Dear Parents,
We hope you all have been enjoying your summer. The new school season is right around the corner and about to start again. We are looking forward to a great new school year.
We would like to welcome Katie Bailey as our new Assistant Teacher in the Teddy’s classroom and Maria Sandoval as our new Assistant Teacher in the Black Bear classroom.
We hope you have seen our information about the new Robotics program that Sunset is starting. This will be available for Preschool and After School program. If you would like more information please see Ms. Nina.
Early Closure Reminder: Sunset Academy will be closing at 4:00 p.m. on Friday August 9, for our monthly Staff Training.
Thank you to all who helped organize and participate in our 4th of July Celebration. We couldn’t have been successful without you.
REMINDER: Sunset Academy new tuition rates will go into effect starting August 12th. Please see Ms. Nina if you have any questions.
If you are in need of “Before School”, “After School” or “Before and After School”, please insure you let us know as soon as possible so that we can plan appropriately.
We encourage those of you who have not yet setup your auto payments to do so, this helps the center with payment management and parents avoiding late fees for missed payments.
My door is always open, so do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns or suggestions.
Parenting Tip: Back to School
Many of us have delightful memories of summer nights — playing flashlight tag in the dark, sleeping outside in a tent, or just “hanging out” on the porch watching the stars. Children benefit from relaxed times out of the daily routine. However, some children will be entering more formal schooling in the fall. While it is wonderful to give children the opportunity for a more relaxed schedule during the summer, August is a good time for easing children gradually back into a routine so that when school starts, it will be an easier transition. Here are some ideas to help make the transition smoother.
- If you haven’t done so already, make a visit to the new school to meet your child’s teacher and other school staff (such as the secretary in the office). If this doesn’t work with your schedule, perhaps a relative or neighbor whose child attends the same school can take your child.
- Make sure you and your child know the routine for before- and after-school care — where he/she will go, how he/she will get between school and the care program, etc.
- Have a back-up plan for what to do in case you are late. Be sure that the people on your child’s emergency contact list know where the new school/after-school program is located.
- Start re-implementing your regular routines in August. If you let your child stay up a little later during the summer, gradually get back to the bedtime you will expect when school starts. Talk to your child about why you are doing this and how it will help him/her.
- Do a dry run of the new morning routine, including how your child will arrive to school. Keep in mind that it almost always takes more time than you may think, especially when the unexpected happens (you have to go back for sneakers for gym, homework, etc.).
- Breakfast is not available in many schools, so plan time in August to get in the routine of having a good breakfast before leaving for school.
- Rehearse packing lunches in the morning or evening, if that will be part of the fall routine. This way you will know how long it takes and what supplies you will need to have available. If your child will purchase lunch, begin collecting dollar bills and change in a spot in the kitchen so that you will have it handy. Find out how much lunch will cost and practice counting out lunch money together.
- If your child takes a nap, begin decreasing nap time so that he/she will be ready for a full day without a nap by the time school starts.
With a little bit of advance preparation, the transition to school can be a very positive one for you and your child. Enjoy this next stage in your child’s life.
Nina Emmer
Director-Sunset Academy