Students at Merryhill Preschool in Milpitas Collect Donations and Prepare Gifts for Children in Other Countries
Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students assemble donated gifts and write letters to children in need around the world
MILPITAS, Calif. (Nov. XX, 2015) – On Nov. 20, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students at Merryhill Preschool on Corning Avenue in Milpitas prepared 80 gift packages of toys, art supplies, books, school supplies and more to send to children around the world as a part of Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is an international humanitarian organization that sends care packages to children in third world countries. The packages, along with handwritten letters from the students, will be sent to children in countries including Mongolia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The gifts were donated during the school’s Operation Christmas Child drive this month. In the classroom, students have been exploring global citizenship and working to create friendships in other parts of the world. Through this experience, they will learn the importance of helping children in need during the holiday season.
Milpitas students send holiday gift boxes to needy children around the world
Milpitas Post
POSTED: 12/11/2015 03:50:45 PM
Merryhill Preschool student Jonathan James Moore helped prepare 80 gift packages of toys, art…
Students at Merryhill Preschool in Milpitas prepared 80 gift packages of toys, art supplies, books and more on Nov. 20 to send to children around the world through an international humanitarian organization.
The group, called Operation Christmas Child, delivers care packages to children in Third World countries. The packages, along with handwritten letters from the students, will go to children in countries including Mongolia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The gifts were donated during the school’s Operation Christmas Child drive in November.
In the classroom, students have been exploring global citizenship and working to create friendships in other parts of the world. Through this experience, they will learn the importance of helping children in need during the holiday season.
For more information about Operation Christmas Child, visit samaritanspurse.org.
http://patch.com/california/milpitas/students-merryhill-preschool-milpitas-participated-water-conservation-project-earth-day
Water Conservation Project
Please join us in congratulating our students on their Water Conservation Project which made the Milpitas Patch on April 30, 2015. Our teachers are constantly challenging our students to find solutions to our community problems. This helps our students become productive members of society. Please click on the link below to see the post.
Merryhill’s Facebook Page
Our students are continuously posted on our Facebook page! Please share with your friends and family.
https://www.facebook.com/merryhillschool
Kind Regards,
Lucy Nunez,
Principal
Reminders:
Parent Videos & Photos
If you are video-taping or taking pictures at our school they must be only of your child. Please do not post videos or pictures of other children as it is a violation of their privacy. If you have accidentally posted pictures or videos of other children, please remove them immediately. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Nut-free School
We have a nut-free policy at our school. Please keep all peanut items at home. We have children with severe allergies.
Medication and Sunscreen Policy Reminder
Just a friendly reminder that our medication policy states that we can only administer medicine that has been prescribed by a doctor. We cannot administer over the counter medication without a doctor’s note with explicit instructions on how to administer it.
Regarding sunscreen, if you would like your child’s teacher to apply sunscreen throughout the summer months, please complete the “Sunscreen Authorization Form” located in the front office. We ask that you bring your child in their own sunscreen and apply a coat of sunscreen before they come to school. All sunscreen will be applied after nap unless noted differently by a parent.
Referral Program
Refer a Family, Get a Week Free!* Do you have friends with children in the area? If you refer your friends to Merryhill and they enroll, you could be eligible to get a free week of tuition! *After three months of enrollment. Only applicable for full time students.
Automatic Withdrawal
No checks necessary! Enroll in our Automatic Payment Program and never write another check for your monthly tuition or pay another late payment. Tuition can be automatically deducted from your checking account. You can find more information about ACH in the front office. Let us help you sign up today!
News from the Education Department
Helping Your Preschooler Develop
Positive Friendship Skills
Are you puzzled by some of your child’s social behaviors? Have you noticed that your toddler doesn’t interact with other children very often? Does your three-year-old get frustrated when a classmate won’t play with him? Will your four-year-old only play with her best friend?
These are all normal social behaviors for preschoolers. Learning how to develop friendships is a lifelong process. Children’s social behaviors evolve from smiling and cooing at others, to engaging in parallel play, to eventually forming friendships and playing together.
Below are ways we help develop friendships in the classroom, as well as ideas for you and your child to do at home.
INFANTS:
In the classroom: Before they can communicate verbally, infants build connections by smiling, cooing and crying. By two months old, they might turn toward other infants, and by twelve months, they begin to imitate their peers. Teachers help facilitate this relationship by sitting infants near each other during activities such as story time and tummy time.
At home: Even though infants don’t really play with one another, they still benefit from “play dates” with other infants. Sit your infant face-to-face with another infant or in close proximity to an older sibling, and provide each child separate toys. Note when your infant watches the other child and what captures his attention.
Recommended reading: Friends by Helen Oxenbury and Let’s Play by Leo Lionni
TODDLERS (ages 1-2):
In the classroom: Many young children tend to engage in “parallel play.” They play near other children, but each child is doing something different. This is a natural phase of development. As children get older, they begin to enjoy more shared activities with their peers. For example, they might enjoy splashing their hands at the water table with others, looking at books while sitting close to a friend, and dancing to music with their classmates.
At home: Invite another parent and child to your home for a play date. Blocks, balls, dress up clothes and toy kitchen sets are great toys for children at this age. Don’t force them to play with each other. Instead, let the children decide on the level of interaction.
Recommended reading: Do You Want to be My Friend? by Eric Carle and I Can Share by Karen Katz
BEGINNERS (ages 2-3):
In the classroom: In the Beginner classroom, teachers refer to classmates as “friends.” Students learn about personal space and begin to practice good manners by saying please and thank you.
At home: Model positive behaviors while playing with your child. Say “I’m going to roll the ball to you. Can you please roll the ball back to me?” Afterward, say “Thank you. You are being a good friend.”
Recommended reading: How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? by Jane Yolen and Let’s be Friends by P. K. Hallinan
INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4):
In the classroom: Between ages three and four, children attempt to understand social situations, but often do so from an egocentric point of view. They need adult guidance to help them navigate peer conflict and model appropriate friendship-making behaviors. Small group activities help children learn how to follow directions, take turns and develop friendships.
At home: Ask your child about their friends and what games they played together. If he says, “Andrew didn’t play with me today. He’s mean,” you could say, “Andrew may have wanted to play a different game today. Maybe you can play together tomorrow. What does Andrew like to play?”
Recommended reading: Just My Friend and Me by Mercer Mayer and Llama Llama Time to Share by Anna Dewdney
PRE-K/PRE-K2 (ages 4-5)
In the classroom: Friendship in Pre-K and Pre-K2 is usually reciprocal and deliberate as children become more skilled in social interactions and look for peers with shared interests. Our character education program reinforces friendship making skills using songs, games, books and brain-builder activities to nurture skills such as collaboration, understanding feelings and resolving conflicts.
At home: Bring your child to events that include multiple children, such as birthday parties, or encourage your child to play a board game that requires multiple players. Ask him to introduce himself to the other children, or encourage him to play the game taking turns. If you notice frustration from your child, say, “In order to play the game, we all have to play together.”
Recommended reading: Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel and A Splendid Friend, Indeed by Suzanne Bloom
Don’t be concerned about the number of friends your child has, as it is more about quality than quantity. Each child will develop friendships at his own pace. What matters most is the development of social skills such as collaboration and problem-solving, which will help him transition into elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education
February 2016 News
Dear Families,
Welcome Winter and Snow! Hello jackets, mittens, gloves, boots, pants, and long-sleeve shirts.
Preschoolers learn very differently and are constantly in need of opportunities to expand their brain development. Therefore, our curriculum offers those opportunities year round. We still have some limited spaces available if parents have younger children or friends who would like to join. We do have a great parent referral program.
Holidays
We will be closed for the following January Holidays:
February 15, 2016- President’s Day Holiday
Links to Learning
Our new Links to Learning 2014 curriculum was a huge success this 2014-2015 school year increasing the common core skills in our classrooms.
February Monthly Themes
Snack Menu
Our “Wellness” curriculum component is using the following website at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/kids/ to ensure the nutrition of our students. Please look for our snack menu please let us know if you have any suggestions for our snack menu or would like recipes for home use.
Celebrations
Celebrations help our students meet our learning component in “Community and Environment”. If you would like to share a family tradition with our students, please let us know. Embracing diversity is a social skill that will help our students in the long run when traveling or building friendships.
Thank you to those who participated in our “I Have a Dream Contest” and “Lunar New Year Party” last month. A smilebox will soon be coming out via email for parents who were not able to attend. A special thank you to Ajith Rao for helping out during our party.
“I Have A Dream” Contest Winner!!!
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm participated in our Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have A Dream Contest”. Students will have the opportunity for an open microphone to share their dreams with other students. The winner was Sanketa R. She dreamed of being a doctor to take care of her mom and dad. At just four years old she was able to comprehend how she could make a difference.
**These activities bring tolerance, diversity, and acceptance to our students which helps build on that strong moral character.
Check out this wonderful Smilebox of our Corning Avenue preschoolers in Milpitas, CA celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
http://play.smilebox.com/SpreadMoreHappy/4e444d334d6a51344e54513d0d0a
Picture Day is coming!
Picture Day will be Friday, February 5, 2016 from 8:00 am to 11: 00 am. Students will be taking their regular Spring pictures, Classroom pictures, Family pictures, and Prek2 will be taking their graduation pictures. All families are welcomed to come! The Classroom pictures will be taken last around 11:00 am. No money will be needed or collected at this time. Pictures will be delivered back in about three weeks. Parents will then select their pictures and pay for them at that time.
FREE Dental Screenings!
Please join us on Thursday, February 11, 2016 from 9-10:30 am to get a free dental screening for all of our students. The screening is very appropriate and easy for our students. If the screening shows that your child needs further dental exam, the foundation will inform you directly. Their method is easy and it just includes taking a look into their mouth. There are forms that will need to be filled out that will go out this week on Wednesday, Feb 3, 2016 in your child’s folder. Please return those immediately.
Parents are welcomed to look at their websites at:
www.hkidsf.org
Valentine’s Day Party
We will be having our annual Valentine’ Day Party will be Friday, February 12, 2016 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Wear your favorite red and white outfit. Bring your favorite Valentine’s Day snack to share with the classroom. If you have Valentine Day Cards please have your child sign their name at home on all the cards. They will have an opportunity at school to write their friends names on the cards in the writing area or pass them out. They can bring them as early as Monday, February 8, 2016. Please put your child’s Valentine Day cards in a ziplock bag with your child’s name on them.
If you would like to have your children’s Valentines Day Card, please see the link below.
http://lonestarlook.blogspot.com/2015/02/valentine-texas.html
Hunger Awareness
Thank you to all who contributed to our collection of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank. Our bin was almost full and the online donations created a total of $25.00 on our personalized Merryhill School website for the Second Harvest Food Bank. Donations online are still being accepted.
Mini-Kickers Soccer Classes
Bollywood Classes
**Please note: session two was cancelled due to not enough enrollments.
Bollywood Classes will do three sessions: Session 2- Jan 22, 2016, Session 3- March 17, 2016. The times will be from 10:15 to 10:55 am. However, on days where it may conflict with other events we will move the class to 11:00 am.
You are welcomed to pick up a flyer in the lobby and sign up at www.bayareagurukul.com.
http://patch.com/california/milpitas/students-merryhill-preschool-milpitas-collect-donations-prepare-gifts-children-other-countries
Students at Merryhill Preschool in Milpitas Collect Donations and Prepare Gifts for Children in Other Countries
Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students assemble donated gifts and write letters to children in need around the world
MILPITAS, Calif. (Nov. XX, 2015) – On Nov. 20, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students at Merryhill Preschool on Corning Avenue in Milpitas prepared 80 gift packages of toys, art supplies, books, school supplies and more to send to children around the world as a part of Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is an international humanitarian organization that sends care packages to children in third world countries. The packages, along with handwritten letters from the students, will be sent to children in countries including Mongolia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The gifts were donated during the school’s Operation Christmas Child drive this month. In the classroom, students have been exploring global citizenship and working to create friendships in other parts of the world. Through this experience, they will learn the importance of helping children in need during the holiday season.
Milpitas students send holiday gift boxes to needy children around the world
Milpitas Post
Students at Merryhill Preschool in Milpitas prepared 80 gift packages of toys, art supplies, books and more on Nov. 20 to send to children around the world through an international humanitarian organization.
The group, called Operation Christmas Child, delivers care packages to children in Third World countries. The packages, along with handwritten letters from the students, will go to children in countries including Mongolia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The gifts were donated during the school’s Operation Christmas Child drive in November.
In the classroom, students have been exploring global citizenship and working to create friendships in other parts of the world. Through this experience, they will learn the importance of helping children in need during the holiday season.
For more information about Operation Christmas Child, visit samaritanspurse.org.
http://patch.com/california/milpitas/students-merryhill-preschool-milpitas-participated-water-conservation-project-earth-day
Water Conservation Project
Please join us in congratulating our students on their Water Conservation Project which made the Milpitas Patch on April 30, 2015. Our teachers are constantly challenging our students to find solutions to our community problems. This helps our students become productive members of society. Please click on the link below to see the post.
Merryhill’s Facebook Page
Our students are continuously posted on our Facebook page! Please share with your friends and family.
https://www.facebook.com/merryhillschool
Kind Regards,
Lucy Nunez,
Principal
Reminders:
Parent Videos & Photos
If you are video-taping or taking pictures at our school they must be only of your child. Please do not post videos or pictures of other children as it is a violation of their privacy. If you have accidentally posted pictures or videos of other children, please remove them immediately. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Nut-free School
We have a nut-free policy at our school. Please keep all peanut items at home. We have children with severe allergies.
Medication and Sunscreen Policy Reminder
Just a friendly reminder that our medication policy states that we can only administer medicine that has been prescribed by a doctor. We cannot administer over the counter medication without a doctor’s note with explicit instructions on how to administer it.
Regarding sunscreen, if you would like your child’s teacher to apply sunscreen throughout the summer months, please complete the “Sunscreen Authorization Form” located in the front office. We ask that you bring your child in their own sunscreen and apply a coat of sunscreen before they come to school. All sunscreen will be applied after nap unless noted differently by a parent.
Referral Program
Refer a Family, Get a Week Free!* Do you have friends with children in the area? If you refer your friends to Merryhill and they enroll, you could be eligible to get a free week of tuition! *After three months of enrollment. Only applicable for full time students.
Automatic Withdrawal
No checks necessary! Enroll in our Automatic Payment Program and never write another check for your monthly tuition or pay another late payment. Tuition can be automatically deducted from your checking account. You can find more information about ACH in the front office. Let us help you sign up today!
News from the Education Department
Helping Your Preschooler Develop
Positive Friendship Skills
Are you puzzled by some of your child’s social behaviors? Have you noticed that your toddler doesn’t interact with other children very often? Does your three-year-old get frustrated when a classmate won’t play with him? Will your four-year-old only play with her best friend?
These are all normal social behaviors for preschoolers. Learning how to develop friendships is a lifelong process. Children’s social behaviors evolve from smiling and cooing at others, to engaging in parallel play, to eventually forming friendships and playing together.
Below are ways we help develop friendships in the classroom, as well as ideas for you and your child to do at home.
INFANTS:
In the classroom: Before they can communicate verbally, infants build connections by smiling, cooing and crying. By two months old, they might turn toward other infants, and by twelve months, they begin to imitate their peers. Teachers help facilitate this relationship by sitting infants near each other during activities such as story time and tummy time.
At home: Even though infants don’t really play with one another, they still benefit from “play dates” with other infants. Sit your infant face-to-face with another infant or in close proximity to an older sibling, and provide each child separate toys. Note when your infant watches the other child and what captures his attention.
Recommended reading: Friends by Helen Oxenbury and Let’s Play by Leo Lionni
TODDLERS (ages 1-2):
In the classroom: Many young children tend to engage in “parallel play.” They play near other children, but each child is doing something different. This is a natural phase of development. As children get older, they begin to enjoy more shared activities with their peers. For example, they might enjoy splashing their hands at the water table with others, looking at books while sitting close to a friend, and dancing to music with their classmates.
At home: Invite another parent and child to your home for a play date. Blocks, balls, dress up clothes and toy kitchen sets are great toys for children at this age. Don’t force them to play with each other. Instead, let the children decide on the level of interaction.
Recommended reading: Do You Want to be My Friend? by Eric Carle and I Can Share by Karen Katz
BEGINNERS (ages 2-3):
In the classroom: In the Beginner classroom, teachers refer to classmates as “friends.” Students learn about personal space and begin to practice good manners by saying please and thank you.
At home: Model positive behaviors while playing with your child. Say “I’m going to roll the ball to you. Can you please roll the ball back to me?” Afterward, say “Thank you. You are being a good friend.”
Recommended reading: How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? by Jane Yolen and Let’s be Friends by P. K. Hallinan
INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4):
In the classroom: Between ages three and four, children attempt to understand social situations, but often do so from an egocentric point of view. They need adult guidance to help them navigate peer conflict and model appropriate friendship-making behaviors. Small group activities help children learn how to follow directions, take turns and develop friendships.
At home: Ask your child about their friends and what games they played together. If he says, “Andrew didn’t play with me today. He’s mean,” you could say, “Andrew may have wanted to play a different game today. Maybe you can play together tomorrow. What does Andrew like to play?”
Recommended reading: Just My Friend and Me by Mercer Mayer and Llama Llama Time to Share by Anna Dewdney
PRE-K/PRE-K2 (ages 4-5)
In the classroom: Friendship in Pre-K and Pre-K2 is usually reciprocal and deliberate as children become more skilled in social interactions and look for peers with shared interests. Our character education program reinforces friendship making skills using songs, games, books and brain-builder activities to nurture skills such as collaboration, understanding feelings and resolving conflicts.
At home: Bring your child to events that include multiple children, such as birthday parties, or encourage your child to play a board game that requires multiple players. Ask him to introduce himself to the other children, or encourage him to play the game taking turns. If you notice frustration from your child, say, “In order to play the game, we all have to play together.”
Recommended reading: Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel and A Splendid Friend, Indeed by Suzanne Bloom
Don’t be concerned about the number of friends your child has, as it is more about quality than quantity. Each child will develop friendships at his own pace. What matters most is the development of social skills such as collaboration and problem-solving, which will help him transition into elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education