Toddler January Newsletter

DINOSAURS

This month we’ll travel back in time to the land of the dinosaurs. Donning our archaeologist hats, we’ll dig through sand and ice and examine our excavations to reimagine what these creatures may have looked liked and how they might have lived. Based on our observations, we’ll match and sort them, determining whether they lived in sea, sky, or land and whether their diet consisted of meat or if they preferred the vegetarian lifestyle. As with any good mystery, questions will arise as to the true nature of these beings, so books and songs will aide us in our discovery, as will the fantasy of our imaginations.

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“What is a scientist?
We give the name scientist to the type of man who has felt experiment to be a means guiding him to search out the deep truth of life, to lift a veil from its fascinating secrets, and ... has felt arising within him a love for the mysteries of nature.”

— Maria Montessori

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Important Dates to Remember:

January 1st: PFM Closed for New Years

January 2nd: Back to School

January 20th: PFM Closed for MLK Jr. Day

Welcome Sebastian, Julian, and Families!

Birthdays!

January 4th: Lucy (2)

Happy New Year!

North Preschool January Newsletter

ARCTIC ANIMALS

This month we will talk about arctic animals: polar bears, arctic wolves, arctic hares, and penguins.  We will have picture to object matching, 55 arctic counting, and matching to 1-10. As a science experiment, we will test various salts to see which one melts ice first. And we will dig away to free all the animals trapped inside blocks of ice. For geography, we will focus on the continent of Antartica.

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“Beauty lies in harmony. Not in contrast. And harmony is refinement. There must be a fineness to the senses if we are to appreciate harmony.”

— Maria Montessori

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Important Dates to Remember:

January 1st: PFM Closed for New Years

January 2nd: Back to School

January 20th: PFM Closed for MLK Jr. Day

cLASSROOM REMINDER…

Breakfast ends at 8:30. If your child would still like to eat after this time, you may eat with them in the lobby.

Welcome to Preschool Quinn!

Happy

New Year!

South Preschool January Newsletter

ARCTIC ANIMALS

This month we will talk about arctic animals: polar bears, arctic wolves, arctic hares, and penguins.  We will have picture to object matching, 55 arctic counting, and matching to 1-10. As a science experiment, we will test various salts to see which one melts ice first. And we will dig away to free all the animals trapped inside blocks of ice. For geography, we will focus on the continent of Antartica.

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“The land is where our roots are. The children must be taught to feel and live in harmony with the Earth.”

— Maria Montessori

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Important Dates to Remember:

January 1st: PFM Closed for New Years

January 2nd: Back to School

January 20th: PFM Closed for MLK Jr. Day

cLASSROOM REMINDER…

Breakfast ends at 8:30. If your child would still like to eat after this time, you may eat with them in the lobby.

Welcome to Preschool Emery!

Happy

New Year!

Afternoon Preschool January Newsletter

Afternoon preschool themes:

Arctic Winter Wonderland

Winter Forest

Winter is upon us and your kids are ready to have some fun in the “snow!” This month your kids will start having their winter fun in an arctic winter wonderland. Here they will be able to walk through the glaciers, go ice fishing, and warm up by the fire. 

Afterwards they will journey to a winter forest. Here they will be able to see bears hibernate and catch some snow on the slopes.

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“Play is the work of the child.”

— Maria Montessori

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Important Dates to Remember:

January 1st: PFM Closed for New Years

January 2nd: Back to School

January 20th: PFM Closed for MLK Jr. Day

classroom reminder…

As the days are getting colder we would like to remind parents to bring gloves, hats, and warm jackets to school. If you have already done so thank you very much.

Happy New Year!

Infant January Newsletter

TRANSPORTATION

This month we will learn all about cars, trains, and busses with a transportation theme. We will focus on works that have to do with transportation, including flash cards for new vocabulary, cars to push and pull, and a song called “Zoom Down the Freeway.”

Weekly Focus

Week 1 – gross motor, push cars

Week 2 – fine motor, vehicle puzzle

Week 3 – cognitive, stacking work

Week 4 – social/emotional, baby dolls

Week 5 – language, flash cards

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“Watching a child makes it obvious that the development of his mind comes through his movements.”

— Maria Montessori

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Important Dates to Remember:

January 1st: PFM Closed for New Years

January 2nd: Back to School

January 10th: PFM Closed for MLK Jr. Day

Welcome Henry, Harper, and families!

Happy New Year!

Healthy Eating Habits

Heading into the New Year, we often find ourselves (re)committing to lifestyle choices that we feel improve our lives. After a potentially indulgent holiday season, this usually means more intentionality in our eating habits. Raising a child who is a joy to feed can be tricky, especially when dealing with pickiness, concerns of overeating, and schedules in flux. But following a division of responsibility in feeding, involving your child in the cooking process, and enjoying your food together all help to establish a child’s fruitful relationship with food.

Family therapist and feeding specialist, Ellyn Satter, recommends taking leadership with what, when, and where eating occurs and letting your child determine how much and whether to eat what you provide. During infancy, this means feeding your child “on demand” but as your child’s eating patterns become more regular, you gradually take on the responsibility for when and where to feed. And by the end of the first year or so, your child can begin taking part in family meals and sit down snacks. Once he gets situated with the routine of eating in this manner, this is a great time to introduce small decision making into the what and how of meal planning, doing grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning up together. According to Satter, “When you do your jobs with feeding, your child will do his with eating.”  

Click here to see more tips and strategies from Ellyn’s philosophy on division of responsibility. And for those picky eaters, Early Sprouts has a great handout on patience, persistence, and acceptance of your child’s current relationship with certain foods.

The Importance of Play

Play is the work of the child. They’re driven to explore, discover, and experiment. It is how they learn and grow. According to the book, From Play to Practice, meaningful play must:

• Be fun and enjoyable

• Have no set goals

• Be spontaneous and voluntary

• Involve active engagement

• Involve an element of make-believe

As you sit down to play with your children, think about these things…

• Watch and listen. Take time to observe how your child is playing, delighting in their discoveries, noticing their interests, and understanding their motives and intentions. You may be surprised by what you see.

• Narrate what you’re seeing and give specific feedback. Instead of a simple “good job,” you can offer phrases that describe their process, pinpoint what you liked about their play, or acknowledge their effort.

• Extend their play. Offer other materials, model play yourself, or ask open ended questions to introduce new skills, insight, or possibilities.

• Play alongside them. They watch us constantly and delight in your discoveries too. You’re sharing with them the value of lifelong learning and fun!

For more information on the benefits of play, check out this article. And for examples of play in the infant and toddler stages, click below…

Birth to 12 months

12 to 24 months

24 to 36 months