Message from the Principal
Dear Merryhill Families,
This school year has kicked off with so much energy! As students are transitioning into their new classrooms, I am so happy to see the excitement across their faces as their teachers bring out new and exciting experiments and activities.
We are still under development, as we are still awaiting the installment of our BRAND NEW playground and getting rid of the AWFUL wood chips (yes, I said it!). Also, we are still anticipating remodeling to happen within the next month or two. As we patiently wait, the teachers are doing a brilliant job of getting children accustomed to the routines and rules of each of their new classrooms.
Speaking of teaching the students new rules, I want to make a note of a few items:
1. Our hours of operation are 6:30 AM – 6:00 PM. Late pick up fee of $1 per minute will be assessed at time of pick up.
2. Please send your child to school with sunscreen on them! If you are unable to do this prior to their arrival, please be sure to let your child’s teacher know so that they may apply it prior to them going outside in the morning.
3. Everyone is required to provide an updated immunization record. I apologize for the inconvenience; however, this is an important piece to complete your child’s student file, as we report all immunizations annually. This seems to be the one form that most people have not returned with our new school year documents.
4. Automatic payment/withdraw is the most convenient form of payment for you as a family to keep up with your child’s weekly tuition. Please be sure to ask the front desk for details on how to complete your registration for this process.
5. With the new school year beginning and transitioning of classrooms, a few students items have come up as being with the wrong student. If you have brought anything home that does not belong to your child, please return it. If you have misplaced an item or it has gone missing, we will have a lost-and-found located in our lobby for the next month. Please be sure to check here along with your student’s teachers.
Over these next couple of months, you will notice that we do not have any water play days scheduled in respect for the current restrictions in place for the drought we are in. However, we do have special events planned all throughout the summer months to keep the students busy and engaged. From classroom activities to puppet shows and movies, these students will have one summer to remember!
Please keep an eye out on the calendar, as these special events will come up quick and this summer is packed with fun. Also, please don’t miss out on our summer soccer camp with Mini Kickers, which is the week of July 13th! Sign up today!
I would like to make a quick note that with our closure on July 3rd, our next closure is not until AUGUST 28! This is a professional development day for our teachers, so please be sure to mark your calendars for this non-holiday closure. A calendar was originally produced with your parent handbook, that has an incorrect date of August 14 — this is NOT correct! Thank you!
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Jherica McEndree
Principal
Calendar of Events:
Weekly Themes: Please WEAR the color of the week on WEDNESDAY each day!
Week of June 29: Exploring Mathematics (Blue)
Week of July 6: Exploring Technology (Teal)
Week of July 13: Exploring Wellness (Green)
Week of July 20: Exploring Social/Emotional (Yellow)
Week of July 27: Exploring Science & Social Studies (Pink)
Week of August 3: Exploring Creative Expression (Orange)
Week of August 10: Exploring Language & Literacy (Purple)
Week of August 17: Exploring Citizens of the World (Red)
Week of August 24: End of Summer Spirit Week
July Events:
July 2: Soda Works!
July 3: School Closed
July 7: Merryhill Goes to the Movies! (In the Beginner 2 Room!)
July 13: MiniKicker Soccer Camp Begins (Sign Up Today! We still have LIMITED availability!)
July 17: Merryhill Color Run
July 23: “Campfire” with Music Matt Pot Luck (6:00-8:00 PM)
July 28: Bubble Party
July 31: Ice Exploration
July 31: PARENT’S NIGHT OUT (6:00-9:30 PM) — Ask Front Desk for Details
Save the Dates:
August 6: Merryhill Talent Show (5:00 – 6:00 PM)
August 13: Puppet Show (10:00 AM)
August 14: OPEN FOR BUSINESS! We are NOT closed today!
August 20: International Festival (6:00-7:30 PM)
August 28: School Closed: Professional Development Day
News from our Classrooms
Infant Classroom
Hello Infant Parents!
We would like to start off by introducing our 3 newest friends into our infant class, Roy, Lucianna, and Rylie. The month of July is going to be a fun and busy month. This month will be filled with fun learning activities. We will be teaching the children our baby sign for the month of July which is book. We will demonstrate to the children the motions and then help them achieve the motions themselves by guiding their hands to make the motions. We will also be teaching the children different animals and the sounds they make and placing pictures of the animals around the classroom. We will be doing more circle time and reading to the children whenever possible. With the hot weather we’ve been having, please remember to bring sunscreen for your child in case we go outside. We are so excited to be settling into our new school year and eager to start learning more things.
Ms. Ally and Ms. Olga
Toddler Classroom
Dear Toddler Parents,
We are looking forward to this month of July! We have fun activities coming up. Soda works class party, Backyard games, as well as a Bubble Party. We are exploring the wonderful world of shapes, numbers, and colors. We will be doing projects focusing on Mathematics, Technology, Wellness, and our Social/Emotional skills. Please remember that the school will be closed Friday, the 3rd. With the weather getting in the triple digits we want to remind the parents to bring lighter clothes as well as extra clothes. Also, please provide us with sunscreen so that we can apply it in the afternoon. Please bring your child with sunscreen on in the morning.
Thank you!
Ms. Kayla and Ms. Olga
Beginner 1 Classroom
Welcome to the Beginner 1 classroom with Ms. Li and Ms. Francis! We are very happy to have all our new friends in our class and are looking forward to many fun filled learning days with the children. During the first couple weeks of the new school year we will be focusing on getting the children familiar with their new surroundings, teachers, friends, and classroom rules and routine by incorporating them into the activities. We will focus on the children using their words to express what they want or need, saying please and thank you and sharing toys with their new friends. During the month of July the children will learn about 4 different themes with each week hosting a spirit day in honor of the color of the link (Blue, Teal, Green, & Yellow). During these weeks, we will make lesson plans that have age appropriate activities to help the children start to practice mastering their skills of the week. We will practice farm animal noises while playing with farm animal puppets and they will practice using descriptive words, dumping and pouring while they explore in dried rice and corn. July is going to bring so many fun activities. We hope you all have a wonderful July and are eager to watch and help your children grow.
Ms. Li and Ms. Francis
Beginner 2 Classroom
Welcome to our new Beginners II friends. We are so excited for the new school year not only with new students but new teachers as well. We would like to welcome Ms. Linda. We have a lot of fun & exciting things going on in the hot month of July!
Summer is here and we would like to remind our Beginner II parents to make sure to bring change of clothes appropriate for the warm weather, sunscreen. Also a friendly reminder we don’t have a fridge in our classroom to keep the children’s cups in so we ask that you not send your child with milk in their cups. If they don’t finish it, it sits out all day and starts to smell really bad and if you leave them over night the milk rots. Water is best in cups as it summer and its very hot and water is best to drink.
This month we will focus on certain words that relate to the hot summer days. To incorporate the summer season & Spanish we will practice with colors of the sun. They will be encouraged to repeat colors //rojo//red// naranja//orange// Amarillo// etc. We are so excited for the new school year, new friends, & new teachers!
Ms. Jalisha & Ms. Linda
Intermediate Classroom
Happy July Intermediate families!
Our new friends are adjusting very well to their new environment, friends and teachers. So far the students have learned our daily routine, their new friend’s names and the rules of the classroom. We are very excited about our new group of friends and can’t wait to watch them grow and learn throughout the next year.
In the summer months each week we will have a different theme where we will focus our activities and learning opportunities around. In the month of July we will be exploring Mathematics, Technology, Wellness, Social/Emotional and Science and Social Studies. During these weeks we have some very fun activities planned for the children such as a photo booth where they can use an old camera to take pictures, a fun water obstacle course, number musical chairs and making our own bubbles. These are just some of the fun activities we will do this month. We have a couple dates to remember during the month of July which include July 3rd we are closed to observe Independence Day, July 17th is our Merryhill Color Run, July 23rd is our Campfire with Music Matt from 6pm to 8pm and last but not least Parents Night Out on July 31st.
If you have any questions about how our child is dong or any concerns please feel free to talk to us. Have a wonderful Month of July and we are looking forward to all the fun we will have.
Ms. Kayla and Ms. Stacy
Pre-Kindergarten 1
It’s hard to imagine that yesterday’s Intermediates and some Beginner II’s have transitioned to PreK1. The first week was “Getting to know you” where we focused on encouraging the children to share some of their interests and hobbies with their classmates. We would also like to welcome a new friend to Merryhill, Ian! This is an exciting time as they spend their last year of their preschool experience here at Merryhill.
We are very excited about the new classroom location and making each day full of exciting learning opportunities. Currently we are focusing on the classroom routine and expectations in our class. This month curriculum includes understanding of good citizenship in the perspective of our classroom and community. This is a time to develop independence and confidence in their own abilities to communicate their feelings with peers and teachers, to make good choices, and meet new challenges. Many of the students are eager to be helpers and we are starting to incorporate various job assignments in our daily routine. Jobs are child-focused such as line leader, door holder, or helpers during calendar, snack and lunchtimes.
This year we will help your child develop a better understanding of technology and have access to use the classroom computer. Many students have access to tablets at home but at school it is also an opportunity for turn taking and time management skills. It may be frustrating for the children in the beginning to have to wait, but with patience and consistence we expect them to learn to be supportive of their peers and opportunities to also have fun learning experiences that is enjoyable for the children.
The weather has been hot, so we have been thinking of many different ways to help children stay active indoors. Later in the month we will have bubble and ice explorations. We will try out different bubble recipes and make our own wands. With ice, we will use colored ice cubes to paint with.
Please feel free to bring up any concerns or questions with us. We look forward to working with you!
Ms. Cindy and Ms. Cristina
Pre-Kindergarten 2
Welcome to Pre K II! We have many goals set for us this year, some including: writing, sounding out and recognizing short sight words, counting to 100 by 1’s, 5’s and 10’s, and adding and subtracting, exploring new science concepts and having fun!
This July our summer curriculum will kick us off with exploring Links to Learning themes: Technology, Wellness, Social-Emotional, Science & Social Studies. We have many fun experiences planned, including a snack making project every Friday. Parent contribution lists will always be posted on Pre K II door. We appreciate all your participation!
Students will be introduced to their new good habits reward system involving “Behavior Bucks”, in which they will have opportunities to earn through out the week & “cash in” on Fridays. Students will also be assigned a new classroom “job” every week. This responsibility demonstrates that everyone.
For the remainder of the summer students are welcome to bring a share item at the end of each school week. I encourage that the students bring an item that correlates with the weekly summer theme. J
Last but not least, I would just like to say that I am truly excited for another great year of learning and growing with your children in their final year at Merryhill!
I look forward to getting to know all of you better, and please do not hesitate with any questions, comments or concerns you may have for me.
Ms. Jill
News from the Education Department
25 Books to Enjoy with Your Child
– Recommended Reading Adventures for Summer –
Whatever your child’s age, it is important to continue shared reading experiences even during summer. Reading together frequently has been shown to have a profound positive influence on vocabulary acquisition, speech development and listening skills.
Below are some age-appropriate books to read with your child this summer.
INFANTS
- Welcome Summer by Jill Ackerman & Nancy Davis
- Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book by Rod Campbell
- Splish, Splash, Baby! by Karen Katz
- Llama Llama Sand and Sun by Anna Dewdney
- Baby Loves Summer! By Karen Katz
TODDLERS (ages 1-2)
- Maisy Grows a Garden by Lucy Cousins
- Monkey Ono by J. C. Phillips
- 1, 2 at the Zoo by Sue DiCicco
- Get Happy by Malachy Doyle & Caroline Uff
- The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen & Dan Hanna
BEGINNERS (ages 2-3)
- Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
- I’m a Shark by Bob Shea
- Little Owl’s Day by Divya Srinivasan
- Biscuit Visits the Big City by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
- Island Counting 1, 2, 3 by Frane Lessac
INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4)
- Mouses’s First Summer by Lauren Thompson
- Curious George Goes to the Beach by H.A. Rey
- Over in the Ocean by Marianne Berkes
- Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae
- The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (ages 4-5)
- Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
- How to Hide an Octopus by Ruth Heller
- Berenstain Bears and Too Much Vacation by Stan and Jan Berenstain
- Froggy Goes to Hawaii by Jonathan London
- P.J. Funnybunny Camps Out by Marilyn Sadler
By experiencing a literacy-rich environment, both at school and at home, our students are prepared to become successful, confident readers in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education
July Newsletter
Message from the Principal
Dear Merryhill Families,
This school year has kicked off with so much energy! As students are transitioning into their new classrooms, I am so happy to see the excitement across their faces as their teachers bring out new and exciting experiments and activities.
We are still under development, as we are still awaiting the installment of our BRAND NEW playground and getting rid of the AWFUL wood chips (yes, I said it!). Also, we are still anticipating remodeling to happen within the next month or two. As we patiently wait, the teachers are doing a brilliant job of getting children accustomed to the routines and rules of each of their new classrooms.
Speaking of teaching the students new rules, I want to make a note of a few items:
1. Our hours of operation are 6:30 AM – 6:00 PM. Late pick up fee of $1 per minute will be assessed at time of pick up.
2. Please send your child to school with sunscreen on them! If you are unable to do this prior to their arrival, please be sure to let your child’s teacher know so that they may apply it prior to them going outside in the morning.
3. Everyone is required to provide an updated immunization record. I apologize for the inconvenience; however, this is an important piece to complete your child’s student file, as we report all immunizations annually. This seems to be the one form that most people have not returned with our new school year documents.
4. Automatic payment/withdraw is the most convenient form of payment for you as a family to keep up with your child’s weekly tuition. Please be sure to ask the front desk for details on how to complete your registration for this process.
5. With the new school year beginning and transitioning of classrooms, a few students items have come up as being with the wrong student. If you have brought anything home that does not belong to your child, please return it. If you have misplaced an item or it has gone missing, we will have a lost-and-found located in our lobby for the next month. Please be sure to check here along with your student’s teachers.
Over these next couple of months, you will notice that we do not have any water play days scheduled in respect for the current restrictions in place for the drought we are in. However, we do have special events planned all throughout the summer months to keep the students busy and engaged. From classroom activities to puppet shows and movies, these students will have one summer to remember!
Please keep an eye out on the calendar, as these special events will come up quick and this summer is packed with fun. Also, please don’t miss out on our summer soccer camp with Mini Kickers, which is the week of July 13th! Sign up today!
I would like to make a quick note that with our closure on July 3rd, our next closure is not until AUGUST 28! This is a professional development day for our teachers, so please be sure to mark your calendars for this non-holiday closure. A calendar was originally produced with your parent handbook, that has an incorrect date of August 14 — this is NOT correct! Thank you!
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Jherica McEndree
Principal
Calendar of Events:
Weekly Themes: Please WEAR the color of the week on WEDNESDAY each day!
Week of June 29: Exploring Mathematics (Blue)
Week of July 6: Exploring Technology (Teal)
Week of July 13: Exploring Wellness (Green)
Week of July 20: Exploring Social/Emotional (Yellow)
Week of July 27: Exploring Science & Social Studies (Pink)
Week of August 3: Exploring Creative Expression (Orange)
Week of August 10: Exploring Language & Literacy (Purple)
Week of August 17: Exploring Citizens of the World (Red)
Week of August 24: End of Summer Spirit Week
July Events:
July 2: Soda Works!
July 3: School Closed
July 7: Merryhill Goes to the Movies! (In the Beginner 2 Room!)
July 13: MiniKicker Soccer Camp Begins (Sign Up Today! We still have LIMITED availability!)
July 17: Merryhill Color Run
July 23: “Campfire” with Music Matt Pot Luck (6:00-8:00 PM)
July 28: Bubble Party
July 31: Ice Exploration
July 31: PARENT’S NIGHT OUT (6:00-9:30 PM) — Ask Front Desk for Details
Save the Dates:
August 6: Merryhill Talent Show (5:00 – 6:00 PM)
August 13: Puppet Show (10:00 AM)
August 14: OPEN FOR BUSINESS! We are NOT closed today!
August 20: International Festival (6:00-7:30 PM)
August 28: School Closed: Professional Development Day
News from our Classrooms
Infant Classroom
Hello Infant Parents!
We would like to start off by introducing our 3 newest friends into our infant class, Roy, Lucianna, and Rylie. The month of July is going to be a fun and busy month. This month will be filled with fun learning activities. We will be teaching the children our baby sign for the month of July which is book. We will demonstrate to the children the motions and then help them achieve the motions themselves by guiding their hands to make the motions. We will also be teaching the children different animals and the sounds they make and placing pictures of the animals around the classroom. We will be doing more circle time and reading to the children whenever possible. With the hot weather we’ve been having, please remember to bring sunscreen for your child in case we go outside. We are so excited to be settling into our new school year and eager to start learning more things.
Ms. Ally and Ms. Olga
Dear Toddler Parents,
We are looking forward to this month of July! We have fun activities coming up. Soda works class party, Backyard games, as well as a Bubble Party. We are exploring the wonderful world of shapes, numbers, and colors. We will be doing projects focusing on Mathematics, Technology, Wellness, and our Social/Emotional skills. Please remember that the school will be closed Friday, the 3rd. With the weather getting in the triple digits we want to remind the parents to bring lighter clothes as well as extra clothes. Also, please provide us with sunscreen so that we can apply it in the afternoon. Please bring your child with sunscreen on in the morning.
Thank you!
Ms. Kayla and Ms. Olga
Beginner 1 Classroom
Welcome to the Beginner 1 classroom with Ms. Li and Ms. Francis! We are very happy to have all our new friends in our class and are looking forward to many fun filled learning days with the children. During the first couple weeks of the new school year we will be focusing on getting the children familiar with their new surroundings, teachers, friends, and classroom rules and routine by incorporating them into the activities. We will focus on the children using their words to express what they want or need, saying please and thank you and sharing toys with their new friends. During the month of July the children will learn about 4 different themes with each week hosting a spirit day in honor of the color of the link (Blue, Teal, Green, & Yellow). During these weeks, we will make lesson plans that have age appropriate activities to help the children start to practice mastering their skills of the week. We will practice farm animal noises while playing with farm animal puppets and they will practice using descriptive words, dumping and pouring while they explore in dried rice and corn. July is going to bring so many fun activities. We hope you all have a wonderful July and are eager to watch and help your children grow.
Ms. Li and Ms. Francis
Beginner 2 Classroom
Welcome to our new Beginners II friends. We are so excited for the new school year not only with new students but new teachers as well. We would like to welcome Ms. Linda. We have a lot of fun & exciting things going on in the hot month of July!
Summer is here and we would like to remind our Beginner II parents to make sure to bring change of clothes appropriate for the warm weather, sunscreen. Also a friendly reminder we don’t have a fridge in our classroom to keep the children’s cups in so we ask that you not send your child with milk in their cups. If they don’t finish it, it sits out all day and starts to smell really bad and if you leave them over night the milk rots. Water is best in cups as it summer and its very hot and water is best to drink.
This month we will focus on certain words that relate to the hot summer days. To incorporate the summer season & Spanish we will practice with colors of the sun. They will be encouraged to repeat colors //rojo//red// naranja//orange// Amarillo// etc. We are so excited for the new school year, new friends, & new teachers!
Ms. Jalisha & Ms. Linda
Intermediate Classroom
Happy July Intermediate families!
Our new friends are adjusting very well to their new environment, friends and teachers. So far the students have learned our daily routine, their new friend’s names and the rules of the classroom. We are very excited about our new group of friends and can’t wait to watch them grow and learn throughout the next year.
In the summer months each week we will have a different theme where we will focus our activities and learning opportunities around. In the month of July we will be exploring Mathematics, Technology, Wellness, Social/Emotional and Science and Social Studies. During these weeks we have some very fun activities planned for the children such as a photo booth where they can use an old camera to take pictures, a fun water obstacle course, number musical chairs and making our own bubbles. These are just some of the fun activities we will do this month. We have a couple dates to remember during the month of July which include July 3rd we are closed to observe Independence Day, July 17th is our Merryhill Color Run, July 23rd is our Campfire with Music Matt from 6pm to 8pm and last but not least Parents Night Out on July 31st.
If you have any questions about how our child is dong or any concerns please feel free to talk to us. Have a wonderful Month of July and we are looking forward to all the fun we will have.
Ms. Kayla and Ms. Stacy
Pre-Kindergarten 1
It’s hard to imagine that yesterday’s Intermediates and some Beginner II’s have transitioned to PreK1. The first week was “Getting to know you” where we focused on encouraging the children to share some of their interests and hobbies with their classmates. We would also like to welcome a new friend to Merryhill, Ian! This is an exciting time as they spend their last year of their preschool experience here at Merryhill.
We are very excited about the new classroom location and making each day full of exciting learning opportunities. Currently we are focusing on the classroom routine and expectations in our class. This month curriculum includes understanding of good citizenship in the perspective of our classroom and community. This is a time to develop independence and confidence in their own abilities to communicate their feelings with peers and teachers, to make good choices, and meet new challenges. Many of the students are eager to be helpers and we are starting to incorporate various job assignments in our daily routine. Jobs are child-focused such as line leader, door holder, or helpers during calendar, snack and lunchtimes.
This year we will help your child develop a better understanding of technology and have access to use the classroom computer. Many students have access to tablets at home but at school it is also an opportunity for turn taking and time management skills. It may be frustrating for the children in the beginning to have to wait, but with patience and consistence we expect them to learn to be supportive of their peers and opportunities to also have fun learning experiences that is enjoyable for the children.
The weather has been hot, so we have been thinking of many different ways to help children stay active indoors. Later in the month we will have bubble and ice explorations. We will try out different bubble recipes and make our own wands. With ice, we will use colored ice cubes to paint with.
Please feel free to bring up any concerns or questions with us. We look forward to working with you!
Ms. Cindy and Ms. Cristina
Pre-Kindergarten 2
Welcome to Pre K II! We have many goals set for us this year, some including: writing, sounding out and recognizing short sight words, counting to 100 by 1’s, 5’s and 10’s, and adding and subtracting, exploring new science concepts and having fun!
This July our summer curriculum will kick us off with exploring Links to Learning themes: Technology, Wellness, Social-Emotional, Science & Social Studies. We have many fun experiences planned, including a snack making project every Friday. Parent contribution lists will always be posted on Pre K II door. We appreciate all your participation!
Students will be introduced to their new good habits reward system involving “Behavior Bucks”, in which they will have opportunities to earn through out the week & “cash in” on Fridays. Students will also be assigned a new classroom “job” every week. This responsibility demonstrates that everyone.
For the remainder of the summer students are welcome to bring a share item at the end of each school week. I encourage that the students bring an item that correlates with the weekly summer theme. J
Last but not least, I would just like to say that I am truly excited for another great year of learning and growing with your children in their final year at Merryhill!
I look forward to getting to know all of you better, and please do not hesitate with any questions, comments or concerns you may have for me.
Ms. Jill
News from the Education Department
25 Books to Enjoy with Your Child
– Recommended Reading Adventures for Summer –
Whatever your child’s age, it is important to continue shared reading experiences even during summer. Reading together frequently has been shown to have a profound positive influence on vocabulary acquisition, speech development and listening skills.
Below are some age-appropriate books to read with your child this summer.
INFANTS
TODDLERS (ages 1-2)
BEGINNERS (ages 2-3)
INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4)
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (ages 4-5)
By experiencing a literacy-rich environment, both at school and at home, our students are prepared to become successful, confident readers in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education