October GRACE news
10/02/2019 by Delica Austin
Fall is here!!! We had so much on our field trip to the apple orchard. Thank you to all who were able to attend as chaperones. We value your partnership as we provide quality learning experiences for your children. Thanks for being a part of the Grace family. A few reminders:
Tuition – Due on the 1st of the month. If you’re not paying through Kangarootime, please write your student’s name on the memo line of the check or money order.
Hand washing- *Important* DCFS requires that each child wash his/her hands with soap and water upon arrival every day. Please also have your student use the restroom.
Snacks- Thanks for your generous donations. We appreciate it! We are trying to provide healthy snack options as well as some treats. Thank you for helping us by signing up for snack on the calendar outside your child’s classroom.
Folders/Backpacks – Please check every day and empty out. This is our primary way of communicating with families. Make sure to check for important notices on Educa and in your child’s folder. Also please take your child’s folder out of his/her backpack and bring to the classroom when you check in.
Upcoming Events
October 20th
4’s sing in church
October 22-23
Walk-a-thon
October 27th
Grace trunk or Treat
October 30th & 31st
Class Halloween parties
November 11th
NO SCHOOL- Veterans Day
November 27th-29th
no school- happy thanksgiving
10 Things every parent should know about play
By: Laurel Bongiorno
NAEYC
1. Children learn through their play.
Don’t underestimate the value of play. Children learn and develop:
cognitive skills – like math and problem solving in a pretend grocery store
physical abilities – like balancing blocks and running on the playground
new vocabulary – like the words they need to play with toy dinosaurs
social skills – like playing together in a pretend car wash
literacy skills – like creating a menu for a pretend restaurant
2. Play is healthy.
Play helps children grow strong and healthy. It also counteracts obesity issues facing many children today.
3. Play reduces stress.
Play helps your children grow emotionally. It is joyful and provides an outlet for anxiety and stress.
4. Play is more than meets the eye.
Play is simple and complex. There are many types of play: symbolic, sociodramatic, functional, and games with rules-–to name just a few. Researchers study play’s many aspects: how children learn through play, how outdoor play impacts children’s health, the effects of screen time on play, to the need for recess in the school day.
5. Make time for play.
As parents, you are the biggest supporters of your children’s learning. You can make sure they have as much time to play as possible during the day to promote cognitive, language, physical, social, and emotional development.
6. Play and learning go hand-in-hand.
They are not separate activities. They are intertwined. Think about them as a science lecture with a lab. Play is the child’s lab.
7. Play outside.
Remember your own outdoor experiences of building forts, playing on the beach, sledding in the winter, or playing with other children in the neighborhood. Make sure your children create outdoor memories too.
8. There’s a lot to learn about play.There’s a lot written on children and play. Here are some NAEYC articles and books about play. David Elkind’s The Power of Play (Da Capo, 2007 reprint) is also a great resource.
9. Trust your own playful instincts.
Remember as a child how play just came naturally? Give your children time for play and see all that they are capable of when given the opportunity.
10. Play is a child’s context for learning.
Children practice and reinforce their learning in multiple areas during play. It gives them a place and a time for learning that cannot be achieved through completing a worksheet. For example, in playing restaurant, children write and draw menus, set prices, take orders, and make out checks. Play provides rich learning opportunities and leads to children’s success and self-esteem.