Dear Parents,Happy New Year! We are glad to be back with everyone. The year started very well and the kids settled in very well.
CalendarMonday, Jan 16th- School closed in observation of Martin Luther King DayWednesday, Jan 18th at 9 am- Green Room Parent CoffeeTuesday, Feb. 7th at 6:30 pm- Green Room parent potluck dinner.Thursday, Feb. 23rd, 6:30 pm- Yellow Room parent potluck dinnerFamily transitionsWe are delighted to be welcoming three more families into the Green Room over the next two months.( names removed for web posting) Please introduce yourselves. Then our classroom and the school will be full. Hooray!Parent PotlucksWe will be having the Green Room first parents potluck on Tuesday night, the 7th of February and the Yellow Room’s potluck will be on February 23rd.. It is a chance for parents to gather together and enjoy an evening of community and conversation. Please arrange babysitting now so you can join us for this fun evening. There will be a sign-up sheet at the front table for food and beverages. If someone would like to help decorate the tables in the afternoon, please let me know.Tuition PaymentI want to review the tuition procedures as there were a few questions.A few days before the end of the month, you will receive an invoice for the next month tuition. It will give a summary of current charges ( tuition, after and morning care, etc) and any past due amount. These charges are due at the first of the month. Afterschool and morning charges will be computed to the 25th of the previous month and added to the bill. The remaining days of previous month’s afterschool and morning charges will appear on your next month’s bill.Late payments per the contract arrangements will incur a $20 late penalty on the 10th. If you know your payment will be delayed, please talk to Deborah to make arrangements.CurriculumWe have some exciting things going on this month. In the Yellow Room, four families will be helping us celebrated “chinese” New Year the way that their countries have adapted it.During the week of Jan. 23rd, we will have costumes and discussion about new year’s in Tibet; we will be making dumpling soup with two Korean parents; we will be making also be making paper dragons, as this will be the year of the dragon. We will decorate the room with traditional red paper cut into festive designs.We will also be making Stone Soup as we cook from the book of that name. Every child will bring a vegetable to add to the vegetable broth on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 17th and 18th. We will throw in some barley and herbs and enjoy a feast together with parents at going home time.We look forward to a wonderful month together.Warm regards,Deborah, Ty, Aracely, Maya, Marilyn, Esme, Mye, and Allison
- From the Director
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Dec5
1 CommentLots of fun things to do this year in Los Angeles. Have a great holiday season. I have shared some of my ideas and experiences as a native of Los Angeles. Hope you enjoy some of the suggestions.
DOWNTOWN ON ICE
Right across from the Biltmore Hotel in Pershing Square
http://laparks.org/pershingsquare/doi.html
532 South Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Skating Session $6; Skate Rental $2
HOURS OF OPERATION
General Schedule: November 17, 2011 – January 16, 2012Monday – Thursday: 12:00pm to 10:00pm
Friday – Sunday: 10:00am to 10:00pm*Special Extended Holiday Hours
December 19 – January 2 from 10:00am to 10:00pm dailyParking in the lot underneath.
TRAIN RIDE TO SANTA ( GRIFFITH PARK)
http://www.griffithparktrainrides.com/content/travel-town-santa-train
The Travel Town Museum has a magical Holiday Train Ride and Visit with Santa. Santa, himself, will be on hand and each child will receive a candy cane and a special little gift. Mrs. Claus will also be there to greet you and talk about life at the North Pole. If you wish, Santa’s helpers will happily take your picture with Santa for purchase as a keepsake of your visit. After visiting Santa you can board the Santa Express at Travel Town Station for a trip through a wonderland of holiday lights and scenery. If you prefer, you can get into the Holiday spirit by riding the Santa Express before you visit Santa.
The ride will continue on December 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and December 14th through December 23rd. The first train leaves about 5 pm each night and the last train will leave at about 8 pm, unless it sells out, in which case they may close earlier.
BILTMORE MILLENIUM HOTEL – Holiday Tea for Children
In conjunction with the City Ballet of Los Angeles’ annual performance of this time-honored classic, the Biltmore hosts a special tea for children and parents with holiday sandwiches and cupcakes! Event will feature special performances throughout the tea by real ballet dancers from the production, including the Sugar Plum Fairy herself!
Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13, 2009 from 11:00am – 1:00pm in the Rendezvous Court
$38 per person
Please call Smeraldi’s Restaurant at (213) 612-1562 for reservations.
LOS FELIZ 3 THEATERS
Mommy and me Wednesday matinee at 10:30 am at 1822 N. Vermont Ave. Great to do when the kids are out of school.
Beautiful Holiday Lights
Los Feliz is the perfect place to view holiday lights and decorations. When my daughter was young, we used to gather together as a family in my mom and dad’s camper with its big windows and drive the streets. Armed with hot chocolate in Thermoses, we drove the streets, oohing and aahing at the sparkling and colorful lights and inventive decorations.
Los Feliz usually has the DWP Lights Festival but this year, due to prolonged construction, it is not open. Hopefully the construction will be complete by next year.
Relatives in town/ Children Off from School
TRY GEOCACHING
Geocaching is a new way for family and friends to have fun and explore the Los Feliz area. It is a fabulous blend of an old-fashioned treasure hunt and modern day technology. In our family, it appeals to my husband’s love of computers, his Iphone, and technology in general, to my love of treasure hunts that take me back to childhood and college days, and to our children and grandchildren’s love of the hunt.
Here is how geocaching works. All over the world, people have hidden small boxes and other containers that contain a log for recording the finder’s name and often, little trinkets and trackers. Trackers are the official geocaching item that has a tracking number that keeps track of the travels of these items.
In order to find these caches, you go online to geocaching.com and look up an area where you want to search for a cache. I looked up 90027 and found many interesting possibilities. You make note of the area and the GPS coordinates, then off you go in search of the cache. Now these hiders are quite clever so you have to use the clues the other cache finders have left to solve the puzzle and locate the cache.
When you find the container, sign in on the log. If there is a tracker, you can take it and place it in a new cache that you find next time. At the end of your caching day, whether you have one or several, log on and record what you have done at geocache.com. It is nice to leave a clue on the computer record if you found that a cache was tricky to find. We ended up eating in a great restaurant right next to a cache, an added bonus to the experience.
So if you find yourself with family and friends looking for something fun to do that can take 20 minutes or several hours or you need everyone out of the house so you can cook or wrap packages, try geocaching. We have found that we learn something new about our Los Feliz neighborhood every time.
Happy Hunting!
Holiday Shopping for Chanukah and Stocking Treats
Holiday shopping is truly upon us. I was raised in a traditional manner here in Los Angeles; Christmas shopping only began after Thanksgiving. There were no early holiday purchases, decorations or holiday music. While times have changed now that I have grandchildren, I still leave the stocking presents for close to the holiday. In Los Feliz, there are many delightful places to buy great holiday gifts and stocking stuffers.
For the coffee or tea drinker:
- (Starbucks on Vermont and Prospect (http://www.starbucks.com/store/15113),
- Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on Hillhurst (http://coffeebean.com/location.aspx?UserID=38650288&SessionID=iqKCsPjuBOLdZnkvRAld),
- Intelligentsia on W. Sunset (http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/locations/view/)
For books:- A new book by a favorite or new author plus an interesting selection of books you might not find everywhere ( Skylight Books on N. Vermont (http://www.skylightbooks.com/))
- Theater tickets are a nice treat at Los Feliz 3 on 1822 N. Vermont Ave.
When our grown children come with the grandchildren, it opens the door to much more shopping. Great toys and children’s clothes can be purchased at:
- Dragonfly Dulou on Hillhurst Ave. (http://www.dragonflydulou.com/contact)
- La La Ling on N. Vermont ) http://www.lalaling.com/e-store/cnt_store.asp).
Farmer’s Markets
- The Farmer’s Market on Hollywood just west of Vermont at Barnsdall Park on Wednesday from noon to 6 pm is a great source of food goodies and handmade items.
Los Feliz Library- A Jewel in the Crown
Remember the library; Los Feliz has a great one.
Los Feliz library (http://www.lapl.org/branches/Branch.php?bID=36) is one of the jewels in the crown of the Los Angeles Public Library system. Located at the corner of Franklin and Hillhurst Ave, it is a community center for much more than books. We are so lucky to have a beautiful building with natural light and wonderful spaces to enjoy many neighborly experiences.
As a preschool, we regularly uses this library to get books that reflect activities in the classroom and children’s interests. The book collection offers so much to choose from; the 56,000 books is very thoughtfully and well put together. This collection is loaded with current titles and excellent breadth of subjects. The librarians are very knowledge, always able to guide with great suggestions. There are movies to rent and books on tape. They have a program that allows interlibrary
The library is much more than books. It offers a wide variety of programs such ascomputer classes, author program, architectural lectures, monthly book discussions, music performances, chess, and a quilting circle.
One of the lesser known treasures of the library that I have been wanting to try is the Scrabble Club. I love Scrabble but I am part of a family who are not enthusiasts. On Saturday morning, people with all levels of skills put their Scrabble boards under their arms and come to the community room to find a similarly skilled partner. I loved the friendships and goodwill that were evident the day I visited.
The children’s story hours are always lovely and many of the preschool families have enjoyed many hours with well-chosen books.
A library card and the Los Feliz Library are definitely a passport to hours of enjoyment.
For Last Minute Boxing and Shipping Needs
No matter how we try and how careful we are in our planning, there is always something that needs to ship at the last minute. Box Brothers on Hillhurst Ave (http://www.boxbrosla.com/boxtest/store-locations/box-bros-los-feliz-village) has everything you need. They can do any kind of shipping from electronics to antiques and also provide a valet boxing pick-up service if you aren’t able to get to the store (or want to avoid long lines). They will also assist you in helping to find the exact size box you need so you can pay for only what you need. They have loads of packing materials as well. They save us every year.
I wish you a wonderful holiday and a great new year.
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Nov21
No Comments10 Great Holiday Gifts
Posted in: From the Director, Holidays, literacy, Parenting
Holiday Gifts for Young Children
I selected the favorites for children this year by going from learning area to learning area in the classroom. At the preschool, we want our “toys” to have lots of play value, room for imaginative and creative expression, and chances for exploring and discovery. I hope these ideas add inspiration and joy to your holiday season.
- Magna- tiles. The favorite manipulative. Magnet-edged squares and rectangles that can create a wonderful variety of structures. Add animals and people to increase range of play. Tinkertoys are also very hot right now in the Yellow Room. Amazon.com has the best prices.
- The Barn and Castle- The children’s favorite additions to the block area this year have been the Melissa and Doug Fold N Go Barn and Castle. They invite hours of play. We bought lots of castle horses and people as well as a big set of barnyard animals. Melissa and Doug are an excellent source of a wide range of excellent quality toys.
- Dress up box. My mother-in-law put together a fabulous dress up box for our kids. It was filled with capes, scarves, dresses, coats, shoes, jewelry, hats, and specialty accessories. Use your imagination. Thrift shops such as St. Vincent du Paul are a great source of supplies. Decorating the box is a nice extra touch. Hearthsong catalog is a great children’s catalog and has some excellent items.
- Sensory Materials- First the basics- playdough, flubber, flome., bubber with you can get at Discount School Supply or Lakeshore or recipes on this website., Add small rolling pins, cookie cutters, popsicle sticks of different colors, garlic presses, dull knives etc. A Special Treat- Gray clay is fabulous and a big bag will last you a long time. I love going to KitKraft in Studio City and cruising the aisles for the clay and wonderful tools. This store is loaded with kid friendly ideas.
- Bookstores are my idea of heaven and so books are a major item on any buying list. We have the holiday and winter favorites, Jan Brett’s The Mitten and The Wild Christmas Reindeer, Robert Sabuda’s The Twelve Days of Christmas, Debbie Martinez’s Celebrating Chanukah, Tomie de Paola’s The Nights of Las Posadas, and Alexandra Day’s Carl’s Christmas. And then there are the children’s current favorites and the classics. Right now, The Dairy of a Worm, Diary of a Spider,and Diary of a Fly by are very popular. Mo Willems series, Knuffle Bunny, Knuffle Bunny, Too and Knuffle Bunny Free are fabulous. Henry the Explorer, Caps for Sale, If You Guve a Mouse a Cookie and other Felicia Bond books. and Loving are wonderful. There is Grandfather Twilight, Stellaluna, The Patchwork Quilt, and Rosemary Wells’ series about Max and Ruby. Amazon.com
- Music is one place where I represent the favorites of my children’s childhood and the teachers reflect the more current tastes. We overlap with Hap Palmer ( all are wonderful) and Raffi . For me, it is Ella Jenkins ( all albums are great) , Patty Zeitlin and Marcia Berman ( Spin, Spider, Spin, Chanukah songs, and I am not Small, Raffi, Burl Ives (Christmas and Favorites for Children), For the teachers, it is Dan Zane, and Greg and Steve. Some of the musicals have been very popular with our kids i.e Lion King and Sound of Music. Again, Amazon.com carries the full range.
- Art Boxes- Start with the basics: scissors, with regular and fun cutting edges, mystic tape, and a hole punch, then add drawing materials: colored pencils, marking pens, and crayons. Then, over time, you can enrich the supplies with oil pastels, glitter pens, pastel chalks. Stamp pads and rubber stamps are great as are watercolor sets and tempura pads. Dot art is very popular right now. We use Discount School Supply.
- A children’s cookbook, i.e. DK Children’s Cookbook, an apron, and some cooking supplies: a medium sized good bowl with a handle and a non-skid bottom, a wooden spoon, a spatula, a small sifter, a small grater, a plastic one-cup measuring cup with pouring spout.
- Games- Target has a very good selection of games. Eric Carles, author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has several games that go with his books. There are the classics- HiHo Cheerio, Connect Four, Chutes and Ladders, and Candyland. There is also Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Sequence for Kids. Card games include Go Fish, Uno, and regular cards for the game of WAR.
- Stocking presents- a number of the above ideas are great for stockings, i.e. a CD, a book, or a box of pastel chalks. Science items from Lakeshore Learning Materials make good choices. A magnifying glass, color paddles, a set of magnets, a few packets of seeds to plant a winter garden ( lettuce, sugar snap peas, radishes). Lakeshore is the other wonderful teacher store from which we buy.
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Nov13
No CommentsDear Parents,
The preschool is having a round of colds and fevers affecting a number of children during the beginning ofthis cold and flu season. With no school Friday, Veteran’s Day, I hope everyone gets healthier.
Illness poses a parent’s dilemma best summed up by a dad who said, “My boss doesn’t like it when I miss three days of work, but I understand she needs to be at home”. Many of you have busy schedules, traveling spouses, and meetings that are important. I remember this well; I have four grown children. Unfortunately, sick and recovering children need to be cared for outside of the preschool.
I want to share with you some resources and “before need” coping strategies to think and plan about over the 3 day holiday to help with the dilemma. The three main obstacles seem to be the ” morning of” illness, the “getting sick at school” illness, and the “getting well but not ready for school” recovery period. We have a policy of a child returning to school when they are healthy and fever-free for at least 24 hours. Children can cope with more at home than they can at school when they are recovering. The illness policies for the school are in the parent handbook, online at www.kidslovepreschool.com.
1. Relatives- talk to family who are close by and see how and when they might be available to cover you.
2. Other parent/friend- as with a babysitting coop, some families make arrangements to cover each other in the case of illness. Not hours and hours, but the caring for or picking up of a child until your crucial work need is over.
3. Babysitters- they often have flexible daytime schedules. Other parents may have a person you would trust; they could spend some time with your child before you need them.
4. Nannies- some of you have talk about “underutilized” nannies. Perhaps they can step in and be paid while they are not caring for their usual child.
5. Neighbors- some of you have spoken of a good neighbor/ friend. Are they available for recovery care or pick up at school and short term care?
6. Friends- is there someone who would be willing to be on call?
7. College students- We are fortunate to have Los Angeles City College nearby. Ty and Marilyn went there. Check and see if they have a way of putting you together with students available for childcare.
Developing ” before need” care arrangements will hopefully ease some of the stress of caring for a sick child. Please make sure that I have the names of the people you choose written in my file. You can stipulate the circumstance under which they can pick up your child, i.e. sick-child care only. I will ask for ID if we don’t know them.
I CANNOT release a child without a written note from a parent if the pick up person is not on the list; in the moment of need that can be a real hassle.
I hope these ideas help and I wish you a happy and healthy Veteran’s Day holiday.Tweet
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Oct17
No CommentsLos Feliz, Silverlake, Larchmont and surrounding areas is a fun place to be with children. While there are the scary events for the older children, there are also some fun and even educational things happening around town for the preschool set.
Natural History Museum Spider Pavilion, www.nhm.org/site.
COOL THINGS
Spider Pavilion Nighttime Flashlight Tours
October 21 & 28
We‘re keeping the Spider Pavilion open late for exciting nighttime exploration and guided tours by flashlight. Complimentary flashlight and commemorative Spider Pavilion 2011 pin while supplies last.A great experience on Oct. 21 and 28th.
Ivanhoe Public Elementary School- Fall HoeDown- Oct 29th- at 1 pm.- 2828 Herkimer St Los Angeles, CA 90039-4103 - (323) 664-0051
Larchmont Family Fair- Sunday, October 23, 12-5 pm. Larchmont Blvd. between First and Third.
Self- Realization Center Halloween Festival in Mt. Washington. It is always the Friday before Halloween. This year will be October 28th and it usually goes from 6-8, or around that time. It is open to the public. Kids can come dressed up. They have all kinds of wonderful Jack O’ Lanterns, lots of activities for the kids, a Halloween queen and several acts (singing, magician, dancers, performers, etc.) Highly recommended by some of our parents.
Los Angeles Zoo- Boo at the Zoo
Boo at the L.A. Zoo is Back!October 29 & 30, 10am-4pm
Have a safe and spooky Halloween at Boo at the L.A. Zoo!Eucalyptus Grove will turn into a giant Pumpkin Patch with jack-o-lantern carving, photo opportunities, and eerie crafts. The Creepy Creature Encounter at the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo will feature trick-or-treating, a chance to get up close with some creepy creatures, and Halloween entertainment. Free with paid admission or with zoo membership.
The 9thAnnual Rose Scharlin Halloween Hullabaloo is October 29th from 4pm- 8pm. 2414 Lake View Ave. Los Angeles, Ca. 90039
Los Angeles Charter School of the Arts-
On Saturday, October 22, the annual LFCSA Halloween Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come join the fun as we help raise needed funds for our school. Activities include a petting zoo, giant slides, a haunted house, dunk-your-teacher booth, great food, bake sale, Stewies shaved ice, facepainting, spray tattoos, games, crafts and some new surprises. Admission is free.
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Oct7
No CommentsRecently, I was having a conversation with a parent about helping her child become toilet trained. She wanted to make sure that she neither pressured nor shamed him. Worthy goals.
This started me thinking about the difference between pressure and expectations. This is a common concern among parents who are trying to raise children thoughtfully but who also have goals they would like their children to reach.
Erik Erikson in his seminal book, Childhood and Society, talks about the stage of childhood between roughly 1 1/2 and 3 year old as the stage of autonomy versus shame and doubt. We can influence the way children feel about themselves and their capabilities by the way we handle these kinds of normal childhood steps.
One of the first things to think about with children and expectations is the difference between internally derived child development, which occurs as a result of a child’s own drive to complete a task, and the expectations we set for children to help them become part of our family and community.
Some behaviors are grounded in normal child development. From the time a child is born, he or she is biologically programmed to nurse, crawl, walk, run, and talk. We, as parents and teachers, just need to support them with opportunity and positive experiences. These are innate skills that will emerge although the timetable for each child is individual.
Other behaviors are decided by the family, the culture, society, and laws. Children learn to eat food rather than throw it, to hold our hand when crossing the street, and to use words rather than biting, because we set behavioral expectations and goals for them and teach them how to achieve them.
Both the innate and the learned forms of behavior are vital for a child to develop in a physically, socially and emotionally healthy way .
In early childhood, we deal with expectations that are fairly consistent throughout different cultures. Children learn to feed themselves, go to the bathroom in a predetermined place, dress themselves, and fall asleep at night. They learn how to socialize with their family and then others in their world. At school, they widen that experience to include children and grown-ups new to their family. They learn to play and to problem solve. Each step is invaluable for their development.
Children want to gain mastery over their own care and skill building and therefore can be willing participants in their own development. Mastery is an important source of a human’s self-esteem and feelings of success in coping with the world. I don’t think that anyone disagrees with the benefits of a a child developing mastery but the question sometimes becomes how to help them achieve it.We help children develop mastery and self-esteem when we have age-appropriate expectations of our children. When we work together with our children to set goals to develop a new skill, we are helping them with self-care and mastery. They learn that they are capable people.
Pressure, on the other hand, takes away from these goals. When we blame or scold children, we tell them we doubt their desire or their capability. Instead of supporting autonomy, we are using shame or doubt to try and make them do what we want. This behavior removes the locus of control from the child to the parent. When we as parents becomes overly involved in the child’s experience, it makes it our agenda rather than theirs. When we as parents make our happiness with our child based on their performance, we create a lot of pressure for a child.
So, in toilet training or any other childhood growth step we have for our children, expectations and support help them to grow into the capable people we know they can be. And while it can be tempting in the moment, pressure is best left to the side so that children can feel the personal satisfaction of mastery and self- control.
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Oct1
1 CommentTalking about Death with Children
Posted in: Child Development, Curriculum, From the Director, Parenting, science, The Garden
There are important emotional topics that naturally occur in the life of young children. At school, we call them “tender topics”. They can include the birth of a new baby, moving, starting school, separations, and Death.Last week at the morning coffee, the question was “How do I talk to my child about death?”. At school, we talk about death regularly, usually in the context of life cycle. For example, in the garden, we plant seeds, watch them grow, enjoy the harvest or the flowers, and then see how the seed pods develop before the plants wither and die. Last week, we pulled out the dead tomato vines, depleted cilantro, and shriveled squash plant out of the ground. They are making way for the fall crop of vegetables and flowers who will repeat the cycle.
Death recently came to the Yellow Room in a different, but not uncommon way. A child’s cat died. While I talked about coping strategies with the family, we also got our favorite books that talk about death. Mister Roger’s Tender Topic Series includes When a Pet Dies, a really caring and thoughtful discussion of death and the child’s feelings about it. We also read The Tenth Good Thing About Barney. In it, a little boy has a cat die and he goes through the feelings and questions that come with that experience. In an intimate way, the boy and his family address his feelings, the goodbye process, mourning, and his memories.
We also discussed the cat’s death at morning meeting, the way we do with many things important to the children’s life. The child told the story of her cat, shared pictures, and talked about how they said their goodbyes as a family. The other children then shared their experiences. They told stories of wrapping an animal in a scarf, of funerals, of singing a goodbye song, of markers and flowers. Some talked about heaven. We listened and supported. The shared stories and feelings help all of the children to cope with loss and to develop coping strategies and increased awareness of one of life’s significant events.
In the life of the school, there will be fish, lizards, spiders, frogs, and other creatures to mourn. We will bury them in our garden where they will have their last job of helping making our garden grow, just like Barney. We will talk about feelings and realities. We will help them learn that death and sleep are not the same. It is a process.
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Oct1
No Comments
Sugar is a topic that inevitably comes up when parents are trying to make good health decisions about their children and it did last week in a parent coffee. Ind our discussion, I shared how we treat this issue.As a preschool, we are very mindful of the nutrition we provide our children. We serve organic fruits and vegetables and buy good quality food. In order to make an informed decision about what we serve and when, we have researched how the body responds to the food it takes in and what the implications are for our children’s health and well-being.
Here is what our research has shown. All food has to be broken down in the digestive system into a form that can be absorbed into the blood stream and utilized by the body. The different nutrients of sugar, carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins and minerals, are not all digested or absorbed into the blood stream at the same rate. A variety of those foods eaten at one sitting will provide hours of different nutritional benefit.
- Refined sugar such as cupcakes and dried fruit is broken down almost immediately and provides quick energy to the body. The quick energy can be a lift for children in the very short term and even help them to cope better. But when sugar is eaten without other foods or in big quantities, there comes a crash in energy and good spirits as the sugar quickly leaves the blood stream.
- Carbohydrates take longer to break down and the more complex the carbohydrate, the longer it takes and the more sustained energy it will provide. Carbohydrates consist largely of fruits and vegetables, bread, rice, beans, and pasta.
- Protein take the longest time to break down and is absorbed into the body as amino acids which are very sustaining.
Our daily snacks are created to provide two forms of carbohydrates and a protein. As a vegetarian school, we offer a fruit or vegetable carbohydrate, a complex carbohydrate such as whole wheat crackers, and a protein such as strong cheese or hummus. Our goal is to provide food that offers near-term, mid-range, and long-term nutritional benefit to our children.
Occasionally, we offer a small birthday treat or some ice cream that we make together that does contain refined sugar. Small is the key word. However, we are careful to offset the sugar effect that would occur if we only gave the children the cupcake on its own; we serve it after a full snack. With the other foods providing a steady stream of nutritional benefit and maintaining a healthy blood sugar level, the children are fine.
My mother was one of the parents who often said, “all things in moderation.” I agree with my mom but would add that in the case of sugar, “ in moderation and combination with healthy, sustaining food.” Then our kids can truly have their cake and eat it too.
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Sep24
No CommentsSome of the families in my school are exploring the options for kindergarten for next year and have approached me with questions. I wanted to assure them that there are many good options available both public and private. Our area has interesting neighborhood schools as well as LAUSD choice schools and private schools.
Recently, I gave a presentation followed by a discussion of the way the kindergarten process works in our area with LAUSD, both for neighborhood programs and the choice programs of magnet, charter, and open enrollment. I also discussed Burbank and Glendale Unified, and Private Schools.
Below is the packet that I gave each of our parents.
LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (LAUSD)
Neighborhood Schools
The first place to consider as a choice for a school for your child is your local Neighborhood School. It is located near you and some of them offer a very good education. If you are not sure which school is yours, use the locator below.
To locate your LAUSD school of residence, use the school finder at this website: http://notebook.lausd.net/schoolsearch/selector.jsp
Many areas have well-rated neighborhood schools. Here are some examples.
- Franklin Avenue Elementary School, located in Los Angeles, California, serves grades K-5 in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is among the few public elementary schools in California to receive a distinguished GreatSchools Rating of 9 out of 10.
- Ivanhoe Elementary School, located in Los Angeles, California, serves grades K-5 in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is among the few public elementary schools in California to receive a distinguished GreatSchools Rating of 9 out of 10.
- Commonwealth Avenue Elementary School, located in Los Angeles, California, serves grades K-5 in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is among the few public elementary schools in California to receive a distinguished GreatSchools Rating of 8 out of 10.
- Los Angeles’s Third Street Elementary School serves grades K-5 in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is among the few public elementary schools in California to receive a distinguished GreatSchools Rating of 9 out of 10.
If an LAUSD school that you like is not in your neighborhood, there are several enrollment options:
First a definition of terms.
- Magnet Schools were created by LAUSD to meet the needs of the students and Los Angeles’ desire to have a diverse and integrated school district. Some were mandated by court order to achieve certain goals.
- Charter Schools are parent-initiated schools that have a particular philosophy, style of education, or emphasis the founding parents and educators wished to achieve.
- Gifted, Highly Gifted, and Talented Schools are created by LAUSD to meet the needs of a specific segment of the population. Read More | Comments
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Sep17
No CommentsDear Parents,
We are off to a great beginning. The Friday morning kids settled into their play and were busy all morning. As parents, you were fabulous and remained in your parent chairs and visited with each other. We appreciated receiving all of the forms, changes of clothes, labeled swimming suits, earthquake kits, and -6-8 family photos. For families starting this week, please bring all of those outstanding items on your first day. Thank you. I also have a few important school rules to share with you to ensure a smooth transition for you and your child; please read carefully.A Word about Signing In and Out
It is VERY IMPORTANT that the person bringing your child signs in and out. This is a legal document that transfers custody of your child from you to us and back again. In our CPR/ First Aid class this weekend, I was reminded that i can NOT seek treatment for your child if I do not have that legal custody. Also it is part of the way, in an emergency, we cross check who and who many children we have.
The process is simple. In the beginning of the morning, at the table by the entrance gate, please sign your child in as you LEAVE the school, not as you come in because you have custody of your child until you leave the classroom. If you are remaining for a coffee, please sign-in when you exit the classroom to come to the coffee.
At departure, please sign out when your are leaving WITH your child rather than as you arrive as you do not yet have custody of your child as you enter the classroom.
Thank you for your cooperation and for putting up with all of the capitalized letters.
Clothing
There are several clothing and footwear strategies that help children stay safe and learn self-care skills. For safety, children’s footwear should be securely on your child’s foot. Tennis shoes are ideal, especially when they have velcro closures. Sandals that are securely on the foot with a front, back, and top strap are fine and open toes are Ok if the sandal is secure. Please no clogs, crocs, flip-flops, boots ( not enough flexible for climbing), etc.The other goal is helping your child to develop self- care/ self help skills. The first weeks of preschool are the time when children learn to put on their shoes and socks and pull up their underwear and pants. Mastery of these skills is a big boast to their self-esteem and independence . We will work on these skills with your child and help them to develop the competence and the confidence. Please help your child by sending them in wardrobe that they can handle. For example, elastic waist pants that they can easily get over their underwear. Young children are often not yet able to do snaps, buttons, zippers, and drawstrings. Velcro shoes are fabulous and make life so easy for children. Check to see that your child’s shoes are not too tight. Socks with stretchy elastic tops help. Please no lace up shoes.Thank you for your help in supporting your child’s growth.Toys and stuff at school- In short
Books, Science Stuff, and transitional Objects -Yestoys- No
We ask that you help your child learn what is appropriate to bring to school and what is not. Books, transitional objects, science related things are welcome. Toys and trinkety things are not as they are too hard to share and pose an attractive nuisance problem in a child’s cubby. It is asking to much of a child to see a great toy in a cubby and be told they can’t; they have hard time focusing on the preschool’s play items and keep trying to take their toy out of the cubby. then other kids want it. You can see how things get complicated quickly. Thank you for your help. We have found that if you make a plan that the item will wait for your child in the car, it helps them and frees them as they enter the school to focus on what is ahead. Thank you for your help.Calendar Items
Parent Coffee- Sept. 16th- 9 am in the office or perhaps the social hall open to all parents whose kids come on Friday. Please join us!Parent Coffee- Sept. 22nd- 9 am open to all parents whose kids come on Thursday. Please join us!SCHOOL CLOSED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY- Sept. 29th and 30th for Rosh Hashanah- we rent form a temple and are closed for the High Holy days of which there are these two this year.We look forward to seeing all of you this week. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please don’t hesitate to bring them up with me. Thank you for entrusting your children to us.Warm regards,
