Greetings,
It is hard to believe that it is the end of April and that itâs been a little over a month since we have been able to be together. The days are quite blurry and have taken on a repetitive but manageable routine. I imagine that everyoneâs situation is quite different filled with a variety of emotions and challenges and hopefully moments of joy and clarity.
Every day I try to remind myself to be grateful for the many things in my life. I am also trying to find the time to think about the changes that I can make when we move into the next phase of a new routine. One of the things that strikes me the most is, âDonât put off till tomorrow what you can do today!â I think about some of the smaller things that didnât seem very urgent a month ago, but now, I wish I would have tended to them. When we return to some different type of a daily routine, I think that I will make that phone call to a friend, send a birthday card to a relative, schedule the dentist appointment, go visit my nieces and nephews and spend the weekend exploring and visiting new places. I think I will focus less on the
things in my life and more on the
people in my life. When you live alone, itâs kind of easy to become a bit solitary. I will want to remember that we all need to foster healthy relationships in our lives and that takes time and effort. I will also want to remember to help others and find a higher purpose. Iâm not sure what that is just yet, but in time and with some work, I will figure that out.
This is National Volunteer month and itâs a good time for random acts of kindness that inspire hope. A good resource is
Kitchen Table Kindness. It includes great ideas for the entire family. I know that the next few weeks, months and possibly the rest of the year will be difficult and will require a lot of energy and work to push through. Working together and working for a purpose will help us all.
On another note, I want to continue to give the biggest and loudest shout out to the amazing, creative, hardworking, and wonderful teachers at UCDC! They are learning new things every day when they participate in webinars, listen to podcasts, read and reflect on articles, and watch documentaries. They are also sharing ideas and âaha momentsâ with each other through reflection and many virtual meetings.
The teachers have also created some of the most amazing âeventsâ and activities for children and families. I wish I could mention something that every single teacher has done, but space prohibits. I will mention a few that I was especially touched by.
- Karol- walking her dog Charlie with his stuffed duck in his mouth. PricelessâŚ
- Julie- the video of the walk through the UCDC and Pitt neighborhood was amazing and I wanted to share it with the entire Pitt community. Her pasta making share was also amazing.
- Cathy- the inspirational moments that you post are a good reminder of the things that we need to focus on and pay attention to.
- Christina Mull- Amelia âseeing her friends in her heartâ left me feeling speechless.
- Countless incredible activity ideas for families and kids.
- Posts for read alouds, yoga, music and art.
- Showing the classroom pets and our own pets.
The list goes on and I hope that you are each able to find something that helps you and your kids to feel connected, keep learning and most of all, have fun together.
XOXO,
Mary Beth
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Curriculum in the Classroom: Preschool One
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Spring has sprung!
âDid you hear that?â Listen, itâs the sound of birds chirping. And with the arrival of spring is the thought of sunny days, buds sprouting, flowers popping out of the ground and bugs. Spring is a childâs paradise of discovery.
In keeping with UCDCâs child centered philosophy, Preschool One supports the childrenâs interest and provide opportunities for children to learn through play throughout their day in and out of the classroom.
During group time, we read books, sing songs and play games about the change in the weather, how plants start from a seed, and what a plant needs to grow. And talk how bugs and worms can be helpers in the garden.
Throughout our classroom, the children can fill their curiosity whether is in the sensory table that is filled with flowers, twigs and bugs, playing in the flower shop in the dramatic play area, exploring seeds at the light table, using flowers at the art table to make blossom prints, looking at picture books with a friend or rinsing a milk carton out to plant sunflower seeds.
With each visit to the playground, the children in Preschool One have a chance to explore the changes in the garden and water plants, check new growth in the herb patch, observe butterflies fluttering in the Woolly Pockets, watch a trail of ants on the brick wall and squish sand and water in between their fingers at the mud kitchen.
Spring brings a new beginning and new curiosity in a childâs life. Where children learn through play and play to learn.
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Art Ideas for Home (links)
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Teacher Professional Development (at Home)
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We are learning so much at an incredible rate while working from home. Although this isn't our teachers desired method of work (to be in front of a computer), they are making the best of this situation and creating a meaningful and productive schedule. Their weeks are filled with webinars followed by reflections, Zoom meetings with a "classroom" full of children as well as meetings with individual children, classroom weekly team meetings, age group meetings, and meetings to further along Center projects. They are also creating classroom materials for when we return as well as working on online instruction for the children now. That makes for a busy week!
Here are some of the reflections of our teachers that are gaining knowledge remotely:
- I am really enjoying the HR Supervisor sessions. I feel that the information is so valuable ensuring that I am continuing to be a reflective and effective supervisor for my staff during this very different approach to our jobs. âAmmie Ribarchak, Preschool One
- The training, Breaking the Cycle, Uncovering the Roots of Misbehavior, has given me tools to evaluate what I can do to help a child channel their needs to new behaviors that work for them and the rest of our classroom. - Wendy Colbert, Toddler Two
- Cross curriculum and loose parts are two things I am looking forward incorporating into our classroom. â Nikki Miller, Toddler One
- âTake the childâs lead!" - Kathy Slater, Toddler Three
- The docuseries, âBabiesâ on Netflix explores infants through their developmental milestones. Each session reminds me how amazing babies grow and develop during their first few years of life! - Cheryl Petro, Preschool One
- All children want to explore and learn and we are there to give them opportunities to make connections and grow. â Sarah Niedermeyer, Substitute Teacher
- Preschool Three's classroom team read, "Seeing Children Do More with Less." A few questions were good take-aways for us to consider in the preschool classroom: "Do I offer too many materials? Do I jump in too quickly? Do I leave enough time for children to develop their inner resources?" - Cathy Baier, Preschool Three
- I will utilize the bell practice to calm children's minds and I Love You Rituals to teach students who want to show love and kindness. â MaeMae
- The Loose Parts webinar gave me a lot of different ideas for our sensory table that I hope to use when we return. â Shelley Martin
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UCDC utilizes a child centered, extended family approach that is fostered by supporting the developmental needs of all children. We foster children's self esteem, creative abilities, sense of belonging and success by implementing a developmentally appropriate curriculum based on NAEYC and Keystone STARS standards, through a play-based approach to learning. We support families and partner with them to provide an environment that welcomes their collaboration and supports both cultural and family preferences.
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