Ages & Stages Questionnaires 

The first five years of life are very important to your child because this time sets the stage for success in school and later in life.  During early childhood many experiences should be gained and many skills learned.  It is important to ensure that each child's development is proceeding without problem during this period; therefore we are committed in helping you follow your child's growth and development.

Starting in October, with your assistance, the Stay & Play staff will be completing the Ages and Stages Questionnaire.  This questionnaire is used by New Hampshire's Infant Mental Health and Early Intervention Programs.  Filling out the questionnaire will be done in an informal setting by staff. Observations and our regular activities will help us complete the needed information.  The questionnaire will be complemented with examples of artwork and photos showing your child involved at Stay & Play.

Whether your child is developing without problem or if there are concerns, we will set up times, for early November, to discuss the whole portfolio with you.  All information about your child and family will be kept confidential. 

This month we will talk about Families. We will talk about who is in a family and how we help at home.  We will draw pictures and use stamps to represent our families.  We will make a snack that some families eat together: pizza! Please remember to provide a family photo to display in our classroom and use in an art project.  The photo can be scanned and returned if you like.

The third week of October is National Fire Safety Week.  We will celebrate on Tuesday, October 14, with a visit from the Dover Fire Department.  They will show us a fire truck and talk to us about Fire Safety.  During our Fire Safety week, we will paint with red, yellow and orange and make a graham cracker and cream cheese fire truck for snack.

The last two weeks of the month we will talk about Fall.  We will do a lot of fun, fall activities, such as leaf rubbings, making a leaf and twig collage and making wooden pumpkin magnets.  We will cut open a pumpkin and explore the inside of it.  We will cook fall treats like pumpkin bread and apple crisp.  We will make some Halloween crafts as well, such as paper jack o'lanterns, spider webs and a Halloween shape collage.  
Our Fall Family Festival will be on Tuesday, October 21.  We will have a potluck dinner and everyone is asked to bring a dish to share.  
On October 28, we will take a field trip to Emery Farm in Durham for pumpkin picking and a hay ride.  We will visit their petting farm and walk through the small corn maze based on "Peter Rabbit."
We will have a Halloween celebration on Friday, October 31.  Our friends can bring a costume to school and we will trick-or-treat at our circle time.  We will make a special snack that day:  a doughnut spider!
 The color of the month is ORANGE.  we will look for orange items throughout the class and on the playground.  Children who wear orange to school will have a chance to show it off at circle time!

Children Who Just Watch
While many young children, when given the opportunity, will immediately engage in play with others, families and early childhood teachers often encounter children who want only to watch from the side. These children will watch others playing around them - constructing a towering building; reenacting a battle of dinosaurs in the sandbox; putting on a puppet show - without actually getting involved. Family members and teachers may be anxious when preschoolers do not engage in play with other children, but this "onlooker stage of play" can be an important step in the social development of young children. It is an opportunity for young children to learn and mentally practice interacting with others. With adult guidance, they'll benefit from this thoughtful time.

Full Story: NAEYC

We strive to build positive relationships between Stay & Play families and staff.  Please feel free to offer any suggestions that might continue to make our program the best in the area. 

Sincerely,

Stay & Play staff