2016 | January Newsletter
The Centre School News
From the Director
Important Dates
Monday January 11th: Parent Partnership
Happy New Year!
We hope everyone had a
wonderful New Year’s holiday and
enjoyed time with family and
friends.
With the new year, comes a new
school year. We have been very
busy working on classroom rosters
for September 2016. You will be
receiving a Re-Registration packet
the week of January 19th. This will
be the time to request any schedule
changes. The form and reregistraion fee are due back on
February 19th. Confirmation of
space and enrollment agreements
will go out during the end of
February. Please feel free to see
Carol or Heather with any
questions.
Monday January 18th: Center Closed
Jan. 19th – Feb. 19th: Re-Registration for
2016-2017 school year
Jan. 4th – Feb 31st: 2016 Parent Survey
Monday Febrauary 15th: Center Closed
Parent Survey
Each year, Bright Horizons conducts a
Parent Satisfaction Survey to assess our
strengths and areas of improvement. We
use feedback from the parent survey
results to make improvements to our
center and organization as a whole.Please
take a moment to fill out the parent survey.
We truly appreciate any and all input!
Please find the survey at the following link:
http://www.brighthorizons.com/parentsurvey
The Centre School
505 Canton Ave. Milton, MA 02186
617-696-0765 | [email protected]
Monday through Friday 7:30am to 5:30pm
© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC
CLASSROOM HIGHLIGHTS
Toddler
This month we worked a lot on following directions and
positive communication. We believe that healthy socialemotional development is the foundation for all other
growth! Many of our friends have grown in this area and
are using more words everyday! This upcoming month we
will be doing a lot of active play as the colder months begin
we will try to stay as busy as possible! Numerous studies
have found that physical activity is directly tied to academic
learning and can even reduce and prevent behavioral issues.
Lately our friends have loved doing projects as a group
rather than parallel playing! We are going to continue
building on this!
Half Day Program
Through the fall term, the children have progressed through the
our world curriculum. Through planning ahead and making
choices about where we want to play during choice time and
experiencing the comforting words and gestures of out teachers,
we are learning to cooperate and participate in give and take,
consider another’s perspective, and offer and receive emotional
support.
Preschool One
This school term the children in Preschool One have made
progress in math and science. They have gotten better at
counting by one to one correspondence and have even
created simple patterns on their own. In science they have
moved away from just observing, to developing hypothesis,
and drawing conclusions. In the picture shown the children
are experimenting to find out cause and effect to
determine which objects will sink or float. They have
learned to use problem solving skills to independently seek
information.
© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC
CLASSROOM HIGHLIGHTS
Preschool Two
Through our language works curriculum, the children
utilize specific activies to progress in their abilities. Every
morning, we practice writing our names when we sign and
writing words in our journals. By the end of the year, the
children can copy a complete sentence and sound out
some words.
Enrichment
Since the beginning of the school year the Enrichment
children have been working on and developing positive
interactions and relationships with each other. The socialemotional growth that we have observed is enabling them
to enjoy playing games and doing group project work. For
example, when we were learning about Hanukkah the
children enjoyed playing the Dreidel game. While they
were playing the game we observed the children taking
turns, using patience and kindness, math skills and
honesty. We have also noticed that they are able to play
board games without as much teacher direction. They
are building on and using their problem solving skills more
efficiently to work out the different situations that arise.
© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC
READY FOR SCHOOL NEWS
Looking Back, Looking Forward
As we begin a new year, we look back on the progress our children have made, both collectively and
individually. We’re proud of the dedicated efforts of so many teachers, and center leadership teams who
strive to improve their classrooms. We’re excited about the new programs we’ve introduced and look
forward to more learning in the year ahead.
As a parent, you also are probably reflecting on your child’s growth in the past year. You may have plans
and goals for the coming year, and possibly even a few concerns over your child’s development. The
current education climate is often fraught with anxiety over academic achievement. You might wonder if
your child is doing and learning enough. In this article, we discuss what children really need for healthy,
happy growth.

Social-emotional learning. We believe that healthy social-emotional development is the
foundation for all other growth. Thus, we place great emphasis on creating environments and
relationships that foster positive interactions. We encourage you to use the same principles at
home. Create an environment that is peaceful, organized, and predictable as much as possible.
Model positive communication, as well as character traits like patience, kindness, honesty, and
integrity.

Early literacy skills. The ability to read is a precursor to almost every other academic success,
but you don’t need flash cards or workbooks. Instead, talk and sing with babies and toddlers. Point
out words in the environment. Let your child see you reading and writing, both for enjoyment and
for a specific purpose. Offer your child opportunities to write – make grocery lists, write emails to
friends, or draw posters. And most of all, try to read to your child each and every day.

Math and science experiences. Young children are natural explorers. They make sense of their
world through counting, measuring, patterning, observing, and experimenting. Look for math and
science opportunities in your everyday life. Count stairs, point out patterns in nature, or ask your
child to help you match up socks. Ask, “I wonder why” questions and look at cause and effect.

Active play. Little bodies are made for moving. Numerous studies have found that physical activity
is directly tied to academic learning and can even reduce or prevent behavioral issues. Get
outdoors, explore nature, and aim for at least one hour of active play every day.
Young children develop in a predictable sequence, but at their own pace. Abstract thinking does not
develop until elementary school; instead, young children are concrete thinkers. They learn through their
senses, through trial and error, and through hands-on learning. One of the best gifts you can give your child
is the time and space to explore and play, which boosts the executive function skills necessary for later
academic success.
And if all this feels like a tall order, start with one area and gradually add. The most important part is that
you have a positive, nurturing relationship with your child.
© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC
BRIGHT HORIZONS NEWS
Parent Survey Coming Out
This Month
Discover the road ahead in
your child’s education!
Discover the road ahead in your child's education at
our Preschool & Kindergarten Prep Preview event
coming in February. Learn how Bright Horizons
prepares children for success in school and beyond.
During Preview, you’ll have the opportunity to:
• Experience your child’s NEXT classroom and
engage in our STEM curriculum
• Meet with our teachers and be inspired by their
love of education
• Connect with other families in your Bright
Horizons community
To learn more about the Preview event at your
center, talk to your center director.
Each year, Bright Horizons full-service
centers and schools distribute a Parent
Satisfaction Survey. This is your opportunity
to let us know if we are continuing to meet
the needs of our families.
The annual survey will be available January 431 2016, and will be sent out via email.
The survey should take about 10 minutes to
complete. Its purpose is to gauge our
families’ satisfaction and opinions on a variety
of topics. Your responses directly benefit
your center and provide us with feedback on
how we can better serve you.
Please feel free to talk with your director
about any questions or concerns. Thank you
in advance!
We look forward to welcoming you and your child
during this family event. Be on the lookout for your
personal family invitation!
CONNECT WITH BRIGHT HORIZONS
© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC