Bright Horizons at Los Gatos
May 2014
Center News ‘n’ Notes
Parent Partnership Meeting w/ Mary
Please join us on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00
p.m. for an opportunity to meet other families, share thoughts and ideas,
and receive center updates/information. All families are invited and we hope
you can make it! The meeting will be held in our Preschool 2 classroom.
Parent’s Night Out: Friday, May 9th from 6:00pm-9:30pm
Needing a few extra hours without the kids?
Wanting a quiet dinner with a loved one?
Parent’s Night Out is the perfect opportunity to extend your evening, plus
the most important part is…the children LOVE staying late!
Sign-Up today at the front counter for $25 per child!
Kindergarten Prep Celebration is Friday, May 30th
We will be celebrating the accomplishments of our Kindgarten Prep children
Teacher Appreciation
Week: May 12th-16th
During the month of May,
teachers are celebrated for their
dedication in caring for children!
Join us in celebrating our teachers
during a week long celebration!
Below are some appreciation ideas
we are planning for the week.
There are also sign-up sheets at
the front counter to participate in
celebrating the teachers!
May 12th: Breakfast Buffet
May 13th: Fabulous Flowers
May 14th: Sandwhich Bar
May 15th: Create a Card
May 16th: Candy/Popcorn Bar
as festivities will begin at 4:00pm. FYI…the parking lot may be congested.
The final page of this newsletter
also contains information about
our Teacher Appreciation
Website you can visit to leave a
note for any teacher!
It’s Almost Summer Time!
It’s that time of year again when children of all ages embark on a summer
journey here at Bright Horizons! Through weekly themes, special guests, and
an abundance of activities, we will have a fun, exciting, and educational
summer experience that will create life long memories for your family!
Full details are available on page 4 of this newsletter!
We hope we can all come
together in making Teacher
Appreciation Week
one to remember!
Important Dates
th
May 4 : Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with you!
May 9th: Parent’s Night Out (6:00pm-9:30pm)
May 12th-16th: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 19th-23rd: Kindergarten Prep Conferences
May 26th: Center Closed (Memorial Day)
th
March 30th
Meghan’s
last day 
th
May 27 -30 : Mary at Leadership Conference
May 30th: Kindergarten Prep Celebration (begins at 4:00pm)
The Family Information Center is a secure web
destination where you can:
Print FSA/Tax Statements
View Center Messages
Manage Contact Information
Prioritize Emergency Contacts
You should have received an email with more
information and how to sign up.
https://familyinfocenter.brighthorizons.com
220 Belgatos Road Los Gatos, CA 95032 | P: 408.356.7989 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:45am – 6:00pm
Happy Birthday to you!!
May 1st: Aideyn (Young Preschool)
May 15th: Emilia (Infants)
May 4th: Erin U. (Toddlers)
May 17th: Beckett (Infants)
May 5th: Brynn (Young Preschool)
May 21st: Sophia (Kinder Prep)
May 9th: Charlotte (Infants)
May 21st: Callie (Preschool)
May 13th: Emma P. (Toddlers)
May 23rd: Erin R. (Infants)
May 13th: Cristiano (Preschool)
May 25th: Ms. Missy (Toddlers)
May 14th: Emma H. (Young Preschool)
May 28th: Saanvi (Infants)
May 14th: Olivia (Young Preschool)
Congratulations!
We recently held our Awards of Excellence staff celebration! It was a night of excitement as we proudly presented 10 awards
to staff based on family and staff nominations!
This years awards dinner was a success, as all primary teachers received nominations! Not only did we recognize our award
recipients, but we also celebrated each staff member by presenting them with a personalized gift that included a quote from
their nominations made by families and/or staff.
Thank you for making this year’s Awards of Excellence the best one yet! Congratulations to all!
Courtney: Envoironmental
Campion Award
Eula: Right Way to Work
& Community Service Awards
Sharadin: Rising Star
Award
Maddie: Heart Award
Kat & Valerie: Excellence
in Care & Education Award
Kahea: Excellence in Care
& Education Award
Dawn: Family Partnership
Award
Justin: Family Partnership
Award
220 Belgatos Road Los Gatos, CA 95032 | P: 408.356.7989 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:45am – 6:00pm
Classroom Highlights
Each month we showcase various activities taking in place in our Infant, Toddler,
Young Preschool, Preschool and Kindergarten Prep classrooms!
Infant Classroom Activity (Exploring with Clay):
Clay has been a continued focus in the infant program. Clay has been offered three
ways so far; as a liquid substance, as a large block in the sensory tub and as small
individual balls on the table. We have seen some great exploration during all the
experiences. The children are smearing, digging and picking at the clay and most
friends have enjoyed tasting it.
The language we have introduced during clay play: Pull, Push, Drop,
Squeeze, Press, Bend, Twist, Roll, Stretch, Squash, Pinch, Flatten, Poke, Scrape,
Smooth, Smear and Break Apart.
Toddler 1 Classroom Activity (Insect and Bug Discovery):
Over the past few weeks, the children have become increasingly interested in bugs.
Today, we went on yet another bug hunt on our yard, and discovered many
different types of insects. We saw slugs clinging to the underside of a tree stump,
wiggly worms, earwigs, ants in a line and LOTS of roly polies. We reminded the
children that the bugs were living creatures, and that we are much bigger, so we
needed to be careful to not hurt or scare them. The children enjoyed watching the
bugs crawl around for quite a while, and were proud to point at each new bug
they discovered.
Young Preschool 1 Classroom Activity (Caring for Our Garden):
During our outdoor child choice activities time, the children and Ms. Zoila helped
care for our garden. We cleaned out some leaves that fell from the trees, loosened
up the dirt, found some roly polies and worms, and planted a flower mixture!
We always have a great time caring for our garden. The children were encouraged
to “love” our garden by talking to the plants. It was explained that plants are living
beings and need to be loved and cared for too. They need food and water just like
us, and we like kind words too!
Preschool 1 Classroom Activity (Light Table Hockey):
At the light table, Ethan and Connor were exploring with the glass beads and the
color paddles. First, Ethan was exploring how the light came through the beads
and the paddles. When Connor joined in, it became a hockey game. Connor said,
“It’s like the ice!” They used the paddles as their hockey sticks and the glass beads
as the hockey puck. Ms. Kat helped out by creating the goals with some painter’s
tape. We created some rules too!
Some of our friends waiting to play wanted to watch too. Matthew, James and
Elijah grabbed some of the chairs and lined them up to watch.
220 Belgatos Road Los Gatos, CA 95032 | P: 408.356.7989 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:45am – 6:00pm
It’s Summer Time!
It’s that time of year again when children of all ages embark on a summer journey here at Bright Horizons! Through
weekly themes, special guests, and an abundance of activities, we will have a fun, exciting, and educational summer
experience that will create life long memories for your family!
For the months of June, July, and August you will find many activities, events, and guests. Please note that the days
shaded on the calendar are extra special! If your child does not attend school on those days, they are more than
welcome to join us. However, they must have an authorized adult to stay with them at all times or use the day as a
“drop-in” for a separate rate.
Some of our favorite guests from last summer are returning such as Fur, Scales and Tails, and the Puppet Art Theater
Company! We are really excited about our NEW guests this year as they include the Insect Discovery Lab, the
Cotton Candy Express Band and San Jose Taiko.
Beyond hosting special guests, the center will also engage in other enjoyable activities such as: water play, spirit days,
and spectacular projects. Save the dates for family events like our Child’s Farmers Market (Saturday, June 21st) and
the End of Summer Family Potluck (Friday, August 22nd)!
Each year we have a summer program fee that helps cover the expenses of our guests and assists us in creating an
exciting summer experience for your child. We are happy to announce that this years summer fee will include a
summer camp t-shirt for your child. Plus, every Friday will be summer t-shirt day! The cost for families in Young
Preschool, Preschool and Kinder Prep is $45. If your child is in Kinder Prep and leaving for Kindergarten before the
summer ends, please see the front office for an adjusted summer program materials fee. The cost for Toddler families
will be $25. Infant families will not be charged a summer fee. The summer program materials fee is due on May 23,
2014 along with your June tuition payment.
Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the above information by stopping by the office, calling
408.356.7989, or via email at [email protected]. We thank you for your cooperation and we can’t wait
to create some summer adventures!
Here’s to a fun summer!
220 Belgatos Road Los Gatos, CA 95032 | P: 408.356.7989 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:45am – 6:00pm
READY for SCHOOL
READY for SCHOOL Parent News: Gardening as a Family
Now that spring is in full swing, thoughts of summer warm our hearts. Many families are thinking about
planting gardens. Whether we are avid experienced gardeners, or brand new beginners, gardening as a
family provides much more than the tangible benefits of exercise and homegrown, nutritious food; it
fosters communication, collaboration, and bonding as you work side by side towards a common goal.
When gardening, young children can be part of the entire process, from planning to planting, then from
harvesting to preparing and eating what is grown. Below are suggestions to make the experience
successful:
Planning the garden teaches children that things don’t “magically happen,” and makes children
part of the process, from start to finish.
Deciding what to plant affords a wonderful opportunity to research different fruits and
vegetables, at the library, on the internet, or at a local nursery. Child-friendly plants typically:
o Are non-poisonous.
o Have seeds that are appropriate for small fingers to handle.
o Grow quickly so children can see the fruits of their labor.
o Appeal to children’s senses, with interesting fuzzy leaves, colorful flowers, or strong
scents (but be aware of allergies).
o Produce edible fruit and vegetables that the children can eat.
o Produce interesting flowers that children can cut, dry, etc.
o Have interesting characteristics, such as are carnivorous and eat flies.
Planting can be enjoyed by all family members. Even toddlers can dig in the dirt and put seeds
in holes.
Children love to use real tools to dig in the earth; however, depending upon the type of
gardening and the family budget, you can improvise. If a family is planting seeds or plants in
pots, children can do amazing things with a wooden spoon and a stick.
All family members can monitor the garden, water the seeds or plants, check for weeds, and
search for the fruits of their labor. In addition to the gardening tasks, children can take digital
photographs of what they see, or search for and learn about insects or worms.
Gardening is an activity that is successful, nearly by the nature of what it is. Many families grow prolific
gardens; others might end up with skimpy harvests but discover worms, snails, and butterflies.
Regardless, there are few better places to grow family memories.
220 Belgatos Road Los Gatos, CA 95032 | P: 408.356.7989 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:45am – 6:00pm
Bright Horizons News
May is Teacher and Staff Appreciation Month!
The greatest reward a teacher or staff member receives is knowing that they have
made a difference in the lives of children and families. Each year Bright Horizons
dedicates the month of May as a time to celebrate and recognize all of the teachers
and staff who make this such a wonderful place for children and families.
As part of this month long celebration, we invite you to visit our Teacher & Staff
Appreciation Website. Here, you can leave a special note of appreciation for your
child’s teacher or exceptional staff member. The website will be open from May 1st
through May 31st.
If you’re looking for another way to celebrate a teacher or staff member, you may
consider making a contribution to the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children in
their name.
Thank you for helping us recognize the important work of our
teachers and staff—they make Bright Horizons a great place!
SAVE THE DATE: June installment of the Family Matters Webinar Series!
Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer's:
Support Strategies for Families
Presented in collaboration with BrightStar Care
Thursday, June 13, 3:00 pm est
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease can be both a challenging and emotional experience for families.
Managing and scheduling care, understanding your loved one's needs and providing emotional support are important
roles of a caregiver that can be challenging to navigate. In this webinar, we are partnering with BrightStar Care to
bring you strategies to provide support for your loved one and family throughout the caregiving process.
BrightStar Care has over 12 years of experience provide home care support for individuals with neurological
disorders--including Alzheimer’s care, Dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis
and more. In this webinar we will provide strategies that will help you care for your loved one, and yourself.
Our conversation will include recommendations regarding:
o Environments--how to provide a safe and supportive environment for a loved one living with
Alzheimer's.
o Activities--recommended activities you can engage in with your loved one to provide stimulation and
comfort.
o Routines--how to establish routines that will support your loved one by prompting recall, memory and
systems for coping with symptoms.
o Abilities--how to optimize a loved one's abilities, independence and quality of life through familiar and
enjoyable activities.
o Support--how to provide support for your loved one, yourself and your extended family.
220 Belgatos Road Los Gatos, CA 95032 | P: 408.356.7989 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:45am – 6:00pm