Parents as Teachers Newsletter

How is it possible that we are halfway through the academic calendar year!? We are excited to be back after a nice winter break. We continue to feel profound gratitude that we have the privilege of sharing in your families experiences, and are eager to serve you until May (and beyond). In this month's newsletter you will find information about snow safety, the winter wonderland workshop, and some great book selections that can be found at your nearest library.

January 25th and 26th 5:30-7:30 PM Winter Wonderland (all ages). details and rsvp below

February 23rd, 5:30-7:00 Romp and Stomp at the EEC (all ages)

March 7th, Kindergarten Readiness TimeTBD at the EEC

March 14th 5:30-7:30 PM Early Childhood Resource Fair at the EEC (all ages)

April 3rd 5:30-7:00 PM Math: It's More than Numbers (all ages)

May 4th- 5:30-7:30 PM Picnic on the Playground (all ages)

NKC Schools is proud to offer a variety of FREE full-day and half-day early education programs, as well as tuition-paid preschool, to meet the needs of our community. All of our programs provide opportunities for exploration, discovery, creativity, problem-solving, and social interaction. Interested students must complete a developmental screening to assist with placement.

• We are currently scheduling developmental screenings for children with a birthdate between 08/1/2018 & 07/31/2019

Go to nkcschools.org/screenings to sign up today!

Winter isn't a time to just stay indoors and wait for spring. There's a whole wonderland of sports out there for the entire family- sledding, snowboarding and skiing to mention a few.

Once outdoors, however, take precautions to keep your family safe. In ice and snow, accidents can occur easily, and before you know it you might be on your way to the emergency rooms.

It's easy to keep safe — and stay fit — during the cold months. By following a few tips, you can have a great time, no matter how much white stuff piles up outside.

Cold-Weather Hazards

Certain injuries are more common in the winter because of cold-weather activities like ice-skating, sledding, and other fun wintery outdoor activities. Respiratory ailments, especially viruses like the flu, are prevalent because people stay indoors more and thus are exposed to more airborne germs.

At Home

One way to stay healthy while cooped up inside is to make sure your family washes their hands. It's especially important to wash after sharing toys, coughing, and blowing a runny nose to help prevent the spread of viruses.

Decided you've had enough of the indoors and you're going to get the family outside to shovel the snow? Fine, but take care. Snow shoveling is strenuous work. It's OK for older, school-age kids to help out, but young children should not be shoveling because they can strain their muscles from lifting heavy shovels full of snow.

Younger or older, kids sometimes have a tough time knowing when to come inside from the cold. To nip frostbite in the bud, check on your kids regularly to make sure that mittens are dry and warm and noses aren't too red.

Dressing for the Cold

If you're going outside in the cold, stay safe — and warm. Make sure your kids have a snack before going out. The calories will give their bodies energy in the cold weather.

And protect your kids' faces with sunscreen. The idea of a sunburn in January can seem odd, but snow can reflect up to 85% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

Kids should dress warmly in layers of clothes. If the top layer gets wet from snow or freezing rain, they can peel off some clothes down to a dry layer.

Avoid cotton clothing because it won't keep the kids very warm. Stick with wool or other fabrics. Dress them in long underwear, a turtleneck, and a sweater and coat. Add more layers depending on the temperature. Waterproof pants and jackets are great top layers because they don't let the wetness seep into the other clothing. The cold-weather ensemble wouldn't be complete without warm socks and boots to keep feet dry and a hat to top it off.

There's no set amount of time kids should be allowed to stay out in the cold. However, when being cold becomes unpleasant, it's time to go inside. Sometimes, though, kids may just need some dry gloves. It helps to have an extra pair of gloves or mittens tucked into their pockets if they plan to be outdoors for a while.

Winter Sports Safety

If your kids decide to go sledding on their own for the day, make sure you know about the hill where they will be playing. Is it steep or covered with trees? If so, it's not a good location for sledding. Also, watch out for hills with rocks or those near busy roads.

Sledding injuries can be very serious, resulting in broken bones and trauma to the abdomen, head, and neck. So it's wise to supervise your kids when they go sledding. Experts also suggest having kids wear helmets to help prevent head injuries.

Ice skating is a great cold-weather activity, but require safety smarts, too. Make sure your kids avoid sports injuries by wearing helmets and properly fitted skates whenever on the ice. Rinks are always safer than ponds for skating. If you only have access to a pond, check the thickness of the ice yourself to prevent falls through it and supervise your kids while they skate.

In an Emergency

Kids are at greater risk for frostnip and frostbite than adults, and the best way to prevent it is to make sure they're dressed warmly and don't spend too much time in extreme weather.

Frostnip is an early warning sign of the onset of frostbite. It leaves the skin red and numb or tingly. After bringing your child inside, remove all wet clothing because it draws heat from the body. Immerse the chilled body parts in warm (not hot) water — 104-108°F (40-42°C) — until they are able to feel sensation again.

Frostbite occurs mostly on fingers, toes, ears, noses, and cheeks. The area becomes very cold and turns white or yellowish gray. If you notice frostbite, take your child immediately to the nearest hospital emergency room.

Going on a road trip over the holidays? Make sure you have a first aid kit, extra blankets, and gloves in the car.

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD

Information Obtained from: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/winter-safety.html

Yoga is not just for adults! In fact, it can give children very important life skills that can help them succeed in the world.

Here is a more detailed explanation of how teaching yoga to kids and using yoga in the classroom can have a positive impact on children’s well-being:

1. Yoga helps children manage their anxiety. The breathing exercises and relaxation techniques learned from practicing yoga can help children with stress management. Teaching children how to reduce stress in a healthy way is an important life skill that will help them as children and as adults.
2. Yoga improves children’s emotional regulation. Another benefit of yoga for children is that it helps children learn to be in the present moment while relaxing and gaining a peaceful state of mind, which ultimately improves their emotional regulation.
3. Yoga boosts children’s self-esteem. Yoga for kids can do wonders for their self-esteem. Perfecting a pose or improving their balance and flexibility can give young children a sense of personal empowerment.
4. Yoga increases children’s body awareness and mindfulness. Going through a variety of yoga poses helps children learn about their bodies and the movements they’re capable of doing.
5. Yoga enhances children’s concentration and memory. One of the top benefits of kids’ yoga is that the different types of moves requires children to focus and work on their memorization skills—both of which can translate over into their cognitive, and social/emotional development,.
6. Yoga develops children’s strength and flexibility. Yoga helps strengthen children’s growing bodies and helps them improve their flexibility, which can reduce their chance of injury.
7. Yoga teaches discipline and reduces impulsivity. Yoga can reduce challenging behaviors in the classroom by providing a physical outlet for children to express themselves. It also teaches children about discipline as they work on clearing their minds and perfecting their poses.

Information provided by: https://azearlychildhood.org/resources/articles/7-benefits-of-yoga-for-young-kids/

One of the good things to come out of the past 18 months is the ability to offer virtual visits! Last year our amazing staff conducted over 3,000 virtual visits and 1,000 virtual screenings! They developed fun and engaging activities to do with families online and discovered that sometimes conversations can be deeper and richer when virtual.

With winter arriving we are reminded that it can be a tricky season for home visiting, as we experience inclement weather as well as increased illness. In the past, these 2 situations have caused us to cancel and reschedule appointments. This year we are asking parents and parent educators to work on reducing cancelations by switching to a virtual visit instead of rescheduling it if:

• you or someone in your home is experiencing minor symptoms of illness
• school is canceled due to winter weather

Our parent educators respect that you have set aside time in your schedule to meet with them, and they want to honor that. We also ask that families honor the time a parent educator has set aside to meet with your family.

Meeting in-person is ideal for many, however meeting virtually is better for everyone than rescheduling an appointment. Rescheduled appointments reduce the supports we can offer your family and the number of times you can meet with your parent educator.

PAT is always looking to grow and support additional families. If you have a friend or family member that is interested please share our newsletter with them. We always welcome referrals!

Enroll in Parents as Teachers by clicking here or calling 816-321-5453.

Email: parentsasteachers@nkcschools.org

Website: https://www.nkcschools.org/Page/699
Location: 6479 North Prospect Avenue, Gladstone, MO, USA
Phone: 816-321-5453
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NKCParentsAsTeachers