ANNE SULLIVAN

 SCHOOL

NEWS

 

 

June, 2010   

Notices

 

Last Day of School:  The last day of school will be Friday, June 18, 2010.  A statement will be sent at the first of the month for these three weeks.

 

 Summer Session:  The summer session will start Tuesday, June 22, 2010.  The children will transition to their new classrooms during the summer session.  If your child is transitioning to the kindergarten, no bedding is necessary as the children do not nap in that classroom.   The last day of the summer session is August 6, 2010.

 

School Closed Monday, June 21, 2010:  The school will be closed Monday, June 21, 2010, for transition so the teachers can prepare for their new students. 

 

Tuition Reminder:  The tuition raise will go into effect for the summer program, June 22, 2010:

Summer Break: The school will be closed August 9-13, 2010, for summer break.  No tuition will be charged for this week. The first day of the Fall Session is Monday, August 16, 2010.

 

Independence Day, School Closing:  The school will be closed Monday, July 5, 2010, for Independence Day. 

 

The Outdoor Classroom

        According to many child development specialists, such a Lev Vigotsky, at 4 or 5, a child s ability to play creatively with other children is a better indicator of his/her future academic success than any other indicator, including vocabulary, counting skills, or knowledge of the alphabet.  In addition, these specialists contend that dramatic play is the training ground where children learn to regulate themselves, to conquer their own unruly minds and to develop important habits of self-control.  No wonder Finnish formal schooling begins at the age of seven and up until then, early childhood experiences are play-based. By the age of twelve, however, Finnish children outperform children in all other industrialized countries in reading, math and science skills. 

        With the advantages of play in mind, as well as the child s growth and development, Anne Sullivan Summer Program provides ample opportunities for learning. The Outdoor Classroom, in the beautiful, shaded play yard and grounds has gardens, sand play areas, water tables, pipes and troughs, dramatic play areas, climbing structures, art easels, and movable equipment such as crates, tires, wheel toys, logs, and different kinds of blocks, so that the children play creatively contributing to their future academic success.

 

News from the Classrooms

 

Sunshiners Blossoming

 

          Recent research has demonstrated that high quality child care has long lasting positive effects on the children who receive it.  When they reached high school, children who attended preschool scored higher on tests for cognitive and academic achievement than peers who didn t attend child care.  In other words, the good start those children received in preschool stayed with them along their lives.

          The Sunshiners are about to finish a year of growth and learning.  They feel confident and proud of their mastery.  Many of them have formed closed friendships.  They are growing in independence due in part to an increased vocabulary and the ability to verbally relate with adults and peers.  What s more, they are evolving social beings who love to come to school and be with friends. What a great introduction to school these children have experienced.  The advantage of participating in a social, enriched and stimulating environment pays off even years later when these children are compared with children who did not have these opportunities. The preschool experience is a time of great growth and opportunity, and we hope these children continue to have this advantage all along their school years and beyond.

                                                                                            Ms. Gladys 

     

 

Expanding Our World-Learning from Others in the Kindergarten

 

            The Kindergarten class had a very special visitor, Ms. Frida.  Ms Frida has been blind since birth. Even though she can t see with her eyes, she can read.  She reads Braille with her fingers which she demonstrated by reading us a story.  The children listened and watched intently as the story unfolded and her fingers glided along the page.  Next, she wrote each child s name in Braille by punching dots in a card.  Without eyesight she was able to read and write!

          Ms. Frida s enthusiasm and joy at sharing with the children was contagious.  Everyone wanted to know more.  Ms. Frida took out her cane and extended it.  She then demonstrated how it helps her when she walks not to run into anything.  She told us how, by using her cane, she can walk to the supermarket by herself.  Later in the yard the children tried walking with their eyes closed and using a stick to guide them.  The final touch was when Ms. Frida showed some of the modern technology which she uses.  Each of the children got a chance to use her color-detector device.  This instrument told the child the color of a piece of clothing.  She also showed us her Braille watch that allows her to tell time. Hearing, watching and talking with Ms. Frida opened a wonderful new area of understanding for all the students and the teachers as well.  Thank you Ms. Frida!

                                                                                      Ms. Mary

 

                                                                            

Cooperation in the Rainbow Room

 

          This year the Rainbows helped prepare for the Open House. It was exciting to see how much the children learned when they were involved in the whole process.  One of the projects was a life size cut-out figure of each child.  The children laid on a large piece of paper while the teachers traced around their bodies and cut it out.  Then the children took over.  Each child drew a face on the cut-out of their body and then colored it to suit their fancy.  Once the figures were dressed the children selected some of the works they have done over the year and pasted them however and wherever they wanted. There was a lot of cutting, but they were very happy to help.

          The most important thing about all this work was the children s response. The day of the Open House they were very happy to show their work to their families. They were able to go through the room showing and describing everything. The children really knew what they were talking about because they had participated in the process. 

          When children are encouraged, their self esteem grows, and they develop as human beings more secure and more knowledgeable of their strengths. When children are free to create, they develop their mental skills, they learn planning skills and problem solving, their thought process and imagination develops.  They learn to make choices, and their vocabulary grows. Children also learn to share materials and ideas, they can assist each other and their social skills develop.

          It was incredible to see them working with so much detail. They were very concentrated on what they were doing. Because the cut-out figures were life-size, there was not enough room on the floor for everybody to work at the same time.  They solved the problem by working in small groups and taking turns with the floor space.  Maya decorated her whole figure with markers and when she was asked to paste her works on she expressed her concern, But the dress is going to be covered and it is very pretty. The solution was to put very little glue on one edge of the work so she could take them off later to show the pretty dress.

                                                                             Ms. Berta

  

 

This school is open to all children regardless of race, creed, ethnic background, gender, or disability.  (State License #330901543)

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