ART PLAY Newsletter March 2010    

CLASSROOM VISITS
It’s  great having parents visit the classroom for a morning, afternoon or just for an hour.  In the classroom we appreciate  having  a parent available to read to children in the book area, play a game, do a cooking project, play an instrument, or help at the art table. If you’d like to volunteer please speak to one of the teachers and we will arrange it.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT
There is no school on Wednesday afternoon March 10. There is school on Wednesday morning March 10. We do not have school Thursday, March 11 and Friday, March 12

PARENT CONFERENCES
Parent conferences begin on Wednesday afternoon March 25, March 26 and March 27. We do have school on Wednesday morning March 25. We do not have school during conferences and we do not provide childcare during conferences but a classroom will be available if you want to piggyback conferences with another parent and you can watch one another’s children. Please look at the conference sign up sheet(available the week of March 8) as each teacher will be meeting with specific parents so please check and see which teacher you will be meeting with before you pick a time. As always, if the times are inconvenient for you we will be happy to find a better time for you.

MUD MUD MUD
Our playground can be a murky experience in the Spring.  Snow pants may not be necessary but we do suggest mud boots.

SUMMER PROGRAMS
ART PLAY is offering a 5-week summer camp beginning Monday, June 28 for 4-6 year olds.     Children can attend 2, 3, or 4 mornings per week.  All children currently attending ART PLAY are eligible even if they will still be three years old but the program is also open to 4, 5, and 6 year-olds from the community.  Summer camp forms will be available beginning March 8 on the bulletin board. Laura and I will be running the summer program and Susan Jensen will also be offering an art camp for children aged 6-11.

ART PLAY Newsletter February 2010

VALENTINES DAY
This is one day that we enjoy celebrating at school.  Do not address cards to individual children, but our Tuesday – Thursday children should bring in 15 signed valentines on Thursday February 11.  The Monday – Wednesday – Friday children should bring in 17 signed valentines on February 12 and the afternoon children should bring in 7 signed valentines on Wednesday, February 10. The children really enjoy receiving cards from their friends and we will have a special snack at school on that day but please do not send candy in with your child’s valentines –it is very challenging for our children with allergies not to be able to partake-many thanks for your consideration,

FALL REGISTRATION
If you would like your child to attend ART PLAY in the fall, please take a registration form and return it by February 15, 2010.  After February 15th registrations will be open to the public.

SUMMER PROGRAM
We will be having a summer program for 4 - 6 year old children (or children who have been in our Tues-Thurs group). Laura and I will be running the camp beginning at the end of June and through July. Camp will be Monday through Thursday morning from 8:45 to 12:15 and children can come 2, 3 or 4 days per week. Children who have not attended ART PLAY can attend but they need to be at least 4 years old. More info will be available at the beginning of March. Susan will also have her exciting Adventures in Art camp for older children  

FEBRUARY VACATION
We will be closed from February 15-19.

ART PLAY JANUARY 2010

ART PLAY OPEN HOUSE- February 4
On Thursday, February 4 at 7:00PM, we are having an open house for prospective parents who are interested in our fall program. Childcare is not available on that night.

FALL REGISTRATIONS
On February 1 we begin registration for the fall and give priority to currently enrolled students as well as siblings of former ART PLAY students. After February 19 enrollment is open to the public on a first come first serve basis.

MARTIN LUTHER  KING  HOLIDAY
We are closed on Monday, January 18, 2010

CLASSROOM  THOUGHTS
If your child always asking when school is, when swimming class is, or when Grandma is coming to visit I suggest that you give him (her) his own calendar. It can be purchased or just printed off the computer on a month by month basis. At the beginning of each month you can check off when school is or when a scheduled playdate  is going to occur or even just highlight when weekends are. It is also a great learning tool that can develop independence -  when your child can put an x when each day is over it give her some control over her schedule and enhances literacy and number awareness...

DO YOU HAVE...
A dresser that you no longer need? Our art dresser has totally collapsed. It’s 3 ft by 3ft but does not have to be exactly those dimensions but it should have 3-4 drawers. Please speak to one of the teachers about exact size and we would be happy to pay up to $30.00.   

POSITIVE PARENTING
When you were a child did you ever have a teacher, parent or relative who didn’t compliment you except when you did something REALLY special? Praise loses its meaning when it is used too much. Here are some tips for praising your child:
Wait for the appropriate time. A parent who quickly says, “your picture is beautiful - now let’s get going” sends the message “I’m in a hurry”. If you are in a hurry it is better to say “We’ll look at your picture when we get home and then you can tell me all about it.”
Be specific. Words such as great, wonderful or superb mean very little to a child because they do not give specific feedback. If your child puts his or her toys away neatly say “I like the way you placed your books neatly on the shelf and your toys in the toy box.”
Avoid constant praise. Constant praise doesn’t prepare your child for the realities of life. The child who gets hooked on constant praise may experience a real letdown when being corrected by a teacher or coach and may feel any criticism means that he or she is a failure.
Try encouraging your child rather than   praising him or her.
Tell your child what you see. For instance, “I noticed that you used red and yellow paint or you sure painted the whole paper.” This opens the door for your child to tell you about his or her work.
Use your actions. Sometimes a hug, smile or pat on the back is more effective encouragement than words.
Look at your child’s effort. Don’t always look at the finished product but the effort put into it. “You tried for 5 minutes to zip your coat. The other day you were too frustrated to even try it by yourself.”
Remember that children need more encouragement than praise. While you can praise your child too much you can never encourage them too much. One of our primary goals is to build self –confidence, trust and self-respect-things that everyone needs to be happy and successful.

Art Play News December 2009

WINTER IS HERE

We try and go outside daily at school if the temperature is 20 or higher. Please put your child’s gear in a labeled bag or backpack so we have a chance to help them get adequately dressed. If your child balks at wearing outdoor gear just pack it anyway and let one of us know that your child may not be especially receptive to wearing what you have sent. We have a policy of having the children wear what is in their backpacks so they do not have a  choice about it, but do let us know if you think it will be an issue (together we are invincible). We really appreciate mittens and not gloves unless your child can independently put on their gloves.  It is very challenging for us to get hats, coats, scarves and boots on so we prefer mittens. Please make sure your child has slippers or sneakers to wear indoors, since the art classroom floor gets very wet with tracked in snow.  ART PLAY is closed if Portland Public Schools are closed.  If there is up to an hour delay in Portland we will also have the same delay but if the delay is 1.5 hours or more there will be no school on that day.  If a storm develops in the morning, afternoon parents should call school by 11:00AM (797-7659).

HOLIDAY GIFTS

We really appreciate your generous thoughts and gifts over the holidays but feel that they are not necessary. We will put up some sticky notes in the hallway of places that we frequently purchase materials, toys, books and cd’s if you would like to give a gift certificate but please do not feel any pressure to do so.

AUCTION

Thank you so much for all of your help in making this a successful auction. We are looking into having a variety of enriching guests visit the classes (musicians, Spark’s Ark, etc). If you would like to recommend a visiting artist please speak to a teacher.

HOLIDAY VACATION

Our last classroom day is Friday, December 18, 2009. School resumes on January 4, 2010.

CHILDREN’S TOYS 

When you are buying toys for your children, keep in mind that if they simply need to push a button to be entertained they will quickly become bored.  If children need to manipulate the toys and use their imagination there is a much greater chance for more involved and worthwhile play.

One gift that we recommend is an art box for your child.  Decorate a shoebox and fill it with various art supplies.  We recommend fiskar scissors, a hole punch, colored pencils, and a small pencil sharpener (5 year olds love to sharpen pencils). Scotch tape and masking tape are both useful and it is amazing how much some children enjoy their very own tape.  The list of items to add is endless but throw in some paper fasteners, stickers, and string - it will help you get through the long winter.

HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON –WE APPPRECIATE BEING A PART OF YOUR CHILDRENS LIVES- VERY BEST WISHES FROM
SHARON, SUSAN, LAURA & JANET

Art Play November 2009

AUCTION UPDATE - NOVEMBER 13

We have some amazing items that have been donated for our auction-there is a great deal of variety and we really appreciate your generous donations. We have received over $9,000.00 in donations so you are bound to find some great items for holiday gift giving. Feel free to bring neighbors and family to attend our annual auction.  The auction begins at 7:00 PM and typically is over around 9:00PM. This year at the end of the auction we have a slide show of our current students. Next week we will have sign ups if you would like to donate a snack for the auction.

VETERAN'S DAY

There is no school on Wednesday, November 11.

SNOW POLICY

We are closed if the Portland Public Schools are closed. If Portland schools have a delayed opening of one hour we will also have a delayed opening of one hour. If  Portland schools have more than a one hour delay we will not have school in the morning. If your child attends our afternoon program and there is NOT school in the morning we will not have school in the afternoon.. If a storm develops during the morning and we cancel the afternoon class we will call you by 11:00 to let you know or you can call us at 797-7659.

THANKSGIVING RECESS

We are closed November 25, 26, and 27.

TWO NEW POLICIES

Beginning November 1 we are asking each child as they enter the classroom to get a squirt of hand sanitizer. We encourage all children to wash their hands after they have used the bathroom and we also give the children a squirt of sanitizer before they eat snack at school. We are trying our best to sanitize tables and equipment so we can all stay healthy this season.
We have had no problems at school but we are also going to lock the door near our entrance once all of the children have arrived at school and will unlock it at pickup time.

PARENT CONFERENCES

We will be having parent conferences the week of November 16. Conferences are 15 minutes in length and we will be handing out specific times/dates next week. There is school during fall conferences.

ART PLAY Newsletter October 2009

Parent Meeting

On Thursday, October 15, we are having an informational meeting for current  parents  about our program . Please sign up in the hall if you can attend. We do not provide childcare.

Classroom

We try and get outside every day so please put your child’s name in hats and coats. Also this year we are serving water with snack so you do not need to send in juice if you have signed up for snack.

Columbus Day

There is no school on Monday, October 12.

ART PLAY Auction

Our annual auction is coming up on Friday, November 13. We appreciate your donations and hope to have all items and services by October 31. We hope you can join us for a very fun evening. We have posted some of the auction items that we have received on the bulletin board. Auction proceeds provide support for enrichment activities for the children such as music & movement activities, Spark’s Ark, and Children’s museum and Maine Audubon outreach programs.           

Halloween

It will be here before you know it! I’d like to remind you how young and vulnerable 3, 4, and 5 year old children are at this time of year. Preschool children have not developed Piaget’s principal of conservation (that is, an object or person can   change in appearance yet remain basically the same).  If your child is frightened   by seeing you put on a scary mask it is because they can’t comprehend that you can take the mask off and be mom or dad again.  Halloween is great fun for 7, 8, and 9 year olds but please be sensitive to your young child’s needs.  We try and keep it a low key experience at school. No costumes please.

Potluck Dinners

If you are interested in hosting a potluck dinner at your home for the parents in your child’s class please let one of the teachers know. Everyone brings a dish and with children at home with sitters you can actually have a conversation or two with another adult - imagine!

ART PLAY SEPTEMBER 2009

H1N1
Based on information that I have gathered from the CDC, State of Maine, and local health information, we are asking that anyone with flu-like illnesses stay home and remain at home until  free of fever(100 F or 37.8 C or greater when measured orally) or signs of a fever for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications. Symptoms of H1N1 flu virus can include: fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting. That being said, winter DOES normally bring colds and we do not want you to keep your child home at the sign of a sniffle. If your child is acting normally and has a mild cold, feel free to come to school . We find our 3 year olds are a little more vulnerable to colds if they have not had exposure to a group of children. In the classroom we disinfect tables and always encourage hand washing. At this point the CDC is not recommending any special precautions but I will update you if anything changes.  I will be attending a meeting this week for preschool teachers regarding this issue. We are always happy to accept a box of tissues, disinfecting wipes or disinfecting hand gel.

WHEN CALLING SCHOOL
Many of you have probably put the school # (797-7659)in your cell phones in case you ever get stuck in traffic enroute to pick up but  I wanted to let you know that all phones are now connected to an answering machine-it’s a new system and in the past there was not a  connection to the answering machine. If we do not get to the phone the first time you call, please just call back and we will probably be standing by the phone!!! We do appreciate your calling and letting us know if for some reason your child will not be in school or you will be late.

CLASSROOM NEWS
The classrooms are running smoothly and the children are doing a great job learning to be together with their peers and teachers and getting acclimated to our routines.

PARENT MEETING
On Thursday, October 15, we will have a meeting for parents from 7:00-8:30. Susan, Laura and I will talk about classroom routines, expectations, cognitive and emotional development and how the art process develops in children. We do not provide childcare. We hope you can come with any questions you may have. There is a sign up sheet in the hall.

ANNUAL AUCTION
Friday, November 13, is our auction. You will be receiving a packet of auction information soon.