Issue: # 42January 13, 2014
                  
    

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."

-Maria Robinson

News

It's Cold and Flu Season

Whether we welcome it or not, it seems the cold and flu season arrives on schedule. We take special care to keep your child as healthy as possible,
 including increased sanitizing of play equipment, extra careful handwashing, and playing outside as often as the weather allows. Studies have shown that being cooped up inside only helps to spread illnesses. Taking children outside daily gives them the opportunity to get fresh air and work off some of their pent-up energy.

  

Here are some things you can do to help stop the spread of illness and keep all of us healthier.

 

Keep your child home if he/she has any of the following symptoms:

  • Appears ill, is abnormally pale or unable to comfortably participate in regular school activities
  • Is sweaty (when the weather is not hot) or has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher without Tylenol or Motrin
  • Has a cough or sneezing that is not normal for your child
  • Complains of pain in ears, throat, head or chest
  • Has thrown up in the past 12 hours or had 2 or more episodes of diarrhea in the past 24 hours

Remind your child to cover coughs and sneezes

Remind your child to wash hands often, especially. after coughs and sneezes.

 

We will do our best to keep you informed of any illnesses at the center through the Time Key computer message system. If your child is ill and you have a diagnosis, please let us know so that we may inform the rest of our families as well. 

 

As a team, we can help keep everyone healthier and happy during the cold and flu season.

Preschool 
Outside Play
 
Introducing Studies
Welcome 2014! This semester we are adding a new feature to our preschool program. We are starting to do Studies. These Studies are in-depth investigations on a topic that span over an extended period of time, usually 4-6 weeks.
 
During large group time, a focus question on the topic of the Study leads our discussion. Our focus question for this week is, "What should we do if we get sad or scared at school?" 
 
This week we have been re-introducing learning centers and expected behaviors at the learning centers. To start some discussions at home, ask your child about his/her favorite learning center.
Toddler
Maddison prepares for outdoor fun.
 
New Friends

With the start of a new semester come new teachers and children. Toddlers are learning the names of unfamiliar children and adults as they make new friends in the classroom. When children call people by their names, they use social rules of language and build appropriate conversational and communication skills. We encourage toddlers to engage in conversations with one another, using language to express their thoughts and needs.

 

When the weather cooperates, children have opportunities to utilize our outdoor play areas. In the winter, the lower level offers children a snow-covered hill to climb, sidewalks to shovel, and a playhouse to engage in socio-dramatic activities. Our upper playground provides children with a natural environment with trees to explore and a flat, open space to run in. Both areas challenge children's gross motor skills, allowing children to jump, climb and explore with friends.


                  

Phone: (269) 387-2277                                    
Email: childrens-place@wmich.edu
Website: wmich.edu/childcare                                       
In This Issue
It's Cold and Flu Season
Preschool
Toddler
Important Dates
Reminders
Important Dates 
Billing for Jan. 13-24 
  Due Jan. 14
  Late by Jan. 24
 
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Jan. 20 
   Center Closed
Winter Is Here

Winter weather is upon us. We go outside to play daily, usually in the morning and the afternoon.

 

Please be sure to bring all appropriate weather-related clothing, including snow pants, boots and gloves or mittens everyday.

 

Our policy is to go outside daily unless the temperature is in the single digits with wind-chill.

Want to save a few  dollars on your child care?

S
ee Kathy and ask her about our referral incentive program!