A Note From Our Principal:
Welcome to the “MERRY” Month of May!
Thank you so very much for all of your participation during our very busy month of April which included The Week of the Young Child, Earth Day Celebrations and School Picture Days. I know that your children enjoyed the fun activities and memories of these great events.
The next few months will be packed full of activity and fun! While in April we celebrated all of the young children in our lives, the months of May and June will be dedicated to celebrating our families, teachers and Pre-K graduates.
We will be celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week, beginning on May 8th. This week will be dedicated to recognizing the teachers for the wonderful work that they do each and every day.
For our Pre-K children who will be going onto Kindergarten in the Fall, we will be hosting our Graduation Ceremony on the morning of Friday, June 15th.
We are now accepting enrollment for our Summer Camp Programs. This year we will be offering a special Kindergarten Enrichment Camp for our graduating students who will be entering Kindergarten soon. We will also be offering a very exciting Summer Fun Camp for our school age students who are interested in attending this summer. Spaces are limited, so please make sure to visit our Summer Camp Website for more details.
With Summer and Graduation quickly approaching I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you of our 30 day notice policy, which is extremely critical in lesson and activity planning, transitioning children to their new classrooms and staffing. 30 day notice is required for all children regarding Schedule Changes, Vacations, Extended Leave Requests, and Withdrawals from the program regardless of if the children are graduating, or staying for a portion of the Summer, even if they are not registered for next school year.
Please read below for more information regarding upcoming events and themed dress up days
Thank you for being a very important part of the Merryhill Family!
Sincerely,
Tammy Wells- Principal
Special Events/Theme Days
- May 4th – Star Wars Day – Dress as your favorite Star Wars or Outer Space Character (No weapons please)
- May 5th – Cinco de Mayo – Dress Code: Festive
- May 8th – 12th : Teacher Appreciation Week
- Monday: Dress Code – Pajamas & bring your teachers a coffee related gift.
- Tuesday: Dress Code- School Colors & bring your teachers their favorite snack
- Wednesday: Dress Code-Tropical & bring your teachers a flower
- Thursday: Dress Code-Disney & bring your teachers a Thank You Card
- Friday: Dress Code – International Vacation Destination & bring your teacher a special gift
- Friday: Parent Sponsored Staff International Potluck
- May 9th – Cap and Gown Photo Day for Pre-K Graduates
- May 25th – Dress Code: Red, White & Blue
- May 29th – Memorial Day – School Closed
- June 15th – Pre-K Graduation at 10am
- June 16th – School Closed for Staff Professional Development Day
- June 19th – School Closed for Juneteenth Holiday
- June 20th – First Day of 23/24 School Year
Reminders:
Teacher Appreciation Week: Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8-12. This is a wonderful time to express our gratitude to our amazing teachers who work tirelessly to educate and care for our students each and every day. They are the heart and soul of our preschool, and we are so fortunate to have such a dedicated and talented team. More information regarding Teacher Appreciation Week celebrations will be sent via Links 2 Home.
Parent Survey Results: Thank you for your participation in our Parent Survey. Your feedback is very important to us and the survey will be very helpful in the planning and implementation of some new systems in our school. I was very happy share many of the amazing, positive comments that some of you submitted with our staff.
Expectations re: Links 2 Home Message Response Time : We are pleased to hear that many of you have been enjoying the ability to communicate directly with your child’s teacher through the direct message function of our Links 2 Home app. While our teachers strive to respond to messages as quickly as possible, please keep in mind that they are primarily focused on caring for and educating their students during school hours. Teachers will make every effort to respond as soon as they are able. As always, for urgent or time-sensitive matters, please call us at 209-474-0518 X 2.
Did You Know?: Mirrors are a great way for children to learn. Infants begin to recognize expressions and track images. Our toddlers use mirrors to build their self-concept by recognizing themselves. Older preschool students learn to notice their unique characteristics, and improve their hand-eye coordination by creating self-portraits!
Vacation Policy: I would like to take a moment to remind you of our Vacation Time Request Policy. We offer 1 week of Vacation Credit per school year. This week is inclusive/reflective of your child’s schedule. We require 30 days advance notice to process the Vacation Request, which includes auditing the records to make sure a previous Vacation Credit has not been issued this school year. Please submit all vacation requests in writing or via e-mail a minimum of 30 days prior to your requested Vacation Time. Your child must be enrolled a minimum of 6 months to qualify for the Vacation Credit.
Enrollment Schedules: Our 5 full day schedule gives your child access to every project and event at our school. We encourage our students to attend school on a 5 day a week program to gain the highest benefit from our Links to Learning curriculum. Switching days, so your child may participate in special activities or events may not always be accommodated. If you have previously signed up for a part time schedule and would like to increase your schedule, please notify the office as soon as possible. Spaces are extremely limited!
Links 2 Home App Usage
We know that summer is a busy time for our families and want to communicate school happenings as clearly as possible to ensure that no one is left out. Daily reports are sent via email each day, but our Links 2 Home app keeps all school communications in one place and is always accessible. The app also allows to you communicate absences to your child’s teacher, leave drop-off notes, and read teacher and administrative notes in detail.
If you’re not a current app user, we encourage you to visit the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to download the app today. You will need to login with the email address you use for Alma. Please let us know if you have issues logging into Links 2 Home!
Change of Seasons: With the change of seasons please remember to update your child’s back up clothing supply. Many children have difficulties keeping their jackets on while outside. If your child is one that always seems to be searching for their jacket after school, we recommend bringing a pullover sweatshirt or sweater. Also, please label all of their items so lost items can be returned to their owners. All children are required to have a fitted sheet for their nap mats as well as a blanket. The sheets and blankets must be taken home each Friday and laundered and then returned on Monday.
Safety First: We would like to remind you of a few security measures that we need your assistance with in regards to school safety.
- If you know in advance that someone other than your normal approved designated pick up person will be picking up, please complete a Pick Up Notification Form at the front desk or call/e-mail us to notify us of the change.
- If you change your cell phone number, please update this on your child’s Emergency Card.
Parking Lot Safety: Please remember not to leave any valuables in your car (including your children) when entering our building or any other location. Please do not leave anything of value or that resembles a purse or bag in plain view in your car, for any amount of time! This includes your children!
Illnesses: As you know there are a lot of illnesses in the community right now. I would like to remind you to please follow Merryhill’s illness policies. Please help us by notifying us when your child or a member of your household has been diagnosed or has symptoms of an illness so we can be aware and pro-active on our end. Thank you for working with us to keep everyone in our Merryhill Community safe and healthy! We are being vigilant about our cleaning and disinfection practices in every classroom and all common areas.
On Time Tuition Payments / Late Payment Fees / Payment Options: I would like to thank all of you for paying your Tuition each week in advance. As you are all aware, Tuition payments are due at the beginning of each week. Any payments received after your child’s first day of attendance each week will be charged an additional late fee of $25. To save you time and the headache of having to remember your checkbook every Monday, it is now possible to set up an automatic payment program. This can be set up online through ALMA or through us. Please speak with Ms. Tammy or Ms. Pauline and they will assist you in registering for this convenient program.
We Are a Nut-Free School: Please do not send your child to school with items that contain nuts. We will have to return the items to you at the end of the day. Thank you for being considerate of our children who have nut allergies and working with us to keep our students safe and healthy.
From our Education Team
April, 2023
|
Topics: Social Emotional
We all want our children to grow up happy, healthy, and thriving – and building strong social skills is a key part in achieving this. At our preschool, we recognize that sharing, making friends, and problem-solving are crucial components for a child’s overall development. That’s why our Links to Learning[.....]
Read More »
May News 2023
A Note From Our Principal:
Welcome to the “MERRY” Month of May!
Thank you so very much for all of your participation during our very busy month of April which included The Week of the Young Child, Earth Day Celebrations and School Picture Days. I know that your children enjoyed the fun activities and memories of these great events.
The next few months will be packed full of activity and fun! While in April we celebrated all of the young children in our lives, the months of May and June will be dedicated to celebrating our families, teachers and Pre-K graduates.
We will be celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week, beginning on May 8th. This week will be dedicated to recognizing the teachers for the wonderful work that they do each and every day.
For our Pre-K children who will be going onto Kindergarten in the Fall, we will be hosting our Graduation Ceremony on the morning of Friday, June 15th.
We are now accepting enrollment for our Summer Camp Programs. This year we will be offering a special Kindergarten Enrichment Camp for our graduating students who will be entering Kindergarten soon. We will also be offering a very exciting Summer Fun Camp for our school age students who are interested in attending this summer. Spaces are limited, so please make sure to visit our Summer Camp Website for more details.
With Summer and Graduation quickly approaching I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you of our 30 day notice policy, which is extremely critical in lesson and activity planning, transitioning children to their new classrooms and staffing. 30 day notice is required for all children regarding Schedule Changes, Vacations, Extended Leave Requests, and Withdrawals from the program regardless of if the children are graduating, or staying for a portion of the Summer, even if they are not registered for next school year.
Please read below for more information regarding upcoming events and themed dress up days
Thank you for being a very important part of the Merryhill Family!
Sincerely,
Tammy Wells- Principal
Special Events/Theme Days
Reminders:
Teacher Appreciation Week: Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8-12. This is a wonderful time to express our gratitude to our amazing teachers who work tirelessly to educate and care for our students each and every day. They are the heart and soul of our preschool, and we are so fortunate to have such a dedicated and talented team. More information regarding Teacher Appreciation Week celebrations will be sent via Links 2 Home.
Parent Survey Results: Thank you for your participation in our Parent Survey. Your feedback is very important to us and the survey will be very helpful in the planning and implementation of some new systems in our school. I was very happy share many of the amazing, positive comments that some of you submitted with our staff.
Expectations re: Links 2 Home Message Response Time : We are pleased to hear that many of you have been enjoying the ability to communicate directly with your child’s teacher through the direct message function of our Links 2 Home app. While our teachers strive to respond to messages as quickly as possible, please keep in mind that they are primarily focused on caring for and educating their students during school hours. Teachers will make every effort to respond as soon as they are able. As always, for urgent or time-sensitive matters, please call us at 209-474-0518 X 2.
Did You Know?: Mirrors are a great way for children to learn. Infants begin to recognize expressions and track images. Our toddlers use mirrors to build their self-concept by recognizing themselves. Older preschool students learn to notice their unique characteristics, and improve their hand-eye coordination by creating self-portraits!
Vacation Policy: I would like to take a moment to remind you of our Vacation Time Request Policy. We offer 1 week of Vacation Credit per school year. This week is inclusive/reflective of your child’s schedule. We require 30 days advance notice to process the Vacation Request, which includes auditing the records to make sure a previous Vacation Credit has not been issued this school year. Please submit all vacation requests in writing or via e-mail a minimum of 30 days prior to your requested Vacation Time. Your child must be enrolled a minimum of 6 months to qualify for the Vacation Credit.
Enrollment Schedules: Our 5 full day schedule gives your child access to every project and event at our school. We encourage our students to attend school on a 5 day a week program to gain the highest benefit from our Links to Learning curriculum. Switching days, so your child may participate in special activities or events may not always be accommodated. If you have previously signed up for a part time schedule and would like to increase your schedule, please notify the office as soon as possible. Spaces are extremely limited!
Links 2 Home App Usage
We know that summer is a busy time for our families and want to communicate school happenings as clearly as possible to ensure that no one is left out. Daily reports are sent via email each day, but our Links 2 Home app keeps all school communications in one place and is always accessible. The app also allows to you communicate absences to your child’s teacher, leave drop-off notes, and read teacher and administrative notes in detail.
If you’re not a current app user, we encourage you to visit the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to download the app today. You will need to login with the email address you use for Alma. Please let us know if you have issues logging into Links 2 Home!
Change of Seasons: With the change of seasons please remember to update your child’s back up clothing supply. Many children have difficulties keeping their jackets on while outside. If your child is one that always seems to be searching for their jacket after school, we recommend bringing a pullover sweatshirt or sweater. Also, please label all of their items so lost items can be returned to their owners. All children are required to have a fitted sheet for their nap mats as well as a blanket. The sheets and blankets must be taken home each Friday and laundered and then returned on Monday.
Safety First: We would like to remind you of a few security measures that we need your assistance with in regards to school safety.
Parking Lot Safety: Please remember not to leave any valuables in your car (including your children) when entering our building or any other location. Please do not leave anything of value or that resembles a purse or bag in plain view in your car, for any amount of time! This includes your children!
Illnesses: As you know there are a lot of illnesses in the community right now. I would like to remind you to please follow Merryhill’s illness policies. Please help us by notifying us when your child or a member of your household has been diagnosed or has symptoms of an illness so we can be aware and pro-active on our end. Thank you for working with us to keep everyone in our Merryhill Community safe and healthy! We are being vigilant about our cleaning and disinfection practices in every classroom and all common areas.
On Time Tuition Payments / Late Payment Fees / Payment Options: I would like to thank all of you for paying your Tuition each week in advance. As you are all aware, Tuition payments are due at the beginning of each week. Any payments received after your child’s first day of attendance each week will be charged an additional late fee of $25. To save you time and the headache of having to remember your checkbook every Monday, it is now possible to set up an automatic payment program. This can be set up online through ALMA or through us. Please speak with Ms. Tammy or Ms. Pauline and they will assist you in registering for this convenient program.
We Are a Nut-Free School: Please do not send your child to school with items that contain nuts. We will have to return the items to you at the end of the day. Thank you for being considerate of our children who have nut allergies and working with us to keep our students safe and healthy.
From our Education Team
Little Social Butterflies: Tips for Raising a Socially Savvy Preschooler
Read More »