The Play Schools
January 2017 Newsletter
The Play School at
Legacy
14454 Community Dr
Carmel, IN 46033
The Play School at
Saxony Village
13149 E 131st Street
Fishers, IN 46037
The Play School at
Stoney Creek
15575 Stony Creek Way
Noblesville, IN 46060
The Play School at
Arbor Village
11501 E 116th Street
Fishers, IN 46037
Phone:
(317) 810-1760
Fax:
(317) 810-1759
Email:
cassie@theplayschools
.com
Phone:
(317) 776-3330
Fax:
(317) 776-3390
Email:
krista@saxonyplay
school.com
Phone:
(317) 773-7695
Fax:
(317) 773-7665
Email:
keri@theplayschools
.com
Phone:
(317) 841-0647
Fax:
(317) 841-0754
Email:
monique@theplay
schools.com
Director:
Cassie Miller
Director:
Krista Roberts
Director:
Keri Mitchell
Director:
Monique Sharifi
Hours of
Operation:
6:30a-6:00p M-F
Contents
Greetings
1
2017 Goals
2
2017/18 Curriculum
3
Housekeeping Items
4, 5
Community Calendar
6
Lunch Menu
7
Small Business Spotlight
8
Other Admins
8
Upcoming
Events!

All Staff
Professional
Development DayWe will be CLOSED
on Monday,
February 20th,
2017!
The Play Schools
Page 2 of 8
January 2017
The Play Schools’ Goals for 2017
At the beginning of each New Year, we like to set goals for ourselves in an effort to continuously
improve our schools and the quality of care we provide for the children and families of The Play
School. This year we will be focusing our attention on the following goals:
Continue to focus on maintaining the current Paths to QUALITY Level at each
location.
Provide and pay incentives to reward continued education in the Early Childhood
field. We will also continue to focus on our in-house trainings with two Staff
Professional Development Days this year. The development days serve as an
important method of training and education for our teachers and support staff (see
page 4 for closures).
Growth and expansion in our community service projects and philanthropic efforts.
We still continue to be corporate sponsors of the SIDS Foundation and will be
introducing new community outreach programs such as Multiple Sclerosis
Awareness, and partnering with the Grace Care Center which is a community
outreach program for all people in need of assistance. (see page 6 for this year’s
projects).
Continue to enhance our Spanish, Music, and P.E. Enrichment Programs with the
most current educational developments. Introduce our newest Enrichment
Program, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) at each location.
These programs our taught by our own Play School staff members and are built into
your child’s daily schedule at no extra cost to you!
Maintain a well-educated, seasoned, and highly qualified faculty by offering above
wages, childcare benefits, a 401K match, and more!
Continue to improve our Preschool / Pre-Kindergarten programs to ensure all
children leave The Play School with the knowledge, tools, and confidence needed
to succeed in elementary school
Keep our schools at a high quality but still affordable to families. The Play School
desires to be family friendly and family focused because we are a family owned
business. We have served young people since 1988. We are driven to stay current
and to seek ways to improve our school for your child. This is an awesome
responsibility and privilege that we simply cannot take lightly. This was the goal
set thirty years ago and it has never wavered. At The Play School it has to always
be about your little girl or your little boy… because Every Child Is A Star.
Thank you for making it possible for us to continue setting and achieving our goals and for your
support of The Play School.
Written by: Rita Hafner
Founder/Owner
Page 3 of 8
The Play Schools
January 2017
2017/18 Play School Curriculum
Month
January
Themes
Animals
Nutrition
Smart Sleep
Letters
N, O, P
Colors
White
Shapes
Diamond
Number
11,12
Opposites
Over/Under
Gross
Motor
Stability
Happy/Sad
Throwing
Wet/Dry
Catching
toddler 6
February
Healthy Bodies
Go Go Grains
5 Senses
Q, R, S
Pink
Heart
(Feb., Mar., Apr.)
March
Splish Splash Spring
13,14
toddler 7
Bones
T, U, V
Green
Clover
15,16
toddler 8
April
Earth
May
Transportation
Power Up with Proteins
(May, June, July)
June
Energy Balance
W, X
Blue
Rectangle
17,18
toddler 9
On/Off
Striking
Move to the
Beat
Y, Z
Black
Oval
19,20
Stop/Go
Jump &
Run
Sunny/Cloudy
Kicking
Tall/Short
Stability
Boys/Girls
Throwing
3,4
toddler 2
In/Out
Catching
5,6
Up/Down
Striking
Big/Little
Jump &
Run
Hot/Cold
Kicking
toddler 10
Summer Fun
Healthy
And The Great Outdoors
Beverages
A-M
Review
Review
July
Summer Fun
Healthy
and The Great Outdoors
Beverages
N-Z
Review
Review
August
Me, My Family & My
Friends
Fabulous Fall Fruit and
Vegetables
Family Meal
A, B
Purple
square,
circle
triangle,
star
octagon
toddler
1-5
rectangle
11-20
heart,
diamond
clover, oval
toddler 610
Square
0,1,2
toddler 1
September
Community Helpers
Fabulous Fruits
C, D
Yellow
Triangle
October
Fantastic Fall
Love My
E, F, G
Orange
Circle
Veggies
November
Food
Perfect Portions
toddler 3
H, I, J
Brown
Octagon
Wonderful Winter Fruit and
Vegetable
December
Winter's Blustery Day
1-10
7,8
toddler 4
Go, Slow, Whoa
K, L, M
Red
Star
9,10
toddler 5
The Play Schools
Page 4 of 8
January 2017
Housekeeping Items
INCLEMENT WEATHER
INCLEMENT WEATHER
It is The Play School’s policy to remain open during winter weather. We do NOT close when the local elementary
schools close. We will close if local government officials deem the roads too unsafe to travel. This winter we will
notify parents and faculty of The Play School’s decision to close if that situation arises through:
PreciouStatus
Our Facebook Fan Page (The Play School)
WTHR Channel 13
2016 DONATIONS
We would like to thank everyone
who donated items throughout
2016. We were able to donate so
many wonderful items to families
who are less fortunate than ours
and we truly appreciate your
kindness and willingness to
participate in our monthly
community outreach programs.
Thank YOU for a wonderful 2016!
THE PLAY SCHOOL 2017 CLOSURES
Please mark your calendars for the following 2017 Play
School closures:
*Monday, February 20th, 2017 ~ Staff Professional Development Day /
President’s Day 2017
*Monday, May 29th, 2017 ~ Memorial Day 2017
SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB
Let’s get reading! Go to
Scholastic.com, find “The Reading
Club” under the parent link,
create an account, and happy
reading! Here are your school
codes you will enter:
Arbor Village: P4WBB
Saxony Village: L6Z9Y
Stoney Creek: DY6D4
Legacy: NZWYC
**Please make sure you are only
ordering under your Director’s
name and NOT a teacher in the
school. Thanks in advance for your
orders as it helps our schools’
libraries grow!
*Tuesday, July 4th, 2017 ~ Independence Day 2017
*Friday, September 1st, 2017 ~ Staff Professional Development Day
*Monday, September 4th, 2017 ~ Labor Day 2017
*Thursday, November 23rd, 2017 ~ Thanksgiving Day 2017
*Friday, November 24th, 2017 ~ Friday after Thanksgiving 2017
*Monday, December 25th, 2017 ~ In Observance of Christmas Day 2017
*Monday, January 1st, 2018 ~ In Observance of New Year’s Day 2018
(All tuition remains the same)
Page 5 of 8
The Play Schools
January 2017
Housekeeping Items (continued)
faf
HSE / NOBLESVILLE / CARMEL CLAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLOSURES
*Hamilton Southeastern: No School – Monday, January 2nd and Monday, January 16th
*Noblesville: No School – January 2nd – January 9th, Monday, January 16th; Early Release – Wednesday, January 25th
*Carmel: No School – January 2nd and January 16th
CHILDREN’S CUBBIES/EXTRA CLOTHES
Winter is here! We will still be taking our classrooms outside when the temperature plus the wind chill
are above freezing. Many classrooms have earlier playground times so please make sure that hats,
gloves/mittens, and appropriate coats are being sent to school with your child(ren). Please help us to
beat the inevitable “cabin fever” that will one-day set in and dress your child appropriately so we can
still get outside and run off the extra winter energy!
Also, please check your child’s “extra clothes bin” here at school. Please ensure that all of your
child’s extra clothes here at the school are long pants and long sleeves. We need extra clothes for
every child; we simply want to make sure it is size and season appropriate! Thank you for your help in
this matter.
HOLIDAY THANK YOU!
We wish to thank all of our families who so generously gave The Play School teachers and staff holiday
treats and/or gifts this past holiday season. We are very thankful and appreciative to be included in
your well wishes and gift giving during the busiest time of the year! It means a lot to us and does not go
unnoticed. From our families to yours, we wish you the best in 2017!
VACATION TIME
Don’t forget that each child receives two “tuition free vacation weeks” to use throughout The Play School’s calendar
year, which for us runs from August to August. These are designed to act as a credit on your account while your child
is away from the school enjoying family time or experiencing an unfortunate extended illness. A vacation week must
be used in one week’s time, Monday through Friday, as split weeks are not allowed. Any unused vacation weeks do
not roll over to the next year and cannot be used toward a two week withdraw notice from our schools. Please stop
by your center director’s desk and fill out a vacation slip in advance if you would like to use one of your child’s
weeks.
We’re on the Web!
Theplayschools.com
~~~~~~~~~~
Be sure to ‘like’
The Play School
on Facebook!
The Play Schools
Page 6 of 8
January 2017
2017 COMMUNITY CALENDAR
“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” ~Mother Teresa
Listed below are several community outreach service projects that we will be
focusing on supporting in 2017, in addition to numerous seasonal celebrations
that we will host throughout the year! Thank you in advance for any and all
donations we will receive throughout the year. We appreciate our wonderful
Play School families and your support to show children the importance of
caring for others.
February – Veteran’s Outreach ~ Socks Donations / Non-Perishable Food Donations
March – Multiple Sclerosis Awareness ~ Donations to MS Society
April – Week of the Young Child
May – Mother’s Day Tea
June – All About Dads
July – Humane Society
August – Car Seat Safety Month
September – Coat Drive ~ Collect coats of all sizes for less fortunate families
October – SIDS Awareness Month ~ Donations to SIDS research
November – Operation Christmas Child / Kans for Kids
December – Kans for Kids
“No one has ever become poor by giving.” ~Anne Frank
Page 7 of 8
The Play Schools
January 2017
What’s Cooking?
Our Lunch Menu
Monday, Jan. 2: Closed
Tuesday, Jan. 3: Homemade Spaghetti, meatballs/sauce, peas, salad, garlic toast, milk
Wednesday, Jan. 4: Homemade Sausage Pizza, sausage/cheese, carrots, fruit cocktail,
milk
Thursday, Jan. 5: Chili, beef, beans, corn, pears, crackers, milk
Friday, Jan. 6: Grilled Cheese Sandwich, baked beans, applesauce, milk
Monday, Jan. 9: Tuna Noodle Casserole, peas, mandarin oranges, milk
Tuesday, Jan. 10: Meatloaf, peas/carrots, peaches, bread slice, milk
Wednesday, Jan. 11: Creamed Turkey, turkey breast, yams, mashed potatoes, bread
slice, milk
Thursday, Jan. 12: Hamburger casserole, tater tots, corn, pears, bread slice, milk
Friday, Jan. 13: Grilled Chicken Patty Sandwich, green beans, applesauce, milk
Monday, Jan. 16: Cheesy Mac/Cheese, peas, pears, milk
Tuesday, Jan. 17: Beef/Cheese Burrito, corn, banana, soft shell, milk
Wednesday, Jan. 18: Grilled Cheese Sandwich, baked beans, peaches, milk
Thursday, Jan. 19: Chicken & Rice Casserole, brown rice, peas/carrots, applesauce, milk
Friday, Jan. 20: Chicken Tenders, broccoli, mandarin oranges, bread slice, milk
Monday, Jan. 23: Chicken and Noodles, carrots, peaches, milk
Tuesday, Jan. 24: Baked Ziti, sausage/marinara, peas, pears, ziti pasta, milk
Wednesday, Jan. 25: Cowboy Beans, beef, pork & beans, green beans, applesauce,
cornbread, milk
Thursday, Jan. 26: Chicken Alfredo, chicken/sauce, linguine, broccoli, banana, milk
Friday, Jan. 27: Homemade Sausage Pizza, corn, fruit cocktail, milk
Monday, Jan. 30: Chicken Stir Fry, chicken, steamed veggies, mandarin oranges, brown
rice, milk
Tuesday, Jan. 31: Homemade Spaghetti, meatballs/sauce, peas, salad, garlic toast, milk
**WG = Whole Grain (where seen above)
**Whole grains are served for breads, pastas, cereals, waffles, crackers, etc.
**Canned fruits and vegetables are served at a minimum, replaced as much as possible
with fresh fruits and vegetables
The Play Schools
Page 7 of 8
January 2017
Small Business Spotlight!
Did you know that The Play Schools are NOT a franchise? We are privately owned by a small, LOCAL
family that has been proudly serving Hamilton County families for over 25 years now. We are always
most sincere when we thank you for supporting our little family and our proud to support our Play
School families who locally own and operate their own businesses, as well! We would like to take
this opportunity to showcase one of our Play School families.
Call Ace Construction and Handyman Service for all your construction and home improvement needs!
A locally owned company, Frank McKeon (Owner/Operator) is a US Veteran who lives in our
community. Free estimates! (765) 714-0963
Other Administrative Contacts
Amanda McKeon
Director of Operations/Owner
Email: [email protected]
Rita Hafner
Administrator/Founder
Katie Guerra
Fiscal Director/Owner
Email: [email protected]
Corinne Baker
Regional Assistant Director
Email: [email protected]