Newsletter
February 2012 Newsletter
This winter has sure been mild with moderate temperatures and very little snow. Hope that remains the case. This is the second on-line newsletter that we are doing. I would like to hear any comments you might have.
February is going to be a very busy month! Let me start with a reminder about our illness exclusion policy. Children with temperatures, throwing up or diarrhea and communicable diseases (pink eye is a good example), cannot return to daycare until they have been on medication for at least 24 hours, are temperature free or have stopped throwing up and having diarrhea for 24 hours. Your truthfulness and cooperation is expected; as without it, the children will just continue to keep re-infecting each other. Along these lines, it is really helpful if you would call us when your child will not be attending!
Parents please remember to check the parent cubbies up front for important information, and check your child's cubbies for their papers. They are very proud of their work and always want to share it with you.
Many of you like to bring in baked goods for your child's birthday. Please be reminded that state law prohibits us from accepting any home baked goods. We appreciate your kind thoughts, but expect your understanding and cooperation with this policy. Any baked goods brought in must be store bought and contain ingredient information. You can understand that we have children at CDC with food allergies. Your cooperation with this policy will be appreciated.
In going through the children's files, I have noticed a lot of incomplete immunization and contact information. Will you all please stop by the front desk and review this with me. If I do not have complete immunization information, I will ask you to have your doctor's office fax it directly to me. Our fax number at the daycare is 402 592-7332. Also, all parents who have children with food allergies need to get me a doctor's note stating such. It is a requirement of the state food program. These letter can be faxed to the number above.
February is National Dental Month. We will be speaking to your children about good dental hygiene, and how important it is for them to brush their teeth. Please stress this at home as well.
The color of the month is pink, and we will be learning the letters Q, R and S; as well at the numbers 13, 14 and 15.
The CDC Valentine's Party will be held on Tuesday, February 14th. This party will be only for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Included in this newsletter is a list of our infant, toddler and preschool groups. Please find the group that your child is in, and actually address your Valentine's to everyone on that list. We will also charge your account $3.50 the week of February 17th to cover the cost of the party. Therefore, you are only responsible for bringing cards.
Wednesday, February 22nd is Wacky Wednesday. Have your child dress in wacky clothes, such as mismatched socks, off season clothing, silly hats, inside out clothing or backwards clothing. It will be a fun day for all.
Color songs and songs of the season are included below for your use in singing with your child.
Your child is participating in HALO, an alcohol, tobacco and other drug use prevention program. Recent activities have focused on the following concept:
Recognize, label and express the feelings, "angry" and "scared"
Children need to know that everyone feels mad and scared sometimes. They need to be able to talk about these feelings with someone they trust. They need to know safe ways to express their feelings that do not hurt themselves or others. The message your child heard during HALO was, "I feel." Here are some ways that you can support this message at home:
- Teach your child to recognize feelings. Strong feelings can be very uncomfortable, but they are still important messages about our situation. Ignoring or denying feelings like anger can make more problems.
- Clearly separate feelings from actions. Anger is a feeling. Hitting is an action. Accept the feeling and teach appropriate actions. "I know you are mad at me. You may stomp your foot. You may not hit me."
- Respect your child's fears. Say, "I understand that you are scared, but monsters are not real." Do not say, "There is nothing to be afraid of."
- Comfort your child when he or she is mad, scared or sad. Responding to a need will not spoil a child.
- Read books about feelings. Workers in the children's sections of the library can help you make good choices.
- Say you are mad or sad when you are feeling that way.
- Never use fear to control a child. Do not threaten with the Boogey Man or any other monster.
- Help children to feel safe and comfortable in any situation before leaving. Do not sneak off when he/she is distracted. Say you are leaving and will return at a specific time. Then do it. Be trustworthy.
- Allow or even encourage attachment to a stuffed animal or blanket. Your child will give it up gradually on his/her own as he/she gets older.
Lists of Children for Valentine's Day Cards
Infants - Skylar Alexander, Shyanne Cermak, Zyanna Dozier, D'Andre Golden, Julia Hankenson, Zoey Hansen, Addison Rice, Delaney Scott, Taylor Spark
Toddlers - Miriam Belles, Braylen Cole, DJ Cole, AJ Duncan, Dayton Foote, Simon Hanke, Klara Hoogeveen, Macey Maddocks, Elren McKenzie, Carson Nyffeler, Alyssa Spark, Emylee Thompson, Olivia Willson
Trans. 1 - Alexis Bell, Alli Cermak, Tommy Haire, Drew Hayford, Kelsey McCloskey, Samantha Ortiz, Arianna Sandoval, Kainan Swinehart, Jayde Waddell
Trans 2 - Will Bundy, Kinlee Conley, Emma Duncan, Dakota McCormack, Jacob Means, Madison Rausch, Jaeden Ress-Conkey
Language - Emily Artola, Kodi Baratta, Piper Christiansen, Reagan Christiansen, BreAnn Galvan, Jesus Garcia, Max Marion, Zoe McNerney
Math - Anthony Alba, Karlie DeWitt, Mia Dillow, Zakai Frederick, Christoper Golden, Cayden Kuhn, Jace Kush, Eowyn McKenzie, Matthew Melena, Ella Richarz
Art - Charlene Beckman, Jayden Cain, Ivan Francisco-Antillon, Izzy Johnson, Bryson Kock, Jacob Memmen, Riley Sommers, Mason Wine, Brody Zimmerman
Motor - Evan Baatz, Konnor Davis, Sophee Devitt, Jace Hankenson, Rylen Kush, Jessika Longacre, Chloe McNerney, Lily Melena, Ava Tippets
Reading - Isaac Gibson, Braedyn Hofstad, Clayton Lynch, Michael Ortiz, Addy Paskach, Addison Wacheldorf
Valentine's Day Songs
Here is a Valentine (Sung to "You are my Sunshine")
Here is a valentine, a great big valentine,
I made it special just for you.
It's red and lacy with lots of kisses.
It's for you "cause you're my friend.
Big Red Hearts (Sung to "Frere Jacques")
Big red hearts, big red hearts,
Made with lace, made with lace.
Sent with love and kisses,
Sent with love and kisses
To our friends, to our friends.
The Groundhog's Shadow (sung to "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")
Will the groundhog see his shadow,
His shadow, his shadow?
Will the groundhog see his shadow
On this Groundhog Day?
Look this way and that way
And this way and that way,
For it he sees his shadow,
Then winter will stay.
Alternate ending:
For if there is no shadow
Then spring is on the way.
I Love Pink (Sung to "Three Blind Mice")
I love pink. I love pink
That's what I think. That's what I think.
I love this color so much I could shout
About a pink piglet and this tiny snout
Or pink bubble gum that I cna't do without.
I love pink.
Be a Friend (Sunk to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")
Be, be be a friend
To everyone at school.
We learn, we play, we try each day
To follow every rule!
Be, be, be a friend
To everyone at school.
We're kind, we're nice, we'll say it twice,
We follow every rule!
Wash Your Hands (Sung to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")
Wash, wash, wash your hands,
Wash the germs away!
Watch the suds go down the drain
So germs do not stay!
Oh, My Darlin' Valentine (Sung to "Clementine")
February is a short month,
28 days or 29.
In the middle is a love day.
Won't you be my valentine?
Oh, my darlin', oh, my darlin'
Oh, my darlin' valentine!
In the middle is a love day,
Won't you be my valentine?
January 2012 Newsletter
January, 2012
Happy New Year and welcome to 2012!! I don’t know about you, but I’m glad the hustle bustle of the holiday season is behind us. Hopefully family life will get back to normal for all of us
I’d like this letter to serve as a reminder that parents need to please take the initiative and be sure to label your children’s clothing and belongings (including toys). Warm clothing tends to facilitate an environment where head lice and germs can be easily transferred. Please remind your children NOT to share possessions such as hats, headbands, and brushes along with lip-gloss and Chap Stick. Thanks in advance for your time and efforts, as this will ensure less headaches to all parties involved.
Parents, a lot of effort goes into these newsletters. Please take two minutes out of your day to read them. It is really disheartening to me when I tell parents information is in the newsletter, and they admit to me they haven’t read it!
We are still collecting Campbell’s soup labels. Just put them on the front desk and we will get them sorted and counted!
Please remember that all of you do pay six holidays a year – New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. These are days we are always closed. They are the only days during the entire year you must pay if you are not in attendance. I do this so that I can pay my employees a well deserved holiday, and so I do not have to charge you any other times you are not in attendance. All of my other competitors charge whether you are there or not! As is my usual beginning of the year request, please remember that we provide a service to you and we expect to be paid for this service in a timely manner. I threaten every year that I am going to buckle down on those who choose not to pay in a timely manner. Payment is due either every week or every other week, no excuses! We accept cash, check, credit and debit cards. Please be prepared to pay when your payment is due. We have begun excluding children from daycare for non-payment of their bill!
One final order of business, please have the courtesy to call the daycare if your child will not be attending CDC on a scheduled day. It helps us with staffing and meal preparation. This is especially important for those children whom we have to pick up from school. I cannot tell you how often we are waiting at school for a child who either got sick or did not attend school that day. Please realize we are responsible for your child, and need to be kept apprised of whether your child is at school or not!
I think all of us could use a month to recuperate from the holiday madness – so we are going to go lightly on you this month! Our color of the month is Blue.
I would like to thank all of you who participated in our hat and mitten tree. The Salvation Army was most appreciative. Please see the letter we received from them posted on the front board.
Your child is participating in HALO, an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use prevention program. Activities will focus on the following concepts:
· Recognize, label and express the feelings, “happy” and “sad”
Children need to know that everyone feels happy and sad sometimes. They need to be able to share these feelings with someone who cares. They need to know safe ways to express these feelings. The message your child heard during HALO was, “I FEEL.”
Here are some ways that you can support this message at home:
· Share your child’s joy. Young children find wonder in many things that adults take for granted. When was the last time a bug made you happy?
· Take the time to notice small wonders. Point them out to your child.
· Celebrate in healthy ways. An indoor picnic in January is great fun for a young child. Appeal to your child’s imagination for more ideas.
· Tell your child about something that made you feel happy today.
· Sing silly songs to your child. Show your child that fun doesn’t stop when you grow up.
· Respect your child’s feelings of sadness. Children become attached to things, a stuffed animal, a blanket or a special toy. Loss of any “special” thing is felt deeply by a young child. Losing or breaking the toy from the cereal box may mean little to an adult, but to a child it could be very sad. The feeling is real.
· Let your child know you care about his/her feelings. Sometimes you can’t fix it. Understanding is the most helpful thing you can do.
· Let your child cry. Crying is a meaningful expression of sadness. Boys and girls need to cry. Denying feelings makes a person weaker not stronger.
· Pay attention to what you do when you are sad. Do you get mad? Many people use anger to avoid the hurt of sadness.
· Talk about your feelings – carefully. Children do not need to be burdened with adult problems. They do need to know sometimes you feel joyful and sometimes you feel sad. They need to know healthy ways of expressing these emotions.
I am attaching a copy of some of the everyday songs we like to sing. Many of you have asked for the words so you can sing along with your child.
All of us have our New Year’s resolutions, here is a little reminder about what is most important in our lives!
I am a Young child, here’s what you can do for me right now…
HOLD me!
That reminds me the world is a safe place.
READ to me!
Every word I learn I can use later.
TALK to me!
That helps me learn how to pronounce words.
SMILE at me!
That helps me learn how to be polite.
SING to me!
I don’t care what you sound like.
PLAY with me!
That helps my coordination and strength.
SPEND TIME with me!
That shows me I’m worth it, period.
EVERYDAY SONGS
Skeeters and the Bedbugs Baby Jaws
I woke up Saturday morning Baby jaws doot doot
And looked up on the wall. Baby jaws doot doot
The skeeters and the bedbugs Mommy jaws doot doot
Were playing a game of ball. Mommy jaws doot doot
The score was 6 to nothing. Daddy jaws doot doot
The skeeters were ahead Daddy jaws doot doot
The bedbugs hit a homerun Swimmers doot doot
And bonked me on the head. Swimmers doot doot
Shark Attach
Chorus: AAAHHH!
Singing eenie, meanie and a miney mo Five Little Monkeys
Catch that whipper whopper by his toe
If he hollers, hollers, hollers, let him go Five little monkeys swinging in a tree
Singing, eenie, meanie and a miney mo. Teasing Mr. Alligator, "Can't catch
. Me, you can't catch me."
I went downstairs for breakfast Along comes Mr. Alligator, quiet
And ordered monkey bread as can be - SNAP
And then I got an ice pack
For the bump upon my head. Four little monkeys swinging in a tree
. Etc. Etc.
Repeat Chorus: Count down to
. No more monkeys swinging in a tree
My mother's born in England
My father's born in France Peanut Song
But I was born in diapers
Cause I'm too small for pants. A peanut sat on a railroad track
. His heart was all a flutter.
Chorus Along came a choo choo train,
. Choo, Choo peanut butter.
Five Little Hotdogs
Five little hotdogs fryin' in a pan
The grease got hot and one went BAM
Four little hotdogs fryin' in a pan
The grease got hot and one went BAM
Etc. down to
No little hotdogs fryin' in a pan
The grease got hot and the pan went BAM!
Five Little Doughnuts . High Hopes
Five little doughnuts in the Bakery Shop Just what makes that little old ant
Round and fat with sugar on the top Think he can move that rubber tree plant.
Along came (insert name) with a penny one day Anyone knows an ant, can't
Bought one doughnut and took it away. a rubber tree plant.
(Count down - Four little doughnuts...) But he's got high hopes,
. He's got high hopes.
No little doughnuts in the Bakery Shop He's got high apple pie in the
Round and fat with sugar on the top sky hopes.
Along came (insert name) with a penny one day
No more doughnuts so she/he want away. So anytime you're getting low
. Stead of letting go
Meatball Song Just remember that ant
. Oops there goes another rubber tree
On top of spaghetti Oops there goes another rubber tree
All covered with cheese, Oops there goes another rubber tree plant!
I lost my poor meatball
When somebody sneezed
It rolled off the table You are My Sunshine
And onto the floor.
And then my poor meatball You are my sunshine
Rolled out the front door. My only sunshine
. You make me happy
It rolled through the garden When skies are grey.
And under a bush, and now You'll never know, dear,
My poor meatball is nothing but mush. How much I love you.
. Please don't take my sunshine away.
Three Little Fishies The other nite, dear,
Down in the meadows in a little bitty pool As I lay sleeping
Swam three little fishies, and a mommy fishy too I dreamed I held you in my arms.
. When I awoke, dear,
Swim said the mommy fishy, swim if you can I was mistaken
And they swam and they swam all over the dam. And I hung my head and cried.
Chorus: Boop, boop, dittem dattem whattem chu! You are my sunshine
Boop, boop, dittem dattem, whattem chu! My only sunshine
Boop, boop dittem, datem, whattem chu! You make me happy
And they swam and they swam all over the dam. When skies are grey.
. You'll never know dear,
Stop, Said the mommy fishy, "or you'll get lost:! How much I love you.
The three little fishies didn't wanna be bossed Please don't take my sunshine away.
The three little fishies went off on a spree Please don't take my sunshine away.
And they swam and they swam right out to the sea.
Repeat Chorus