Newsletter

Newsletter October 2008

September Calendar

Helping Children Develop Self-Discipline

 

                 Children’s misbehavior can be frustrating and disturbing to adults, but we can also see it as an opportunity to teach, a chance to model self-discipline and character. Emotional development, like other learning, takes time and learning opportunities. And children, being the excellent imitators they are, will follow our example – for better or worse.

                 If we yell at children, they will yell; if we hit them, they will hit. Or they will become the perpetual victims of others’ aggression. We get better results when we discipline calmly and teach our children to express their feelings in acceptable ways. When teachers share, children share; when parents are courteous, children are more cooperative.

                 Here are a few things we do in the classroom; they also work for parents.

                 Be clear and consistent. Set and discuss rules and consequences.

Rules should be clear, simple, and few. Some adults have only one basic rule: You may not hurt yourself, others, or things.  For example, to stop a child from hitting another child, kneel and calmly state, “You may not hit Ben. People are not for hitting.” Then add, “I know you are angry. Can you tell me why?...OK, how can you let Ben know that you are want to use the blue crayon?”

                 Offer choices. “Do you want to brush after we read a story?”

                                  “Would you like milk or juice with your snack?”

                 Ignore certain behavior, like cursing of stomping, if it is not harmful.

A child will quickly learn that he will gain nothing by acting up. On the other hand, he will learn that good behavior gets results and a favorable reaction from grown-ups.

                 No matter what we adults do, there are times when children lose control. Aggressive acts may call for removing the child from the action in a brief time-out. However, a time-out period may backfire if used in the spirit of punishment (“Go to your room right now!”). The point is to give the child a few minutes to cool down. Those minutes come in handy, too, for helping a frustrated parent or teacher cool down – and think of what to do next!

 

Family Friendly Communication for Early Childhood Programs

National Education for the Education of Young Children

Deborah Diffily and Kathy Morrison, editors; 1996; pg 93

From the Director

 

It’s hard to believe that we have already completed our first month of school! The children have adapted so well to the schedule and have begun forming friendships with their classmates and teachers.

 

October will bring many fun activities: Riding Toy Days will come during our Transportation unit, Father’s Night will be during Pets and Families, and during our Health and Nutrition unit we will have our ELC Olympics. Watch for notes home in the backpack, check the website, and read the emails so that you are up-to-date on all of our activities.

 

Please remember we encourage you to communicate with us through the Prayer Concerns, Compliments, and Suggestion Box located on the bookshelf outside of the ELC office. We have prayed for several families already this year. We ask that you might pray for a full enrollment at our school. We have seen a decline in enrollment the last several years which is reflected in our current financial situation.

While we are still well in the black, our “cushion” has gotten much thinner. We have just experienced our first teacher lay-off in the 11 years that I have been here. Our Tuesday/Thursday two-year-old classes did not fill as they always have and the ELC Committee made the tough decision to combine the two classes and let Miss Tommie go. Two other Richardson preschools closed this summer and another cut 5 classes between last year and this year. We have just a few openings left: 1 Monday and 1 Wednesday Toddler spot and 3 MWF four-year-old spots. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please encourage them to call the ELC office at 972-235-8233 or direct them to our website at www.my-elc.com.

 

Attached to this newsletter you will begin to receive a newsletter from your child’s teacher. It will give you more specific information about events taking place in your child’s class. Please take a moment to read this information from the teacher.

 

Riding Toy Day

 

The ELC will be having Riding Toy Day on Thursday, October 2 and Friday, October 3. This event goes along with our Transportation Unit. The children are invited to bring their favorite riding toy and helmet from home (no battery operated vehicles please). We will block off part of the church parking lot so that cars may not enter. The children will have time outside to ride their very own form of transportation. If you signed up to help on the volunteer form, you may receive a call to help with this event (we only need a couple of parents on these two days).  Miss Laura’s 5-day class will participate both days.