2016 | October Family Newsletter
Bright Horizons at Los Gatos
Center News and Notes
Imagination Parade &
Pumpkin Patch
Join us on Friday, October 28th at 4:30pm for our
annual Imagination Parade and Pumpkin Patch! This is one
of our most attended events!
Children of all ages can dress up in their costumes and
parade around the Mulberry Basketball Blacktop area for
viewing pleasure! This is also perfect for wonderful picture
opportunities.
The parade ends in the play yards where you can pick up
your child and then head out front to our pumpkin patch.
Each child can pick out a pumpkin (to keep) and then
decorate it to their liking with some super cool stickers!
We will also have a small snack available to munch on!
On the day of the parade, we ask that you please bring
your child’s costume, and we will help dress them in the
afternoon. We ask that children do not wear their
costumes to school so they will not get dirty or ruined.
And please…no “scary” masks/costumes and/or weapons.
Dates to Remember
October 12th: Parent Partnership Meeting
October 12th – 13th: Life Touch Portraits!
October 14th: Parent’s Night Out
October 27th: Read for the Record
October 28th: Imagination Parade/Pumpkin Patch
October 31st: Pajama Day!
Join Andrew on Wednesday, October 12th from
5:00pm-6:00pm for our Monthly Parent
Partnership Meeting. We hope to see you there!
Picture Day is here!
It’s that time of year again for pictures!
On October 12th and October 13th Life Touch
Portraits will be here from 8:30am-12:00pm taking
individual, sibling and group pictures. All pictures will
be taken outdoors as this is becoming an annual
favorite!
October 12th: Infants, Toddlers, Young Preschool 1
October 13th: Young Preschool 2, Preschool, and
Kindergarten Prep
(Sibling pictures will be taken on the younger child’s day. Part
time children’s pictures will be taken on their scheduled day, and
you may come for the class picture. You may call ahead for an
approximate time.)
Bright Horizons at Los Gatos
220 Belgatos Road | Los Gatos, CA | 95032
408.356.7989 | [email protected]
Monday through Friday | 6:45am-6:00pm
© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC
IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE
Happy Birthday to You!
October 2nd: Landon (Kinder Prep)
October 5th: Adebayo (Preschool)
October 9th: Arihant (Toddlers)
October 12th: Kyra (Preschool)
October 17th: William (Young Preschool)
Parent’s Night Out!
Parent’s Night Out is back! Looking for a few hours without
the kids? Does a nice dinner or a “grown up” movie sound fun?
Have your child join us on Friday, October 14th from
6:00pm-9:30pm! While you are out and about…we will be
here enjoying some fun activities, pizza, and pajama time!
Keep an eye out for sign-ups as it fills up fast! The night is $25
per child and we are limited to just 25 spaces!
October 20th: Oliver (Young Preschool)
October 20th: Aiden Z. (Young Preschool)
October
October
22nd:
23rd:
Lucie (Preschool)
Liam (Kinder Prep)
October 28th: Mika (Kinder Prep)
October 29th: Ms. Ly (Support Teacher)
October 30th: Julian (Young Preschool)
October 31st: Ethan T. (Young Preschool)
Safety Reminders
PARKING LOT: As a reminder, we ask that you please use
caution and slow speeds when driving through the parking lot.
We ask that you drive no faster than 10 MPH throughout the
lot. Mulberry’s expectation of the parking lot speed limit is 5
MPH and if they feel it’s necessary, they may ask you to slow
down. We are currently in conversation with them in regards to
a standard speed limit.
However regardless of speed…you just never know when one
of our little friends might pop out of nowhere. Thank you!
JUMPSTART’S: READ FOR THE RECORD
Jumpstart’s Read for the Record® is a national campaign that was launched over a decade ago to address the educational
inequities that leave too many children unprepared for kindergarten. On Thursday, October 27, 2016, children and adults
will gather to learn, laugh, and read this year's campaign book, The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach,
as part of the worlds largest shared reading experience. Read for the Record inspires adults to read with children, spurs
policymakers and organizations to take action towards transformative change in early education, and puts books in the
hands of more children across the country.
Last year Bright Horizons came together to read in celebration of Jumpstart's Read for the Record. Thanks to early
education champions near and far, over 2.5 million children read to as part of the world's largest shared reading
experience. This year we will participate again. Family participation is not necessary. Happy Reading!!
© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Science Rocks!
Science is part of everything children do each day as they are scientists by nature. Children of all ages are programmed to
investigate, experiment, and discover how the world works around them. Science provides a framework for children to
explore research, dissect, and manipulate a variety of materials while doing an endless array of activities. From Infants to
Kindergarten Prep…children are engaged in science constantly.
An infant environment provides sensory-rich activities such as textured blocks to feel and touch, and discovery baskets
filled with natural materials such as wood and rocks. Toddlers become more cautious exploring materials like foam paint
and live insects from the garden as they begin to think and analyze what is happening. Young Preschools tend to be more
hands on than toddlers as they dive into sensory bins filled with crushed corn cob, scoopers, magnifier glasses, and toy
animals. Preschool and Kindergarten Prep children have the ability to test hypotheses, learn cause and effect, and ask
what, why, when, where, and how questions by experimenting with their five senses as they conduct taste tests, observe
vegetables changing color, and by communicating with one another through a long tube!
As you can see…science is all around us, and all of the above (and more) makes our Science Rocks! Curriculum at Bright
Horizons wonderful hands on learning experience for children of any age!
© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC
READY FOR SCHOOL NEWS
Technology Tactics
Scientist Alan Kay said, “Technology is anything that wasn’t around when you were born.” This
tongue-in-cheek observation speaks to the ambivalence we sometimes feel about technology. On
the one hand, we can see its potential benefits; on the other, we may feel intimidated by it or
worry about its negative effects. Often, we tend to lean to one side or the other.
Managing technology at home can seem overwhelming and every family’s solution will probably be
unique to their situation. Below are a few general ideas to support you in finding the approach that
works best for your family.
Find a balance. Children have access to more entertainment options than ever before, yet their
needs haven’t changed. Children need unstructured play every day. They need real, face-to-face
conversations and time to think, dream, and read. Their growing bodies and minds need daily
doses of exercise and experiences with nature. As a family, set limits for tech use to ensure a
healthy balance between screen time and other activities.
Carve out tech-free spaces. Technology can be an insidious time waster. Pop in to check social
media and the next thing you know, 30 minutes has gone by. Don’t let this time gobbler eat up
family moments. Set aside certain times and places as no-tech zones, e.g., when children first walk
in after school, at the dinner table, or at bedtime. Don’t allow screens in children’s bedrooms.
Some families have found that children fall asleep more easily if they don’t consume technology in
the evenings.
Keep your eyes open. Be involved with your child’s virtual experiences just as you would his
real-life activities. Check in occasionally on your child’s social media pages; get to know her online
friends. Install a filter to help keep out inappropriate material, but understand that no filter is foolproof. Scrutinize apps and software carefully. Talk with your child about what to do if he or she
encounters inappropriate material and keep communication open.
Join the party. In general, we try to take a positive approach to parenting, saying “yes” when we
can and filling our homes with the good things, rather than focusing on the negative. Technology is
no exception. Choose wholesome, high-quality technology, including games, apps, audiobooks, and
videos. Then plan some special family time to participate in those activities together. You’ll get a
bird’s eye view of how your child is responding to technology and your child will love your
willingness to enter his world.
Regardless of where we fall in the technology debate, we know that it’s here to stay. In Bright
Horizons classrooms, we see technology as a potential tool, neither to be revered nor feared. We
use it when it makes sense from an educational standpoint and when it complements the hands-on,
developmentally-appropriate activities we know children need for healthy development. We
partner with parents in considering best technology practices and support them in their efforts at
home.
© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC
BRIGHT HORIZONS NEWS
The Working Parent’s Wellness Toolkit
Thursday, October 6th
2:00 p.m. ET
With the daily realities of life as a working
parent, it is important to find ways to care for
yourself and your health. Join Bright Horizons
and special guest and wellness expert,
Christina Reale, for a live webinar discussing
practical wellness strategies for working
parents. In this webinar, we will learn how to
set realistic wellness goals that can pave the
way to balancing a successful career with a
healthy life amid life’s multiple responsibilities.
Register Here:
http://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1263367/B4CEB
4C1357B1C15BAA293A0FA3AF299?partnerr
ef=ParentNews
Check out the Parent Webinars website.
CONNECT WITH BRIGHT HORIZONS
© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC