September Lighthouse News

September 2010

The Children's Beacon

Important Dates and Upcoming Events

Our center is closed on September 6th for Labor Day. We are having a Parent's Night Out on Friday September 10th from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. More information on that event can be found inside this beacon or stop by the front desk.

If you have not received your Children's Lighthouse backpack, please let us know. If you have any questions or concerns, please stop by the front office. Thank you!

From the Director's Chair

Dear Parents,

Welcome to another exciting year at Children's Lighthouse! I thank you for trusting our staff to take the best of care of your children each day. We are off to a great fall start and the children are getting adjusted to their new environment and routine. For our ABeka classes, the curriculum begins the week of August 30th. This first week of school the children learned "All About Me". They had fun telling their classmates about their family, home, and self. We hope you are enjoying your Children's Lighthouse backpacks. They have been a huge help to our teachers in keeping their cubbie area safe and organized.

Our center is closed on Monday, September 6th for Labor Day. Our Parent's Night Out is on Friday, September 10th from 6:30 until 9:30 p.m. Please sign up by Friday September 3rd. More information on that is available at the front office. Our annual Fall Festival is in the works for October-please be on the lookout for more information on that spectacular event!

As always, my door is open!

Many blessings,
Deanna Gustafson
Center Director

September Birthdays

• SEPT. 10 MISS DEE
• SEPT. 16 MS.GLAFFY
• SEPT. 23 MS. ANGELA
• SEPT. 26 MS. CHRISTINA W.

Happy birthday to all of those who celebrate in September!

Curriculum News

Our classes have begun their curriculum and are off to a great start. The ABeka classes are already learning about different colors, beginning to recognize numbers and letters, starting with their Bible stories and much more. The classes have begun their Spanish lessons, which are four times a week. Children ages three and up are going to Jesus Rocks on Wednesdays and having a great time! Please be on the lookout for your child's monthly newsletter which will provide more details on their day to day schedule and activities.

Our Infant classes are learning all about "Big and Little" this month. The sign of the month is "big", the shape of the month is circle and the song is "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". The color of the month for our Infants and Toddlers is red. The Toddlers learn all about "Little Animals" this month. Their monthly nursery rhyme is "Little Miss Muffet". Each classroom has their monthly newsletter posted outside of their door for more detailed learning information. At any time, if you have questions regarding the lessons, please feel free to let us know. Thank you!

New Communication Logs

We are happy to announce our ABeka classrooms have a new communication log for parents to take advantage of. If you need to leave a note for your child's teacher regarding a personal or general concern, or even have a simple question or comment, a notepad is available by each classroom door. You may write a note and leave it in the marked manila envelope and your child's teacher will get back to you in a timely manner. You can also email us at info@childrenslighthousepof.com. A member of administration can respond to your email a.s.a.p. Thank you!

When you need to smile...

Always remember Jesus loves you! Prayer request cards can be found down in the church lobby.

"Hear my prayer O Lord; let my cry come to you! Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call! For the Lord builds up Zion; he appears in his glory; he regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer."

Psalm 102:1-2

Be sure to check with your child's class for the weekly bible lessons and monthly character values.

Ready for Fall Fun?

Time sure is going by fast! The fall season is gaining on us, with all the fall fun right around the corner. Our Fall Festival plans are in the works and they are coming along nicely. Our book fair is set and ready to be delivered, our silent auction baskets are getting prepared and the games are ready to be played with. If you are interested in volunteering your time for the day of the event, please let the front office know. We will need volunteers to help run the games, monitor the bounce houses, and other important parts of this awesome event.

A special memo about our themed silent auction baskets will be going home this week. Each classroom has a different basket theme, but you are more than welcome to donate towards any themed basket. If you have any separate items, for example a gift certificate for a certain service, please let the front office know. Any questions you may have in regards to this event, please let us know. Thank you for all of your support!

A "Schooler" Minute

We are off to a great start this year! The first day of riding the Lighthouse bus to and from school went smooth for both children and staff. Please remember to have your child here by 7:45 a.m. for the morning bus run. If your child is not going to be on the bus back to Children's Lighthouse in the afternoon, please let us know no later than 12:00 p.m.

Our school age teachers have had a great first week with the children. There schedule consists of homework time, snack, outside play and a daily group discussion. They also engage in individual and group projects,
games and activities.

Thank you!

Need a Dinner Date, Mom and Dad?

September is a special month- Parent's Night Out is here! For those families that do not know how this fun evening works, here is what happens: Our center stays open from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Your child comes to school and enjoys pizza, playing with friends, a movie and lots of fun while you get a night out! The cost is $15.00 a child and $10.00 for siblings. You can sign up at the front desk and pay the night of the event. If you have Tuition Express, you can have it automatically deducted from your account, just let us know. We look forward to seeing you then. The special night is Friday September 10, so don't miss it!

Thank you for all your help!

Thank you so much for all of your positive comments you have sent to our website! If you have not yet received your $5.00 coupon, please stop by the front desk.

For families interested in receiving $5.00 off a one week's worth of tuition, please take a moment to send your positive comments to our website or to Yahoo or Google (under the review section). We truly appreciate all of your support!

We thank you for refraining from using your cell phone while in the process of picking up your child. It has been a help to our teachers with keeping the communication open and making sure all accident reports are signed on a daily basis.

Please remember we are a peanut free center. We have children in our care that are highly allergic to peanuts/nuts. If you are sending in a lunch or snack substitution for your child, please do not send peanut butter. On class party days, only store bought items may be given to the children-no homemade goodies. Please check with the classroom teacher if you have any confusion on what to buy for party day.

By working together, we can all help keep our children safe each day! Thank you!

People of Faith Lutheran Church News

Worshiping Sundays
8:30 Traditional, 10:45 Contemporary
Church Office 407-877-3937

Angel Food Ministries food orders are due by September 17th. Online orders are due by September 19th. The pick-up date is September 25th. If you need a menu, please stop by the front desk at Children's Lighthouse or visit Peopleoffaith.org. Please call the church office for any questions you may have regarding the church.

Class News

Infant Rooms 1, 2, 3

Dear Parents:

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to teach your child this year. I trust it will be a wonderful year of learning and having good times.

We would like to first give a special welcome to our new infants; Sara, Peyton, Carson, Elizabeth and Jordan. We hope that you enjoy being a part of the Children's Lighthouse family. We sure are glad that you are here!

We hope that everyone is settling down into their new routine. Please feel free to talk to us if you ever have any concerns or questions about your child's routine; we are more than willing to help you find a routine that can work for you and your child.

We are looking forward to a great year, fun-filled year!

During the month of September, our infants will be learning about…

• Concepts: Big and Small
• Color: Red
• Baby sign: Big
• Song: Twinkle, twinkle, little star
• Nursery Rhyme: Little Miss Muffet
• Shape: Circle

Thank you,

Ms. Detasha, Ms. Bibi, Ms. Amanda, Ms. Odette & Ms. Tiffany

And a happy birthday wish goes to….
Adeline Spears– She turns 1 year old on September 4th!

Important Information

Remember: Each child is assigned a file in our folder where here you can stay in touch with your child's progress.

In this file you will find his or her daily sheet, feeding chart, diaper cream form, and other important documents regarding your child and their routine. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to ask any of us, and we will be more than happy to help you out in the best manner possible!

Important Dates:

• Sept. 6th—Closed in observance of Labor Day
• September 18th– Parents Night Out 6:30-9:30. See you then!!

Room 4

Center Reminders:

• Mon, 9/6- Labor Day, school closed
• Fri, 9/10 Parents Night Out!

Monthly Curriculum:

• Theme: Big & Little
• Baby Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
• Baby Sign: Big
• Color: Red
• Shape: Circle
• Nursery Rhyme: Little Miss Muffet

Welcome to the month of September! Lots of transitions are taking place and we are excited to have a chance to be your child's teacher! Being in room four, your child will begin to learn their colors, to count to ten, identify different animals, shapes, sounds and so much more! We would like to ask you to please bring your child to school no later than 9:00 am; this is when we begin our curriculum, which is the most important part of the day!

We would like to ask all of the parents to please apply sunscreen on your child in the mornings prior to arriving at the center; we will be more than happy to re-apply sunscreen in the afternoon before going outside if you wish.

A couple friendly reminders:

• Please check your child's folder on a daily basis.
• Please make sure to take all sheets and blankets home to wash every Friday, and return them on Monday.
• Last but not least, please make sure to label all of your child's items; this includes, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, blankets, all extra clothes, and anything else that comes from home.

Thank you all very much for all of your help!

God Bless
Ms. Amy & Ms. Angela

Room 5

Dear Parents,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to teach your child this year. I trust it will be a wonderful year of learning and having good times together.

This year your child will be learning all about God’s world while developing language skills with the help of many animal friends. He or she will learn to count from 1 – 25 and recognize 1 – 10. Coloring, painting, and gluing will help develop manual skills, while stories, poetry and music will aid in the development of comprehension, language, and thinking abilities.

This month, your child had already learned to recognize the colors red, yellow, blue and green. Our Character Values for the month are: Trust, Respect, Cheerful, and Fairness.

You can encourage your child by asking him about his day at school. You may wish to post special papers in a place of honor. Be sure to praise him for the efforts he has shown.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions concerning you child. I’m looking forward to a great year.

Sincerely,

Ms. Judi

Special Events:

• September 6th: Closed for Labor Day
• September 10th: Parents Night Out

Happy Birthday

• Bailey - September 13th
• Jakayla - September 14th
• Addisyn - September 23rd
• Zachary - September 27th

Room 7

A Teacher Note

Welcome to Room 7! The children are getting familiar with the classroom environment, making new friends, and everything is going great . Please take time to read our classroom newsletter each month. This is a communication tool for you and your family to know what is going on in the classroom and up coming events.

Classroom Themes

• September 6th -10th:
  • Abeka Skills, Cheery Colors. Phonics Letter Ii and counting numbers 1-3. Character Value is Trust. Bible story is Creation. Genesis 1:1-2 Lesson Focus: God made the whole world. Please help your child learn to recognize and print their own name.
• September 13th - 18th:
  • Abeka Skills, Mouse House. Phonics Letter Ii and Uu and counting numbers up to 5. Character Value is Respect. Bible story is Noah's Ark. Genesis 6-9, Lesson Focus: God created an amazing world, and we can help care for it. Please help your child to write their first name.
• September 20th - 25th:
  • Abeka Skills Old Apple Tree. Phonics Letter Ii, Uu, and Ee. Counting with objects up to10. Character Value is Peace. Bible Story is Abraham and Sarah's Visitors. Genesis 17:1-7 Lesson Focus: God's promises make us happy. Complete the attached sheet and have fun playing the game.
• September 27th - October 1st:
  • Abeka Skills Ollie Octopus . Phonics Letter Oo Uu. Counting objects up to 10. Character Value is Generosity Bible story is Isaac's Blessing. Genesis 25:19-34 Lesson Focus: God blessed all of us. Please help your child to know their birthday.

Pennies for the Food Pantry

Wednesdays is Jesus Rocks, our chapel day, and we need your change. Your change will help the food pantry to buy food for the hungry. If you have loose change your child can take it up to Ms. Mimi at Jesus Rocks!

Items Needed for Class

Each month we will give you a wish list and items we could use for our classroom. If you are able to donate any of the following items it would be greatly appreciated.

Stickers, Scrap material, Treasure box items

Fun Fun Fun at the Fall Festival

We are planning for a day of fun. We are in need of your help for the day. You can help on Friday evening or Saturday. You can volunteer for one hour or for the whole day. You can make this an event to remember. Stop by the office to sign up.

Laundry Day Friday

Friday will be the day we need you to take your child's blankets home to wash and return on Mondays. We have 21 children in the classroom and when you think of the germs this will be a good opportunity to keep the germs down in our classroom.

Something Fun and New

Your child will start to use scissors in our room. Don't worry we will teach them the correct way and what is allowed to be cut. Be patient, any thing you introduced new takes time to learn.

Room 9

Dear Parents,

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to teach your child this year – we trust it will be a wonderful year of learning and having good times together!

This year, your child will be learning all about God’s world while developing language skills with the help of many animal friends. He/she will learn to count from 1 to 25 and recognize 1-10. Coloring, painting, gluing, cutting and tearing paper will help develop manual skills, while stories, poetry and music will aid in the development of comprehension, language and thinking abilities.

During September, your child will learn to recognize the colors red, yellow, blue and green; learn the rules of our classroom; learn to recognize transition songs that lead us from one activity to another; learn proper hand washing techniques and develop our daily routine.

You can encourage your child by asking about his/her day at school. You may wish to post special papers or artwork in a place of honor at home. Be sure to praise your child for any efforts or new skills learned that you notice. Building self-esteem in children is so important for their development!

Again, we welcome you to room 9. We are so glad your family is with us this year! Please know that I am available to talk about any questions or concerns you may have. The best time to reach me is during nap time, which is 12:30-2:30 each afternoon.

Sept. 6-Closed for Labor Day
Sept. 10-Parents Night Out (sign up at the front)

Sincerely,
Ms. Sara

Room 10 - New's for Two's

WELCOME TO A NEW YEAR!

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to teach your child this year! We trust it will be a wonderful year of learning and having fun times together!

This year, your child will be learning all about God's world while developing language skills with the help of many animal friends. The children will learn to count from 1-25 and be able to recognize numbers 1-10. Coloring, painting and gluing will help develop motor skills, while stories, poetry and music will aid in the development of comprehension, language and thinking skills. So far we have learned to recognize the colors blue, yellow and green. You can encourage your child by placing special papers in a place of honor at home. Please remember not to bring any outside toys-they may get lost or broken.

The month of September begins our ABeka curriculum, Spanish lessons and more. The children are getting adjusted to the classroom environment, schedule and new friends. Please remember if you have any questions or concerns, please let us know. There is also a notepad, along with a manila folder near the door for you to leave us a note if we are not available to talk. The note will be answered as soon as possible. Thank you, again and welcome to room 10!

Ms. Kim and Ms. Laquitta

Special Dates:

• September 6th- Closed for Labor Day
• September 10th - Parent's Night Out

Happy Birthday to You...

We want to wish a very happy birthday to all of those who have a birthday this month. None of our friends have a birthday in September, but maybe their mom or dad does. Happy birthday!

Room 12

Monthly Curriculum

• Theme: Little Animals
• Baby Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
• Baby Sign: Big
• Color: Red
• Shape: Circle
• Nursery Rhyme: Little Miss Muffet

Welcome to the month of September! Lots of transitions are taking place and we are excited to have a chance to be your child's teacher! Being in room twelve, your child will learn their colors, to count to ten, identify different animals, shapes, sounds and so much more! Please have your child here no later than 8:45 am; this is when we have our circle time, which is the most important part of the day!

We would like to ask all of the parents to please apply sunscreen on your child in the mornings prior to arriving at the center; we will be more than happy to re-apply sunscreen in the afternoon before going outside if you wish.

Last but not least, please make sure to label all of your child's items; this includes, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, blankets, all extra clothes, and anything else that comes from home.

We appreciate your cooperation with these matters!

Ms. Ratisha & Ms. Tricia

Room 13

Busy Garden News

Dear Parents:

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to teach your child this year. I trust it will be a wonderful year of learning and having good times.

This year, your child will be learning all about God's world while developing language skills with the help of many animal friends. He or she will learn to count from 1-20 and recognize 1-10. Coloring, painting and gluing will help develop manual skills. while stories, poetry, and music will aid in the development of comprehension, language, and thinking abilities.

This month, your child will have learned to recognize the colors red, yellow, blue and green. Our bible verse for September is Genesis 1:1, a verse that helps children see how wonderful God made all things. You can encourage your child by asking him about his day at school. You may wish to post special papers in a place of honor. Be sure to praise him for the efforts he has shown.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions concerning your child. We are looking forward to a great year.

Special Reminders

Remember: Each child is assigned a file folder where you can stay in touch with your child's progress. Also, because sometimes it is so hard to speak with parents one on one, Children's Lighthouse has made something very special for the parents. Each classroom will have a yellow folder hung so you can leave suggestions, concerns or questions regarding the classroom or your child. We promise we will get back with you ASAP.

Again, Thank You!
Ms. Jackie & Ms. Shaday

Center Reminders

• Mon 9/6– Labor Day, School closed
• Fri 9/10 - Parents Night Out 6:30-9:30

Room 14

Parents,

We are so excited to have each and every one of your children in our class. We are having a blast getting to know everyone and have already started growing and bonding together. This month we will begin our Abeka curriculum. The first two weeks we will be talking about all of Gods wonderful creations and also reviewing our colors and shapes.

Please remember that lessons start promptly at 8:45 AM. Circle time is one of our most important times of the day. If you drop off during circle time please remember that the class needs to stay structured. If you have any questions put a note in the comment folder and Ms. Andrea will get back to you in a reasonable and timely manner. You may also stop by the front desk, and let Administration know of any concerns or questions.

Two of our big goals for this school year are to encourage and help shape your children to have “good listening ears” and follow the rules with good choices. The rules are reviewed twice a day and your children are already starting to recite them. Our biggest rule is “The Lord’s Commandment“:

Due to others as you want done to you. We are learning to treat our friends the way we want to be treated and to always show each other respect.

Our second biggest goal is to start taking on responsibility. In this classroom your children are learning to be independent. They throw their garbage away, clean their eating and working space off by themselves, and are starting to put their nap-time items away. Along with these responsibilities your children are also dressing and changing themselves after accidents. Your children are full of pride seeing what they are able to achieve by themselves and what they may do to help others.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any concerns, or questions you may have. You may also email us at info@childrenslighthousepof.com Please put Room 14 in the subject area. We are looking forward to a great year!

Ms. Andrea and Ms. Angie

CHARACTER VALUES

• 9/7 Trust
• 9/13 Respect
• 9/20 Cheerful
• 9/27 Fairness

WHAT WE WILL BE LEARNING

Review Numbers: 1, 2 and 3 - Review Letters: A- D

SPECIAL DATES

• Mon, 9/6- Labor Day, school closed
• Fri, 9/10 Parents Night Out!

Room 15

WOW!!!! We are having so much fun, and it has only begun. I am so thankful to be with your children everyday learning and exploring.

The month of September is filled with creation and learning activities that will both inspire and educate each boy and girl. We have already started with colors, and have been introduced to both Amber Lamb and Button Bear, who will continue to help us learn and grow throughout the school year.

We will be learning the sound recognition and tracing the letters Aa and Bb. We will also be studying the numbers 1 and 2. We will continue to work on the colors and shapes this month.

The children are also focusing on manners and classroom rules, and the reasons on why they are so important. During our bible time we will be exploring the character values and incorporating role play to help the children understand.

Please remember to ask you little ones about their day and check their folders daily. I shall keep you posted on all upcoming events and progress.

Please don't forget my door and heart are always open, please bring any comments or concerns to my attention.

God Bless, Ms. Heather

Character Values

• 9/6-Trust (Noah's Ark)
• 9/13-Respect (Abram's call)
• 9/20– Cheerful (Abraham and Sarah's visitor)
• 9/27-Fairness (Isaac's blessing)

Room 16

Dear Parents:

Hello my parents, how are you? We have been having a lot of fun and also have began to learn a lot too, working as a team. Let’s work together to see how the kids are growing in knowledge. I always count on you.

We are still working on the writing skills, starting with the names, and I will start giving some work to do at home to help your child to get to the next step. We will also be working with numbers 1 to 20. It will be my pleasure to work with you on this matter as a team. The week of August 29, 2010 starts our Abeka Curriculum.

Happy Birthday

• Ella Castleberry 09/29
• Nicholas Engel 09/14
• Carter Kittendorf 09/05
• Matias Matte 09/09/10

Character Value

• Thankfulness 8/30
• Trust9/6
• Respect9/13
• Cheerful9/20
• Fairness9/27

Thank you for your cooperation and if we can be of service to you, please do not hesitate to call us.

Ms Maribel