Dear Parents-

             The holiday season is upon us! Up and down our hallways you will soon see the signs of big things to come: turkeys and pilgrims, trees and mangers are on their way.  Songs that gobble and jingle will be sung and the fun is just beginning. 

             At the same time, we are fast approaching one of the most stressful times of the year.  As adults, we are all used to the hustle and bustle of the holidays and cope with it in various ways.  It is important to remember how stressful this time can be on little ones.  Parents and caregivers maybe stressed about holiday preparations, children are required to accompany parents on more outings than usual, they are often left with babysitters while    parents attend holiday functions, not to mention the holiday programs and parties the children attend themselves.  All of this can be unsettling to a youngster. 

            Early childhood professionals have long told us that routines are very important for healthy social and emotional development.  Children develop best in an environment of order and consistency.  They are happier when they know what to expect. To a young child, a predictable world is a safe world.  Life is easier when you set up and maintain regular routines for bedtime, waking, mealtimes, chores and  playtimes.  This is not always an easy task during this busy time.  Some changes in schedule and routines are unavoidable.  And while children prefer routine, they are resilient enough when a familiar routine has to be disturbed.  There are two basic points to remember:                            

• Be consistent: Children are the most content when the same thing happens pretty much the same time everyday; and
• Explain deviations from the routine: If you have to change your plans, let your child know ahead of time, if possible, and explain the situation and the change you are making. 

            The holidays are also a prime time to start developing and sharing family rituals and traditions with children.  Those things that “we always do” at certain times of the year are the things that children remember most fondly when they are grown and that help us when times are tough. 

            Have a safe and wonderful holiday season! 

On Saturday, October 25^th the Weekday Program PTC (parent teacher connection) hosted the 7^th annual community preschool carnival.

Inflated slides, pumpkin patch, jump houses, petting zoo, DJ, games and food filled the front of the church and the gathering area.

Our turn out this year was even bigger than last year. Children (and adults) were encouraged to wear their costumes and participate in the cake walk, pumpkin bowling and the donut catch (a game only best described as a hands free donut eating contest).  We were visited by the Plano Fire Department with a grand entrance of sirens and lights blazing.  The Collin County Sheriff’s department passed out child safety information and the Plano Police Department offered squad car tours and free fingerprinting for the children.

An event this large could not happen without the support of church and Weekday Program volunteers who worked all day Friday to setup, during the event and all Saturday afternoon to take down.  We also had a tremendous amount of support from both Jasper and Plano East Sr. High School’s National Honor Society Student volunteers. 

We were fortunate enough to have financial support from Metroplex Gymnastics, Wood Wilson Insurance and financial services, IMR Integrated Management Resources, Lucidity Consulting Group, Land Creations, Ghatti Town, Build-a-Bear, Child ID Smart, and Halliburton Investor Relations.  Kristen Baxter of One Fish Design also volunteered with service work. 

Thank you to all those who supported and attended our event. We continue to work hard to make the Preschool Pumpkin Carnival a much anticipated family fun event each year!!