Dear Northminster Parents and Friends:
Your children are getting ready for Valentine’s Day. They will be learning songs about love, being polite and loving one another. All classes celebrate Valentine’s Day and have special instructions for you for making valentines. Please check with your child’s teacher. Our value for this month is being polite.
School will be closed on Friday, February 17, 2017 and Monday, February 20, 2017 in observance of Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays.
Our enrichment program this month, courtesy of the Parent Group, is two performances by the Jack Straws and the theme will be pirates. Those performance dates are February 22, 2017 and February 23, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. in the hall. The Parent Group meeting will be Friday, February 10, 2017 in the fireside room at noon, lunch is provided. Please joins us!
Monday, February 27th is priority registration for children and siblings of children currently enrolled in the program. We will be sending home registration packets for Summer Fun registration and Fall registration. If you have a new sibling coming into the program, please stop by the office and get a new child registration packet. Your children have priority in the program, but please keep in mind your forms need to be in the office no later than March 7, 2017. We have past-priority registration March 8, 2017 and open enrollment March 9, 2017. Any spots available in the program on those days will be taken by new children.
While every effort will be made to honor teacher requests, the office reserves the right to fill classes based on age appropriateness, child dynamics and boy to girl ratios. Also, please keep in mind that although your child has a spot in the preschool, it is still first come first served in regards to how many days a week you would like.
As cold and flu season is now in full swing, I would like to remind parents that if your child is sick with a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea you must keep them home until they are symptom free without medication for 24 hours. Also, if your child has an excessive runny nose, you need to keep them home. A child, whose nose needs to be wiped consistently in an hour, constitutes excess. This applies even if the doctor states the child is not contagious. It is very hard to keep toys and hands clean when the nose is constantly running. We teach the children clean hands and noses while at preschool, but we cannot be at the ready with a Kleenex in hand with one child, let alone multiple children. This is for the health and safety of all the children as well as the staff. Thank you for your understanding.
Thank you to everyone who donated items, spent time sorting and even shopped at our rummage sale. We were able to raise over $1500.00! More importantly, we were also able to help to very important charities M.O.M. (military outreach) and CCSA (Christian agency in Clairemont that helps Clairemont families). You are amazing parents!
Please remember to sign your child in and out each day. This is a licensing requirement. We also need to ask you to please write the times legibly. We have to read 125 sets of handwriting and want to make sure we are charging you the correct amount for extra care each month. Also, remember the school closes at 5:00 p.m. Each minute starting at 5:01 p.m. is $2.00/minute. Please be respectful to my aftercare staff, as they have places they need to be on time after work.
I wanted to thank all of the parents who have signed up for snack this year. The reason we have snack sign ups is because we are limited on what we can serve 95 children a day and this gives you the opportunity to introduce a favorite snack of your child’s to the other children. It also gives you the opportunity to go shopping with your child, pick out a healthy snack and make it into a fun teachable moment for you and your child. It is completely voluntary but very much appreciated! Remember to represent 2 food groups for your snack.
Your children are a precious gift to us and we love the opportunity to teach them and care for them every day!
Shelli Harder
Director