A Message From Our Principal
Dearest Families,
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with your friends and family. I am sure there were many wonderful memories that were made during this magical time. I know I enjoyed every minute with my family!
Our Toys for Tots was a success with collecting over 100 toys for the children in need this holiday season! The US Marines came and visited with the children and talked about the importance of their job. Thank you so much for making our “Giving Project” a huge success! We took pictures of the children with the Marines loading the van and made it on Facebook! This was an amazing learning experience for them. Thanks for being part of it!
With the new year upon us, it is the time to look at the new year ahead and start planning for what we have in store. January is the month that Merryhill School starts priority registration for the new school year that will start June 2, 2015. We will start registering our current families on January 12th, 2015 for the new school year. You will have two weeks to save a seat for your child before we open it up to the outside families. Everyone needs to re-register in order to hold a seat for June 2015 – June 2016 school year.
We will hold our annual Open House and registration for the outside families on Saturday, January 24th from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. You will want to make sure you save your spot before the outside families come and before the classrooms fill up.
During the two week priority registration period for our internal families we will also offer a great discount off of the registration fees. This year we are waiving the activity fee! That is a $100.00 discount!
Now we have started the second half of the school year and there are lots of fantastic learning experiences ahead of us. I hope to see you all at our annual “Snow Day” on January 9th at 10:00 am. Yes, that is correct, real snow delivered to Merryhill Preschool!! Bring your caps, hats and gloves and join in the fun!! There will be tons of real snow dumped in our playground!! Not only will we play in the snow, but we will also learn about it using our Links To Learning Curriculum!
For our children who are graduating to Kindergarten in the new school year, visit the Elementary front office for information on how to reserve your spot! There will be a Kindergarten Orientation on January 14th from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm on the Elementary side. This would be the perfect time to learn more about the program. Also, on January 29th from 5:30 – 7:00 pm the Elementary will hold an Open House. At this time you will be able to go into the Kindergarten classrooms and look around. If you can not make it that night, you can always schedule a personal tour with Ms. Cooper. Please contact the Elementary Principal for more details. Her name is Karen Cooper and her contact number is 408-254-1280.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns my door is always open. We are here to help you and “our” children in any way we can. Everyone at Merryhill is special and important to us. Let us continue to make this a great school year!
Heather Bilbro/Palmer
Preschool Principal
heather.bilbro@nlcinc.com
408-254-1280
“All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds we sow today.”
Calendar of Events
- Feb. 9th- 2nd Quarter Progress Reports passed out!
- Feb. 13th- Valentine’s Day Pot Luck Party at 3:30 pm
- Feb. 16th- School Closed for President’s Day Holiday
- Mar. 2nd- Teacher’s In-Service Day
- Mar. 3rd- Dr. Seuss Birthday, A special visitor will come and read to the children!
- Mar. 9th- This week we will have our Scholastic Book Fair!
- Mar. 17th- St. Patrick’s Day Pot Luck at 3:30 pm
- Mar. 18th- 20th Lifetouch Pictures taken
- Mar. 21st- Open House 10 am – 1 pm **Tell a friend and if they register you will receive one free week of tuition!**
Extra Curricular Activities
- Tuff Tumblers Class – Held on Fridays
- MiniSoccer – Held on Tuesdays
- Music Class coming soon!! More information will be announced soon!
Merryhill San Jose is proud to offer Challenger Sports NEW MiniKickers Program in association with the Challenger Soccer Academy.
MiniKickers is a new and exciting program that teaches basic soccer skills while developing strength, balance, coordination, listening skills and team work for children aged 2-5. Our professional, licensed British coaches will ensure your child has a positive soccer experience.
The MiniKickers curriculum has been devised by soccer experts, child development professionals and experienced coaches. Classes are weekly
45 minute sessions for period of 8 weeks
Check the school website for sign up link, or visit www.challengersports.com then select ‘Find a Program’, select ‘MiniKicers’ & enter zip code to sign up
If you have any questions, please contact
Tom Shutt
916-262-7542 / tshutt@challengersports.com
Reminders
Parent Referral Program: If there’s one thing parents love to do, it’s talk about their children’s successes. When friends ask you about your child’s experiences at Merryhill School, what type of success stories do you share? Do you mention the personal and educational discoveries your child is making thanks to our advanced curriculum? Do you talk about the new levels of self and social confidence your child has gained thanks to our encouraging atmosphere?
*For every new child you refer who enrolls at our school for three months, you’ll receive one FREE week of tuition for your child*.
It’s our way of saying thanks for doing what comes naturally – singing the praises of your child and sharing your experiences with the Merryhill School difference!!
Participate in our Automatic Payment Program
Tired of having to remember weekly tuition payments? Save time and avoid late fees with this program. Contact your school principal for more information on how to join.
From the Education Department
Learning About the Uses and Benefits of Technology
Children today have many opportunities to interact with technology for entertainment value and learning. Most often we think of children using computer technology, including handheld devices loaded with games, books, music and movies. In moderation, these devices can aid in children’s learning and development.
Within our academic curriculum, we involve children in activities and reflection on ways that technology can improve our understanding of the world around us, help us do our jobs, and make the world a better place. We help children see how the understanding of science and math moves technology forward, and that someday they too might create new and improved ways to do things.
Below are a few ways that we integrate technology in our classrooms and some ideas to try at home.
INTERMEDIATES
In the classroom: Beginning in our Intermediate program, students learn common technology vocabulary, such as mouse, keyboard and email. Students also explore the double meaning of verbs that describe online and offline activities, such as “tapping” and “surfing”.
At home: Dot. by Randi Zuckerberg is a great book to read with your child to continue the learning at home. Dot, the main character, is a tech savvy little girl who leaves her electronic devices at home while she taps, swipes and shares in the real world.
PRE-K
In the classroom: Teachers encourage our older preschoolers to use technology as a tool to express themselves. For example, students use a camera to take photos of seasonal changes outdoors and write what they observed in their journal. This activity promotes creativity and provides a fun opportunity to practice writing skills.
At home: Allow your child to explore his world using digital photography tools. Ask him to describe his photos and explain why he chose those objects or locations to photograph. Encourage him to use descriptive language and emotion vocabulary.
In summary, we provide numerous opportunities for children to explore technology in our classrooms. Through these activities, children become excited to use technology educationally, and are better prepared to use technology in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education
February News
A Message From Our Principal
Dearest Families,
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with your friends and family. I am sure there were many wonderful memories that were made during this magical time. I know I enjoyed every minute with my family!
Our Toys for Tots was a success with collecting over 100 toys for the children in need this holiday season! The US Marines came and visited with the children and talked about the importance of their job. Thank you so much for making our “Giving Project” a huge success! We took pictures of the children with the Marines loading the van and made it on Facebook! This was an amazing learning experience for them. Thanks for being part of it!
With the new year upon us, it is the time to look at the new year ahead and start planning for what we have in store. January is the month that Merryhill School starts priority registration for the new school year that will start June 2, 2015. We will start registering our current families on January 12th, 2015 for the new school year. You will have two weeks to save a seat for your child before we open it up to the outside families. Everyone needs to re-register in order to hold a seat for June 2015 – June 2016 school year.
We will hold our annual Open House and registration for the outside families on Saturday, January 24th from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. You will want to make sure you save your spot before the outside families come and before the classrooms fill up.
During the two week priority registration period for our internal families we will also offer a great discount off of the registration fees. This year we are waiving the activity fee! That is a $100.00 discount!
Now we have started the second half of the school year and there are lots of fantastic learning experiences ahead of us. I hope to see you all at our annual “Snow Day” on January 9th at 10:00 am. Yes, that is correct, real snow delivered to Merryhill Preschool!! Bring your caps, hats and gloves and join in the fun!! There will be tons of real snow dumped in our playground!! Not only will we play in the snow, but we will also learn about it using our Links To Learning Curriculum!
For our children who are graduating to Kindergarten in the new school year, visit the Elementary front office for information on how to reserve your spot! There will be a Kindergarten Orientation on January 14th from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm on the Elementary side. This would be the perfect time to learn more about the program. Also, on January 29th from 5:30 – 7:00 pm the Elementary will hold an Open House. At this time you will be able to go into the Kindergarten classrooms and look around. If you can not make it that night, you can always schedule a personal tour with Ms. Cooper. Please contact the Elementary Principal for more details. Her name is Karen Cooper and her contact number is 408-254-1280.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns my door is always open. We are here to help you and “our” children in any way we can. Everyone at Merryhill is special and important to us. Let us continue to make this a great school year!
Heather Bilbro/Palmer
Preschool Principal
heather.bilbro@nlcinc.com
408-254-1280
“All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds we sow today.”
Calendar of Events
Extra Curricular Activities
Merryhill San Jose is proud to offer Challenger Sports NEW MiniKickers Program in association with the Challenger Soccer Academy.
MiniKickers is a new and exciting program that teaches basic soccer skills while developing strength, balance, coordination, listening skills and team work for children aged 2-5. Our professional, licensed British coaches will ensure your child has a positive soccer experience.
The MiniKickers curriculum has been devised by soccer experts, child development professionals and experienced coaches. Classes are weekly
45 minute sessions for period of 8 weeks
Check the school website for sign up link, or visit www.challengersports.com then select ‘Find a Program’, select ‘MiniKicers’ & enter zip code to sign up
If you have any questions, please contact
Tom Shutt
916-262-7542 / tshutt@challengersports.com
Reminders
Parent Referral Program: If there’s one thing parents love to do, it’s talk about their children’s successes. When friends ask you about your child’s experiences at Merryhill School, what type of success stories do you share? Do you mention the personal and educational discoveries your child is making thanks to our advanced curriculum? Do you talk about the new levels of self and social confidence your child has gained thanks to our encouraging atmosphere?
*For every new child you refer who enrolls at our school for three months, you’ll receive one FREE week of tuition for your child*.
It’s our way of saying thanks for doing what comes naturally – singing the praises of your child and sharing your experiences with the Merryhill School difference!!
Participate in our Automatic Payment Program
Tired of having to remember weekly tuition payments? Save time and avoid late fees with this program. Contact your school principal for more information on how to join.
From the Education Department
Learning About the Uses and Benefits of Technology
Children today have many opportunities to interact with technology for entertainment value and learning. Most often we think of children using computer technology, including handheld devices loaded with games, books, music and movies. In moderation, these devices can aid in children’s learning and development.
Within our academic curriculum, we involve children in activities and reflection on ways that technology can improve our understanding of the world around us, help us do our jobs, and make the world a better place. We help children see how the understanding of science and math moves technology forward, and that someday they too might create new and improved ways to do things.
Below are a few ways that we integrate technology in our classrooms and some ideas to try at home.
INTERMEDIATES
In the classroom: Beginning in our Intermediate program, students learn common technology vocabulary, such as mouse, keyboard and email. Students also explore the double meaning of verbs that describe online and offline activities, such as “tapping” and “surfing”.
At home: Dot. by Randi Zuckerberg is a great book to read with your child to continue the learning at home. Dot, the main character, is a tech savvy little girl who leaves her electronic devices at home while she taps, swipes and shares in the real world.
PRE-K
In the classroom: Teachers encourage our older preschoolers to use technology as a tool to express themselves. For example, students use a camera to take photos of seasonal changes outdoors and write what they observed in their journal. This activity promotes creativity and provides a fun opportunity to practice writing skills.
At home: Allow your child to explore his world using digital photography tools. Ask him to describe his photos and explain why he chose those objects or locations to photograph. Encourage him to use descriptive language and emotion vocabulary.
In summary, we provide numerous opportunities for children to explore technology in our classrooms. Through these activities, children become excited to use technology educationally, and are better prepared to use technology in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education