Event’s Days: March 25 to 29 Scholastic Book Fair
May 22-23 Lifetouch – Picture Day
May 24 – School closed for student attendance – open for parent conferences
June 20 – Last Day of 23-24 school year –
Family Gathering Days:
March 29th 3pm – Spring Egg Hunt
April 22nd 3pm – Earth Day— Bug release
May 10th at 3pm – Mommy’s Muffins Snack-nic
***Snack-nic = not a full picnic but fancier than a regular snack…it’s a SNACK-NIC!
***These family events are “outside snack time” for the parents to come, spend time with the children, and get to know one another.
Closure days 2024:
March 8 – School closed for Staff Professional Development
May 24 – School closed for student attendance – open for parent conferences
May 27 – School Closed for Memorial Day
June 19 – School closed in honor of Juneteenth celebration
June 21 – School closed for teacher-in-service-day
News From our Education Department
Hands-On Activities to Teach Your Preschooler About the Environment
Children are programmed to explore and experiment with their environment from the very beginning, even as infants. The Scientific Exploration component of our Links to Learning curriculum supports the development of scientific inquiry and expands upon children’s natural curiosity. Science activities develop many important life skills, but the most important benefit for young children is teaching them how to think and develop a sense of curiosity and wonder.
Below are some hands-on, age-appropriate activities to spark wonder and learning in your child.
Infants (0-1 year)
Provide toys that have incremental sizes (nesting cups, stacking rings) and toys that allow for the discovery of cause and effect (pop-up toys, interactive sound books).
Toddlers (1-2 years)
Encourage your child to observe and explore natural materials indoors and outdoors. Make a telescope using a paper towel tube and encourage them to look for certain objects. For example, ask, “Do you see anything that is green?” or “Can you find any insects?”
Beginners (2-3 years)
Involve your child in observing events in nature and discuss the observations. Make a birdfeeder to hang in your backyard and ask your child “What is the bird doing?” or “Can you tell me what you see?”.
Intermediates (3-4 years)
Help your child learn about the five senses: see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Encourage them to use their five senses when exploring objects. Go for a nature walk and listen to birds, look at the shape, color and speed of the clouds, smell the pine-scented air, feel the rough bark.
Pre-K/Pre-K 2 (4-5 years)
Build new structures with your child using various materials such as empty boxes or coffee cans, sticks, cardboard tubes, etc. Talk about what you see your child doing as they are building and ask open-ended questions.
Something for all ages!
Find opportunities to talk about the weather every day and make it relevant to your child’s real-life experiences and routines. An example for younger children is, “It’s cold outside. We will need to put on our hats, gloves, and coats before we go to the playground.” Once your child is old enough, have them evaluate the weather each morning. Based on their evaluations, allow them to determine what clothes to wear. Talk about the different choices of apparel and why they may or may not be appropriate.
Keep in mind…. *
Home-Based Symptom Screening:
All children MUST be pre-screened at home for cold symptoms prior to attending school.
Extra Clothing Reminder
If you’ve not already done so, please send in an extra set of weather appropriate clothes for your child. Extra clothing must be brought to school in a ziplock bag. No loose items can be stored in your child’s cubby.
Links 2 Home
If you’re not currently receiving photos and daily reports for your child, you can easily change this by downloading the Links 2 Home app on your phone. Just type ‘Links 2 Home’ in the search bar for the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. After downloading, you can register with the same email address that you used to enroll your child in our school.
Online Parent Communication
In addition to our newsletter, the ‘For Parents’ section of our website also includes links to our menu, monthly calendar and school year calendar. We update these items frequently to ensure you’re always informed. Though we send information through Links 2 Home, our calendar can be printed or even downloaded directly to your device. Our menu and school year calendar can be printed or saved for easy reference as well.
Updating your Information in Alma
Do you have a different email address or phone number? Need to add or remove an emergency contact? You can do this at any time in Alma. If you need help logging in or accessing the system please let us know.
Ancillary Classes at Merryhill Karitsa!
Amazing Athletes class, Soccer Shots, Hip Hop dance class, and Music Matt music class are in full swing now here at Karitsa! Information regarding the sign up for these classes is available at the front desk.
A few friendly reminders …….
Illness Policy Reminder:
Our parents are vital partners in helping us to maintain a safe and healthy environment for the students in our school. The most important thing you can do to assist us in creating a healthy environment is to keep your child home if they are ill. This reduces the spread of illness and allows your child to fully recuperate. Children may not attend school until they have been symptom free for 72 hours if they display any of the following:
Please refer to our Merryhill Family Hanbood for details about our Illness and Medication Policy
Parking Lot Safety
Because the safety of our children is of paramount concern to us, we require all parents to adhere to the following rules of the road while on campus:
- There is a 5 miles per hour speed limit at all times while on school property.
- Park in designated parking spaces only.
- While on school grounds, pedestrians always have the right of way.
- Vehicle ignitions MUST be turned off, and the keys removed, while parked on school grounds.
- Children may NOT be left unattended in a vehicle at any time or for any reason.
- Do not to leave any valuables in your car when entering our building or any other location.
Tuition Policy Reminder:
Tuition is due no later than Friday prior to the week of attendance. Tuition is considered delinquent at 12:00 PM on Monday. A $25 late fee charge will be assessed at that time and should be included in your payment. Tuition is continuous throughout the year. There are no deductions in tuition for absences, illness, or the holidays that are observed throughout the year. Each child is entitled to one week of vacation credit for each school year after attending school for six months. Requests for vacation credit must be presented in writing to the office at least two weeks in advance.
- A charge of $1 per minute will be assessed for children picked-up after 12:00 PM for half-day students, and 6:00 PM for full-day students.
- Sign up for our Automatic Payment Program and avoid late fee charges via your parent portal, ALMA! You can also use this portal to submit payments via credit card.
- We encourage you all parents to sign into your parent portal, ALMA, to view your account, print statements, make payments, and update contact information. ALMA is an online platform that can be reached from this website from the “For Parents” tab. Please see an administrative staff member if you need help setting up your account or a password reset.
Additional Reminders:
- Please make sure that your child has a crib-sized fitted sheet to cover his/her mat, a blanket, and at least two spare set of clothing in his/her cubby. On Fridays, you must take blankets and sheets home to be laundered and return them on Mondays. Please check your child’s cubby everyday for soiled clothing or other items that may need to be taken home. Please also make sure all items are clearly marked with your child’s name (clothing, sheets, blankets, sweaters and jackets, towels and bathing suits, etc.).
- We ask that your child wear appropriate shoes to School in order to protect them for potential injuries. Flip Flops are not permitted at school.
- Merryhill School is a NUT FREE environment, we ask that you not bring any food items into the school that contain nut products.
Love Our School? Review Us!
In today’s connected world, many families turn to online reviews to learn more about the reputation of schools. Just a reminder that you can find our school on Facebook, Google, Yelp and other online directories. We’d love more families like yours, so please consider spreading the word about our school!
March 2024 Newsletter
March 2024 Newsletter
Dear Merryhill families,
In anticipation of spring, our teachers are busy planning meaningful learning activities that will help students gain an appreciation for the changing seasons. In order to make the most of the next few months we will be spending extra time outdoors so our students can interact with nature. Please make sure your child has weather appropriate outerwear for school each day.
March celebrates Read Across America, a very important event for our school. Read Across America is an annual reading and motivation program that encourages children of all ages in every community to celebrate reading.
This month we will also focus attention on the importance of making healthy food choices. The children will practice making healthy recipes and we will introduce ideas for healthy snacks that are nutritious as well as delicious. As the weather gets warmer, we will focus on more outdoor and physical activities. March is also Woman’s History Month. We will celebrate women’s history by learning of the contributions they have made throughout the years.
Thank you for being part of the Merryhill Family and Happy Spring to you all!
Yvonne Valenzuela
Principal
Important Dates to remember for the 23-24 School Year
Event’s Days: March 25 to 29 Scholastic Book Fair
May 22-23 Lifetouch – Picture Day
May 24 – School closed for student attendance – open for parent conferences
June 20 – Last Day of 23-24 school year –
Family Gathering Days:
March 29th 3pm – Spring Egg Hunt
April 22nd 3pm – Earth Day— Bug release
May 10th at 3pm – Mommy’s Muffins Snack-nic
***Snack-nic = not a full picnic but fancier than a regular snack…it’s a SNACK-NIC!
***These family events are “outside snack time” for the parents to come, spend time with the children, and get to know one another.
Closure days 2024:
March 8 – School closed for Staff Professional Development
May 24 – School closed for student attendance – open for parent conferences
May 27 – School Closed for Memorial Day
June 19 – School closed in honor of Juneteenth celebration
June 21 – School closed for teacher-in-service-day
Open House / Family Referral Bonus
Do you know a colleague who has recently had a baby, a friend in need of care who just relocated to the area, or a family member who is seeking a new preschool for their child? Invite them to our Open House on January 20. When you refer a friend and they enroll, you’re eligible for a free week of tuition. Ask us for details!
News From our Education Department
Hands-On Activities to Teach Your Preschooler About the Environment
Children are programmed to explore and experiment with their environment from the very beginning, even as infants. The Scientific Exploration component of our Links to Learning curriculum supports the development of scientific inquiry and expands upon children’s natural curiosity. Science activities develop many important life skills, but the most important benefit for young children is teaching them how to think and develop a sense of curiosity and wonder.
Below are some hands-on, age-appropriate activities to spark wonder and learning in your child.
Infants (0-1 year)
Provide toys that have incremental sizes (nesting cups, stacking rings) and toys that allow for the discovery of cause and effect (pop-up toys, interactive sound books).
Toddlers (1-2 years)
Encourage your child to observe and explore natural materials indoors and outdoors. Make a telescope using a paper towel tube and encourage them to look for certain objects. For example, ask, “Do you see anything that is green?” or “Can you find any insects?”
Beginners (2-3 years)
Involve your child in observing events in nature and discuss the observations. Make a birdfeeder to hang in your backyard and ask your child “What is the bird doing?” or “Can you tell me what you see?”.
Intermediates (3-4 years)
Help your child learn about the five senses: see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Encourage them to use their five senses when exploring objects. Go for a nature walk and listen to birds, look at the shape, color and speed of the clouds, smell the pine-scented air, feel the rough bark.
Pre-K/Pre-K 2 (4-5 years)
Build new structures with your child using various materials such as empty boxes or coffee cans, sticks, cardboard tubes, etc. Talk about what you see your child doing as they are building and ask open-ended questions.
Something for all ages!
Find opportunities to talk about the weather every day and make it relevant to your child’s real-life experiences and routines. An example for younger children is, “It’s cold outside. We will need to put on our hats, gloves, and coats before we go to the playground.” Once your child is old enough, have them evaluate the weather each morning. Based on their evaluations, allow them to determine what clothes to wear. Talk about the different choices of apparel and why they may or may not be appropriate.
Keep in mind…. *
Home-Based Symptom Screening:
All children MUST be pre-screened at home for cold symptoms prior to attending school.
Extra Clothing Reminder
If you’ve not already done so, please send in an extra set of weather appropriate clothes for your child. Extra clothing must be brought to school in a ziplock bag. No loose items can be stored in your child’s cubby.
Links 2 Home
If you’re not currently receiving photos and daily reports for your child, you can easily change this by downloading the Links 2 Home app on your phone. Just type ‘Links 2 Home’ in the search bar for the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. After downloading, you can register with the same email address that you used to enroll your child in our school.
Online Parent Communication
In addition to our newsletter, the ‘For Parents’ section of our website also includes links to our menu, monthly calendar and school year calendar. We update these items frequently to ensure you’re always informed. Though we send information through Links 2 Home, our calendar can be printed or even downloaded directly to your device. Our menu and school year calendar can be printed or saved for easy reference as well.
Updating your Information in Alma
Do you have a different email address or phone number? Need to add or remove an emergency contact? You can do this at any time in Alma. If you need help logging in or accessing the system please let us know.
Ancillary Classes at Merryhill Karitsa!
Amazing Athletes class, Soccer Shots, Hip Hop dance class, and Music Matt music class are in full swing now here at Karitsa! Information regarding the sign up for these classes is available at the front desk.
A few friendly reminders …….
Illness Policy Reminder:
Our parents are vital partners in helping us to maintain a safe and healthy environment for the students in our school. The most important thing you can do to assist us in creating a healthy environment is to keep your child home if they are ill. This reduces the spread of illness and allows your child to fully recuperate. Children may not attend school until they have been symptom free for 72 hours if they display any of the following:
Please refer to our Merryhill Family Hanbood for details about our Illness and Medication Policy
Parking Lot Safety
Because the safety of our children is of paramount concern to us, we require all parents to adhere to the following rules of the road while on campus:
Tuition Policy Reminder:
Tuition is due no later than Friday prior to the week of attendance. Tuition is considered delinquent at 12:00 PM on Monday. A $25 late fee charge will be assessed at that time and should be included in your payment. Tuition is continuous throughout the year. There are no deductions in tuition for absences, illness, or the holidays that are observed throughout the year. Each child is entitled to one week of vacation credit for each school year after attending school for six months. Requests for vacation credit must be presented in writing to the office at least two weeks in advance.
Additional Reminders:
Love Our School? Review Us!
In today’s connected world, many families turn to online reviews to learn more about the reputation of schools. Just a reminder that you can find our school on Facebook, Google, Yelp and other online directories. We’d love more families like yours, so please consider spreading the word about our school!