We hope your children enjoyed their fall lessons, pumpkin themed activities, and classroom celebrations last month. Seeing our students enjoy their Halloween costumes and fall attire is one of the highlights of the year for us. The Fall Festival was a huge success, and we can’t thank you enough for your attendance and participation and for your support in making this event such a successful one. We could not have done it without you!
November is filled with special cultural celebrations and events, and we are looking forward to sharing these wonderful experiences with our students. This month we are focusing on gratitude and connecting with our community. Each of our classrooms will be celebrating Thanksgiving with gratitude and care. We have many special activities planned for our students and are looking forward to sharing photos with you all on Links 2 Home.
Last but very important, please check your child’s LTL folders to find important information and updates. Please make sure to sign the front sheet of the Family Reports given out at the end of October and leave any comments so we can make sure to address any questions or concerns you may have.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your families and friends.
Yvonne Valenzuela
Principal
Important Dates to remember:
22-23 School Year
November 3-10 – Scholastic Book Fair
November 11 – Closed for Veterans Day
November 24/25 – Closed for Thanksgiving
December 26 – Closed for Winter Holiday
January 2 – Closed for New Year Holiday
January 16 – Closed for MLK Day
February 20 – Closed for President’s Day
March 10 – Closed for Teacher Professional Development
May 24-25 – Lifetouch picture day
May 29 – Closed Memorial Day
News From our Education Department
Did you know… National STEM/STEAM Day is November 8th! We believe that introducing these concepts in preschool is important to help children build problem-solving, reasoning, and critical thinking skills, as well as self-confidence and self-direction. All year long, our students work collaboratively to create vehicles using cardboard boxes, make containers[.....]
Read More »
Keep in mind…. *
Home-Based Symptom Screening:
All children MUST be pre-screened at home for Covid Symptoms prior to attending school.
It is recommended that all students, parents, and other individuals who are two years and older wear a face mask when on school premises.
Ancillary Classes at Merryhill Karitsa!
Amazing Athletes class, Hip Hop dance class, and Music Matt music class are in full swing now here at Karitsa! Information regarding the sign up for these classes is available at the front desk.
Extra Clothing Reminder
If you’ve not already done so, please send in an extra set of weather appropriate clothes for your child. Extra clothing must be brought to school in a ziplock bag. No loose items can be stored in your child’s cubby.
Links 2 Home
If you’re not currently receiving photos and daily reports for your child, you can easily change this by downloading the Links 2 Home app on your phone. Just type ‘Links 2 Home’ in the search bar for the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. After downloading, you can register with the same email address that you used to enroll your child in our school.
Online Parent Communication
In addition to our newsletter, the ‘For Parents’ section of our website also includes links to our menu, monthly calendar and school year calendar. We update these items frequently to ensure you’re always in the know. Though we send information through Links 2 Home, our calendar can be printed or even downloaded directly to your device. Our menu and school year calendar can be printed or saved for easy reference as well.
Updating your Information in Alma
Do you have a different email address or phone number? Need to add or remove an emergency contact? You can do this at any time in Alma. If you need help logging in or accessing the system please let us know.
A few friendly reminders …….
Illness Policy Reminder:
Our parents are vital partners in helping us to maintain a safe and healthy environment for the students in our school. The most important thing you can do to assist us in creating a healthy environment is to keep your child home if they are ill. This reduces the spread of illness and allows your child to fully recuperate. Children may not attend school until they have been symptom free for 72 hours if they display any of the following:
- Fever of 100.4 degrees of more—must be fever free for 72 hours with no fever-reducing medicine before returning to school
- Vomiting, diarrhea or stomach upset
- Heavy nasal discharge requiring wiping every 3-5 minutes
- Persistent, non-productive or barking cough
- Sore throat
- Skin rash, including diaper rash
- Head lice
- Symptoms of a communicable disease
- Fussy, cranky behavior unlike child’s normal demeanor that may indicate illness
- For more information please see our Parent Handbook or reach out to a member of our administrative team.
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 refer as “Smash and Grab”. 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!
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:
- There is a 5 miles per hour speed limit at all times while on school property.
- Park in designated parking spaces only.
- While on school grounds, pedestrians always have the right of way.
- Vehicle ignitions MUST be turned off, and the keys removed, while parked on school grounds.
- Children may NOT be left unattended in a vehicle at any time or for any reason.
- 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.
Tuition Policy Reminder:
Tuition is due no later than Friday prior to the week of attendance. Tuition is considered delinquent at 12:00 PM on Monday. A $25 late fee charge will be assessed at that time and should be included in your payment. Tuition is continuous throughout the year. There are no deductions in tuition for absences, illness, or the holidays that are observed throughout the year. Each child is entitled to one week of vacation credit for each school year after attending school for six months. Requests for vacation credit must be presented in writing to the office at least two weeks in advance.
- A charge of $1 per minute will be assessed for children picked-up after 12:00 PM for half-day students, and 6:00 PM for full-day students.
- Sign up for our Automatic Payment Program and avoid late fee charges via your parent portal, ALMA! You can also use this portal to submit payments via credit card.
- We encourage you all parents to sign into your parent portal, ALMA, to view your account, print statements, make payments, and update contact information. ALMA is an online platform that can be reached from this website from the “For Parents” tab. Please see an administrative staff member if you need help setting up your account or a password reset.
Additional Reminders:
- Please make sure that your child has a crib-sized fitted sheet to cover his/her mat, a blanket, and at least two spare set of clothing in his/her cubby. On Fridays, you must take blankets and sheets home to be laundered and return them on Mondays. Please check your child’s cubby everyday for soiled clothing or other items that may need to be taken home. Please also make sure all items are clearly marked with your child’s name (clothing, sheets, blankets, sweaters and jackets, towels and bathing suits, etc.).
- We ask that your child wear appropriate shoes to School in order to protect them for potential injuries. Flip Flops are not permitted at school.
- Merryhill School is a NUT FREE environment, we ask that you not bring any food items into the school that contain nut products.
Love Our School? Review Us!
In today’s connected world, many families turn to online reviews to learn more about the reputation of schools. Just a reminder that you can find our school on Facebook, Google, Yelp and other online directories. We’d love more families like yours, so please consider spreading the word about our school!
November 2022 Newsletter
Dear Merryhill Families,
We hope your children enjoyed their fall lessons, pumpkin themed activities, and classroom celebrations last month. Seeing our students enjoy their Halloween costumes and fall attire is one of the highlights of the year for us. The Fall Festival was a huge success, and we can’t thank you enough for your attendance and participation and for your support in making this event such a successful one. We could not have done it without you!
November is filled with special cultural celebrations and events, and we are looking forward to sharing these wonderful experiences with our students. This month we are focusing on gratitude and connecting with our community. Each of our classrooms will be celebrating Thanksgiving with gratitude and care. We have many special activities planned for our students and are looking forward to sharing photos with you all on Links 2 Home.
Last but very important, please check your child’s LTL folders to find important information and updates. Please make sure to sign the front sheet of the Family Reports given out at the end of October and leave any comments so we can make sure to address any questions or concerns you may have.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your families and friends.
Yvonne Valenzuela
Principal
Important Dates to remember:
22-23 School Year
November 3-10 – Scholastic Book Fair
November 11 – Closed for Veterans Day
November 24/25 – Closed for Thanksgiving
December 26 – Closed for Winter Holiday
January 2 – Closed for New Year Holiday
January 16 – Closed for MLK Day
February 20 – Closed for President’s Day
March 10 – Closed for Teacher Professional Development
May 24-25 – Lifetouch picture day
May 29 – Closed Memorial Day
News From our Education Department
5 Easy STEM Activities to Try This Month at Home
Read More »
Keep in mind…. *
Home-Based Symptom Screening:
All children MUST be pre-screened at home for Covid Symptoms prior to attending school.
It is recommended that all students, parents, and other individuals who are two years and older wear a face mask when on school premises.
Ancillary Classes at Merryhill Karitsa!
Amazing Athletes class, Hip Hop dance class, and Music Matt music class are in full swing now here at Karitsa! Information regarding the sign up for these classes is available at the front desk.
Extra Clothing Reminder
If you’ve not already done so, please send in an extra set of weather appropriate clothes for your child. Extra clothing must be brought to school in a ziplock bag. No loose items can be stored in your child’s cubby.
Links 2 Home
If you’re not currently receiving photos and daily reports for your child, you can easily change this by downloading the Links 2 Home app on your phone. Just type ‘Links 2 Home’ in the search bar for the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. After downloading, you can register with the same email address that you used to enroll your child in our school.
Online Parent Communication
In addition to our newsletter, the ‘For Parents’ section of our website also includes links to our menu, monthly calendar and school year calendar. We update these items frequently to ensure you’re always in the know. Though we send information through Links 2 Home, our calendar can be printed or even downloaded directly to your device. Our menu and school year calendar can be printed or saved for easy reference as well.
Updating your Information in Alma
Do you have a different email address or phone number? Need to add or remove an emergency contact? You can do this at any time in Alma. If you need help logging in or accessing the system please let us know.
A few friendly reminders …….
Illness Policy Reminder:
Our parents are vital partners in helping us to maintain a safe and healthy environment for the students in our school. The most important thing you can do to assist us in creating a healthy environment is to keep your child home if they are ill. This reduces the spread of illness and allows your child to fully recuperate. Children may not attend school until they have been symptom free for 72 hours if they display any of the following:
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 refer as “Smash and Grab”. 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!
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:
Tuition Policy Reminder:
Tuition is due no later than Friday prior to the week of attendance. Tuition is considered delinquent at 12:00 PM on Monday. A $25 late fee charge will be assessed at that time and should be included in your payment. Tuition is continuous throughout the year. There are no deductions in tuition for absences, illness, or the holidays that are observed throughout the year. Each child is entitled to one week of vacation credit for each school year after attending school for six months. Requests for vacation credit must be presented in writing to the office at least two weeks in advance.
Additional Reminders:
Love Our School? Review Us!
In today’s connected world, many families turn to online reviews to learn more about the reputation of schools. Just a reminder that you can find our school on Facebook, Google, Yelp and other online directories. We’d love more families like yours, so please consider spreading the word about our school!