Dear Merryhill Families,
Spring is here! April is going to be an exciting month for Merryhill School. April 11th through the 15th we will be celebrating the Week of the Young Child. The Week of the Young Child is “an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers and families. During this week we will have a special event each day, so be sure to check our calendar for all the fun activities!
We are very proud to be an accredited school with a clear vision and mission, dedicated to continuous improvement. This month, the Accreditation Review Team from AdvancEd will visit our school for re-accreditation. What does our AdvancED National Accreditation status mean to you?
Children who receive high-quality early childhood education are better prepared to succeed in elementary and secondary classrooms.
Those children who actively engage in early learning programs:
- are more social,
- earn better grades,
- require less or need no special education instruction later in school,
- improve their attention spans,
- are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college,
- exhibit fewer behavioral problems and
- are less likely to become involved with crime in later years.
But more importantly, these children are better positioned for long term success.
You can be assured that early learning schools awarded AdvanceED Accreditation not only meet educational standards, but also provide the safe, encouraging and nurturing environment so critical to the development of young children. *
*For more information please visit www.advanc-ed.org
Please continue reading below to stay connected with April happenings!
Have an awesome month!
Sincerely,
Angel Ahlbrandt, Principal
Shirley Gent, Asssistant Principal
“At Merryhill School we provide a challenging and nurturing environment where children are give a strong academic foundation to be lifelong learners.”
April Classroom Newsletters
Calendars
2016 Summer Camp Brochures
2016 School Age Summer Camp Brochure
2016 Preschool Summer Camp Brochure
Reminders
- Please remember to bring extra changes of clothes for your child (please include a change of underwear, socks & shoes). We especially need extra clothes for sizes 2, 3, & 4 (boys and girls), any donations would be greatly appreciated!
- Please sign up for our Celly Text Alerts. This is the fastest way we can communicate to our families for school closures, important reminders, etc. Please see the front desk for information.
- Check this website if we have a closing due to weather!!!
- Per state licensing, please send your child in closed-toe and closed-heel shoes; such as, sneakers. This will help prevent your children from being injured.
- Please remember to sign your child In and Out daily.
- For the safety of all our children, it is required that a parent/adult escort your child to their classrooms. Please also remember an authorized adult (18 years and older) must sign children out for the day.
Elementary Age After School & Camp Program
Winter, Spring & Summer Camp full day schedules
Please consider us for your child’s after school program! We pick up at the following elementary schools:
- Keller ISD: Whitley Road, Freedom, Florence, Shady Grove, Liberty
- Birdville ISD: Green Valley
- International Leadership
For Parents
Linking Learning with Nature
Spring is here! Flowers are blooming, days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer. Now is a great time for children to explore these environmental changes happening in the world around them.
Not only are children curious about nature, but research shows that it has a profound influence on their problem solving skills, creativity, imagination and cognitive ability. Because of this, our teachers incorporate nature in all aspects of our Links to Learning curriculum.
Below are ways we connect learning with nature, as well as activities you can do with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS:
In the classroom: After reading a book about springtime, teachers bring children outdoors to explore and investigate objects in nature. The children have fun crumbling leaves, smelling flowers and looking at clouds.
At home: Take tummy time outdoors and allow your infant to explore different sights, sounds and textures. Encourage him to move and grab things by placing objects just beyond his reach. For toddlers, ask questions like, “Who made that chirping sound” or “Can you point to the flowers?”
Recommended reading: Wake Up! Wake Up! A Springtime Lift-the-Flap Book by Kathryn Davis, Welcome Spring by Little Scholastic
BEGINNERS (ages 2-3):
In the classroom: Our Beginners read books about seasonal changes, then bring the story to life by going outdoors to find real-world examples.
At home: Help make your child aware of the seasonal changes going on around him. Talk a walk with him and ask questions such as “Why do we see flowers growing now?” or “What do flowers need in order to grow?” Encourage him to use his creativity when answering.
Recommended reading: Over in the Meadow by Olive Wadsworth, Mouse’s First Spring by Lauren Thompson
INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4):
In the classroom: Students plant seeds in their school garden and learn about the importance of caring for them. Through this activity, they practice math skills such as measuring, sorting, counting and making predictions.
At home: Set up a bird feeder outside a window that your child can easily see. Let him help you fill it with birdfeed. As the birds come to eat, ask your child to talk about them. “What color are they?” “Are they big or small?” “What are they doing?”
Recommended reading: Little Seed by Eric Carle, Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (ages 4-5):
In the classroom: Pre-K and Pre-K 2 students explore the sounds they hear in nature while playing outdoors. They then use recycled and natural materials, such as string and pine cones, to make their own wind chime.
At home: Reuse junk mail for a fun arts and crafts activity with your child. Encourage him to look through flyers and magazines to find words and pictures that he recognizes. Then, ask him to create a collage by cutting and gluing them to a piece of paper or poster board.
Recommended reading: And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano, About Springtime, Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
We provide many opportunities for our preschoolers to think creatively and imaginatively about the world around them. By setting this foundation, children build confidence in their own unique thoughts and maintain a thirst for learning as they enter elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education
April News
Dear Merryhill Families,
Spring is here! April is going to be an exciting month for Merryhill School. April 11th through the 15th we will be celebrating the Week of the Young Child. The Week of the Young Child is “an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers and families. During this week we will have a special event each day, so be sure to check our calendar for all the fun activities!
We are very proud to be an accredited school with a clear vision and mission, dedicated to continuous improvement. This month, the Accreditation Review Team from AdvancEd will visit our school for re-accreditation. What does our AdvancED National Accreditation status mean to you?
Children who receive high-quality early childhood education are better prepared to succeed in elementary and secondary classrooms.
Those children who actively engage in early learning programs:
But more importantly, these children are better positioned for long term success.
You can be assured that early learning schools awarded AdvanceED Accreditation not only meet educational standards, but also provide the safe, encouraging and nurturing environment so critical to the development of young children. *
*For more information please visit www.advanc-ed.org
Please continue reading below to stay connected with April happenings!
Have an awesome month!
Sincerely,
Angel Ahlbrandt, Principal
Shirley Gent, Asssistant Principal
“At Merryhill School we provide a challenging and nurturing environment where children are give a strong academic foundation to be lifelong learners.”
April Classroom Newsletters
Calendars
2016 Summer Camp Brochures
2016 School Age Summer Camp Brochure
2016 Preschool Summer Camp Brochure
Reminders
Elementary Age After School & Camp Program
Winter, Spring & Summer Camp full day schedules
Please consider us for your child’s after school program! We pick up at the following elementary schools:
For Parents
Linking Learning with Nature
Spring is here! Flowers are blooming, days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer. Now is a great time for children to explore these environmental changes happening in the world around them.
Not only are children curious about nature, but research shows that it has a profound influence on their problem solving skills, creativity, imagination and cognitive ability. Because of this, our teachers incorporate nature in all aspects of our Links to Learning curriculum.
Below are ways we connect learning with nature, as well as activities you can do with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS:
In the classroom: After reading a book about springtime, teachers bring children outdoors to explore and investigate objects in nature. The children have fun crumbling leaves, smelling flowers and looking at clouds.
At home: Take tummy time outdoors and allow your infant to explore different sights, sounds and textures. Encourage him to move and grab things by placing objects just beyond his reach. For toddlers, ask questions like, “Who made that chirping sound” or “Can you point to the flowers?”
Recommended reading: Wake Up! Wake Up! A Springtime Lift-the-Flap Book by Kathryn Davis, Welcome Spring by Little Scholastic
BEGINNERS (ages 2-3):
In the classroom: Our Beginners read books about seasonal changes, then bring the story to life by going outdoors to find real-world examples.
At home: Help make your child aware of the seasonal changes going on around him. Talk a walk with him and ask questions such as “Why do we see flowers growing now?” or “What do flowers need in order to grow?” Encourage him to use his creativity when answering.
Recommended reading: Over in the Meadow by Olive Wadsworth, Mouse’s First Spring by Lauren Thompson
INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4):
In the classroom: Students plant seeds in their school garden and learn about the importance of caring for them. Through this activity, they practice math skills such as measuring, sorting, counting and making predictions.
At home: Set up a bird feeder outside a window that your child can easily see. Let him help you fill it with birdfeed. As the birds come to eat, ask your child to talk about them. “What color are they?” “Are they big or small?” “What are they doing?”
Recommended reading: Little Seed by Eric Carle, Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (ages 4-5):
In the classroom: Pre-K and Pre-K 2 students explore the sounds they hear in nature while playing outdoors. They then use recycled and natural materials, such as string and pine cones, to make their own wind chime.
At home: Reuse junk mail for a fun arts and crafts activity with your child. Encourage him to look through flyers and magazines to find words and pictures that he recognizes. Then, ask him to create a collage by cutting and gluing them to a piece of paper or poster board.
Recommended reading: And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano, About Springtime, Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
We provide many opportunities for our preschoolers to think creatively and imaginatively about the world around them. By setting this foundation, children build confidence in their own unique thoughts and maintain a thirst for learning as they enter elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education