Parent Connection
Independently Accredited with SAC CASI through AdvancEd
March 2014
KIDS R KIDS LAKES ON ELDRIDGE
4 Year Old Vision and Hearing
Screening: Tues. March 25
If your child is four years old, we are required by state li‐
censing to have records of their hearing and vision screening. This requirement is parallel to their shot records we maintain as your child grows. Please make arrangements to pay for the screening we will facilitate on March 25, or arrange a screening at your doctor’s of‐
fice. Thank you for your cooperation. Winter Progress
Reports
Winter progress report will be sent home Friday, March 21, 2014 for classroom 300 through 600. Please review the information and sign in the back. We ask that you return it promptly. Kindergarten report cards will be sent home on March 27 for the 3rd grading period. If you have any questions about the progress of your child, please request a conference with your child’s teacher via the front desk manage‐
ment. We welcome your interest in your child and look forward to working together to pro‐
mote each child’s success. Tuition Increase
We must inform our parents that there will be a tuition increase effective April 7, 2014. This increase is necessary for us to remain current with the cost of inflation, to con‐
tinue to focus on being the best in the pre‐
school field, keeping the quality of care at the highest level, and maintaining our na‐
tional accreditation status. “ THE FIRST STEP TO HIGHER EDUC ATION”
How Our Curriculum
helps develop your
child’s
OCCIPITAL LOBE
In our supplemental curriculum, called Brainwaves, we are maximizing each student’s mental capaci‐
ties by incorporating proven instructional strategies to make learning more dynamic, meaningful, and exciting for your children and their brains. Research shows that learning in young children is the result of interac‐
tion between the child’s thoughts and their experiences with materials, ideas, and people. The quality of these interactions is enhanced by pro‐
viding structure and a variety of opportunities to practice and explore new skills. Let’s explore another part of the brain that is in need of stimulation and meaningful activities early in your child’s life. Supporting the Development of the Occipital Lobe The occipital lobe is the part of the brain responsible for visual process‐
ing. Neurons for vision begin to form during the first few months of a child’s life, so providing lots of visual stimulation during these critical periods is important. What is its function? To process visual information, especially under‐
standing motion of objects and their visual attributes such as shapes and colors. How can our classrooms support this growth?
Each of our developmentally appropriate classrooms provide activities that help your baby’s brain thrive by providing visual stimulating input with shapes and colors, as well as build eye muscle coordination, track‐
ing, and eye‐teaming skills. As they progress into our preschool classrooms, more opportunities for short term memory growth are imple‐
mented and we introduce more chal‐
lenges for students to analyze and in‐
terpret what they see, including high‐
lighting observing skills to discern simi‐
larities and differences. (Continue on Page 4) MARCH 2014 NEWSLETTER
“EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AT EVERY AGE”
PAGE 2
Meet Our Feature Family
Date
Names
Mar 2 Shamen R.
We are delighted to have the Vo family as a part of our Kids R Kids Room Lakes on Eldridge fam‐
ily! 400
Mar 2 Sebastian S.
300
Mar 3 Madeleine D.
200
Mar 3 Charlie J.
Gym
Mar 6 Lanah L.
300
Mar 8 Sophia R.
300
Mar 12 Anay D.
300
Mar 12 Eleanor F.
450
Mar 17 A.J. W.
Gym
Mar 20 Elliot B.
300
Mar 20 Alexandra L.
250
Mar 21 Dev P.
450
Mar 21 Diego R.
Gym
Mar 21 Ms. Angel B.
400
Mar 22 Jaydon E.
400
Mar 22 Anneke P.
550
Mar 22 Cooper T.
400
Mar 22 Ms. Wendy A.
250
Mar 24 Abigail G.
250
Mar 26 Jenna B.
Gym
Mar 26 Nina K.
Gym
Mar 27 Gabriel P.
400
Mar 29 Ms. Ayla
Floater
Mar 30 Nicole B.
400
Mar 30 Andrew L.
400
Ethan began with us in the fall of last year and is flourishing in our Pre‐
K program. He enjoys the learning environ‐
ment in classroom 550 and he is getting ready for his approaching transition to Kindergar‐
ten. His parents are very supportive of his learning with us and en‐
joy being involved with Ethan’s classroom activi‐
ties. Here is what Mr. and Mrs. Vo had to say about their preschool experience with us in their own words: The Vo
Family
cially, he is active with his friends, classmates and teachers at Kids R Kids. The daily differ‐
ent interactive activi‐
ties at Kids R Kids have every day. Since attend‐ helped Ethan’s growth ing Kids R Kids, we see as a kid.” the difference in Ethan. Find out more about Ethan has grown aca‐
this special family by demically and socially. reading their display Academically, he knows board in our lobby. his letters and numbers. He, now, speaks in com‐
Thank you plete sentences with Mr. and Mrs. Vo! correct grammar. So‐
“…Kids R Kids had been great for Ethan. He loves going to school Sharing in the Vision- Awarded to Ms. Ivania Portillo
Congratulations to Ms. Ivania in Classroom 250! She is making a learning environment for our toddlers rich with meaningful language and sensory connections for our toddlers. Ms. Ivania always makes the families and the students feel welcomed into the classroom. Her nurturing way with our toddlers creates a strong social emotional foundation for each child to develop their relational skills, which impacts their learning abilities. She is gifted at helping all of these toddlers move to their next stage of development in the four core areas of the whole child. Ms. Ivania is a part of our school’s vision every day! MARCH 2014 NEWSLETTER
“EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AT EVERY AGE”
Announcing the 2014
Kids R Kids Chili Cook-Off
Winners
Choosing a Kindergarten for your Child
The uncertainty and the unknown can raise many questions for you as a par‐
ent. “Do we go through another year of Pre‐K? Do we choose a private school or a public school? Kindergarten Readiness
Assessments for Pre-K
Will Kids R Kids Kindergarten program be a good fit for us?” Does this sound familiar? We want to offer you information about what to expect so that you can make informed and educated deci‐
sions for your child. Each Pre‐K stu‐
dent has work samples and data col‐
What
will your child be
learning in Spanish?
Each week our Spanish lessons will bring this language to life as we study the season of Spring. Our objectives for this month include language and songs that highlight this season and vocabulary to link meaning to language about changes in our world and the beautiful colors of new life that Spring brings. We will learn the following vo‐
cabulary with hands on materials and engaging tunes that help us recall the new information about caring for others. Flores—flowers Jardin—garden Pajaro—bird Semilla –seed Mariposa—butterfly lected throughout the year to show their growth in our program. This structure helps teachers to track growth; also it functions as a tool to create goals for each learner at their level. During the month of March, we will review all Pre‐K (Classrooms 500, 550, and 600) students’ assessment infor‐
mation to inform you of your opportu‐
nities for the 2014‐15 school year and your child’s readiness level. See a member of management so we can schedule a parent teacher confer‐
ence if you have more questions about this topic. PAGE 3
The best chili in town was served up to all our fami‐
lies to vote for their favorite on Thursday, February 27. A big thank you goes to all the entries who mad e it so successful and fun for all our families: Mrs. Senties, Mrs. Nunn, Mrs. Zamora, Mrs Ruiz, and our teachers Ms. Angie and Ms. Jennifer C. And the winners are….. Ms. Journee, Ms. Griselda and our parent category winner Ms . Carly Day! Kids R Kids Distinguished Alumni Club
We would like to honor two outstanding school agers that have made an accomplishment in their education worthy of the spotlight! Please congratulate Juan Carlos Rivero and Cayden Underwood when you see them around Kids R Kids! Juan Carlos made the Kirk Distin‐
guished Honor Roll this most recent grading period and Cayden victori‐
ously participated in the Kirk Elemen‐
tary ‘Name that Book’ competition, so he will be competing for a district title on March 4 at the Berry Center! Con‐
grats two both our alumni! If you have a Kindergartener through 5th grade student who has a made a tremendous achievement or is part of our community in an out‐
standing way, please email Ms. Valerie at [email protected] to share a short description of the honor. MARCH 2014 NEWSLETTER
What can you do at home to support this growth? PAGE 4
“EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AT EVERY AGE”
discussion. Short Term Memory Ask your toddler which cup is hiding the ball. After guesses, reveal the location. Sorting‐ Gather some items from your child’s lego box or similar toy defined by For those of you interested in supporting colors. Set out 4 bowls in front of your this development at home, also, here Next, replace the ball under the cup, child. Say, “Let’s place all the items that are some routine activities to specifically switching cups slowly this time, encourag‐ are the same in the bowl.” Talk about support this lobe’s development in your ing the toddler to follow the cup hiding the the similarity of the items, saying the ball. Watch for the reaction. Is he able to colors repeatedly. Ask, “Can you put all child. correctly identify the cup hiding the ball? the red ones together?” Continue to Infants
Another variation: If the toddler is able to scaffold the learning when they have follow the cup, increase difficulty by add‐
Visual Stimulation
established one color, move onto the ing a third cup. blue ones. This is an excellent pre‐
Rolling balls – Place the infant in your mathematical activity to develop critical lap and assist him in rolling the ball. Us‐ This activity allows the brain to develop thinking. critical thinking skills. ing an upbeat tone, talk to your infant about how fast the ball is rolling. Shapes and Colors Preschool Praise your infant for rolling the ball. Have another family member seated across from you to roll back and forth. Choose a variety of colored balls to talk about the colors. Shape Sorters ‐ Using a stacking cups toy Visual Discrimination set or shape sorter toy you probably have for your child, offer them your presence to Peek‐a‐boo Change Up‐ Tell your pre‐
schooler you will play a brain game with explore the toys. him. Instruct him to close his eyes. Tell Talk about the colors, shapes, and sizes. them you will change your position and This activity builds eye muscle coordina‐ To offer errorless learning, be intentional when you say “Peek – a –boo change tion, tracking, and eye teaming skills in as you say the colors and shapes, instead up,” they should open their eyes and try infants. of saying “What color is this one?” Having to match your new position. It might be the child guess repeatedly does not allow pinching your nose or waving your hand. Shapes and Colors for his neuronal connections to take place Play as long as they are interested. Going in Circles‐ This is a great activity in a positive way. Short Term Memory to interact with your infant during tummy time experiences. Pull out your That only allows for continued failure and Numbers Up ‐ You’ll need to have num‐
nothing learned. Instead, use lots of lan‐
own twister game, or cut a few circles ber cards or just create multiple sets of guage describing the colors and shapes, with construction paper in a variety of the same numbers to play this game. repeating yourself in engaging tones. colors. Tell your child you will play a game Visual Perception called Numbers Up. Give your child the Spread the circle in front of the infant, same set of number cards you have. or lay him on the Twister mat. Talk to X Marks the Spot‐ Tape a sheet of white Have your child face the number cards your child about the different colors on paper to the table for your child. Offer face down in front of them. Show one each circle. In an upbeat tone, say “Let’s various writing instruments (crayons, of your numbers. Children should peek play twister. Right hand green.” markers, pencils, or chalk‐ whatever you at their cards and only turn the number Place your child where the green circle is have on hand). you displayed. In this activity, children under their right hand, or with the cut are challenged to store visual informa‐
Point out the four corners on the paper. out circle. Continue the activity in this tion for later recall. For more complex‐
Encourage toddlers to make a line from fashion. This activity uses colors and ity, move to showing 5 or 6 numbers at a one corner to the opposite diagonal cor‐
shapes to develop the infant’s visual re‐ ner with a writing instrument. time. sponse. The key factor in all these activities is Assist toddlers as they cross their midline, Toddlers creating a large “X” on the paper. Encour‐
you being present to your child and age your toddler to make multiple lines talking to them about what they are Visual Stimulation connecting the diagonal corners to make experiencing. This is connecting mean‐
Under the Cup‐ Interact with your child large x’s. Writing the large letter “X” is a ing and language and showing them with 2 cups and small ball or toy. Place cross lateral movement that encourages a you love them by your interest in them toddler’s right hand and left side of the the ball under one of the cups as you and what they are learning. brain to communicate. use the positional word “under” in the Activities Calendar
KIDS R KIDS LAKES ON ELDRIDGE
MARCH 2014
Mon 3 Technology Time: 400 Spanish: 250, 300 Tue 4 Soccer Tots: 400—600, Kinder Spanish: 200, 550 Technology Time: 450 Wed “ THE FIRST STEP T O HIGHER EDUCATION”
Thu 5 6 Dance Adventures Technology Time: 550 Fri Sat 8 7 CDA Training Make‐up: Petting Spanish: 400, 450 Spanish: Kinder, 600 Zoo and Pony Rides Technology Time: 500 ‐ Wear your wild west gear! Classroom Themes: Goodnight Moon(100‐200); Bumblebees and Butterflies (250); Whirling Whirlybirds (300‐350); A Salute to Suess(400‐450); Way Up in the Sky (500‐600); Famous Pilots (Kindergarten) 10 Technology Time: 400 Spanish: 250, 300 Katy ISD Spring Break 11 Soccer Tots: 400—600, Kinder Spanish: 200, 550 Technology Time: 450 12 13 14 GymStation: Technology Time: Gymnastics 550 Spanish: 400, 450 Spanish: Kinder, 600 300– 600, Kinder Spanish: 500, 350 Technology Time: 500 Technology Time: 600 & K Dance Adventures 15 ECE Training: Professionalism Classroom Themes: Good Morning Sun (100‐200); Wings in the Sky(250); Puffy, Fluffy Clouds(300‐350); Wonderful Wind and Weather (400‐450); Feathers for lunch(500‐600); I want to be an Astronaut (Kindergarten) 17 18 19 Technology Time: 400 Spanish: 250, 300 Soccer Tots: 400—600, Kinder Cy‐Fair ISD & JPII Spring Break this week Technology Time: 450 Spanish: 200, 550 Dance Adventures Spanish: 400,450 Technology Time: 500 20 Technology Time: 550 Spanish: Kinder, 600 21 GymStation: 300‐600, Kinder Technology Time: 600 & K Spanish: 500, 350 22 CDA Training Progress Reports go home Classroom Themes: Airplanes in the Sky (100‐200); Puffy, Fluffy Clouds(250); Starlight Star bright (300‐350); Sky Travelers (400‐
450); Springtime on the Farm (500‐600) 24 Technology Time: 400 Spanish: 250, 300 25 Soccer Tots: 400—600, Kinder Spanish: 200, 550 Technology Time: 450 26 Vision and hearing Screening 500 Dance Adventures Spanish: 400, 450 Technology Time: 27 28 GymStation: Gymnastics 300‐600, Kinder Technology Time: 600 & K Spanish: 500, 350 Technology Time: 550 Spanish: Kinder, 600 29 Kinder Report Cards go home Classroom Themes: Kites Up High(100‐200); Goodnight Moon (250); Great Day for Up! (300‐350); Star light, Star Bright(400‐450); Pond Changes (500‐600); Fly Me to the Moon (Kindergarten) 31 1 Soccer Tots: 400—600, Kinder Spanish: 200, 550 Technology Time: 450 Technology Time: 400 Spanish: 250, 300 2 Dance Adventures Spanish: 400,450 3 Technology Time: 500 4 GymStation: Technology Time: Gymnastics 550 Spanish: Kinder, 600 300– 600, Kinder 5 CDA Training Technology Time: 600 & K Spanish: 500, 350 Classroom Themes: Our Family Pets(100‐200); Dinosaur Roars(250); My Furry friends (300‐350); Put me in the Zoo (400‐450); Oscar and the Frog (500‐600); The Rainforest grew All Around (Kindergarten)