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February News 2016

From the Principals Office

Celebrating Sweethearts….
January proved to be an awesome start to the new year. Many new families have joined us; we are so happy to have them join our Discovery Isle family!
During the month of February, we will be celebrating love, family and friendships throughout the school. Be sure to keep up with our Spirit Days and join in on all fun dress up days! Creativity scores big points!
In addition, keep an eye out for information on classroom parties and a couple special events. Flossy from a local Dentist office will be coming to Discovery Isle to talk about good oral hygiene with our smart kids.
Lastly, we had such a HUGE success with our Little Caesars fundraiser. Thank you for all those who supported us. These fundraisers have been so great, and I know we have quite a few throughout the year. Please do not feel obligated to participate in all of them, pick which ever ones peak you or your family and friends interests. Keep in mind there are several bonus for selling lots of items such as free electronics and tuition scholarships. We always appreciate all of your support!
Until next month.. Christy Lang

Valentine’s Day Party times! February 12th
Angelfish Room 1 -3:00pm
Sharks & Sea Horses Rooms 2 & 3- 3:00pm
Whales & Dolphins Rooms 4 & 5- 3:00pm
Stingrays & Clownfish Rooms 6 & 7- 3:00pm
Starfish Rooms 8- 2:30pm

PICTURE DAY!
Life Touch presents Discovery Isle’s Spring & Grad Photos Thursday and Friday, February 18th & 19th from 9am to 12pm

CALLING ALL SCHOOL AGE DISCOVERY ISLE CAMPERS! It’s Time To Sign Up For Spring Break starting March 28th to April 1st
Monday
A day in the garden. The ins & outs of gardening. We will weed, plow and plant a variety of seeds in our raised gardens.
Tuesday
A day at the Flower Fields. We get to learn the behind the scene making of the beautiful flowers as well as doing our very own planting and workshop.
Wednesday
Art is the stored honey of the human soul. We will let our inner Artists out! We will explore with different textures, mediums & styles of the art world.
Thursday
This isn’t just for the birds! Our campers will venture outdoors to do a little bird watching at the local parks.
Friday
Big Bang Theory? Science can be so much fun! A day to explore, experiments, observe with all different types of science experiments & sensory activities.
Limited Spaces, Come join the FUN!

Christy’s Crafty Creations
Featuring this month’s creative recipe of Love comes from Confessions of a Cooking Queen; found on Pinterest. What an easy creative Valentines gift!!!! Enjoy!

Valentine’s Day Birdfeeders
Supplies needed:
3/4 a cup of flour
1/2 a cup of water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2.5 teaspoons)*
3 tbsp. corn syrup
4 cups birdseed
How to make it: Spray a spoon with cooking spray and then mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, a la this YUMMY. Next, spray the inside of your cookie cutter with cooking spray, and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Fill it with the birdseed mixture.  Be sure to really pack it down, sprayed another spoon with cooking spray and used the back of it to help pack it down. It will make for two smooth sides, instead of one. Once you have your cookie cutter full, use something (we used a chop stick) to make a hole. Then, holding down the birdseed, pull off the cookie cutter.  Re-spray the cookie cutter after every four and with a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter, this makes about 12 feeders.  Let them firm up over night, and then they are ready to hang or give away. Wrap in cute cellophane or baggies to make for a sweet homemade valentine’s day gift!

birdfeeders

Helping Your Preschooler Develop
Positive Friendship Skills

Are you puzzled by some of your child’s social behaviors? Have you noticed that your toddler doesn’t interact with other children very often? Does your three-year-old get frustrated when a classmate won’t play with him? Will your four-year-old only play with her best friend?
These are all normal social behaviors for preschoolers. Learning how to develop friendships is a lifelong process. Children’s social behaviors evolve from smiling and cooing at others, to engaging in parallel play, to eventually forming friendships and playing together. Below are ways we help develop friendships in the classroom, as well as ideas for you and your child to do at home.

INFANTS:

In the classroom: Before they can communicate verbally, infants build connections by smiling, cooing and crying. By two months old, they might turn toward other infants, and by twelve months, they begin to imitate their peers. Teachers help facilitate this relationship by sitting infants near each other during activities such as story time and tummy time.
At home: Even though infants don’t really play with one another, they still benefit from “play dates” with other infants. Sit your infant face-to-face with another infant or in close proximity to an older sibling, and provide each child separate toys. Note when your infant watches the other child and what captures his attention. Recommended reading: Friends by Helen Oxenbury and Let’s Play by Leo Lionni

TODDLERS (ages 1-2):
In the classroom
: Many young children tend to engage in “parallel play.” They play near other children, but each child is doing something different. This is a natural phase of development. As children get older, they begin to enjoy more shared activities with their peers. For example, they might enjoy splashing their hands at the water table with others, looking at books while sitting close to a friend, and dancing to music with their classmates.
At home: Invite another parent and child to your home for a play date. Blocks, balls, dress up clothes and toy kitchen sets are great toys for children at this age. Don’t force them to play with each other. Instead, let the children decide on the level of interaction. Recommended reading: Do You Want to be My Friend? by Eric Carle and I Can Share by Karen Katz

BEGINNERS (ages 2-3):
In the classroom:
In the Beginner classroom, teachers refer to classmates as “friends.” Students learn about personal space and begin to practice good manners by saying please and thank you.
At home: Model positive behaviors while playing with your child. Say “I’m going to roll the ball to you. Can you please roll the ball back to me?” Afterward, say “Thank you. You are being a good friend.”
Recommended reading: How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? by Jane Yolen and Let’s be Friends by P. K. Hallinan

INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4):
In the classroom:
Between ages three and four, children attempt to understand social situations, but often do so from an egocentric point of view. They need adult guidance to help them navigate peer conflict and model appropriate friendship-making behaviors. Small group activities help children learn how to follow directions, take turns and develop friendships.
At home: Ask your child about their friends and what games they played together. If he says, “Andrew didn’t play with me today. He’s mean,” you could say, “Andrew may have wanted to play a different game today. Maybe you can play together tomorrow. What does Andrew like to play?”
Recommended reading: Just My Friend and Me by Mercer Mayer and Llama Llama Time to Share by Anna Dewdney

PRE-K/PRE-K2 (ages 4-5)
In the classroom:
Friendship in Pre-K and Pre-K2 is usually reciprocal and deliberate as children become more skilled in social interactions and look for peers with shared interests. Our character education program reinforces friendship making skills using songs, games, books and brain-builder activities to nurture skills such as collaboration, understanding feelings and resolving conflicts.
At home: Bring your child to events that include multiple children, such as birthday parties, or encourage your child to play a board game that requires multiple players. Ask him to introduce himself to the other children, or encourage him to play the game taking turns. If you notice frustration from your child, say, “In order to play the game, we all have to play together.”
Recommended reading: Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel and A Splendid Friend, Indeed by Suzanne Bloom

Don’t be concerned about the number of friends your child has, as it is more about quality than quantity. Each child will develop friendships at his own pace. What matters most is the development of social skills such as collaboration and problem-solving, which will help him transition into elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education

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