New School Year!

August 30th is just around the corner, and AIA staff are excited to welcome our returning and brand new HSH families!

Home Sweet Home has utilized our week of staff development to focus on Reggio pedagogical theory, engage in more team building with the entire Alternatives in Action staff, and enhance the learning environment.

Some updates and reminders:

The HSH sign in and out procedure has changed to a full page for each child for the entire month. Each class will have an attendance book to prevent parent traffic jams at transition times. Parents are reminded that children must be signed in and out each day with your full legal signature.

HSH expects staff to regularly contribute to this blog, and for parents to read it weekly. Please review annual calendar in post below. Families and staff are responsible for knowing the content of these pages and staying informed. Families and staff are also reminded to utilize the white boards daily in both classrooms and the Staff and Parent Bulletin Boards in the hallway. The Parent Yahoo group is an excellent way for families to reach out to one another to build community, facilitating carpools, play dates and sharing strategies for parent happiness. HSH is committed to Green principles and would like to reduce paper consumption. Paper will be used to support only confidential, individualized communications.

List of first day essentials for Brown Bears and Butterflies:
sleep pack*
emergency kit (if you brought one in June 2010 or more recently - nevermind)
two changes of underclothes and one change of clothes (all labeled)
Composition Book (please help your child write her/his name in the front cover)
water bottle (labeled with first and last name)
lunch box (labeled with first and last name)
family collage (if you do not already have one)
Butterflies may also need 10 diapers/pull-ups and an additional change of clothes

Other stuff:
We are asking each family to email two recent photographs of your child no later than August 22nd. Please make sure these are primarily head shots that your child can recognize as her/himself.
Butterflies email photos to cprice@alternativesinaction.org
Brown Bears email photos to syoung@alternativesinaction.org

Many thanks to our families for supporting the Home Sweet Home community through their partnership with staff. We look forward to an amazing year of joyful discovery and creation.


SLEEP PACK HOMEWORK
Each child is requested to (with their parent) prepare their Home Sweet Home Sleep Pack. This is a small, canvas backpack or tote bag (check out JoAnn's or other craft houses) no larger than 12" and decorated by the child featuring their name. Parents will pack a crib sized sheet (no larger) and a small blanket and/or cuddle toy (if needed). This pack arrives on the first day of school and goes home for weekend laundering. Children and teachers will make up the mats fresh daily, with children supporting folding sheets back into their backpack after nap, and teachers spray disinfecting mats daily. HSH believes this new practice will support better hygiene, reduce opportunities for germ sharing, and create another routine that supports children's self-help skills. Please be advised that HSH will not accommodate sizes larger than expressed here (including sleeping bags, regular sheets, pillows) - parents are encouraged to check out resale shops such as Fashion After Passion if they do not have these items at home.