Email: bright@443mail.org
Website: https://usd443.org/542378_3
Location: 200 West Comanche Street, Dodge City, KS, USA
Phone: 620-371-1220
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrightBeginningsEarlyChildhoodCenterDodgeCity

Feb 1 - Policy Council

Feb 6 - Parent Connection Friend's Time

Feb 8 - Parent Teacher Conferences / No After-School Program

Feb 9 - Parent Teacher Conferences - No School

Feb 13 - EHS Socialization 10am and 3:30pm

Feb 20 - Parent Meeting

Dear Bright Beginnings Families,

At Bright Beginnings, the month of February will be known as Kindness Month. Kindness Week is February 14th through the 20th, but we will celebrate all month long.

Our program uses Conscious Discipline as our social emotional curriculum to help students stay regulated in stressful moments. You will receive an additional calendar of activities this month to help connect what students are learning at school to what happens at home. Please feel free to reach out to Ms. Melyssa, the Mental Health Specialist, if you have questions about this curriculum.

We have recently completed our winter FastBridge Assessments. Teachers will share those results with you during conferences this month. We have been so excited to see the growth in our students not only in academics, but also in social emotional skills.

Kindergarten Visits will happen the first week on March. A flyer will be available soon. Please plan to attend one or more of the visits to find the best fit for your child. Kindergarten enrollment will happen in March as well. Please be sure to schedule an appointment with the district if your child will move on to Kindergarten next year.

Please remember that attendance is very important to your child’s learning. They need to be in school and on time daily in order to benefit and gain skills. Please help your child to be in school on time every day.

Bianca Alvarez

Principal/Director

Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Center

Come check out a book to take home and read with your child.

New take-home learning activities every Friday.

THE LIBRARY WILL BE OPEN TO PARENTS:

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

7:50 am

11:50 am

3:15pm

Our Policy Council meeting took place on February 1, 2024. We discussed and voted on the following:

• EHS Impaired Parent Protocol
• Federal Reporting of Standards
• 2024 Poverty Guidelines
• KEHS Home Visit Grant Review
• KEHS Child Care Partnership Grant Review
• Monthly Fiscal Report

The next meeting will be March 7, 2024 at 11:30 am. in the Policy Council room (basement of building A). If you are interested in participating in Policy Council, please contact your teacher, advocate, or Brenda Carmona for more information. Please click here to read more about Policy Council. We are so excited to share our program information with parents and have our parents guide our program decisions.

On January 23, we had a great turn out for our BINGO Event. We had over 100 families attend again. We had Hot Chocolate and Cookies. It was fun for all ages to. We had 5 different BINGO Groups: Alphabet Letters, Numbers, Pictures, Colors and Shapes BINGO.

Check out our Bright Beginnings page if you don't follow us there yet! We posted pictures of the event there and we always post important information. https://www.facebook.com/BrightBeginningsEarlyChildhoodCenterDodgeCity

Greetings!

Wow! Your children are working and learning so much in their school families on making choices, making new friends, and learning how to play with one another.

This month is Kindness Month! We will be focusing on ways to be accepting and empathetic towards one another. I am attaching a second calendar for February that encourages us to making caring and kind connections within our family and community. These everyday activities help us to see the best in others by showing kindness. At the end of the month, sign and date the purple or light pink calendar and give it to your child's teacher.

As children hear the stories of Shubert and Sophie, they will learn how to accept the changes in their family and school. (see the videos below) We will focus on the the feelings that come with those changes to help us stay present in each moment.

The phrase we will practice is... "You're face is going like this. You seem angry. Something happened? You wanted to stay and play longer. That's hard. Breathe with me. You can handle it."

Practice this phrase adding in the feeling and moment that happened. Adding these phrases consistently allows children to adapt to the feelings that occur in the changes in routine, family, and activities. It also allows us adults to calm and respond to their upset in change.

Also notice the I Love You Connection of Humpty Dumpty. This one allows the assurance that you are always there for them when the hard things happen. I Love You Connection moments include eye contact, touch, and playfulness. Enjoy these precious times with your children throughout the day.

Thank you being a part of our Bright Beginnings Family. You got this families!

Wishing you Well this February!~Miss Melyssa

Our focus story is Sophie and Shubert learn to be kind, inclusive, and show acceptance. Stop by anytime in February at Melyssa's to take the Make-it Take-it activity home if you missed the parent meeting.

Some notes from our Nurse:

February is Dental Health Month.

• Limit foods and drinks with added sugar
• Drink water throughout the day
• Brush with fluoride toothpaste twice a day
• Get a dental visit by age 1
• These recipes support children's healthy growth and development with ingredients that are fresh, low in fat, and high in fiber. None of the recipes included added sugar. Cook’s Corner: Recipes for Healthy Snacks—Compiled from Brush Up on Oral Health (3rd ed.) (hhs.gov)

Some families are still needing Health Items to be turned in. It is important that you get them completed and turned in as soon as you can. If your child needs an updated Physical and you are unable to get a doctors visit you can go here:

• Joy Chiropractic 900 W Frontview St # 101, Dodge City, KS 67801
• Phillips Chiropractic 2200 Summerlon Cir, Dodge City, KS 67801

Thanks!

Kendra Tieben BSN, RN

Health/Nutrition Facilitator~School Nurse

Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Center

BB 620-371-1227 T/Wam/R

EHS 620-371-1260 M/Wpm/F

Child Care is a full and exciting place for the kids. We are enjoying learning in the classroom with centers and music and movement, then also enjoying these beautiful fall days on the playground.

Our socialization will be held on February 13th at 10:00 and 3:30 at 1900 First Ave, Dodge City Public Library. Come enjoy our Read To Me Playgroup and meet new friends.

We are looking for Full-Time Para Educators.

• Would you like to work with young children in a preschool setting?
• Do you want a flexible schedule that follows the school district calendar?

Please share this out with anyone you know that you think would be great fit for Bright Beginnings!