Dear Panda One Families,
Welcome to Panda One! I feel a brief introduction may be in order, as many of you are new to the Panda Classroom, and have not, as of yet, been provided with much of an opportunity to meet me. My name is Miss Becka, and I am 37 years old. I am the lead teacher in Panda One, and I have been teaching at Sunset Academy for nine years. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder, and I have completed several hours of coursework in Early Childhood Education at Front Range Community College as well. When I am not in the classroom, I enjoy hiking, biking, camping, and spending time with my family: my fiancé, David; my cat, Nero (aka Meep); and my dog, Dex. I am honored to have each of your children in my care, and I look forward to getting to know them, and you, in the upcoming months.
Classroom/Center Updates
– Beginning Monday, August 31st, Sunset Academy will be extending its hours of operation. Our new hours of operation will be 7:30AM to 5:00PM Monday through Friday.
– The Panda One classroom reopened last month as Miss Becka returned to the Center after a four-month hiatus.
– With the exception of a 10-minute break in the morning and a one-hour lunch break in the afternoon, Miss Becka will be the sole teacher in the Panda One classroom until the enrollment increases enough to merit having an assistant teacher in the room.
– As you may already know, the staff at Sunset Academy has been working tirelessly to position ourselves for a four-star rating with Colorado Shines. We also launched a new curriculum, Teaching Strategies, last month. Stay tuned for more information as things continue to progress.
Friendly Reminders
– We currently have two children with food allergies in the Panda Room: one with a severe peanut allergy, and another with an allergy to egg. Furthermore, Sunset Academy is a nut-free facility in general.
– Sunset Academy will be closed on Monday, September 7th in observance of Labor Day. We hope you all are able to enjoy a fun and safe three-day weekend!
Upcoming Events
– Miss Cassie and Miss Becka will be available to answer questions and talk all things potty training, curriculum, COVID-19, and more via Zoom on Wednesday, September 2nd, at 5:30PM. Miss Nina will send an email containing the invitation link to the primary email address that we have on file no later than Tuesday, September 1st. If you do not receive an invitation, and you would like to attend the meeting, please let myself or Miss Nina know by 5:00PM on Wednesday. I hope to see you all there!
Recap
August is typically a month for bugs, and this year was no exception. From roly polys, caterpillars, and butterflies, to wasps, earwigs, spiders, and moths – we saw them all. We even caught a couple in the classroom – a cricket and a spider – and placed them in our bug jars so the children could have an opportunity to view them safely and more closely. When we were done examining them, they were released outside. We learned that some insects have more legs than others, some insects have wings and can fly, and some of us are more comfortable with bugs than others. J We are looking forward to what the month of September has in store for us.
September Curriculum Themes
Week 1: Where We Live
Week 2: My Family*
Week 3: Fall
Week 4: Community Helpers
*Please provide at least one family photo (photos of extended family and pets are encouraged too) for us to display in the classroom.
Transitions
There was a lot of movement in the Panda Room last month: We congratulated Lukas, Harper, Cayden, and Samuel as they graduated to Miss Gloria’s Polar Bear Room, and in their place we welcomed Charlie, Kaia, and Juliann from Koala Two. Congratulations on your graduation, friends! We are very proud of you.
A new child, Joseph, will be joining us in Panda One on Wednesday, September 2nd. Please join us in welcoming Joseph and his family to Sunset Academy!
Important Dates
09/07: Closed in observance of Labor Day
09/02: Zoom meeting with Miss Cassie and Miss Becka at 5:30PM
Last, but certainly not least, your feedback is important to me. For those of you who have written notes, sent emails, and/or called the Center to speak with me directly – I appreciate you taking the time to do so. These are unprecedented times, and I believe it is of utmost importance to stay in touch, even if we can’t do it face-to-face. So please, keep reaching out and following up, and I will do my best to make myself available whenever it is most convenient for you.
Until next month, take care!
Sincerely,
Miss Becka
Lead Teacher, Panda One