Happiness

I did some traveling over the holidays.  One of the stops was Tulsa, OK.  I came across an article in Tulsa Kids Magazine that I wish I had written myself!  It is called Raising Children who Practice Happiness, by Cindy Webb. It is based on a book by Dr. Christine Carter, titled Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents.  Dr. Carter is a sociologist specializing in research on happiness at Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.  In a world where immediate gratification has become the norm, the premise behind “raising happiness” is quite refreshing.  Today it seems happiness is supposed to be the result of success and achievement.  The reality is, success and achievement are the results of happiness.  As a parent and an educator, I will strive to follow her advice and the guidelines she puts forth in her book.  I hope that you will read the article, and at least visit Dr. Carter’s website.  These ideas have long been my vision for my own children.  I only wish I could have articulated them they way these authors did. 

Best,
Melanie

Article by Cindy Webb

http://www.tulsakids.com/December-2011/Raising-Children-Who-Practice-Happiness/

Dr. Christine Carter’s website

http://www.raisinghappiness.com/

After the Traveling

Many of you did some traveling over the holiday break.  I wanted to take a moment to talk about what you might do after the traveling to help solidify the memoires and experience for your children.

I often hear parents say, ”They won’t remember the trip.”  Or, “They are too young to get anything out of it.”  Many parents use these as reasons NOT to travel with children.   There is great value in a young child experiencing anything.  Absolutely everything can be a teaching moment.  And more experiences – especially more diverse experiences – have an immense impact on shaping a child’s development.   And whether or not they remember the trip, well, that depends on you.  Photographs and histories are critical in creating a child’s past.  Renowned child psychologist Dr. Kenneth Condrell worked with Nancy O’Dell on a book about just this.  O’Dell’s book, Full of Love  “…explores the power of the family photo album to create confident, secure, happy kids. “  O’Dell is a self-admitted scrapbooker, and she has partnered with scrapbooking company Creative Memories to create her own line of products.  However, recording the events of a trip or special event doesn’t have to be a daunting experience!  You don’t even have tp take on a whole scrapbook.  Here’s my take on the simple – only three simple steps.  Of course, you could make this as elaborate as you like, but it’s still only three steps!

1. Take a few of the favorite photos from the trip, and place them on a sheet of paper.

2.  Have your child tell you their memories of the trip.  They can be based on the pictures or not. And you can write each family member’s version as well if you like.

3.  Take it to be laminated, put it in an album or scrapbook, or even frame it if you like.

After that, all you need to do is talk about it as often as possible.  The event will absolutely be remembered and they will definitely get something out of it!  Here’s one of ours.  The kids talk about it and make the connections to other events in their lives as well.  As many of you will likely be doing some traveling over the coming months, perhaps you can start a new tradition with your child and help them to create and remember their own histories.

Check out the links for Dr. Condrell, Nany O’Dell’s book Full of Love,  and Creative Moments.

Best,

Melanie

http://www.drcondrell.com/index.php

http://www.nancyodell.com/full-of-love-book.asp

http://www.creativememories.com/

Happy Thanksgiving from The Preschool at St. Victor

We had a Thanksgiving feast here at The Preschool at St. Victor.  The parents contributed dishes we normally associate with the holiday – and then some. 

The rule was, the children had to at least taste everything!

And you know what? They did!  Of course pie and cupcakes for desert was surely an incentive.

And after lunch?  Well… it was the Thanksgiving coma, of course!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Melanie, Jessica, Julie and Stephanie

And a Happy Halloween it was.

We had our First Annual Halloween party The Preschool at St. Victor.

The children had fun dressing up in their costumes, decorating cookies and pumpkins, and just generally goofing around.  The parents participated and had a chance to mingle and eat while spending time together, as well as with the children and teachers.

A special thank you to Peter Schafer of Peter Schafer Photography for the amazing photo (www.peterschafer.com) and to Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch for the hay (www.mrbonespumpkinpatch.com).   Finally, thank you to all the parents for helping make this first party a success!

Best,
Melanie

We Love Tuesdays!

Tuesday mornings are always fun.  It’s Karate day with Master Bryant.  I call him the Child Whisperer – the kids are totally enthralled.  Everyone gets so much out of it, and he is so good about incorporating important life lessons into all his classes.  Here are a few pictures from this morning’s class.  And you can check out Master Bryant’s website at http://www.bbactionacademy.com/Action_Academy_Alpha/Bryant.html

October 5, 2011 – One Month Down!

Wow.  It has been a heck of a month.  I want to thank all the parents who took a chance on a brand new school.  I feel like our first month went very well!  It is so nice to see all of the new friendships forming among the children.  And it’s been so great to get to know all of them and come to understand their individual personalities.  We certainly have a wonderful group.  As a whole, this cohort is on the younger side.  Every morning during drop off time it is free-play.  One of the stations we have set up is the coloring station.

Aubrey’s Rainbow

One of the ways you can track your child’s progress is by keeping all of those little drawings you find in their cubby.  Taken individually, they seem like scribbles on scraps of paper.  But if you save them, taken all together over time you will see amazing progress in your child’s ability to draw shapes and pictures as they learn to better hold and control the crayons.

Best,

Melanie

The Journey toward September

As we approach the end of July and head into August, many of you are still making your decsisions about preschool.  You may be new to this epxerience – preparing to send your child(ren) off to school for the first time.  The process can be quite a journey.  Check out First 5 California.  It is one of many great resources for parents.  This particular link can be helpful in understanding the goals of a good preschool.

http://www.ccfc.ca.gov/Help/pptp.asp

At The Preschool at St. Victor, we will be embarking on our own journey.  The children enrolled for Fall will be our inaugural class.  As we make our way through August toward September, we are creating a program that will indeed “…help give children the best possible start in school and in life – both academically and socially.”

We have met many wonderful families this summer.  Moreover, we have a great group of children already enrolled in both our 2-year old transitional program and the PreK curriculum for 3 and 4 year-olds.  Please contact us if you have any questions.  We would love to help you finalize your plans for Fall and get your child(ren) enrolled at The Preschool at St. Victor.  We will resume appointments and tours beginning Tuesday, August 16th – email or call to reserve a time for your family to come in.

Best,
Melanie

Transitional Program for 2-Year Olds

What a great week.  I have met so many wonderful families.  This year is sure to be a fantastic first year for the Preschool at St. Victor!  There has been much interest in the enrollment of 2-year olds into our program.  After talking with parents last week, we have decided we will offer a Transitional Program for 2-year olds.  It is a half-day, morning program that will run 5 days a week.  Parents may drop off between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and pick up at 12:00 noon.  The children will have some interaction with the older groups, as the intent is to transition.  The children must turn 2-years before they can start.  If you have any questions, please contact us.  We are very excited for school to start in the Fall!

Best,

Melanie

We’d Love to Meet You!

The Preschool at St. Victor will be open July 5-15 for families to come in, meet the director and check out the school.  Call or email to schedule an appointment.  We’re available from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Applications for fall, as well as other paperwork, will be available to parents who wish to enroll their child(ren) for the Fall.  School starts Tuesday, September 6th.  We are excited about the upcoming school year, and our very first class of students at the Preschool at St. Victor!

Best,
Melanie

Accepting Applications for Fall!

Are you interested in enrolling your child with us this fall?  Send us an email, and we will make sure you get our application right away!  Mail your application to us, with your $250.00 application fee. Once we have received your application, we will send you the packet of forms you will need to complete in order for your child to attend The Preschool at St. Victor.  Included in the packet are the Parent Handbook, the calendar for the school year, and a copy of the enrollment contract you will sign.  The Director will also be available to meet with parents and prospective families in July (5th to 15th).   Call or email to schedule and appointment.  We are very excited about the upcoming year!  We look forward to having your child with us!

Best,

Melanie