News from the Principal:
Dear Parents,
Happy New Year!
We are off to a great start this year – The staff is refreshed from the holidays and there is so much going on in the classrooms. The children are back in school mode and it is so great to walk through the hallways and see all the learning that is going on.
This month you will receive a link through your email regarding our annual Parent Survey. We really would like to hear from you. Of course we love to hear about all the wonderful things you as a parent sees at our school (and I do share everything with the staff) but we also use it to see how we can improve things. In the past we have updated our menu, added lighting, etc…based on the feedback from the parents. So please look for the link to be sent in early January. Be sure to add schoolsurvey@mghus.com to your email address books. If you have not received a link, please ask us and we will make sure our marketing department sends you another one.
Priority Registration for the 2016-2017 school year is coming soon. It is time to start thinking about reserving a space for the new school year. We will have very special incentives this year as well. Watch for information soon.
If your child will be attending Kindergarten in the fall you should be getting information from Denise Ondrof – Head of School for our Midtown Elementary Campus. Now is the time to schedule a tour of the Merryhill Midtown campus and reserve your space. If you are interested, please call (916)429-6055. Kindergarten classrooms will fill up quickly, but if you act now you will have priority as a Merryhill Family.
Have a great month. Don’t forget, I am always available. You can stop by the office, call or email anytime.
Susan Freitag – Principal
____________________________________________________________________
Dates to Remember:
January 5th – 8th: Parent Survey Links sent to parent emails
January 15th: Lil’ Caesar’s Pizza Fundraiser
January 18th: Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday – Merryhill Closed
January 29th: Links to Learning Folders go home.
February 15th: President’s Day – Merryhill Closed
February 17th: MiniKicker’s Soccer Program Starts – Sign up at ChallengerSports.com
_____________________________________________________________________
News From the Education Department:
The Value of Visual Art Activities for Your Preschooler
Visual art experiences help children develop skills such as critical thinking, self-expression, problem-solving, communication and collaboration. Our teachers focus on process-based art education, in which the experience of creating art is valued over the end product.
In our classrooms, teachers integrate art into many aspects of our Links to Learning curriculum. After reading a book about polar bears, teachers might ask students to create their own polar bears using sponges, paint, markers and paper. They encourage students to talk about their art, providing a great opportunity to learn new vocabulary, particularly words related to colors, shapes,textures, and emotions.
Our students are also exposed to and inspired by famous artwork. In order to cultivate that fascination, we discuss famous artists and art works and ask students to create replicas of well-known paintings and sculptures. For example, after learning about Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, teachers mimic the activity in the classroom. They tape paper underneath tables, and students practice painting a masterpiece while lying down.
Below are visual art activities you and your child can do at home, as well as recommended reading.
At Home:
- Provide your child with finger paint, a large piece of paper and a smock. Let him create a masterpiece. Talk about how the paint feels and what colors and shapes he creates on the paper.
- Start a journal with your child. Have him draw a picture of something that happened during the day. Avoid giving direction. Instead of saying “Draw a picture of your teacher and classmates,” encourage him to experiment using different colored markers or crayons. If age appropriate, ask your child to write a few words to describe the picture.
- Give your child a piece of paper and a box of crayons or markers. Show him how to use the materials to make dots, lines and swirls on the paper. Let him take over and have fun. Encourage conversation about your child’s art by saying, “Tell me about what you made” or “I see you used a lot of blue in your picture. Why did you choose that color?”
- Ask your child to decorate a sign for his bedroom door using various art materials. Have him write his name on the sign.
Recommended Reading:
- The Dot by Peter Reynolds
- Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg
- Art by Patrick McDonnell
- Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
- Mix It Up by Herve Tullet
It is wonderful to share the joy that children naturally take in using art materials. Giving children extra opportunities to connect art to the world around them, contributes to happiness and future success in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education
January News
News from the Principal:
Dear Parents,
Happy New Year!
We are off to a great start this year – The staff is refreshed from the holidays and there is so much going on in the classrooms. The children are back in school mode and it is so great to walk through the hallways and see all the learning that is going on.
This month you will receive a link through your email regarding our annual Parent Survey. We really would like to hear from you. Of course we love to hear about all the wonderful things you as a parent sees at our school (and I do share everything with the staff) but we also use it to see how we can improve things. In the past we have updated our menu, added lighting, etc…based on the feedback from the parents. So please look for the link to be sent in early January. Be sure to add schoolsurvey@mghus.com to your email address books. If you have not received a link, please ask us and we will make sure our marketing department sends you another one.
Priority Registration for the 2016-2017 school year is coming soon. It is time to start thinking about reserving a space for the new school year. We will have very special incentives this year as well. Watch for information soon.
If your child will be attending Kindergarten in the fall you should be getting information from Denise Ondrof – Head of School for our Midtown Elementary Campus. Now is the time to schedule a tour of the Merryhill Midtown campus and reserve your space. If you are interested, please call (916)429-6055. Kindergarten classrooms will fill up quickly, but if you act now you will have priority as a Merryhill Family.
Have a great month. Don’t forget, I am always available. You can stop by the office, call or email anytime.
Susan Freitag – Principal
____________________________________________________________________
Dates to Remember:
January 5th – 8th: Parent Survey Links sent to parent emails
January 15th: Lil’ Caesar’s Pizza Fundraiser
January 18th: Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday – Merryhill Closed
January 29th: Links to Learning Folders go home.
February 15th: President’s Day – Merryhill Closed
February 17th: MiniKicker’s Soccer Program Starts – Sign up at ChallengerSports.com
_____________________________________________________________________
News From the Education Department:
The Value of Visual Art Activities for Your Preschooler
Visual art experiences help children develop skills such as critical thinking, self-expression, problem-solving, communication and collaboration. Our teachers focus on process-based art education, in which the experience of creating art is valued over the end product.
In our classrooms, teachers integrate art into many aspects of our Links to Learning curriculum. After reading a book about polar bears, teachers might ask students to create their own polar bears using sponges, paint, markers and paper. They encourage students to talk about their art, providing a great opportunity to learn new vocabulary, particularly words related to colors, shapes,textures, and emotions.
Our students are also exposed to and inspired by famous artwork. In order to cultivate that fascination, we discuss famous artists and art works and ask students to create replicas of well-known paintings and sculptures. For example, after learning about Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, teachers mimic the activity in the classroom. They tape paper underneath tables, and students practice painting a masterpiece while lying down.
Below are visual art activities you and your child can do at home, as well as recommended reading.
At Home:
Recommended Reading:
It is wonderful to share the joy that children naturally take in using art materials. Giving children extra opportunities to connect art to the world around them, contributes to happiness and future success in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education