January ELC Newsletter

Here at the Early Learning Center, we use The Creative Curriculum which is a comprehensive, research-based curriculum that features inquiry, exploration, and discovery as the foundation of all learning. Children have opportunities to think critically and develop process skills with rich, hands-on investigations of relevant and interesting study topics in the classroom.

During our studies, or long-term investigations, children learn concepts and practice skills related to literacy, math, science, social studies, and the arts. They develop thinking skills as they observe, investigate, ask questions, solve problems, make predictions, and test their ideas.

Sensory Play is an activity that stimulates our senses! Touch, sight, hearing, smelling and tasting. Some examples would be splashing in the bathtub, jumping in a pile of leaves or like our students in the purple room, writing their names in shaving cream with their fingers! Sensory Play is key in a child's development. It's calming, inclusive, they develop knowledge and motor skills as well as language development!

Parent/Teacher Conferences are right around the corner! Please call 309-865-6900 to schedule your conference today! Spots fill up quickly!

What does Kindness mean to you? The Early Learning Center had such a great time creating a Kindness Quilt that we are doing it again! Be on the look out for this flyer in your child's backpack the week of January 27th! We can't wait to see your creations!

RSVP for FORT Night!

Our school implements The Pyramid Model, a framework for supporting the social and emotional development of our children. An important part of our Pyramid Model work includes supporting families and sharing information about promoting social and emotional skills at home.

Did you know?

Children with strong emotional vocabularies:

-Tolerate frustration better

-Get into fewer fights

-Engage in less destructive behavior

-Are healthier

-Are less lonely

-Are less implusive

-Are more focused

-Have greater academic achievement

Check out the resource linked below to learn more about how you can help your child to understand and label emotions at home:

How to Help Your Child Understand and Label Emotions (English)

How to Help Your Child Understand and Label Emotions (Arabic)

How to Help Your Child Understand and Label Emotions (Spanish)

• No School- Monday, Jan. 20th Martin Luther King JR Day
• Play Group- Wednesday, Jan. 22nd from 3:30 pm - 4:15 pm
• Fort Night! Come build a box fort with your child!
• Family Advisory Council Meeting- Wednesday, Jan. 29th from 3:45 pm-4:15 pm
• Parent/Teacher Conferences- Thursday, Jan. 30th from 3:45 pm-7:30 pm by appointment only
• No School-Parent/Teacher Conferences- Friday, Jan. 31st from 8 am-11:30 am by appointment only.

• Your family's health, well-being and partnership is important to us! Use the forms below to easily request information, resources and/or support for your family.

• Are you interested in more information, resources, or a meeting with one of our staff members? CLICK HERE for a Request for Family Support
• Could you family benefit from extra food on the weekends? Click HERE to sign up for the Food Program!
• Does your child need a winter coat or full-size backpack? Click HERE to sign up for the Coat or Backpack Request Form!

Click HERE to sign up for the Backpack Food Program!

Please let us know if your child is in need of a winter coat. Sizes and supply are limited. Please fill out the request form here . If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Lindsey, Family Educator at ljohanson@emsd37.org.

Do you have younger children? Bring them in for a developmental check-up! Open to EMSD residents with children aged 0-5 years old. Call Tara to schedule an appointment for a screening (now scheduling for 2025). Currently enrolled students do not need to be screened.

• 24-25 Family Folder-Here you will find general information about our school and programming. This folder contains information about school supplies, our daily schedule, policies/procedures, communication platforms, the school calendar and more!
• 24-25 Early Learning Center School Calendar
• Outdoor Play Guide--Children benefit from being outdoors for unstructured play in a natural environment. Please see the attached Outdoor Play Guide, as the colder weather begins to move in.

Important contacts:

Main Office: 309-865-6900

Tara Schofield, Secretary (tschofield@emsd37.org)

Lindsey Johanson, Family Educator (ljohanson@emsd37.org)

Melissa McCullough, Principal (mmccullough@emsd37.org)