March Newsletter

Dear Parents,
I would like to take this opportunity to wish a warm welcome to all of our beautiful families - we feel as if you are
all part of our families.  I look forward to a long, wonderful journey with you and your child.

This month the classrooms will be focusing on teaching early math concepts.
Even in infancy, you can begin laying the foundation for future understanding in math. While your child cannot use
expressive language to show his understanding, playing learning activities will teach him receptively. You can do this
naturally in your everyday interactions with your child. Over the years, your child will begin to internalize these
concepts just as he does in learning to speak, walk, and attain other developmental milestones. Remember when
they tell you all we did at school was play they are correct; however they don't realize that they are learning so
much during these fun experiences.  Thats why the documentation boards in the hallway are so important to you,
the parents.  These will validate their play experiences and you will learn what skills your child is acquiring from
each activity.  Our last class to join the documentation band wagon is the transition class and they will be displaying
a documentation board in the hall starting this month. Please be sure to check them out each month!

We will be kicking off a cookie dough fund raiser staring on the 6th of march.  We really appreciate all of your
support and hope that you can all participate.  We are trying to raise funds for a portable sink that we can use on
the playground to help encourage children to wash hands after they cough,  sneeze, and blow their nose.  We want
to instill these very important self-help skills at an early age so that they will stay healthy and prevent the spread of
germs. We will also be able to bring it with us to our annual "Picnic in the Park" which will make it  much nicer than
walking all the way to the bathroom!!  The sink is very expensive (1200.00) so we have to raise the funds through
different events.  We will be having many fun events and activities during the next months including a
"Monthly Parent Date Night " which means pj party, movie and pizza party for the children here at Babes, as well as,
our annual bowling benefit, a scrap booking night and a Bounce house Benefit.  All the activities will be fun and
help the center at the same time. Hope to see you at them!

*This is the last month (until Sept.) to turn in Hollywood Market register receipts and deposit them
in the box by the front door.
Your support is greatly appreciated.

Easy ways to help the center...
*Save Campbell's soup labels and other Campbell's product labels and deposit them in the receptacle by the
front door.
Be sure to check out Rochester Hills Babes in Toy land on FACE BOOK.  I have created a page that  displays all of
the photos from each month in a photo album. I have too many great pictures to put on this newsletter so I
thought that this would be a great way for you to see a lot of the wonderful activities.  Grandparents and friends
can check them out too.   I hope you enjoy.

Remember my door is always open for any thoughts or concerns you may have!
Looking forward to an exciting month!  

Ms. Sue Graf
NURSERY NEWS
Dear Parents,
Happy first Birthday Collin!!!!!  This month we will be learning early math
skills such as patterns,counting and sorting.  We will be sorting objects and
lining them up into different patterns. We use naturally occurring
opportunities to visually show and verbally say small numbers. For example,
while cuddling,  we hold up one toy or familiar object in front of your child
and say, "one doll, block, bottle, etc." We will encourage your child to
touch the object. Over time, we introduce two and three objects, up to
about four. We will also use our typical playtime activities to show and say
math related concepts such as
again, more and less, same and different,
and smaller and bigger.  
 Modeling these words using toys and other
common objects will help your baby learn the vocabulary and begin
developing a non-verbal understanding of quantity, number, and visual
comparison.
Reminders:
*Please be sure to check your babies' daily sheet for items they
may need.
*St. Patrick Party March 17th Don't forget to wear GREEN!

Please help support our school and participate in our cookie
dough fund raiser!

TODDLER NEWS

Dear Parents,
This month we will also be focusing on early math skills. We will be counting
objects using  one-to-one correspondence as well as rote by counting in our
"5 Little Duck " song.  We will also play many games to introduce math
concepts. In one game we  hide a person or toy behind a blanket. Then we
will ask questions. For example, if we are hiding a teddy bear, we will say
"Where's Ms Jessica?" Lower the blanket and show an expression of
surprise and laughter. Say "No! That's not Ms. Jessica! That's a teddy
bear!" Alternately, hold the blanket up and ask, "Where's the toy?" while
holding nothing behind the blanket we pull the blanket away, smile, and
laughingly say, "Nothing," "There are none," or "There is no toy." "The bear is
gone." This game develops observation, visual discrimination, and the
concepts of "not, none, nothing, and gone." It also teaches a basic level of
humor and encourages your baby to look for ways to solve problems.
Please help support our school and participate in our cookie
dough fund raiser!

Sincerely,
Nursery & Toddler Staff

TRANSITION NEWS

Dear Parents,
March is always such a fun month in our room with our St. Patrick's Day party and the
approaching spring season. We will be concentrating on wonderful "hands-on"  math
activities during this month, including mixing and measuring.  We will be looking for
patterns around us and experiencing fun activities while sorting objects. We will be
starting to graph  and chart snowfall and rainfall.  The children love to observe the
elements out the window now we can teach them how to document their observations.

Reminders:
Remember that Michigan weather is really unpredictable so please continue
to bring in all of your child's "snow gear".  We try to go out side and enjoy
the snow when the temperature allows us to.  

Potty Training
Please be patient in order for toilet training to be successful you child must have
bladder and bowel control to physically be able to use the toilet.  Signs that your child
is ready to use the toilet include:
Staying dry for two hours or more
Recognizing when he/she is urination or having a B.M.
Being able to pull pants up and down
Being able to get on and off the toilet
Following simple directions
Wanting to wear underpants and use the toilet
Being able to communicate with words or gestures
Pulling her diaper off
Telling and adult when wet or soiled


Remember to dress your child in easily accessible clothing to help set them up for
success.  Sweat pants and loose waisted clothing without buttons and zippers work the
easiest.  Remember that this is a task that takes patience, time, and consistency.  Don't
worry if it seems like they get it and then start having accidents again- it happens all the
time!   They will get it eventually.



Please help support our school and participate in our cookie dough fund
raiser!

Sincerely,
Transition Staff


IMPORTANT DATES TO
REMEMBER:

3/15/10 Last day for Hollywood
receipts!

3/17/10 St. Patrick Day Parties


3/20/2010
"A Healthy Me By the Numbers!"
Field Trip to Meijer
for the Pre-k Children


UPCOMING EVENTS:
March 6th:
Savory Cookie Dough Fund raiser

March 14th:
Daylight Savings Time

April 13th Sign-up for
Parent/Teacher Conferences

April 16th:
B
ouncin Party Zone Fun Night!!!
PRE-SCHOOL NEWS

Dear Parents,
Math, Math and more Math!!!   What an exciting month! We will be
concentrating on different forms of early math concepts such as:
one-to-one correspondence, counting,sorting,patterns, shapes, graphing and
problem solving skills. We will be incorporating math into all of our centers
and language arts activities.

Special Project:
The children will be working on wooden Shamrock boxes through
the early part of March and using them during the week of St.
Patrick's Day. They will be bringing them home after the 17th
filled with gold coins.  Have your child count them out to you
and then ask them simple math questions like: If you take 2 away
how many will you have left.

Research shows...
The best time to ask your preschooler about their day is right before bed.  
Research has found that 15 minutes prior to bedtime is an excellent way to
initiate conversation about the days events.  Children are more apt to be
open and talkative.  It also reduces levels of stress and makes for a good
nights rest.  Remember to read the daily sheet from class so you can
stimulate the conversation if they say "I don't know" or " We played".

Please help support our school and participate in our cookie
dough fund raiser!
Sincerely,
Pre-School Staff
PRE-K NEWS

Dear Parents,
This month we will be focusing on Early math skills. These skills are introduced
through play activities. The children will learn:
Numbers represent amounts of objects;
Numbers are expressed as spoken words, written words, and written symbols;
Using words to count forward and backward from one to ten;
To count objects from one to ten;
The concepts of add and take away using objects;
Concepts of none, more, less, most, smaller, smallest, bigger, biggest;
Names of common shapes such as circle, square, triangle, and rectangle and how to
recognize those shapes in their environment, as in shapes of doors, signs, and toys;
To sort objects by size, shape, and color;
Follow simple directions such as, "Show me the one red square, or "Take away one
blue crayon."
A favorite activity in our class is "I'm thinking of an Animal." This guessing game builds
your child's thinking skills, memory, language skills, and ability to think about
characteristics and classifications of animals.

The development of fine motor skills in our classroom have greatly improved with all
the activities the children have been participating in.  The children's ability to trace
and cut have really improved.  We will continue to concentrate  on graphing skills, as
well as, prediction; using our take home jars!
Our class St. Patrick's Day party will be held on March 17th.  The Party
Treat Sign-up will be posted on the classroom door during the first week
of March.
Please help support our school and participate in our cookie dough fund
raiser!
Sincerely,
Pre-K Staff
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