OCTOBER!!!  Wow!  Can you believe we are finished a month of school already?  We are off to a great start for our school year.  Lots of new friends!  We ask a lot from our little ones—imagine being left with big people and little people you have never seen before!  Congratulations to all of our students and parents.  You have all done a fine job.  Everyone has quickly gotten used to new schedules and procedures with very few tears (from kids OR parents—teehee!).  After a very eventful September, we are now into our lessons full swing!

SHARE THE GIFT:  Once again this school year, we are excited to offer this monthly activity for your child.  This is a Harford County Public Library sponsored program.  Our own Miss Jackie brings special materials monthly to do lots of fun and holiday centered songs, stories, and movies with each class.  Additionally, the classes will periodically travel with their class on foot over to the Fallston branch for story time.  We love the library!

PERMISSION SLIPS: With each exciting activity we offer at Fallston Child Care Center, you will receive a permission slip at your child’s cubby.  Some of our activities have a fee and others do not.  All the pertinent information will be clearly listed for you.  With a few exceptions, activities are offered to everyone---whether or not it is your day.  Please always fill out and return these to the office as soon as possible.  We use them to plan chaperones, snack, etc….  Often we must pay in advance for something so we must know exactly how many to expect.  If you are not going to attend, please note that on the slip (even if it is not your day) and still return it, so that we know we did not miss anyone.  We never want anyone to feel left out!  Simply cut the top off to return and keep the bottom for reference.

A word about planning our special trips and events:  we try very, very hard to include your child in as many opportunities as possible.  However, since students attend on various days at various times, occasionally an activity occurs when you are not scheduled to be here.  If you are able to join us, please do so.  If you cannot make it, that is okay too!  There will be plenty of other really neat things to do—we promise!!

FIREFIGHTER DAY:  On Wednesday, October 12^th, we will have members of the Fallston Volunteer Fire Company visit us and give a presentation on fire safety.  The presentation for the 3 year olds will be at 10:30 and the presentation for the four year olds will be at 12:30.  Your child will get to see them put on the firefighter’s gear to understand that there is just a mommy or daddy underneath that will be there to help them in an emergency.  We will be learning how to call 911, how to “crawl low and go” and how to “stop, drop, and roll”.  So much to see and learn!

FALL FARM TRIPS:  We are so excited this year to be visiting a new farm--Maple Lawn Farm and Maize Fun Park in PA! 

The three-year-old classes will be going Wednesday, October 5^th from 8:45-12:15.  That means the bus will be pulling out of our parking lot at 8:45, so you will want to arrive no later than 8:30.

The four-year-old classes will be going Thursday, October 6^th from 11:45-3:15.  That means the bus will be leaving at 11:45 so you will want to arrive by 11:30.

We will be going on a wagon ride (weather permitting) to the apple orchard where students can pick their own apples.  We will have time to play in the Kid Fun Zone, explore the bamboo maze, and play in a large indoor play unit.  The trips will go rain or shine!  We will be going by bus to the farm.  The trips are open to all who attend the Center.  If it is not your child’s day, you are welcome to join us, but you will need to be a chaperone.  We ask that you please find alternate arrangements for siblings.  This trip is one of our favorites.

The trip is $15.00 per child which covers a student ticket as well as the bus.  Chaperones are free.  Permission slips have already been posted at cubbies.  Please return them no later than Monday, October 3^rd so that final counts may be taken.

SCHOOL PICTURE DAY:  Wednesday, October 19^th is picture day at Fallston Child Care Center.  On this day, all students in the three and four year old classes will have their picture taken both individually and with their class.  If it is not your day, we request that you try to join us so that class pictures are as complete as possible.  Each class will be assigned a time and we try to keep on a schedule.

School Aged children will not be photographed as they will have their pictures taken at Youth’s Benefit.

No money is due prior to the picture taking and you are under absolutely no obligation to buy.  When your child’s picture comes in, you simply view them, purchase what you like and return any unwanted copies.  We have dealt with Irvin Simon for many years and this system is really convenient.  Reminder notices with specific class times will be coming home soon.

TUITION:  Please be aware that tuition is due every other week on the first day that your child attends school.  You will not receive a bill but you will receive a receipt after you have paid, hanging at your child’s cubby.  If your tuition isn’t paid the week that it is due, a $20.00 late fee will apply.  We are unable to allow families to “carry a balance”.  If your child is sick or on vacation, simply notify the office.  Tuition will be due upon your return.

Many of you have now set up automatic payment through your bank.  This is usually free for you and much easier for us.

If you place a check in the box, do not put it in an envelope as this takes up unnecessary space.  If paying cash, do not put it in the tuition box, rather see a staff member to count it with you.

As always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.

BACK TO SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE NIGHT:  On Thursday, October 20^th from 7:00 pm-8:00 pm, Fallston Child Care Center will hold our annual Open House Night.  This is an opportunity for you to come with your child in an unrushed atmosphere and see his or her daytime world.  Artwork will be displayed and teachers will be present.  You will have an opportunity to talk to them while you are not late for work!!  The children are also preparing some goodies for you to taste-test!  We love this night!  Feel free to invite grandparents, aunts, uncles, and whoever else delights in your child’s accomplishments.  The more the merrier!

“STRANGER DANGER”:  On Tuesday, October 25^th at 12:30, McGruff the Crime Dog will be here to teach all of our 4 year old students about “Stranger Danger” before they set out for trick-or-treating.  This has been an excellent program in the past.  Any parent who wishes to attend with their child is completely welcome.  Permission slips will be coming home soon.  There is no fee for this activity.

BIBLE LESSONS: Fallston United Methodist’s Associate Pastor, Stacey Nickerson, will be visiting our classrooms once a month to share a very special message of faith with our students.  You will also notice lots of exciting church activities and plans posted around the church and at your cubby.  Please accept this as a personal invitation to participate in these activities as well.  Some of you have already donated coats to those in need or bought tickets to the upcoming dinner theater production.  Please never hesitate to ask if you would like more information about our parent church.

FIRE DRILLS:  As part of the Maryland State Department of Education, Fallston Child Care Center is required to conduct monthly fire drills.

During the fire drill, each teacher gets her class medication box, her cell phone and her class clipboard (roster).  The children drop whatever they are doing and line up behind her.  She does a head count and moves the line quickly out the nearest exit.  The director brings the staff medication, a binder with all parent contact information, and another cell phone.  We all meet on the playground silently where the children are quickly seated.  Each teacher does another headcount and then reports the number of students to the director who, in turn, does a total headcount of all staff and students.

In the event of a true emergency, at this point, we will begin calling parents to come pick up.  If the emergency requires us to take shelter away from the Center, we will walk to Fallston Library and await your arrival.

BOOK CLUB:  Scholastic Book Club fliers are posted at each child’s cubby monthly.  They are very reasonably priced, age appropriate books, tapes, and videos.  The fifty cent specials are great to have on hand for spur-of-the-moment birthday party favors, Halloween treats, etc…  Please make your check payable to the book club NOT the center (no cash please), attach it to the order form and turn it in at the office.

SCHEDULES:  It is our goal to have every day at our school be as much fun as it is educational.  We plan many exciting visitors, trips, and shows to enhance your child’s academic and social experience.  Please keep in mind that classes begin at 9:00 and 12:30.  We ask that all children are in class at that time.  By then, head counts have all been done, lunches have been delivered to the kitchen, snack has begun to be prepared, and attendance has been taken.  Arrival after this time requires several corrections and changes for things that have already been prepared.  Additionally, children who arrive consistently late are not getting the full benefit of our curriculum.

LESSON PLANS:  Lots and lots of time is put into planning the fun and educational activities your child does on a daily basis.  However, we realize how difficult it can be to get a clear picture of your child’s day from little ones.  For this reason, each classroom has a board posted at the door that will give you the lessons for each day.  Teachers may also post reminders for you there, so you won’t want to miss it!  Take a moment to read it each day.

Also, make sure you take home all items posted at their cubby.  There will be lots and lots of artwork for your refrigerator!

IDENTIFICATION:  Did you know that Fallston Child Care Center currently has nearly 80 students enrolled?  That’s 160 plus parents and countless babysitters and grandparents that we encounter on a regular basis.  Our staff members try our best to get to know your family on a personal level, but keep in mind that sometimes we substitute for one another or occasionally have altered work schedules.  For this reason, the staff has been instructed to ask for ID any and every single time we are seeing someone we don’t know very well.  While this may momentarily slow you down, remember that it is for the protection of the little person you love most in the world---a job we take very seriously!

CHILD FIND PROGRAM:  As a child care center and preschool licensed under the Maryland State Department of Education, Fallston Child Care Center finds itself in the fortunate position of having access to Child Find services.

Child Find is a continuing program of activities, screening and evaluation aimed at targeting students who may need extra services on a variety of levels.  The goal of this program is to identify special needs as early as possible and to then provide the support services indicated.

Child Find is completely voluntary and completely free.  Only the parent can initiate the process, beginning with filling out a questionnaire for a referral.

Beginning with the first day of school, your child’s teacher has been assessing each individual child’s abilities and needs.  They will be notifying you in the next week or so if they feel that your child would benefit from these services.  At that point, it is completely your decision if you choose to have your child assessed.  If you complete the application and submit it, your child will be tested by professionals within the school system who will identify the areas of concern.  It may be as simple as some speech enhancement to more involved services such as behavior modification.

If it is determined that your child would indeed benefit from these services, then a Child Find specialist comes to Fallston Child Care Center and works one on one with your child in the classroom.  We have found these professionals to be a wonderful support system for us as well as the child, offering many resources for different teaching styles that may help with a specific need.  The specialist may work with your child weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, depending on the goals.

It is important for parents not to be alarmed if your child’s teacher approaches you about these services.  Please understand that it is our responsibility to do everything we can to prepare your child for Kindergarten.  Please listen with an open mind and rest assured that all final decisions will rest with you, the parent.

Additionally, you may note other teachers in the room with your child’s class that you don’t recognize as Fallston Child Care Center staff.  Be advised that the specialists are employees of Harford County Public Schools and are only evaluating the children whose parents have signed releases.

If you have any questions regarding this service or wish to have your child tested, please don’t hesitate to ask your child’s teacher.

FROM OUR TEACHERS:

MISS KATHY AND MISS BEKAH’S CLASS:  Happy Fall everyone!  It is hard to believe that October is already here!  We have been very busy in our room during September and October appears to be just as busy.

We spent September completing a unit called “Welcome to School”.  We toured the Center, learned the classroom rules, and made lots of new friends.

Our themes this month are Fire Safety and Fall.  We will introduce letters D, E, F, and G.  The colors for this month will be orange and black and the shape will be a triangle.

Picture Day is 10/19, so put on a smile!  We will have a special Halloween activity on Monday, October 31^st.

Just as a reminder, please put your child’s bedding in the back of the room in their bedding cubby the first day your child is here each week.  It is a big help!

We have moved our Daily Schedule Board to outside in the hallway by our middle door.  This will be more convenient for you to check out at pick up and drop off time!

Happy Birthday wishes go out to Hunter (10/8)!

MISS DIANE’S CLASS:  The school year is off to a great start.  The children are adjusting nicely and getting comfortable with the rules and routines.  This year we will be getting ready for Kindergarten.  Some of the skills we will be working on are writing our names, using correct pencil grasp, identifying upper and lower case letters of the alphabet  (along with the sounds they make), recognizing sight words, cutting, identifying numbers, and so much more!

During the month of September our themes were “Getting Acquainted” and “All About Me”.  We have been busy learning letters A, B and C.

Letters for October will be D, E, F, and G.  Themes for this month will be Fall, Pumpkins, and Fire Safety.  I will be sending homework sheets home this month as well.  It will be a review of what we are working on in class.  There are many activities planned for the month of October.  Halloween is just around the corner.  We will be having a special snack on Monday, October 31^st.

Our goals for your child are mastery of pre-kindergarten skills as well as development of social skills.  Most importantly, we want them to have fun while they learn!

If you have any questions, please let me know!  Happy Fall.

MISS BOBBI AND MISS CAITLIN’S CLASS:  Fall is here!  What a nice time of year! We love apple picking and the crisp mornings!  We have been working very hard to establish routines, make new friends, and learn new rules.  We will continue introducing letter writing and sounds.  The letters for the month of October will be D, E, F, and G.  Everyone seems very excited about “homework” sheets.  They are an important part of our home and school relationship.  Remember to put homework assignments in the classroom mailbox as we do not go through children’s backpacks.  You will see fine motor skills develop and listen to your child’s excitement for learning as you do these sheets together.  Just a reminder:  when helping your child with name recognition and writing, please remember only the first letter of their name is uppercase!  We have all year to practice this.  Also, remember to have your child use the proper pencil grip.

This month we will learn about Fall, pumpkins, and fire safety.  I can’t wait to roast pumpkin seeds!  Picture Day is 10/19~~SMILE!  We will have a special Halloween treat this month.

We look forward to seeing everyone at Open House on 10/20!  Our snacks will be great!  Our lines are always open if you need to speak with us.

Happy Birthday to Corey R. (10/10), Eric V. (10/29) and Juliana P. (10/30)!

Happy Fall!

MISS MAURA’S THREE YEAR OLDS:  Happy Fall to you!  Our first month of school is over.  We had a great time.  It was fun to meet my new friends and learn all about apples, circles, and the color red.  We are very ready to learn more.

October is going to be busy, busy!  The shape for this month is the triangle and we will learn about two colors:  orange and black.  The themes are Fall, Fire, Safety and Pumpkins.  We are looking forward to a visit from some firefighters.  The skill for this month is cutting.  It will take a bit to master this difficult skill, but I know we can do it.  You can practice at home.  Of course, Halloween will be worked on throughout the month.  Make sure to clear a spot for our spooky creations.  I am looking forward to seeing all of you at Open House.  It will give your child a chance to show off their new room.  Don’t eat too much dinner because we are making a wonderful dessert.  Also, we will celebrate Halloween on the 31^st.  Watch for a note to come home!

Take some time to enjoy the cooler weather, everyone!  Happy Birthday to Nora on the 23^rd!

MISS MAURA’S FOUR YEAR OLDS:  Welcome to Fall at FCCC!  Can you believe we are in the second month of school already?  September just flew by!  We were busy getting reacquainted with old friends and making new friends.  October is shaping up to be just as busy.  The letters for the month will be:  Dd, Ee, Ff, and Gg.  One of the skills we are working on is writing our name with only the first letter written uppercase.  We are also practicing using a pencil grasp for our writing utensils.  Our themes for the month are Fall, Fire Safety, and Pumpkins.  We will get to have a visit from some real firefighters.  Our other excitement will be a trip to a  farm.  Don’t forget your boots and cameras!  This should be a fun trip.  I am looking forward to seeing all of you at Open House.  It will give your child a chance to show off their room.  Don’t fill up on dinner because we are making a wonderful snack to share with everyone.  Of course we will work Halloween in throughout the month.  Make sure you have plenty of space to hang all the spooky creations.  Also, we will celebrate Halloween on the 31^st.  Look for a note to come home.

Take some time to enjoy the cooler weather, everyone!

MISS MAURA’S SCHOOL AGE GROUP:  Fall is here and the chilly weather is finally around to stay.  I love “sweater weather”.  Let’s hope the rain stays away so we can go out before it gets too cold!

We will have a Halloween snack on the 31^st.

Take time to enjoy the cool weather.  Go apple picking and then make some apple sauce!

MUSICAL “NOTES” WITH MISS JACKIE:  Welcome to a new musical year!  Music!  What a wonderful language!  Children love music and I love sharing music with them.  Why do we have a regular music program at FCCC?  Scientific studies have shown that music instruction helps in the development of the brain.  Children can express themselves through music at an early age.  Music can create a positive learning environment.  All young children love music, and music instruction uses that basic love to enrich a child’s education and growth experience for a lifetime.  Music is fun!  In September we discussed how sounds are made – vibration.  Everyone can do the “vibration” – just stand up, reach for the sky and wiggle down!  Each month we will investigate a new musical concept, sing some of our favorite songs and just have fun with music!  Your child will have the opportunity to see and hear many different instruments, learn about the orchestra’s instrument families and learn many musical terms.  We will, of course, always review our fundamentals.  Music is a language and it is a language understood by everyone.  Enjoy a song with your child, have a sing-a-long in your car!  Always keep a song in your heart.

SPANISH LESSONS WITH MISS VAL:  We are very fortunate to have foreign language be a standard part of both our three year old and four year old curriculum.  Studies show that if a foreign language is introduced when a child is still developing their capacity for communication (as opposed to high school when that developmental milestone has already been reached), it will be natural for them throughout life.

These half-hour sessions will be taught twice a month.  Lessons will include stories, songs, games, taste-testing, and a culminating fiesta!!  Your child will be introduced to the alphabet, numbers 1-20, colors, culture, and vocabulary.  A brief summary of each lesson will be posted at your child’s cubby on that day.  Please ask them about what they learned.