Young
Child Academy Monthly Newsletter
May
Notes From The Director
Tracy White
This newsletter blurb comes to you via Athens, Greece. I am on an
educational journey with my oldest daughter who is currently studying Greek history, philosophy and classical literature in college. I believe we may have seen every ancient ruin uncovered thus far in this
country. And that’s a lot of ruins! I’ve learned a tremendous amount
and in the process, I’ve collected some Greek items I hope to share
with the Young Child Academy children. The children might be more
interested in the traditional Greek music as opposed to the ancient
artifacts, but it is all fascinating nonetheless.
In my absence, the Young Child Academy staff continues to do an
exemplary job of managing the school and the wonderful children
enrolled here. You might have already seen some familiar faces
at the school again. Melissa has completed her Masters in Teaching program and is spending a good portion of the summer working
with Amanda in the Pre-K classroom. We all love Melissa and value
her gifts in the classroom, as well as the wonderful relationship
she maintains with the children. It is so good to have her back!
Tarri too, is joining us for the month of June, and as a substitute
throughout the summer. Tarri does a fabulous job with the younger
children and in assisting in whatever classroom she is needed. We
appreciate her flexibility.
It is my understanding I did not have to go to Greece to experience warm weather. Seattle has had a bout of summer as well. With
that in mind, you may want to remember to bring swimsuits and/or
swim diapers for your children. It is good to have an extra suit that
you can leave at school. The children love to play in the water and
we usually set up sprinklers and water games on hot, sunny days.
You may have already received notification of this as well, but sun
hats are great. Children do not always want to wear them, but if
they leave them on, they provide great protection from the sun. We
discourage sunglasses as we have seen far too many accidents as a
result of running and playing while wearing sunglasses; however, if
you feel your child must wear sunglasses because of extreme sensitivity to the sun, please discuss this with your child’s teacher.
We are busy organizing our next Art Gala at Merrill Gardens. Megan
will once again, be working closely with Deb, the activity coordinator at Merrill Gardens. The winter gala was so well received, we look
forward to participating in another such event. We hope you can all
attend that and also the annual BBQ scheduled for August 24 at
Lower Woodland Park.
Have a safe and fun summer. I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Points of Interest
June 17th
Father’s Day
June 21st
Summer Solstice
Toddler
Sue Anne, Liz, and Dehab
We have had a wonderfully busy month in the toddler class. Waddlers have been visiting us daily
all month in preparation for their June move to our classroom. The toddlers have had invaluable
experiences in helping the young ones to learn our schedule and to feel comfortable in our group.
Both teachers and students are very excited to welcome Kate, Lia, Conor, and Murphy to the Toddler classroom.
Also in the past month, many Toddlers have been visiting the Little Preschool in Practice for their
graduation to the other side of the YCA building. The kids head over in the morning with trepidation, but always return at lunch full of smiles and stories. It has been very rewarding to see the
children brave their fears and to make new friends. The Toddler teachers would like to thank the
Little Preschoolers for being so welcoming. We will dearly miss Thea, Ryder, Zoë, Oliver, Abby,
Katie, and Anna, but rejoice in their growth and know they are in great hands. Please come back
and visit us!
This next month in the Toddler room we will also be welcoming a brand new student to the YCA
family. His name is Milo. He is very articulate and loves to wash his hands! We welcome Milo and
his family into ours.
Last, but definitely not least, a note about summer and safety. Now that the summer weather is
upon us, there are a few things we all need to keep in mind. First of all, please remember to keep
your toddler well hydrated both before and after school. Toddlers are very susceptible to heat
exhaustion and the best way to avoid a problem is with water, water, and more water, especially
during the hours when the sun is not strong. Also, please make sure the extra clothes you child
had at YCA are season appropriate. It is good for us to have a long-sleeved shirt and pants on
hand, but we also need t-shirts and shorts available during the summer. Finally, we are now liberally applying sunscreen anytime we go outside – so if your child comes home particularly sticky,
this may be the reason – but if you would like to provide a hat, we will be happy to put it on your
child for outings. Happy June!
YCA Art Exhibit
We are excited to announce that YCA will be
doing another art show at Merrill Gardens.
Please mark your calendars: on Wednesday,
July 18th, we will celebrate this art show with
an opening gala in the downstairs activity room
at Merrill Gardens. This show’s theme is:
SHAPES. Every child will make a piece of art
to hang at the show, and photographs documenting their hard work will be hung as well.
We’ll keep you posted as more details are finalized. We hope to see you there!
Waddler
Michaela and Susan
June is going to be a busy and exciting month! We will be learning about the different types of transportation. Some of our projects will include making a rocket, car, and
boat. We also have four students transitioning to the toddler room. We wish Conor,
Lia, Murphy, and Kate the best of luck in their new class. We will miss you! We welcome, with open arms, Lucia, Benjamin, Juliana, and Deirdre from the infant room. The
Waddler room looks forward to having you in our class.
Happy birthday to . . .
Deirdre June 6th
Ben June 12th
Juliana June 16th
Lucia June 20th
Little Preschool
Teacher Erin and Teacher Maya
Hello Little Preschool families!
The month of May has been a busy one. The children really enjoyed our animals unit-they had a lot of fun making a zoo for our
class to visit and also loved making ocean animals (and seaweed!)
for our ocean wall. For “K” week, we made crowns and pretended
to be kings (or queens or princesses) and had a feast!
We’ve also been taking advantage of the sunny weather. We
have been trying to get outside early for more playtime in the
sun. We have also been trying to go on walks whenever we can.
On our last walk people were setting up for the Folk life festival. We got to play instruments with one of the street performers. It was really fun!
As summer approaches, the weather is starting to heat up. We
are noticing that a lot of our Little Preschoolers are getting
pretty thirsty throughout the day. Please feel free to bring a
water bottle or cup with a secure lid if you want your child to
have access to drinking water at anytime throughout the day.
Finally, we are saying goodbye to several Little Preschoolers this
month. Adlai, Alice, Carson, Elliot, Grace, Lucy, and Roger are
all moving to Big Preschool. We will really miss them! We are
excited to welcome Abby, Anna, Katie, Oliver, Ryder, Thea, and
Zoe into our class. We are all looking forward to a fun summer!
Big Preschool
Teacher Megan and Teacher Laura
At the end of May we will say goodbye to several Big Preschoolers: Audrey, Bodie, Hayden, Masha,
Maui and McKenna . . . they are off to Pre-K! We will miss them, but they are certainly ready for
the change. We look forward to waving at them down the hall :-)
We will welcome several new Big Preschoolers from the Little Preschool: Adlai, Alice, Carson, Elliott, Grace, Lucy and Roger. They have been “practicing” in our room for the last month, and we’re
excited to officially welcome them in June.
For the past month our classroom has been focused on animals. We’ve learned about the many
different kinds of places animals live, and we’ve enjoyed stories, art projects and dramatic play
related to animals. At the very end of our study of animals we made animal costumes and had an
animal celebration parade!
This month we also celebrated moms. Masha said “I go to school with my mom and go to sleep.”
Maui said “I like when my mom takes me on the train and lets me watch TV!” Big Preschoolers also
shared that their mommies tuck them in, give them gum, take them to the candy store, play games
with them and talk with them. Thanks moms!
To all our Big Preschool moms, dads and families: we’d love if you joined us for a Seattle Center
or park trip this summer. We need extra adults on our ventures out of school. Please let us know
if you’re available. With summer nearly here please make sure your child’s cubby is stocked with
summery extra clothes. In addition, we encourage you to send your child to school with a water
bottle to keep in his or her cubby for extra hydration.
As always, we could use art supply donations for our classroom: paper, colored pencils and watercolor paints are at the top of our list at the moment.
Thanks so much for your continued support and involvement-Enjoy the summery sun!!
If you could be an animal in the world, what would you be and why? Here’s what our Big Preschoolers said:
Matteo “A kangaroo so I could hop!”
Lainee “A horsey so I could gallop!”
Peter “A snake, because I like to slither.”
Kyle “A different snake with spots and stripes because I like to slither!”
Reese “A squirrel because I want to go up to people at the park to get food.”
Alice “A grown-up horsey because I like to say ‘neigh!!’ and gallop!”
Charlie “A lion!! To scare everyone!!”
Xahria “A horsey...cause they say ‘neigh’ and also they eat hay!”
Stella “A bat, so I could come out at night and stay up all night and I could fly and be with witches”
Mia “ A fish, cause I want to go underwater”
Noa “A tortoise, so I can hide in my shell”
Audrey “A mouse, so I can say ‘squeak! squeak!’”
Gabi “A butterfly because they’re like Tinkerbell”
Bodie “A leopard and I could give horsey rides on my back”
Rose “A penguin because penguins are lots of fun!”
Annay “A leopard because they have black spots”
McKenna “A tiger--because I like them--I like their stripes!”
It is certainly fun to celebrate animals :-)
Pre-Kindergarten
Miss Amanda
www.thekidreport.com/yca/prek
Things are changing rapidly in the Pre-K room! This month students will be coming and going. Our
new students have arrived and have acclimated to their new class with remarkable ease. We are
excited to be spending our days with Audrey, Bodie, Hayden, Masha, Maui and McKenna. They have
added an incredible amount of energy and creativity to the class already! For several students the
time has come to explore new places and make new friends. Being a part of their lives has been an
amazing experience. Marin and Owen you will be greatly missed!
Most of you have noticed a new but familiar face in the room. Melissa has been a wonderful addition to Pre-K! I am excited to be working with her this summer! The students have been having so
much fun with her. They absolutely adore her!
The Pre-K summer curriculum will be a bit different than it is during the rest of the school year.
Of course we will still be providing your children will enjoyable learning activities but for the rest
of the summer daily activities will have more emphasis on team building and creative expression.
We have created marshmallow sculptures, murals, prints, sun photographs, collages, and we’ve only
just started! This summer is going to be amazing!
A Few Friendly Reminders . . .
*Please keep one or two extra sets of clothes in your child’s cubby (everyone has accidents)
*Because we are a licensed childcare facility we must adhere to mandatory regulations. If you
would like your child to keep lotion, chap-stick, or other personal ointments at school, please ask
for a medication authorization form. Both of these items will be kept in a sealed container on the
teacher -shelf. Students will have access to these items whenever they desire or as needed.
“. . . never be too big to ask questions,
never know too much to learn something
new.”
-Jean Michel Basquiat
Pre-K Quotes
“Say it don’t spray it! That’s what
my dad always says.”
-Carter
“I’m just a little viking.”
-Jack
“Beans are awesome!”
-Jack
Kindergarten
Miss Stacy
It’s so hard for me to believe that we’ve reached the
end of another school year here in the Kindergarten
class. My third year at Young Child Academy has just
flown by. The students and I had a fabulous year.
The trouble with teaching the oldest children is that
by the time I get to know them . . . it’s time for many
of them to move on. I’ve grown very attatched to this
particular group of students. Unlike teachers in other
schools though, I’ll still get to hang out with many of
them during the summer.
Over the next twelve weeks or so we will be “exploring our world through art”! Though there will still
be plenty of learning going on, we will shift our focus
from math and reading to creating and discovering.
I’m looking forward to a summer filled with lots of
great artistic experiences!
Kindergarten Poetry
In The Sea
Sparkly,
shiny fish
swimming in the
deep dark ocean.
Quietly gliding
through soft
blue waves.
Floating
preacefully in a
magical
underwater world.
Beautiful!
Music
Teacher Amy
This past month has been a lot of fun for music at YCA. All of the classes have been wonderful
and very enthusiastic!
I really enjoyed watching the infants grow to love music. They continue to be fascinated by the
guitar and their “skaker skills” are very impressive! In the Waddler class we have been experimenting with different percussion instruments. We played our instruments accompanied by music from many different parts of the world! The toddlers have been busybodies in music class.
They have been having so much fun dancing and moving around in creative ways. They have been
learning music concepts like fast & slow and soft & loud. Singing favorite songs with friends is
still a favorite toddler activity. In the preschool classes we are doing many of the same fun moving activities but also are continuing to learn simple concepts of music theory. We are singing,
dancing, and playing games while practicing dynamics, rhythm, and creative musical expression.
Piano class has been very successful with the preschool classes. Without their overwhelming
enthusiasm, piano wouldn’t be the same! I am happy to say that the Big Preschool has been benefiting from piano classes as well. They are getting to know the layout of the piano and also some
very basic aspects. They have been learning about low, middle, and high sounds using “gentle
finger,” and what happens to a piano when you play a key. The older students continue to practice their warm ups and improvisational skills. The Kindergarteners are working on basic music
notation using solfege (do, re, mi, etc.). In addition, these activities have proven to be excellent
learning tools for music class: Musical skills, stories, art, and games. Having fun is the most important thing!
I am excited for the children to enjoy music in a slightly different setting now that transitions
have taken place. June will be lots of fun as we continue to play and learn!
www.youngchildacademy.com
557 Roy St., Ste. 110
Seattle, WA 98108
(206) 282-7132
Young Child Academy is an early childhood education program currently providing
developmentally appropriate curriculum for infants and young children. We provide
a full day balanced curriculum in a safe, supportive environment conducive to the
emotional, physical and intellectual development of our children. We utilize different educational approaches so as to engage learners of varying abilities. We promote emergent literacy by incorporating a literature-based program with strong
phonetic basis. We value the performing arts and realize their significant role in
brain development and the nurturing of creativity. By incorporating weekly classes
in drama, dance, art, music theory, piano and music instruction, we hope to develop
a childâ€TMs awareness and appreciation for the visual and performing arts. Aware
of the importance of our community, Young Child Academy strives to engage its
teachers and children in outreach opportunities, benefiting not only the school, but
the larger community as well.
www.queenannecommunityschool.com
557 Roy St., Ste. 110
Seattle, WA 98108
(206) 282-2991
Queen Anne Community School is a private, independent elementary program providing exceptional educational opportunities for k-3 students. Our curriculum, rich in literature and
the arts, fosters a strong passion for learning by developing an awareness and appreciation
for the beauty within the creative process. At Queen Anne Community School, children learn
to appreciate and develop their own unique gifts, but they also learn to respect and value the
diverse talents of others. We believe meaningful education involves the families served, but
includes the immediate neighborhood and surrounding community as well. Our purpose as an
educational program is to create a unique facility that fosters student, staff and community
growth. We achieve this by capitalizing on the unique gifts and talents of community members and by using the school itself, as a community facility and artistic showcase.