Dear Families,
Welcome Winter! Hello jackets, mittens, gloves, boots, pants, and long-sleeve shirts.
Preschoolers learn very differently and are constantly in need of opportunities to expand their brain development. Therefore, our curriculum offers those opportunities year round. We still have some limited spaces available if parents have younger children or friends who would like to join. We do have a great parent referral program.
Holidays
We will be closed for the following December Holidays:
December 24, 2015- Christmas Eve
December 25, 2015- Christmas Day
December 31, 2015- New Year’s Eve
January 1, 2015-New Year’s Day
Links to Learning
Our new Links to Learning 2014 curriculum was a huge success this 2014-2015 school year increasing the common core skills in our classrooms.
December Monthly Themes
- Christmas
- Kwanzaa
- Hanukah
- Winter Celebrations
- Family Traditions
- Flags around the World
- Hunger Awareness
Snack Menu
Our “Wellness” curriculum component is using the following website at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/kids/ to ensure the nutrition of our students. Please look for our snack menu please let us know if you have any suggestions for our snack menu or would like recipes for home use.
Celebrations
Celebrations help our students meet our learning component in “Community and Environment”. If you would like to share a family tradition with our students, please let us know. Embracing diversity is a social skill that will help our students in the long run when traveling or building friendships.
Thank you to those who participated in our “Thanksgiving Dinner” and “Indian Cultural Celebration” last month. A smilebox will soon be coming out via email for parents who were not able to attend.
Christmas Party and Performances along with a visit from Santa Claus!
Please come and join us on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm for our exciting annual Christmas Party and Class Performances along with a visit from Santa Claus! Please dress up in your favorite Christmas attire and bring your favorite red/green dish to share.
Student Performances will start promptly at 3:15 pm!
Hunger Awareness
Our students in conjunction with the Second Harvest Food Bank are working on hunger awareness in our community. A bin will be delivered to our school on Tuesday, December 8, 2015. Please help our students reach their goal to help families in need in our community this Christmas. Please go to our personalized Merryhill School website for the Second Harvest Food Bank to see our progress or to donate.
On December 11, 2015, our students will make cookies for the “Homeless Community” in the Santa Clara County area. Please join us in the afternoon at 3:00 pm if you would like to join us make the cookies. Our students will be making Christmas Cards for them to accompany the cookies.
Operation Christmas Child 2015
Students at Merryhill Preschool in Milpitas Collect Donations and Prepare Gifts for Children in Other Countries
Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students assemble donated gifts and write letters to children in need around the world
MILPITAS, Calif. (Nov. XX, 2015) – On Nov. 20, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students at Merryhill Preschool on Corning Avenue in Milpitas prepared 80 gift packages of toys, art supplies, books, school supplies and more to send to children around the world as a part of Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is an international humanitarian organization that sends care packages to children in third world countries. The packages, along with handwritten letters from the students, will be sent to children in countries including Mongolia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The gifts were donated during the school’s Operation Christmas Child drive this month. In the classroom, students have been exploring global citizenship and working to create friendships in other parts of the world. Through this experience, they will learn the importance of helping children in need during the holiday season.
Please join us in congratulating our students on their Water Conservation Project which made the Milpitas Patch on April 30, 2015. Our teachers are constantly challenging our students to find solutions to our community problems. This helps our students become productive members of society. Please click on the link below to see the post.
http://patch.com/california/milpitas/students-merryhill-preschool-milpitas-participated-water-conservation-project-earth-day
Merryhill’s Facebook Page
Our students are continuously posted on our Facebook page! Please share with your friends and family.
https://www.facebook.com/merryhillschool
Kind Regards,
Lucy Nunez,
Principal
Reminders:
Parent Videos & Photos
If you are video-taping or taking pictures at our school they must be only of your child. Please do not post videos or pictures of other children as it is a violation of their privacy. If you have accidentally posted pictures or videos of other children, please remove them immediately. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Nut-free School
We have a nut-free policy at our school. Please keep all peanut items at home. We have children with severe allergies.
Medication and Sunscreen Policy Reminder
Just a friendly reminder that our medication policy states that we can only administer medicine that has been prescribed by a doctor. We cannot administer over the counter medication without a doctor’s note with explicit instructions on how to administer it.
Regarding sunscreen, if you would like your child’s teacher to apply sunscreen throughout the summer months, please complete the “Sunscreen Authorization Form” located in the front office. We ask that you bring your child in their own sunscreen and apply a coat of sunscreen before they come to school. All sunscreen will be applied after nap unless noted differently by a parent.
Referral Program
Refer a Family, Get a Week Free!* Do you have friends with children in the area? If you refer your friends to Merryhill and they enroll, you could be eligible to get a free week of tuition! *After three months of enrollment. Only applicable for full time students.
Automatic Withdrawal
No checks necessary! Enroll in our Automatic Payment Program and never write another check for your monthly tuition or pay another late payment. Tuition can be automatically deducted from your checking account. You can find more information about ACH in the front office. Let us help you sign up today!
News from the Education Department
Exploring Holiday Traditions from Around the World
The holiday season is here, providing a wealth of opportunities to enrich the children’s understanding of diverse cultures and traditions around the world. In addition, our students will share their own traditions with others.
Below are age appropriate activities that we use in the classroom, as well as activities for you and your child to do at home.
BEGINNERS (ages 2-3):
In the classroom: As they near the age of two, children begin to recognize the sights and sounds of holidays celebrated by their family. Parents visit our classrooms to share holiday traditions, including unique books, songs and activities.
At home: Gather family photos and point out traditions, such as unwrapping presents, eating holiday dinner at grandma’s house, and making a snowman. Encourage your child to talk about what he sees in the photos.
Recommended reading: Children Around the World Celebrate Christmas by Christine Tangvald, Happy Hanukkah, Corduroy by Don Freeman, My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz
INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4):
In the classroom: Children sing holiday songs from around the world and are introduced to holiday symbols that they may see in their communities, such as Christmas trees or Hanukkah menorahs.
At home: Take a drive with your child or bring him to various holiday festivals in your community. Encourage him to look for and identify holiday decorations.
Recommended reading: Christmas Around the World by Calliope Glass, Hanukkah Hop by Erica Silverman, Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa by Donna Washington
PRE-K/PRE-K2 (ages 4-5)
In the classroom: After learning about holiday traditions around the world, our older preschoolers identify countries on a globe. For example, they might learn about Diwali, the festival of lights, and then find India on the globe. They might make tamales, a dish often served on Christmas, and then find Mexico on the globe.
At home: Ask your child to help you prepare your family’s favorite holiday foods. Talk about the long-standing traditions in which these foods are rooted. For instance, you might explain, “I used to bake cookies for the holidays with my mom. Now we can start baking cookies together!”
Recommended reading: Children Just Like Me: Celebrations by Anabel Kindersley, Light the Lights: A Story about Celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas by Margaret Moorman, The Story of Kwanzaa by Mary Washington
Exposing children to various holiday traditions helps them build strong social skills, establish a sense of self, and respect the differences of others as they transition into elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education
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December News
Dear Families,
Welcome Winter! Hello jackets, mittens, gloves, boots, pants, and long-sleeve shirts.
Preschoolers learn very differently and are constantly in need of opportunities to expand their brain development. Therefore, our curriculum offers those opportunities year round. We still have some limited spaces available if parents have younger children or friends who would like to join. We do have a great parent referral program.
Holidays
We will be closed for the following December Holidays:
December 24, 2015- Christmas Eve
December 25, 2015- Christmas Day
December 31, 2015- New Year’s Eve
January 1, 2015-New Year’s Day
Links to Learning
Our new Links to Learning 2014 curriculum was a huge success this 2014-2015 school year increasing the common core skills in our classrooms.
December Monthly Themes
Snack Menu
Our “Wellness” curriculum component is using the following website at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/kids/ to ensure the nutrition of our students. Please look for our snack menu please let us know if you have any suggestions for our snack menu or would like recipes for home use.
Celebrations
Celebrations help our students meet our learning component in “Community and Environment”. If you would like to share a family tradition with our students, please let us know. Embracing diversity is a social skill that will help our students in the long run when traveling or building friendships.
Thank you to those who participated in our “Thanksgiving Dinner” and “Indian Cultural Celebration” last month. A smilebox will soon be coming out via email for parents who were not able to attend.
Christmas Party and Performances along with a visit from Santa Claus!
Please come and join us on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm for our exciting annual Christmas Party and Class Performances along with a visit from Santa Claus! Please dress up in your favorite Christmas attire and bring your favorite red/green dish to share.
Student Performances will start promptly at 3:15 pm!
Hunger Awareness
Our students in conjunction with the Second Harvest Food Bank are working on hunger awareness in our community. A bin will be delivered to our school on Tuesday, December 8, 2015. Please help our students reach their goal to help families in need in our community this Christmas. Please go to our personalized Merryhill School website for the Second Harvest Food Bank to see our progress or to donate.
On December 11, 2015, our students will make cookies for the “Homeless Community” in the Santa Clara County area. Please join us in the afternoon at 3:00 pm if you would like to join us make the cookies. Our students will be making Christmas Cards for them to accompany the cookies.
Operation Christmas Child 2015
Students at Merryhill Preschool in Milpitas Collect Donations and Prepare Gifts for Children in Other Countries
Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students assemble donated gifts and write letters to children in need around the world
MILPITAS, Calif. (Nov. XX, 2015) – On Nov. 20, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students at Merryhill Preschool on Corning Avenue in Milpitas prepared 80 gift packages of toys, art supplies, books, school supplies and more to send to children around the world as a part of Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is an international humanitarian organization that sends care packages to children in third world countries. The packages, along with handwritten letters from the students, will be sent to children in countries including Mongolia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The gifts were donated during the school’s Operation Christmas Child drive this month. In the classroom, students have been exploring global citizenship and working to create friendships in other parts of the world. Through this experience, they will learn the importance of helping children in need during the holiday season.
Bollywood Classes
Bollywood Classes will do three sessions: Session 1-Oct 1, 2015, Session 2- Jan 22, 2016, Session 3- March 17, 2016. The times will be from 10:15 to 10:55 am. However, on days where it may conflict with other events we will move the class to 11:00 am.
You are welcomed to pick up a flyer in the lobby and sign up at www.bayareagurukul.com. They may perform at our Indian Cultural Celebration coming in November 2015.
Please join us in congratulating our students on their Water Conservation Project which made the Milpitas Patch on April 30, 2015. Our teachers are constantly challenging our students to find solutions to our community problems. This helps our students become productive members of society. Please click on the link below to see the post.
http://patch.com/california/milpitas/students-merryhill-preschool-milpitas-participated-water-conservation-project-earth-day
Merryhill’s Facebook Page
Our students are continuously posted on our Facebook page! Please share with your friends and family.
https://www.facebook.com/merryhillschool
Kind Regards,
Lucy Nunez,
Principal
Reminders:
Parent Videos & Photos
If you are video-taping or taking pictures at our school they must be only of your child. Please do not post videos or pictures of other children as it is a violation of their privacy. If you have accidentally posted pictures or videos of other children, please remove them immediately. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Nut-free School
We have a nut-free policy at our school. Please keep all peanut items at home. We have children with severe allergies.
Medication and Sunscreen Policy Reminder
Just a friendly reminder that our medication policy states that we can only administer medicine that has been prescribed by a doctor. We cannot administer over the counter medication without a doctor’s note with explicit instructions on how to administer it.
Regarding sunscreen, if you would like your child’s teacher to apply sunscreen throughout the summer months, please complete the “Sunscreen Authorization Form” located in the front office. We ask that you bring your child in their own sunscreen and apply a coat of sunscreen before they come to school. All sunscreen will be applied after nap unless noted differently by a parent.
Referral Program
Refer a Family, Get a Week Free!* Do you have friends with children in the area? If you refer your friends to Merryhill and they enroll, you could be eligible to get a free week of tuition! *After three months of enrollment. Only applicable for full time students.
Automatic Withdrawal
No checks necessary! Enroll in our Automatic Payment Program and never write another check for your monthly tuition or pay another late payment. Tuition can be automatically deducted from your checking account. You can find more information about ACH in the front office. Let us help you sign up today!
News from the Education Department
Exploring Holiday Traditions from Around the World
The holiday season is here, providing a wealth of opportunities to enrich the children’s understanding of diverse cultures and traditions around the world. In addition, our students will share their own traditions with others.
Below are age appropriate activities that we use in the classroom, as well as activities for you and your child to do at home.
BEGINNERS (ages 2-3):
In the classroom: As they near the age of two, children begin to recognize the sights and sounds of holidays celebrated by their family. Parents visit our classrooms to share holiday traditions, including unique books, songs and activities.
At home: Gather family photos and point out traditions, such as unwrapping presents, eating holiday dinner at grandma’s house, and making a snowman. Encourage your child to talk about what he sees in the photos.
Recommended reading: Children Around the World Celebrate Christmas by Christine Tangvald, Happy Hanukkah, Corduroy by Don Freeman, My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz
INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4):
In the classroom: Children sing holiday songs from around the world and are introduced to holiday symbols that they may see in their communities, such as Christmas trees or Hanukkah menorahs.
At home: Take a drive with your child or bring him to various holiday festivals in your community. Encourage him to look for and identify holiday decorations.
Recommended reading: Christmas Around the World by Calliope Glass, Hanukkah Hop by Erica Silverman, Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa by Donna Washington
PRE-K/PRE-K2 (ages 4-5)
In the classroom: After learning about holiday traditions around the world, our older preschoolers identify countries on a globe. For example, they might learn about Diwali, the festival of lights, and then find India on the globe. They might make tamales, a dish often served on Christmas, and then find Mexico on the globe.
At home: Ask your child to help you prepare your family’s favorite holiday foods. Talk about the long-standing traditions in which these foods are rooted. For instance, you might explain, “I used to bake cookies for the holidays with my mom. Now we can start baking cookies together!”
Recommended reading: Children Just Like Me: Celebrations by Anabel Kindersley, Light the Lights: A Story about Celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas by Margaret Moorman, The Story of Kwanzaa by Mary Washington
Exposing children to various holiday traditions helps them build strong social skills, establish a sense of self, and respect the differences of others as they transition into elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education