Summer is here!!  With summer comes a change at UCD.  We do not run our normal school curriculum during the months of June and July.  Instead we have a much more relaxed curriculum with more outside time, field trips, splash days, art activities, and special events.  We will resume our normal school curriculum after testing in August.  

Schedules also change during the summer months.  Most of the teachers work 4 days per week with one day off.  This is also the time that our staff take time off for vacations, family activities, and other events.  This means that there may be substitutes in the classroom to cover teachers' day off.  
Management schedules also change.  Just a reminder of the chain of command to follow if you have an issue/question/concern and need the management to deal with it.  Cecelia Courter is the director, Rachel Johnson is the assistant director, and Alex Renyer is the head teacher in charge.  I have listed the management schedules below for parents to be aware of who is in charge during each day.  You can always contact the director at the email ucdpreschool@sbcglobal.net or (785) 220-5707.  The email and cell phone is checked throughout the day even on days away from the center.  

Cecelia Courter's summer schedule: 
             Monday and Wednesdays : hours vary 
             Tuesdays and Thursdays: 8 am - 5:30 pm
             Fridays OFF

Rachel Johnson's schedule: 
            Mondays: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm
            Tuesdays: 7:30 am - 12:30 pm
            Wednesdays: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm (infant room)
            Thursdays and Fridays  OFF

Alex Renyer's schedule:
            Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays:  7:30 am - 5:30 pm
            Tuesdays OFF

​Management staff have other duties besides covering the office.  If you can not find someone in the office, please ask a classroom teacher and one of us will be with you immediately.  Otherwise, you can contact the director at the contact information listed above.  

The Week of the Young Child is a week that is nationally recognized to highlight the importance of early childhood.  UCD has chosen to adopt the daily themes set by the National Association of the Education of Young Children and do "Take 5" activities based off each theme day.  Every classroom will have activities set up Monday - Friday during the week that are intended for you to stop and "Take 5" minutes with your child to focus on his/her development.  Below are the dates of Week of the Young Child and the themes that are set for each day.  We hope that each of our families builds five extra minutes into your day to focus on your child.  Put down the cell phones, drop the stress at the door, and just take a moment to enjoy the magic of childhood!  Thank you in advance for helping us make the week's activities a success.  Thank you for all that you do each day to work with UCD teachers to help your child achieve their potential and have some fun along the way!

Monday, April 24th: Music Monday
Tuesday, April 25th: Tasty Tuesday
Wednesday, April 26th: Work Together Wednesday
Thursday, April 27th: Artsy Thursday
​Friday, April 28th: Family Friday

We are definitely gearing up for the beginning of spring and hoping that we good some warmer weather soon.  However, regardless of weather all classes at UCD are required to spend time outside in the morning and afternoon.  (the only exception is when the temperature is below freezing, there is a heat advisory, or it is raining/snowing)  Please send your child with appropriate outdoor clothing.  Also, please be understanding if your child's clothing or shoes gets muddy while playing on the playground.  It is very important for your child's development and health to get outside and experience nature throughout the day!

The month of February will bring Quarterly Testing and Parent Teacher conferences.  Testing allows us to gauge your child's developmental level, educational needs and evaluate our teaching techniques.  Parent Teacher conferences are extremely important to early school success.  This gives us an opportunity to sit and talk with parents individually, set goals for children, and communicate any concerns or needs.  Please plan on attending your scheduled parent teacher conference on February 20, 2017.  The school will be closed that day to allow for uninterrupted conference times.  

I have posted the important dates for spring 2017 below.  Please contact the office with any questions that you have regarding upcoming events.  

• January 30 - February 3: Quarterly Testing Week
• February 14: Valentines Day Class Parties
• February 20: UCD Closed for parent-teacher conferences
• March 23 & 24: UCD Closed for Spring Break

Please join us this Friday evening (December 9th) at 6 pm for our annual Christmas Program.  This year we are focusing on Christmas Around the World.  We will have refreshments following the program.

Our classroom Christmas parties will be held in the afternoon on Friday, December 23rd.  Please consult with your classroom teacher for more details on classroom parties.

UCD will be closed from Monday, December 26, 2016 - Monday, January 2, 2017 for our Christmas break.  We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.  

UCD is closed on Monday, January 16th for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  This coincides with Washburn University's holiday closings.  The first day of Spring semester for Washburn, and the end of our optional enrollment period begins on Tuesday, January 17, 2017.  

UCD's inclement weather policy:
In the event of inclement weather, UCD will close if Washburn University OR USD 501 closes due to weather.  Parents are still charged tuition for inclement weather days, as the lead teachers still get paid for the unexpected closing.  

The HOLIDAY season is already here!!  We try to celebrate and involve families as much as possible.  We do understand that some of these celebrations can be overwhelming to the children in the classroom as parents come and go.  We will do our best to calm your children down and still allow you to be a part of our school and our classrooms.  Below you will find a list of upcoming events over the months of November and December that you want to be aware of:

 - November 14 - 18th : Quarterly Testing in every classroom
- November 15th: October/November Board Meeting at 5:30 pm - all parents are welcome to attend board meetings
 - November 22nd: UCD's Annual Thanksgiving Lunch - UCD families please RSVP to the office by Friday, November 18th with a number of attendees.  Currently enrolled families are invited to join us between the hours of 11 am - 1 pm for a Thanksgiving feast.  There is no charge and the lunch is our way of thanking families for everything they do for UCD!
 - November 24th and 25th: UCD CLOSED for Thanksgiving Holiday
 - December 2nd: Santa Claus is coming to UCD!!! Join us to listen to a holiday story and take pictures of the children on Santa's lap at 10 am.
 - December 9th - UCD's annual Christmas Program
 - December 12th - January 23rd: Optional enrollment for WU families.
 - December 23rd: UCD classroom Christmas Parties!
 - December 26th - 30th: UCD CLOSED

Please tell the office ahead of time if you are taking advantage of optional enrollment to avoid excess charges.  

Happy Holidays from UCD!!

Fears begin to emerge in early childhood.  What better time to discuss this topic?  During the Halloween holiday and coming holiday months, parents may see fears emerge within their child that weren't there in the past.  Children in the early childhood years do not have a grasp on the difference between fantasy and reality.  Halloween decorations and costumes can cause some children to be distraught!  I have included some links to helpful articles that deal with the development of fears and how to deal with childhood fears.  

www.todaysparent.com/kids/preschool/when-fear-takes-over-childrens-phobias/

www.webmd.com/parenting/features/childhood-fears-anxieties#1

kidshealth.org/en/parents/anxiety.html

www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/emotional-problems/Pages/Understanding-Childhood-Fears-and-Anxieties.aspx
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Optional enrollment has come to an end and the summer flew by too quickly!  Our school year will be in full swing by the end of August.  There are a few important dates coming up in August that all parents need to know about.  If you have any questions about upcoming events, please contact the school office or email.  (785) 232-0263 or ucdpreschool@sbcglobal.net.  The upcoming August dates are listed below:

• August 1st: end of optional enrollment, beginning of regular enrollment (please be sure to update schedules in the office)
• August 5: UCD Closed for Cleaning
• August 10: Back to School Night at 5:30 pm (all parents need to be in attendance to update paperwork, get classroom information, etc.)
• August 15th - 19th: Back to School Testing Week
• August 22nd: Back to School Curriculum begins
• September 5: Closed for Labor Day

I am looking forward to another great school year at UCD!!  

UCD Summer Session is in full swing!  Our summer session is a little different than our normal school year.  We follow a more relaxed curriculum with special activities.  During the school year we focus on our room-specific curriculum.  However, during the summer we try to plan more outdoor activities, field trips, crafts and summer fun.  Please remember to bring your child a reusable water bottle, sunscreen, swim clothes, and weather appropriate extra clothing for summer time.  We will spend more time outside (weather permitting).  All classrooms will also depend on parent participation for scheduled field trips.  Talk with your child's teacher regarding any plans for field trips over the summer.  Our enrollment is lower and you will find the staff schedules are also scaled back from our normal school year.  If you have any questions regarding summer activities, staffing, or general center policies, be sure to contact the school office.  I have listed classroom splash days for the summer below:

Infants/Toddler Room Splash Day: Wednesdays
Preschool Room Splash Day: Friday
Kindergarten Readiness Room Splash Day: Tuesday/Thursday

We look forward to a great summer with all of your children!!!

Upcoming activities for April 2016:

• April 1st: April Fool's Day and Little Caesars Fundraiser pick up from 2 pm - 5 pm.  
• April 11 - 15: Week of the Young Child  (remember to "Take 5" minutes at the end of each school day at UCD to do a fun learning activity with your child!)
• April 12th: SPRING PICTURE DAY!!
  
• April 15th: Pancakes with Parents.  Take a break and eat pancakes with your child before you head off for your day.  We will serve pancakes from 8:30 am - 9:30 am.  Hope you can join us!!
• April 23rd:  NEED VOLUNTEERS!!  The Big Event.  Community wide volunteering day.  We will have a group of volunteers and hope to get teachers and parents as well.  We have a lot of outdoor improvement plans to get done.
• April 26th: Preschool and Kindergarten Readiness Track and Field Day at 9:30 pm on WU Campus
• April 26th: UCD Board Meeting at 5:30 pm

Keep an eye on the blog later this month for the answer to the remaining questions from our question and answer forum Parent Education Night.  We will post an answer to the questions:

• What to do when your child talks back?
• What to do when your child is physically aggressive?