March Newsletters

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

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

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!

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 27th 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

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

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

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