March Newsletter

Intrigue and Mystery

Come and join us for a “Murder Mystery” on April 14th!

 

Young Minds Great Start Montessori is hosting an evening of intrigue and mystery on Saturday, April 14th at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Tilbury. The 1920’s themed Murder Mystery Dinner Party will begin at 5:30 for cocktails, with dinner beginning at 6:30 pm. The event will be a catered meal of Ham, Scalloped potatoes and all of the trimmings will be served. A cash bar will be set up by the KC.

 

Tickets are only $25 per person, with all proceeds going to the school towards maintaining our educational programming and highly-trained staff.

 

Please feel free to invite your friends and family for an evening of fun! Spread the word to people in the community in order for our school family to get some exposure!

 

Teachers will send home tickets with the parents for you to sell.

 

The “Murder” will begin after dinner, around 7:30 pm. Anyone interested in volunteering to play a role please see Mrs. McCracken for details.

 

Tickets are advance sales only, so please be sure to let family and friends know this! Any help with ticket sales will be greatly appreciated! Don’t miss this great event and a chance to be a part of an evening full of intrigue and mystery, and of course, great food!

Young Minds Great Start Montessori

Volume 1, Issue 1

February 27, 2007

 

Special points of interest:

J School Photographs

March 6th

J Closed for Good Friday on Friday, April 6th

J Open again for Easter Monday on Monday, April 9th

J 1920’s Murder Mystery Dinner Party—April 14th

Young Minds Great Start Montessori

32 Canal Street East,

P.O. Box 1457,

Tilbury, Ontario

N0P 2L0

Phone:519-682-4448

Fax: 519-682-0050

E-mail: info@youngmindsgreatstart.com

 

Where a Love of Learning Begins

Placement for St. Clair College Co-op Student Megan Cooke during March

 

Megan Cooke, a resident of Belle River is joining us until mid-March for a Co-op placement through St. Clair College in Chatham. Megan is a first year Early Childhood Education student and is helping in  Mrs. McCracken’s preschool room. Miss Megan will also be helping out the other teachers when needed. Miss Megan is implementing some creative activities, gross motor skills as well as circle time. Please welcome Miss Megan to our school!

Emily Olsen is our new Call In Staff

 

In addition to Lisa Russell and Dayna Mullen, we have the pleasure of adding Emily Olsen to our school family.

Miss Olsen is a long-time resident of Tilbury who is currently completing some college classes and taking call-in shifts for the teachers here when she is needed.

Emily comes from a large family of 7 siblings and has a lot of experience with babies and children!

Be sure to welcome Miss Olsen to our school when you see her here!

School Photographs Tuesday, March 6th!

Ashworth Group is coming into the school on Tuesday, March the 6th at 9:30 am to take a school group photo with all of the staff and students present. Mr. Ashworth will then continue on with individual photos and if you wish siblings to have photos together, please let your classroom teacher know.

If your child does not usually attend on Tuesday morning, please speak with your classroom teacher to make arrangements to drop your child off at 9:30 am sharp. Parents will then be asked to return to pick up their child(ren) at 10:15.  The staff would really appreciate it if parents could make arrangements for their child to attend, so that everyone will be in attendance!  Packages will be available to buy once the proofs have been returned to the school. There are many packages available for all budgets.

Now don’t forget to smile everyone and say cheese!

 

Working with families to make their child’s educational beginnings a rewarding and memorable experience is our goal.

Prompt drop off and pickup please!

 In order for the teachers to complete their preparation and planning for the day, please ensure that children are dropped off no earlier than 8:30 AM, or 12:30 PM if arriving in the afternoon. This allows the teachers to get ready for the day and ensure that all activities are prepared for your children. Prompt pickup in the afternoon is also appreciated by the teachers in order to allow them to tidy up their class and get it prepared for the next day! Ratios of children to teachers must also always be followed, so dropping off and picking up promptly allows us to follow these guidelines. Your understanding in this matter is greatly appreciated! 

Young Minds Great Start Montessori is a Non-Profit Organization that was dreamed up by Jessica Beselaere McCracken, in early 2006. Mrs. McCracken has her Honours B.A. in Sociology from the University of Guelph, her M.E.C.T.C. (Montessori Early Childhood Teaching Credential) from Oakland University in Michigan, and her Infant and Toddler Montessori Certificate from the North American Montessori Centre. With the help of her supportive family and friends, the dream became a reality with the discovery of a quaint old house on Canal Street in March 2006. Renovations began to convert this wonderful old house into the beautiful school that it is today! Being a non-profit corporation allows the School to benefit from any assistance available from the Municipality, as well as gain subsidized spaces for those parents requesting assistance. We are also able to accept CAW “Big Three” Auto Plans, which allows GM, Chrysler and Ford employee’s children a chance to benefit from our programs.

Bathtub and Carseat Safety are growing concerns for Ontario’s Children!

 Many accidents in Ontario could be prevented if parents go the extra mile to ensure the safety of their children in the bathtub and in the car. These are two places where most childhood accidents occur, that could be prevented with the following tips.

 

Bathtub Safety:

1. Never leave your child alone, or under the supervision of another child, even for 30 seconds, to answer the phone, the door, or check on dinner. Children under 3 can drown in a short amount of time in as little as 2 inches of water!

MakMake sure that when you are bathing your child you devote your full attention to them!

2. Set your hot water tank at 49 degrees Celcius or 120 degrees F. to prevent scalding children. Teach your children not to touch the taps or the spout.

 

Car Safety:

1. All children under the age of one need to travel in a rear-facing infant seat that are up to CSA standards at all times in a vehicle.

2. Never install car seats in the front seat of a car, or near an airbag. Install the car seat using the Universal Anchorage System which is mandatory in all vehicles.

3. Children need to be in a car seat until they reach the weight of 40 pounds, when they can then move to a booster seat until they are 80 pounds.

4. Never leave children unattended in a vehicle, even to run a quick errand.

5. Remember that it is the law for children under 12 to remain in the back seat and for children to be in car seats!

Remembering these few tips will ensure the safety of your child!

 

Winter Weather—Outside play still occurs—Dress accordingly

 

Even though spring is nearly upon us, please ensure that you still dress your children accordingly when sending them to school. Children play outside for up to 2 hours per day and require snow pants, mittens, boots and hats for every trip outside. Please do not send your children with scarves, as they are not permitted in childcare centres due to choking hazards!

Please send an extra pair of mittens if you do not have the vinyl type that do not get wet.

It is a great idea to send a backpack with your child in order for the teachers to send home any artwork, correspondence from the school and wet or dirty clothes.

Thank you for helping your child get the most out of their outdoor experiences!

 

Independent Dressing

 

As part of the Montessori curriculum, and aiding your child in becoming independent and ready for public school, the Toddler and Preschool children are practicing dressing and undressing themselves for outdoor play. To encourage these wonderful independent dressing skills, the teachers are asking parents to please support your child in their dressing at home.

Children ages 2 and up should be able to put their boots on by themselves by stepping into them and holding onto the wall. They should also be able to take them off by sitting down and using two hands to pull them off.

Children should also be able to put snowpants and coats on themselves by age 3. Please help your child gain independence and self-confidence by allowing a few extra minutes before leaving the house to get ready on their own. Their sense of accomplishment and pride will surely put a smile on your face!