath Extended Day for his second year working as a 2-6 teacher!

Cory Warfield. Welcome Cory! Cory is new to this years 2-6 teaching team. She will be joining us a couple days of week, while also working as an aide in fourth grade during the school day. We are so excited about Cory joining us this year!

Upcoming Attractions…

Building Community

With the transition into a new school year and into a new group of 2-6 children and teachers, the month of September will be dedicated to activities and projects that teach and emphasize the building of community in the classroom and outdoors. We will focus on team building, working together, friendships and good sportsmanship. There will be an emphasis on building community in the classroom and outdoors, continually throughout the school year, incorporating it into our weekly themes.

Information Station

Cafeteria

The heath school cafeteria is used as the home base for the 2-6 group. Children will go directly to the cafeteria at 2:20 and sign in with a 2-6 teacher. This space will be used for snack, third to sixth grade homework, art projects and activities. At 5:30, we move out of the cafeteria and relocate to the upstairs extended day room.

Upstairs Extended Day Room

This upstairs extended day room is used for small group activities, second grade homework and fifth and sixth grade trippin’ in (Thursdays) and end of the day pick up (5:30-5:45).

Sign Out

It is with the greatest importance that you sign your child out daily followed by the time of pick up. The sign out book will be located in the cafeteria between 2:20 and 5:30. Between 5:30 and 5:45, the sign out will be in the upstairs extended day room.

Absenses

If your child will not be at extended day on a regularly scheduled day, it is very important that you notify HEDP as early as possible by phone, email or to a 2-6 teacher, in person.

Alternate Pick Up

If your child is being picked up by someone that is not on their authorized pick up list, please notify HEDP. Please note that we ID all new people picking up your child.

Mail

Any mail that needs to go home with your child will be located at the sign out station in the cafeteria with your child’s name on it. Newsletters for 2-6 will be at the sign out station at the beginning of each month.

Daily Schedule

2:20 Arrival and Check In

All children in 2-6 will report to the cafeteria immediately after school dismissal. Each child will check in with a 2-6 teacher upon arrival.

2:30 Homework and Snack

Children will begin the day with a quiet homework and reading time. During this time, children will be offered a snack to enjoy while doing his or her homework.

3:30 Outdoor Play

Children will have the opportunity to play freely on the playground or participate in organized games. Please be sure your dresses appropriately for the weather, as we will enjoy outside time as much as possible.

4:30 Activities

Activities will include theme based projects, arts and crafts, board games, gym play, drawing and free choice.

5:30 Upstairs Extended Day Room

All children at this time can be picked up and signed out in the upstairs extended day room. Children will have all of their belongings with them.

5:45 Pick Up

Have a wonderful month! Please check in with a 2-6 teacher if you have any questions, thoughts or concerns. We look forward to a fantastic year ahead!

Welcome to the 2010-2011 School Year!

2010-08-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

August 31^st , 2010

Dear Extended Day Friends and Families,

I hope this letter finds your family well rested and ready for school

to begin. The countdown is on and there are only a few more days for us to prepare. With much planning, reorganizing and preparing for the fall

well underway, I would like to update you with some important

dates, policies and information. The first day of school is just around the corner and I am delighted to be spreading this electrifying news with you.

Our 2010-2011 teaching team is composed of many wonderful teachers who are extremely excited about the upcoming year and look forward to working with your child.

The lower level of Extended Day (next to the gym) will be home to our

Pre-K and Kindergarten through grade one program. Alyssa Davis will lead the fantastic teaching team in this room. Alyssa will continue to work with Sidoney Daley and the k/1 teaching team to create an excellent early education curriculum. They have many hands on activities and projects planned for the first few weeks.

Our second through six-grade program will continue to meet in the Heath

School cafeteria from 2:20-5:45pm. We will continue to use the upper

level of extended day on an as needed basis to help create small group

activities on a daily basis. Malania LeSage, Caitlyn Hawkins and Jared Mael, who have the knowledge and experience, will also help create a meaningful curriculum that encourages and supports friendship, self-confidence and leadership.

Two fantastic Heath School Aides, Cory Warfield and Brianna Conlan will also be working at Extended Day to enhance and help design an

engaging and enjoyable program in both K/1 and 2-6.

Our dedicated teachers are enthusiastic and will teach

through pleasurable hands-on activities that help enhance and bridge

the learning from that is happening during the school day. We are happy to have such good natured and experienced teachers. All are committed to great afternoon programming that supports and encourages academic learning.

I am also happy to announce that HEDP will be continuing our one of a

kind older kids program called Tripping Out (for 5th-8th graders).

Malaina LeSage will lead this program and has already planned

many fantastic activities for this group. Please email

hedtprippinout@gmail.com or phone the HEDP office for more information

before September 9th. Space is limited for this one of a kind program.

As our first day of school quickly approaches please feel free to give

us a call should you have any questions or concerns. You may also

reach us by email at hedp@brookline.k12.ma.us. We welcome you to

Heath Extended Day and wish your child a wonderful first day.

Warmly,

Noelle Ahearn, Director

Additional Notes….

*Our program is nut free. Please keep this in mind when sending

special snacks or food for your child.*

Because HEDP is becoming more of a cooperative program please look for

ways to volunteer in each classroom. These needs will be posted on

the information station bulletin board. There is a mandatory 5 hours volunteer commitment for each family.

**Families who are applying for tuition assistance need to have all

forms mailed to Noelle by September 30th 2010.

Pre-K

On Monday, September 13th and Tuesday, September 14th you may pop into HEDP with your child to get acquainted with Alyssa, and our classroom between 12:15-2:00pm. Please bring a lunch and explore our learning centers with your child.

Pre-K Extended Day will officially begin on Wednesday, September 15th

at 12:15pm. Alyssa will pick the Pre-K children up from Min Jen’s

classroom on a daily basis. Please send your child with:

~ A packed lunch

~ A change of clothes in a labeled bag

~ A king size pillowcase with his/her name on it

~ A picture of your child with his/her family.

Kindergarten

On Tuesday, September 7th (Families with last letters A-M) and

Wednesday September 8th (L-Z), Kindergarten will have an early

release. We welcome your child to come to extended day only on the

day your child attends his/her first day of Kindergarten with a parent or guardian. Please pack your child a lunch so they can enjoy a bite to eat in our space.

We encourage you to use this day to visit our classroom with your child to help him/her begin to feel comfortable and confident within our classroom. We highly recommend picking up your child no later than 2:15 pm since it can be a very long first day.

There will be NO SCHOOL on Thursday, September 9^th due to a holiday.

Kindergarten Extended Day will officially begin on Friday, September

10h at 2:20pm. Caitlyn Hawkins will pick up the Kindergarteners at 2:20pm and walk them to HEDP each day.

Please provide your child with

A) Change of clothes in a zip-lock bag with his/her name on it.

B) family photo.

This may be a challenging day for a kindergartener that does not feel confident due to the unpredictable schedule. Please contact us before 2:00pm should you have any concerns.

1st-6th Graders

All are welcome to begin attending HEDP on Tuesday, September 7th at

2:20pm. Please look for HEDP teachers in the hall to guide you to

the Heath School Cafeteria. Please call or email the HEDP office should your child not be attending on the first day.

1st graders will be picked up at 2:20 from each classroom

by Noelle for the month of September. They will walk down to HEDP in pairs beginning in October.

2nd-6th graders should walk directly to the Heath School cafeteria at 2:20pm. We have encouraged teachers to have HEDP kids walk together with buddies.

Please note that there will be homework and reading time (DEAR) each

day. So remember to bring your favorite reading materials (books,

magazines, newspapers, comics…). We are always looking for good reading material so please feel free to donate.

Tripping Out

The first official trip is set for Thursday, September 16th. Please

meet Malaina LeSage outside of Min Jen Taylor Wu’s classroom. From there she will led the T.O. group to the gym where they will learn more about the program, go over the rules and expectations, then walk over to Eliot Field before heading to Cleveland Circle for a scavenger hunt.

Tripping Out has additional forms that MUST be complete before your

child can attend. Please phone Noelle should your family be

interested in this program.

Children with Allergies or Medical Limitations

PLEASE contact Noelle ASAP for the required forms. Your child cannot attend HEDP without signed medical forms and medication from a certified practitioner. We also need a full container of medication when applicable (epi pen, prescription…). Please see Noelle ASAP for more information. The MA Department of Early Education and Care has mandated us to call a parent immediately for pickup should we not have the appropriate forms and medications.

Families

We are still missing many registration packets. Please complete them

and return them ASAP. All documents are needed before your child

begins attending HEDP. This helps ensure that we will be prepared for

your child. I will be in the office each day and would be more than willing to meet should that be easier for you.

The annual meeting date has yet to be announced. Please look for

notices regarding this mandatory meeting.

Please remember to phone HEDP at 617-277-5381 or email us at

hedp@brookline.k12.ma.us should your child be late or absent from

HEDP. Please let us know as soon as possible.

Please note that HEDP closes at 5:45. We encourage you to make

necessary arrangements should you not be able to make that time. Late

fees will go into effect Monday, September 27th.

**Be prepared to sign your child out at the end of each day with YOUR signature or initials and the pick up time. This is a mandatory policy set forth by the MA Department of Early Education and Care.

It is essential that you make a habit of this. Please make an effort

to make contact with a teacher and sign your child out each day. If a

nanny or babysitter will be picking up your child, please be sure they

have a picture ID for the first few weeks.

We have made the switch to green communication and encourage you to check out our BLOG at the beginning of each month to read about our updates and happenings. It is essential that you notify us immediately should want a hard copy of all handouts. We will try our best to keep you up to date and well informed.

Please check us out at

http://heathextendedday.blogspot.com/

We hope that you are ready for a terrific year and are happy that you have joined our Extended family!

End of year roundup!

2010-06-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

As Heath Extended Day begins to bring closure to the 2009-2010 school year we would like to review the massive amounts of learning, fun and adventure that we have accomplished!

Team-building, friendships, jobs, happiness, U.S. Sates, elections, under the sea, ice skating, maple sugaring, dinosaurs, alphabet fun, cultural celebrations, Eric Carl, recycle week, Fundred project, Project Bread Spoon's, edible art week, wish days, wacky hair day, cafeteria creativity, 2nd grade day, Halloween party, portfolios, Tripping In/Tripping Out, Scooper-bowl, Fenway Park, hot snacks, DPW day, space shuttle, USS HEDP submarine, football day, 2-6 mentor day, electronics day, bikes/blades day, Eliot field, winter Olympics, Rain forest, HEDP Jepordy, Dr. Suess is 106, teacher for the day, D.E.A.R., 1/2 Day, writing to U.S. Soldiers in Iraq, penpals with kids from Spain, Treasure Island, Pirtates, potluck success and so much more.....

Please find the time to chat with your child about the things that they enjoyed at HEDP. Your child's imput is our buisness and we would love to hear from you.

During this time of transition and closure, it is time for us to say good-by to a few of our fantastic teachers. We are sad to announce that Jessica, Jim and Beth are moving from the Boston area to begin a new chapter in their lives. Jenna will also be changing her career track and exploring new opportunites within the field of education and beyond.

Jessica will be moving to New York to continue her education at Columbia Teachers College to obtain her MEd in Special Education. Jim will also be moving to New York to live his dream while attending Pace University to become a Theater Director. Beth recently decided to move back home to be closer to her family as she is about to become an Aunt. We wish them all well and look forward to keeping in touch and sharing their successes with us in years to come.

We are very happy to announce that Malaina, Alyssa, Caitlyn, Jared, Sidoney and Brianna will be returing to Heath Extended Day with a new and energized curriculum for the 2010-2011 school year. The Heath Extended Day teaching team is excieted to see how much your child grows and matures over the summer. We are also looking forward to meeting new families and smiling faces come September.

The 2009-2010 school year has been a tremendous success! We have appreciated each families invovement, kindness and generosity. It has been a pleasure to learn and grow with your child during the past 10 months. We wish you a safe and relaxing summer and look forward to seeing each of you come September. It addition, we encourage the HEDP graduates and families who will be finding other afterschool options to keep in touch. We are proud to be your "Extended" family!

Calling All Captains!

2010-05-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

Come friends, family and matey's

to our

TREASURE ISLAND!

Your family is invited to..

The Heath Extended Day Program's End of the Year Celebration!!

Monday, June 14th from 4:00pm-6:30pm

at the

S.S. Heath School Cafeteria

Games 4:00-5:30pm

Potluck Dinner 4:45-5:30pm

Captain Jack Performance 5:30-6:30pm

Please contact the program to note what type of

food or supply your family will be attending with.

May News

2010-05-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

May/June 2010

Heath Extended Day 2-6 Newsletter

During the month of April:

In celebration of Earth Day, the children spent a great amount of time making craft projects out of recycled materials such as boxes, newspaper, upholstery, cardboard tubes, popsicle sticks and records. Using boxes and other recycled items from the local recycling center, the children used their imaginations to make recycled robots and bug houses (there has been a huge interest in bug collecting on the playground). Using newspaper, the kids weaved newspaper baskets and created kites for outdoor flying. Newspaper flowers were also created, which were used as decorations to journals that the children made out of upholstery. We were excited to observe the kids using the journals to write in throughout the day! Using cardboard tubes and dry rice, the children made and decorated rain sticks. Cars were also made by the children using popsicle sticks and other items from the local recycle center. Finally, the children creatively painted old records to make real working clocks that will be a great addition to your homes!

The Fundred Dollar Bill Project has been well on its way and the children have dedicated so much time to this wonderful fundraiser. This fundraiser is to help raise $300 million dollars to provide the resources to de-lead the soil in New Orleans and help protect and prevent future problems. The soil in New Orleans is contaminated and with children playing in it and breathing the dust, it is causing health problems. This fundraiser is to help make a safer environment for everyone. The children have been and will continue to create their own hundred dollar bills which will be picked up by an armored truck and brought to Washington DC to congress at the end of the fundraising period. When a total of $300 million Fundred dollars have been collected from all country’s participants, congress will give $300 million in real cash to go towards making a safer environment in New Orleans. This is a great opportunity for the children to learn about what is going on around them and to get involved in a cause that affects peers their own age. If you would like to learn more or get involved on your on about this fundraiser please visit FUNDRED.ORG. The children in 2-6 set their fundraising goal at $45,000 in Fundred dollars. We are almost there and so proud of the hard work and dedication that have put into each one hundred dollar bill that they have designed!

What to look forward to in May/June:

The first week of May was dedicated to making heartfelt Mother’s Day projects and cards. The children made flowers out of felt, paper, newspaper and fabric. They also made flowers out paper and “glued” (with water and flour) seeds on them, making a wonderful paper flower that could be planted to make a real one! The children also made vases out of recycled yogurt containers to put their assorted flowers in. Lastly, the kids made beautiful cards for their mothers and made sure to decorate the front with fabric, tissue paper and even cupcake holders!

The second week of May will be dedicated to a Health and Wellness week. We will focus on relaxation and proper exercise. We will end the week with a healthy nutrient-rich fruit smoothie bar. The kids will pick from a variety of fruits and yogurt to make their very own smoothie. With a focus on relaxation, the children will make stress balls using balloons and flour, soap jellies out of hand soap and gelatin, aroma therapy sachets using different scented oils and neck warmers using socks and dry rice. With a focus on exercise, the children will learn about stretching properly and learn about the effect and importance exercise has on their heart rate. The children will participate in different exercise activities and record their individual heart rates.

Starting in the third week in May, and continuing through the month June, the children will be busy planning the HEDP annual end of the year party! We are happy to announce that this year’s theme will be Treasure Island! The children will make decorations and games based on this famous book. We will read the Treasure Island and conclude with a viewing of the Muppets version of the movie. The end of the year party will be on Monday, June 14^th. More information about the HEDP annual party will follow.

Building Peer Relations

This month, we spent time learning and playing group theater games. We played “Shark/Eagle,” “Bippity Boppity Boo,” “Do You Like Your Neighbor?” and “Zoom!” All of these odd-titled games require the students to stand in a circle, and jump, duck, and dance, and make absurd noises and tableaus with their friends. These games fun, and what’s more, they help us to be comfortable being silly and outgoing with one another; they encourage friendly laughter! Plus, they are highly playable for all age groups, so that our second graders all the way to our fifth and sixth graders have an opportunity to play together!

We will continue games such as these, sometimes talking about them as a group and sometimes just using them to build a sense of community and team.

Mark your Calendars:

No School- Monday, May 31^st

Last Day of School (Early Release)- Tuesday, June 22^nd

HEDP end of the Year potluck dinner- Monday, June 14^th

Thank you for making this an incredibly successful school year for all of us.

It has been a joy working with you and your child.

Have a great summer! We look forward to seeing you next year!

The 2-6 teaching team.

K-1 Newsletter 2010

What has been happening in K-1?

We had a blast in the past! The prehistoric past! K-1 turned our classroom into the Triassic period of Dinosaurs! Through art, science, and reading activities we learned how the dinosaurs may have lived and what type of dinos were around. K-1 studied fossils, looked at meat-eater and plant-eater characteristics, molded flying dinos, and played Dino Jeopardy!

What will be happening in K-1?

We will be exploring Under the Sea! Our classroom will once again transform into a new world: The Ocean! K-1 will study and explore animals under the sea and the unique fish that help keep the ocean ecosystem going! We will look at animals as small as plankton that are important to the large whales, sharks and squid! We will be playing water games as the weather gets warmer. We will also be reading Magic Tree House Dolphins at Daybreak by Mary Pope Osborne.

Books we are Reading:

The Magic School Bus

Swimmy by Leo Lionni

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

By the Seashore by AJ Wood

A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle

What Lives in a Shell by Kathleen Weidner

Pre K News

2010-04-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

What’s been happening in April?

SPRING HAS SPRUNG! Pre-k has been talking about and looking at spring! We investigated signs of spring outside and drew pictures of what we found. We also talked about new baby animals that my come in spring and what each baby animal would be called. We will continue to learn about Spring throughout the month by singing songs, playing games and doing fun activities such as planting flowers. As the weather gets warmer we will be able spend some of the nice days outside!

Books We Are Reading:

Dandelion Adventures by Patricia Kite

Its Spring by Linda Glaser

My Spring Robin by Anne Rockwell

Spring is Here by Lois Lenski

The Spring Equinox by Ellen Jackson

What is to come in May?

During the month of May we will continue our study on bugs with Eric Carle. We will also be able to look at other insects and fun bugs we may see outside.

During the month of May we will also end our Sounds of the Week! We will finally be at Z! Each child has done such a wonderful job finding words with each sound. We will finish out alphabet books and each child will be able to bring them home! J

K/1 Newsletter

2010-04-10T20:32:00.000-07:00

K/1 Newsletter

What’s been happening in April?

DINOSAURS!!! K-1 is traveling back to prehistoric times to take a look at all the different dinosaurs! We have introduced the Triassic, Jurrasic and Cretaceous periods. We will be looking at all the different dinosaurs in each period. We have already been on a dino egg hunt and searched for dino clues about how they lived. We will be singing songs, making fossils, digging for dinos, and finding out fun facts about several dinosaurs. We will also be transforming our room into a land of Dinosaurs.

Books We Are Reading

More Amazing Dinosaurs, Cartwright,

I can read about Dinosaurs, Howard, J. Troll

Dinosaur Bones, Aliki, Harper Trophy,

Dinosaur Days, Milton, J. Random House,

Dinosaurs, Watson, J. Golden Press,

Dinosaur Babies, Penner, L. Random House,

Dinosaurs, Douglas, C.

In the time of Dinosaurs, Wise, W.

The Dinosaur who lived in my backyard, Hennessy, B.

Daniel's Dinosaurs, Carmine, M.

Danny and the Dinosaur, Hoff, S

If the Dinosaurs came back, Most, B.

Too many Dinosaurs, Barner, B.

Count:a:saurus, Blumenthal, N.

What is to come in May?

During may we will begin a fundraiser called the FUNDRED DOLLAR BILL PROJECT. This fundraiser is to help raise 300 million dollars to provide the resources to de-lead the soil in New Orleans and help protect and prevent future problems. The soil in New Orleans is contaminated and with children playing in it and breathing the dust, it is causing health problems. This fundraiser is to help make a safer environment for everyone. The children will be creating their own $100 bill and then an armored truck will come to Heath Elementary and collect our money and bring it down to Washington DC to congress. When the FUNDRED has reached its goal of $300 million, congress will then hand over $300 million in real cash to go towards making a safer environment in New Orleans. This is a great opportunity for the children to learn about what is going on around them and to get involved in a cause that affects peers their own age. If you would like to learn more or get involved on your on about this fundraiser please visit FUNDRED.ORG.

During the month of May we will also be exploring UNDER THE SEA! We will take a look at the animals and habitat of the Oceans.

2-6 Newsletter

2010-04-09T15:01:00.001-07:00

April 2010

Heath Extended Day 2-6 Newsletter

During the month of March:

In the beginning of March, we continued our Olympic theme and played many Olympic games. The Heath Extended Day Olympics started with the opening ceremonial parade. Each of our seven countries was represented by their self-created names and flags. The Olympics events included soccer games, speedball games, cup tower building and scavenger hunts. All teams were enthusiastic and showed team spirit. Each Olympian also showed great sportsmanship through out each event.

As St. Patrick’s Day approached, we did a variety of activities in celebration of this holiday. These activities included making our own Irish Scones and green milkshakes! Another activity was a clover hunt leading to a pot of gold. The kids also made many art projects such as making our own clovers out of pipe cleaners.

The last two weeks of March were dedicated to an Edible Art theme. The children created art mediums, projects and foods using edible materials during this theme. The children really enjoyed making art mediums such as paint and clay out of common foods that they eat. Four different kinds of paint were made and used to make vibrant colored and creative pictures, which are displayed in the upstairs 2-6 room. For the different paints they used corn syrup and food coloring, condensed milk and food coloring, JELL-O and whipping cream (they loved turning it into whipped cream) and food coloring! After making two different types of dough, one made of oatmeal and one made of Kool-Aid, the kids designed creative sculptures, where their imaginations ran wild!

Along with art mediums, the children created a variety of edible projects (of course they were eager to eat the final product). The children made compliment flowers using fruit roll ups and gum drops. They gave their flowers to someone that they wanted to give a compliment to. They also made edible arrangements where they cut up different tropical fruits and arranged them beautifully in a tin. The kids also enjoyed making “stained glass cookies” where they painted designs on top of cookies with egg yolk and food coloring. After they baked, they were beautiful glossy cookies! Along with all of this, the kids also made different lollipops (out of chocolate and life savers), candy collages and pretzel art.

We ended our edible art theme by playing an April fool’s joke on the K-1 teachers! We made “chicken-NOT-pie” where the kids cut up candies such as Starbursts and Airheads to make little corn, carrots and peas. They also cut up dried apple rings and bananas to look like chicken and potatoes. After mixing all the ingredients with vanilla pudding, we put it in a chicken pot pie tin and covered it with a baked crust. The K-1 teachers horrified to find out that the delicious treat we made them was fake! The 2-6 kids really got the teachers!

What to look forward to in April:

Recycling Weeks!

In celebration of Earth Day, the week before and after April Vacation will be dedicated to learning about Reducing, Reusing and Recycling. We will be learning about the importance of the three R’s, how we can be more environmental friendly and will also be making many projects out of recyclable materials. We’re excited to see the creative ideas the children will come up with while using every day recyclable materials!

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Please bring in any recyclable materials you may have before or on April 16. This includes but is not limited to cans, denim, jars, newspaper, paper towel rolls, etc.

Continuing to Build Peer Relations

We’ve been working on different types of interactive games that allow us to team build and simulate social situations. We played a type of rock paper scissors game called “clique.” Two players go face to face, and the loser joins the winning team, cheering for them and supporting them. Eventually, one person may be facing a group of 20 people cheering against them. We used this as a teaching moment to think about how talking about somebody or bullying somebody may seem like you are just part of the crowd, but you don’t think about the person who is on the other end.

We also have been taking advantage of the nice weather with games of survivor knockout. It’s a basketball game where players can eliminate each other from the game. However, when the player who got you out gets out himself or herself, then you can come back in the game. This encourages the children to stay and watch and root for one another, and has helped build our community.

We will continue games such as these, sometimes talking about them as a group and sometimes just using them to build a sense of community and team.

Fundred Dollar Project:

The children will be working on the FUNDRED DOLLAR BILL PROJECT. This fundraiser is to help raise 300 million dollars to provide the resources to de-lead the soil in New Orleans and help protect and prevent future problems. The soil in New Orleans is contaminated and with children playing in it and breathing the dust, it is causing health problems. This fundraiser is to help make a safer environment for everyone. The children will be creating there own $100 bill and our goal is to make ----------- and then an armored truck will come to Health Elementary and collect our money and bring it down to Washington DC to congress. When the FUNDRED has reached its goal of $300 million, congress will then hand over $300 million in real cash to go towards making a safer environment in New Orleans.

This is a great opportunity for the children to learn about what is going on around them and to get involved in a cause that affects peers their own age. If you would like to learn more or get involved on your on about this fundraiser please visit FUNDRED.ORG.

Mark your Calendars:

April 19-April 23 NO SCHOOL- April Vacation

FUNDRED fun Fundraiser

2010-04-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

Heath Extended Day is working on a wonderful activity called the FUNDRED. We hope to raise awareness about money sense, design, dollar bills, fundraising, New Orleans and lead contaminated soil.

Did you know that lead contaminated soil is a problem in many cities in the U.S. and is a condition that often significantly impacts the health of our children? Studies demonstrate that lead-poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body, compromising healthy brain development and leading to poor performance in the schools, attention deficit disorder and even juvenile delinquency. The good news is that there is a solution, and it is why we encourage you to participate in The Fundred Dollar Bill Project, a simple, fun and important project supporting a solution to lead-contaminated soil in New Orleans as a model for other cities across the United States with the same devastating problem.

Don’t miss out! In as little as 20 minutes you can create and donate a unique Fundred Dollar Bill artwork that will be picked up by a special armored truck and carried to Washington D.C. where a request will be made to our legislators for real change. Your creative contribution, along with 3,000,000 other individuals, will send a powerful message to Congress that we care about the health of future generations. This is a cool project, a great learning opportunity for all ages, with profound implications for the health of our planet and children.

To learn more about getting involved, visit the website: www.fundred.org and spread the word to your family, friends and colleagues!

We also encourage you to sit down and enjoy the Fundred activity that HEDP is working on with your child. Ask a HEDP teacher when your child's class will be participating in this wonderful opportunity to design, learn about money, support New Orleans and spead the news on lead contaminated soil.

March Newsletters

2010-03-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

March 2010 2-6 Newsletter

During the month of January:

We would like to thank ALL of the families that made our Cultural Celebration Potluck dinner a success! We hope you enjoyed seeing what your children have learned and all of the hard work they put in all of the projects!

The 2-6 children began the month of February by finishing up the Celebration theme. As we’ve said before, the 2-6 team created this unit as a way for the children to learn, understand and appreciate the many cultural backgrounds of their peers. The first week of February was dedicated to learning about China and Chinese New Year. Not only did they learn the map, flag, and facts about the country, they also loved learning about the Chinese Zodiac. After learning about their own particular animal, the children made a large circle zodiac with all animals, years, character traits and Chinese characters. The Trippin’ In children made a special treat for the 2nd – 4th graders! They made fortune cookies and stuffed them with their own heartfelt fortunes! The children also made traditional Chinese New Year foods, Chinese noodles and dumplings, and enjoyed eating all of it with chopsticks!

During the second week of February, we did a Valentine’s Day theme. We started the week by making Hershey kiss roses, where they transformed Hershey kisses into rosebuds to make a bouquet of flowers. We then made salt dough hearts, where they had to make the dough, bake it, and decorate it, which became beautiful hanging decorations! We also had the children work on some Valentines day activity sheets, felt fortunes cookies and ended the week with making some candy robots.

The last week of February began our Winter Olympics theme! We began with learning about the history of the Olympics, the significance of the Olympic rings and the current standings of the Olympians. The kids loved playing Olympic Jeopardy and testing their knowledge, making Winter Olympic arts and crafts projects such as making a snowboarder out of pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks and playing some of our own versions of winter Olympic games. On a rainy day, we had a mini curling tournament in the cafeteria!

During the month of February, we also focused on weekly words. We challenged the kids to write on a big poster board if they see the weekly word being used. Our first word was “friendship” and we see many (if not all!) extended day children being good friends to one another, helping one another and encouraging one another. We will continue to do weekly words in order to build positive relationships in the classroom.

What to look forward to in March:

During the first week of March, the children will be finishing up the Olympic games unit. They will be split up into teams, where they will make up country names and flags. We will open up our Olympic games with a parade where they will march around the cafeteria and into the auditorium. Each country will then be interviewed so we can all know a little bit more about the country! Throughout the week, they will be playing sports such as a soccer and speed ball tournament, participating in team building challenges, scavenger hunts and more. We will then go into a theme about Ireland, so we can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! We will not only learn about the country and flag, but we will also being doing crafts and foods from Ireland. The last two weeks will be dedicated to an edible art theme. We will be creating art out of edible materials, some end results will be edible and some will not! We’re excited to see the creative things they will make!

HEDP On Ice:

Since the beginning of the new year, every Wednesday we have been ice skating. Every child involved has shown improvement and has been very supportive and helping his/her friends learn how to skate better. We have spent an hour every week on the ice with students from other programs meeting new people and skating with old friends. We have enjoyed skating together and getting exercise both in skating and walking to and from the rink. It is sad to see this activity come to an end. However, we look forward to all of the spring activities to come.

March madness in K1:

The Rainforest! The Tropical Rainforest! K-1 has been learning about the four layers of the rainforest and all of the animals that live there. We’ve learned through songs, art activities and by turning our classroom into a JUNGLE! We’ve been reading The Magic Tree House Afternoon on the Amazon by Mary Pope Osborne. We also enjoyed a few warm days and got to spend some well-deserved time outside. We went on some exciting half-day field trips including maple-sugaring, swimming, and ice-skating.

March 3rd was also Dr. Seuss’ birthday. We celebrated by reading many Dr. Seuss books and doing many fun activities including making Oobleck and Green Eggs and Ham.

What’s to come in April:

During the month of April K-1 will be exploring the world of DINOSAURS! Please keep your eyes peeled for huge dinos to enter our classroom!

We will also celebrate Earth Day with crafts from recycled materials. If you have any paper towel rolls, baby food jars, or tin cans please bring them in. Thanks!

Books we are Reading:

The Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Jungle by Eye Witness
The Umbrella by Jan Brett
A Walk in the Rainforest by Kristin Joy Pratt

Exciting Pre-K Happenings in March:

Pre-K started March celebrating Dr. Seuss’ Birthday! We did many fun activities such as playing rhyming games, decorating fun hats, and making Oobleck and GREEN eggs and ham.

Pre-K also started talking about Spring! And what comes with spring? RAIN! We talked about the good things rain brings and also some of the bad when it rains too much. We learned new rain songs, made fun umbrellas, and even made it rain in our classroom!

We are also continuing our Sounds of the Week! We are almost done with the whole alphabet!

What’s to come in April:

As Pre-k moves into April we will be learning about flowers and bugs! Eric Carle will help us learn more about bugs by doing a fun Author Study with his bug books.

Books we are Reading:

Come On, Rain by Karen Hesse
A Drop of Rain by Wong Herbert Yee
Its Raining Cats and Dogs by Franklin Branley
Rain by Crown Publishers
The Puddle by David Pinkwater

Child Observation Reports

2010-03-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

Heath Extended Day provides families with Child Observation Reports and interviews each Spring. These documents are not an evaluation but rather a collection of thoughts from your child's teaching team. We comment on your child's likes, dislikes, playmates, strengths and challenges. We also take time to interview each child to hear what they have to note about extended day.

We hope you find these observations interesting and helpful. Please check with your child's teaching team should you not have received an observation report. I also recommend connecting with a teacher should you have specific questions or concern.

It has been a pleasure to work with your family over the past six months. We are looking forward to a Spring full of new growth, activities and adventures. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to work with your child.

Kindly,

Noelle and the HEDP teaching team

February News

2010-02-23T15:05:00.000-08:00

Dear Families,

Welcome back to a full week of school as we try to push winter away and hope for signs of spring to arrive early. I would like to thank all of the families who phoned, emailed and wrote letters of support for Heath Extended Day. Your messages were heard and we have learned that our downstairs Pre-K and K/1 space will remain as a dedicated space for HEDP. We will also be using the cafeteria during the 2010-2011 school year. HEDP may have to share our upstairs 2-6 and pickup room to show support and flexibility to the Heath School. I appreciate your support and welcome ideas from any parent who may have creative suggestions for storage and how we can maximize a small space.

Heath Extended Day will be holding pre-registration for the 2010-2011 school year during the month of March. I will be sending out forms and asking for a commitment of days to be returned to me by March 19th. Pre Registration will be open for the entire Heath School March 29th-April 1st so please send in your form ASAP.

I am pleased to announce that we are continuing to work in cooperation with Wheelock College as a Field Learning Placement. We currently have twelve students that are working in both the K/1 and 2-6 rooms. Please help us welcome these future educators and childhood professionals by introducing yourself. Feel free to contact me should you have any questions on concerns.

We look forward to working with you and your child as the season changes. Please look for future notes regarding changes in policy from the Department of Early Education and Care in MA and how it what that will mean to you and HEDP.

Kindly,

Noelle

Important bits...

Fill out our Pre-Registration form and return it no later than 3/19.

Please continue to provide your child with appropriate winter clothing (hat, gloves, coat, boots...).

Label each piece of clothing and check the lost and found on a regular basis.

We encourage you to provide an extra pair of shoes or slippers for Extended Day use.

Continue to offer your suggestions and comments to help enhance our program.

We will hold classroom clean-up days for those who want to fulfill volunteer hours on Monday 3/15 and Monday 4/5 from 5pm-7pm. Please see Noelle for more information.

Thank you to all of the families who have donated supplies and shopping trips to HEDP during the past couple of months.

HEDP Wishlist

Staplers
Tape dispensers
Paper towels
Pencils
Pencil Sharpeners
Duct Tape
Drawing Paper
Masking Tape

K/1 is out of this world!

2010-02-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

K-1 NEWS LETTER

February 2010

What has been happening at Extended Day??

During the month of January, K-1 studied Outer Space.
We all enjoyed learning about all the planets and making
our classroom into an International Space Center.

Through music, art, and imaginative play we explored
space travel and beyond. Many children enjoyed being
astronauts in our Space Shuttle in Dramatic play. We made
model planets that we also used as clues during
our final Jeopardy Space Games.

We spent the few days before vacation making
the ones we love cards and valentines. On the 12th, we
exchanged friendly valentines with each other and enjoyed the

afternoon with some fun treats.

What to look forward to in Extended Day??

Chinese New Year is also coming up. We will
be having a Chinese New Year Party on
Friday, February 27^th with dumplings, fried rice,
and other fun treats to celebrate; while also learning
fun facts about the Chinese traditions. Please see the
food sign up sheet if you would like to contribute.

Starting Monday March 1st we will
celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday with a week full
of books and fun activities. The author study
will allow our students to open their minds to the
fun and inventive book ideas of Dr. Seuss.

2-6 is learning about others and making a difference

2010-02-23T13:27:00.000-08:00

February 2010

Heath Extended Day 2-6 Newsletter

During the month of January:

The 2-6 children began the month of January with an All about Art theme. Using different art mediums and techniques, the children created many creative pieces of artwork. Glass painting was a big hit! The kids chose from an assortment of glass squares, which they painted patterns on using glass paint. The patterns they created were vibrant and creative! The big painted squares make wonderful drink coasters for your home, while the small glass squares they painted were turned into magnets. Furthermore, during the All about Art theme, the children used markers to create trading cards and 2010 calendars, clay to make functional pieces, liquid watercolor to paint the snow and scratch art to create metallic designs.

The second half of January and the first week of February was dedicated to a three week theme of Cultural Celebration. The 2-6 team created this unit as a way for the children to learn, understand and appreciate the many cultural backgrounds of their peers. The countries the children learned about during this unit were Italy, Greece, India, Israel, Slovakia and China. For each country we studied, the children learned about the country’s map, flag, a specific landmark, traditions and foods. In learning about the map, the children colored a small blank outlined map for each country and wrote facts that they learned. They then outlined a bigger version of the country’s map and recorded their favorite fact. In learning about the flag, the children individually created the country’s flag using different art mediums. They learned about traditions through stories, readings and from kids’ personal experiences. The biggest hit during this unit was building landmarks from different countries and the cooking their traditional foods. The children were given a choice to be builders or cooks. The builders built a given landmark by using paper, recycled materials, clay and cardboard. Some chose to work in small groups while others chose to work independently. The results of their creativity and interpretations of a landmark were wonderful. Please see all the displays of the maps, flags and landmarks during the 2-6 Cultural Celebration. The cooks followed recipes of foods traditional to the country. We made two recipes from each country, typically a meal and a dessert. The kids loved making and tasting the different foods.

Cultural Celebration Family Potluck Dinner:

Thank you to all who join us for the 2-6 potluck dinner on Monday, February 8th. It was a wonderful evening filled with art, culture and wonderful food. We were lucky to have shared this very special event with you and your family. Each family was asked to bring in a dish or dessert traditional to their culture. Your recipe will be used for the recipe book we will be making for all the 2-6 families. This book will also include all of the recipes we made during our unit.

What to look forward to in February:

During the first week of February, the children will be finishing up with the Cultural Celebrations unit. While learning about China, the children will also be celebrating Chinese New Year! During the second week of February, the children will be participating in art and craft activities and gift making for Valentine's Day! During the last week of February, after vacation, we will be focusing on an Olympics theme to celebrate the 2010 Winter Olympics! Included in this theme will be a focus on team building, good sportsmanship and conflict resolution.

Also in the last week of February, we will be focusing on a Bully Proof: being a better friend theme. The children will be split into small groups where they will participate in role playing games, friendship building projects and kind word activities.

Important notes from Noelle

2010-01-12T15:01:00.000-08:00

It’s a new year and a new beginning! It is a time to look forward to the exciting months ahead.

During these challenging times it is more important than ever to pursue the opportunity to learn, get to know your neighbor and help those in need. Every day provides us the chance to grow and change. Throughout the New Year we will be presented with the opportunity to help someone in need, and though we may feel like we can not do enough, we can often help through small acts of kindness. We can bring a glimmer of hope to those who are facing greater challenges through acts of generosity, a warm smile or words of encouragement.

I am happy to announce that we raised $129.00 for Project Bread through the Spoon Project. The 2-6 group enjoyed creating some of the best spoons I have ever seen. They put love and thought into each detail. Many of the younger children were eager to purchase a spoon and share it with a family member. We are proud of your child's involvement and efforts to help stop hunger in the Bay State. Thank you to all the families who contributed to this wonderful project!

The Heath Extended Day teaching team will be focusing on friendship, teambuilding and service in the months to come. We hope to focus on community service in the months to come in all three of our classrooms. We hope to instill a greater value of helping others in need. Please discuss the importance of giving back to those in need and the community around us. Look for notices in your child's classroom for updates with this project.

YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED

Heath Extended Day will be facing more challenges as the Heath School population continues to grow and the Heath School looks for one more classroom. Our K/1 space may have to be used as a classroom and we would have to share the classroom. This will pose huge challenges since we have already lost space and have our 2-6 program in the cafeteria.

We may be faced with limited enrollment availability, slim storage space and no place to store and prepare our snacks to name a few. In addition, to the $15,000 we used to renovate (lighting, painting, carpet, cabinets to name a few) and update the spaces we had within the last 2 years. I understand the pressure Principal Katzman must feel but worry about the quality and longevity of our program. We take pride in providing an enriching afternoon for each and every child.

PLEASE write a letter to one or all of the names below in support of Heath Extended Day and why it benefits from full time use of a classroom space in the Heath School. Please express your concern over limited enrollment, high quality programming and the challenges of shared space and why it will not work. Please write a few lines to show your support for extended day or call each person listed below.

Principal: milly_katzman@brookline.k12.ma.us ph.617-879-4570

Superintendent: bill_lupini@brookline.12.ma.us ph.617-730-2403

Dept. Supt. Admin. & Fin.: peter_rowe@brookline.k12.ma.us ph.617-730-2424

Mgr. Bld. Svs.: james_pagliaruo@brookline.k12.ma.us ph.617-730-2419

BPS School Committee member/ extended day rep.: barbara_scotto@brookline.k12.ma.us ph.617-730-2430

You may cut and past these addresses should you want to send a mass email.

milly_katzman@brookline.k12.ma.us, bill_lupini@brookline.12.ma.us, james_pagliaruo@brookline.k12.ma.us, barbara_scotto@brookline.k12.ma.us, peter_rowe@brookline.k12.ma.us

I appreciate your assistance, understanding and help with this matter. It is essential that the Brookline Public School community hear your questions and concerns. Please contact me sould you have any questions.

I wish you a wonderful New Year!

Fondly,

Noelle

Pre-K Extended Day

2010-01-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!! We hope everyone had a wonderful break filled with fun and relaxation!

Exciting Happenings in December:

Pre-K embraced winter by traveling to the coldest parts of the world to study Polar Bears and Penguins. We started with Artic Animals and how they survive in the cold and ended with the long travels of Emperor Penguins in the Antarctic. We even painted our feet to make penguins! Before Vacation we took a break from the cold and made some delicious chocolate treats for families and friends to enjoy over the week!

What is to come in January:

Pre-K has been investigating the snow and doing fun activities making snowflakes and winter scenes. We will also be starting a unit on friendship and making friendship books for each of our friends to take home!

Dates to Remember:

January 18 No School Martin Luther King Day

Sign out:

Please remember to sign out your child at the sign out station when you pick up. If you pick up before 2:15 please note the time. Thank You!

I would like to thank all our Pre-K friends and families for the generous gift I received before Break! It was very thoughtful and gave me another reason to smile at work! Thank you all again!

Beth

K/1 is Jumping for January 2010

2010-01-10T17:31:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a relaxing and fun-filled break! We appreciate all the generous goodies and treats that were donated to the classroom and given to our teaching team. Thank you!

Exciting Happenings in December:

K-1 traveled to the coldest parts of the world to study Polar Bears and Penguins during the month of December. We started with Artic Animals and how they survive in the cold and ended with the long travels of Emperor Penguins in the Antarctic. We also began a little of our own penguin sliding with our Sledding adventures. Before Vacation we took a break from the cold and made some delicious chocolate treats for families and friends to enjoy over the New Year vacation!

What’s to come in January:

January will be an exciting month about Outer Space. K-1 will learn about Space Travel as they visit each Planet to learn facts and do an exciting project. We have turned our dramatic play into a space station with a control center and a rocket ship! Ask your little astronaut to tell you what they have learned so far! Each day K-1 has been painting one of the planets so we can hang them up in our classroom. Keep a lookout for our mini solar system to appear in our classroom.

Books we are Reading:

It Came From Outerspace by Henry Baker
Stars and Planets by Carole Scott
The Best book of Spaceships by Ian Graham
Eye Wonder Space by DK
Destination Space by Tammi Salzano
If You Decide to Go to the Moon by Faith McNulty

Sledding Information:

K-1 has been bringing students sledding to the back playground. If you would like to have your child involved please see a teacher for a permission slip and provide your child with a helmet! It has been an exciting success! Children may bring in their own sleds or we have a few they can borrow. K-1 Teachers will use their own discretion to decide if we will sled on a particular day. All sledders must wear snow pants, helmets, mittens/gloves, hat and boots. There will be no exceptions.

Snow Gear:

As winter continues we are adding more gear for the children to carry. Please provide a bag for the children to keep track of their stuff. We are asking for waterproof gloves if the children want to touch the snow.

Boot Tags:

Many children have similar boots. Therefore, we have started a boot tag system. After we come in from outside ALL of K-1 take off their boots an change into sneakers or slippers. They will then add a clothespin with their name onto their boots. When you pick up your child please check the hallway for their boots and return the tag to the red string on the wall! Thank you ☺

Dates to Remember:

January 18 NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Day

Sign Out:

Please note that each child MUST be signed out with the authorized pickup persons initals and time. We are regulated by the Department of Early Education and Care that mandates this policy. PLEASE make it a point to sign your child out each day. This is essential when keeping track of your little ones.

January news from the 2-6 team!

2010-01-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! The 2-6 teaching team greatly appreciates your thoughtfulness and generosity! Thank you so much for the holiday gifts, treats, donations and warm wishes!

What has 2-6 been up to?

We hope that you enjoyed all the holiday projects and treats that the children made during the month of December. We know they had a fantastic time making them! We began the month with some sewing projects. The children sewed and decorated treat bags and gingerbread stuffed animal friends. The children made treat bags by picking a mitten or mug template, tracing it, cutting it, sewing it and decorating the bag to put homemade peppermint bark treats in. They made gingerbread friends by taking a felt gingerbread template, decorating it with buttons, fabric and paint, and then stuffing and sewing it together.

In addition to sewing projects, we also did many other arts and crafts projects. With a circular wire hanger, they used strips of fabric to tie around the hanger to make a wonderful and welcoming door decoration. The kids also got a little messy! They took pine cones and decorated it with white paint and lots of glitter to make a beautiful snow capped pine cone scene.

The kids also had tons of fun making and decorating food! We made many treats to make as gifts (although many made the gifts for themselves since they couldn't resist!). We made chocolate covered pretzels, hot chocolate bags, peppermint bark, gingerbread houses and cookie in a jar. To ring in the new year, we made "firecracker poppers," where the kids took cardboard rolls, filled them with candy, and wrapped them up to "pop" when the clock struck midnight!

Lastly, the children went above and beyond by sending their holiday cheer to troops overseas! As a group, we discussed the importance of giving during the holiday season. We decided to send letters and cards to the troops since they weren't able to spend their holidays with their families. They spent a lot of time and effort to make WONDERFUL cards for these troops. The 30 minute activity became a whole day event! They wrote inspirational messages, created games within the card for the troops to play and drew heartwarming pictures. We know what they did put a smile on many people's faces.

What to look forward to:

This month will an exciting one! We will be starting off our month with an "all about art" theme. We will focus on working with different art mediums. After Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we will learning about different cultures. We believe it is important for the children to know about their own and others' backgrounds. We will be exploring different cultural foods, flags, games and more. Be prepared! We will be sending your child home with an assignment for you to do with them about your child's background. We will close out this theme with a cultural celebration dinner on Monday, Feb 8 from 5-6pm, where we will ask each family to bring in a dish and its recipe from their cultural background. All families are invited to attend.

Reminders and Information:

We will continue to have outside time daily. Please be sure your child has a warm jacket, gloves and a hat each day. In order to play in the snow, he/she must also have snow pants and boots. Your child may keep a pair of slippers in his/her backpack to change into after coming inside from the cold.

Sledding has been a big hit! Please note, your child is welcome to leave his/her sled in the upstairs extended day room overnight. We would appreciate smaller sleds if possible.

Spots for ice skating are still available. Please see a 2-6 teacher if you still want to sign up your child.

We will be hosting a late afternoon movie from 4:00-5:30pm on Wednesday January 20th due to a scheduling conflict in the Heath School Cafeteria. Our signout and belongings will be in the library with us. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. Please see Noelle should you have any questions or concerns.

Mark you calendars:

Monday, January 18th- No School

New Year Wish List for HEDP

2009-12-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

Classroom Supplies

Lysol Wipes

Paper Towels

Dry Erase Markers

Pencils

Vegetable Peelers

Pencil Sharpeners

Hobby Supplies

Mini sewing machines

Latch Hook Rug Kits

Clay

Paint your own pottery

Games and Toys

Chess

Magnetix

Playmobile Sets

Battleship

Connect 4 Game

Bio Putty

Books

Sammy Keyes Series

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series

Comic Books

Children's Picture Books

Easy Readers

Grade Level Books

Girft Cards

Book Stores

Amazon.com

AC. Moore or Michael's Craft Stroes

Walmart

Stop n Shop

Shaws

We appreciate your thought, kindness and generosity! Thank you!

Teamwork from the 2-6 group!

2009-12-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

What’s Cooking in 2-6?

This month, the kids made PUMPKIN PIE. We challenged them during this cooking activity by giving them the responsibility to read and follow the recipe on their own (they did a fantastic job)! All we gave each group of three were step-by-step directions and a chart to keep track of the baking time. From there, they were on their own to complete the task. The children did it all from making sure the oven was preheated, to measuring the ingredients. This one activity fostered so many skills: working in a group, reading a recipe, following directions, measuring, and time keeping. What a fun activity to observe the children doing.

The kids also enjoyed making other Thanksgiving foods and treats such as making their own corn bread patties, shaking up their own butter out of heavy cream, measuring and cooking whole cranberry sauce and bagging their own spice sachets and seeping them in apple juice to make apple cider. We hope your families enjoyed all these treats for the holiday season.

What have we been up to?

As many of you know, we’ve been selling spoons for the Project Bread’s Holiday Spoons Fundraiser. Much of November was dedicated to creating and decorating these spoons. For two weeks, we had different themes every day. Some themes included animals, comic/characters/cartoons, food/drink/candy, sports, people, patterns and creating their own designs. From many different versions of Pokemon characters to spoons depicting themselves, the children all used their creativity and imagination to create wonderfully decorated spoons! We will continue to sell these spoons for $2.00 until December 11, 2009. They will be out on display in the cafeteria and in the K/1 room. Many thanks for all of your support in helping to raise money to end hunger in Massachusetts. Please check out the Project Bread website for more information at http://www.projectbread.org

We have also been writing to soldiers in Iraq to wish them a safe and healthy New Year. The kids worked on very detailed and heartfelt cards for over 2 hours on Wednesday 12/9. We discussed how we can reach out to many different people in our community to brighten their day. Some children decided to write to neighbors, stores or other caring people. It was wonderful to see the children work together and discuss the importance of those who choose to work in public service. We did not get into the discussion of why we are at war and if it is right or wrong. We kept the conversation on the track of making those in challenging places feel special by sending a warm wish. Please let us know if there is anything your family would like us to add to the care package we will be sending to Iraq.

What to look forward to in December!

December is a very exciting month for the 2-6 team because the holiday season is approaching! When discussing our plans with the kids, we got many requests to do some of the projects that we did last year. In addition to that, we have new ones that we know they will love. Some include sweet treats, gift making, sewing and building projects. Lastly, we will also be making projects to ring in the New Year.

From all of in 2-6, we wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a

happy and safe New Year!

Information and Reminders

Due to new sign out procedures, please document the time that you sign out your child.
During this time of change in our economy, we would like to make sure each and every family has a warm meal and a place to spend the holidays.

Please see Noelle should your family need help with providing a meal or any other essential items during this holiday season. As always, your name and situation will be kept to our high confidential standards.

Mark you calendars

4:45pm closing - Wednesday, December 23

No School - Thursday Dec 24-Friday, Jan 1 - Happy New Year!

1st day back in 2010 - Monday January 4th

K/1 is having so much fun!

2009-12-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

Our K/1 group has been busy learning about the human body and the many different systems that our body has. We also practiced about keeping our body healthy and free of germs. We were lucky to have a very special guest Scientist, Jenn Mataraza who showed our group germs with a high powered microscope. Our little animals loved working with Mrs. Mataraza and her lesson with germs. Please ask your child how easily germs can spread.

Thank you to Jenn for your kindness and time!

We can now call the k/1 group "animals" since we consistantly break the groups up into Lions, Tigers and Bears to make our actitives more manageable, fun and flexible. Please ask your child which "group" they are in.

Our Lions, Tigers and Bears also learned about how important it is to show thanks by giving and sharing. We also focused on kindness and love by baking cornbread and chocolate chip bread.

Delicious December

We have many fun activities planned for December including making many different homemade treats for each child to share with family, friends or neighbors over winter break. Today was filled with a breakfast snack, creative clay and wacky hair! Thank you for a great series of early release days.

Our group will be taking part in a great winter activity by sledding down the Heath School hill when the weather cooperates. Please ask the K/1 Teaching Team about the permission slip and supply your child with a bike helmet, sled, snow pants, boots, change of clothes, hat and mittens should you want your child to participate.

Our Lions, Tigers and Bears will also focus on hibernation, the arctic and other great animals. Please review the great list of books we will be reading thoughout the month.

Books

The Mitten by Jan Brett

A polar Bear Journey by Debbie Miller

Ice Bears by Brenda Guiberson

A Polar Bear Biologist at Work by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Animals that Hibernate by Larry Dane Brimner

Arctic Stories by Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak and Vladana Langer Krykorka

Here is the Arctic Winter by Madeleine Dunphy

Arctic Fox by Stephen Person

Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

Footprints in the Snow by Cynthia Benjamin

The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

A few important notes:

We now have a new sign out procedure that requires the pickup person to document the time. Please initial and write the time that you pickup your child.

Please supply your child with appropriate outdoor gear every day. We will enjoy the outdoors as often as possible and want your child to keep warm while outside. Please label and supply a hat, mittens or gloves, snowpants, boots, warm coat, and extra change of clothes.

We encourage all kids wot have an extra pair of slippers or comfy shoes that can be left at HEDP during the winter months. This helps keep our classroom clean during this wet, sandy and salty time of year.

Please note our Boot Tag system that will be used to help locate your childs boots.

HEDP will be open from 12:00-4:45pm on WED 12/23. Please take note of our 4:45pm closing time and make proper pickup arrangements.

K/1 Wishlist

Lysol Wipes

Papertowls

Bio Putty

Febreeze Spray

Connect 4

Marble Maze

Gift Cards to Staples, Target, Bookstores and Local Stores

December 2009 News

2009-12-09T13:54:00.000-08:00

Pre-K Extended Day

Pre-K has had a very busy month filled with "letter of the week" activities and health and hygiene. Each child is learning new vocabulary and beginning to recognize words through the many project on a daily basis. We have also learned a great deal out how our body works and what keeps it healthy. The children agreed that making homemade soap was the most excited part of this unit.

November was also a month about the thanks we have for others and the importance of giving. We heard a ton of thanks for families, friends and special toys! We hope your family enjoyed the delicious cornbread each child made.

December happenings will include learning about animals that hibernate and the arctic. We will also review snowy owls, polar bears and penguins. We will also be making lots of homemade treats and sweets for each child to share with you over the New Year break.

Our December letters will be J,K and L. We encourage you to play games like "I Spy" and point out new vocabulary that begins with these letters. It is wonderful to hear the kids note what they have been learning with family and friends.

Please note:

We will continue to go outside and need each child to wear appropriate clothing. Please label all hats, gloves, mittens, jackets, snow-pants and boots.

Please bring in an extra pair of slippers or shoes that your child can wear after we go outdoors. It will be best if they can leave them at HEDP.

Please send in a new pillowcase for your child's rest mat.

We need each child to be signed out at 2:15 (PICKUP) with the time and initials of the pickup person. Please let your sitters or family members know our new procedure.

Pre-K Extended Day will be closed on Wednesday 12/23.

Spreading our Thanks!

2009-11-19T13:32:00.000-08:00

The 2-6th Program is currently selling SPOONS of all sorts to help us raise money and awareness of homelessness and PROJECT BREAD. The children have created many beautiful sports, animal, cartoon, and people spoons in hopes to sell them and raise money for PROJECT BREAD. Please visit the Cafeteria to check out our fantastic collection of spoons. We are selling them for $2.00 each or any amount your wish to give and hope to raise at least $250.00 for PROJECT BREAD! All proceeds will go to Project Bread. Please see Malaina or Jess for more information.

We hope to help any family who may find it difficult to find a warm meal for the holidays. Please contact Noelle should your family not have the means to eat a warm meal on Thanksgiving. We believe

Thanksgiving is about sharing, caring and giving thanks

to the wonderful families we work with.

We wish your family a wonderful holiday.

Heath Extended Day will be open from 12:00-4:45pm on Wednesday November 25th. Our program will also be hosting a pizza party for those who wish to not pack a lunch. Heath School will not provide lunch on Wednesday November 25th. Therefore, you will need to send your child with $2.00 for pizza OR pack her/him a lunch from home.

Our Annual meeting was held on this past Monday. We handed out new handbooks and answered questions about our programs. Please feel free to pickup your new handbook and contact Noelle should you have specific questions or concerns.

In addition, we continue to look for volunteers to become our BEDAC (Brookline Extended Day Advisory Comitee) Rep., shop for our program if you belong to a wholesale club, and help coordinate our volunteers. Noelle is looking forward to hearing from those who have a little time and the desire to help out in HEDP.

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Please note that we continue to find it difficult to phone for children who have a change in schedule or a scheduled (and sometimes an un-scheduled) play-date.

We ask you to do one of three things to give us the notice before your 1:00pm. 1) WRITE an email before 1pm, 2) WRITE a note and place it in the HEDP mailbox in the MAIN OFFICE or 3) PHONE Heath Extended Day before 1pm to let us know.

It is impossible to take attendance, check in with classroom teachers, walk kids to and from the bus, make announcements over the intercom, and TRY to phone families, emergency contacts and friends to find kids that do not show up by 2:25pm. Our importance is for the safety of each and everyone of the 67 children we serve at all times.

Please show your understanding by alerting us of schedule

changes no later than 1pm of the day in question.

Important Announcements

2009-11-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

Information and Reminders

THE ANNUAL MEETING IS ON NOVEMBER 16!

This meeting will be used to review our family handbook, meet our board of directors, teachers and learn more about our program. This is a great meeting to get your questions answered and meet other families. We will provide refreshments and childcare. This meeting will begin at 5:30pm and end no later than 6:30pm. Please let Noelle know if you will not be able to attend.

Mark you calendars

No School                                         Early Release Days
Tuesday, November 3^rd                      Thursday, Nov. 12^th
Wednesday, November 11^th             Wednesday, Nov. 18^th
Thursday, November 26^thWednesday, Nov. 25^th

Friday, November 27th

*HEDP will close at 4:45 on November 25th.*

During this time of change in our economy, we would like to make sure each and every family has a warm meal and a place to spend the holidays. Please see Noelle should your family need help with providing a meal or any other essential items during this holiday season. As always, your name and situation will be kept to our high confidential standards.

November News

2009-11-05T10:23:00.000-08:00

What have we been up to?

We would first like to say “thank you” to all of the families who donated special snacks and treats to the HEDP Halloween party. Your kindness is greatly appreciated and our Halloween party was a success!

During the month of October, the kids were very busy creating crafts, making treats and planning for the HEDP Halloween party! We started off with art activities centered apples, leaves/nature and pumpkins. Apple projects included air fresheners and making recipes using apples. Leaf and nature activities included tissue paper leaf mosaics, yarn art, foliage friends and nature collages. Pumpkin activities included making stuffed pumpkins out of stockings, making acorn pumpkins and 3-D pumpkin decorations.

As the end of the month approached, the children began making Halloween arts and crafts. We made glue ghosts, ghosts made of melted crayon, black tin can cats, and Halloween pipe cleaner pencil toppers.

The kids were enthusiastic about the many sewing projects we had available. They sewed baseballs (for those Red Sox fans), mini trick-or-treat bags, and Halloween themed beanbags.

Getting ready for the Halloween Party was so much fun too! The children created games, decorations and activities for the big day! Games included, Witch hat ring toss, pin the spider on the web, ghost lollipop pull, pumpkin memory, sit on a balloon pop and pumpkin bucket beanbag toss. Decorations included Jack-O-Lantern and ghost balloons. Activities included face painting, cupcake decorating and mystery boxes.

What’s Cooking in 2-6?

This month, the kids made sweets and treats for the fall season and Halloween.

We started the month by making apple crisp and caramel apples.

It was a fun way to celebrate the fall season.

Towards the end of the October, the children made various Halloween treats. They got creative and made their own monster lollipops, molded their own homemade candy corn.

What to look forward to in November!

In an effort to raise awareness of hunger and help feed hungry families, HEDP is taking part in Project Bread’s Holiday Spoons Project. Project Bread is an anti-hunger organization with a mission to end hunger in Massachusetts. HEDP children will design and decorate wooden spoons, which will be available for sale late November. Each spoon will be $2.00. However, we hope to raise $250, so any donation will be appreciated. All money raised will be donated to Project Bread to help with such an important cause. In addition, the children will learn about the issue of hunger and homelessness in society through various activities, discussions and books about hunger.

Pre-K and K/1 News!

2009-10-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

What have we been up to?

September was an exciting month filled with introductions, activities and getting to know the classroom. Pre-K has begun Letter of the Week! We have been finding words that begin with the Letter of the Week and write them on our big letter in the classroom. We also have a Letter on the outside of the door and would like to encourage you and your child to think of words together to write on the letter. We are focusing on the letter sounds and practicing how to write it. Please feel free to encourage your child to find an item at home with the "letter of the week"

Pre-K has also been assigned daily jobs during our Afternoon Meeting. Each day a child has a chance to do the Calendar, schedule, weather, and message. It is a good way to review the days of the week and months.

What to look forward to:

October is a Spooktakular month! While continuing our letter of the week, we have also been doing activities relating to fall, pumpkins, spiders, ghosts and candy! We have also spending extra time outdoors observing nature and the season of Fall.

We have all been talking about our costumes and getting excited about trick-or–treating. Pre-K and K/1 will have a Halloween party on Thursday October 29th, 2009. Please have your child bring in a costume for the party! Please feel free to send in some healthy goodies to make our party more enjoyable. Here are some great suggestions; Fruit Salad, Veggie Kabobs, Pizza, Chicken Nuggets, Cheese Sticks, Milk for shakes, Chips, Popcorn and anything else your child enjoys. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE CAN NOT ACCEPT ITEMS THAT HAVE NUTS OR PEANUTS. All food can be placed in the HEDP fridge on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning (before 10am).

Important News and Notes:

If your child will be absent or will not attend HEDP please call or email as soon as possible. We can be reached at 617-277-5381 or email at hedp@brookline.k12.ma.us

Please also remember to Sign out your child daily in the sign out book.

WISH LIST

CLASSROOM SUPPLIES:

        Paper Towels
        Tissues
        Lysol Spray and Wipes

CLASSROOM GAMES AN D MANIPULATIVES

        Playdough
        Magnet Maze
        Knex
        Cranium Hullabaloo and Cariboo
        Connect Four
        (Cootie Games) Ants in my Pants and Don’t Break the Ice

Thank you very much in advance for your generosity! ☺

A very special thank you to the Sefcikova/Chandrashekar and Mataraza families for the kind toy donations. We also appreciate the time and energy that the Ruigomez and Shavit families have donated to us!

Change of Schedule Dates and Withdrawal Reminder

2009-10-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

Please note that the open period for the

Change of Schedule Dates is

October 15th-October 31st for a December 1st start.

A change of schedule/withdrawal fee will not be applied should you submit

a written letter to the director by October 31st.

The Parent/Guardian will obligated to pay the program a $150.00 change of schedule fee in addition to providing a 4 week written notice

to the director should the change not occur in during the open period.

Please refer to the Heath Extended Day Program Contract and Family Handbook should you have any questions. You may also contact us at HEDP@Brookline.k12.ma.us should you have any specific questions.

October News for 2nd-6th Grade

2009-10-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

What have we been up to?

During the month of September, we’ve been busy with many activities! The 2-6 children worked together in small groups doing various team-building activities. Some activities included building towers, one using only paper and one using only marshmallows and spaghetti. Other group activities included flipping a "magic carpet" over without the groups feet coming off and getting a group from one area to another using only paper plates to stand on. During these activities, the children encouraged each other, all while brainstorming different ways to complete the given tasks.

In honor of the summers end, the children participated in activities and crafts that pertained to the season. They really enjoyed the opportunity to participate in water games during one of the warmest days of the week. They played water balloon challenges, ran in relays with sponges and really got wet playing drip, drip, drop! Also during this week, the children made different craft activities using seashells, made photo albums for their summer keepsakes, and made sidewalk chalk using paint, water and plaster of paris.

The children also enjoyed their first "grade week" decorating cookies (and then of course eating them)! This gave the children some time to "hang out" with their peers in a small setting, separate from the larger group of children in the other grades. We feel this time will be of great importance, where the kids can build a sense of community amongst the children in their own grades. Grade week will be scheduled into our weekly activities a couple times per month.

The last week of September and the first week of October will be dedicated to celebrating fall. Stay tuned for all the fall activities such as crafting and cooking, that your child will take part in.

What to look forward to:
October is a very exciting month for us! Along with celebrating fall, the children will begin working on HEDP’s annual Halloween Celebration. This year, the children in grades 4-6 will host a Halloween Party for the kids in grades k-1. During the party preparation, all children in 2-6 will help create games, decorations and activities needed to make the event a success. The children in grades 4-6 will be in charge of running the games and activities that the k-1 children will participate in. The party will be on THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29TH. Children are welcome and encouraged to bring their costumes to change into on that day.

Reminders:

-Sign out your child daily.

-There will not be parent mailboxes. Any papers parents need will be in a folder next to the sign out.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

There is no school on

November 3rd

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

If your child will not be in extended day on a scheduled day (due to a play date, school activity, sickness, etc.), please contact HEDP to let us know.

Wish List:
-DVD Games (Bingo, Scene It, etc.)
-Kids sewing machines
-Legos
-Magnetiles
-Gift cards to: AC Moore, Target, Amazon.com.

September 2009

2009-09-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Families,

Welcome to the Heath Extended Day blog/site. We hope this site will help with keeping you informed with the many exciting happenings that will be going on throughout the year. It will be essential that you check this site out at the beginning of each month. We hope this will help your family know what is going on on a regular basis. We are happy to to share these great newsletter's with you.

Please see your child's teaching team or email us at HEDP@brookline.k12.ma.us should you have any questions or comments. We would also like you to subscribe to our email mailing list at heathextendedday@gmail.com should you not receive our emails on a regular basis.

We wish you a fall full of great family activities and events.

Kindly,
Heath Extended Day Team

2-6th News

WELCOME TO A NEW SCHOOL YEAR!
The 2-6 teaching team would like to welcome you and your family back to a new year at HEDP! We are all excited about the opportunity to work with your children and eager to learn about their interests to make their afternoons most enjoyable. With our new location in the Heath cafeteria and with the use of our 2-6 upstairs classroom, we have more space to provide a bigger variety of activities.

2-6 Teaching Team
Malaina Lesage, Jessica Lee and Jim Fagan, worked last year as part of the 3-6 teaching team. New to our team this year is Jared Mael and Caitlyn Hawkins. We’re excited to have them join our team this year! With all of our different backgrounds and interests, we have many great plans for a successful year.

Daily Schedule:
Attendance/snack will take place immediately upon arrival. This 20-minute period will give the children an opportunity to unwind, relax, and socialize with their friends.

Homework for 3-6 will take place in the cafeteria. This 45-60 minute quiet time will be for the children to do their homework, projects, and reading.

Homework for 2nd graders will take place in the upstairs 2-6 room. This 30-45 minute quiet time will be for children to do their homework, projects, and reading.

Activities will include arts and crafts, outdoor time, sports, building projects, cooking activities, and many more!

Sign out and pick up from 2:20-5:30 will be in the cafeteria.

At 5:30, cafeteria doors will close. From 5:30-5:45, sign out and pick up will be in the upstairs extended day room.

What to look forward to:
During the month of September, we’ve planned a variety of themes. We will begin with a twist on the typical “back-to-school” theme by having summer activities to officially say goodbye to the season. This will lead our next theme of welcoming fall. With the new season bringing us changes in colors, weather, and foods, it will allow us to have different art activities, sports and games, and cooking projects relating to this time of year. New to this year, we will be including grade week in between our regular themes throughout the year. During this week, each grade will be assigned to a specific day in which they will have the opportunity to participate in a separate, smaller group activity with their peers.

Information and Reminders:

*Please sign out your child daily.
*Contact HEDP as soon as possible if your child will not be attending HEDP on a schedule day.
*There will not be parent mailboxes. Newsletters will be sent via email and any papers you may need will be placed next to the sign out book.

K-1 News

Welcome Back!
We hope you had a well rested and wonderful summer. We are excited to meet all the new families that have joined HEDP and to see all of our returning families. Beth MacMillan is returning as the Lead Teacher for Pre-K and K-1. Jim Fagan and Jenna Sakolsky will also be returning as teachers in the K-1 classroom. We would like to welcome Camila, who will be working with K-1 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Brianna who will be helping our during our transition time M-F!

What to look forward to:
Our K-1 teachers have been working hard to set up the room for all the students, while also preparing wonderful activities and curriculum for the upcoming year! We have planned themes such as Space, Human Body, Dinosaurs, and many more. Our schedule is flexible but we would like to share with you our new schedule for k-1.
2:20 Students Arrive and put things away in their assigned cubbies
2:25 Students choose a table top Warm up Activity
2:45 Students begin HW and DEAR
3:15 Meeting and Activities
4:15 Outside Play
5:00 Choice Time
5:30 Clean up and Cool Down activities in the Upper Extended Day
5:45 Pick Up

News to Note:
At 5:30 we will be bringing all the students to the upper Extended Day classroom for pick up. This allows teachers to close the classroom and get ready for the next day.
Please remember to sign your child out daily and check their mail for announcements and changes

We are excited for the new year to begin and to meet all of the new faces and see all of our friends from last year!

Kindly,
Beth, Jenna, Jim, Camila and Brianna

Pre-K News

Welcome!
We hope you had a well-rested and wonderful summer. We are excited to meet all the new kids and their families that have joined HEDP! Beth MacMillan is returning as the Lead Teacher for Pre-K for her third year at Heath Extended Day. She is well loved, experienced and has many exciting activities planned for Pre-K Extended Day.

What to look forward to:
We have been working hard to set up the room for all the students, while also preparing wonderful activities and curriculum for the upcoming year! Pre-K will begin Letter of the Week and enjoy themes such as; friendship and family, the 5 senses, winter animals, under the sea, Dr. Seuss, Planting and Bugs! Our daily schedule is flexible depending on our activity however this is what it may look like on a regular basis:

Pre-K Schedule:
12:15 Pick up from Minjen and arrive at Pre-K Extended Day
12:20 Afternoon Meeting with Message, Calendar, Weather and Share
12:35 LUNCH – please send your child with a packed lunch.
1:00 Rest Time with books
1:20 Themed Activities
1:45 Choice Time or Outside Play
2:10 Quiet Books and Stories
2:15 Pick Up

News to Note:
- Pickup is at 2:15pm from PreK. Please be prompt since we have many Kindergarten and 1st grade friends arriving at 2:20pm.
- Please remember to SIGN OUT your child each day.
- Check your child’s MAILBOX for announcements and changes each day.
- HEDP does have a microwave to heat your child’s lunch. Please note recommended lunch foods for your child.
- Each Pre-K participant will need a QUEEN SIZED pillowcase to keep our rest mats clean.
- Pre-K extended day does not operate on Heath School Early Dismissal days. Your family can swap days should you contact Noelle one week prior to the Early Release Day.
- Please feel free to come in and join in the fun. We have an open door policy and encourage your family to take part in our program.
- Please remember HEDP is a NUT FREE CLASSROOM
- Please separate your child’s snack and lunch and label them so they are not confused what they should eat.

Lunch Ideas:
HEDP does have a microwave to heat up food.
- Last nights dinner
- Yogurt with granola
- Fruits and veggies as a side
- Cereal with milk in a sealed thermos
- Cheese on bread
- Salad with grilled chicken
- Applesauce with graham crackers as a side

Your child will be interacting with many different Extended Day Teachers while in Pre-K Extended Day. Our team consists of a wide array of wonderful and talented professionals who enjoy working with children. We have Malania, Jess, Caitlyn and Jared from the 2-6 team and Jim, Jenna Camila and Brianna from the K/1 team. Please note that Malania and Jess will be our Pre-K substitutes should Beth be out. Please feel free to introduce yourself and get to know as many faces as possible.

Other News to note:

Dates to Remember:
Monday, September 28 -NO SCHOOL
Saturday, October 10th -Tuition Assistance Packets Due –see Noelle for more info

HEDP has a “cooperative service policy” that can be fulfilled by donating items to our classroom off our WISH LIST. Each donation will count as 2 hours. Please see your HEDP contract for more information.

HEDP Wish list

-Large colored poster board
-Bio Putty
-Human X-Rays
-Marble Maze Game
-Maneators Master Builder Set
-Magnatiles
-Paper towels
-Clorox Wipes
-Rug Runners
-Fordable Stadium Seating for the Cafeteria
-Carpet Tiles for the Cafeteria
-Foose-ball table
-Verizon Wireless prepaid phone cards
-GIFT CARDS to Staples,Toys R us, Officemax, Target, Brookline Booksmith, or any other store we could get great supplies from.

Family Handbook

2008-10-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

Please review our Family Handbook. It has important information that will be helpful to you. Feel free to contact us should you have any questions.

Welcome to our site!

2008-10-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Heath Extended Day's first blog. I hope this will be the first of many and will make reading our newsletters a bit easier for you. I am very happy to announce that we will send an email from our gmail account to let you know when this blog is updated. We look forward to sharing news and stories with you. This site will be for readers only since there will never be any photos on this blog. Happy reading...