From the Principal’s Office
April is here, and that means “The Week of the Young Child!” During the month of April, we celebrate children. National Week of the Young Child is April 11th-15th. This special week is designated to celebrate young children and to focus public attention on the needs of those children and their families, and to recognize the early childhood education programs and services that meet those needs. At Merryhill we will kick off our celebration with a Playday on Saturday, April 9th and continue with special activities throughout the following week. Our Playday is an event that you won’t want to miss, so make sure you mark your calendar to attend. This year our theme is “There is a Hero in YOU!” Our children will be connecting our Week of the Young Child with a variety of activities surrounding super heroes. Make sure that you check out your Week of the Young Child information packet for all the dates and details.
Scholastic Book Fair will be here the week of April 4th-8th. Help us bring in new books for our classroom libraries!
Have a wonderful month of April!
Lisa Norris – Principal
Important Dates
3/28-4/8 Week of the Young Child Preparations!
4/4-8 Scholastic Book Fair
4/9 Playday 10:30 – 1 pm
4/11 Hero in Me Activities!
4/12 The Bubble Lady 11 am
4/13 Park Day – Intermediates
Picnic – Beginners
4/14 Park Day – Pre-K & Pre K2
Picnic – Toddlers
4/15 Trike-a-Thon – Bring your decorated bike to school!
Super Hero Theme!
4/21 Soccer Starts
4/22 Earth Day!
4/27 Administrative Assistants Day
Remember Miss Linda & Miss Erin!
Coming Up
Week of the Young Child Events
“There is a Hero in YOU!”
Monday
Hero in Me Activities
Tuesday
The Bubble Lady – 11 am
Wednesday
Beginners – Picnic on the Playground
Intermediates – Park Day
Thursday
Toddlers – Picnic on the Playground
Pre-K & Pre- K2 – Park Day
Friday
St. Jude’s Trike-a-Thon
Bring your decorated bike to school.
Don’t forget to your St. Jude donations!
Our teachers have also planned many activities in their classrooms for the children. Check out your Week of the Young Child information packet for all the details!
Wear your special Week of the Young Child
t-shirts on Playday, your Park or Picnic Day, and on Trike-a-Thon Day!
Raffle Baskets
Each classroom will be creating a basket of goodies to be raffled off at our Playday. Please check with your child’s teacher regarding your donation.
St. Jude’s Trike-a-Thon
Each year we raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. This event will give all of our families the opportunity to ensure that research discoveries are found and shared with doctors and hospitals around the world. Please check your Week of the Young Child packet for your donation envelopes.
Join our children on Friday, April 15th for our annual Trike-a-Thon. We are encouraging everyone to come to school with their decorated bikes and we would love to see our parents here cheering all of us on!
Super Hero Theme!
Ways to Celebrate Children
Read a book together
Praise your child
Schedule quality time together
Give your child a hug
Spend the day at the park
Plan a simple family vacation
Frame your child’s artwork
Ask questions
Find answers
Plan to attend our Playday on Saturday, April 9th from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm.
Bring your family & friends! Everyone is invited to attend!
Scholastic Book Fair
It’s time for our Spring Scholastic Book Fair. The book fair will run from April 4th – 8th. As usual, our teachers will pick out their favorites and will place them on their wish list for you to purchase for their classroom. These books will be a wonderful addition to our classroom libraries.
We hope that you take this opportunity to purchase these high quality books for your children at this time.
Mother’s Day Tea Party Schedule
This year, to lessen the crowds, we will have our Mother’s Day Tea Parties on different days. Please see the schedule for your day:
Tuesday, May 3 – Infants/Toddlers
Wednesday, May 4 – Intermediates
Thursday, May 5 – Beginners
Friday, May 6 – Pre-K/Pre-K2
All Tea Parties will begin at 3:30 pm
From our Education Department
Linking Learning with Nature
Spring is here! Flowers are blooming, days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer. Now is a great time for children to explore these environmental changes happening in the world around them.
Not only are children curious about nature, but research shows that it has a profound influence on their problem solving skills, creativity, imagination and cognitive ability. Because of this, our teachers incorporate nature in all aspects of our Links to Learning curriculum.
Below are ways we connect learning with nature, as well as activities you can do with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS:
In the classroom: After reading a book about springtime, teachers bring children outdoors to explore and investigate objects in nature. The children have fun crumbling leaves, smelling flowers and looking at clouds.
At home: Take tummy time outdoors and allow your infant to explore different sights, sounds and textures. Encourage him to move and grab things by placing objects just beyond his reach. For toddlers, ask questions like, “Who made that chirping sound” or “Can you point to the flowers?”
Recommended reading: Wake Up! Wake Up! A Springtime Lift-the-Flap Book by Kathryn Davis, Welcome Spring by Little Scholastic
BEGINNERS (ages 2-3):
In the classroom: Our Beginners read books about seasonal changes, then bring the story to life by going outdoors to find real-world examples.
At home: Help make your child aware of the seasonal changes going on around him. Talk a walk with him and ask questions such as “Why do we see flowers growing now?” or “What do flowers need in order to grow?” Encourage him to use his creativity when answering.
Recommended reading: Over in the Meadow by Olive Wadsworth, Mouse’s First Spring by Lauren Thompson
INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4):
In the classroom: Students plant seeds in their school garden and learn about the importance of caring for them. Through this activity, they practice math skills such as measuring, sorting, counting and making predictions.
At home: Set up a bird feeder outside a window that your child can easily see. Let him help you fill it with birdfeed. As the birds come to eat, ask your child to talk about them. “What color are they?” “Are they big or small?” “What are they doing?”
Recommended reading: Little Seed by Eric Carle, Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (ages 4-5):
In the classroom: Pre-K and Pre-K 2 students explore the sounds they hear in nature while playing outdoors. They then use recycled and natural materials, such as string and pine cones, to make their own wind chime.
At home: Reuse junk mail for a fun arts and crafts activity with your child. Encourage him to look through flyers and magazines to find words and pictures that he recognizes. Then, ask him to create a collage by cutting and gluing them to a piece of paper or poster board.
Recommended reading: And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano, About Springtime, Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
We provide many opportunities for our preschoolers to think creatively and imaginatively about the world around them. By setting this foundation, children build confidence in their own unique thoughts and maintain a thirst for learning as they enter elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education
April Newsletter
From the Principal’s Office
April is here, and that means “The Week of the Young Child!” During the month of April, we celebrate children. National Week of the Young Child is April 11th-15th. This special week is designated to celebrate young children and to focus public attention on the needs of those children and their families, and to recognize the early childhood education programs and services that meet those needs. At Merryhill we will kick off our celebration with a Playday on Saturday, April 9th and continue with special activities throughout the following week. Our Playday is an event that you won’t want to miss, so make sure you mark your calendar to attend. This year our theme is “There is a Hero in YOU!” Our children will be connecting our Week of the Young Child with a variety of activities surrounding super heroes. Make sure that you check out your Week of the Young Child information packet for all the dates and details.
Scholastic Book Fair will be here the week of April 4th-8th. Help us bring in new books for our classroom libraries!
Have a wonderful month of April!
Lisa Norris – Principal
Important Dates
3/28-4/8 Week of the Young Child Preparations!
4/4-8 Scholastic Book Fair
4/9 Playday 10:30 – 1 pm
4/11 Hero in Me Activities!
4/12 The Bubble Lady 11 am
4/13 Park Day – Intermediates
Picnic – Beginners
4/14 Park Day – Pre-K & Pre K2
Picnic – Toddlers
4/15 Trike-a-Thon – Bring your decorated bike to school!
Super Hero Theme!
4/21 Soccer Starts
4/22 Earth Day!
4/27 Administrative Assistants Day
Remember Miss Linda & Miss Erin!
Coming Up
Week of the Young Child Events
“There is a Hero in YOU!”
Monday
Hero in Me Activities
Tuesday
The Bubble Lady – 11 am
Wednesday
Beginners – Picnic on the Playground
Intermediates – Park Day
Thursday
Toddlers – Picnic on the Playground
Pre-K & Pre- K2 – Park Day
Friday
St. Jude’s Trike-a-Thon
Bring your decorated bike to school.
Don’t forget to your St. Jude donations!
Our teachers have also planned many activities in their classrooms for the children. Check out your Week of the Young Child information packet for all the details!
Wear your special Week of the Young Child
t-shirts on Playday, your Park or Picnic Day, and on Trike-a-Thon Day!
Raffle Baskets
Each classroom will be creating a basket of goodies to be raffled off at our Playday. Please check with your child’s teacher regarding your donation.
St. Jude’s Trike-a-Thon
Each year we raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. This event will give all of our families the opportunity to ensure that research discoveries are found and shared with doctors and hospitals around the world. Please check your Week of the Young Child packet for your donation envelopes.
Join our children on Friday, April 15th for our annual Trike-a-Thon. We are encouraging everyone to come to school with their decorated bikes and we would love to see our parents here cheering all of us on!
Super Hero Theme!
Ways to Celebrate Children
Read a book together
Praise your child
Schedule quality time together
Give your child a hug
Spend the day at the park
Plan a simple family vacation
Frame your child’s artwork
Ask questions
Find answers
Plan to attend our Playday on Saturday, April 9th from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm.
Bring your family & friends! Everyone is invited to attend!
Scholastic Book Fair
It’s time for our Spring Scholastic Book Fair. The book fair will run from April 4th – 8th. As usual, our teachers will pick out their favorites and will place them on their wish list for you to purchase for their classroom. These books will be a wonderful addition to our classroom libraries.
We hope that you take this opportunity to purchase these high quality books for your children at this time.
Mother’s Day Tea Party Schedule
This year, to lessen the crowds, we will have our Mother’s Day Tea Parties on different days. Please see the schedule for your day:
Tuesday, May 3 – Infants/Toddlers
Wednesday, May 4 – Intermediates
Thursday, May 5 – Beginners
Friday, May 6 – Pre-K/Pre-K2
All Tea Parties will begin at 3:30 pm
From our Education Department
Linking Learning with Nature
Spring is here! Flowers are blooming, days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer. Now is a great time for children to explore these environmental changes happening in the world around them.
Not only are children curious about nature, but research shows that it has a profound influence on their problem solving skills, creativity, imagination and cognitive ability. Because of this, our teachers incorporate nature in all aspects of our Links to Learning curriculum.
Below are ways we connect learning with nature, as well as activities you can do with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS:
In the classroom: After reading a book about springtime, teachers bring children outdoors to explore and investigate objects in nature. The children have fun crumbling leaves, smelling flowers and looking at clouds.
At home: Take tummy time outdoors and allow your infant to explore different sights, sounds and textures. Encourage him to move and grab things by placing objects just beyond his reach. For toddlers, ask questions like, “Who made that chirping sound” or “Can you point to the flowers?”
Recommended reading: Wake Up! Wake Up! A Springtime Lift-the-Flap Book by Kathryn Davis, Welcome Spring by Little Scholastic
BEGINNERS (ages 2-3):
In the classroom: Our Beginners read books about seasonal changes, then bring the story to life by going outdoors to find real-world examples.
At home: Help make your child aware of the seasonal changes going on around him. Talk a walk with him and ask questions such as “Why do we see flowers growing now?” or “What do flowers need in order to grow?” Encourage him to use his creativity when answering.
Recommended reading: Over in the Meadow by Olive Wadsworth, Mouse’s First Spring by Lauren Thompson
INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4):
In the classroom: Students plant seeds in their school garden and learn about the importance of caring for them. Through this activity, they practice math skills such as measuring, sorting, counting and making predictions.
At home: Set up a bird feeder outside a window that your child can easily see. Let him help you fill it with birdfeed. As the birds come to eat, ask your child to talk about them. “What color are they?” “Are they big or small?” “What are they doing?”
Recommended reading: Little Seed by Eric Carle, Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (ages 4-5):
In the classroom: Pre-K and Pre-K 2 students explore the sounds they hear in nature while playing outdoors. They then use recycled and natural materials, such as string and pine cones, to make their own wind chime.
At home: Reuse junk mail for a fun arts and crafts activity with your child. Encourage him to look through flyers and magazines to find words and pictures that he recognizes. Then, ask him to create a collage by cutting and gluing them to a piece of paper or poster board.
Recommended reading: And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano, About Springtime, Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
We provide many opportunities for our preschoolers to think creatively and imaginatively about the world around them. By setting this foundation, children build confidence in their own unique thoughts and maintain a thirst for learning as they enter elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education