Dear Angie,

“Reading gives us a place to go when we have to stay where we are.”

Reading to our children at all ages is great for their development in language as well as an appreciation for learning new things through books. Each month our studies have different books that the teachers read to the children as a focus. Teachers in the younger age groups email the book cover of the book they are focusing on for the week. We read a variety of stories each day and hope that your kiddos come home talking about the different stories they hear.

CENTER HAPPENINGS

Mystery Readers

To go along with our reading focus this month, we will be looking for volunteers to read aloud in your child’s class. Outside each classroom, we will have posted times that parents/grandparents/guardians can sign-up to read to their child’s class. If you cannot find a time that works for you, please ask a teacher to arrange another opportunity. You are welcome to bring a few favorite books from home or we can give you a few stories from our collection. It is a fun experience for everyone and we appreciate your participation. This time…SHHH...IT IS GOING TO BE A SECRET FROM YOUR CHILD…THEY WILL NOT KNOW WHO IS COMING TO READ…JUST SIGN UP AND WE WILL SEE YOU HERE.

Costume Kim, Storyteller

Costume Kim visits Thursday, March 21, at 9:00 a.m.

This month’s theme is Jungle Jazz and the story time includes toddlers and preschoolers.

FAMILY REMINDERS

Happy Women’s History Month: Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

This month we would like to give a shout out to a few women who have made a great impact on our history, culture, and society. Please watch for classroom daily connect updates on who we are learning about his month.

ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS

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BUILDING RESILIENCE IN CHILDREN THROUGH CONNECTION

My family of four has gotten hooked on the game Code Names, and we try to get in a few sessions of play each week. Our daughters are 8 and 11, so I recognize that the days of them piling onto our bed to play a game may be short-lived; I am not taking this ritual for granted. The game itself is a fun mental challenge, but I also believe that the time together, away from work, homework, sports and, of course, screens, provides all of us with a sense of connection that forms the foundation of our family. And, importantly, this connection is a tool for building resilience in our children as they grow.

Connection is one the seven “C”s of resilience, as developed by pediatrician Kenneth Ginsburg, M.D., MS Ed, FAAP:

Connection

Developing close ties to family and community creates a solid sense of security that helps lead to strong values and prevents alternative destructive paths to love and attention. You can help your child connect with others by:

Building a sense of physical safety and emotional security within your home
Allowing the expression of all emotions, so that kids will feel comfortable reaching out during difficult times
Addressing conflict openly in the family to resolve problems
Creating a common area where the family can share time (not necessarily TV time)
Fostering healthy relationships that will reinforce positive messages

Last night as we played, there was a disagreement about the rules that created some feelings of tension and frustration. Given the low stakes of the outcome, it was a good opportunity to practice allowing our daughter to express her emotions while working to calmly resolve the conflict. The space of connection allowed for a healthy response to the minor disagreement, and hopefully helped build skills for emotional expression and conflict resolution in the future.

Learn more about the 7Cs of resilience here:

https://www.fosteringresilience.com/7cs_parents.php