A Note from The Director March 2016
Dear Interfaith Families, Can you believe it’s almost Spring? This school year has flown right by, but what an amazing year it has been! Your children have learned and grown so much, and we are looking forward to all the fun projects and activities that will take place over the next few months. I want to thank you for your patience and feedback during registration last month. Overall, we felt that our new system of registering different programs on different days was a success. Our lottery system for public registration worked well, too. We were able to register more than 60 families in approximately 2 hours. We are always willing to consider new ideas, so if you have any feedback for us regarding registration, please feel free to share it with the front office staff. We still have some openings in our various programs, so if you want to register your child for either summer or fall, please contact the front office. Our amazing Parent’s Club has been hard at work planning and preparing for this year’s Family Night and Silent Auction, Deep in the Jungle. It will be held this Friday, March 4th from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to visit the classrooms to see first-hand the learning that takes place on a daily basis. In addition to classroom visits, you will have an opportunity to bid on a variety of items displayed in the jungle (a.k.a. the Great Room). Your children have been hard at work creating beautiful decorations that will make you feel like you’re wandering through a jungle instead of our Great Room! The auction is ICDC’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and the money raised through this event goes back into the school. The funds are used to purchase educational materials for the classrooms and larger items such as play and shade structures for the playgrounds. The Parent’s Club also uses some of the money raised to support your child’s teachers through tokens of appreciation and support with their professional development. Our Family Night and Silent Auction is truly an extraordinary event, and I hope you will make plans to attend on Friday night. Kindest regards, Lisa Whittle
IMPORTANT DATES Please see page 2 for the many important dates this month. ICDC Newsletter
1
Health & Safety Flu vs. Colds: A Guide to Symptoms Questions
Flu
Cold
Was the onset of illness …
sudden?
slow?
Does your child have a …
high fever?
no (or mild) fever?
Is your child's exhaustion level …
severe?
mild?
Is your child's head …
achy?
headache-free?
Is your child's appetite …
decreased?
normal?
Are your child's muscles …
achy?
fine?
Does your child have …
chills?
no chills?
If most of your answers fell into the first category, chances are that your child has the flu. If your answers fell into the second category, it’s most likely a cold. But don’t be too quick to brush off your child’s illness as just another cold. The important thing to remember is that flu symptoms can vary from child to child (and they can change as the illness progresses), so if you suspect the flu, call the doctor. Even doctors often need a test to tell them for sure if a person has the flu or not since the symptoms can be so similar. (http://kidshealth.org) If your child does have an infection and is placed on antibiotics remember to throw away his/her toothbrush and then throw the toothbrush away once again when the medicine is finished. This will prevent reinfection. Your child may return to school when he/she is fever free for twenty-four hours without taking any medication.
ICDC Newsletter
March 2016
Important Dates
Thurs. & Fri.
Spirit Days – wear your ICDC T-shirt
March 2
Happy Birthday Dr Suess
March 4
Deep In The Jungle’ Family Night and Silent Auction 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
March 7-11
Rodeo Round Up
March 14-18
Spring Break – Full Day and School Agers Only **No MDO, Partial, or School Day Programs **Enrichment Classes will not meet the week of Spring Break
March 25
ICDC Closed – Spring Holiday
April 6-8
Scholastic Book Fair
Source: Children’s Health
2
Curriculum Corner Rodeo Round-Up She’ll be coming ‘round the mountain when she comes! Yee Haw! Calling all little cowboys and cowgirls! The Great Room will transform into a mini rodeo March 9th – 11th. Children will participate in all kinds of activities to celebrate this exciting event.
Variety in weather is the spice of life! When the weather changes, it makes us more aware of our natural surroundings. Children will be exploring and learning all about weather this month in the Science Lab. They will experiment with wind, make a tornado, discover how to make it rain, and learn about the water cycle. There will be books to read and songs to sing.
Library
Happy Birthday to Who?? Dr. Seuss of course! Children will celebrate many magical, fun to read books written by Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss).
ICDC Newsletter
Mark your calendar… our amazing Book Fair is April 6-8, 2016. Books are available for all ages.
3
People of ICDC Each month our Parent’s Club will be highlighting some of our teachers in the newsletter. This will give you a chance to get to know the ICDC staff a little better. My name is Chrissie Elmendorf and I am the assistant teacher for the three year olds in A-6 alongside Mrs. Rose. This is my second year full time teaching and my love for children has grown immensely. I am originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, and have lived here in The Woodlands, Texas, for over 6 years. I graduated from The University of Houston in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Health with a Minor in Human Development Family Study. In my free time I love hanging out with my friends and family, taking road trips, babysitting, helping my friend with her clothing store, party planning and above all arts and crafts. I have a huge passion for using my creativity for scrapbooking and making things. One more thing that is near and dear to my heart, and I enjoy helping others as much as possible, is volunteering for HOPE. This is an amazing group of men, women and children who volunteer their time in raising awareness for Batten Disease. For more information take a look at www.willherndon.org. My time spent here in Texas and at Interfaith has been such a rewarding feeling, having met some of the most amazing people in my life and most importantly working with children. They bring such light and joy into one’s life and knowing I am helping to shape them for the future is a privilege. As we say in New Orleans, Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler (Let the good times roll), is just how I enjoy my time working at Interfaith.
Hello! My name is Ali Murchison and I am a teacher in A-11. This is my first year being a full time teacher and I have quickly learned that I love being with my 4 year olds! I recently graduated from Texas State University with a bachelor degree in Family and Child Development and I am currently working on earning my Teaching Certification. I have been married for almost 4 years and we have the best rescue dog, Cooper. In my free time I like to take Cooper to the dog parks and go on adventures with my friends and my husband, weekend road trips are our favorite. I love working at Interfaith and am so happy I get to love on your kiddos every day!
CDC Newsletter
Preschool Psychology Corner by Anise Flowers, Ph.D. and Angie Hays, Ph.D.
Giving Good Instructions As we scurry through our busy days, we often are giving commands or instructions to our little ones. Some they catch and comply with but let’s face it, there are many that go right over their heads. So how do we know that they are listening? Giving good instructions is the key to communicating with toddlers and kids. But before we figure out what makes a good instruction, it’s important to understand how instructions work. Instructions are antecedents, which are the events that come immediately before a behavior and are probably responsible for the occurrence of the behavior. A good instruction is one which keeps the parents from repeated the instruction 1000 times because the child: 1. Might not have heard, 2. Might not have understood, 3. Might not be capable of complying, or 4. Might not realize that you want compliance. A “Good Instruction” can sometimes prevent problems behaviors from occurring and sometimes is what is needed to solve an already occurring problem. In order to give good, clear instructions, we need to: • Describe The Behavior Precisely. State exactly what your child must do in order for the instruction to be obeyed and describe when the behavior should be completed. So instead of “Billy, clean your room” instead try “Billy, I need you to pick up your blocks and put toys in the bucket now” • State Only ONE Instruction at a Time. By instructing your child to do one thing at a time, you increase the chances that the instruction will be obeyed. When children receive more than one instruction at a time, they must make a choice about what instruction to complete first. In these instances they frequently do not follow either instruction. It is also possible that they hear or remember only the first instruction. • Give Short Instructions. When giving an instruction, include only the words that are important to understanding what must be done to obey the instruction. A good rule of thumb is the number of words in the instruction should only be a few more words than the child’s age. (So for a two-year old, aim for no more than 4-5 words). If lengthy instructions are needed to explain how to perform the task, use the situation to teach and show rather than as one requiring independent behavior. • Avoid Stating Instructions as Questions or Suggestions. Often parents ask their children to do something when they are really not asking but telling. If you really do want your child to perform a particular behavior, avoid giving him/her the opportunity to answer a question with “No.” This is such a hard habit to break so it helps to have a parenting partner help “catch” these slips. Instead of “Allie, can you get in your chair?” try “Allie, go to your chair now” • Avoid New Instructions before an old instruction is followed. Watch for compliance and once that is achieved, move on to the next instruction. • Avoid Repeating Instructions. When children know their parents will repeat an instruction several times before they are required to obey, children frequently take their time and wait until parents have repeated an instruction several times. A good strategy to keep from repeating yourself is to: 1. Give Instruction, 2. Wait 5-15 seconds for compliance, 3. Repeat instruction as a warning, 4. Follow up with a contingency (good for compliance; bad for noncompliance). • State Instructions Positively. First, listen to how you are stating the instruction. Try to state it positively and politely. Think along the lines of if your sentence has the word “Don’t” in it, it’s not an instruction. So instead of “Don’t eat with your hands” try “Use your spoon.” • Finally, remember when giving instructions to young ones, get down to eye level, make-eye contact, and touch their arm or shoulder to command their attention.
CDC Newsletter
CDC Parent’s Club
om The President
Many Thanks! Thank you to everyone who participated in our MIXED BAGS DESIGNS sale! Orders have been placed and should arrive soon! Thank you, also, to all who came out for our Spirit Day with Chick-fil-a! Parent’s Club sponsored a teacher and staff appreciation luncheon during our Spirit Day and they loved it and were so appreciative!
Please join us… Our annual Silent Auction and Family Night – Deep In the Jungle – will be held on Friday, March 4th from 5-7 pm at the school. Please come and enjoy the classroom receptions, the amazing auction and raffle items! There is still time to buy your tuition raffle ticket for ONE MONTH’S FREE TUITION FOR ONE CHILD (any program). Tickets are $25 and available at the front office. You may also still purchase tickets for the raffles that will be offered at the auction itself. There will be 3 raffles this year: a STAR WARS basket, a BARBIE basket and FREE VALET PARKING at The Woodlands Mall for ONE YEAR with a $100 GIFT CARD. Tickets are $5 each or 6 for $25. Those tickets are also available at the front office. All fundraisers and events that are planned serve to enrich the school experience for our children, support the school and its staff with proceeds going directly back to support the school through enrichment items for classrooms, teacher luncheons, teacher scholarships for continuing education and so much more.
SAVE THE DATE-
The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to ICDC! April 6-8th ICDC will host its annual spring book fair. Please come and browse the great selection of books! Our teachers will have wish boxes filled with their favorite books for purchase for their classroom and to give you great ideas for your children! Thank you for your continuous support of our school! We couldn’t do it without you! Mary-Kathryn D’Agostino mkdagostino@sbcglobal.net
ICDC Newsletter
6