FAMILY BUZZ
Exploring Kindergartens
Pre-K Families,
It’s time to explore options for Kindergarten for your child!
Minneapolis Public Schools - Free
Here's the link to the Minneapolis Public Schools Website to learn more.
There are options to choose from: your neighborhood community school and magnet schools which focus on various interests or learning styles (ex. language, arts, STEM science technology engineering math, Montessori, World school).
Minneapolis Timeline:
Beginning mid-November 2023: Explore options
Visit the website to learn more
Go tour schools
January 31, 2024: Due date to be included in the first school request lottery.
March 31, 2024: Due date to be included in the second school request lottery.
May 2024: Register at your school
Charter Schools - Free
Charter schools receive government funding but operate independently of the established local public school system. Here's a link to a directory of charter schools.
Private Christian School Options - Tuition, scholarships available
Hope Academy 2300 Chicago Ave. S. Minneapolis
Minnehaha Academy 4200 West River Parkway Minneapolis
If you don’t live in Minneapolis, please check your local school district’s website for options and timelines for enrolling.
We are happy to walk alongside you in this transition. Please see Ms. Ann if you need any advice.
Early Childhood Screening If you haven’t already, please have your child screened before Kindergarten. For Minneapolis: 612-668-3715 screen@mpls.k12.mn.us
Supporting Emotional Development
“When little people are overwhelmed with big emotions, it’s our job to share our calm not join their chaos.” ~ L.R. Knost
In early childhood, children are learning to:
Recognize and describe their own emotions “I’m frustrated!” “I’m happy!”
Show some understanding of others’ emotional expressions. A two year old may say “sad” when another child is crying.
Begin to understand the cause and effect around emotional reactions. If I knock over someone’s block tower, they get mad.
Use a variety of self-comforting behaviors and calms self when feeling strong emotions with some adult help, such as hug a stuffed animal or blanket, take deep breaths, ask for a hug.
What we can do to help support children’s emotional development? Some ideas:
Help children to name their emotions, using even more complex words as they get older. “You look upset/ frustrated/ overwhelmed. Tell me about it.”
Help your child recognize other people’s emotions. As you read books with your child, look at the pictures and talk about what the characters must be feeling and why.
It’s ok to sit with one’s feelings for awhile. Reassure your child that it’s ok to be feeling sad/worried/overwhelmed. What’s important, is what do we do with those feelings.
Help your child work through their emotions and calm their bodies (self regulate). Some ideas: a big hug, taking deep breaths, stomp your feet, draw an angry/happy/sad picture, be by oneself for awhile, look at a book, play with playdough.
If there’s a conflict, help your child use words to solve the problem. “When you did ____, it made me feel ___, let’s try ____ instead.” Model conflict resolution too.
When we’re tired, hungry, thirsty, stressed, etc., we all get easily upset. Help your child listen to what their body needs. “I see that you are getting frustrated quickly. I’m wondering if your tummy is hungry.”
Do what you need to do to stay calm too, take deep breaths, have a drink of water, listen to calming music, sing a lullaby, call someone to talk about it. Share your calm with your child!
More Resources:
"Building Social Emotional Skills at Home” from the National Assoc. for the Education of Young Children
BIG HELPERS - BIG JOBS
Mixing sweet potato pie at WWP!
“Young children love to help out, but many times we won’t let them. Why? Because we think it’s easier - and faster to do it ourselves. Your child might take 15 minutes to finish a job you can do in one minute. But in 15 minutes your child can learn a lot!” Read more: "Big Jobs at Home" from the National Association for the Education of Young Children
Ideas of how young children can be Big Helpers at Home, from our Parent Connect discussion:
washing the dishes - be ready with extra towels
cleaning the bathroom - again be ready with extra towels!
each child in the family has their own special sponge (that they picked out) to clean with
setting and clearing the table for meals
putting away the silverware from the dishwasher - great matching activity
matching socks
helping to change the sheets - it’s fun to make a parachute with the sheets and jump on the bed too!
What other ways do your little ones help?
LUNCH FOOD IDEAS
Several families have asked for lunch food ideas! Here are some thoughts and pictures of some of today’s lunches.
Please pack foods from all of the food groups.
Beverages: We will serve water and skim cow’s milk. No need to send any other beverages. Juices are often high in sugar and should be limited to one serving a day.
Everything must be NUT-FREE, because of allergies. Thanks!
Containers with little compartments for each food is helpful. They can be cheaper than lunchables.
Grain
Rice - Bread - corn bread, Pita, Naan, Tortilla, Bagel, etc.
Crackers - whole grain
Cereal
Muffin
Pancake
Pasta
Potatoes
Protein
Beans
Sunbutter - please label, we don’t want to mistake it for peanut butter
Egg - hard-boiled
Chicken - Beef - Pork - Fish
Sandwich meat - ideas: cut it into cracker size pieces or roll it up
Dairy
Cheese - stick, cut into cracker size pieces
Yogurt
Cottage cheese
Fruit - fresh, frozen, dried or canned
Berries - Banana - Orange - Kiwi
Apple slices - Applesauce
Craisins - Figs - Raisins - Mango
Grapes -chokable, please always cut
Mandarin oranges - Peaches - Pears
Vegetables - fresh, frozen or canned
Beans - Broccoli (Trees) - Carrots - Celery - Corn - Peas - Tomatoe
Peppers - hint: call them “sweet peppers”
Ideas:
Leftovers that your child likes: pizza, chicken & rice, mac & cheese, they are tasty cold!
Send warm foods in a thermos if you’d like: soup, leftovers, etc.
Quesadilla: tortilla with cheese and beans, they taste good cold too!
Pancakes plain or with a little butter, syrup, or sunbutter
Wrap: roll up things in a tortilla, like sandwich meat & cheese, banana & sunbutter, let your child choose what to add!
It’s fun to dip! Add a bit of ranch dressing humus for veggies, or yogurt for fruit.
Please avoid sending food items that are in the squeeze type pouches(like applesauce). While convenient, they have been shown to contribute to children developing speech issues, oral aversions and digestive issues. If sent to school, we’ll cut the top off and have the children eat them with a spoon.
Please save sweet treats (candy, cookies,etc) and salty treats (chips) for at home. We call them “sometimes treats” and not for everyday.
Our mealtime prayer at WWP: “God is great. God is good. Let us thank him for our food and each other.”
ADVENTUROUS PLAY
PLAY is how children learn. Recently our teachers' had a training day about the concept of ADVENTUROUS PLAY and it's importance for children's development. You may ask...
What is Adventurous Play? It includes...
Risk taking
Trying new things
Messy play/art
Sensory play (water, sand, etc.)
Heavy lifting/pushing
Spinning, hugging, squeezing, rocking, being upside down, balancing
Using tools
Heights
Speed
Rough & tumble / Wrestling/ “Big body play”
Playing alone
Children need to spend time upside down to develop their vestibular system which helps with balance. The staff gave it a try at our training day!
What are some benefits of Adventurous Play?
Problem solving skills
Self confidence
Self control
Resilience
Knowing one's limits - less likely to get hurt
Persistence
Being a good reader
Improved focus
Prepares one to learn how to drive
Physical strength
Sense of balance
Having a growth mindset… the power of “yet”. I can’t do it YET, but I will!
Social development - teamwork, relationships
We'll be providing a few opportunities for parents to talk about and for children and families experience ADVENTUROUS PLAY over the next few weeks and months at our Parent Connect groups and Family Fun Night.