September 2010 News
From the Principal's Office
Dear Parents,
Let me start out by saying a great big thank you to everyone who contributed to our most recent Birthday celebration. The raffle baskets
were a HUGE success, but the real show stealer was the outstanding amount of money raised for our Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser. We were
honored by the participation put forth by you and your families for this outrageous event. Not only did you successfully get the entire
administrative team, along with the Executive Director, Stacey Roth, who directs all Merryhill preschools in the Sacramento region, in a
FREEZING pool of JELLO, but in the process we managed to raise $1500! Proceeds will directly benefit the school, along with 50%
being donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Room 2 won the pizza party with a grand total of $600 being donated from their room!
Again, the event isn't just about getting messy and having fun. Please take this opportunity to talk to your child about giving back and
how it can be done in a number of ways.
This month, we are rolling out our Links to Learning Curriculum. Our teachers and students have been preparing themselves for this
transition these past months, and I'm sure you have personally noticed the progression in your child's skills. We will be providing you
with your child's Parent Report this month, which will provide you with a break down of the different developmental skills that are
essential to being prepared for their next portion of their educational journey and where they are at on that journey. Take these reports
as an opportunity to ask questions and become involved in your child's education.
To conclude, we are grateful to have such amazing families in our home here at Merryhill. We admire the participation and contributions,
but most of all, we appreciate your attention to your child's education and preschool experience. Ultimately, every opportunity that you
take to get involved in your child's future is one that will go further than you ever anticipated. With this, we would like to invite all grand-
parents to our annual Grandparent's Day event on Friday, September 10th at 11:00 am. Our doors are always open here at Merryhill,
and we are looking forward to the rest of this year with you and our family.
As always, please feel free to come visit me in my office, email me, or call with questions or concerns. My door is always open to you;
I am always here to help.
Sincerely,
Christine Harrah, Principal
...September Events...
- 1st & 2nd- Safety Zone ID Cards (See Calendar for Details)
- 3rd- Family Picnic & Read to your child at Lunch Day (12:00-12:30): Don't forget your picnic lunch!
- 6th- Labor Day Closed
- 10th- Grandparent's Day: Concert & Celebration at 10:00 AM
- 18th- Parent Night Out (6:00pm-10:00pm)
- 30th- Parent Reports Distributed
***(Please see Calendar for full list of events.)
From the Education Department
Raising a Confident Preschooler
It is hard to resist the eager smile and willingness to learn that comes with normative preschool development. As parents, we are
always eager to continue to foster and bolster our young children’s love for learning and enthusiasm to demonstrate their developing
abilities. Often times, we ask ourselves what we can do to continue to encourage our children to engage, to try even in the risk of
failure, and to believe in themselves; in other words, we constantly question what we can do to help raise a confident child. Confidence
is a trait that is nurtured and taught, and there are certain techniques and approaches which are built into our Links to Learning curriculum,
which can easily be adapted at home as well.
- Begin with a set, predictable routine. When children know what is happening in the world around them and when activities
follow an expected order, children can focus on skill-building. Preschool children are easily distracted by disruptions, so a routine
that is carefully adhered to allows for children to instead focus on attempting and practicing new skills. - Praise small accomplishments, but praise with purpose. Children need to hear that they are doing things correctly and
need acknowledgement for steps made towards accomplishing a goal. For example, a child may not be able to independently
complete a 10 piece puzzle, but he does deserve a specific praise for his ability to put the edge pieces in, such as “You did a great
job working on the edge of the puzzle. You can almost do the whole puzzle by yourself. Would you like me to help you with the
middle pieces?” Along those same lines, it is imperative that praise is given with purpose. Being often told “Good job!” without a
reference to what he did correctly will cause these words to lose efficacy. We need to be sure to praise specific behaviors and to
note these in our acknowledgement of steps made towards a goal. - Encourage and model persistence. It is normal for preschool children to become upset and frustrated when they cannot do
something themselves or do it correctly. Rather than do it for them, model and encourage them to try again. For example, a
preschooler who knocks over his block tower as she stacks the top block should be responded to with a “You almost did it! Let’s
try it again together!” This teaches the preschooler that failure is ok and can be used as a step to try once more. - Be a safe base. Often preschool children surprise us with their hesitancy to try something new, even activities they have previously
engaged in. Despite the disappointment you may feel over your eagerness for your child to engage, allow your child to warm up to
the activity when he or she is ready. By not pushing or forcing a choice, you allow your child to feel comfortable in his or her own
skills and readiness when he or she is ready. - Lastly, Model confidence in yourself. Children learn from what they see and hear. Be mindful of the comments you make about
yourself and others and your own persistence in the face of failure. A child who hears his parent self-praising or who sees his parent
make a mistake and try again will learn and model that same confidence.
Lauren Starnes, PhD- Manager of Curriculum and Instruction/ East
For the Parents
Merryhill Millcreek
Our sister elementary school is currently enrolling for their elementary grade levels. Please be sure to contact them at 916-564-7343 or
be sure to visit their website.
Enotify: Emergencies or Reminders
Please be sure to keep all your contact information current with the administrative team, including email addresses. It is extremely important
that you are able to get these messages. We use this form of communication in instances where we would like to remind you of upcoming
events that we would like to invite you to or most importantly, for emergencies. We need to be able to reach you to inform you at all times in
a number of different mediums. Thank you for your attention to this detail.
Teacher of the Year Results
We would like to honor Miss Angie for her outstanding efforts and journey throughout this entire process. We nominated her a number of
months back, and from the entire nation, she was selected as one of the top 3 Preschool teachers of this year. Unfortunately, the title went
to another candidate in South Carolina; however, we are honored and pleased with the contributions and efforts she invests into this program.
This process was a rigerous learning experience, and we are delighted that she made it so far.
Morning Delight
As you may have noticed, we have been serving coffee in our front lobby. Over the summer months and throughout the year, we plan on
providing you with morning coffee and tea to start your morning off right. We are currently accepting donations to keep this option available
for you. Anything from a dollar donated to the money box on the table to 8-12 oz. coffee cups and supplies. If you think of something that
could help us out, such as stirrers, tea bags, sweetners, or anything else, we would be happy to have it. We look forward to offering this
service to you every morning, and we would like to thank you for any and all donations that you can help with. It is because of our parents
that we are able to offer such an amazing program!
Links to Learning Curriculum
Links to Learning is an integrated series of programs for children ages six weeks to five years that engages the young learner’s senses,
mind and body. Each program component builds upon the other, ensuring excellent preparation for elementary school. The Links to Learning
curriculum encourages each child’s interest in discovery and hands-on learning. It takes advantage of a child’s readiness to learn with activities
that are fun, challenging and easily understood. The curriculum was created by the Nobel Learning Education Department, a team of highly
skilled experts with a vast knowledge of early-age education. This team is guided by our National Advisory Board, which ensures that our
curriculum reflects the latest early education research. Opportunities to learn Spanish are woven throughout the school day. Children between
the ages of 2 and 5 have a remarkable ability to learn and absorb language. Introducing children to Spanish now helps prepare them for
success in language for the rest of their schooling. Links to Learning is organized according to a child’s age and stage of development,
and incorporates the appropriate new skills and concepts for each stage of the preschool journey.
