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Jellyfish The Jellyfish classroom has a maximum enrollment of 12 one-year-olds. The class is taught by a full-time lead teacher, along with up to three full-time assistant teachers as needed. The student to teacher ratio is 3:1. We expect all children to arrive to school by 9:00 a.m. Please be sure that your child has eaten breakfast before coming to school. Children should not enter the classroom with food, bottles, sippy cups, or pacifiers when they arrive in the morning. Children should bring a pacifier (if they use one) on the first day of school to be kept with their belongings. They will be allowed to use the pacifier at times during the day but should not enter the classroom with it.
Please also remember that, in accordance with DC law, parents are required to sign their children in and out of school each day. Sign-in sheets are now posted in the hallway next to the front door of the school. This placement will ensure an easier morning transition for you and your Jellyfish as you can sign in before you say your goodbyes at the door of our classroom. Please inform the school if your child will be late or not attending. "Teacher Notes" forms are also available in the classrooms for you to record any special instructions, vacation plans, or other information that you need to relay to your child's teacher.
Your Child's Classroom
Your child has been assigned a cubby and coat hook in the classroom where extra diapers, pull-ups, clothes, book bags, lunchboxes and mailboxes are located. After putting away your child's personal belongings, we recommend that you immediately drop off your child with his or her teacher, with hugs and a goodbye, at the doorway to your classroom. We expect tears some mornings, and a quicker drop off always leads to a quicker and more independent response from your child in calming their emotions.
Your child's mailbox is located above his or her cubby. This box will be used for daily communication between the teachers and parents and is where you will find day sheets, lesson plans, art projects, and reminders. The mailbox is labeled with your child's name.
There will be a number of "open" activity areas each morning and the children will have the opportunity to go to any play station during free play. Children will be encouraged to play at different stations with different classmates each day, exposing them to a broader variety of toys and classroom materials, building greater social skills and stronger classroom relationships, and rounding out their learning experiences.
Visiting the Classroom
There is no doubt that children greatly benefit from their parents' involvement in their school experiences. We recommend that you join us periodically for activities in the classroom and for field trips and other special events throughout the year. It is of particular importance that parents of the Jellyfish classroom join us on field trips as they are very young and some will be experiencing them for the first time. You are also welcome to volunteer to read a story, lead an activity, or make a craft with your child's class. Please let us know if that is something you are interested in doing and we will be sure to reserve the appropriate time within our lesson plan for your visit.
While we welcome your visits during the day, please keep in mind that we must ask that you refrain from visits during nap time, as it disrupts all the children as they try to sleep.
The Curriculum
As you know, the Friendship Children's Center's curriculum encourages learning in five critical academic areas through real-life experiences and hands-on activities within theme-based lesson plans. Teaching in this manner will allow our program to be as comprehensive as possible in preparing your child to be independent and ready for the junior preschool class, while also providing loads of fun and new experiences for your child.
The toddler classroom utilizes each of these five areas of learning multiple times each week in our lessons and activities. Language Arts
(reading, word play, rhyming, letter and sound recognition, story telling)
Music, Drama, Creative Movement
(theatre, dance, puppet shows, singing, playing instruments, group and individual gross motor activities, music with Ms. Lauren)
Fine Motor/Manipulative Play
(students will rotate between activities, such as blocks or painting)
Art/Creativity
(open-ended projects, incorporating media such as paper, paints, glue, etc., to encourage individual creativity)
Math/Science
(counting, sequencing, sorting, measuring, memory games, puzzles, geometric shapes, cooking, an awareness of nature, growth, animals, plants, outer space, and other problem-solving and investigative tasks)
Communication
We want the lines of communication between you and your teacher to be as open and comfortable as possible. You are encouraged to speak directly to your child's lead teacher if you have any questions or concerns about your child's school experience.
Twice a year, we will conduct parent-teacher conferences. There will be no school on conference days. Parent meetings will be scheduled between 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and last approximately 30 minutes. A packet will be sent home approximately 2 weeks prior to the conference day with more details about the conferences, as well as your specific conference time.
On a daily basis, you will receive "Day Sheets" which will provide you with critical details regarding your child's day and what they learned. Please look for messages on your child's day sheet in the "Important Notes/Reminders" section. This will help you stay abreast of upcoming activities and events, including field trips, special visitors, or schedule changes. In addition, a snack schedule is posted on the classroom bulletin board so that you can see exactly what snack your Jellyfish is receiving each morning and afternoon.
Classroom Routines
Favorite Toys: While we appreciate how difficult it can be to drop off your child in the morning and that bringing their favorite toy to school sometimes makes the transition a little easier, please remember that all toys from home should stay at home so that they won't be a distraction during class time or get broken or lost. Your child can bring a pacifier to be kept at school at the beginning of the year. Pacifiers will be used at naptime only.
Naptime: The other major change for children entering the Jellyfish class is that they will no longer take morning naps. This is to prepare them for entering the junior preschool class. They will also be sleeping on cots rather than in cribs. The cots are small and low to the ground to ensure your child's safety. Sheets for the cots will be provided. However, we ask that you bring a blanket from home to cover your little jellyfish. You may also want to provide them with a lovey (a cuddly stuffed toy) for naptime.
Lunch: We are using every opportunity to increase your child's independence and prepare them for the junior preschool class. Your jellyfish will now be eating at a table rather than in a highchair. They will sit at tables and feed themselves. Please pack your child's lunch in an insulated lunch box, clearly labeled with his or her name on the front. If the lunch needs to stay cold, make sure to include an ice pack, as lunches will be kept in your child's cubby, not the refrigerator. When packing your child's lunch, please send food items that are easy to eat and do not need to be reheated, such as sandwiches, pre-cut fruit, or apple sauce. Warm lunches can be packed in thermoses and placed in your child's lunch bag. Disposable utensils, napkins, and drinks will be provided by the school at all meal times. Please make sure that your child's teacher is aware of any special dietary needs or restrictions in advance so that we can be sure we are meeting your child's specific needs.
Field Trips: Don't forget that on field trip days your child should wear a Friendship Children's Center t-shirt (that can be purchased in the school office) comfortable, well-fitting walking shoes, and bring a disposable lunch. We often arrive back to school late or take the lunches with us when we go, so please do not pack Tupperware and include a juice box.
"Call me 'Miss' please": To prepare your child for future student/teacher and child/adult interactions, we ask that your child begin calling his or her teacher by "Miss" followed by the teacher's first name (for example: "Miss Lisa" or "Miss Tasha"). We certainly want your child's time at school to be fun and relaxed, but we also want to instill in your child a sense of respect and appreciation for the adults in their life.
Potty Training: While most children typically begin potty training around two years of age, some of the older Jellyfish may begin to show interest in using the potty while they are still in the Jellyfish classroom. To capitalize on the child's interest in potty training, older Jellyfish will be offered the opportunity to sit on the toilet while potty songs and stories are sung and stickers are given for successful practice.
How You Can Help
Volunteer in the classroom - read a book, go on a field trip, or be a room parent - but remember that this is a time in your child's life to grow and be independent. Scheduled, organized visits are often the most beneficial for your child and for you, not to mention the least disruptive to the other children in the classroom. If you think that your presence in your child's classroom will not be productive (for them or you), please feel free to talk with us about alternative ways that you can support your child's class.
At home, set aside time for you and your child to talk about daily activities - ask them specific questions about their day at school to develop their language and cognitive skills and to keep you in the loop about what's happening at school. Develop a routine on the weekends or days off that is consistent with the routine of the Jellyfish classroom. This will reduce potential anxiety and stress levels in your child as they will have consistency both at home and school. Also, practice using silverware and cups without a lid, washing hands, sleeping on a child bed or mattress, and cleaning up toys, just like we do at school.
Remember, that your support and involvement are the keys to your child achieving learning excellence. With your spirit, encouragement, and cooperation we know that this will be a fun, innovative, and rewarding year for your child. We look forward to partnering with you in your child's academic growth.
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