Open Arms

Child Development Center

12885 W. Maple
Wichita, KS 67235
ph: 316-721-5675
fax: 316-721-5690
ericam@openarmswichita.com

Newsletter - may 2008

dIRECTORS nOTE
The arrival of spring announces the arrival of tornado drills. They are conducted monthly between the months of April & September. Each tornado drill will be treated as if it were an emergency. If your child will be sensitive to this, please take time to discuss with them the importance of drills. Infants & toddlers will be taken to the North storm shelters located in the public restrooms. The preschool & school age children will be taken to the south storm shelter located in the multipurpose room.
Child Care Providers Appreciation Day - May 9th
Research shows that early childhood is the most critical development period in a child's life. It takes a special person to work in this field. Frequently the contribution these individuals make to the quality of children's and families' life goes unnoticed. Please recognize and commend the unselfish dedication, commitment and compassion that your children's child care provider demonstrates every day.
FYI- Per Parent Handbook - If tuition is not paid by Friday following care, a $5.00 late fee will be assessed to that account for each business day that tuition is not paid.
Are you tired of writing your weekly check for tuition? Have you considered electronic payment? Forms can be picked up from the front desk and there is no cost to you.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the parents that have assisted us in the past years with driving the children to different field trip locations. We have ordered an additional bus and even though it is not going to win any beauty pageants, it was purchased due to the safety of this type of unit.
Please make sure you have signed a permission slip for us to apply sunscreen during these warm/hot months so that the children do notget burnt.
Some of the staff have expressed interest in working four 10 hour days during the summer months. This enables us to provide extra hours to some of the college students while helping out in having extra staff in the afternoon. This new schedule will start May 27th.
A Note From The Kitchen:
We have several children with milk/dairy allergies. When you have your doctor write a note stating the allergy and the restriction, please have them be very specific. If the note says "No Milk", we serve water in place of milk and do not serve cheese, yogurt or ice cream. If the note states "No Dairy Products", your child does not get ANYTHING with milk cooked in it. This includes chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, beef fingers, cookies and many more of their favorites. We certainly do not want to single out your child, however, if the notes states "No Dairy Prodcuts" they receive no dairy products. If the note says they canhave juice instead of milk, you are to provide the juice. This needs to have the child's name and date on the container. If you have any questions, you can always stop by the kitchen and ask.
Ms. Shirley
upcoming events
- April 11th: Trike-A-Thon for St. Jude (in our Gym)
- April 18th: Maize, SEAS & St. Francis Out
- April 24th: Wichita Schools Out
- April 25th: Wichita, Goddard Schools Out
- April 28th: Goddard Schools Out
Attention Parents of Kindergarten & School Age Children:
On the days that school is not in session, there is limited space in the classrooms. If you need care for your child on these days, please see Erica to sign your child up, they may attend provided there is room. Room is on a first-come-first-serve basis. If you sign up you will be billed REGARDLESS of attendance or cancellation.
classroom meal times
Early School Age/Kindergarten Breakfast @ 7:30am
Regular Breakfast @ 8:30pm
Toddler/Kindergarten (pm) Lunch @ 11:30am
Preschool Lunch @ 12:00pm
Kindergarten (am) Lunch @ 12:30pm
Toddler Snack @ 2:30pm
Preschool/Kindergarten (am) Snack @ 3:00pm
School age/Kindergarten (pm) Snack @ 4:15pm
What's your child learning?
April Themes
- 7th - 11th: Springtime
- 14th - 18th: Our Earth
- 21st - 25th: Flowers & Bees
- 28th - 2nd: Teacher's Choice
Monthly Bible Stories
- God's World in Springtime
- God's Beautiful World
- God Made Flowers

infant room news

Let Springtime begin! Hopefully, warmer weather is just around the corner. Therefore we will be takingour babies outside for walks. Please note that we will need an extra sweater or light jacket to keep at the center. Also, remember that we will eventually need sunscreen.

Last month, we said good-bye to Brayden, as he moved up tothe Transition Room. We also welcomed three new babies in March, Evan and twins, Kaitlyn & Blake. We are delighted to have them. Please have a healthy & fun April.

Ms. Sandy
Ms. Debbie
Ms. Karen
Miss Tori
Miss Megan
Ms Stephanie

Transition room news

Spring is in the air! The weather is getting so nice! We will be going outside more so please make sure your child has the appropriate apparel. I want tothank all the parents for the marvelous St. Patrick/Easter goodies.

I would like to welcome our new friend Brayden to the Transition Room as we say good-bye to Kaylee and Paige! Good luck in Toddler One, girls!

We are still working on our numbers and colors, I see so much improvement! It's exciting to see the little ones grow up so fast!

Sadly, I need to inform all my parents that I am leaving Open Arms for a path not completely determined at this time. I have enjoyed my time here and thank you for sharing your children with me!

Ms. Meril
Ms. Mary

Toddler 1 News

Wow! Its April already! More warm weather is on the way. We can't wait to be able to take our class outside more, it seems to be their favorite time of the day.

We have a few changes going on in Toddler One. Jack & Olivia will be moving to Toddler Two. They are growing up so fast. Kaylee M. and Paige will be joining our class. We will also be doing a lot of art projects, decorating our room for Spring & Summer. We will also be working on our colors and shapes.

Since the warmer weather is coming you may want to think about bringing a lighter jacket to leave in your child's cubbie.

Ms. Hayley
Ms. Kaleigh

toddler 2 news

April showers will bring May flowers. Toddler Two will be enjoying the sensory table and the outdoors as much as possible. Next week we will talk about rainbows. We will be making rainbow salad on April 4th. We will be sending out notes on what we need. The next week is Springtime. We will be needing kites. If you would like to donate a kite that would be great.

With the weather changing, please check that your child has the appropriate clothes, it is a good time to change out winter clothes for spring ones. Happy Birthday to Morgan, who will turn two on the 14th!

Ms. Nichole

toddler 3 news

Spring is upon us and Easter has hopped right by! The weather can be a little confusing at this time so please have a jacket for your child in their cubbie. We hope that your child has made a good adjustment to the time change and also to the fact that Ms. Nana is in Toddler Three on a full time basis. We will still have music on Tuesdays & Thursdays. Lucky T3!

Happy Birthday to Talon on April 25th! The Big 3!

Ms. Staci
Ms. Nana
Miss Naomi

Toddler 4 news

(closed till summer)

preschool one news

We would like to thank the parents for making our St. Patrick's Day party a success. This month we will be going outdoors more, please make sure your child has an extra change of clothes and shoes in case we need to change them after playtime.

Themes for this month will be: Weather & Rainbows, please look for the "Color of the Day" that will be posed on the door. Next will be Springtime, Our Earth and Flowers & Bees.

On Friday, April 18th, we will be taking a trip to the Wichita Children's Theater to see "The Three Little Pigs". We need one more parent driver who would like to share their time with us. Please be looking for the permission sheet.

We welcome Noah & Emma H. to Preschool One. Happy Birthday!

Ms. Jenni
Mr. Brad

preschool two news

Spring is in the air! We are so excited to welcome the warmer weather and more outside activities. We will be talking about the weather, rainbows and Springtime. We hope to take the kids on a nature walk, so keep an eye out for a persmission form. Thanks to all the parents who helped us with our Easter Celebration, and especially to JC's grandmother for the homemade cookies that the kids were able to decorate, they truly were a hit!

April would be a great time to "spring clean" your child's cubbie and exchange winter clothes with spring ones. A light sweater or jacket would be nice to have since the playground can be chilly in the mornings.

This month is one of our busiest months for birthdays...Ashlee, Cameron, Hayden & Jackson will be all turning 4 this month. Happy Birthday to you all.

Ms. Libby
Ms. Bonnie

pre-kindergarten news

Pre-K is springing into Spring! Please stop by our room to see our Spring scene as it unfolds. Also with Spring comes Spring cleaning. Please be sure to exchange your child's extra winter clothes with spring clothing.

Also, this month, Pre-K will be celebrating three birthday's. Iain, Ryan and Alex are turning 5! Happy Birthday to you all from Pre-K.

Happy Spring!

Ms. Monica
Miss Cathy
Miss Laura
Miss Devinee

kindergarten

Spring has sprung and the grass has 'ris, anybody know where the Kindergarten class is? I know we have been moving around a lot, and thank you for being so patient with us. The before school kids, the ones who go to school at 8am, now go to the big back room first thing to eat breakfast with the big kids. The PM Kindergarten kids, the ones who get on the bus at noon, go into Pre-K until the other kids get on the bus. Then I take them into our room for breakfast and the rest of their day. I know it sounds confusing, but trust me, it is a lot easier on everyone in the morning!

Well, we are on the downhill side of the school year and are gearing up for summer! We have lots of fun activities planned and it should be a great time as we change our name from the Kindergarten room to Summer Rec 2.

Parents please remember that itis still chilly outside in the mornings, so please bring a jacket for your child to wear. Also, as we do various activities in the classroom, please be on the lookout for sign up sheets. We may need certain things for a specific activity. Thanks for all your help!

Ms. Danielle
Ms. Lynsi
Miss Aron

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