Fresh air and a chance to move are vital to healthy growth and development. We take the children outside twice a day, everyday, rain or shine. Please ensure your child has a WATERPROOF JACKET and SHOES. Many boots and jackets were taken home during the holidays, please be sure to bring them back. We don't want your little one to be uncomfortable during outside time.

Starting January 9th, a WEBBY Dance Company Instructor will lead a music and movement class at 9:00 am on Tuesdays. Our Toddlers, Preschoolers and Beginners will enjoy dance, cheer and gymnastics! More information will be sent home shortly. Learn more about WEBBY here.

A new season of soccer shots is about to begin! This weekly class is a great introduction to soccer. It is also perfect for off-season with personalized instruction for those who are already soccer stars. We have a few school age families interested and only need a couple more to offer a program for them. Registration forms will be sent home soon. Find out more here.

This month we are entering our rating period with Early Achievers, Washington State's Quality Rating and Improvement System for Early Childhood Education. Between January 16th and March 15th, raters from the University of Washington will make an unannounced visit. They will spend time observing and assessing classrooms. This will not interrupt the classroom schedule and we hope any disruption to your child's routine be minimized. For more information about Early Achievers please go to https://del.wa.gov/earlyachievers.

New immunization forms will be sent home soon as a yearly requirement for the Department of Early Learning. Please look for these and return them promptly. Lost your copy? Here is a link

We apologize we are getting this month's newsletter out late. We will work more diligently to ensure these are sent out the first week of the month.

-Ms. Lindy, Ms. Kristen, Ms. Angelica, and Ms. Angel

Our babies have been hard at work building their muscles! Tummy time, crawling through tunnels, pulling up to standing, and assisted walking all aid in large motor development. Ask us about the signs we are using: "more," "please," and "milk." This month we are saying bye to Raelyn as she moves to the toddler room and are excited to welcome Ellie.

Please remember to wash your hands when entering the infant room as we try to eliminate the spread of germs. We would like to take the children outside during the winter months. Please be sure to bring in a coat and hat for your little one.

-Ms. Miriam, Ms. Kenya, and Ms. Francis

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Our Toddlers are enjoying the new arrangement of their classroom. There are new dress-up items, blocks, and books! This month they are working on cleaning up their messes. You can help at home! Toddlers love to "dump" and "fill"; help your child take toys "out" and put them "away."

This month we said goodbye to Bennett and Bentley as they moved to Younger Preschool. We are excited to welcome Raelyn from the infant room.

-Ms. Rina and Ms. Larissa

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Our Beginner students enjoyed making Christmas cards for our reading volunteer, Ms. Frances, and our community helpers; our garbage man was very grateful. We enjoyed ringing in the New Year together with handmade hats and poppers. We also set New Year's resolutions.

This month we will continue to focus on letter and number recognition. We will be counting and doing basic addition using our fingers. This is something you can help your child practice at home. Graphing will be introduced during group time. Keep your eye out for posted info graphs!

Our Pajama Party was postponed due to snow. Please stay tuned for a new date. We will watch a movie, drink hot cocoa, and enjoy a cozy day together.

Check out all the fun we have been up to on our Class Facebook Page!

-Ms. Fidelia and Ms. Alexis

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Our School Age kiddos enjoyed many fun crafts in December: chalk Christmas lights, paper snow globes, and snowflakes. Over winter break we went on field trips all over town! Family Fun Center, Steel Lake Park, and seeing the movie Coco were the favorites! Making gingerbread houses was also a crowd-pleaser.

In January, we look forward to trying out our new class games. We were gifted Cranium and Catch Phrase. We will also be organizing a talent show. Stay tuned for details.

We now have a direct contact number for school age: 425-529-3126. Please leave a message on this line if your child will not be attending the program.

-Ms. Katie, Mr. Kyle, and Ms. Laurie

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Keep your eye out for our new Nutrition Board coming this month, located at the end of the preschool hallway. We will keep it updated with information about serving size, nutrients, recipes and more!

Did you know...

Lentils are a legume, a class of vegetables that include beans, peas and lentils. Legumes are one of the most versatile and nutritious foods available. They are typically low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are high in folate, potassium, iron, and magnesium. They also contain beneficial fats, and both soluble and insoluble fiber. Stay tuned for my lentil soup recipe next month.

-Ms. Susanne

Ms. Lindy had recently been honored as a board member for Nutrition First. She is a wealth of knowledge about nutrition within early childhood programs and brings a unique perspective to the team. Congratulations Ms. Lindy!

"Nutrition First serves as the Washington WIC Association. We support and promote breastfeeding, good nutrition, and access to food through education and advocacy. Our efforts focus on the pre-natal and early childhood populations (with an emphasis on reaching low income families); promoting prevention and shaping the health of the next generation by decreasing risk factors for chronic disease through a lifetime of good nutrition. We feel that access to healthy food is a social responsibility, and we know that good nutrition prepares a child to succeed in school and reach their full potential."

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