Dear Parents,

     Fall is upon us once again!  The leaves are all aflutter as they  dance in the air and drift down from the trees as we play on the playground each beautiful day.

     Over the past several weeks we have been busy exploring the expanding circles of relationships that enrich our lives. Self; family; friends; community and the larger world that holds us all. As we come to the place where we are ready to shift to a new focus, step inside and take a peek at our display on the wall. You will see elements of our individual and collective work in the images that have been gathered together to represent each child in our school community; photos of their families and friends (thank you for sending them our way!); the special places we go to in our community, and now,  people, places and creatures that share our planet with us. It is inspiring to watch the children spend time each day huddled together in discussion about all they see.

   Speaking of a shift in focus………….shoes are such a big part of our daily experience. Admiring new shoes (sparkles and “light ups” are always a hit), searching for a missing shoe, coordinating our movements while trying to get them on and off,  and clomping around in dress-up shoes. SO…….shoes are IT! We will be having lots of fun investigating the world of shoes. The delightful children’s book, SHOES by Elizabeth Winthrop, will be our beginning anchor as we take off on this journey. Many other support books and stories will join us along the way. Stay tuned to see what might evolve …… possibly a shoe store; “designer” shoe creations; shoes for different purposes; shoes from around the world…….?  Only time will tell!

       Studio Discovery Fridays Report: As you know, the first sense the children have been learning about is the sense of  Sight. They have been “dissecting” the eyeball – don’t worry, not the actual eyeball but how the eye works. Now that your eyes are wide open……..the children have been learning about the path by which light travels through the eye. Entering through the cornea ( protective layer) light passes through the pupil (which is a hole) then on through the lens (where the light gets focused). It continues on through the retina (where the picture is made). The picture is then sent through the optic nerve and into the magical, complicated, wonderful brain…… Voila! Sight! We will continue to explore more aspects of eyesight before surprising you with the next Sense to be studied!

HALLOWEEN:  We will celebrate Halloween on Wednesday October 30th and Thursday October 31st, Friends ‘n Fun style.  We want to celebrate one of the kids’ favorite holidays, and we do it in a way that everyone has fun and feels safe. Costumes can be scary and confusing to some children, so we ask that you keep your child’s costume at home and not bring them to school.  We will play games, read some Halloween stories, have a special snack and have our annual pumpkin rolling race!  If you would like to contribute to the festivities we will have a sign-up available at drop-off/pick-up for: snacks, halloween plates, cups or napkins,  and Halloween stickers. 

It would also be great if you could send a small pumpkin to school on our celebration day for the race. A pie pumpkin is the perfect size!

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES:  Thanks to everyone for making the time to meet with your child’s small group teacher.  We always enjoy this time to connect and chat about some of our favorite people – your children!!If at any time you would like to meet again, please let us know.  We are always happy to set up a time for that, in-person or via phone.

Parenting Discussion Night

Our meeting in September was wonderful and we are ready for the next one! We will be available for the next gathering at FnF on Wednesday evening November 6th from 6:30 to 7:30. We will continue these gatherings throughout the school year so drop in if and when you want.

   *Unfortunately our space is not big enough to accommodate a discussion group and child care.

Please watch Channel 9 News for notices of school closings or late 

opening times on days of extreme snow/ice.  If you can, check Channel 9

News online for the most current updates. 

Sometimes there is a timing delay when it gets added to their list of closures so 

we also post closures on the “Latest & Greatest” page on our website and our 

Facebook page: 

www.friendsnfunchildrenscenter.com

www.facebook.com/FriendsnFunChildrensCenterInc

Phone numbers – If something should come up during off school hours call Janet or Jane. Their numbers are on your class list.  

HAPPY FALL EVERYONE!!!!! 
           Janet, Jane, Katey and Kate