WNewS: Early Childhood Center - November, 2023

November, 2023

WNewS Welcome to WNewS!

We hope you enjoy seeing what our WNS Jets are up to. As aways, please do not hesitate to reach out if we can be of assistance.

Early C

dhood l i h

nter Ce

Designed to give you a glimpse of what’s going on at WNS as you make the important decision of which school feels right for your family.

ECC PS

& DK

~ WNS Admission Team

WNS: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow Hear from faculty, past and current parents, and alumni students about what makes WNS the magical place that is it.

Sample Story of the Day - Preschool The Story of the Day is unique to the ECC at WNS. Each day, our ECC teachers share a written piece with families, offering a peek into the day, along with insight into the learning that took place. Below is a snapshot that we hope you enjoy reading!

The stories created during the ECC’s story workshop ranged from detailed stories that mixed fact and fiction, to short stories that say it all in one to two sentences.

Child A told a story with materials at the light table.

Child A: I'm making vanilla ice cream. I get the balls with the chocolate and sprinkles because I like them. You mix the balls to make the ice cream. It's done. You scoop the ice cream into the cup. You eat it! With a spoon.

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November, 2023

WNewS Child B chose to weave together experiences from his life and fantastical events as he told his story with clay, small stones, and dinosaur figures.

Child B: This is a battle with two stones and dinosaurs. It's meant to be a battle. The dinosaurs try to get from here (two stones on left) to there (two stones on right). They have to get them to get winning, to get the trophy. And the orange wins and gets one! The orange went for another try and he gets the trophy! Now it wants to stomp and rub its foot.

Child C said he wanted to tell a story in construction.

Child C: This is a roller.

And then it rolled over. It's a short story.

Learning Breakdown What makes a story? We as teachers continue to ask ourselves this question as we listen to what the children share in our weekly storytelling practice. Just because we call something a story, is it one? Is it a re-telling or narration of what you're doing, like in Child A’s case? Or does it have to have characters, a plot and a conflict, like in Child B’s story? Although Child C’s story was short, he was adamant that it was a story and, truthfully, it had some elements that we typically associate with one, like a character and action.

Today's experience seems to say that stories are what we make of them, especially at this early stage of learning. Sparking the interest and desire to tell a story is where we need to start and will fuel the next steps. Now that we have had several weeks to practice the routine of Story Workshop, we are eager to think about ways to extend, elaborate, and deepen what storytelling looks like in the Herons classroom.

Other Candid Photos of the Day Along with curating a Story of the Day, teachers also take photos of the children throughout the school day. Photos are uploaded daily so that parents and caregivers can see what our youngest Jets have been up to! We hope you enjoy this peek into a typical day in the Herons class at the WNS ECC!

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November, 2023

WNewS

Parenting Tip of the Month Family Mindfulness

Children are uniquely suited to benefit from mindfulness practices. Habits formed early in life will inform behaviors in adulthood, and with mindfulness, we have the opportunity to give our children the habit of being peaceful, kind, and accepting.

One of the best things you can do for your child is to model healthy adulthood.

When you model mindfulness, it benefits both you and your child. Being more present to your own and your child’s state of mind will only make your family closer. How? Develop 1-3 mindfulness practices that fit your family culture.

These can be any activity that slows you down and allows you to notice what is happening within and without. Here are some ideas.

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November, 2023

WNewS Sample Story of the Day - DK During our morning meeting today, we introduced one of the ECC’s core practices: Keywords.

Teacher: Today, we are going to talk about keywords. What are keywords?

Child A: I think I've heard about keywords on Thomas the Train. You pick a word, and then you do the action.

Teacher: Has anyone heard of keywords at the ECC? Child B: I don't remember.

Teacher: Keywords are words that are special or meaningful to you. My special word is Dave.

Child C: Who is Dave?

Child D: Is Dave your husband?

Teacher: Yes, and he is very special to me.

First, with the support of a teacher, we write the word together on a 3x5 index card, spelling the word and describing the lines that make up the symbol for the letters.

After writing the keyword, the next step is to use a hole puncher to make a hole in the corner of the card and attach it to the ring.

We took a small group out to work on some keywords.

Child 1: I want my word to be rainbow. Because I like drawing rainbows.

Child 2: I want my word to be rain. I like rain and jumping in puddles.

Child 3: I want my keywords to say grandparents, aunt, and uncle.

Child 4: I want mine to say, mommy.

Learning Breakdown Keywords are a Core Literacy Practice at the ECC. Rather than learning simply to recite the individual letters or sight words, we understand that context is very important in learning to read. When a child has a special interest in a word, they are more likely to remember the structure, the letters, and the sound each of the letters makes. This way learning to read becomes individualized.

It’s natural for the first words they ask for to be their own names or the names of people in their homes and families. I can’t wait to see what else comes up!

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November, 2023

WNewS Other Candid Photos of the Day

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November, 2023

WNewS Important Dates & Upcoming Events Remaining Tour Dates Thursday, November 9, 2023 (PS-8) Wednesday, December 6, 2023 (PS-4) Friday, January 5, 2024 (PS-8) Click here to register

Admission Process Dates December 1, 2023: Preschool, DK, & Kindergarten Priority Application Deadline January 8, 2024: Preschool-8th Application Deadline.

January 12, 2024: Preschool-8th Teacher Recommendation Letters & Transcripts Due January 31, 2024: Preschool-8th Financial Assistance Application Deadline February 29, 2024: Preschool & DK Notification Emails Sent at 2:00 pm March 5, 2024: Preschool & DK Contracts and Deposit Due by 12:00 pm

Upcoming Events Fall Into Autumn Community Fest: November 11, 2023. More info below Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Information Session (Virtual), December 13, 2023, 6-7pm Parent Connections Event: January 18, 2024, 6-7:30pm For all events, learn more and register here.

Open to children under 5 years of age, and their grownups WNS presents its first annual family-friendly open house, where young children can immerse themselves in the magic of our Early Childhood Center!

Saturday, November 11, 2023 9:30am – 12:30pm 12901 Coral Tree Place WNS Early Childhood Center (ECC)

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Join us for a morning of connection and fun with seasonal crafts, outside games and exploration, face painting, petting zoo, live music, and more

Register here