Welcome to Montessori in the Lemon Patch!
We are excited for the beginning of a new school year, for meeting new friends and greeting old ones, for the weather to cool down and the leaves to change colors, and for opportunities to learn new things in our new environment. We would like to welcome both children and parents to our classroom; we're so glad you're a part of the Pee Wee Patch family!
Your teachers are Miss Kristi, Miss Sarah and Miss Latasha. You can learn more about us in the "Teacher Bios" section up above.
We'd like to list some of the things that are important this fall. Since almost all of us are new to the center, this probably isn't all-inclusive, but will hopefully get us started. If you think of something we've missed, please share! You're probably thinking what lots of others are wondering about too!
Where are we? This can be a little tricky if you come to Pee Wee Patch for care in the mornings before class or if you stay after classes in the afternoons. Child care times will generally start and end upstairs in one the end classrooms, but we will be moving up and down depending on how many children are in attendance. In general, we should be down in the Lemon Patch by around 7:30 in the mornings, and we'll probably play downstairs in our classrooms in the afternoons until about 5:00. We are trying to come up with an easy-to-use system that will let you know up front where to find us. Stay tuned......
Snacks and Meals Breakfast, a morning snack, lunch and an afternoon snack are all included in your child's schedule here at PWP if she is here when the food is served.
~ Breakfast comes to the Lemon Patch (downstairs) between 7 and 7:30, and we clean up promptly at 8:30. We'd love for your child to join us for the most important meal of the day; please be respectful of the scheduled times.
~ Right now, we're planning to eat lunch right around noon. This time may change somewhat, depending on what all the upstairs classes are doing. We'll keep you informed
~ Snacks are served around 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
We have several children in our class with severe food allergies. Because of this, it is important that we remind you of the center's policy that no food be brought from home. Please don't be too worried that your "picky eater" will go hungry! Our menus are varied enough that each child should be able to find something to eat, and since we all sit together and serve "family style," everyone's welcome to more of a favorite food! We like to encourage "No, thank you" bites, so that children have the opportunity to experience new tastes. You might be surprised what your little one will eat at school!
Birthday treats and other celebratory snacks are welcome in our classroom; we just ask that you check with Miss Val, our food services director, before you send in any food. This is for the safety of everyone, please.
Rest and nap time All children who stay past 1:00 in the afternoon will take a nap or have a rest time. Everyone needs a crib-sized blanket with his name clearly labeled. We'll provide the sheets for our cots. Please let us know (before the first day of school) what your child needs at this time in the afternoon. Blankets can stay here and we'll send them home at the end of week to be washed and returned. Children who sleep may bring a small, cuddly toy for their cots; children who rest won't need anything to cuddle with, since we'll be reading and taking part in afternoon enrichment. This is an area where parents usually have lots of questions, so please be sure to ask us---we'll figure it out together!
Toys Bringing things from home can offer comfort to a child who's having trouble separating, but for the most part they create more problems than solutions. Sometimes it's easiest to remind your son or daughter that while he or she may bring something special into the building for a few minutes, it needs to go back out when you leave. Of course, if you could just leave the treasured item at home or in the car, that would be super!
Clothing Every child needs a complete change of clothes to keep here at school. Don't forget underwear and socks, and it's great to have a sweater or sweatshirt to throw on. Please label everything and check once in awhile to make sure things still fit and are seasonally appropriate. During the first few weeks of school we may be able to use the Splashpad!! Please make sure you send a bathing suit, towel, water shoes and sunscreen every day so your child doesn't miss the fun! And, keep in mind that we'll be going outside daily, and kids will soon need sweaters or jackets for chilly fall breezes.
Hooks and Cubbies Each child will have a coat hook and cubby, as well as a blanket bin and a mailbox. We'll have that all set up by the first day of school (I hope!).
Communication It's important to all of us at Pee Wee Patch that we communicate with our families and keep you informed of what's going on, both with your child and at the center. In our attempt to go "green," most of the information will come to you via email. Remember to check out the white board and the bulletin board outside our classroom door, and to read any papers your child brings home. You're welcome to give us a call: 248-814-1010 X 42 or 45 or send us an email: lemon@peeweepatch.com (not sure when this will be activated--please use the gmail address on the front page of this section until then). And, please be sure to let us know whenever you have observations, remarks, ideas, problems, worries, or compliments---we want to hear from you!
Themes Our classroom will have a weekly theme that we use as a launching pad for our teaching. We will provide you with a monthly calendar and a weekly lesson plan so you know what we're up to. Our Show & Tell bags will also coincide with the themes. A preliminary sketch of the lesson plans can be found here back up at the top.
Bathrooms Our classrooms have their own bathrooms, and we will be working on toileting independence. Please let us know if your child has any special needs in this area. Don't forget about keeping us stocked with extra clothes, please!
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