From the Principal’s Office
Dear Merryhill Families,
Spring has sprung! All too true here at Merryhill Davis! I’ve seen in depth explorations of Rainbows, the Sun (& Solar System), animals coming out of hibernation, baby animals, and so much more that has all of these students so excited — along with the continuous enjoyment of being outside!
This month is all about the children! We will celebrate our annual WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD EVENT on Friday, April 15th from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. This event will conclude a week long exploration of our Links to Learning curriculum with the characters from Disney’s INSIDE OUT movie! This INSIDE OUT exploration has children wearing dedicated colors each day (see below) and having hands on experiences dedicated to each link!
We have a lot going on this month with this major event, so please keep an eye out for information throughout the school, via email, and by asking your child’s teacher! We will continue this fun month with the celebration of EARTH DAY on April 22nd. Caterpillars will be arriving in classrooms on April 7th! They will take care of their new found friends until their release on Earth Day! Be sure to ask your child about the DAILY observations that will occur, as the cycle goes in fast forward to assure the continued interest of the children!
As always, please feel free to contact me at your convenience if you have any questions or comments. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Jherica McEndree, Principal
Dates to Remember:
April 1st – April Fools Day
April 6th – National Walking Day
April 7th – World Health Day
April 11-15- Week of the Young Child 2016
April 18- Cultural Study: Leonardo Di Vinci
April 20- Honoring National Picnic Day (Please send your child with a sack lunch today!)
April 22- Butterfly Release in honor of Earth Day!
April 26- National Babe Ruth Day (Wear a baseball hat today!)
April 28- National Take Your Daughter to Work Day!
April 29th- Cultural Study: Dia de Niño
Important Notes: Week of the Young Child — INSIDE and OUT
Check out your Week of the Young Child information packet for all the details!
Monday, April 11- Explore our Social Emotional Link with JOY! Wear YELLOW today!
Tuesday, April 12- Explore our Wellness Link with DISGUST! Wear GREEN today!
Wednesday, April 13- Explore our Language & Literacy Link with FEAR! Wear PURPLE today!
Thursday, April 14- Explore our Mathematics Link with SADNESS! Wear BLUE today!
Friday, April 15- Explore our Citizens of the World Link with ANGER! Wear RED today!
Friday, April 15th, we will host our annual WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD CELEBRATION (5 – 7 PM)
Please join us for this FUN and FREE event as we conclude our exploration of INSIDE OUT by celebrating the children that made it all possible! We will have various games, arts & crafts, and fun for the whole family! Everyone is invited to attend!
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 items — sign ups on classroom doors. All donations are due by April 11th. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase starting Monday, April 4th. Proceeds will be used to purchase new OUTDOOR equipment (balls, trikes, garden essentials, etc.)!
Save the Date: Mother’s Day Hat & Tea Fashion Show (Friday, May 6th @ 3:00 PM)
Children will be performing on this date! Please be sure to save the date so you can attend this adorably special presentation of the love these children have for those special women in their lives. If mom cannot make it, we welcome aunties, grandmas, family friends — anyone who will be able to share in the love presented this day. Administration will be presenting some snacks and drinks during the event, but the main event will be all about the children!
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
Dear Merryhill Families,
Spring has sprung! All too true here at Merryhill Davis! I’ve seen in depth explorations of Rainbows, the Sun (& Solar System), animals coming out of hibernation, baby animals, and so much more that has all of these students so excited — along with the continuous enjoyment of being outside!
This month is all about the children! We will celebrate our annual WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD EVENT on Friday, April 15th from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. This event will conclude a week long exploration of our Links to Learning curriculum with the characters from Disney’s INSIDE OUT movie! This INSIDE OUT exploration has children wearing dedicated colors each day (see below) and having hands on experiences dedicated to each link!
We have a lot going on this month with this major event, so please keep an eye out for information throughout the school, via email, and by asking your child’s teacher! We will continue this fun month with the celebration of EARTH DAY on April 22nd. Caterpillars will be arriving in classrooms on April 7th! They will take care of their new found friends until their release on Earth Day! Be sure to ask your child about the DAILY observations that will occur, as the cycle goes in fast forward to assure the continued interest of the children!
As always, please feel free to contact me at your convenience if you have any questions or comments. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Jherica McEndree, Principal
Dates to Remember:
April 1st – April Fools Day
April 6th – National Walking Day
April 7th – World Health Day
April 11-15- Week of the Young Child 2016
April 18- Cultural Study: Leonardo Di Vinci
April 20- Honoring National Picnic Day (Please send your child with a sack lunch today!)
April 22- Butterfly Release in honor of Earth Day!
April 26- National Babe Ruth Day (Wear a baseball hat today!)
April 28- National Take Your Daughter to Work Day!
April 29th- Cultural Study: Dia de Niño
Important Notes: Week of the Young Child — INSIDE and OUT
Check out your Week of the Young Child information packet for all the details!
Monday, April 11- Explore our Social Emotional Link with JOY! Wear YELLOW today!
Tuesday, April 12- Explore our Wellness Link with DISGUST! Wear GREEN today!
Wednesday, April 13- Explore our Language & Literacy Link with FEAR! Wear PURPLE today!
Thursday, April 14- Explore our Mathematics Link with SADNESS! Wear BLUE today!
Friday, April 15- Explore our Citizens of the World Link with ANGER! Wear RED today!
Friday, April 15th, we will host our annual WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD CELEBRATION (5 – 7 PM)
Please join us for this FUN and FREE event as we conclude our exploration of INSIDE OUT by celebrating the children that made it all possible! We will have various games, arts & crafts, and fun for the whole family! Everyone is invited to attend!
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 items — sign ups on classroom doors. All donations are due by April 11th. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase starting Monday, April 4th. Proceeds will be used to purchase new OUTDOOR equipment (balls, trikes, garden essentials, etc.)!
Save the Date: Mother’s Day Hat & Tea Fashion Show (Friday, May 6th @ 3:00 PM)
Children will be performing on this date! Please be sure to save the date so you can attend this adorably special presentation of the love these children have for those special women in their lives. If mom cannot make it, we welcome aunties, grandmas, family friends — anyone who will be able to share in the love presented this day. Administration will be presenting some snacks and drinks during the event, but the main event will be all about the children!
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