Help Us Stay Safe at School
During the warm summer months, we spend lots of time on our large playground, especially at the beginning and end of our day. Help us keep all our children safe by alwayssigning your child in and out on the form on the clipboard for your child’s class. We do our best to be aware of where each child in our care is at any given moment – a tall order in the best of circumstances given the size of our playground. If a parent or other authorized adult picks up a child and does not alert a school staff member (especially when we have a substitute teacher on duty), or does not fill in the sign-in/sign-out form, it makes our job that much more difficult. Please help us avoid having to go through “missing child panic” by following this important policy. Our staff members will be watching parents (and the children, of course), and issuing reminders.
Also for safety reasons, you and your child need to be especially punctual on off-campus field trip days. We cannot allow parents to drop off or pick up their children at off-campus field trip sites! Please consult your activity calendar and plan ahead so you can get your child to school in plenty of time.
Becoming a Love and Logic Parent
Tired of nagging and begging to get your kids to do as you've asked? Wish you had some tools to help you avoid losing your cool when your children make poor choices? You can guide your children to become responsible for their lives and put the joy back in parenting with “Love & Logic” principles, developed by the Cline/Fay Institute. We highly recommend this approach.
Shawnee Mission Medical Center / Shawnee Mission Healthhas Love & Logic classes scheduled for this coming fall (Saturday, September 13 or Saturday, November 1, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm). Cost is $65 per couple. Visit for more information and sign up early.
August Tuition is Prorated
Since we will be closed August 4-8 to prepare for the 2014-2015 school year, tuition for August will be prorated based on your child’s planned attendance (August 1 only or August 1 and 11-29). Barbara will get information about this to each of you soon. We start the new school year on Monday, August 11, and new tuition rates for the new school year go into effect then.
REMINDER: If you are in the Shawnee Mission School District and your child is starting kindergarten in one of its schools, kindergarten conferences are scheduled for August 12 & 13 and the first day for kindergarten classes is August 14. If you need child care for August 11-13 (or any other days that we are open but the public schools are closed this year), contact Barbara. If we have room, we’d be happy to have your child spend the day with us for $45 per day.
Registration for the New School Year
If you have not yet enrolled your child for the 2014-2015 school year, please do so now. We are still accepting new enrollments. If fact, if you will help us spread the word about our fabulous little school, we’ll help you in the form of a tuition discount. If a family you refer enrolls their child, once that new child has attended for three months, your reward is a $100 tuition discount if your child attends 4-5 days per week, or a $50 tuition discount if your child attends 2-3 days per week. In addition, the family that you refer is eligible for a 50% discount on their first annual registration fee. Feel free to copy and distribute the coupon below to your friends, neighbors and co-workers.
Classroom Happenings
From Deja and Anna in Classroom #2:
We have had a wonderful start to our summer camp. We are enjoying being outside and exploring nature. We would like to thank all of the dads, grandpas, and father fill-ins who came to our “Doughnuts with Dad” event to celebrate Father’s Day.
In July, our camp theme will be art. We will learn about lines, shapes, color, forms, and textures, as well as the role of an artist and how to look at art.
Please remember to bring your child’s water bottle every day, apply sunscreen and insect repellant before you leave your house for school, and on our water play days, please bring swim shoes/water shoes.
From Tammy in Classroom #4:
Our summer program has had a terrific start (well, except for all of the rain that kept us from enjoying water play earlier in June). We had a great turnout for “Doughnuts with Dad” right before Father’s Day. Thanks for coming and having breakfast with your children. Thanks, too, to all of the parents who have helped us out on the field trips we’ve had so far. We could not do this without you!
A few quick reminders:
Continue to apply bug repellant and sunscreen in the morning before coming to school; we’ll reapply later in the day
Send a labeled and filled water bottle with your child daily
Please let me know when your child will be gone on vacation as far in advance as possible – this helps me with planning for the days & weeks ahead
From Emilie and Anna K in Classroom #5:
We are enjoying our summer activities as well as each other in classroom 5. We have had fun with in-house guests, including Lulu Bell the Clown and Stretch-N-Grow, and our Happy Feet soccer lessons, Dancin’ with Deja sessions, and art classes. Our annual doughnut and coffee event in honor of Father’s Day was a success (thanks for coming, dads). We’ve also enjoyed our walking field trips to the Matt Ross Community Center, Overland Park Farmers’ Market, and Papa Keno’s. We are learning about animals around the world during classroom time.
Our class has water fun days on Thursdays(weather permitting). Have your child wear a swimsuit under their clothes on water play days, and bring water shoes, a towel, and underwear. The children will change into dry clothes and regular athletic shoes after water play.
The mosquitoes are out and biting, so please continue to apply insect repellent (and sunscreen) before coming to school.
Send a filled (and labeled) water bottle with your child each morning. The children get thirsty when they’re playing outside, we are not able to accompany children in and out of the classroom each time one wants a drink and still maintain proper supervision of the playground. The water bottle needs to go home with your child daily to be cleaned.
Please continue to check your child’s storage box and make sure it contains a complete change of clothing appropriate for the current season. Please label each clothing article.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to our supply of summer items, and to our volunteer helpers.
Farewell, Friends
Late July/early August is always a bittersweet time for us, as some of our friends head to kindergarten or first grade. We know they’re going to do well in “big” school and make lots of new friends. The older children who returned this summer will be missed, too. Although we’ll be sad for a while, we are so proud and happy to see them go off ready and eager to learn in elementary school. We’ll be getting to know lots of newfriends with the start of the new school year, and hope all our alumnae come back to visit us.
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / FridayJuly 1
Pasta with Tomato/Veggie Sauce
Peas
Pears
Milk / 2
Chef’s Salad (with turkey, eggs, beans, cheese & croutons)
Fresh Melon
Milk / 3
Sloppy Joe with Veggies (on wheat bun)
Fresh Veggies
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
Milk / 4 No school today
7
Chicken Patty Sandwich
Cherry Tomatoes & Jicama
Orange Slices
Milk / 8
Chef’s Salad (with meat, eggs, beans, cheese & croutons)
Fruit Cocktail
Milk / 9
Asian Noodle Salad with Vegetables
Carrots
Bananas & Mandarin Oranges
Milk / 10
Breakfast for Lunch:
Scrambled Eggs with Spinach & Cheese
Cereal
Fresh Melon
Milk / 11
Turkey & Cream Cheese Roll-Ups
Fresh Veggies
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
Milk
14
Pasta & Tomato/Veg Sauce
Spinach Garlic Bread
Peas
Mandarin Oranges & Pineapple
Milk / 15
Quesadillas with Spinach & Beans
Salsa
Carrots & Peppers
Bananas
Milk / 16
Turkey, Cheese & Spinach Sandwich on Wheat
Carrots & Cucumbers
Grapes
Milk / 17
Bean Salad with Quinoa
Garlic Bread
Pears
Milk / 18
Pasta Salad with Veggies & Greek Yogurt Dressing
Crackers
Corn
Orange Slices
Milk
21
White Chili (with chicken)
Tortilla Chips
Carrots & Corn
Apple Slices
Milk / 22
Cheese Tortellini Salad with Veggies
Garlic Bread
Applesauce
Milk / 23
“Baked” Potatoes
Cheese & Sour Cream
Steamed Broccoli
Peaches
Milk / 24
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Hummus
Fresh Veggies
Fresh Melon
Milk / 25
Taco Salad (with ground turkey, beans, cheese & veggies)
Corn
Mandarin Oranges & Pineapple
Milk
28
Breakfast for Lunch:
Pumpkin Pancakes
Cereal
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
Milk / 29
Hot Dog on a Wheat Bun
Fresh Veggies
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
Milk / 30
Toasted Cheese Sandwich with Spinach
Broccoli & Carrots
Fresh Melon
Milk / 31
Fish Sticks
Fresh Veggies
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
Milk / Aug 1
Pizza
Carrots
Fresh Melon
Milk