NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK:
We are so excited that Fall has finally arrived, and the children are enjoying going outside to start watching the leaves change colors and also the crispy morning air. We have so many events and activities planned for this month and look forward to making amazing memories with you and your family. We will be having a FALL FUN WEEK October 28th through November 1st, we will be doing some SPOOKTACULAR SCIENCE, THE GREAT PUMPKIN DROP and having a Music performance by Wiley Rankin just to name a few things.
Halloween is also an exciting celebration at school. On Thursday, October 31st we will have our TRUNK-a-TREAT event from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. We will be looking for about 20 volunteers to help make this event a success. We invite both students and parent to dress up and wear their special costumes. While picking out costumes, please remember to keep comfort and safety in mind. For example, swords, guns, open-toed shoes etc. are not allowed.
Read for the Record-Read for the Record Day is on October 24th, 2024. This year, we are SHARING THE LOVE OF MUSIC by reading PIPER CHEN SINGS by Phillipa Soo. Read for the Record is the world’s largest shared reading experience. It celebrates early language and social-emotional development and builds an intergenerational community through reading while raising awareness about the importance of early literacy. Participation in Read for the Record provides access to inclusive literature that fosters belonging and connection through a child’s own experiences and the experiences of others. We are joining the thousands of schools, libraries, organizations, and communities celebrating early literacy by reading the story, Piper Chen Sings. It is a beautiful story about a little girl who loves to sing, but get butterflies performing and then finds the courage to sing.
Kids Can Food Drive- Kids Can Food Drive has been helping to feed hungry families in our community for more than 28 years. Proudly, Merryhill has joined the food drive effort for another year! You can help by donating canned and non-perishable food items. Boxes will be placed outside your child’s classroom door October 7th-November 1st . The class with the most donations wins a pizza party! Thank you!
Parent Survey
Please be on the lookout to the parent surveys coming your way in October. We would like to get as many of our families to participate, so we can accurately meet the needs of all of our families here at Merryhill Harbour Point.
Have a wonderful month!
Robin Kemmer
Principal
DATES TO REMEMBER:
October 14th-18th Scholastic Book Fair
October 17th Great California Shake Out
October 22nd Pajama Day
October 24th Read for the Record “Piper Chen Sings”
October 26th Open House 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
October 28th Spooktacular Science
October 29th The Great Pumpkin Drop
October 30th Wiley Rankin Music Concert
October 31st Classroom Parties
October 31st Trunk or Treat 10:00 am to 11:30 am
What Does Kindergarten Readiness Mean?
If your child is between 3 and 5 years old, you are likely starting to have thoughts about kindergarten and how your child will handle adjusting to this big change. There will be new expectations, new schedules, and many new faces. Will your child adjust to making new friends? Will they be able to stay on task? These days, kindergarten readiness is not just about children being able to write their name or count to 10. Being ready for kindergarten includes various skills and attributes that help your child thrive in a classroom.
This is why our Links to Learning curriculum is designed to not just provide academic support, but focuses on developing the whole child. Below are just a few skills we work on with our students to prepare them for success in kindergarten. We’ve also included some ways for you to support your child’s development at home.
Social and Emotional Skills
Knowing how to interact with peers, manage emotions, and take turns are important skills in kindergarten. Our teachers use puppets, books, and problem-solving activities to teach our students how to practice these skills.
At home, work with your child on communicating how they feel and model kindness. Share the importance of engaging in active listening when others are attempting to communicate their emotions, needs, and wants. Read books and ask your child how they think a character feels or what they think about a conflict that occurred within the story.
Language and Literacy Skills
Your child will be prepared for kindergarten if they can follow instructions, express their needs and ideas clearly, and understand basic literacy concepts. In our classrooms, we promote early literacy skills through shared reading experiences, introducing new vocabulary, and using inventive spelling to convey ideas. After shared reading experiences, we ask students to answer questions about the book.
At home, ask your child to “read” signs in your neighborhood, make eye contact while having conversations, and sing songs with you. Early exposure to language and literacy promotes future academic success across all areas of learning.
Mathematical Thinking Skills
In kindergarten, children will learn basic math concepts and problem-solving skills. Our preschoolers learn the foundations of addition, subtraction, and geometry through hands-on activities and play. They also learn different ways to compare numbers, such as graphs, charts, and grouping of objects.
At home, challenge your child to build a structure with a variety of different materials. Ask them to count what they have used and sort their materials by size, shape and color.
Wellness Skills (Fine & Gross Motor Development)
Our preschoolers learn how to hold a pencil with proper grip, write letter shapes, and cut with scissors. We also practice tasks like zipping coats or tying shoes, enhancing self-help abilities and instilling self-confidence. Children grow their gross motor skills by jumping, throwing, catching a ball and through dancing and movement activities.
While at the park, give your child freedom to test their abilities and take risks. At home, have them practice buttoning and zipping their coats, tying their shoes, and opening food items they will pack in their lunch for kindergarten.
Fostering Independence and Making Healthy Choices
In kindergarten, children are expected to do self-help tasks independently. In our classrooms, we help our students practice using the restroom and washing their hands. We encourage them to do tasks and make choices on their own before asking for help to foster independence.
Promote independence and healthy choices at home. Give your child simple chores to do or let them help with your daily tasks.
Celebrating Similarities and Differences
Understanding what makes us all unique helps children work collaboratively with peers and develop friendships. Our students learn about their community and the world by sharing experiences and exploring the cultures of others. We promote teamwork as students rotate through learning centers, work with their peers to solve problems, and engage in cooperative play.
One way to reinforce celebrating diversity at home is by exposing your child to books that include a variety of people and cultures. For example, read the book My Friend Suhana by Shaila Abdullah. Discuss the differences and similarities between the two characters in the book. Allow students to share their thoughts about the story and make connections to their own personal experiences.
Remember that a variety of skills help prepare your child for kindergarten. Each child grows at their own pace and is unique in their own way. We are here to work with you to make sure that your child is not just ready for kindergarten, but for life. To learn more about how our Links to Learning curriculum prepares your child for kindergarten and beyond, contact us/find a school today!
OCTOBER NEWS
NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK:
We are so excited that Fall has finally arrived, and the children are enjoying going outside to start watching the leaves change colors and also the crispy morning air. We have so many events and activities planned for this month and look forward to making amazing memories with you and your family. We will be having a FALL FUN WEEK October 28th through November 1st, we will be doing some SPOOKTACULAR SCIENCE, THE GREAT PUMPKIN DROP and having a Music performance by Wiley Rankin just to name a few things.
Halloween is also an exciting celebration at school. On Thursday, October 31st we will have our TRUNK-a-TREAT event from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. We will be looking for about 20 volunteers to help make this event a success. We invite both students and parent to dress up and wear their special costumes. While picking out costumes, please remember to keep comfort and safety in mind. For example, swords, guns, open-toed shoes etc. are not allowed.
Read for the Record-Read for the Record Day is on October 24th, 2024. This year, we are SHARING THE LOVE OF MUSIC by reading PIPER CHEN SINGS by Phillipa Soo. Read for the Record is the world’s largest shared reading experience. It celebrates early language and social-emotional development and builds an intergenerational community through reading while raising awareness about the importance of early literacy. Participation in Read for the Record provides access to inclusive literature that fosters belonging and connection through a child’s own experiences and the experiences of others. We are joining the thousands of schools, libraries, organizations, and communities celebrating early literacy by reading the story, Piper Chen Sings. It is a beautiful story about a little girl who loves to sing, but get butterflies performing and then finds the courage to sing.
Kids Can Food Drive- Kids Can Food Drive has been helping to feed hungry families in our community for more than 28 years. Proudly, Merryhill has joined the food drive effort for another year! You can help by donating canned and non-perishable food items. Boxes will be placed outside your child’s classroom door October 7th-November 1st . The class with the most donations wins a pizza party! Thank you!
Parent Survey
Please be on the lookout to the parent surveys coming your way in October. We would like to get as many of our families to participate, so we can accurately meet the needs of all of our families here at Merryhill Harbour Point.
Have a wonderful month!
Robin Kemmer
Principal
DATES TO REMEMBER:
October 14th-18th Scholastic Book Fair
October 17th Great California Shake Out
October 22nd Pajama Day
October 24th Read for the Record “Piper Chen Sings”
October 26th Open House 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
October 28th Spooktacular Science
October 29th The Great Pumpkin Drop
October 30th Wiley Rankin Music Concert
October 31st Classroom Parties
October 31st Trunk or Treat 10:00 am to 11:30 am
What Does Kindergarten Readiness Mean?
If your child is between 3 and 5 years old, you are likely starting to have thoughts about kindergarten and how your child will handle adjusting to this big change. There will be new expectations, new schedules, and many new faces. Will your child adjust to making new friends? Will they be able to stay on task? These days, kindergarten readiness is not just about children being able to write their name or count to 10. Being ready for kindergarten includes various skills and attributes that help your child thrive in a classroom.
This is why our Links to Learning curriculum is designed to not just provide academic support, but focuses on developing the whole child. Below are just a few skills we work on with our students to prepare them for success in kindergarten. We’ve also included some ways for you to support your child’s development at home.
Social and Emotional Skills
Knowing how to interact with peers, manage emotions, and take turns are important skills in kindergarten. Our teachers use puppets, books, and problem-solving activities to teach our students how to practice these skills.
At home, work with your child on communicating how they feel and model kindness. Share the importance of engaging in active listening when others are attempting to communicate their emotions, needs, and wants. Read books and ask your child how they think a character feels or what they think about a conflict that occurred within the story.
Language and Literacy Skills
Your child will be prepared for kindergarten if they can follow instructions, express their needs and ideas clearly, and understand basic literacy concepts. In our classrooms, we promote early literacy skills through shared reading experiences, introducing new vocabulary, and using inventive spelling to convey ideas. After shared reading experiences, we ask students to answer questions about the book.
At home, ask your child to “read” signs in your neighborhood, make eye contact while having conversations, and sing songs with you. Early exposure to language and literacy promotes future academic success across all areas of learning.
Mathematical Thinking Skills
In kindergarten, children will learn basic math concepts and problem-solving skills. Our preschoolers learn the foundations of addition, subtraction, and geometry through hands-on activities and play. They also learn different ways to compare numbers, such as graphs, charts, and grouping of objects.
At home, challenge your child to build a structure with a variety of different materials. Ask them to count what they have used and sort their materials by size, shape and color.
Wellness Skills (Fine & Gross Motor Development)
Our preschoolers learn how to hold a pencil with proper grip, write letter shapes, and cut with scissors. We also practice tasks like zipping coats or tying shoes, enhancing self-help abilities and instilling self-confidence. Children grow their gross motor skills by jumping, throwing, catching a ball and through dancing and movement activities.
While at the park, give your child freedom to test their abilities and take risks. At home, have them practice buttoning and zipping their coats, tying their shoes, and opening food items they will pack in their lunch for kindergarten.
Fostering Independence and Making Healthy Choices
In kindergarten, children are expected to do self-help tasks independently. In our classrooms, we help our students practice using the restroom and washing their hands. We encourage them to do tasks and make choices on their own before asking for help to foster independence.
Promote independence and healthy choices at home. Give your child simple chores to do or let them help with your daily tasks.
Celebrating Similarities and Differences
Understanding what makes us all unique helps children work collaboratively with peers and develop friendships. Our students learn about their community and the world by sharing experiences and exploring the cultures of others. We promote teamwork as students rotate through learning centers, work with their peers to solve problems, and engage in cooperative play.
One way to reinforce celebrating diversity at home is by exposing your child to books that include a variety of people and cultures. For example, read the book My Friend Suhana by Shaila Abdullah. Discuss the differences and similarities between the two characters in the book. Allow students to share their thoughts about the story and make connections to their own personal experiences.
Remember that a variety of skills help prepare your child for kindergarten. Each child grows at their own pace and is unique in their own way. We are here to work with you to make sure that your child is not just ready for kindergarten, but for life. To learn more about how our Links to Learning curriculum prepares your child for kindergarten and beyond, contact us/find a school today!