Important Information
Person of the Week:
Every week one student is selected to be in the “Me” Museum. This is an opportunity for your child to bring in some favorite things from home to be on display in our museum. The students love being able to share, and it gives us an extra chance to get to know your child and his /her interest. The person of the week is responsible for providing our ingredients for our cooking project on Friday. We will send home the ingredients needed for our cooking project and a grocery list by Thursday so we have the supplies needed for the next week. Please see schedule for your child’s scheduled week.
When your child is person of the week, the following things occur:
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Your child brings in some favorite things from home to be on display in our “Me” Museum. The students love being able to share, and it gives us an extra chance to get to know your child and his /her interest.
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The person of the week is also responsible for providing our ingredients for our cooking project on Friday. You and your child will be able to pick out a healthy cooking recipe of your choice, or we can give you suggestions. Please bring all ingredients on Friday, ready for assembly.
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Clover: Our traveling tortoise will spend the weekend at your house. She loves fresh fruit and vegetables. She also enjoys slow walks indoors and out.
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Please see schedule for your child’s scheduled week.
Lunches
Lunch Time
Bon’ Appétit
11:15 – 12:00
Lunch is a time to enjoy food with friends, practicing grace and courtesy. Students are encouraged to eat for 15-30 minutes before leaving the lunch tables. Students are encouraged to be self-reliant with opening and closing their lunch containers.
We suggest foods of a high nutritional value that your child will eat. A balanced lunch of proteins, fruit/vegetables, grains and water is suggested. Students are encouraged to consume their protein first and learn to recognize the various food categories.
Warm-ups or leftover foods are acceptable, although we are unable to warm up food for your chils. Your child will be asked to bring all uneaten food items and garbology home with them. For this reason, many parents find reusable food and drink containers (leak-proof) to be beneficial.
Candy, chocolate, cookies, cake, soda and flavored drinks are not options for lunch at school. Lunchables are discouraged, as is other prepackaged food since these may have a high fat content.
Routine clean up occurs – including cloth washing, table washing, drying, composting, and recycling.
No Go-gurt nor Nutella, please. There are plenty of yoghurt choices that are offered in pouches
(Stonyfield, Chobani, etc.)
Snacks
The students have a choice of having snack whenever they wish in the morning. We provide a napkin and water at the snack table and promote grace and courtesy at snack and lunchtime. “Restaurant manners” are encouraged. Remember, no candy, and we encourage fresh fruits and vegetables. Our children’s nutritional patterns are being established now. The snacks should be simple and easy to eat; pretzels, raisins, carrots, banana, sliced apples or nuts.
IMPORTANT: We will be having a scheduled snack time at 2:30 for the children that stay for aftercare. Please provide an extra snack for them in their lunch box.
Snack Suggestions
Granola & Yogurt
Pudding & Biscuits
Apples & Graham Crackers
Neufatchel & Celery
Apple Sauce & Graham Cracker Sticks
Pumpkin Pie & Milk
Pumpkin Muffins with Cranberries
Carrot Bars with Bananas
Nut & Raisin Mix with Yogurt
Trail Mix & Fruit or cheese
Veggie Nuggets & Dip with Celery
Pot Stickers with Sauce and Plums
Rice Pudding & Pineapple
Lettuce Wraps with Fruit
Tortilla Wraps with Meat or Cheese
Quesadillas
Mini Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Sauce
Shaved Ice with Fresh Juice
Crock Pot Meat Dish with Fresh Veggies
Shish kabobs
Beans & Franks with Carrots
Potato Soup with Oyster Crackers
Meat Balls & French Bread
Dried Coconut & Granola with Fruit
Cinnamon Scones with Fresh Berries
Cheese Sticks & Jerky
Popcorn & Orange Slices
Cherry Tomatoes with Cheese Slices
Sun Butter on English Muffins
Nan & Chicken Pieces with Celery Sticks
Cheese Dip & Broccoli, Green Beans
Organic oat Cookies with no sugar
Biscuits, Honey & Butter w/ cheese or fruit
Acorn Soup with Wheat Bread
Corn on the Cob, Ham Cubes & Bread
Melon & Cheese Kabobs
Cheese Spread & Crackers
Muffins & Yogurt
Raisins, Peanut Butter & Apples
Celery, Sun Butter & Raisins
Pancakes, Butter & Jam, sausage
Waffles & Fruit
Melon Balls & Graham Crackers
Lunch Meat, Cheese & Crackers
Vegetable Plate with Dip
Grapes & Pretzels
Pretzels & Apple Sauce
Sun Butter, Craisins & Pita
Toast & Jelly w/cheese or fruit
Saltines & Honey or Jelly with cheese
Yogurt & Fruit
Berries & biscuits
Oatmeal Balls & Prunes
Cottage Cheese & Tortilla Chips
Hummus & Pita Pockets
Tortilla Chips & Salsa w/ fruit
Pickles & Salami w/Crackers
Nut Tray with cheese
Dried Fruit & Graham Crackers
Scrambled Eggs & Sausage
Fresh Fruit with Bread/Sliced
Bread, Butter & Jam and salami
Bagels & Cream Cheese
Tofu squares & Spinach
Carrots, Celery & Dip
Bananas & Yogurt
Oranges , Raisins & Sun Butter sandwich
Bananas, Hot Dog Buns & Sun Butter sandwich
Oat n Nut Squares w/ veggies or cheese
Parties and Celebrations
We will have five main parties this year :
Cultural Day – children dress up as realistic Animals (10/31)
Stone Soup (11/17)
Winter Fest (12/21)
Friendship Day (2/14)
End of Year/ Summer Birthdays (5/31)
Birthdays
A healthy birthday treat is always welcomed. We usually celebrate birthdays in the afternoon. We love to celebrate birthdays here at school but they must be kept simple. Cookies, fresh fruit or veggies with dip or some other small treat work the best. We can have birthday celebrations that last no longer than 30 minutes. The children participate with the traditional Montessori celebration with “walking around the sun” activity. We would also like each child to bring a personal time line made at home to share with the class. One picture to represent each year of your child’s life, so if your child is turning six, you would have six photo’s. Please give me at least two days notice if you would like to bring or send a treat - you may send a note, e-mail me or give me a call at school.
I am usually very flexible but occasionally there may be a conflict in our schedule.
You are welcome to come and eat lunch with your child on his/her special day. Please, check-in with the office upon arrival.
If a child is having a party at home, invitations may be sent out from school if the child will be inviting either the whole class, or at least all students of the same sex. Please place the invitations in the homework folder. I will remove them and put them in the folders of the students who are invited. If one wants to invite select students only please mail the invitation from home so that there will not be any hurt feelings at school. As you well know, children of this age find it very upsetting to be "left out". This is the best way to avoid the birthday party "blues". Thank you for your cooperation with this.
Celebration of Life
The celebration of life is a wonderful way to celebrate a birthday by honoring a child’s life frames. Please bring one birth photo, one at 1 year old, one at 2 years old, etc., to show the child's growth and changes throughout the years.
The Celebration of Life is done in circle. The candle is lit to represent the moment of birth. Your child will walk once around the circle to represent each year of life. The candle is lit each time your child walks around the sun while the life story is read.
At the end of the celebration your child may serve a special treat. Please provide napkins. Please keep it easy to pass and eat because it is served in the circle on the floor. Some suggested not too sweet treats are cookies, fruit kabobs, muffins, crackers and cheese and juice popsicle. Cakes are too difficult and make it hard for the children to eat in the circle. Let the child help decide what to bring.
The celebration of Life is a very special occasion to honor your child’s life. You are welcome to join the celebration by reading your child’s story, but in the event you aren’t able to attend, the teacher will read it. In either case, we thank you for your help in making your child’s celebration a meaningful and memorable event.
Homework
We have suggested that you read to your child or have your child read to you for a minimum of 20 minutes per night. Homework in this class serves the following purpose:
· To develop self discipline and responsibility;
· To enhance classroom activities;
· To show that learning does not take place only in school; and
· To enable parents to monitor what is being taught in class.
Homework is an extension of the classroom and helps keep you informed with your child’s progress. We will be sending homework home on Friday’s via the folder. Homework is OPTIONAL.
Out Reach Programs
We will be outsourcing several learning events through out the year to compliment our curriculum. These programs are designed to come to us:
Amazing Athletes – Bi-monthly Fitness and health program for young children. The program teaches preschool aged children to make healthy food choices and the love of exercise, starting at an early age, Fabulously Fun Fitness for Happy, Healthy Kids!
Music Class – Bi-monthly music program by Bach to Rock (Rocklin). They teach all aspects of music with the help from a fun, upbeat curriculum.