Note from the Director
Dear Parents,
Now that we are getting into some rainy weather please make sure to send the children with good shoes for playing outside. Often the ground is still damp in the afternoon, so sandals would not be as good of a choice for keeping feet warm, as much as a good pair of tennis shoes. Just a friendly reminder that tuition is still due whether or not children are in attendance. So remember to let me know as soon as possible if you are going to be traveling or out on certain days for the summer. Also, don’t forget to bring in sunscreen for your child if you haven’t already done so. The children will be taking a lot more walks and visits to parks in the surrounding area as the days continue to get warm and sunny again. Hurray!
Thanks for all you do as parents! You give us wonderful ideas, great referrals and a lot of good stories that make us laugh.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Sue Schneider
Koala-T-Kare Director
Feathered Friends Update
Baby Chicks
The Baby Chicks class has been growing and growing over the past month! We would like to say a huge WELCOME to Cameron and Ava (and their families) to our KTK family! Cameron started at the end of April and is getting comfortable with his new surroundings. Ava will be starting in the middle of the month, and everyone is excited to get to know her as well. Zoe is going to start visiting the Penguin room, and will most likely make the big move this month. We will miss her, but know she will flourish in her new class. Juliana is working on sitting up unassisted and rolling over. She is really starting to enjoy tummy time and looking at herself in the mirror also. Hannah and Landon are enjoying time in the Bumbo and Jumperoo and continue to light up our room with smiles. Ms. Jeri has joined us in the afternoons, and is getting to know all the kids, so she will be ready to take over once Ms. Amanda goes on maternity leave sometime in the beginning of the month. Ms Tammy has also been popping in to help as much as she can, and is getting to know the kids very well.
Penguins
Hello from the Penguin room! We are all just growing and moving and getting better at all kinds of things. Leela is getting to be a more confident walker and Ella has been taking tentative steps! There is a lot of speed crawling going on by the rest of the group. All of the crawlers can pull to a stand and scoot around things by holding on to them. We love to be read to and we love to sing or vocalize to songs or rhymes we sing in our class. All of us are familiar with the little meal prayer and many can do at least some of the hand signs! We are looking forward to more outside time as the weather continues to improve. Thank you for sending appropriate clothing for this kind of activity, we love outside time when we have the opportunity to go out! We hope that the month of May is full of the colors, textures and sounds of spring that stimulate our brains!
Parrots
Spring is in full swing! The weather hasn’t been the best lately, but when it’s nice outside, the Parrots love playing outside or going for walks. During the month of May, we will learn about flowers, Mother’s Day, rain, colors and shapes. We look forward to doing some fun art activities! We would like to take the time to welcome Payton, Danya and Adelyn to the Parrots classroom! We are looking forward to a fun-filled May!
Peacocks
Happy May from the Peacocks! Some of our favorite things from April were washing the babies, going on walks to see the fire trucks and to the park, and quite a few painting projects. Our themes for May are pets, Mother’s Day, Winnie the Pooh and nursery rhymes. Of course we will continue to take walks in the neighborhood, too. We are also hoping to get out on a field trip soon. We look forward to welcoming Olivia to our room soon, who will be graduating from the Parrots.
Owlets
As we start another month, the Owlets once again have a lot of exciting activities ahead of them! This month we will be discussing occupations, Mother’s Day, space and Hawaiian luaus. The Owlets will also soon be moving to the Owls Preschool, so we are continuing to work on our self-help skills. Some of these include getting dressed and ready to go outside, taking out and putting away our nap beds, washing hands, cleaning up after meals, etc. All three Owlets have been doing such a great job and are on their way to becoming preschoolers!
Owls
The Preschoolers are excited that Spring is here and we can spend more and more time outside! With that being said, please take home any snow pants and boots if they are still here as we are hopeful that Spring is here to stay! We are planning some fun trips for summer – watch for more information to come. We recently welcomed Joseph to our Preschool. Also, in May Maggie and Jahnai both turn 4! Our themes for May are occupations, Mother’s Day, space and Hawaiian luaus.
Out of the Mouths of Babes
A teacher had the following conversation with his students while on a walk:
Kid1: A airplane (pointing at the sky), we should go on it.
Teacher: Should we go on a field trip on a airplane?
Kids: Yeah
Teacher: Would your parents sign the permission slip?
Kids: Yeah
Teacher: Where should we go in the airplane?
Kid 2: a Cago (Chicago)
Teacher: Where should we go when we get there?
Kid 3: To the park (with a “that was a stupid question” look).
Stress can kill. At the very least, it can make you incredibly sick. Heart attacks, ulcers, indulging in too much food, drugs or alcohol can all be side effects of too much stress. Not to mention the toll stress takes on your mental and spiritual health. However, you can stay stress-free with a few useful tools, any of which that can be used any time of the day when it feels like a ton of bricks is resting on your forehead.
Instructions
Meditate. Daily meditation not only centers your soul, but it vacuums out your brain of unnecessary debris. Simple sit in a comfortable position with your back erect, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Let your mind ramble about until it bores itself and you can concentrate simply on your breath moving in and out. Make your practice as lengthy and elaborate as you like. You can use meditation any time, like on a packed, rush-hour subway or even in the dentist’s chair, to bring you stress-free peace of mind.
Exercise. Physical exercise, even something as simple as a morning walk with the dog, has been shown to greatly reduce stress. Any pent-up emotions or overloaded brain sockets can be cleared by busting your muscles to their full capacity. Yoga is a glorious way to help stay stress-free.
Remember you are human. You are not Superman or Wonder Woman. Sorry. Humans make mistakes and humans can only do things humanly possible. Go figure. Stop beating yourself up by trying to accomplish too much or putting impossible expectations on yourself or others.
Ask yourself “How important is it?” While many things will feel like the end of the world as they are happening, they are really not. You’ll get through them. Some you won’t even remember next week, although they are making you stressed-out today. Another good question is to ask if you, or anyone else will remember the thing that’s killing you now in two years. Two weeks. Two days. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t sweat any stuff.
Take time for yourself. A schedule packed with too many to dos never gives you time to pamper and care for the most important person in the world: yourself. You can’t tend to anything outside yourself without stressing out or with much effectiveness unless you make sure to also take care of yourself. This could include something as simple as daily naps or weekly baths to a day in the sun reading the most mindless novel possible.
Say no. There are only so many hours in a day. Don’t fill them with obligations you have neither a desire nor reason to undergo. Saying “no” can be tough, but it can also reduce stress a million-fold and increase your sanity likewise.
Detach often. When the world is swirling crazy around you, close your eyes and mentally take yourself out of the situation. Meditation plays a great key in helping to detach from seemingly impossible or intolerable situation.
Tips & Warnings
- Classical music, as long as it’s not one of Stravinsky’s angry works, is another tool for a stress-free life.
- Bubble baths are a godsend for staying stress-free.
- Once you practice these tips long enough, they will become second nature.
- Laughter also reduces stress. Have some fun, will ya?
- Don’t think you are failing at staying stress free if you want to pull your hair out now and again. Stress happens.
