The new school year is off to a great start! The kids have settled in nicely to their new rooms and routines. The themes for August focused on learning "all about me", friendships, feelings, our families and pets.
Starting in the month of September the Toddlers and Twos will start being introduced to a different color and shape each month as well as learning a different nursery rhyme each month. The Preschool and Pre-K children will be introduced to a different letter each week. Each month they will be introduced to a math concept and nursery rhyme. Monthly field trips will also start with the Preschool and Pre-k children. See below for details!
Reminders:
Monday Sept. 4 - CLOSED for Labor Day
Please check your child’s cubby to make sure they have extra clothes that are size and weather appropriate. Please label all clothing including any jackets you might be sending in.
Each classroom has a private Facebook page. On the page you will see photos of what your child is doing and will be given reminders and information about what is happening throughout the week. If you have not already joined and would like to please check with the teachers to find out the name of the page.
Help Wanted: October Field Trips
We are excited for our Fall field trips to Smith Family Farms but we need your help in order to make it happen! Chaperones are needed for both field trip dates. If we don't have enough chaperones we'll have to cancel the trip. Please check your schedule and see if you can attend, we'd love to have you join us!
Thursday October 12 - Sea Turtles, Dolphins and Penguins
Friday October 13 - Jellyfish, Daisies and Ladybugs
Time: 9:00am-1:00pm Chaperone cost: $6.00, includes a pumpkin Student cost: $20
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out, email: thepanda@pollypanda.com or 317-257-9127.
Tammy & Shannon
Monthly Themes
Infants Theme:
All About Me (working on body parts)
Toddlers and Two’s Themes:
Sept. 4-8 Shapes
Sept. 11-15 Old McDonald’s Farm
Sept 18-22 Apples Aplenty
Sept.25-29 Forest Friends
Color and Shape of the Month:
Red and Circle
Preschool and Pre-K Themes of the Month:
Sept. 4-8 A World of Color and Shapes (Letter H)
Sept. 11-15 Old McDonald’s Farm (Letter F)
Sept. 18-22 Apples Aplenty (Letter A)
Sept. 25-29 Forest Friends (Letter R)
Math Concept of the Month:
Beginning number concepts 0-5 (rote counting, one-one correspondence, matching sets by counting)
Nursey Ryhme of the Month:
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Quote of the Month
September 4 - Labor Day
Polly Panda & Brigford will be closed on Monday, September 4 in observance of Labor Day. We hope you enjoy the holiday weekend with friends and family!
September 20 & 21- Picture Days
Smile it is time for fall pictures to be taken!
Wednesday September 20 - The Monkey, Ducklings, Teddy Bears, Chipmunks, Butterflies, Daisies and Ladybug classrooms will have their pictures will be taken on Wednesday Sept. 20th.
Thursday September 21 - If you have more than one child here their pictures will be taken on Thursday Sept. 21. This is the only day your children will be photographed. You will receive one pose of them separately and one pose together.
Friday September 22 - Pandas, Pooh Bears, Honeybees, Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Penguins, and Jellyfish will have your pictures taken.
If your child doesn’t attend on the day, they are scheduled to be photographed you will receive an email letting you know their day.
Once your child is photographed you will receive a card in your child’s cubby from Teddy Bear Portraits letting you know how to view the photos online.
Staff Birthdays:
September 3 Carmen White (Butterflies)
September 26 Heather Hampton (Daisies)
Staff Anniversaries
September 9 Alana Brown (Sea Turtles) - 2 years
September 27 Jourdinn Kent (Dolphins) - 4 years
September 30 Annette Messer (Penguins) - 4 years
Employee of the Month
The Employee of the Month for September is Ms. Annette Messer.
Annette has been part or our team for 4 years. She currently works in the Penguin room, which is the older 3’s/young 4’s room.
Ms. Annette has been in the field of early childhood for 35 years! She has taken early childhood classes at IUPUI and Ivy Tech. She currently has a CDA that she has renewed several times.
Annette enjoys meeting and working with a variety of families and early childhood educators. She enjoys observing the children when they comfort, teach, help, and learn from each other. Annette takes pride in getting to know each child’s learning style and develops her lesson plans based on each child’s needs. She brings tons of patience to work each day as she feels this ensures that each child will feel safe and secure which helps them learn and grow as individuals.
In her spare time Annette loves attending concerts, going to amusement parks (she is a roller coaster nut), reading and spending time with her 4 nieces, 4 nephews, and 4 pets.
Please join us in thanking Annette for her dedication to the field of early childhood and for always going above and beyond to ensure that each child in her care has fun and is prepared for when they go to our Jr-K program.