 Quick Reminders
The center will be closed on the following day during the month of February
Monday, February 15th, 2010
In-service training for Staff |
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Click the Gourmet Gorilla logo above to be directed to their website.
Did you know they cater for children special occasions and birthday parties and to elementary schools! |
SOME CLASSROOMS ARE HAVING A VALENTINE'S DAY PARTY ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH.
BE SURE TO CHECK WITH YOUR TEACHERS TO FIND OUT MORE.
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Greetings!
February is looking to be a great month for the Little Green Tree House in so many ways. We are growing! Fifteen new students joined the Little Green Tree House family during the month of January and we have five more slated to start in February already! Our growth rate is strong and we are looking into the future. I do need your help though. If you would be so kind to email a quick note to me Elizabethg@littlegreentreehouse.com to answer the two simple questions below: 1.) Are you planning on having your child stay through the entire
program? (through 4 years old)
2.) Would you like a program that would extend through the
kindergarten year?
With your help I can assess the need in the community and within the already established Little Green Tree House family, if we should expand a bit or a lot.
I thank you in advance for your assistance. As always, comments, questions or concerns can be directed to me. I welcome the opportunity to assist and/or assess any way I am able.
Warm Regards,
Elizabeth Geldhof
Director of Business Operations
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Introduction to New Teachers
Sarah Stiltner, Assistant Director of Education
Since our last newsletter, we have made two new additions to our staff at Little Green Tree House. We are excited to introduce them to you, and inform all the parents of their qualifications.
Sandra is our newest Infant Assistant Teacher. She is from Texas and recently moved to the Midwest to pursue her career. While living in Texas, Sandra earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Tech University in Human Development and Family Sciences. Her degree in Human Development taught her an abundance of information on the human race from birth through adulthood. Her background in Family Science taught her all the different dynamics of family structure. Sandra plans on utilizing all of the knowledge she gained while attending Texas Tech to benefit all of the infants in the Hemlock Room. We are proud to announce that Hemlock is our third infant room to open!
Rachel is our new food prep person who serves all of the yummy organic food each day to our little ones. Rachel earned her degree in Professional Cookery from Kendall College. In addition to earning her degree, she also holds a State Sanitation Certificate from the State of Illinois. One of Rachel's goals is to be a school dietician. The children are always very excited to see Rachel when she visits their classrooms during morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack.
We look forward to continued growth at LGTH. Keep your eyes peeled for more new staff very shortly! |
Transitioning from the Toddler Classroom to the Advanced Toddler Classroom
Erin Lyon, Director of Education
As your child grows and advances here with us at Little Green Tree House you will find that the transitions from one classroom to the next get easier as they get older. Since the greatest changes in your child's daily routines took place when they transitioned from the Infant classroom to the Toddler classroom, the changes ahead are not as difficult or different and the process is much easier than their previous transition.
Here are a few differences you may notice in your child's new Advanced Toddler Classroom:
Physical environment
Now that they are in an older classroom you will notice that the toys and educational supplies as well as some of the furniture have changed. Learning areas are more defined and you will notice areas for circle time, reading, blocks, math, dramatic play, art and science. You will also notice that the individual supplies are more advanced to continue the development of your child both physically and cognitively.
Curriculum
In the Advanced Toddlers more emphasis is put on structured learning than in the Toddlers. As your child gets older the amount of time they can spend on focused learning increases. As this increases so does the length of time the teachers are able to do circle time activities as well as small group learning. The Advanced Toddler classrooms also include the introduction to computers that were not present in the Toddler classrooms.
Ratio
The state of Illinois mandates an 8-1 ratio for all Advanced Toddler classrooms. With our Advanced Toddler classrooms of 12 children, we will always be maintaining a higher ratio than the state requires. With their ever increasing independence from adults for things like independent play and interactions with other children a slightly higher ratio and group size are possible without sacrificing quality in care and education. The structure and routine in the Advanced Toddler classroom ensures that each child has lots of one-on-one time, but also time to interact with other children and their environment, developing their growing social skills and cognitive learning.
Potty Training
An important element of the Advanced Toddler classroom is beginning or continuing the process of potty training each child to prepare them for the preschool classroom at age three. Now more than ever children are beginning to exhibit the signs that they are ready to begin the process. *For further information on potty training please see Sarah Stiltner's article in the January's newsletter. |
Lesson Plan-At-A Glance: Cooking
Ms. Whitney, Assistant Teacher
Peach Toddler Classroom (15 months - 24 months)
Goal/Objective: To learn about cooking and understand different aspects of cooking.
Vocabulary Words: kitchen, pots and pans, food, chef, utensils, refrigerator, stove, oven
Literacy/Language: Sing: Are you Eating and We're Going To Make a Cake;
Are You Eating
(to the tune of "Are You Sleeping")
Are you eating, are you eating
Healthy foods, healthy foods?
For your body needs them, for your body needs them
Everyday, everyday.
We're Going To Make a Cake
(to the tune of "The Farmer's in his Dell")
We're going to make a cake, we're going to make a cake;
We're going to make it really big,
Because we all like cake.
Flour in the bowl, flour in the bowl;
Stir it with a great big spoon,
Flour in the bowl.
continue with other ingredients: sugar, salt,
raisins, butter, etc.
Put it in the oven, put it in the oven;
Take care not to slam the door,
Until it's nicely cooked.
Icing on the top, icing on the top;
Spread it with a big, flat knife,
Icing on the top.
We all have a piece, we all have a piece;
Some for you and some for me,
There's some for everyone.
And now it's all gone, and now it's all gone;
Yumm it was very good,
Now it's all gone.
Read: If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Sign of the Week: Practice and learn the sign for "to cook." To sign "to cook", hold your right hand on top of your left and flip over twice.
Cognitive Development: Pasta Matching! Place four to five different types of pasta on a table and have the children group the pastas that look the same into piles.
Gross Motor: Dress Up! Have the children dress up in a chef jacket and hat. We will also take a walking trip to the kitchen to show the children several of our vocabulary words in real life.
Fine Motor: Cheerio Necklaces! Have the children string cheerios onto yarn to make a necklace that they can also snack on.
Sensory Development: Mashed Potatoes, Pasta, and Beans! Let the children squish mashed potatoes between their fingers on the table. We will also fill the sensory table with pastas and beans that the children can feel and play with.
Art Activities: Make chef hats, color aprons, sponge paint utensils and pots, glue forks, knives and spoons to a place setting.
Cooking Activities: Ants on a log (with celery, sunflower butter, and raisins); Pudding/ jello pops (freeze pudding in paper cups with a popsicle stick stuck in); Apple Smiles (apples slices, sunflower butter, marshmallows) Cat Eyes (crackers, sunflower butter, raisins)
We would like to thank Arturo Roulbet for coming to share with the classroom the experience of being "chef's." Arturo is a professional chef and was a great role model for the afternoon. We thank him for taking time away from his busy kitchen at Ditkas Restaurant.
Ms. Whitney's credentials include: A graduate of Purdue University with a BA in Psychology with a Minor in Child Development and Family Studies. Her experience of being a Developmental Therapist and counselor for summer camps prior to Little Green Tree House prepared her well for educating and nurturing our little one's in the Peach Classroom.
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Eco-Friendly Tip
Oregon Environmental Council (OEC)
 Did you know idling for more than 20 seconds uses more fuel than restarting your engine? It's more fuel efficient just to turn your engine off. No worries: frequently restarting your car has little impact on engine components such as the battery and starter motor. However, excessive idling can damage engine components like your spark plugs, engine cylinders and exhaust systems. Vehicle exhaust contains many toxic air pollutants that are known or suspected to cause serious health effects.
It's Not Cool to Idle at School
One of the places that excessive idling occurs is at school, when picking up or dropping off our children. Yet children are most vulnerable to the air pollutants that result from idling. OEC's anti-idling campaign focuses on educating students and parents about air pollution, respiratory health and the ways that they can improve both. With a pledge to not idle, citizens are promoting air quality, children's health and fuel efficiency. Please visit www.oeconline.org to find out more.
Little Green Tree House is an Oregon Environmental Council accredited School |
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IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
If you have recently moved - Please be sure to update the front desk with your current address.
If you have taken your child to the doctor's office recently please have the Doctor fax us an updated copy of vaccinations 312-492-6543 (it can be on the doctor's form - it is not necessary to have the DCFS form)
Center Will Be Closed On the Following Holidays In 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010 (News Year Day)
Monday, February 15, 2010 (Presidents Day) In-training of staff*
Friday, April 09,2010 Center will be open 7am - 1pm In-training of staff*
Monday, May 31,2010 (Memorial Day)
Friday, July 2, 2010 (Fourth of July )
 Monday, September 6, 2010 (Labor Day )
Thursday, November 25, 2010 (Thanksgiving)
Friday, November 26, 2010 (Day after)
Friday, December 24, 2010 (Christmas Eve)
Friday, December 31, 2010 (New Years Eve)
Center normal business hours 7am - 6pm
Telephone: 312-492-9876 | |
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