Tustin Child Care Center December Newsletter

With a year that has been like no other, this season is the ideal time to begin new holiday traditions.

Here are some fun ways to bring joy and encouragement this holiday season:

• -Decorate early! Put up your festive tree, stockings, lights, and tinsel now. Why not feel the holiday joy longer this year.
• -Don't wait for 2021 to make your resolutions. Begin making small changes early. With more people working remotely, this is a good time to incorporate healthy eating habits by making more meals at home and sneaking fitness breaks into your day. You can do it!
• -Put more thought and meaning into your holiday cards. With more time at home, it's a good year to personalize your cards and write thoughtful messages to each of your loved ones that you haven't seen as often this year. The extra care and effort will help spread love this holiday season. 

We hope you and your family have a joyful holiday season!

Themes:

My Family
Winter Celebrations
Winter Fun

Language & Literacy:

Listen & follow 1-2 step directions (YS)
Opposites
Identify & write letters
Letters – Kk, Ll, Mm, Review A-M & Nn

Social & Emotional Skills:

Awareness of others (YS)
Sharing
Cognitive & Math Skills:
Sorting & matching (YS)
Counting 1-10 (YS)
1 to 1 correspondence & quantity concepts
Sequencing & patterning

Science/Sensory & Social Studies:

Sound, taste & smell (YS)
Dumping & pouring (YS)
Days of the week, months of the year
Weather

Large & Small Motor Skills:

Easel painting (YS), Pedal tricycle (YS)
Jumping, hopping, skipping, galloping
Eye hand coordination, pincer grasp
Drawing human figures

Thank you for volunteering your time & bringing food items for our Thanksgiving Feast!

We want to take a moment to let you know how grateful we are to have each of you as a part of our AIL Family.  We are so thankful, as each child adds their own special personality and energy to our campus—they remind us why we became early childhood educators (and they keep us on our toes!).  Whichever holidays you celebrate this season, we hope you enjoy delicious food, cozy fireplaces, tons of laughter and the warm embraces of your family and friends.

A reminder of the vacation, holiday, and scheduling/attendance policies. If eligible PLEASE turn in your vacation credit request a minimum of 2 weeks in advance.  If you are not eligible but your child will be taking any time off through the new year please let us know now.  This is tremendously helpful for staffing purposes.  Teachers like to take vacation days at this time of year as well.

Vacation Credit - For every six months of continuous attendance, one week may be designated as a vacation week at a reduced rate of 50% provided your account is current with no unpaid balance and the request has been submitted in writing on the Vacation Request During Pandemic form (please link that here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qgy1r50luqmmooa/vacation%20request%20during%20pandemic.pdf?dl=0).

Schedule/Attendance - You have enrolled for specific days and times and are responsible for payment of those days.  We staff accordingly and ask that your child attend his scheduled times only.  Days may not be switched or traded.  No credit will be given for holidays we are closed, short term absences including for illness or exclusion. You may add days at the drop-in rate if space is available.

Important Dates
-Tuesday, December 15th – Hot lunch payment and orders(changes, adding or dropping) due.  IMPORTANT: THERE WILL BE NO HOT LUNCH SERVICE 12/28-12/31 REMEMBER TO PACK YOUR CHILD A LUNCH THESE DAYS.
-December 18th Class parties & Pajama Day
-December 24th & 25th Closed
-December 31st close at 12:30
-January 1st closed

Class Parties, Book Exchange, Holiday Feast
Friday, December 18th 10:30am-12:30pm
Classroom sign up sheets for the holiday party lunch will be available soon. Signing up to bring something is greatly appreciated! The children will have a book exchange before lunch.
We are asking that each student bring in a book wrapped in their favorite wrapping (with a tag to indicate who it is from) to exchange with another student in their class. Just receiving a new book is always exciting for any child and we really want to get excited about books and reading (just make sure the book is not gender specific!).  Please have your child bring their book by Thursday, December 10th.

It is now required that everyone in California wear a mask or face covering when outside of their home, with limited exceptions. Read more in the updated guidance for face coverings that was issued by the state on November 16th and updated November 25 at the following site: https://covid19.ca.gov/masks- and-ppe/ 

Out of courtesy to our staff, your fellow parents and all AIL families; please wear a facecoving at drop off/pick up. Lastly, we want to thank the vast majority of our AIL community that has been taking the necessary steps to keep everyone healthy during this challenging time.

These are the last sounds you want to hear coming from your child. PLEASE HELP US KEEP EVERYONE HEALTHY! This is NOT the year to medicate your child and send them off to school. We want to be here and open to support you. In consideration of this and our AIL family; DO NOT send your child to school if they have ANY cold or flu-like symptoms