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March News

A Message From the Principal:

Welcome to March!

February may be the shortest month of the year, but at Merryhill Preschool it was certainly one of our busiest months!  February included school picture days, Parent’s Night Out, Valentine’s Day Celebrations, Little Caesar’s Fundraiser and our Grad for a Day Field trip for our graduating classes.  We ended the Months with our biggest event of the year, our Family Literacy Fair which also marked the beginning of our Scholastic Book Fair, which will run through March 3rd.

As a direct result of your Book Fair purchases each classroom will be given a budget to shop directly from the Book Fair to enrich their classroom libraries. If you are interested in volunteering to help with the Book Fair please let us know.

At Merryhill Preschool we are so proud of the fact that we are a true family.  This is because of our partnership with all of you. Your participation is greatly appreciated and welcomed.

Priority Registration is in full swing. If you have not yet reserved your child’s space for the 2016-2017 School Year, please do so as soon as possible as the spaces are filling up quickly. Priority Registration ends on March 11th.

Please read below for more information regarding upcoming events and themed dress up days

Thank you for being a very important part of the Merryhill Family!

Sincerely,

Tammy Wells- Principal


Special Events/Theme Days* (Every Tuesday is Merryhill Spirit Day -Wear a Merryhill Shirt**)

  • Tuesday, March 1st – Crazy Sock Day
  • Wednesday, March 2nd – Pajama Day
  • Thursday, March 3rd – Dr. Seuss Day
  • Friday, Mach 4th – Crazy Hat or Hair Day
  • Monday, March 7th – School Closed for Staff Professional Development Day
  • Friday, March 11th – Priority registration Ends
  • Saturday, March 12th – Open House 10am-1pm for Future Enrolled families
  • Thursday, March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day – Wear Green
  • Wednesday, March 23rd – Spring Egg Hunt (Parent Volunteers needed to hide eggs)
  • April 10th – 16th – Week of the Young Child
  • Friday, April 22nd – Earth Day – Big Event (Parent Volunteers Needed)
  • Friday, May 6th – Mother’s Day Social – Big Event
  • May 23rd-27th – Teacher Appreciation Week
  • Monday, May 30th – School Closed – Memorial Day
  • Friday, June 10th – Father’s Day Social – Big Event
  • Thursday, June 16th – Last Day of the School Year Celebration Day
  • Thursday, June 16th – Pre-K Graduation (6:30 PM)
  • Friday, June 17th – School Closed for Staff in Service Day
  • Monday, June 20th – First day of 2016-17 School Year & Summer

 *Events/Visitors will be added as they are confirmed. Please check the online calendar, e-mail reminders and the front window for events.
** Merryhill Spirit Shirts are now available for purchase $10 each!


Reminders

Merryhill Promotes Literacy:Over the next few months we will continue promoting early literacy in our school and throughout our community with many exciting events and visitors.  We will have visits from our Merryhill Elementary School Reading Buddies, Splash of the Stockton Ports Baseball Team and Clifford the Big Red Dog.  The children have already begun reading their books to qualify for the Baseball by the Books Program through the Stockton Ports.  Through this program each child will earn free tickets to our Merryhill Family Stockton Ports Game in April. Our school was the winner with the most participants 2 years ago and as a result we earned a grant to enhance or libraries.

Priority Registration:  It is now time to register for the 2016-2017 School Year.  We will be offering our Priority Registration Special to our current families for a limited time, so it is best to guarantee your child’s space by registering as early as possible. Look for the Priority Registration Packets in your child’s folder this month.

Parent’s Night Out: Thank you for your interest and Participation in our Parent’s Night Out events. Our next Parent’s Night is in the planning stages and we will let you know as soon as we have decided on the next date.  Parent’s Night Out is an opportunity for you to enjoy a night out while the children enjoy a special night with us at school. Dinner, a movie and fun filled activities will be provided. $25 per child / $15 for each additional sibling. Spaces are available on a first come first serve basis. Advance Payment is requested. 24 hr advance cancellation notice is required.

Change of Seasons: With the change of seasons please remember to update your child’s clothing in their cubbies. If they have difficulties keeping their jackets on while outside, we recommend bringing a pullover sweatshirt or sweater. Also please label all of their items so lost items can be returned to their owners. All children are required to have a fitted sheet for their nap mats as well as a blanket. The sheets and blankets must be taken home each Friday and laundered and then returned on Monday.

We Are a Nut-Free School: Please do not send your child to school with items that contain nuts. We will have to return the items to you at the end of the day. Thank you for being considerate of our children who have nut allergies and working with us to keep our school safe for everyone.

Enrollment Schedules: Our 5 full day schedule gives your child access to every event at our school, and we encourage our students to attend school on a 5 day a week program to gain the highest benefit from our Links to Learning curriculum. Switching days, so your child may participate in special activities or events may not always be accommodated. If you have previously signed up for a part time schedule and would like to increase your schedule, please notify the office as soon as possible. Spaces are limited!

Vacation Policy: I would like to take a moment to remind you of our Vacation Time Request Policy. We offer 1 week of Vacation Credit per school year. This year’s inclusive school year dates are June 29, 2015 thru June 20, 2016. This week is inclusive/reflective of your child’s schedule. We require 30 days advance notice to process the Vacation Request, which includes auditing the records to make sure a previous Vacation Credit has not been issued this school year. Please submit all vacation requests in writing or via e-mail a minimum of 30 days prior to your requested Vacation Time. Your child must be enrolled a minimum of 6 months to qualify for the Vacation Credit.

Flu Season and our Illness Policy: As you know the flu season seems to be never ending this year. I wanted to remind you of Merryhill’s illness policies as well as some tips and guidance for sick children (and adults of any age). Please help us by notifying us when your child or a member of your household has been diagnosed or has symptoms of an illness so we can be aware and pro-active on our end. – Thank you for working with us to keep everyone in our Merryhill Community safe and healthy! We are being vigilant about our cleaning and disinfection practices in every classroom and all common areas.

Merryhill’s Sick Policy:

The purpose of our sick policy as it applies to children is as follows:

  1. To reduce the spread of illness from the sick child to other children.
  2. To reduce the possibility of the recuperating child returning to school before the child is fully recovered from the illness, which in turn could develop into a more serious illness.
  3. To prevent the constant spread of colds, flu and diarrhea so common among small children.

Parents are to assist us in maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all of our children by helping to reduce the spread of illness from a sick child. If you, as a parent, have any questions regarding this policy, feel free to discuss them with any member of our Administrative Team.

A sick child must stay home where he/she is most relaxed and comfortable. Children may be sent home if they have any specific symptoms as listed below. In addition, a child must be free of all of these specified symptoms for at least 24 hours before he/she can be returned to school. These symptoms are as follows:

  1. A fever of 100 degrees or more within the previous 24-hour period.
  2. Vomiting within the previous 24-hour period.
  3. Diarrhea within the previous 24-hour period, including recurring episodes of diarrhea at school.
  4. A heavy nasal discharge indicative of infection.
  5. A constant cough or sore throat.
  6. Fussy, cranky behavior, and generally not himself/herself.
  7. A skin rash, excluding diaper rash.
  8. Head lice.
  9. Symptoms of a communicable disease.

Following an illness, a child may return to school once he/she has either been seen by a doctor or it has been determined that the illness is not contagious. #A doctor’s clearance may be requested.)

With the exception of our infant population, children at Merryhill Preschool will be involved in physical fitness activities, both indoors and outdoors, as an important part of the curriculum. If a parent believes that his/her child is not well enough to participate, s/he will probably be more comfortable at home in more familiar surroundings. The school is not equipped to accommodate the needs of a sick child. Additionally, to prevent widespread flu in the school, we recommend that your child stay home from school if experiencing flu or cold symptoms.

Late Payment Fees: Effective immediately a late payment fee of $25 will be automatically applied to all open invoices at 12 noon every Tuesday. Tuition is due every Friday for the following week. To avoid late fees it is possible to set up an automatic payment program at no extra charge to you. Please speak with Ms. Tammy, or Ms. Pauline and they will be happy to assist you in registering for this convenient program.

Safety First: We would like to remind you of a few security measures that we need your assistance with in regards to school safety.

  1. It is extremely important that you sign your child in and out of the daily sign in book each day. This is a legal document verifying that your child was checked in and out of school for the day.
  2. Please make sure all doors close securely behind you when you leave a room or the building.
  3. Please refrain from exiting through the Emergency Exit Door to the parking lot. (We do not want the children to think it is okay to use this door.)
  4. Please do not give out your door code to anyone other than the primary people on your pick up list.
  5. Please do not allow “piggy backing” at the front door. If there is someone behind or in front of you that does not know the code, please ring the door bell, which is located above the key pad.
  6. If you know in advance that someone other than your normal approved designated pick up person will be picking up, please complete a Pick Up Notification Form at the front desk or call/e-mail us to notify us of the change.
  7. If you change your cell phone number, please update this on your child’s Emergency Card.

Parking Lot Safety: Please remember not to leave any valuables in your car (including your children) when entering our building or any other location. With the slump in the economy, thieves are getting BOLD! They are taking part in a practice to which the Stockton Police refer as “Smash and Grab”. What they do is sit in clear view of parking lots of schools, post offices, etc where people are busy and running in and out of a location. They target mostly women’s cars who leave without a purse in hand who have left their purses, lap tops, etc. sitting in plain view in their locked vehicles! The “locked vehicle” does not stop them as they come prepared with a special glass breaking tool! They break your window, grab what they want and speed away!

Please do not leave anything of value or that resembles a purse or bag in plain view in your car, for any amount of time! This includes your children!

If you see any suspicious activity please report it to the office immediately or call the Stockton police Department at 209-937-8377. The more observant the better including Make and Model of the car and a License Plate # if possible. We ask that you pass on this information to anyone who is authorized to pick up your children.

Please see below for additional reminders about parking lot safety on our campus.

Rules for Vehicles While On School Grounds: Because the safety of our children is of paramount concern to us, we require all parents to adhere to the following rules of the road while on campus:

  1. There is a 5 miles per hour speed limit at all times while on school property.
  2. Park in designated parking spaces only.
  3. While on school grounds, pedestrians always have the right of way.
  4. Vehicle ignitions MUST be turned off, and the keys removed, while parked on school grounds.
  5. Children may NOT be left unattended in a vehicle at any time or for any reason.
  6. Violations of these rules may result in a warning. If a violation is serious, or if violations continue, school personnel are authorized to take a tag number for a report to the local police.

Thank you for partnering with us to keep all of our children safe.

Tuition Policy Reminders: 

  • Full day rates include lunch and two snacks per day.
  • Tuition is due no later than the Friday prior to the weekly preferred schedule circled above. A late payment fee of $25 is assessed at noon on Monday following the due date. Returned checks will be assessed a $2.00 per day late charge from the date tuition was due until the tuition is paid in full by cashier’s check only. In addition, a $25.00 service charge will be assessed.
  • All third party clients are responsible for any tuition not paid by the agency and will be held accountable for any tuition owing
  • Merryhill Schools are open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays except holidays. A fee of $5.00 per each five minutes will be assessed for children picked up after 6:00 p.m.
  • Merryhill offers a one-week vacation credit to qualified students during each 12-month school year and can be used with a 30 day prior written notification. To qualify, the student must be enrolled six months prior to vacation.
  • Parents who wish to withdraw their child must give written notice 30 days prior to leaving. We reserve the right to suspend or dismiss a child (in our sole discretion) for unsatisfactory or inappropriate behavior, if we do not have adequate expertise or resources for the child’s educational, medical, or other needs, for violations of our policies, or if for any reason we determine it to be in the best interest of the school.

Important Dates & Times

  • First Day of School: June 22, 2015
  • Last Day of School: June 16, 2016
  • School Day Opening Time: 9:00 a.m.
  • Building Opening Time: 6:00 a.m.
  • Building Closing Time: 6:00 p.m.*

* A late pickup fee of $1 per minute per child will be charged after 6pm

On Time Tuition Payments / Late Payment Fees / Payment Options: I would like to thank all of you for paying your Tuition each week in advance. As you are all aware, Tuition payments are due at the beginning of each week. Any payments received after your child’s first day of attendance each week will be charged an additional late fee of $25.To save you time and the headache of having to remember your checkbook every Monday, it is now possible to set up an automatic payment program at no extra charge to you. Please speak with Ms. Tammy, Ms. Pauline or Ms. Kasey and they will assist you in registering for this convenient program.


Additional Reminders

  • If an unfamiliar person is picking up your child, please, have him or her check in at the front desk. The teacher will ask for ID. Thank you for understanding we want to keep your children safe.
  • If you will not be picking up your child please fill out a pick up form at the front desk.
  • Check your child’s cubby for extra clothes a few times a week. Also, dirty clothing items will be bagged and placed in the cubby for you to take home.
  • Any personal blankets or bibs need to be marked. We understand many parents do not want their baby items to be shared with classmates. In addition, we want to return any personal items to your baby if the items go through our laundry. Let’s work together to accomplish this goal.

Clothing & Toys: Remember to update your child’s clothing in their cubbies as the seasons change. Also please label all of their items so lost items can be returned to their owners. All children are required to have a fitted sheet for their nap mats as well as a blanket. The sheets and blankets must be taken home each Friday and laundered and then returned on Monday. Share toys are for Fridays only. Please have your child keep their personal toys home on all other days. We are not responsible for lost or damaged personal items.

PM Snacks: We do serve a snack to the children around 5pm each evening. To clear up some confusion, we do this as a courtesy for those parents who work late and may not be able to feed the children right away. We do not provide the snack foods for this optional snack and we do request that you pack something healthy. Remember that soda and candy are not suggested snack foods.


Merryhill Elementary School

What About Kindergarten?

If you are interested in staying within the Merryhill Family and would like to continue your child’s great education, please visit our sister Elementary/Middle School in the Brookside area, just three exits south of 8 Mile Rd. You can reach the Brookside Campus at 209-477-9005 or Corinne.Deprater@nlcinc.com.


From Our Home Office

Introducing Your Preschooler to the Fascinating World of Non-Fiction

When you think about children’s books, you might envision princesses in castles, talking animals or a flying magic school bus. Although it’s fun to read these types of stories with your child, it’s important to also introduce him to non-fiction books. You may be surprised to learn that he’s fascinated with exploring real people, places and things!

Non-fiction is not only interesting to children, but it also creates an important foundation for learning. It helps children build new vocabulary, develop critical thinking skills, fuel their curiosity and gain a better understanding about the world around them.

Below are ways we integrate non-fiction in the classroom, as well as activities you can try at home.

INFANTS:

In the classroom: Infants love to look at faces, so our teachers choose non-fiction books that include photographs of people, such as Global Babies by Global Fund for Children. Afterward, they show the baby a photo of his own family and talk about the people in the photo. For example, “Look, Ben. Here’s your mom. Who’s she holding? That’s you.”

At home: Read multi-sensory picture books with your child. Choose non-fiction books with different textures and bright colors to help stimulate his growing sensory awareness.

Recommended reading: Families by Rena D. Grossman, Bathtime (Baby Touch & Feel) by DK Publishing

TODDLERS (ages 1-2):

In the classroom: Toddlers learn the names of different animals and vehicles and the sounds they make. While singing songs with students, our teachers ask, “What does a pig say?” or “What sound does a fire truck make?”

At home: Point out photographs of familiar animals and vehicles in magazines or books. Ask your child to mimic the noise that each item makes. This can also be done in the car as you’re driving around your neighborhood.

Recommended reading: Baby Animals by National Geographic Kids, Noisy Trucks by Tiger Tales

BEGINNERS (ages 2-3):

In the classroom: Teachers and students read non-fiction books by going on picture walks. A picture walk motivates children to rely on pictorial clues to decipher the story’s plot and make predictions. Before reading the story, they flip through the book, and the child is encouraged to make predictions about the characters and plot. The teacher then reads the book aloud to the student. When finished, the teacher asks questions to start a conversation about the text.

At home: Visit a library with your child, and let him choose a book. Take a picture walk through the book with him. When you’re finished, ask the librarian to recommend a non-fiction book about the same topic. For example, if you read Clifford the Big Red Dog, your child might also be interested in Puppies, Puppies, Puppies, a non-fiction book by Susan Meyers.

Recommended reading: My First Baseball Book by Sterling Children’s, Everything Spring by Jill Esbaum

INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4):

In the classroom: Our Intermediate teachers combine non-fiction reading with dramatic play. After reading a book about farm life, children create their own farm in the dramatic play center and pretend to be farmers. Children gain a better understanding of the book, practice problem solving skills, and use new vocabulary.

At home: Select a book with large photographs or illustrations. Flip through the book, and let your child stop on pages that interest him. Don’t worry about reading every page. Ask him to tell you what is going on in the pictures, and encourage him to make comparisons to experiences he’s had in real life. For example, if you pick a book about weather, you might ask, “Where do we go in the summertime when it’s hot?” or “Why do we use an umbrella in the springtime?”

Recommended reading: Watching the Seasons by Edana Eckart, Wings by Melanie Mitchell

PRE-K/PRE-K2 (ages 4-5):

In the classroom: Our older preschoolers read a non-fiction book paired with a fiction book, and compare and contrast the two stories. After reading Stella Luna and Bat Loves the Night, the teacher might ask, “In Stella Luna, the bat slept upright. Is that how a real bat sleeps?” Students may also create a Venn diagram that shows similarities and differences in the two books.

At home: Read various forms of non-fiction with your child, including books, brochures and flyers. Challenge him to find sight words in the text. Afterward, ask him to write in his journal what he would like to learn about next. Use that information when choosing another piece of non-fiction.

Recommended reading: Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin (fiction), Wonderful Worms by Linda Glaser (non-fiction)

By introducing children to both fiction and non-fiction texts in the preschool years, they become comfortable with a wide range of subjects and acquire the skills needed to comprehend important information in kindergarten and beyond. They are better able to tap into their interests and enjoy learning about real world people, places and things.

– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education

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