Here are a few pictures we’d like to share of our friends at Morningside School this Winter. Between the cold and the bad air days, we’ve been inside a lot. I think it’s safe to say that we are developing a bit of spring fever around here.
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Teacher Tina will be leaving to go on Mission this week. I can’t even begin to tell you how much we, staff and children, will miss her at Morningside. As I’m sure you know, Tina is the kind of young woman that brightens any room with her presence. Her obvious love and respect for children, her gentleness, enthusiasm and thoughtfulness have all contributed greatly to the preschool classroom. Teacher Jill will assist Teacher Jenny M-F during the AM session. The children are familiar with Jill because she has subbed for Tina in the past and has been the Assistant Preschool Teacher on the M/W/F morning schedule. If you have never met Teacher Jill, please stop in and introduce yourself this week.
Both Influenza and Norovirus have been making a lot of kids sick in Utah this season. Just a reminder: if your child has fever, vomiting, diarrhea or excessive runny nose and cough, please keep them at home and let us know what symptoms the child is experiencing. We are working hard to keep your children well by increased hand washing, hand sanitizing, cleaning surfaces and toys regularly.
This is a helpful info sheet on Norovirus — http://health.utah.gov/epi/
Thanks, and to all our little friends who have been under the weather — get well soon!
A song to soothe our hearts as we carry on.
I have no words to adequately express the deep sadness our staff at Morningside felt as the news of the school shooting broke yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, survivors, and first responders to this tragic and inexplicable violence.
My sister, who has young children and lives an hour from Newtown, CT. sent me this link to a video made yesterday by Dr. Alan E. Kazdin, Professor of Psychology at Yale University and Director of Yale’s Parenting Center. He has some tremendously helpful suggestions for helping families cope with this disturbing tragedy. There are many resources available online, but I thought this one was the best and wanted to share it with you.
We have a policy of not discussing traumatic events at school in front of the children – period. As the director, I monitor such situations through computer media, but only upstairs away from the eyes and ears of little ones. I will advise the teachers to stop any group talk that starts at Morningside on Monday. Any individual child that brings it up will be walked to the kitchen for a big hug, and reassurance of safety and then we will call the parents to ask if they would like to talk with their child or what further action they would like us to take.
If you have further questions or concerns, please feel free to email me.
This week Morningside School started to look and sound a lot like Christmas! We put up the tree, the lights and tossed a bunch little snowpeople all over. As I was working on the porch lights, I was thinking about the competing priorities of the day; this blog post and all of the details of making the holidays a special time for children at school and at home. I mulled over an article I read earlier in the morning titled, 147 Things You Don’t Need to Do During the Holidays by child development blogger, Amanda Morgan. I was trying to discern how to allot my time in a way that emphasized our most meaningful and enjoyable traditions while reducing unnecessary stressors.
I have this inner conversation every year, and every year the answer for my family is the same. The answer is TIME. You know, being present, really being WITH our children, without the distractions of the many other things that fight for attention (work, phones, laptops, etc.). It’s funny how even though I come to the same conclusion each year, the insight feels profound. The gift I want most for my children this year is the memory that their mom and dad listened to their stories, played with them, watched them do tricks on the playground, read to them, held them, laughed at their ridicules knock-knock jokes, baked goodies with them, showed them amazing art, scrambled up snow covered trails in the mountains together, and danced wildly about all while vacuuming the family room. I share this with you because I am very sure we are not the only family in Cache Valley that lives “plugged in” to our email, social media sites, etc.
Ironically, as I write, my children are hanging on my elbows waiting for me to build a rocket ship with them, so in the spirit of the above paragraph, I am reposting from last year’s blog to start off our annual food drive. (December 6, 2011)
As the holidays approach, Maddie and Caleb have asked me to read Dr. Suess’s The Grinch Who Stole Christmas again and again. I don’t mind at all — “The Grinch” was one of my favorite stories growing up. I was drawn to the delightful Whos down in Who-ville, and as the youngest in our household, I identified with little Cindylou Who. But really, this story has staying power in the evolving children’s literature genre because it cuts to the heart of the matter –
“So he paused. And the Grinch put a hand to his ear. And he did hear a sound rising over the snow. It started in low. Then it started to grow… But the sound wasn’t sad! Why, this sound sounded merry! It couldn’t be so! But it WAS merry! VERY! He stared down at Who-ville! The Grinch popped his eyes! Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise! Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, Was singing! Without any presents at all! He HADN’T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same! And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could it be so? It came without ribbons! It came without tags! “It came without packages, boxes or bags!” And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! “Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. “Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!” And what happened then…? Well…in Who-ville they say That the Grinch’s small heart Grew three sizes that day!”
The Whos down in Who-ville understood that a shared experience of joy made the holiday come alive! As we celebrate the holidays, I will be seeking out ways to have new shared experiences in our work and play that expand the opportunities for our kids to develop character traits like generosity, integrity, gratitude and self control.
At school, we will be emphasizing generosity, (giving over getting) and we will be exploring the reasons to and many ways of expressing gratitude. I am asking each family to collaborate with our in-school efforts by participating in our “Who-ville Food Drive” for The Cache Valley Food Pantry! Together, go to your pantry or to the store — listen to your child talk about what to give and why to give. Just the act of doing it together, unhurried, splashes the moment with Who-ville Holiday magic — the act of giving becomes a shared experience, a memory tucked inside a child’s heart infused with the specialness of doing something for others.
So bring a can of Who-hash or a bag full of non-perishable favorites and join us in the Who-ville Holiday spirit!
The food will be collected and displayed under the Christmas tree in the Piano Room until the 21st.
Tuesday, we celebrated Thanksgiving with our annual Feast with turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, veggies, cranberry sauce, and last but definitely not least, Teacher Marie’s melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Oh dear. What a plate full of yummy! For anyone familiar with what it is like to make a feast for 30 people – even little people, you won’t be surprised to hear that I was so busy, I forgot to take pictures. *gasp* No matter, fun was had by all and we had full bellies to prove it!
I am so grateful for the special teachers and the wonderful group of students we have this year! I hope your Thanksgiving Holiday was filled with family, food and fun!
Enjoy!
Hopefully, you have been hearing about some of the great things that have been going on at school from your child, but just in case the details have been sketchy —
In September, Stacie Nimer, a community educator at Willow Park Zoo brought some visitors to school –a beautiful little owl, a huge hawk and a very scrappy turtle! We learned all about migration and hibernation and other ways that animals survive the cold winter months.
She taught us a little song!
This month the preschool class made tortillas with Daniella’s mom, Christine, who came to school especially to share the richness of their family’s mexican heritage!
In Kindergarten, everyone is doing so very well and having a blast reading, writing and learning math concepts! Each Friday, Teacher Gigi sets up neat science experiments and there are lots of little art projects adding color to the classroom! (and your fridges too)
And outside the Kindergarten kids have been hula hooping like crazy! Check this out!
FALL BREAK — No School Thursday and Friday, October 18-19
Parent/Teacher Conferences will be made available if you’d like to visit with your child’s teacher about his or her progress. We will be doing them by appointment the week of November 12-16th, please call Jacqui to schedule.
On Wednesday and Thursday, October 24 & 25th bring a decorated pumpkin to school to make Morningside spooky! Have fun with your family painting, carving, or dressing up your pumpkin! The decorated pumpkins will be on display in the front of the school. We will send the pumpkins home on Wednesday, October 31st and Thursday, November 1st.
We will be having Halloween activities on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 30th and 31st. Kindergarten students will have activities on Wednesday only. Please have your child come in costume. Children can bring Halloween treats for their classmates. We will be sending home treat bags.