April Overview

St. Matthews: April was a super exciting month for St. Matthew’s. Prestonwood Christian Academy kicked off the monthly festivities with an awesome Field Day. The children had a blast playing with all the PCA students. No one wanted to leave when the activities! We also hosted a Math and Science Night, which was a huge hit with our parents. Classroom 4 did a "flubber" science experiment which was so in demand, they had parents lining up outside of their classroom! Classroom 2 had a Chinese, Italian and Mexican food taste test. There were lots of people waiting to enter that classroom too! The Week of the Young Child, which we celebrated from April 11th-15th was also a big success and we ended it with a huge bang by throwing a carnival. The teachers set up super fun activities in their classrooms that everyone enjoyed.  I think I can speak for everyone that this month was a blast at St. Matthew’s! Thank you parents and staff for all your hard work and effort, you guys did such a great job in making this month special for our children.

CH: April was filled with fun and exploration inside and outside the classroom! The Dallas Zoo brought some rabbits to visit and taught the children how to take care of them. They enjoyed a variety of activities for the week of the young child. The Jesuit students did an awesome presentation which included music and magic. The children and staff had a lot of fun! They have a new program going on at their site “Every Child Ready to Read” provided by the Hampton Dallas Library Branch, which they host three Wednesdays in the month. They also hosted a volunteer appreciation breakfast. Lots of parents showed up to enjoy it! The children enjoyed the “National Dance Day” and each class represented a different type of dancing. The children rotated from class to class learning new dance steps from Hip Hop to Ballet.  

CR: Our overviews not only are a time to share what the classrooms have been up to the past month, but also to share our appreciation for our coworkers. This month, Crossover would particularly like to highlight a man whom you never see much of, but you always know he is there when you need him.  Crossover would like to recognize our computer guy Robert Leal for always “fixing the problem.”  Most of the time we don’t know what the problem is, it just does not work!! Who do we call????  “ROBERT” Database is down!! Who do we call????  “ROBERT” Heavy boxes need to be moved?? Who do we call????  “ROBERT” We need pictures, flyers, color copies………. ROBERT, ROBERT, ROBERT.

We love you Robert and everything you do for us!

Buckner: This month we also had a Math and Science night, during which parents visited the classroom and witnessed the wonderful projects that the children worked on.  After the parents and the children toured the different classrooms, they were able to collect various incentives such as books, crayons, and small party favors. We also celebrated the “Week of the Young Child” and finished it off with a carnival outside on the playground hosted by Prestonwood Christian Academy. Class 4 had a special activity this month: the teachers worked with the parents to surprise the children during the week of the young child by introducing “special guests” to coordinate activities in classroom.  The children were very excited when they realized that the special guests were their parents! Some parent volunteers put on a puppet show for the class. They also had a police officer come to talk to the students about his role in our community.  

Bethany: April was our project month. The children were interested in learning about eggs and they learned about animals that lay eggs and that don’t. They learned where and why some animals lay eggs? For example, why do some like nests, some hollow trees, or in the water, soil, or even on buildings? Turtles even use the sand to hide the eggs, whereas lady bugs lay their eggs on a leaf that has aphids because as soon as the larvae hatch they start hunting for aphids. Ms Rodriguez brought in real eggs of an ostrich, duck, guinea hen, hummingbird, and emu for the children to observe. The children loved exploring the various real eggs. The teachers and children were surprised to learn that most eggs are eaten, like the snake eggs and ostrich eggs. Some eggs are protected, like the turtle eggs, because of the length of time between laying eggs and hatching. They even invited a guest speaker, Mr. Jeff, who brought in an incubator with eggs. The eggs were all of different colors, brown, black, spotted, blue, and green brown. They are waiting for the eggs to hatch!  

 

          

"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, the excitement, and the mystery of the world we live in." --Rachel Carlson

Until Next time!

Prerna Richards

Program Director

Why Preschool When We Have Abuelita?

There is a saying that goes "A child's first school is their home". As in many communities, this saying rings true for the Latino communities out there. We all know someone in our families or communities who spent their early years learning from their abuelita (grandmother), abuelito (grandfather), tias (aunts) or tios (uncles) at home while mom and dad were working during the day. Our family's culture, what ever it may be, is our first true lesson in life. Although this is a strong, worthwhile lesson to learn, a proper preschool education is becoming more and more essential to a successful school experience for today's children.

Times are changing. Kindergarten used to be the classic "beginning" of a child's journey through school. Preschool was thought of as another name for "daycare". But the world is demanding more from students these days and a quality preschool education is more important than ever. What does a quality preschool education mean? A healthy environment, qualified teachers and a convenient location are all things to consider when looking for a preschool program. But don't forget that curriculum is equally as important. "Curriculum in a preschool?" you might be wondering--yes! A well thought out and carefully prepared curriculum can mean the difference between an easy or difficult transition for your child into kindergarten. Think about it: learning the fundamentals of English, math and all the other school subjects during the preschool years means that your child will already begin his or her elementary schooling that much ahead of everyone else.

Science has shown that between the ages of 2 to 5, a child's brain is going through a tremendous amount of growth. According to an early education study commissioned by the United Way, a preschool aged child's brain is developing strong social, emotional and mental connections during ages 2 to 5 years old. This means that those preschool ages are crucial times for learning the basics that children will use the rest of their lives. On top of this, a quality preschool program should also be able to equip your child with good social and classroom skills, such as raising their hand in class and how to properly get along with classmates.

When your child reaches the appropriate age, sending him or her to a quality preschool can be one of the best decisions for your child's future. Of course, they should still get their cultural education from la familia (family), because let’s face it, there are some life lessons that only family can teach. When you combine these life lessons with a head start on learning ABCs or 123s, our children become stronger students and stronger members of their community.

Celebrating Innovation

This past January, President Obama encouraged the nation in his State of the Union address to "out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world". Much of the President's focus was on the innovation and technology that America has been known for, particularly in the fields of math and science. And as the President mentioned, the state of our math and science education across the nation is not where we want it to be. Unfortunately, those statistics are even worse for Hispanic children, particularly those facing the additional obstacles of living in poverty and having to learn English as a second language.

 Only 3.4% of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) jobs in the United States are held by Hispanics. In 2009, only 44% of Hispanic fourth graders were able to test even at a basic skills level on the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress). That means 1 out of every 2 Hispanic children in fourth grade essentially failed science. A Carnegie Report puts thirteen year old Hispanic children four grades behind in science skills.

 

It is absolutely crucial that we start intervening in these gaps at a young age. According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 32% of “at-risk” children (from families where English is not the primary language, live below poverty level, or whose parents did not get past high school education) were able to demonstrate basic math skills in kindergarten, compared to 65% of non at-risk children. These children are coming into kindergarten at a disadvantage not just in literacy and language skills but also in math and science. Focusing on these skills during preschool could make a dramatic difference—what takes only thirty minutes a day in catching up at the age of 4 or 5 takes two hours at the age of 8 or 9.

 

Each Mi Escuelita site held a Math and Science night on April 8^th, where the parents came to the school and participated in Math and Science activities with their children. It is important to show our parents how easy it is and what it might look like to engage their children in math and science learning at home. Our teachers have been tackling this issue of improving our math and science curriculum with a lot of innovation themselves. In fact, this year, our Bethany site had a particularly special night: they had a science fair with all the parents and the children! The teachers sent home different ideas of science experiments that the family could do together. The families worked on the experiments at home, and presented their findings to the other parents and children during Math and Science Night. It was a very special time to see the parents so engaged in what their child is learning. There are some pictures below of proud parents and children and their experiments.

As President Obama said, a quality education “begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities. It's family that first instills the love of learning in a child. Only parents can make sure the TV is turned off and homework gets done. We need to teach our kids that it's not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair.”
 

Week of the Young Child

"Children are the living message we send to a time we will not see."

- Neil Postman, The Disappearance of Childhood, 1982

We've all heard the saying that "the children are our future". While this is certainly true, another lesser known saying is one that appropriately balances out this famous quote. That particular saying goes:

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, that we sometimes forget that he is a child today.

It's interesting to truly examine the times we live in and to consider how youth is experienced by children today. If the above quotes teach us anything, it's that children are a representation of all of modern society, not just our education systems. If a child can pass a standardized test and that recorded score goes down in the annals of history, what good is that score if the child doesn't learn proper social behavior skills or how to keep physically fit or how to simply have fun? Celebrating a child's life should offer us a prime example of the exuberance of our world as seen through the eyes of the young.

This week is the Week of the Young Child, an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Its purpose is to raise public awareness on the needs of young children and their families. One of the main goals of raising this awareness is to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet the needs of such children and families. At Mi Escuelita Preschool, we are proud to not only be one of these programs that services the Dallas community but we are also firm believers in truly celebrating what it means to simply be a child (and all the fun that goes along with that).

All week long, throughout our five campus, Mi Escuelita site staff and teachers will be dedicating a portion of class time to celebrating what it means to be a kid. From crazy hair day to parent-produced puppet shows to an end of week carnival, each Mi Escuelita campus is incorporating unique themes into the student's daily routine. Some of the activities, such as the children portrait projects, is specifically aimed at helping parents express to the entire school just how much they value and appreciate their children. They accomplished this by creating paper doll cutouts of their children and decorating them with words of encouragement and love. These works of art were hung in prominent areas of several of the Mi Escuelita campuses, where the children pass by everyday and are able to see for themselves just how special they are to their parents.

Mi Escuelita's St. Matthew's site in east Dallas combined fun with safety with "helmet day", emphasizing the importance of wearing bicycle helmets when enjoying a bike ride.


Mi Escuelita's Bethany Site in northwest Dallas celebrated Week of the Child with a special "dance day" where the children showed off their dance-floor skills while being introduced to new dances from various types of music.

And of course, a week as important as Week of the Young Child deserves a proper send off. At the end of this week, each of the Mi Escuelita campuses will have a site wide carnival where all the children can let loose and have fun. Face painting, parent readers and games are just a few of the festivities planned for Friday. Even as I write this blog, the room I am in is buzzing with parent volunteers furiously constructing banners, preparing games and planning snacks for the "big day". Wait until you see the pictures of the kids enjoying this special event that celebrates their lives and the people who help them grow. Those photos of smiling children, parent volunteers and Mi Escuelita Staff all joining together in joyous appreciation of one another is what should stand as history's proof that in this place, in this time we understood and celebrated the pure fountain of youth alive in us all.

Find out how you can celebrate our community's young children by visiting our involvement page here at Mi Escuelita Preschool's website. Show a child you care, today.

A Peek into the Classrooms in March

March at St. Matthew's was a busy month! They had a Dr. Seuss parade and a St. Patrick's Day parade as well, which was a huge hit with all the children and teachers. On March 21st, our Program Director, Prerna Richards, came and celebrated Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, with the children. One of the parents who also celebrates Holi came and shared henna designs with the children, which they were excited to show off. The children also learned how to do the "Dandiya stick dance" and painted their faces with bright colors, like the tradition of the festival. Later in the month, Daisey and Patricia, our health services specialists, came and did a presentation on "Good Touch and Bad Touch" where Tia Medina, the nurse puppet, was a huge hit among the children.






Cockrell Hill welcomed Ms. Montoya, who joined their office team this March, and Ms. Hernandez from Wesley Rankin who joined Class 5. This month they took 72 children on a transition field trip to L.O. Donald Elementary school, where they acquaint the children with the school they will be attending for kindergarten. The kids loved the gym "because they can play outside regardless of the weather"! Also this month they had a Magnet Mania presentation from the Dallas Science and History Museum. The site manager, Ms. DeLeon, said she couldn't tell who was having more fun learning--the children or the teachers! March is the month of projects, where all the classes teach on different themes that they come up with. Ms. Rodriguez and Ms. Fernandez are doing a "ball" project and have had parents and volunteers help by playing baseball, soccer and football with the kids and they're loving it! The adults end up getting a work out as well, and the parents even attended a health presentation.


This month Crossover is highlighting Ms. Graciano and Ms. Solis's class. They are doing their project month on snakes and have done an outstanding job. One of the students' homework activities was to create a snake--some came back made out of socks, others out of paper, all very creative! They learned about how snakes sleep with their eyes open because they have eyelids; rattlesnakes have to have more than one rattle to make the rattling sound; you can tell how old a snake is by its segments; and snakes have teeth not just in their moth but inside their bodies! Who knew?



Buckner had their visit from the TWU nursing students this month and they worked with the children on brushing and flossing their teeth. They also celebrated their first Grandparents Day, which was a great event! Thirty grandparents attended, had breakfast and socialized with other grandparents as well as spent time in the classroom doing an activity with their grandchild. Buckner would like to highlight Ms. Gonzales and Ms. Urbina's class this month, whose project theme is cows. The children learned that there are many different cows in many different colors. Their dramatic play area is decorated as a dairy products store where children learned how to milk a cow and tasted two different kinds of cheese. Another class is learning about dogs and really enjoyed their special visit from "Pico", the Bichon Frise.




At Bethany, children are learning about plants and insects. They got to plant seeds and observe them sprouting. They also learned about insects, their movements, and the life cycles of butterflies. They had a visit from the Museum of Nature and Science as well as a field trip to the Dallas Arboretum where the children were introduced to flowers and listened to stories. They had lots of questions about planting seeds and got to practice planting sunflower seeds.



Hope you enjoyed a virtual look into our classrooms! You can see more pictures of different events on our Picasa page: https://picasaweb.google.com/miescuelitapreschool?fgl=true&pli=1.

What Words Are Worth

The 2010 Census results are in. While the majority of the national talk surrounding the census figures has focused on ethnic population growth across the country, some of the most interesting statistics that hit closer to home is the economic data of the Dallas area population. This is particularly important to Mi Escuelita Preschool, and you as a Mi Escuelita supporter, because ongoing research indicates a direct link between income and vocabulary development in children.

Studies show that low-income parents tend to speak less to their children and use a far more limited vocabulary. A well known landmark study titled Meaningful Differences in the Everday Experiences of Young American Children by professors Betty Hart and Todd Risely closely monitered and recorded the interactions of parents and their children in a variety of income settings. Their focus was on words heard by children during the first four years of their lives, a key time in a child's brain development. The study found that children living in poverty heard an average of 616 words per hour, compared to 2153 that a child in a wealthy home typically hears. That's 1537 more words per hour, that an upper-middle class child is exposed to. It's no wonder there that our low-income children are ill-prepared for school.

Its no surprise that educational institutions around the country have already recognized the link between early vocabulary development and academic performance. A child with a firm grasp on the English language will inevitably do better in school; it's a fact. At Mi Escuelita Preschool, these latest Census 2010 figures simply add purpose to our mission and reinforces the idea that these communities are in desperate need of our services. If Dallas area children are to be shining examples of what Texas education is all about, then a quality education must begin during preschool and it can successfully begin with strengthening vocabulary.

If you look at the latest income map of Dallas produced using the Census 2010 income data, Mi Escuelita's five campuses fall directly in some of the lowest income areas of the city. In fact our Crossover and St. Mathew's campuses are located in the lowest income bracket illustrated by this map. You can check out this interactive income map here www.tinyurl.com/incomezip .

Examining this map and considering that Mi Escuelita Preschool's primary mission is early language intervention, it very clear why the families in these neighborhoods need a school like ours. Children in Mi Escuelita classrooms are exposed to three new vocabulary words a day; words that are introduced by their teachers at the beginning of instruction and then incorporated into activities through the rest of the school day. This means by the end of the current 2010-2011 school years, Mi Escuelita students will have added 504 new English words to their vocabulary. If attending school for two year, these children will learn over 1000 new vocabulary words at Mi Escuelita. 1000 more reasons why these bright, young children will defy the odds and rise above the statistics of their neighborhood.

If you are interested in the study conducted by Hart and Risely, here is some information on the book published about their findings: http://tinyurl.com/4sbdbz7. Next week, we'll talk about another Mi Escuelita component that seeks to positively impact this correlation between income and vocabulary development...inside the home life of the child.

Measured in Smiles

The debate over classroom sizes in the United States has been in the news lately. The current financial state of education has brought the fundamentals of math to the forefront of this debate; math, as it pertains to ratios in classrooms.

According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a staff-to-child ration of 1:10 for 3- to 4-year-olds is highly recommended for classes with fewer than 20 children. Mi Escuelita Preschool, accredited by NAEYC, aims to do one better than this recommendation. Mi Escuelita maintains a 1:9 teacher-to-child ratio, meaning that there is one teacher for every 9 students in the classroom. The average Mi Escuelita classroom has a total of 18 children in it.

While the ratio of teacher-to-student may be a "hot button" issue in today's news, Mi Escuelita has always believed that more opportunity for one-on-one instruction allows children a better chance at success. What better way to accomplish this than giving students and teachers an ideal setting where all children have equal opportunity to have their needs addressed.

In their study "Eager to Learn: Educating our Preschoolers", the National Research Council suggests that an optimal learning environment for preschoolers combines a small staff-to-child ratio with a small class (or group) size. This optimal learning environment is the very reasoning for Mi Escuelita's maintaning of a 1:9 ratio in the classrooms. Its the simplicity of the math that makes sense for the children of Mi Escuelita; two teachers in every classroom means more personal attention and an overall structured environment for all Mi Escuelita students.

Research, math and common sense all play a part in Mi Escuelita's classroom ratio guidelines, but how are these measured? Walking into a Mi Escuelita classroom and observing the children, the outcomes become very apparent. The close knit community that is formed within the classroom. The undeniable, loving bonds the children form with their teachers. The flexibility teachers are given to allow their talents to shine. The huge smiles on the faces of the students and the teachers. These are measurements of an optimal learning environment; not measured in increments of numbers but by the number of lives touched.