Nursery News Spring 2017

A Note from the Director ItwasabusywinteratRNSFC!

Inadditiontoalltheactivityinourclassrooms,children engaged in special school wideevents. The Bake Sale was a huge successonce again. Thank you to all the parents,caregivers and friends of our school whoparticipated and purchase so generously.Donna Demetri Friedman, executive directorofRiverdaleMentalHealth, came to a schoolsing to thank the children and collect thedonation.Everyoneherecelebratedthe100thdayof schoolwithmanyactivities and a 100-piecepaperchainmadetogetherbystaffandchildren. And, the children observed andpettedavarietyofanimalswhen“TheNatureofThings”visited.

Staff Professional Day generated lots ofthought anddiscussionas staff learnedmoreabout “Proactive, adaptive, and reactive”methods of teaching. They also enjoyedmeeting with many parents at this week’sparent-teacherconferences.

The Parent Group, class parents and theRNSFC board has been quite busy, mainlygearing up for our annual Gala. Invitationsshould arrive in themail soon butmark yourcalendars for what should be a fun –filledevening at The Picture House in Pelham onThursday,May 11th. We hope that all of ourfamilies will join us, as well as help to makeour journal and auctions a big success. Youshouldbehearingfromclassparentssoon.

We look forward to a busy spring filled withlotsoflearningandgrowth.

-Susan

We make a remarkable difference in the lives of children. We give them roots and wings.

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Jumpstart Toddlers The 2017 Spring Session of theRNSFC Jumpstart Toddlers is in fullswing! The toddlers are completelyateaseintheclassroomandengageeasily with the materials. Theycontinuetobeginthetransitionfromparallel play to associative play. Thetoddlers seek out their peers, oftenusing names to attempt to engage.Relationshipsaredevelopinganditiswarmingtoobserve!Childrenlearnthroughplaying,doingand exploring. Toddlers focus onwhattheyseeinfrontofthem,whatthey are doing and the physicalinteractions within their immediatesurroundings.Theseyoungscientistsare constantly exploring differentactivities to experience their impactontheworldaround them.Throughvarious mediums like sand, waterand cornstarch, the childrenexperiment with different sensoryexperiences. The toddlers pour, fill,dump, toss, touch and splash. Theycan really see how their actionsimpactthestimuli.Throughtrialanderror, and then repetition, thetoddlers learn how different things(and the world) work and the candevelop mastery. Mastery leads tofeelings of happiness and success,buildingconfidence.Our time together is structuredthroughroutinesoffreeplay,snack,circle time and gross motor time.During free play, the toddlersmovethrough different areas of theclassroom.The toddlershavebegunto pursue theirown interests in theclassroom while also seeking outparticular friends. Free play

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continues to lay the foundation andgroundworkfor laterarithmeticand literacy.Social skills continue to expand with theincreaseinassociativeplay.Theartareafosterscreativitythoughvariousmodalitiesandsensoryexperiences.Paintingwithbrushes,q-tips, rollers, cars and fingersprovides the toddlers with a tremendouscreativeoutletaswellasexplorationofcauseandeffect.Finemotoractivities includeplaydough, pegs, tools, shape sorters andpuzzles. You can often find a number ofchildren playing on the rug, pushing cars,building farms, constructing train tracks andcreatingwithblocks.Booksandliteracyarewoventhroughoutourtime together. During free play, toddlersoften sit with their grown ups or teachersandreadbooks.Ahighlightofsnack isstorytime, where the children interact with thelarge books, often requesting old favorites.Currently in our book rotation are the oldstandbys ofPete the Cat,Hop onPop,andBrown Bear, Bear Bear, What DoYou See?During circle times, the toddlerssing songs with corresponding handgestures. Songs that use the bells are acurrent hit! You can often hear the childrensay,“Bells!”aswegetreadyforcircletime.We always end the day with gross motortime. Whether inside during inclementweather or outside on the playground, thetoddlerslovetorun, jump,scoot,climb,tossandexplore. Theyareworking theirmusclesand continuing to develop coordination andbalance,allwhilehavingfun.It has been absolutely wonderful getting toknow the toddlers and their grownups, andwatchingthetoddlersgrow.Wearehonoredtobeapartoftheirfirstschoolexperiences.-DeborahandMarjan

It issimplyamazingtowatchyourchildrengrow and develop their own uniqueidentities within the classroom. Thissemesterhasbeentrulywonderfulanditisaprivilegetoworkwithyourchildren.-Deborah,MarjanandMichelle

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Turning 2 ’ s Class TheTurningTwo’shavemovedseamlesslyfrom the Jumpstart Toddlerprogram intoourdrop-offclass.Separation is thefocusof our time together. This is a significantmilestone and often one of the mostchallenging.Wetreat itwiththekindnessandsensitivityitdeserves.Thechildrenaredeveloping their relationships with theteachers, learning to trust the classroomadults. They are also developingrelationshipswiththeirclassmates,findingcommon interests and moving towardassociativeplay.Webegineachdaywithawarmwelcomeinto the classroom, accompanied by theworking towardsthe independenttaskofhanginguptheircoats,totesandlunches.The children move into free play time,wheretheyexplorethemanyareasoftheclassroom. Tabletop activities focus ondevelopingtheirfinemotorskillswhileartinspires creativity. The sensory tableenables them to experience differenttextures,pour,siftandspillwhiledressupengages them in dramatic play. The rugallows them to spread out with somefavorite activities. In the art area, dotpainting is a favorite and our buddingartistsarebusyatworkontheircreations.Theywearsuchproudlooksontheirfacesaftercompletingtheirpieces.After free play,wemove into circle time,where thechildren show theirmasteryofmusicandsongs.They lovetogetupanddanceandparticipatewithhandgestures!Fromcircletime,wetakeandatriptothebathroom to wash hands. Then, we areready for lunch! We sit around the tabletogether, nurturing conversation andconnections among the children, whilefosteringhealthyandindependenteating.The children also enjoy listening to andparticipating with different books duringlunchtime.Weoftenhear,“Morebooks!”We end the day with gross motor play.Whether outside on the playground or inthe playroom, the children love to run,scoot,climb,throw,slide,chaseandcrawl.Shrieks of laughter are heard as thechildren chase each other, toss balls,shake the pom poms on the parachute,glideonridingtoysorslidedownslides.

The Two ’ s C lasses The childrenhavematured somuchthisyearandhavetakencompleteownershipof our classroom and the school. In theclassroom,the children love tohelp andwehaveformalizedtheirparticipationatsnacktimewiththe jobofsnackhelper.There is a chart in the classroom witheveryone’s name on it so the childrenknow when it is their turn to pass outeither the cups or bowls. When theyhave completed their turn, they put astickeronthechart.Thisrelativelysimpletask of helping at snack has taught thechildren so much. They are learning torecognize their name and the names oftheir classmates, they are learningshapes and colors as they pick a stickerto put on the chart, they are countingstickers to seewho has a turn thatday,they are learning the names of all thechildrenintheclassastheypassoutthecups, and they are learning patience astheywaitfortheirturn.Snack is a very social time in our classandhas increasedourawarenessofoneanother.Atsnack,wesing“HereWeAreTogether”,andthenseeifweareallhereor if anyone is absent. The children willask where the absent child is and whattheymaybedoing.CocoandHoney,ourmice, often join us for snack. We puttheirtankonthetableandsharesomeofour snack with them. The children lovethis, and like to guess if the mice willcomeoutofhidingtosmellthefood,andif they will like the treat. This year themice have particularly enjoyed applecores andwheat thin crackers, but theydon’t eat citrus fruit! Snack has alsoincreased the self-sufficiency of thechildren as they practice pouring theirownwater,askingformoresnack,and

cleaning up after themselves bythrowingouttheirnapkinanduneatenfoodandputtingtheircupsandbowlsinthebasin.Wealsoenjoydiscussingthebooksweread.RecentlywereadHarrytheDirtyDog.Harrydoesnotliketotakeabath.After we read the story, we wentaround thetable andthechildrentoldus if they like to take a bath or, likeHarry, they don’t. They also told us iftheytakeabathorashowerandwhattoys they like to bathe with. Snacktime is when the classroom comestogether as a school family and werelax, share information, and enjoyeachother’scompany.Happy Birthday wishes to Colette andElla who celebrated their thirdbirthdays.Thetwo’sartwork isbeingshowcasedin the main hallway of the school.Please stop by and look at theirmostrecent collage creations, the childrenaresoproudoftheirwork.We enjoyed conferencing with theTwo’s Parents andwerehappy to talkaboutyourchildren’sgrowthandtimeatschoolThe last day of school before springbreak is Friday, April 7thand we willneedhomesforourbelovedclasspets;CocoandHoney,themice,A,BandC,ourwaterfrogs,andStoneandPebble,ourhermitcrabs.Pleasecheckwithusor your class parent if you areinterested in taking a pet home overthevacation.Thank you again for all the deliciousand healthy snacks you have beensendingin.-Mary-Ellen,Gina,LeslieandMichelle

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The New Year brought lots of new andexcitingactivitiestothe3’sclass!Theclassvoted for a new theme for our dramaticplayarea.Itwasveryinterestingtohearallof the ideas the children had. Ultimately,they chose to turn the area into a postoffice. The children got busy paintingcounters, signs, and various types ofmailboxes. We filled baskets with writingmaterials, envelopes, stickers, and postalstamps. The children created their ownmailbagstoaccompanypostalworkerhatsand jackets. We even had a big bluemailbox and mail sorting stand. Thechildrenlovedwritingletterstoeachother,theirteachers,andevenfriendsfromotherclasses. Of course, the best part was ourtriptotheRiverdalePostOffice.Youcouldfeel the children’s excitement as wewalked up the hill and they saw theAmerican flag waving in the air and thepicture of the eagle on the mailboxoutside. Each child took pride in buying astampandmailingaletterhometohis/herfamily.Wealsoenjoyedwatchinghow thepostal worker weighs and preparespackages to be mailed. We thinkfirefighters will be our next theme, socomecheckoutourfirestationinthenextfewweeks.Special events are always exciting atRNS.OurclasshadsomuchfunattheBakeSale!Fromdesigningapronsandbakinggoodiesto learning to buy and sell items, thechildren embraced the hard work of thebake sale and reaped the rewards in theendwith delicious treats to eat. Our classreally enjoyed celebrating the 100th dayofschool aswell. We created structures andcollages using 100 pieces and helped tomake a school wide paper chain with 100links. Our paper chain was as long as thehallway!Thechildrenweresointerestedincounting, we decided to make a classcountingbook.Eachchildpickedanumeraland then counted that number of items.We took photos and created Count WithMe.Lookforitinyourchild’stotebagoverthe next few weeks. The class has alsobeen busy with counting games, numbermatchingpuzzles, andabacuses. The classfavorite is Dinosaur Squeeze. A teacherthinks of a mystery number. The childrennarrow down the number usingmathematical problem solving skills, anumber line and two dinosaur pictures.When the number guessed is too big onedinosaurmoveson thenumber line. If thenumber is too small, the other dinosaur

Lori ’ s 3s C lass 2

moves until the mystery number is“squeezed”inbetweenthedinosaurs.After this last snowstorm,we are lookingforward towarmerweather andour “outofhibernation”party.Ourstuffedanimalshave been hibernating in their cave allwinter. On the first day of spring we willwake them up and have a picnic withthem!We sadly say goodbye to Kristen as sheprepares to have her baby. We have allenjoyedworkingandplayingwithherandwishherwell.-Lori,Nancy,Leslie,Gina,ShebaandNataly

We kept busy during the long wintermonths as the class decided to learnaboutanimalsthatliveinextremewinterweather. We decided to investigate indepth the Arctic and Antarctic regions.We read many books, had manydiscussions, played games, looked atcharts and role-played in the dramaticarea. We touched upon the manydifferentspeciesofanimalslivinginthatregion such as; penguins, whales, birds,arctic foxes, puffins, polar bears,reindeer, arctic hares and many more.We discussed the animal’s habitat andthereasonswhytheseanimalssurviveinthese regions. We made an igloo usinghollow blocks and the children took onthe roleof being Inuits. They took careofthebabies,wenthuntingforfoodandbuiltafiretostaywarm.Othertimesthechildren pretended to be penguins orpolarbearsjustplayinginthesnow.Theclass explored with ice, played withsnow,did ice paintings,Arcticdrawings,andablubberexperiment.

Eachchildhasnowhadaturntochangethe dramatic area into the theme ofhis/her choice. The last few changeswere: doctor’s office, hospital,ophthalmologist office, police stationandhouse.Itwasagreatexperienceforthe class to take part in the manytransformationsofthedramaticarea.

WehavestartedanewunitonMapping!The class is learning about where theylive,theiraddressandweretheschoolislocated. We learned the differencebetweenamapandaglobe.Wehavea

Paola ’ s C lass

map of the United States in our classandthechildrenareverycuriousaboutthestatesshownonthemap.Theyarealways telling us the states they havevisited.Oncetheweatherisbetter,wewill take several walks to better helpthem understand “location”. We willwalk up to 238th Street and onWaldoAvenue. We will observe thebusinessesintheselocations,aswellasbecomeawareofstreetnames.

The block area continues to be afavorite in our class. The buildingsseem to be getting taller and moresophisticated. Children have figuredout how to connect structurestogetherbybuildingbridges. Mostofall we see a lot of teamwork, sharedideas, building sturdy and usingmanyof the accessories to enhance theirstructures.

We are just about done with ourAlphabetShow andShare andwewillbeputting a book together soon. Theclassisenjoyinglearningthesoundsofthe letters as well as air writing theletters.

We look forward to the remainder ofthe school year, to learn, play andexploretogether.

- Paola,Sara,Amanda,Jen,SelmaandIrina

School News

Watch for Gala invitations and book the babysitter for Thursday, May 11th!

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ApRIL -Apri l 10 through April 18-Spr ing Vacation -Apri l 19-Return to school -Apri l 22-HAPPY EARTH DAY! MAY

-May 1 1-GALA and AUCTION! -May 29-Memoria l Day-School C losed June -June 5 and June 6-No Lunchkins -June 5-Last day of classes for MWF

classes -June 6-Last day of classes for T-Th and

5 Day classes -June 7-End of Year Picnic -June 19-Summer camp beg ins

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

RNSFC Summer Program

Spring is here and before long, it will be summer. Have you made plans for your children yet?

RNSFC Summer Program enrollment is underway. Mix and match weeks according to your vacation schedule. Register soon and take advantage of the tuition discount. And, buy those raffle gala tickets for a chance to win a tuition free week of camp. We hope you will join us for a fun-filled , exciting summer.

E

Research proves that children who spend regular time outdoors are healthier, happier and grow up with a love of the environment. Throughout the summer, toddlers engage in an extensive roster of outdoor activities. Outdoor highlights, Include: I. Wading Pools, Water Sprinklers & Water Tables II. Playground Time III. Organic Gardening IV. Sand Exploration V. Dramatic Play VI. Large Scale Outdoor Art Projects VII. Gross Motor Play

Our Commitment to the Outdoors

Special Events Pre-Summer Program Conferences 6/15 Red White & Blue Day 6/29 Family Visiting Day 7/18 + 7/20 Summer Sing-Along 7/27 Post-Summer Program Conferences 7/28 *NO CLASS on JULY 4th

Weekly Themes

Week 1: Ocean Explorers

Week 2: Animal Lovers

Week 3: Junior Scientists

Week 4: Backyard Builders

Week 5: Little Chefs

Week 6: Rock The Playground

RNSFC Jumpstart Toddler Program

Summer 2014

6 Weeks

June 20th to July 27

th

9:00 to 11:00

Tuesdays & Thursdays

Ages 12 months through 2 years

Unique Summer Features * Pre & Post Summer Program Conferences

* Weekly Themes & Special Events * Extended Outdoor Time & Water Play

* Enrichment Meet-Ups at Offsite Venues

Ask about

our swim

program!

*Toddlers must be accompanied by their significant adult.

3816 Waldo Avenue Bronx, NY 10463 718-884-3950 RNSFC.org info@rnsfc.org

A remarkable summer toddler program designed for toddlers by educators who know toddlers.

More tons of fun in the sun

The Parent Group

Dear Parents, Spring is finally here! This season is probably our busiest at RNS. Be on the lookout for information about the annual Gala. This year we hope to continue the tradition of raising money for our school during a fun night out. In order to make the Gala a success, we need your participation. All parents are encouraged to contribute to a class ad for the annual journal. In addition, please purchase an ad of your own to help us raise as much money as possible. Grandparents and other extended family are also encouraged to purchase ads! You can include pictures, a note thanking your child's teachers, or anything else creative! We are also asking for help with our online auction. Please think about ways you might be able to contribute and do not forget to tell your friends and family. Information on the spring giving tree will follow soon. The Parent Group