Dear Families,

October was a very exciting month and we enjoyed all of the goings-on across our building!

Thank you to everyone for supporting our center this month between attending the field trip,

our fall open house and our fundraiser at The Field. It was so nice to see all the families

together!

We celebrated Halloween with visiting our local neighbors for some fun trick or treating. We

are always so grateful for these opportunities to expand our students’ learning with community

collaborations! We welcome suggestions for other ways to get involved with our community, so

if you have ideas for field trips, special visitors or other events please let me know!

In November we have more adventures up our sleeve, including our annual Family Feast

event on November 22. Please bring a dish to share and join us at 11:00 to dine with our chil-

dren, staff and families. We hope to see you there!

I would like to thank all of the staff for successful renewal of our STAR 4 award through the Key-

stone STARS program. The dedication and quality of care that each teacher

brings to our center allows us to provide a positive and nurturing early learn-

ing environment for every child. If you ever have questions about the STARS

program, we would be happy to share more information with you!

Just a reminder we are closed on November 11 ~ Miss Jess

November 2019

Early Learning, Vocab, and Parent Pages 2 Calendar and United Way Info 6

Family Appreciation, Volunteer Opportunities,

Fundraisers and Events

3 Menus and Health Information 7,8

Giraffe Giggler, Hippo Happening, and Lion Cub

Ledger

4 Billing, Staffing, and Staff Recognition 9

Elephant Express, Zippy Zebra News, Panda 5

Giraffe:

6.1 I.D Demonstrate preference for specific objects & people

AL. 3 I.A/B Respond to music, art, and stories

Hippo:

16.2 YT .B Engage in activities that reflect home culture (jobs, dramatic play activities)

3.1 YT .A.5 Participate in simple body games (Head, Shoul-ders, Knees, and Toes, and Scarecrow-Scarecrow)

Lion Cub:

AL.4OT.A I can notice similarities and differences between settings

9.1.D OT.B I can explore real or make-believe scenarios through dramatic play

Elephant:

1.1 PK.A Practice appropriate book handling skills.

5.2 PK.B Identify a problem and discuss possible solu-tions with adult assistance.

Zebra:

16.2 PK.B Identify similarities and differences between self and others-families and multi-cultural materials.

3.1 PK.A.3 Recognize that plants and animals grow and change.

Thanksgiving

Turkey

Family

Thankful

Traditions

Pumpkin Pie

Gobble

Early Learning Standards

Pecan Pie

Grateful

Sharing

Giving

Pilgrim

Harvest

Thanksgiving Day!

When I lived in Arizona a family I knew

ordered pizza and went on a family hike

for Thanksgiving. Neither parent liked to

cook and the whole family loved to hike.

It was their perfect Thanksgiving. Making

the perfect Thanksgiving for your family

does not mean that you must roast a tur-

key, make the green bean casserole and

serve cranberry sauce. Thanksgiving

should be about gratitude for the bounty

of gifts in our lives. If we are too busy

rushing around to sit down with our chil-

dren and share that sense of gratitude,

then we have missed the point of the

holiday. Sitting with our children and

sharing a family meal has documentable

benefits for your children. A child can

help to set the table. Start with napkins

(paper are fine), then silverware and next

the plates. If you have a small pitcher, a

young child can even help to fill water

cups if the work is at their level. Then

sitting down, talking to each other and

using utensils are important parts of any

meal. So, whether you are sharing pizza

or turkey this year, may your Thanksgiv-

ing Day be filled with love, gratitude and

lots of pie!

• Thank You Zorger family for taking Jelly Bean home!

• Thank You Greenert family for the donation of hair ties!

• Thank You Nolan for the donation of raisins!

• Thank You Raffetto and Hoover family for the special treats of

baby cakes!

• Thank You Wineland family for the donation of dry erase mark-

ers and hand sanitizer!

• Thank You Wyble family for the donation of dry erase markers!

• Thank you Randolph family for the donation of dry erase mark-

ers and sharpies!

• Thank you Edwards family for the donation of boogie wipes!

Wednesday, November 13th 5-6pm is our first Parent Share/Training on behaviors. Please let us know by Nov.

8th if you will be joining us and if your child will be here and need care.

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held this month. There was a link sent via email, or contact your child’s

teacher if you need to schedule a time that is not available online.

Join us for our Family Feast on Friday, November 22nd at 11am! Bring a dish to pass and join your child and

our staff for a holiday feast!

Start collecting your change — Millions of Pennies kicks off the week of Thanksgiving! Easterseals will have a

truck in the Nittany Mall where you can stop by and throw change in, or each classroom will

also have containers to see who raises the most pennies! If you would like a container for your

work, please let the front office know.

12 Days of Christmas Raffle will be starting soon! Tickets are $10.00 and prizes will be drawn

each day from December 9—20. Miss Lissa will have more information when she returns!

• Hippos are looking for boogie wipes and color wonder

coloring books

• Lion Cubs are looking for chalk, playdoh, tissues, and

mittens/hats

• Elephants are looking for hats/gloves and tissues

• Zebras are looking for tissues and playdoh

• Pandas are looking for tissues and hats/gloves

The Giraffe Giggler

Lion Cub Ledger

Hippo Happenings

Happy November! We are excited to learn about our families, traditions, and Thanksgiving this month. This month the Lion Cubs are going to take time to learn about all of our families and see what our families have in common and what is different between them. We will also

take the time to learn about the traditions peoples families have at Thanksgiving time. We will then also learn about being thankful and see what things make the Lion Cubs thankful. We

are also excited to tie these things altogether with Thanksgiving! Please join us on November 22nd for our annual Family Feast. We invite you to join your child for lunch that day.

November has the hippo class enjoying family, traditions and giving to others as we head into the Thanksgiving season! We’ll be focusing on simple puzzles, shape sorters and continued fingerplays as we work on fine motor skills. The class will also work on two special “giving” projects this month! Please join us November 22 as we have our center wide family feast!! As always, join us any-

time!

Miss Cheryl and Miss Carly W.

This month our little turkeys will be focusing on who is in our family and

identifying family members. We have a family tree displayed in our class-

room that we will refer to all month long. Turkeys and turkey sounds will also

be a hot topic for this month and we will be focusing on food during meal

times (for example pointing and identifying the food we are eating).

Elephant Express

Zippy Zebra News

This month we will be talking about sharing, giving, and family tradi-tions. In the classroom we will be talking about respect and contin-ue practicing using our words to express our feelings, wants and needs. We will be practicing a variety of social interactions inside the classroom, and during outside play as well as problem solving social situations. We will continue learning one letter a week, and work on spelling our names by recognizing letters. In the Elephant room we will be working on number and shape recognition as well.

Its November Panda families! This month in the Panda classroom we will be

learning all about giving thanks! The kids will be engaged in new activities to

get them thinking about the holidays. As the weather gets colder, please be

sure to send your child with jackets as we will be spending as much time out-

side as possible. We are excited for after-school fun!

Panda Parade

The Zebras are moving along with their letter/sound recognition, teen recognition and study of Fall. November has us learning more about the holidays, being

thankful and number quantity. We are looking forward to the Family Feast on No-vember 22nd. We hope that you can attend. Please send your children in wearing long pants, hats, gloves/mittens and winter coats. We go out if the Real Feel is 25 degrees or above. Gross motor play outside is so important for children, and we love to see them grow! November is the month for Parent Teacher conferences and we highly suggest that you sign up for one. Because this is the year before they attend Kindergarten, we would love to sit down and talk about our child's

progress as well as where we hope to be at the end of the school year.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11

CLOSED IN-SERVICE

DAY

12 13

5:00pm Parent Share/Training

14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 Family Feast

@11

23

24 25 26 27 NON-IU

CLOSED 28 HAPPY

THANKSGIVING

CLOSED 29

30

November 2019

PJ Fridays are a great way to end our week on a fun, comfy note for both staff and students.

But did you know they serve another purpose?? Our staff pay $1 each Friday that they wear

their PJs to work. This money gets donated to the Centre County United Way each year as part

of our employee giving campaign. Each year our staff raises several hundred dollars to give

back to the United Way, and a good chunk of that comes from our PJ Fridays fund. So the next

time you see our staff wearing their footed pajamas to work, thank them for supporting a great

cause!

Since we partner with the Food Bank and their inventory fluctuates, it varies what we have to provide for

meals. From now on we will be giving a list of foods that will be available for breakfast and snack instead of

specific menus.

BREAKFAST ITEMS INCLUDE:

• Granola Bars

• Cereal

• Fresh Fruit

• Applesauce

• Yogurt

• Muffins

• Toast

• Bagels

• Oatmeal

SNACK ITEMS INCLUDE:

Fresh Fruit

Veggie Chips

Crackers

Veggies

Cheese Sticks

Graham Crackers

Goldfish

Animal Crackers

Pretzels

Popcorn (Ages Over 2)

Pizza Bites

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 Pizza

Apple Slices Corn Milk

2

3 4 Pancakes

Sweet Corn Oranges

Milk

5 Goulash

Green Beans Pineapple Pieces

Milk

6 Mexican Taco Bake

Corn Peaches

Milk

7 Ham Pot Pie Applesauce

Milk

8 Pizza

Watermelon Green Beans

Milk

9

10 11

CLOSED

12 Pasta Alfredo

Sweet Corn Pineapple Pieces

Milk

13 Chicken Fries

Mixed Vegetables Applesauce

Milk

14 Sloppy Joes

Green Beans Peaches

Milk

15 Pizza

Mandarin Oranges Peas Milk

16

17 18 Grilled Cheese

Peas/Carrots Applesauce

Milk

19 Red Beans & Rice

with Chicken Pineapple Pieces

Milk

20 Fish Sticks

Mixed Vegetables Fruit Cocktail

Milk

21 Pizza Casserole

Sweet Corn Peaches

Milk

22 Pizza Pears

Mixed Vegetables Milk

23

24 25 Spaghetti w/ meat

sauce Sweet Corn

Fruit Cocktail Milk

26 Scalloped Potatoes

Cooked Carrots Applesauce

Milk

27 Chicken Noodle

Casseroles Peaches

Milk

28

CLOSED

29

CLOSED

30

Cinnamon Apple Chips

You can taste the season of fall in this delicious snack!

-Core and Slice 4 apples about 1/8” thick

-In a large bowl coat the apples with cinnamon (and sugar if wanted)

-Spread out apple slices on a baking sheet, place in the oven for 2-3 hours or

until chips are dry yet still soft. (Oven at 200 Degrees F)

As we continue to strive for healthy options for our kiddos, if you ever has suggestions for different

breakfast or snack items please let us know. Or if you ever wish to send in a healthy and nutritious

snack to share with our center we always support and encourage these!

• Thank you Miss Ryann and Miss Kassidy for jumping in

and helping the Elephants!

• Thank you Miss Jolissa for always being ready and willing

to help the babies!

• Thank you Miss Katie for jumping right in with all the

different classrooms!

• Thank you Miss Carolyn and Miss Ashley, for all your extra

help on In-Service Days for the Pandas!

• Thank you to all staff who joined families in dining at The

Field for our fundraiser!

The following staff will be off or at trainings during the month of November:

• Nov. 7: Miss Tina (Zebra) will be off

• Nov. 8: Miss Cheryl (Hippo) will be off

• Nov. 13: Miss Maryn (Giraffe) will be out at 12pm

• Nov. 14 & 15: Miss Carolyn (Zebra) will be off

• Nov. 15: Miss Jess (Office) will be off

• Nov. 25 : Miss Cheryl (Hippo) will be out early

• Nov. 27 : Miss Jess (Office) will be off