Happy New Year!
Winter has definitely arrived with a serious drop in temperature and change of weather. We welcome the much needed rain and the children are enjoying talking about the changes in the weather. It has made their daily weather predictions very interesting. Please make sure all sweaters and jackets are clearly labeled as even though it is cold outside, it can get quite toasty indoors with all of the activities and movement.
We hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season. December was full of cheer and adventure as some of our students took the stage for the first time at the Pre-K Holiday Show. We definitely have a lot of great talent and personalities amongst us! We hope that you all enjoyed the special Holiday Breakfast with Santa and Silent Auction event. It was so nice to see so many of our families connecting with each other!
Thank you for participating in our “Giving Without Walls” Community Projects. The children were able to experience the joy of giving books for children in the hospital. Together we collected and delivered over 100 books for the children who spent the holidays in the Pediatric Ward of St. Joseph’s Medical Center. The children, families and staff of the hospital were very moved by this generous act of kindness. Our school was even featured on the local news for giving to the community while promoting early literacy.
The children are excited to be back to school and their normal schedules. Links to Learning is in full swing in all of our classrooms as the children continue to learn, grow and develop with every new experience, project and activity that they participate in. I encourage you to take a moment upon dropping off or picking up your children to ask them about the projects that you see in the classroom as well as documentation of experiences that are displayed throughout the classrooms and hallways. They are always very proud and excited to talk about what they have participated in at school, but there is so much going on, that sometimes a prompt is helpful to begin the conversation.
Thank you for being a very important part of the Merryhill Family!
Special Events/Theme Days* (Every Tuesday is Merryhill Spirit Day -Wear a Merryhill Shirt**)
- January 1st – School Closed- Happy New Year!
- January 2nd – Pajama Day
- January 8th – Fairytale Day
- January 16th – Disney Day
- January 20th – Martin Luther King Jr. Day (School Closed)
- January 25th – Open House for Future Enrolled Families (10am-1pm)
- January 31st – National Backwards Day – Dress Backwards!
- February 11th -14th -School Picture Days
- Monday, February 17th – President’s Day – School Closed
- Saturday, February 29th – Merryhill Literacy Fair – 10am-1pm (Scholastic Book Fair Begins)
- February 29th-March 6th– Scholastic Book Fair
Reminders:
Links 2 Home App Usage:
We know that it is a busy time for our families, and want to communicate school happenings as clearly as possible to ensure that no one is left out. Daily reports are sent via email each day, but our Links 2 Home app keeps all school communications in one place and is always accessible. The app also allows to you communicate absences to your child’s teacher, leave drop-off notes, and read teacher and administrative notes in detail.
If you’re not a current app user, we encourage you to visit the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to download the app today. You will need to login with the email address you use for Alma. Please let us know if you have issues logging into Links 2 Home!
Safety First: We would like to remind you of a few security measures that we need your assistance with in regards to school safety.
- It is extremely important that you sign your child in and out each day. This is a legal document verifying that your child was checked in and out of school for the day.
- Please make sure all doors close securely behind you when you leave a room or the building.
- 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.)
- Please do not give out your door code to anyone other than the primary people on your pick up list.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. 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!
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 July 1, 2019 thru June 30, 2020 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.
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.
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!
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.
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. This can be set up online through ALMA or through us. Please speak with Ms. Tammy, Ms. Pauline or Ms. Nadia and they will assist you in registering for this convenient program.
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.
From Our Education Department:
This month, our schools are celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and discussing the importance of acceptance, love and kindness for all people. Many of our students will participate in a hands-on experiment using brown and white eggs. They will investigate the color of the shells and describe[.....]
Read More »
Merryhill January News
Happy New Year!
Winter has definitely arrived with a serious drop in temperature and change of weather. We welcome the much needed rain and the children are enjoying talking about the changes in the weather. It has made their daily weather predictions very interesting. Please make sure all sweaters and jackets are clearly labeled as even though it is cold outside, it can get quite toasty indoors with all of the activities and movement.
We hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season. December was full of cheer and adventure as some of our students took the stage for the first time at the Pre-K Holiday Show. We definitely have a lot of great talent and personalities amongst us! We hope that you all enjoyed the special Holiday Breakfast with Santa and Silent Auction event. It was so nice to see so many of our families connecting with each other!
Thank you for participating in our “Giving Without Walls” Community Projects. The children were able to experience the joy of giving books for children in the hospital. Together we collected and delivered over 100 books for the children who spent the holidays in the Pediatric Ward of St. Joseph’s Medical Center. The children, families and staff of the hospital were very moved by this generous act of kindness. Our school was even featured on the local news for giving to the community while promoting early literacy.
The children are excited to be back to school and their normal schedules. Links to Learning is in full swing in all of our classrooms as the children continue to learn, grow and develop with every new experience, project and activity that they participate in. I encourage you to take a moment upon dropping off or picking up your children to ask them about the projects that you see in the classroom as well as documentation of experiences that are displayed throughout the classrooms and hallways. They are always very proud and excited to talk about what they have participated in at school, but there is so much going on, that sometimes a prompt is helpful to begin the conversation.
Thank you for being a very important part of the Merryhill Family!
Special Events/Theme Days* (Every Tuesday is Merryhill Spirit Day -Wear a Merryhill Shirt**)
Reminders:
Links 2 Home App Usage:
We know that it is a busy time for our families, and want to communicate school happenings as clearly as possible to ensure that no one is left out. Daily reports are sent via email each day, but our Links 2 Home app keeps all school communications in one place and is always accessible. The app also allows to you communicate absences to your child’s teacher, leave drop-off notes, and read teacher and administrative notes in detail.
If you’re not a current app user, we encourage you to visit the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to download the app today. You will need to login with the email address you use for Alma. Please let us know if you have issues logging into Links 2 Home!
Safety First: We would like to remind you of a few security measures that we need your assistance with in regards to school safety.
Parking Lot Safety: Please remember not to leave any valuables in your car (including your children) when entering our building or any other location. 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!
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 July 1, 2019 thru June 30, 2020 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.
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.
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!
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.
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. This can be set up online through ALMA or through us. Please speak with Ms. Tammy, Ms. Pauline or Ms. Nadia and they will assist you in registering for this convenient program.
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.
From Our Education Department:
Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day With Your Preschooler
Read More »