Welcome To The Two's Room

Here are some things we would like you to know about our room. It may seem like a lot but we have tried to cover everything to give you the best understanding of how our room works and to help everyone have an easy transition.

Two's Website!

We are thrilled to announce that the two's room will be online! Our website is www.thetwosroom.com. We are extremely excited about this endeavor. You will be able to view the curriculum, our newsletter, the Milk Duty list and find out a little about your child's teachers online. Please be sure to check out the website and click on "contact us" to send Dana an email so she can stay in touch and you can receive information as soon as it's available.

Signing IN and OUT

Please be sure to sign "in" at the time of your arrival, writing the time and your initials every morning, and "out" with the time and your initials in the evening. This is extremely important! It allows the staff to keep track of the children. The sign in sheet is located in the hall way on top of our cubbies!

Arrival

In order to gain the most from our preschool program it is in your child's best interest to arrive no later than 9:30 a.m. Our morning circle will begin around 9:45. This is a special time when we do language arts, songs and stories. Any questions or concerns you have can be shared with the teacher early in the morning or you can leave a message to be phoned later in the day.

Dropping Off

Please make drop-off time as consistent and as short as possible. It works best for the children when parents have a set routine that only lasts a couple of minutes. For example, Mom or Dad lets the child know, "I will read one book and then I am going to work. I will be back to pick you up later." Or, "I will set up your breakfast, kiss you goodbye and go to work. I will be back to pick you up later." Please be sure your child walks into school on his/her own from the car. Children are entering a big kids classroom and walking on their own will help them feel more independent.

It may seem hard at first to leave if your child is crying but you will see how easily he/she will adjust if you are consistent. Please feel free to call the school and ask to speak with the teacher if you are feeling uneasy. Most of the time the child has stopped crying by the time Mom or Dad gets into the car. It is also best to arrive when there is not a transition taking place such as: circle to snack, indoors to outdoors. This whole process should take no more than a few minutes from the time you enter the room until the time you leave the room. This is especially important at the beginning of the year as your child adjusts to being in a new room or being new to the school atmosphere.

Breakfast

If your child eats breakfast at school, please be sure to arrive by 8:15. Breakfast will have to be finished by 8:30. Breakfast time is designed for children who arrive early. At 8:30 we need the tables for educational activities. If you arrive after 8:15, your child should have already eaten breakfast at home. Please send in an easy breakfast (muffins, cereal bars, granola bars etc.) Oatmeal, waffles and pancakes are too messy for a school breakfast. If your child requires a big hot breakfast, please prepare and feed him/her at home. Again, the sooner breakfast is over, the sooner we can begin our day!

Lunch

Please send in a lunch box/bag with an ice-pack. We leave the lunches on the white shelf during the morning. We do not have room to store lunches in our refrigerator. Please be sure that lunches that need to be heated are in microwave safe containers. If you have a container that is divided, please only put things that need to be heated in it. Fruit and cheese that you don't want heated, should be in a separate container.

In addition, please send in two sippy-cups, one for water or juice and the other for milk. Please leave the sippy-cups in your child's lunch bag. We will use paper drinking cups for snack.We will use the sippy-cups at lunch-time and we will return the cups to your child's lunch bag.

In order to keep track of what your child is eating, anything they do not eat that is salvageable (and hasn't fallen on the floor or been smushed) will be sent home in his/her lunch box. That way you will be able to tell how much they are eating at school.

Allergies

Please let us know as soon as possible if your child has any allergies.

Monday and/or Friday Hot Lunches

Hot Lunches are a hit with the Two's! If you are interested in purchasing hot lunch on Mondays and/or Fridays please let the office know.

Snacks

The school will provide a morning and an afternoon snack. If a child has a lot of food leftover from his/her lunch, we will sometimes offer that as well.

Nap Items

Your child will need a regular sized fitted crib sheet (not a portable crib sheet) and a blanket. You may also send in other small items your child needs for a nap, such as a pillow or stuffed animal. These "special" items should be placed on your child's cot or in his/her nap items bag. Nap items will be sent home every week to be washed and returned. Tuesday/Thursday children's nap items will be put in a bag and placed on the child's hook to be taken home every Thursday afternoon. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Full-time children's nap items will be put in a bag and sent home every Friday afternoon. Please put your child's nap items on top of our cots located in the back of the room.

Specials

Specials are extracurricular activities that are included in the preschool program such as Music and Spanish. The children really love these activities. You will find "specials" listed on the calendar in the front hall.

Milk Duty

In the past, parents have found it easier to bring in one gallon of milk every month instead of sending in enough milk to last all day. Each child will be assigned a day to bring one gallon of milk to school. This usually comes out to one time per month per child. The "milk request list" will be sent home every other month. It is also available online here. The children seem to prefer 2% and higher. If your child does not drink milk, please let us know as soon as possible and before your child moves up to the 2's room and he/she will not be added to the Milk Duty list.

Newsletter

Every season a newsletter will be posted on line or emailed to you with news about upcoming themes and special events.

Sunscreen

We will apply sunscreen in the morning and we will re-apply it throughout the day. *Please fill out a new sun screen form.

Potty Training

We are sure you have seen our child size potty in the room. We encourage, but never force, the children to "try." Potty training is a three party commitment between you, the teacher and the child. When your child seems ready to begin potty training please let us know that you are ready to make that commitment. Please be sure to think ahead and decide that this is a commitment you can keep. We find that switching back and forth between diapers and underwear is confusing for the children. Please be sure you have no vacations scheduled for the first few months of potty training. It's much more convenient to put the child back in a diaper for the vacation but this can cause the child to regress. * Please do not just send your child in underwear without first discussing it with the teacher. Sometimes children feel comfortable using the potty at home but then they are unwilling to try at school.

Diapers work best for the children when first trying on the potty. They can unhook the tape or velcro and pull the diaper off. NO PULL-UPS PLEASE! "Pull-ups" keep your child just as dry as a diaper and cleaning a B.M. from a pull-up is very messy. Even though they now make Pull-ups with Velcro tabs, we still request that you not send your child to school in them. Pull-ups are only really good for night time at home while your child is potty training. All of the diaper companies are now making "transition" diapers etc. These are not good for preschool and potty training. Also, we have found that underwear over the diaper takes the fun out of getting and wearing new underwear. (For boys, please let us know if your child is more comfortable standing or sitting while learning to use the potty.) We need to be consistent.

Messy Activities

Please do not send your child in new clothing, unless you don't mind them coming home looking like they played in them. Children are always exploring through play and art, which can become messy. The children are encouraged but never forced to wear art smocks for painting projects, but that is still not a guarantee that clothes will stay clean. Children are at preschool to learn, play and grow in an explorative environment. Children learn through a number of areas and outlets, including the "messy" ones. It is not unheard of to see the Two's running through mud puddles. Please be prepared for this by having extra clothes and shoes at school. Please know that while we try to use washable paints, not all "washable" paints come out of clothes. We have found that either spraying stubborn stains with stain remover or soaking them in OxyClean works great!

Labeling Items

Every item that you send into school needs to be labeled clearly with your child's first or last name. This includes lunch boxes, cups, clothes, nap items, sun screen, diaper cream and any other item we may need to identify. It is very important as we have so many items to keep track of. It also helps keep from spreading germs. Also, if you accidentally take home another child's belongings, please wash and return them promptly. One great site is www.stuckonyou.biz for vinyl labels that are dishwasher safe.

Outside Toys

Please leave toys from home in your child's bag or cubby. It's hard for us to keep track of everyone's toy. We have plenty of toys for your child to play with at school. Sometimes we will request a show and tell item. That toy or item may be placed in the show and tell basket. No toys from home may come in the room unless it is requested. We understand that it is sometimes hard for parents to get out of the house in the morning without a toy for the child. You may leave that small toy in your child's bag in the hall or you may put it back in the car or you may explain that it is "Ms. Dana's rule." If you need help, please let a teacher know of your dilemma and we will help you out.

Classroom Parties!

The Two's have holiday parties every so often. We will post a sign-up sheet in hallway so that you may contribute to the party. We really use this as a learning experience. During the party we thank each child for what they have contributed to the party and we talk about how one particular item doesn't make it a "party" but all the items together make it a "party!" We usually have snack time classroom parties but two of our holidays are for parents as well: Halloween and Thanksgiving luncheon. Also, we have a Mother's Day Breakfast the Friday before Mother's Day and a Father's Day Breakfast the Friday before Father's Day from 8:15- 9. We hope you will all be able to plan ahead and join us for these important dates.

Birthday Parties!

We love to celebrate birthdays in the twos! If you would like to have a school party for your child, here are a couple suggestions. You may send in a "party" (tablecloths, plates, hats, cake etc.) and we will have the party for "a.m. or p.m. snack." If you would like to be present for your child's birthday, as most parents prefer, we encourage you to have a "p.m. snack party" where you bring all the party goods, celebrate and then leave with your child. It's really hard for children to see mom or dad on their birthday and then be left at school. We have found that taking your child home after the party works best for everyone.

Activities Fee

The Two's have an activities fee for the year, due in September. More information on this will come to you in August.

About Us

Dana is the head teacher and works in the classroom from 7:30 a.m until 2:30 p.m. You should talk with Dana about any questions, comments or concerns you may have.

Gina is the afternoon senior staff and works in the classroom from 10:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. When you pick your child up please ask Gina about your child's day.

Vanessa is an aide and works in the classroom from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

About Your Child

We need to learn about your child. If you have any information that you think would be helpful in getting to know your child better please let us know. Parent/Teacher conferences are held twice a year, in the Fall and in the Spring. Conference sign up sheets are posted 2 - 3 weeks ahead of time.

We are looking forward to our new children! If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to speak with Dana or Gina.

Thank you,

Dana, Gina and Vanessa