|
Note from the Director
We are very excited to have the Eagles back with us again for the
summer! The Eagles class is for children ages 5 – 12 who are very
busy throughout the summer with special projects, enrichment
classes, swimming, and super fun field trips. Remember to keep
at least one bottle of sunscreen at Koala-T-Kare for your child to
ensure everyone gets to play outside. This includes all classes!
Some other tips for the summer:
Remember to supervise children when they are outside at play or
in and around pools or water. Discourage your child from drinking
water out of pools. When swimming in public pools please note
that water can be contaminated with germs that can cause illnesses,
including: diarrhea (which can be caused by swallowing contaminated
water) or other contagious diseases. When children are sick
it’s best to keep them out of public pools. Don’t let your child in the
water if he has an open wound, since it could become infected. You
can also do the following to help protect your children during the
summer: Apply insect repellant to your hands first and then apply
to a child’s face, make sure children wash their hands if allowed
to apply their own sunscreen or they will eventually end up getting
it in their eyes (best if parents apply), apply sunscreen on your
child about 30 minutes before they go outside to make sure they’re
protected and make sure to get a brand that is waterproof with both
UVA and UVB, and apply sunscreen before using insect repellant.
Please see the enclosed article about Hidden Summer Dangers,
which includes more safety tips for the summer.
Please be safe this Fourth of July weekend!
Sue Schneider
Koala-T-Kare Director |
Baby Chicks:
Since our group is growing, you
may have noticed more “chirping” in the Baby Chicks
section. Alyson starts June 30th and Ana will start in July.
Congratulations to Daphne on her move to the Penguins
last month! She is having a great time with her new
friends. Jillian is definitely on the move in our area now.
She’ll be joining the Penguins in July. Cade, Trenton,
Chance, and Charotte are enjoying their tummy time.
Anand enjoys playing and visiting with the other Baby
Chicks and Claire is trying hard to stay awake and watch
all her new friends!
Penguins:
We have been getting outside more
when weather permits to soak up the sun. We recently
welcomed Daphne from the Baby Chicks and she’s now
pulling herself up into a standing position. Our friends
Collin, Brooklyn and Kellen are getting very fast as well.
Connor will soon be visiting the Parrots. Our new friend
Jack starts this month too! Have a safe and fun July 4th
holiday.
Parrots:
The Parrots have been having lots of fun
playing outside this summer. We have enjoyed several
walks around the neighborhood and to the park. Watching
the construction workers in our neighborhood has become
one of our favorite activities! Linc recently graduated from
our room to join the Peacocks. We will miss him as he
goes on to new adventures. We are looking forward to July
and want to wish everyone a happy and safe Independence
Day. We are excited to welcome Connor to our room
soon, who will be joining us from the Penguins. In July, we
hope to take a field trip, but haven’t yet chosen a date or
location. More details will be coming soon!
Peacocks:
The Peacocks are enjoying the summer
sun and learning all about summer safety! As we send
Gretta off to the Owls, we’re welcoming two new friends,
Jahnai and Lily, to our class. In July, we will be learning
all about America, the beach, the ocean, and camping. We
may even do a little “camping” of our own! We continue to
apply Love & Logic techniques in our everyday routine;
the response is fantastic! We’re excited to continue the
summer fun!
Owls:
The preschoolers are definitely enjoying the
wonderful weather and outside play time! They have been
working really hard on having good behavior and manners.
Please make sure that your child has on shoes that they can
easily walk in, as we will be spending a significant amount
of time playing outdoors, taking walks and going on special
field trips. We also ask that you take a moment to check
your child’s cubby for any remaining winter/cold weather
gear to bring home as well as any other extra items that are
not needed. We want to welcome Gretta to our class and
also Katya will be joining us again! Our upcoming themes
include patriotic week, the beach, the ocean, and camping.
Children in our class were rewarded in June with a trip to
the zoo and we are now working toward a trip to the Dane
County Fair on Friday, July 16th.
 A little boy in the Owls class put his hand into his pockets and then gave Ms.Tammy “money”
and said, “Now you can go pay your bills.”
A teacher said to one of the Peacock girls, “We don’t eat our sun block,” to which the little girl
replied, “Well then maybe it should be chocolate.”
Ms. Tammy asked one of her former Penguins, “Who’s that cute baby on the refrigerator?” and
the little girl looked at her and said, “It’s me!”
One of the moms had this to report: Her daughter told her that when her class was decorating
coffee cups for Father’s Day, she said to her teacher, “My dad doesn’t drink coffee, he drinks Miller
Lite.”
One of the Baby Chicks started to fuss
and was babbling away when Ms. Jeri said,
“It sounds like someone needs a nap.” The
teachers said the baby responded back with,
“Ya.”
The kids were talking at snack time with
Ms. Becky about how you have to be 18 to
be considered an adult. One boy asked, “So
when you are 18 you can open doors?” (We
always emphasize that, for safety, teachers
and adults open the doors.)
One of our little Peacocks helps his dad at home with the computer, but when he refers to the PC
he calls it a “pincuter.”
Although you should make every effort to keep your kids safe year-round, it is especially important
in the summer when most kids are out of school. Hot temperatures and more time spent
outdoors, perhaps unsupervised, can put kids’ health and safety at risk.
Sun and Summer Heat
The most obvious hidden dangers in the summer simply have to do with the heat and can
include:
- heat stress and heat stroke, which can be prevented. Keep kids well-hydrated,
take frequent breaks when playing outside, and watch for symptoms such as
thirst, cramps, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and fever. Never
leave a child or let her play in a hot car.
- getting burned on metal slides or other hot playground equipment.
- sunburns--although parents should be aware of the risks of not applying
sunscreen or sunblock on their children, sunburns are still common (especially
if lotions are not used properly).
Water Safety Tips
Many families try to escape the summer heat in a pool or nearby lake. To keep
your kids safe around the water be sure to:
- childproof your pool by enclosing it in a fence with a self-closing and
self-latching gate.
- supervise your kids around the pool, even if they know how to swim.
- have children who don’t know how to swim wear a life vest
instead of “floaties” when they are in the pool.
- always have your child wear a life vest when on a lake or river,
even if they know how to swim.
- take your child to swimming lessons once he or she is four to
five years old, the age when most kids can learn to swim.
Other Summer Safety Tips
In addition to using sunscreen, supervising kids around water,
and protecting your kids from the heat, you can keep your kids
safe this summer by:
- keeping younger kids away from lawn mowers. Despite the need for a summer job or
simply wanting to help, remember that the American Academy of Pediatrics advises that
children younger than 16 years old should not be allowed to use ride-on mowers; children
younger than 12 should not use walk-behind mowers.
- using insect repellents when necessary.
- doing a daily tick check if your kids have been playing outdoors, especially in or near wooded
areas.
- outfitting your kids with appropriate protective gear, such as a helmet and pads, when they
ride a bicycle, skateboard, or scooter, or while wearing heelys.
- not letting your kids play with fireworks and instead visiting a public fireworks display this
fourth of July.
- not eating food that has been left out for more than an
hour at barbecues and family picnics, which can cause
food poisoning.
- teaching your kids to recognize and avoid poison
ivy.
And of course, keep your home well-childproofed. This
also applies to wherever you are staying when you are
on vacation, whether it is a hotel or relative’s home.
Although not a safety danger, it’s important to remember
that time off from school also means that your
child may have more opportunity to become inactive
and eat more junk food, leading to his becoming
overweight. Encourage your child to be active and eat a
healthy diet all summer long.
|
