A Word from Our Director
Community Goal
So many parents will tell you that they love their workday. The kids are great! We had such a great time playing on bike deck! You might wonder what secret these folks have!?! Approaching your workday with warmth and enthusiasm will go a long way to helping you have a great time. Being your best authentic self and allowing the children to be their best authentic selves will allow you to see the moment without shame or judgment.
Shame and judgement is a tricky place. Sometimes we give ourselves a healthy dose or we apply the judgments to the children. This isn't fair to ourselves or the kids. It's also very hard to stop, if this is what you know and have experienced. You aren't doing anything wrong. I have a couple of tips though to help you enter into and leave your workday at peace:
- Accept that children will act like children. They are new to this planet and they are rough around the edges.
- Accept that children are good and want to be good. When they go off track, they either made a mistake or are seeking a closer connection and possibly a firm loving limit.
- Approaching off track behavior with kind attention will not encourage the behavior, it will change the behavior.
- When you feel out of your depth, teachers are close by, ask for help.
- Give yourself a break! If you make a mistake or a child has a hard time in your area, then know that we all make mistakes. Don't be too hard on yourself.
Tid Bits - Helpful information that has come across my desk this week:
Magic Moment!
Watching kids connect for the first time is so wonderful. On Wednesday, I got to watch Graham and Maceo at the Lego Bin in Red Room. It’s a close space, barely big enough for two kids. They first started just playing next to each other, then one boy saw that the other boy had the toy he wanted. This caused them to notice each other! About 20 minutes later, the same thing happened over the big blocks outside. Maceo built a tall tower, so Graham built a tall tower. They both wanted the same blocks and to build the same tower. We had to negotiate a bit until Graham realized that a smaller block could be a hammer. Pow! Bang! Wham! Maceo ran to get a "hammer" and the fun began! A friendship is starting to bloom.
- Maria Chew, Director
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Committee & Staff Announcements & Notes
Parent Ed
Tuesday, September 25: Positive Behavior Strategies for Preschoolers with Special Guest Aki Raymer
Monday, October 1: SF Co-op Kindergarten Night at Lakeshore Elementary
- Alyson Gembala, Parent Ed Chair (Theodore/AM)
Community Fundraising
Giorgio’s Pizza Night – Monday, September 24
Still longing for circular food after eating all those pancakes? Then come to Giorgio’s pizza for dinner on Monday night! Mention Laurel Hill (and write “Laurel Hill” on the receipt) for all dine in and take out orders from 11am to 9pm on Monday, 9/24, and LH gets back a portion of the total amount!
Eat Well, Do Good: Good Eggs Fundraiser––Coming in October and November!
This fall, 5% of every grocery order you place on Good Eggs will go back to Laurel Hill Nursery School!
 Good Eggs is an online grocery market in the Bay Area delivering absurdly fresh groceries. Shop today for same-day delivery straight to your doorstep––no subscription required. Delivery is free on all orders over $60.
How to join the fundraiser:
- Visit schools.goodeggs.com
- Enter the code ILOVELAURELHILL––click "Shop Now"
- Add your groceries to your Good Eggs basket and check out
New customers get $15 off with this code and if 20 new customers join the fundraiser, LH gets a $500 fundraising bonus. How cool!
- Jason Kuo, Community Fundraising Chair (Hannah/AM)
Diversity & Inclusion
Here is a list of the dates we have on the calendar for upcoming Diversity and Inclusion discussions. The discussions will be a combination of sharing perspectives and talking about current topics in Diversity and Inclusion.
Diversity and Inclusion Coffees
- Tuesday, October 2, 9:15am
- Thursday, October 4th 1:15pm
- Wednesday, October 17, 9:15am
- Friday, October 19, 1:15pm
Diversity and Inclusion: Town Hall
- Tuesday, October 30, 7:30pm
I hope you will be able to attend one or more of these events. We have attempted to provide a range of dates to accommodate as many people as possible.
I also wanted to share here the quote I read at the Business Meeting, which I feel captures the spirit of what we need in moving forward with this work:
"I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou
- Sunya Berkelman-Rosado Smith, Diversity and Inclusion Chair (Leo/AM, Olive/Alum, August/Alum)
Scheduling
A huge thank you again to everyone who has graciously volunteered to cover a Parental Leave workday. Your generosity does not go unnoticed! We still have a few shifts available for Friday PMs. You can sign up here.
For those of you who didn’t get a chance to volunteer this time, fear not! There will be plenty more opportunities in the coming months.
- Jessica Duque, Scheduling Chair (Olivia/AM)
Auction
The Auction Committee is proud to present this year’s theme “Endless Fun.” T-shirts for adults and kids will be for sale soon.
Auction Details
Saturday March 2, 2019
5:30pm - 11:00pm
The General’s Residence at Fort Mason
Start thinking about what kind of items you would like to see/bid on at the Auction. This is LH’s biggest fundraiser of the year!
- Cody Olson (Bubba/PM Pre-K) and Meghan Cordes (Roger/PM), Auction Co-Chairs
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A Message from Sally
Kids can do so many things...including drive their grown-ups Coo-coo-Bananas! The following article is an incredibly helpful resource created by esteemed Early Childhood Educator, Dan Hodgins. I highly encourage you to print it out and hang it on your refrigerator!!!
What Children Can't Do…Yet By Dan Hodgins
When working with children keep in mind what they are ready for and what they are not; what they can do and what they are unable to do…yet.
I can't share.
Children use possession of objects as a device to understand autonomy. Just as babbling comes before talking, so owning comes before sharing. To share fully, a child must first fully possess.
I can't say, "I'm sorry," and mean it.
Saying "I'm sorry" has little meaning to the young child. To say, "I'm sorry" and understand what you are saying, you must also be able to understand how the other person feels.
I can't remember what you told me.
Most children remember only what is important to them. A child may not remember that you just told them to walk, and not run, while indoors. Adults often forget that children have trouble remembering.
I can't focus on more than one task at a time.
"Pick up your toys, put on your shoes, and wash your face; we are going out to play." This command has three more tasks than a young child is able to focus on. Most young children will remember the last task or the task most important to them. With the above command, all the child may focus on is that he or she is going out to play.
I can't understand negative commands.
If a child reaches to put his or her finger in an electric wall outlet and you say, "don't," the child is confused because he or she doesn't know how to reverse their action. Saying, "Pull your hand back, that's dangerous" gives the child a positive action to take.
I can't measure.
When you want a child to pour a glass of milk or juice and you hand him or her a full pitcher, expect the child to pour all the milk into the glass, even if it pours all over the floor or table. Young children do not understand that all of the milk will not fit into the glass and so keep pouring until it's too late.
I can't tell you the truth when you set me up.
If you see a child do something inappropriate, and you ask if he or she has done it, the child will probably deny it. Don't ask the child if you know what happened. That only sets them up for failure.
I can't sit still for very long.
Young children are often told to sit still, while their bodies are telling them to move. When the large muscles in a preschooler's arms and legs are growing rapidly, they cry out for exercise. As a result, preschoolers feel a need to move about.
I can't play with other children until I am ready.
Children go through different stages of social interaction. If allowed to grow at their own pace, they will begin to interact with other children when they are ready.
I can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy.
When a child has a bad dream, it is very real to him or her. Telling a child not to be a "baby" does not help. Playing fantasy is real for the child and very important for control and development.
I can't express myself in words very well.
Children resort to physical means of communication because they often don't have the verbal skills to express frustration and other feelings. You can help by giving the child words to use.
I can't wait.
Try not to put children in situations where they have to wait for long periods of time. Waiting often makes taking turns difficult.
I don't understand right and wrong.
Because young children don't understand cause and effect relationships, they can't fully understand right and wrong. A young child does not understand intentional versus unintentional actions, can only see issues from his or her own perspective, and views issues as black and white.
I can't be ready until I'm ready.
Children all grow and develop at different rates. Don't compare children or force them to do things before they are ready.
Dan Hodgins writes from Flint, Michigan where he is coordinator of the child development program at Mott Community College.
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Business Meeting Minutes
You can view the most recent business meeting (9/18/18) minutes online here. They are also posted on the bulletin board just outside the office in the hallway at Laurel Hill.
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Calendar
Giorgio's Pizza Monday
Monday, September 24, 11am – 9pm
Parent Ed: "Parent from a Place of Connection"
Tuesday, September 25, 7:30pm
Executive Committee Meeting
Monday, October 24, 7:30 – 9:30pm
Parent Ed: SF Co-op Kindergarten Night at Lakeshore Elementary
Monday, October 1, 6:45 – 9pm
Diversity and Inclusion Coffee
Tuesday, October 2, 9:15am
Diversity and Inclusion Coffee
Thursday, October 4, 1:15pm
Extended Care ONLY
Monday, October 8
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Upcoming Meeting Host Schedule
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View the Meeting Host Duties Checklist to see all responsibilities for the main host and other meeting hosts. Please be aware that the new doors lock from the outside. To lock up after a meeting, be sure to close the outside doors and pull them shut from the inside of the rooms.
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