Blogs

Twice a year, we gather information about our snacks and hot lunches and send it to a nutritionist. She analyzes the information and sends us her analysis and any recommendations she has. The information she provides helps us make sure we are meeting the children’s nutritional needs. We are currently in this process, and will share with you any changes that we will be making based on her recommendations.

Over the next few weeks, I would like to share some simple tips about healthy eating.

Electronic media such as television, computers, and video games can be found everywhere today. They can have a big effect on our children, so it is important to think carefully about children's screen time.

When children watch television, they are not practicing valuable skills. These include social skills, such as asking questions, self control, and patience. They may also include physical skills, such as hand-eye coordination, or cognitive skills, such as creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking.

CeCe and Teresa enjoy their anniversary celebration.Consistency is so important for young children. Relationships with teachers who know you well and on whom you can depend to be there every day for you are the platform from which children can launch themselves into learning. CeCe Dunn and Teresa Rojas have both been with us for many years. CeCe celebrated her 10th anniversary at CPSC and Teresa celebrated her 5th. We honored them at a recent staff meeting with commerative plates.

Vania plays a Brazilian instrument to Carnival music to the delight of the soon to be dancing children.

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. The American Dental Association sponsors this observance to help raise awareness about the importance of dental health in children. Although primary or baby teeth will fall out, they play an important role in nutrition, speech development, and self-esteem, as well as acting as place holders for permanent or adult teeth.

I walked into a classroom to find one of our almost 3 year old little girls, Allie, crying by her cubby. April, her teacher, was with her, asking her why she was sad. She mournfully explained that she really wanted her Mommy. April and I both talked with her. We told her we could really see that she was very sad because her Mommy wasn’t there. April asked her if her mom was coming to pick her up this afternoon. No answer, just sobs and tears. “Do you want to write a letter to Mommy and tell her how sad you were?” “No. I just want my Mommy!” More sobs and tears.

I was in the baby rooms observing the early morning. I walked into the Butterfly classroom with my pad and pen, sat down on the floor next to Lucy, a delightful almost 7 month old baby. She was looking at me so I talked with her a bit. She smiled. Then she looked at my paper and then at my pen and then back at me. “Are you waiting for me to write?” I asked incredulously. I really do think that’s what was happening! Lucy repeated the round of looking at paper, pen, and then at me.

CSPC is proud to have a long history of NAEYC Accreditation. This accreditation program, created and administered by the National Association for the Education of Young Children is an excellent tool to use to assure ourselves that we are putting into practice the latest research on how to help children learn and develop optimally and keep ourselves at the forefront of the early childhood field. We have held our NAEYC Accreditation since 1991 and have thus proved repeatedly that we are capable of maintaining these very high quality standards.

In the last week, there have been a few product recalls affecting children's products. I wanted to share some information about these recalls for any families that might have products affected by the recalls.

This week is National Influenza Vaccination Week. This year the focus is on H1N1 influenza (swine flu) vaccines. Although this vaccine was initially only available in limited quantities to a few high risk groups, more vaccine is now available and all groups are being encouraged to get vaccinated.

I think every parent of a child between the ages of 1 and 2.5 years old has wondered why their children throw themselves (sometimes violently) on the floor when they get angry or upset. Such an extreme reaction! And often over almost nothing! Some of them do this with so much energy that they hurt themselves! What’s the explanation?

The discovery of antibiotics revolutionized medicine and turned many once-deadly infections into easily treatable illnesses. Today, antibiotics continue to save lives and limit illness. However, there has recently started to be concern that some germs are developing resistance to antibiotics.

December is a festive month throughout the US. And it is a festive month at CPSC. Since we have many different kinds of families who celebrate many different holidays, as a school we celebrate many different holidays as well. Our effort is to bring children’s homes and the celebrations that are important to them into our school. This happens throughout the year, but December contains an unusual number. So we’ve had lots of fun this month with many of our families and teachers bringing their celebrations into our classrooms.

As I was walking through the Chipmunk Room I heard the following conversation between two three year old boys.

“Un, deux, trios, quatre, cinq. That’s how I talk.”

“Well I talk like this. Uno, dos, tres.”

This was a thoughtful exchange of ideas. There was no judgment involved . . . no words about which was the right way to talk.

One of our goals at CPSC is to give children a community to grow up in that is very diverse where they can learn that there are lots of different legitimate ways of speaking and ways of doing things. These two very young children got the message.

Here’s another piece of the utility-of-dramatic-play story. One day one of our 4 year old girls had a difficult day. She was uncooperative and disrespectful to her teachers and she called one of her classmates stupid. Her teacher spoke with her about her behavior and talked with her mother at pick up time. Mother and child talked about the incidents on the way home and later that evening as well.

On December 5th, around 125 families with young children from throughout out community gathered at the Cubberley Theater to watch a theater performance from Israel called Didi’s Keys. The performance put on by Lior Productions and was brought to Cubberley by CPSC and PACCC who joined together to sponsor the event.

This week is National Hand Washing Awareness Week.

We have certainly been very aware of hand washing in our efforts to prevent the spread of H1N1 flu this year. Hand washing is a simple but effective way to prevent the spread of flu and many other types of illness.

Here’s a story I’ll be many of you can relate to. A parent of one of our preschoolers was talking about her child’s temperament at a parent meeting. She is a pretty ambitious, high energy, fun loving, results oriented person. Her son tends to be cautious, a bit slow to warm up, and somewhat introverted. This parent works hard at understanding who her son is and valuing his approach and personality even though they are very different from her own. But there come those times . . .

Holidays can be a time for fun and relaxation, but they can also become stressful. Travel, busy schedules, money worries, and high expectations can all make the holidays more stressful.

A little bit of stress can be a good thing. This is what allows us to meet deadlines and react in emergencies. But too much stress can cause problems, including headaches, stomach aches, trouble sleeping, bad moods, panic attacks, and behavior changes in children.

It all started with a donated toy tool set which ended up in the Chipmunk classroom. The children were delighted! In no time they were busy pretending to fix and build with their tool set. Lu Abel, our wonderfully personable, friendly and talented handyman came into the room and as he fixed a hinge here and a latch there, the children gathered around him, asking questions and observing intently. Their interest in Lu’s work was intense and they learned a lot just watching him work and talking with him.

"Bundle up before you go outside or you'll catch cold." Many of us grew up with the idea that going out in cold or wet weather causes colds and other illnesses. But colds, the flu, and other illnesses are caused by germs like bacteria and viruses, not by cold weather. In fact, fresh air and active outdoor play, even if it's cold outside, can help keep us healthy.

Nerice with her CPSC Five Year Anniversary GiftNerice Cao is the Head Teacher in our Chipmunk classroom. Nerice first came to our school in October of 2004. She joined us as a Substitute Teacher. Nerice’s teaching passion and talent was soon evident and when a Head Teacher position opened in the Chipmunk classroom, we were delighted when she applied for the job. Nerice lends a lovely combination of fun, affection, respect, and stimulation to her classroom. Her face lights up when she sees her children.

I just have to share the cutest story about some toddler play I witnessed and was lucky enough to film for our Toddler parent meeting this week. Daniel has discovered how much fun it is to lay inside the foam and vinyl cylinder on the deck while his friends roll the cylinder from one side of the deck to the other.

A few months ago I wrote a blog called Why Don’t They Mind? Today I want to talk about the necessity of punishment in the process of teaching a child to accept limits.

What has this child built? A computer! What is he doing?

One of his friends asked the same thing and he said "I am writing an e-mail on my computer. But I will talk to you in a couple minutes when I am all done."