Sunshines Handbook

WELCOME to the SUNSHINE CLASSROOM!!

 

Welcome! We would like to welcome all the Sunshines and their families to the classroom.  We are very excited to have you in the Sunshines class and are looking forward to the following year.  The following packet contains the guidelines and procedures of the Sunshine room.  If we have forgotten something or you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to speak with either one of the teachers in the classroom.

Classroom Rules

  • Be a Friend
  • Inside Voices
  • Listening Ears
  • Magic Words
  • Nice Touches
  • Walking Feet
  • Share and Care
  • Take Turns
  • Play Together

 

 

 Sunshine Room Schedule

7:30-8:45              Arrival/Free Play/Diapers & Potty Time

8:45-9:00              Clean Up/Wash Hands

9:00-9:30              Breakfast/Potty Time

9:30-10:10            Playground/Playroom

10:10-10:30          Wash Hands/Potty Time/Circle Time

10:30-11:00                   Art/Free Play in Learning Centers

11:00-11:30                   Lunch Time

11:30-11:45                   Wash Hands & Faces/Clean-up/ Diapers/Potty Time

11:45-12:00                   Story Time/Books on CD

12:00-12:30                   Dancing/Cots Out

12:30-2:30            Nap/Quiet Time

2:30-3:00              Cots Away/Diapers/Potty /Wash Hands

3:00-3:20              Afternoon Snack

3:20-3:30              Wash Hands/Clean- up/Potty

3:30-4:00              Playground/Playroom

4:00-4:30              Wash Hands/Diapers/Potty /Free Play

4:30-5:30              Table Toys/Books

 

** We believe our morning circle time prepares your child for a full day of learning and that’s why it is so important for them to arrive at Children’s House by 8:45 a.m.

** Diapers and Potty Time will be done on an as needed

basis as well. Those who are potty training will be taken

every half hour to insure success!

 

 

** Learning Centers will be available all day, excluding

snack/meal times and nap. Those centers include

kitchen, dramatic play, cars/trucks, quiet/reading,

science/sensory, blocks/manipulative, puzzles/fine motors and art.

 

 

Absences:  If you know your child will not be attending a day of school or will be coming in late, please call the Children’s House office (523-0122) by 9:00 so we are able to have a lunch count for that day.  We are also able to plan our day’s activities.

 

Birthday Parties:  We encourage all children to celebrate their special day with their friends.  Due to DCFS regulations, all treats must be store bought.  Also, Children’s House is a peanut free center.  We also have children with allergies in our center, so please check with us before the treats are brought in.  Thank you!

 

Circle Time:  We will have a circle time set aside each day from 10:45 a.m. – 11:00a.m.  At circle time we will focus on the learning aspect of the class.

  • We will discuss the following subjects each day:
      • Language, Names
      • Making Friends
      • Counting
      • Colors and shapes
      • Loud and Soft voices
      • Songs/Finger plays and books
      • Talk about the theme for the month

 

 

Classroom Setup:  Please label the items you bring in for your child to insure their return.

  • Bins:  Each child has a labeled bin (by the snack tables).  Please be sure to provide a complete extra set of season appropriate clothes for your child (shirts, pants, socks, etc.).
  • Cubbies & Hooks: Each child has a cubbie and a hook with their name on it. Each child keeps his or her items separate from other children’s personal belongings. In order to do this, we are asking you to provide two reusable shopping bags (similar to the green bags you can buy at the grocery store) for your child to keep at school. One bag will be used for your child’s jacket and backpack or diaper bag, the other will be used to hold your child’s nap time sheet, blanket, and pillow. Please check your child’s cubbie daily for reports and items to be sent home.
  • Family Train and Sunshine of the month and art work are displayed on the walls of the classroom.
  • Learning centers on the right side of classroom.
  • Parent Information Board:  This is the area where parents can gather all the information for our classroom.  Our daily activities will be posted there along with a snack and lunch menu.

 

 

Dress Code:  Please dress your child in play clothes and clothes that are comfortable for your child to play in. No flip flops please.

  • All girls must wear shorts under their dresses. 
  • Closed toed sandals or shoes only.

 

Medicine Policy:  When your child requires medication, please sign it in on the medicine form on the refrigerator.  Please be sure to write the time and dosage.  We do have a locked medicine box on the counter, where all medicine must be stored.  When your child is finished with their medicine, the medicine must go home.

 

Nap Time:  Naps are taken between 12:30 and 2:30 daily.

  • We provide the sheet and cot.  Please provide a blanket.
  • Your child may bring one soft toy to sleep with and a pillow if desired.  You will need to take them home on Friday’s to be washed.

 

Open-door Policy:  We welcome all parents to stop by anytime and join us in our day.  Please feel free to express any concerns or questions at anytime to either one of the teachers about the classroom.

 

 

Potty Training:  Part of becoming a two year old is accomplishing potty training and here in the Two’s, we strive to help them meet this goal.

  • All teachers will oversee this area and work directly with you and your child.
  • To help get a jumpstart, talk to your child about going on the potty and watch for signs that he/she is interested. When your child does show interest, have them sit on the potty each morning when they wake up and every evening before bed.
  • We normally give each new child a week or two to get used to the classroom before starting potty training. However, feel free to speak with the teacher about a time right for your child. As soon as a child shows interest we would like to start potty training.
  • When your child begins potty training, please supply them with a full set of clothes which contains:
      • 5 pairs of underwear, pants, shirts, & socks
      • 1 pair of extra shoes

 

  • Your child’s progress in potty training is shown on the potty wall
  • Once the child has accomplished potty training, their photo will be hung on the wall in the “Potty Club” pictures.
  • We do reward the children with a variety of stickers either on a wall chart or on the child. 

 

Supply List:

  • Diapers/Pull-Ups, wipes and ointments
  • Plenty changes of clothes (weather appropriate)
  • 2 reusable shopping bags (1 for naptime items and 1 for personal items)
  • Blanket and/or small pillow
  • Family Photo
  • Weather appropriate jacket

 

Toys:  During your child’s time in the Sunshine room there is a natural transition away from toys or pacifiers they may cling to. Special toys or pacifiers will be put away in their cubbies before breakfast.

 

 

 Skills-Concepts for the Two’s Room

 

Children between the ages of 20 to 30 months, tend to develop skills rapidly.  During your child’s time in the Sunshine room, the listed abilities will emerge as they turn 2 1/2.  The crafts and activities in our classroom are focused to help your child meet these goals.  The following is a list of the concepts and goals for a child turning three.

 

COGNITIVE

Personal Curiosity/Autonomy

  1.  Shows curiosity and interest in surroundings
  2.  Imitates the actions of adults
  3.  Imitates play of other children
  4.  Finds own play area or activity
  5.  Enjoys looking at books
  6.  Begins to notice differences between safe and unsafe environments.

Senses

  1.  Begins to develop senses of touch, smell, taste, hearing and sight
  2.  Begins to place large puzzle pieces in appropriate slots

Memory

  1.  Refers to self  by name
  2.  Points to common objects on command
  3.  Associates use with common objects
  4.  Stacks three rings by size

Creativity

  1.  Shows simple symbolic play (pretends block is a cup)

Language

  1.  Describes what happened in two or three words
  2.  Verbalizes want (“want water”)
  3.  Repeats parts of songs, rhymes, and finger plays

Listening

  1.  Listens to simple stories and songs
  2.  Follows simple directions
  3.  Places objects in, on, beside, or under
  4.  Identifies loud and soft

Labeling

  1.  Identifies own gender
  2.  Identifies boy or girl
  3.  Identifies self in mirror
  4.  Names common objects in pictures

Self

  1.  Points to six body parts when named
  2.  Puts on and removes coat unassisted
  3.  Lifts and drinks from cup and replaces on table
  4.  Spoon feeds without spilling
  5. Begins to understand cleanliness
  6.  Helps put things away

Social Studies

  1.  Identifies self from a snapshot
  2.  Shows pleasure in dealing with people and things

Math

  1.  Understands the concept of “one”
  2.  Counts two (repeats two digits)
  3. Groups things together by size (one category)

Size Differences

  1. Points to big and little objects

Shapes

  1. Differentiates circle and square

Science Concepts

  1. Knows the names of three animals
  2. Can associate the words grass, plants, and trees with correct objects
  3. Identifies rain clouds and sun
  4. Begins to understand hard and soft
  5. Begins to understand hot and cold
  6. Begins to understand wet and dry
  7. Matches two color samples

Gross Motor

Hand-Eye Coordination

  1. Throws a small object two feet
  2. Catches a rolled ball and rolls it forward

Body Coordination

  1. Jumps with two feet
  2. Claps with music
  3. Walk on tip toe
  4. Walks downstairs

Fine Motor

Finger Strength and Dexterity

  1. Fills and dumps containers with sand
  2. Turns single pages

Hand-Eye Coordination

  1. Applies glue and paste collage pieces
  2. Paints with a large brush
  3. Tears paper
  4. Strings five large beads
  5. Colors with a large crayon
  6. Rolls, pounds, and squeezes clay
  7. Draws a horizontal line
  8. Builds a six block tower
  9. Uses scissors with one hand to cut paper

*The Skills/Concept exert is taken from “Year ‘Round Activities for Two-Year-Old Children”, written by Anthony J. Coletta, Ph.D. & Kathleen Coletta.

 

 Revised Feb. 6, 2014