Dearest Families,
Priority registration has ended! Thank you for loving our school and wanting to come back year after year! And most of all, thank you for trusting us to take excellent care of your child and allowing us to build that strong foundation they need for their future education! What is commitment? An awesome parent and I just talked about commitment. Dedication, loyalty, and promise are just a few words that describe commitment. These are very powerful words! I have committed myself to Merryhill School for 22 years because I love our school, I take pride in our school, and my company takes good care of me! I am sure this is how all of you feel and we want to thank you from the bottom of our heart for committing to Merryhill School! We have had all of our current families re-register for the new school year except for a two. I am sure they will too 🙂 Please remember that even though you are currently attending Merryhill School, you still need to re-register to continue past June 2016.
The buzz of the holiday season is behind us…Our Merryhill teachers, Ms. Flor and I would like to thank you for all the generosity over the holidays. Thank you for all of the love and appreciation!
For our children who are graduating to Kindergarten in the new school year, visit the Elementary front office for information on how to reserve your spot! They have 25 kindergarteners who have already registered for the new school year. Spots fill up fast, so register today! You can always schedule a personal tour with Ms. Cooper to get more information. Please contact the Elementary Principal, Karen Cooper, for more details. Ms. Cooper’s contact number is 408-254-1282, or she can also be reached by email at Karen.cooper@nlcinc.com.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns my door is always open. We are here to help you and “our” children in any way we can. Everyone at Merryhill is special and important to us. Let us continue to make this a great school year!
Heather Bilbro/Palmer
Preschool Principal
heather.bilbro@nlcinc.com
408-254-1280
“All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds we sow today.”
______________________________________
Calendar of Events
*February 12th– Valentine’s Day Pot Luck 3:30 pm
*February 15th-School Closed for President’s Day
*February 16th– Soccer Class begins
*March 3rd– Dr. Seuss Birthday day! A special visitor will come and read books to the children in the morning!
*March 7th– School closed for teacher’s in-service day
*March 12th– Open house for the public and the Elementary School is having a carnival!
10:00 am – 1:00 pm! Come and join the fun!
*March 16th, 17th, 18th- Picture Day! Spring Portraits!
*March 17th– St. Patrick’s Day Potluck at 3:30 pm
*March 25th– Easter Egg Hunt at 3:30 pm
Join us for our next Open House!
March 12th, 2016 10:00 am – 1:00 pm **Tell a friend and if they register you will receive one free week of tuition!**
________________________________________
Extra Curricular Activities here at school!!!
Piano Class by My First MusIQ program – Held on Wednesdays For more information go online and check them out, please go to
www.recplusregistration.org
MiniSoccer – Held on Tuesdays For more information go to this: thutt@challengersports.com 916-262-7542 minikickersoccer.com
Merryhill San Jose is proud to offer Challenger Sports NEW MiniKickers Program in association with the Challenger Soccer Academy.
________________________________________
Parent Referral Program:
If there’s one thing parents love to do, it’s talk about their children’s successes.
When friends ask you about your child’s experiences at Merryhill School, what type of success stories do you share? Do you mention the personal and educational discoveries your child is making thanks to our advanced curriculum? Do you talk about the new levels of self and social confidence your child has gained thanks to our encouraging atmosphere?
*For every new child you refer who enrolls at our school for three months, you’ll receive one FREE week of tuition for your child*.
It’s our way of saying thanks for doing what comes naturally – singing the praises of your child and sharing your experiences with the Merryhill School difference!!
________________________________________
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
________________________________________
PARENT INFO
Participate in our new Automatic Payment Program
Tired of having to remember weekly tuition payments? Save time and avoid late fees with this program. Contact your school principal for more information on how to join.
February Newsletter
Preschool Principal
heather.bilbro@nlcinc.com
408-254-1280
March 12th, 2016 10:00 am – 1:00 pm **Tell a friend and if they register you will receive one free week of tuition!**
If there’s one thing parents love to do, it’s talk about their children’s successes.
*For every new child you refer who enrolls at our school for three months, you’ll receive one FREE week of tuition for your child*.
________________________________________
Positive Friendship Skills
Participate in our new Automatic Payment Program