Kiddie Academy Monthly Update

Can you believe we are headed into October?! We are excited to celebrate moving into Fall. There are lots of things happening at our center this month.

Month Long Penny Wars

• With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, we wanted to start a new tradition at our center. We will be hosting our first Penny Wars to raise money for Unite for HER in West Chester, PA. The center will be broken up into teams. It is our goal to raise $200 for Unite for HER by the end of October. Penny Wars is a fun and competitive way to help us reach our donation goal. For more information about Unite for HER, see section below!

Fire Prevention Week

• Fire Prevention week is October 6th - 12th. The center is going to be learning about what they can do to help prevent fires. The center will also be visited by a fire truck and will get to meet with firefighters to discuss fire safety!

Halloween at Kiddie Academy

• Classroom Pumpkin Decorating Contest: Each classroom will decorate a pumpkin. Families will be able to cast their votes for their favorite pumpkin!

• Our annual Halloween Parade & Classroom Party will be held on Friday, October 25th at 4 pm. Please look out for an additional email with a Sign-Up Genius for parent volunteers & donations requests for the classroom party.

• With the weather getting colder, please update the clothing in your child's cubby. We do go outside throughout the fall and winter months, including infants. Make sure your child has clothing items that can be layered with our items
• When dropping off and picking up, please make sure you are washing your child's hands to help stop the spread of germs as we move into the colder months
• We do plan on getting messy throughout fall by exploring different fun fall items. We strongly encourage having extra change of clothes on hand at the center no matter the age of the child.
• All child belongings need to be clearly labeled with the child's first and last name.
• If you have not done so, please provide us with a family photo that can be added to your child's family wall in their classroom. You are welcome to share more than one with us!

Each month we will be highlighting members of our amazing team!

• Ms. Trish, Pre-K Teacher: Ms. Trish has been with Kiddie Academy since 2015. Throughout her time here she has worked with all age groups. Ms. Trish has spent most of her recent years as the Lead Pre-K teacher helping get students ready for kindergarten!
• Ms. Clevy, Preschool Teacher: Ms. Clevy has been with Kiddie Academy since 2020 where she has been the Lead Teacher in Room 7. She helps the 3-year-olds build confidence and independence within their trusted classroom environment.
• Ms. Jen, Infant Teacher: Ms. Jen has been a part of Kiddie Academy for 14 years. As the Lead Teacher in the Infants, she helps bridge the gap between home and school. She helps parents tackle all the different transitions happening within the first year of life.

These talented individuals are just a few of the amazing staff that work here are Kiddie Academy.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children. The association comprises nearly 60,000 individual members of the early childhood community and 52 Affiliates, all committed to delivering on the promise of high-quality early learning. Together, we work to achieve a collective vision: that all young children thrive and learn in a society dedicated to ensuring they reach their full potential.

In Character Essentials, each month is dedicated to an overall theme. These themes guide the character development in each classroom throughout the academy.

• Infants: This month teachers will focus on the emotional development of the infants. At this stage, emotional development consists largely of an infant’s feelings of safety and security with caregivers. Teachers can help infants form attachments by striving to meet their needs. Young infants will develop different cries to signal different needs and are finding ways to soothe themselves. Older infants are able to express different emotions and may develop separation or stranger anxiety. Older infants may also have strong reactions to frustration and crave approval from caregivers.
• Toddlers: This month teachers will focus on the emotional development of toddlers. This is the basis from which children are able to develop in other areas. When children feel safe and secure in their classrooms and feel attachments with their caregivers, they will be more comfortable to explore their environments. Young toddlers begin to experience a wide variety of emotions and can become confused or frustrated by these feelings. Older toddlers may begin to use self-calming techniques or express their emotions verbally. Toddlers may be prone to having occasional tantrums when they are unable to manage strong emotions.
• Preschool: The goal this month is to help the children identify, describe, and appropriately express feelings, as well as to help them develop a sense of empathy toward others. The following traits will help the children in managing their emotions and having positive relationships with others later in life.
• Emotions: feelings such as happiness, love, fear, or anger, which can be caused by the situation or the people one is with
• Self-Awareness: having a conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires
• Self-Regulation: using the strategies and skills necessary to control one’s emotions, reactions, and behavior in different situations
• Empathy: understanding and caring about how someone else is feeling

Make time each day to practice compassion, kindness and understanding.

One activity that our preschoolers love is making oobleck! It can be fun and messy all at the same time. Watch the video to learn more about oobleck!

Materials

• 1 cup of cornstarch

• 3/4 cup water

• Food coloring (optional)

• Plastic bowl or bin

1. Help your child measure 3/4 cup of water in a plastic measuring cup.
2. If you have food coloring, have your child add a couple of drops to the water.
3. Help your child measure 1 cup of cornstarch. Pour into a plastic bowl or bin.
4. Slowly add the water and food coloring.
5. Let your child mix the mixture. It will take about 10 minutes to be evenly mixed, so you may need to help out.
6. Once the mixture is ready, have your child gently feel the top of the mixture. As your child how the oobleck feels. Then let your child sink his hands into the oobleck!

Unite for HER is a 501(c)3 national nonprofit organization that supports breast cancer and ovarian cancer patients by providing integrative therapies, services, education, resources, and support at no personal cost. Every person with breast and ovarian cancers will feel the support of a loving community, and will have access to comprehensive education, services, and tools that enrich their health and well-being.

How Penny Wars Works