March Newsletter

We are heading into March!

• Read Across America: We are celebrating read across America by sharing books from home throughout the week of March 3rd.
• St. Patrick's Day: We will be celebrating St. Patrick's day by wearing green and having a special visitor stop by our classrooms.... a leprechaun!
• St. Patrick's Day Classroom Parties: Each classroom will be hosting a St. Patrick's day party. Please look for a classroom sign up sheet posted outside each room.
• March 21st: Wear your Silly Socks in honor of World Down Syndrome Day.

Upcoming events

• STEM Adventures Science Event - Saturday April 5th at 10 am
• All are welcome to attend. There will be a science show at 10:30 am presented by Science Heroes. See flyer below.
• Week of the Young Child - April 7th - 11th
• This week focuses on the importance of early childhood education and is presented by naeyc, National Association of the Education of Young Children.

Infants

The concept of developing patience with infants is different than with older children. Teachers should never delay meeting a child’s needs or withhold something such as food from an infant to develop patience. Instead, the goal this month will be to work with the children on maintaining focus on tasks and persisting with tasks, and teaching them to soothe themselves when frustrated. These skills can be considered foundational for learning about patience in the future when it is more developmentally appropriate.

Toddlers

The focus this month is to help toddlers practice skills like maintaining focus on tasks, persisting with activities, and managing impulses. At this stage, children will persist with repetitive tasks and attempt to accomplish more challenging tasks even when they encounter difficulties. Young toddlers may still need guidance from adults to develop calming or self-soothing strategies. Older toddlers have more developed coping skills and demonstrate the beginning of impulse control.

Twos

At this stage, early preschoolers are just developing the skills needed to control their emotions and actions when it comes to building patience. They are beginning to understand and accept the reasons for when and why things may not be available to them at that moment. Two year-olds desire instant gratification, and waiting a minute can feel like a lifetime. During this stage of development, 2-year-olds are learning the ability to regulate their behavior by understanding the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. As language skills and long-term memory continue to develop, they will begin to understand the importance of expectations, limits, and patience.

Preschool/Pre-K

The goal this month is to assist the children in learning how to deal with adversity, frustrations, and changes in routines. This unit will focus on learning about patience and how to be flexible and resilient. The children will also understand how practicing carefulness may help prevent frustrations and mistakes.

• Patience: demonstrating self-control while waiting for an event to occur; the ability to remain calm when dealing with a difficult or annoying situation •
• Flexibility: adapting to new situations, improvising, and shifting strategies to meet different types of challenges
• Resiliency: recovering from or adjusting easily to misfortune or change • Carefulness: being observant and paying attention

• 1/2 cup of whole milk (enough to cover the bottom of a shallow plate)
• 3–4 drops of food coloring (use different colors for the best effect)
• A small drop of dish soap
• Cotton swabs (or a small stick like a toothpick)
• A shallow plate or bowl

Directions

1. Pour the Milk

• Gently pour about 1/2 cup of whole milk into a shallow plate or bowl. Make sure it just covers the bottom.

2. Add Food Coloring

• Drop 3–4 different colors of food coloring around the surface of the milk. You don’t need much—just one drop of each color will do. Try to keep the drops apart.

3. Prepare the Soap

• Dip a cotton swab into dish soap. You don’t need a lot—just enough to coat the tip.

4. Touch the Milk with the Soapy Swab

• Gently touch the surface of the milk with the soapy swab near one of the food coloring drops. Don’t stir—just hold it still for a second. Watch as the colors burst and swirl around the plate!