Potluck - Next Friday, March 6! Print and return your reservation form today!

Print the invitation below to make a reservation for the Potluck next Friday, March 6! Great raffle baskets and fun for the kids.  Don't miss it!  

Return reservation forms to your child's teacher.  

News from SPCNS Board of Trustees January 2015

 Dear Shadyside Presbyterian Church Nursery School Families,

We hope you are having a good start to 2015!  As the second semester gets under way, we want to let you know about a few upcoming events to be sure to mark on your calendars. 

·       Morning Coffee                Tuesday, February 10^th and Wednesday, February 11^th

Come join us in the Parish Hall for coffee and conversation after drop off.

·       Potluck Night                     Friday, March 6^th            5:30 p.m.

This annual event, benefiting the SPCNS Scholarship Fund, is always a fun family night and a great way to get to know other families at SPCNS.  Back by popular demand, magician Eric Davis will be providing entertainment throughout the evening and there will be a craft room with fun activities for the children.  Be on the lookout for registration forms soon! 

As part of the Potluck Night, we traditionally raffle off a variety of prizes.  We know many of our SPCNS families may be involved with or own a local business of interest to our families, so please let us know if you or somebody you know would be interested in donating a raffle item for the event.  It would be greatly appreciated!

Please contact Mala Mason (malamason@gmail.com) or Brianna Hager (briannamurphy@gmail.com) with any questions or if you would like to provide a raffle donation.

·       Clothing Sale                      Tuesday, April 28^th and Wednesday, April 29^th        

In the coming months as you sort through your children’s clothing, please hold onto any clean, gently used clothes that you would like to donate to the clothing sale.  Clothing will be collected at the school April 13^th through 24^th.  Plan to stop by the sale to stock up on clothes for your children!

Proceeds from the sale will benefit SPCNS and any leftover clothing will be donated to charity.

Please contact Erin Davies (erindawndavies@gmail.com) or Kari Theoret (karitheoret@verizon.net) with any questions or if you would like to volunteer to help with the event.

We appreciate the opportunity to serve the nursery school and work with such a wonderful community of families.  Thank you for supporting the wreath and book sales and helping make them such a success.  We look forward to seeing you at these events!

The Board of Trustees of SPCNS

Sarah Datt                  Mala Mason               Becky Stratmoen-Smith         Mary Lang, ex officio

Erin Davies                 Julie Perricelli           Kari Theoret                         Ellen Allston, ex officio

Brianna Hager            Adria Reutzel              Megan Walsh                          

Save the Date Spring Potluck Friday, March 6, 2015

Please save the date for our annual SPCNS Spring Potluck event, which will take place the evening of Friday, March 6, 2015. This annual event, benefiting the SPCNS Scholarship Fund, is always a fun family night and a great way to get to know other families at SPCNS and enjoy some fellowship.

As part of the Potluck Night we traditionally raffle off prizes from a variety of local businesses.We know many of our SPCNS families are involved with or own a local business that may be of interest to our families, so please let us know if you or somebody you know may be interested in donating a raffle item for the event. It would be greatly appreciated!

Stay tuned for more details about the Potluck Night as we get closer to the event date!

Book Sale December 2 and 3 or BUY NOW On-line!

Book Sale December 2 and 3 or BUY NOW online! 

The Shadyside Presbyterian Church Nursery School Board of Trustees is partnering with Usborne Books to host a book sale in the Parish Hall Parish Hall on Tuesday, December 2 (8:45-12:30) and Wednesday, December 3 (8:45-3:00).  We are pleased to offer Usborne, world renown publisher of 'high quality and lavishly illustrated books' this year. This fundraiser will benefit the SPCNS Teacher Discretionary Fund.

Want to order books now?  Place an order today by visiting: https://y3713.myubam.com/Event/68932. The online book sale is now open and will close on December 5.  Buy now online and incur a small shipping fee to have books delivered to your home/office. You also have the option to fill out an "order form" ahead of time (if you can't attend the sale in person) and save money by having the books shipped to the school. These books will arrive to the school after the sale is over (likely within a week, so definitely before Christmas). 

Also, teacher wish lists will be available available at the book sale if you are interested in purchasing books for your childrens' classrooms.  Please join the nursery school families in supporting the book fair and sharing in the joys of giving this Christmas season.

Pictures of Fall at SPCNS

Look how we celebrated the change in seasons at SPCNS!  Apple sauce making and tasting, a pumpkin-counting walk through the neighborhood, leaf people collage and art, hand flowers, and even lowly worms and dinosaurs joined us in welcoming Fall.  

Vintage Applesauce Sieve

 Green, Yellow or Red?

Homemade Apple Sauce 

 Leaf People 

Leaf Art Stained Glass 

 Hand Flowers

 Making Hand Flowers

 Leaf Art

 Dinosaurs

 Pumpkins

Lowly Worm

Richard Scarry's Lowly Worms

Permission Form - Speech, Language, Hearing and Middle Ear Screenings

Speech, Language, Hearing and Middle Ear screenings  

Easter Seals will be here on Monday, November 3; Tuesday, November 4; Wednesday, November 5; and Thursday, November 6, to screen children in the three, four and five year old classes.   

Please complete the permission form and return to your child's teacher.  There is a nominal fee of $20 for the screening and checks should be made payable to “EASTER SEALS.” 

Forgot to Order a T-shirt?

Forgot to order a t-shirt in our recent t-shirt fundraiser? We have several people interested in ordering a t-shirt, but must have a minimum of 12 to order. If you are interested in potentially ordering, please fill out the attached form and return to your child's teacher by October 31. If we determine that there are enough people interested to place another order, we will contact you for payment. Please do NOT enclose payment with your form at this time. Any questions should be directed to Mala Mason at malamason@gmail.com."

Attachments area

Preview attachment Tshirt Order Form- Reorder.pdf

Tshirt Order Form- Reorder.pdf

Welcome!

Leaves are falling but our own tree here at SPCNS is alive with new growth! New families,   blossoming friendships and seeds of wonder are being planted here in all of our classrooms.

We'll update our blog periodically this year with information worth sharing like articles of note, links to our Facebook page, and any forms you may want to review or print.

When to Start Kindergarten? (As Published in Community Playthings)

When to Start Kindergarten?

Helping Parents Solve the Goldilocks Dilemma

Picture This:It’s September 1 and with the beginning of a new school year a common dilemma confronts many parents of Kindergarten students. Is my child ready? A child may be five years old by the legal cut-off date for school entrance, but is starting Kindergarten now the right decision for every child who meets the age requirement?

Part the dilemma is that different states have different cut-off dates for entry.  For example, Connecticut’s cut-off date is January 1, Kentucky is October 1, Michigan is December 1, and Indiana’s is July 1.  How can a child be ready in one state but not ready if they lived in another?  Added to the dilemma is that in the last decade, Kindergarten curriculum has dramatically changed. Most American Kindergarten students are now expected to sit at tables or desks, work independently, and learn what was traditionally taught in first grade—namely, how to read.

Meet Megan and Max on September 1:Megan’s birthday is October 21^st. She has been five for ten and a half months and is the youngest of three sisters. She has learned to read through exposure to print, letters, and sounds; listening to and following along with story after story read to her by both her parents and her older, fifth-grade sister. She has been begging to go to school like her siblings all year. She follows directions on Sunday School activity sheets, plays kindly with other children, and is curious about all insects and critters she discovers in the backyard.  Her mother knows that she is ready for Kindergarten and has been for some time. 

Max is four, turning five on September 26^th. He is the middle child with two other brothers, each a year apart. He loves to run, run, run, and be active every moment of the waking day. He still needs his afternoon nap so he can refuel and be on his way again. His mom is worried that a full day at school will be too much for her little guy. After all, he does not want to sit and listen to the “boring old story” at story hour at the public library. He tends to punch if he doesn’t get his way or the toy he wants to play with now. In his world, that’s how to survive with two other brothers. He can count to ten and reluctantly write his name, but he could care less about letters, numbers, books, or academic computer games. 

Max and Megan will be in the same Kindergarten classroom. They will be expected to behave in the same ways and learn the same things at their local school because both children will meet their state’s cut-off date of five by October 1^st. What are the chances they will have the same experience and both meet with success? If they are entering a Kindergarten classroom with the resources and support to meet the needs of every child in a developmentally appropriate way, perhaps the odds are good; but in our current economic and political climate, most schools are still struggling to maintain funding and meet the demands and lingering effects of “No Child Left Behind” and now, “Common Core State Standards.” 

So what is a Parent to do?Parents with a child like Max may have more choices than they realize; and they do have a responsibility to find out what the options are rather than simply acquiescing to what other parents are doing. They can choose to push their child ahead regardless of the school climate and expectations because, after all, the child does meet the cut-off date. They can choose to keep their child out a year, if this is financially possible for the family, because they think he will benefit from the extra time to develop. Or they can search for—and perhaps more importantly, advocate for—a school or classroom that meets and supports the learning needs of their child, where he is developmentally right now. 

Hence, the Goldilocks Dilemma:  Over-placement, Red-Shirting, or Just RightParents are often left with a quandary between what may be “too hard, too easy, or just right” for their child’s level of development and learning needs. The first thing Max’s parents should do is ask questions: do they have options for where to send Max to school, what is the curriculum and expectations where he will be enrolled, and how can they advocate for best practices at their local school.

One of the options that Max’s parents might choose is to enroll him in Kindergarten knowing that he might not be able to handle the expectations academically or behaviorally. The termover-placement refers to a child being placed in an academic setting that is beyond or over the child’s developmental readiness, and in which the child’s individual needs are not able to be met.[i] 

Another option is to wait a year and allow Max to grow emotionally, socially, physically, and intellectually, and be placed with children that are more his peers next September. The termred-shirting refers to a child being held back a year solely in order to be at an advantage physically, socially, or academically. [ii]

Research has shown that there can be negative effects of either practice, making both “not quite right” for many children in most cases. On the other hand, parents can find their “just right” option when there is a match between the child’s developmental needs and the provided curriculum.

Not Quite Right: Issues of Over-placement and Red-shirtingA child’s readiness for a particular school program is indicated by his or her physical, social, emotional, and academic readiness, leading to his or her ability to cope and sustain in that environment without undue stress or awkwardness.

Some children may show signs of strain when placed in a school situation before they are fully ready to meet the demands of that classroom and if there are not the proper supports and resources in place to meet the child where he or she is developmentally. A child in this situation may exhibit the following behaviors:[iii]

Overt (Easy to see)

• Physical – The child exhibits fatigue, frequent colds, and inconsistent visual and hearing perceptions.
• Social – Has few friends, may lash out in anger against peers, relates better with younger children. Those not showing anger may withdraw.
• Intellectual – Has difficulty finishing work, erratic achievement (good one week, poor for two weeks). Low or average work despite high I.Q.
• Emotional – May be moody and easily upset, does not enjoy or want to go to school.

Covert (More difficult to spot)

• Avoidance – May avoid dealing with problems, daydreams.
• Conformity – Wants to please others, does only what is asked, tries to make the teacher happy, exhibits very little creative thinking.
• Passive Resistance – Does not argue, may even be pleasant and agree with everything, but is resistant when it comes to doing anything.
• Overdrive – High social and academic skills; may not be very creative, is interested in obtaining good grades.  This child appears to “have everything” but may be at great risk for eventual burnout.

While research has shown that delaying Kindergarten alone does not have a long-term effect on academic success for the average child,[iv] there may be immediate short-term benefits including less stress, increased motivation to learn, and a stronger self-concept. These then turn into long-term benefits as the child grows.  One of the most important goals of Kindergarten is to foster a love of learning in the child. When children are over placed, they often feel like they are failures.

On the other hand, waiting a year so that a child will be the biggest football player in the class or because waiting a year is the trendy thing to do to “get ahead” is not wise either. The decision whether or not to enter Kindergarten should be made with the child’s best interest in mind. This is why it is imperative to understand the demands and expectations of the Kindergarten program where a child will be enrolled. In this way, an informed decision can be made in regard to what is best for the child. Parents should talk to the teachers and administrators at prospective schools before making enrollment decisions.

Just Right:  The Developmentally Appropriate ClassroomThe “just right” Kindergarten classroom is one that meets the developmental needs of each child. In these developmentally appropriate classrooms, teachers trust in children’s natural abilities and recognize their individual developmental needs. They plan environments that balance active, child-initiated learning with teacher-directed instruction. They allow for physical movement, freedom of expression, active communication and interaction, and individual and group problem solving.

Activities are open-ended so that the outcome for each child will be at his or her individual level of development. For example, in a daily journal, one child may be using complete sentences while another still primarily scribbles pretend letters and uses pictures to convey thoughts. One is not “right” or “wrong”, they are both examples of what is “right for that child.”

Such classroom structure fosters the child’s innate drive for purpose, competence, autonomy, and responsibility. Initiative is nurtured when children are encouraged to take appropriate risks. The resulting choice and decision-making produce interest and motivation, and lead to learning which is meaningful, relevant, and lifelong.

Optimal learning is dependent on children’s manipulation and experimentation with materials, and questioning and communication with adults and peers. The developmental Kindergarten classroom is activity centered, drawing directly from the child’s interests and abilities. Integrated theme learning allows children to live and think in the classroom as they do naturally outside of the classroom. The curriculum fully incorporates music, art, movement, and drama. Learning through instructional themes encourages spontaneous and instructive play in the classroom and draws on the developmental progression in content areas such as reading, math, writing, science, and social studies. Perhaps most importantly, the developmentally appropriate classroom meets the needs of each individual child, providing activities and experiences that meet the child where he or she is on the developmental spectrum.[v]

Parents shouldn’t make decisions for children based on personal greed, vicariously living their child’s life, or on adult peer pressure. Desiring the brightest child in the class, longing for the best athlete in the class, or pushing a child solely to “keep up with the Jones” does no child any good. When considering what’s best for a child, parents should remember three guiding principles to help ensure their child’s success:

1. Know the child, not just what the child knows: Recognize and understand natural developmental behaviors in a variety of situations.

2. Know the program: Beyond the specific academic demands, know what behaviors will be expected of the children in the program as well as what the program offers in terms of play time, social-emotional development, parent involvement, and more.

3. Know that every child is in a constant process of growth and development: Respect and cherish each stage of a child’s development, and be informed about developmentally appropriate expectations for the individual child.

Conclusion: Goldilocks Goes to Kindergarten“Goldilocks tried the first Kindergarten and it was too HARD. She tried the second classroom and it was too EASY. Then she tried the third classroom and it was JUST RIGHT.” 

Children should not have to bounce around from program to program to find the right fit. There already exists a growing epidemic of preschool expulsion, in large part due to a disconnect between developmental behavior, expectations, and proper supports in the classroom. Parents and teachers can and should be working together to understand the individual child, and to provide the best possible—“just right”—Kindergarten experience for every child. 

---

[i] Ilg, F.L. (1972). Overplacement: The problem that doesn’t have to be. Teacher, 90(1), 16-25.

[ii] Marshall, H.H. (2003). “Opportunity deferred or opportunity taken? An updated look at delaying kindergarten entry.” Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web. September 2003.

[iii] Ilg, F.L. (1972). Overplacement: The problem that doesn’t have to be. Teacher, 90(1), 16-25.

[iv] Marshall, H.H. (2003). “Opportunity deferred or opportunity taken? An updated look at delaying kindergarten entry”. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web. September 2003.

[v] Bredekamp, V.S. & Copple, C. (1997).  “Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs”. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Free workshop at The Ellis School

EARLY LEARNING AND SOCIAL READINESS

Wednesday, April 23, 2014
8:30 to 10:00 a.m. 
This event is free. Registration required

For young children, play is serious business. Play is the foundation for early literacy, math, and inquiry-based science. It is  also a complex form of communication through which young learners come to understand the world. In this informative workshop at The Ellis School, Dr. Roberta Schomburg, Director of Graduate Studies in Early Childhood Education at Carlow University, will explain the cognitive value of play and will show parents and educators how to unlock  creativity, spontaneity, and a love of learning in every child.  Learn how encouraging playfulness is the key to 21st century skills of innovation, creativity, collaboration, and communication.

By attending this free workshop you will:

• Discover which literacy and math skills are best taught through play.
• Explore how play encourages the development of language, math and problem-solving skills.
• Cultivate a love of learning by replacing rote and tedious activities with creative play.
• Understand how play encourages risk taking, grit, and resilience in children.

ABOUT DR. ROBERTA SCHOMBURG

Dr. Schomburg is Professor of Education at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, where her titles also include Director of Graduate Studies in Early Childhood Education. She is also a Fellow of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College. You may read her complete biography here.

ABOUT THE ELLIS SCHOOL

The Power of Play breakfast workshop is hosted by The Ellis School, the region’s only independent school for girls age 3 to grade 12. Our mission is to prepare, empower and inspire each and every girl through an excellent education in an all-girls environment.

EVENT DETAILS

• Sign in from 8 to 8:15 a.m. followed by this engaging discussion and Q&A from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m.
• Breakfast is included.
• The event is free but registration is required.
• Act 48 credits available.