School Begins/Class Time Schedules I hope everyone is having a great summer, and also, that your child is looking forward to the beginning of a new school year. This year school begins on Wednesday, September 8, for the MWF children, and on Thursday, September 9, for the TuTh children. The times for the preschool sessions are 9:00 - 11:30 for the morning classes, and 12:30 - 3:00 for the afternoon preschool and pre-k classes. Please check your child's scheduled session, which is listed on the outside of your envelope, below and to the left of your address. Daycare is now a full year option, so your child may begin their full-day program on August 24, or after, unless prior arrangements have been made. Before and after-school care will be available on Tuesday, August 31, in order to coincide with school opening for the North Brookfield Public Schools. Please call, 508-867-9057, to confirm your daycare and after-school care starting dates. Classroom Orientation Evening We are excited about the coming year and are planning for our classroom orientation evening for our new preschool and full day families. (Returning families are also welcome to attend). Parents and children are invited to visit the school and to meet their teacher(s), Mrs. Nancy and myself, Mrs. Hubacz. In order to avoid overcrowding we have set the following schedule for our orientation evening. However, if you need to attend at an alternate scheduled time, please feel free to do so. Wednesday, September 1 – 6:30 P.M. MWF preschool and full day families 7:00 P.M. TuTh preschool and full day families We will hold a brief informational presentation during each session at 6:40 and again at 7:10. Traffic Pattern When you arrive at school please stay to the right of the flagpole as you drive around the driveway in order to keep the flow of traffic moving in the same direction. Also, please keep a careful watch for children since they don't always remember to look before running across the school parking lot and into the school building. For the safety of all the children, please remember to turn your vehicle's engine off whenever it is left unattended. First Day Request As an activity for families in preparation for the first day of school, we ask that you decorate a small poster, a 9" x 12" size is fine, with pictures of your family, and/or family pets. The posters will provide a visual connection with the child’s family while at school, especially during the first few days. If possible, laminate the posters so they will last throughout the entire year. We have an abundant supply of lamination paper and construction paper and will be happy to supply you with some for this project. Ask for some during our orientation night. Also, in order to assist with the children’s health needs, we ask that each family donate a box of tissues during the first month of school. Thank you. Recyclable Materials for the Curriculum Throughout the school year we will be collecting many recyclable materials for our activities. Please start saving a variety of items now. When collecting, consider the safety and cleanliness of all items. Also, it will save lots of time if items are presorted before being sent to school. Collecting recyclables can provide a valuable educational experience for the entire family, as well as provide many creative opportunities for our children throughout the school year. I am including a listing of possible items to collect, but you may have other great ideas as well! paper feathers beads buttons costume jewelry corks string ribbon yarn old keys old cards sponges spools bottle caps leather pieces bolts small brushes shells milk caps small mirrors paper onion bags plastics golf tees toilet paper tubes felt magnets stickers film canisters cardboard tubes foam flower pots shoe laces posterboard clothes pins plastic/aluminum trays berry baskets things that sparkle small wood pieces wicker baskets Snack Our program will schedule a time for morning and afternoon snack and Mad Brook will provide water as needed. We will continue our volunteer “Snack for the Day” program that allows parents to volunteer to provide a snack for the entire class. We will post a sign-up chart each month on the parent bulletin board. During your planning for snack, please keep in mind that candy, and/or, snacks that contain peanuts, or traces thereof, should be excluded in order to avoid difficulties with possible allergies. Some snack ideas are grapes, apples, or other fruit, cheese and crackers, celery, cucumbers, carrots, or other vegetable, cookies, crackers, jello, or pudding. In order to foster individual development, the children will be responsible to serve themselves, so please keep in mind that the snack should be “child ready-to-eat”, that is, vegetables, fruits, etc. should be cut into portions that are suitable for the children. More information will be available during our orientation evening. Birthday Celebrations Birthdays are celebrated at school on or near your child's birthday and will be noted in the appropriate monthly newsletter and calendar. We sometimes have a conflict and so, your child's birthday celebration may be scheduled on a day different from their actual birthday. If the selected day is not convenient for you, or if we miss a birthday, please let a teacher know so that we can make the necessary adjustments. To celebrate your child's birthday, we ask that you provide a special snack for all of the children in your child's class. Your child may help serve his/her special snack and will receive a birthday crown. Please exclude nuts from any special snacks since we do have children who may have allergic reactions to nuts. Completion of Forms If you have not already done so, please complete the Child’s Enrollment, First Aid and Emergency Medical Care Consent, Developmental History and Background Information and Emergency Card Information forms. You may mail the completed forms to Mad Brook, or bring them with you on your child's first day of school. Medical Immunization and Health forms for new children should be returned within one month of their first school day. These forms are valid for one year, so returning children may have one on file from last year. As long as the physical was performed less than a year ago, it is still valid and may be updated at the time of their next scheduled physical. You will be contacted when an updated health form is needed. Payment Options for Preschool Also, please note that for the ten-payment plan the first tuition payment for the year is due in August and then every month thereafter, with the last payment due in May. If you choose to make payments on the nine-payment plan, payments are due September through May. Make your check payable to “ Nature Walk, Class Photos and General Observation Permission I have also enclosed a permission form for nature walks, the taking of pictures and videos, and general observations at school. Pictures are sometimes taken during special events and are displayed at school or used for special art projects. Any extra photos of your child are sent home for you to enjoy. Please read and complete the permission form and return it to Mad Brook by the first day of school. General Information If your plans have changed and your child will not be attending Mad Brook Academy this fall, I would appreciate a phone call. There are people on a waiting list and they would like to hear from the school should an opening become available. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the school. I will be vacationing from August 6-22, and so, will not be available to answer phone calls. However, I will be available from August 23 until the start of school and will be happy to address any questions that you may have. Enjoy the rest of your summer!