Happy Anniversary, Carelot! 🎉

Wow! It’s incredible to celebrate 27 years of Carelot and reflect on the journey that has brought us here. Our Family Night was a heartwarming reminder of the strong community we’ve built together. Seeing our families and children come together over cupcakes was exciting! We extend our deepest gratitude to our dedicated staff and wonderful families for making Carelot the nurturing, supportive place it is today. It’s especially exciting to witness former students returning as employees, continuing the Carelot legacy!

March Highlights & Exciting Events!

🍀 St. Patrick’s Day Fun – Get ready for some mischief on March 17th as "Lucky the Leprechaun" makes his annual visit! Don’t forget to wear green and join in on the festive fun.

🎨 Youth Art Month – March is all about creativity! Our classrooms will explore different artists, techniques, and mediums as they prepare for our exciting Art Show in April, held during the Week of the Young Child.

☀️ Summer Camp 2025 – Spring is in the air, and summer is just around the corner! Our camp programs are gearing up for an exciting season with themed weeks, field trips, and engaging programming to keep our campers active and inspired. Spots fill up fast, so stay tuned for more details!

The Power of Routines in a Child’s Life

To adults, routines may seem like just another part of daily life, but for children, they provide a sense of security, stability, and confidence. Predictable routines help children feel safe, foster independence, and support emotional regulation.

At Carelot, we prioritize consistent schedules and structured environments to help children thrive. Knowing what to expect and what’s expected of them builds a strong foundation for growth and development. Whether it’s morning rituals, mealtimes, or bedtime, routines help set children up for success.

As always, your feedback is invaluable to us! If you have any suggestions or ideas, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at holly@carelot.net. Your input helps us continue improving and providing the best possible experience for our families.

Thank you for being a part of the Carelot family, where every milestone is cherished, and every day is an opportunity for growth and discovery.

Warmly,
Holly & The Carelot Team

We would like to kindly remind our families of our center’s official operating hours. Due to licensing regulations and staffing constraints, we are unable to accommodate children before our designated opening time or after our scheduled closing time.

For example, if our center closes at 5:30 PM, we ask that you plan accordingly to ensure your child is picked up and you have exited the premises by 5:30 PM.

Additionally, many of our staff members have families, second jobs, or academic commitments. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and cooperation in respecting their time. Your support allows us to maintain a structured, high-quality environment for all children and families.

We kindly remind families that our staffing allocations are based on the contracted hours agreed upon, typically structured around a 9 ½ hour day. Maintaining appropriate staffing levels is essential to ensuring the highest quality of care and education for your child.

If you need to adjust your contracted hours or anticipate exceeding the agreed-upon time, please communicate with your program’s site manager or director in advance. All changes must be arranged beforehand to allow us to effectively plan for staffing and maintain a seamless experience for all children.

We greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation in adhering to these procedures, as they play a vital role in the smooth operation of our programs and the quality of care we provide.

Attendance

If your child is going to be absent or late, we ask that you call the center by 9am. This allows our teachers to be prepared for their day and allows for easier transitions or curriculum changes.

Bedding

We kindly ask for your assistance in meeting state requirements by ensuring that your child’s bedding is placed on their own cot and stored inside a pillowcase.

Your cooperation in following these guidelines is greatly appreciated and helps us maintain a safe and organized environment for all children.

Handwashing: Help us out by washing your child’s hands each day when you drop them off to help eliminate the spread of germs.

The following ideas are of value to almost any sleeper, of any age. These tips can bring improvement not only in your child’s sleep, but also in her daytime mood and last, but not least – improvements in your own sleep and outlook as well.

1. Maintain a consistent bedtime and awaking time.

   Your child’s biological clock has a strong influence on her wakefulness and sleepiness. When you establish a set time for bedtime and wake up time you "set" your child’s clock so that it functions smoothly.

   Aim for an early bedtime. Young children respond best with a bedtime between 6:30 and 7:30 P.M. Most children will sleep better and longer when they go to bed early.

2. Encourage regular daily naps.

   Daily naps are important. An energetic child can find it difficult to go through the day without a rest break. A nap-less child will often wake up cheerful and become progressively fussier or hyper-alert as the day goes on. Also, the length and quality of naps affects night sleep – good naps equal better night sleep.

3. Set your child’s biological clock.

   Take advantage of your child’s biology so that he’s actually tired when bedtime arrives. Darkness causes an increase in the release of the body’s sleep hormone -- the biological "stop" button. You can align your child’s sleepiness with bedtime by dimming the lights during the hour before bedtime.

   Exposing your child to morning light is pushing the "go" button in her brain — one that says, "Time to wake up and be active." So keep your mornings bright!

4. Develop a consistent bedtime routine.

   Routines create security. A consistent, peaceful bedtime routine allows your child to transition from the motion of the day to the tranquil state of sleep.

   An organized routine helps you coordinate the specifics: bath, pajamas, tooth-brushing. It helps you to function on auto-pilot at the time when you are most tired and least creative.

5. Create a cozy sleep environment.

   Where your child sleeps can be a key to quality sleep. Make certain the mattress is comfortable, the blankets are warm, the room temperature is right, pajamas are comfy, and the bedroom is welcoming.

6. Provide the right nutrition.

   Foods can affect energy level and sleepiness. Carbohydrates can have a calming effect on the body, while foods high in protein or sugar generate alertness, particularly when eaten alone. A few ideas for pre-bed snacks are: whole wheat toast and cheese, bagel and peanut butter, oatmeal with bananas, or yogurt and low-sugar granola.

   Vitamin deficiencies due to unhealthy food choices can affect a child’s sleep. Provide your child with a daily assortment of healthy foods.

7. Help your child to be healthy and fit.

   Many children don’t get enough daily physical activity. Too much TV watching and a lack of activity prevents good sleep. Children who get ample daily exercise fall asleep more quickly, sleep better, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling refreshed.

   Avoid activity in the hour before bedtime though, since exercise is stimulating – they’ll be jumping on the bed instead of sleeping in it!

8. Teach your child how to relax.

   Many children get in bed but aren’t sure what to do when they get there! It can help to follow a soothing pre-bed routine that creates sleepiness. A good pre-bed ritual is story time. A child who is listening to a parent read a book or tell a tale will tend to lie still and listen. This quiet stillness allows him to become sleepy.

Work with these eight ideas and you’ll see improvements in your child’s sleep, and yours too.

Excerpted with permission by McGraw-Hill Publishing from The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers (McGraw-Hill 2005) http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth

February Winner:

Congratulations to: Brianna from the East Lyme Center (Ellyanna) They will receive a $25 tuition credit!

It's easy to win by just emailing us an answer! $25 tuition credit!

It's easy to win by clicking below and submitting your answer!

Thanks for helping us make our programs better! Without everyone’s input, we are not able to effectively assess how our programs are doing! We appreciate you taking the time to help us assess our policies, procedures, curriculum, and more!

February was a month full of love, kindness, and friendship! The children spent time learning about the importance of caring for others, being kind, and building strong friendships. We encourage you to continue these conversations at home and celebrate the ways your child shows love and kindness every day!

At Carelot, our curriculum is designed to support the whole child, fostering growth in all areas of development. Using The Creative Curriculum, aligned with CT Early Learning and Development Standards (CTELDS), we create engaging lesson plans tailored to each child’s needs. Additionally, we use Focused Portfolios and the CT DOTS program to assess and track progress, ensuring a strong foundation for learning.

Our Preschool Curriculum follows state standards and is enriched with additional elements to help children thrive, explore, and grow.

We take great pride in teaching and nurturing your children each day—thank you for being a part of the Carelot family!

• shaving cream
• paper plates
• gardening supplies
• old working iphones or ipads
• paper bags
• seeds
• egg dye kits

"Building Strong Foundations for a Lifetime of Learning"

Providing education to Children ages 3 months to 12 years!

Email: adminassist@carelot.net
Website: www.carelot.net
Location: 315 Flanders Road, East Lyme, CT, United States
Phone: 860-739-1993
Facebook: facebook.com/carelotctr