Weekday Program Web site: www.fumcplanoweekday.org

Weekday Update

October 2007

Director's Report

Dear Parents-

This school year is off to a great start! We are so honored that you have chosen the Weekday Program for your child/ren and that you have entrusted us with the care and education of your child/ren. We know that the choices you make for your child/ren are not taken lightly and we take the responsibility you have given us very seriously as well. In this and future newsletters, we will highlight research on how children grow and learn along with some activities you can do at home to promote school readiness. We want to make sure that you understand the philosophy of this program is based on many years of research on child development. Fundamental to our philosophy is the idea that children and adults learn best through hands-on experiences with people, materials, events and ideas. This is why children are allowed and encouraged to explore the materials in their classrooms freely. It may look like play to us, but what children learn from these hands-on experiences is irreplaceable and will give them the skills they need to succeed in elementary school.

Please join us in celebrating the skills that your child constructs each day through exploration and discovery!

Sniff, Sniff

Aromas and the Brain

Our sense of smell is the only sense that sends information directly to the brain. Of the twelve nerve endings that enter the brain, only the olfactory (sense of smell) passes stimuli to the brain unfiltered. Researchers found that certain odors increase the ability to learn, create, and think. Other aromas are thought to boost attention and learning. Peppermint, basil, lemon, cinnamon, and rosemary are linked to mental alertness. Lavender, chamomile, orange, and rose promote relation and calming.

From “Start Smart” by Pam Schiller

FUMC Blessing of the Pets  

October 7th 3:00pm

 Bring your pet for this special event

 (rain date October 14th 3:00pm)

Weekday Program PTC

Family Dinner Night

October 11th

ALL DAY (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

Mention you are with the Weekday Program and a portion of the cost will go to the PTC!

Most of our fundraising efforts this year will go to a fund to buy a new playground, which will take that place of the obstacle course in the third play area. The total cost is $55,000. The Weekday Program Board began the fund with $10,000 so we have $45,000 to go! You can help by participating in PTC sponsored events or by making a tax deductible donation to the playground fund. We appreciate your help and look forward to adding this state-of-the-art play structure to our facility.

Pumpkin Carnival

  FUMC Gathering Area

October 20th 10:00-2:00

Pre-sale forms (due October 5) for discounted tickets and t-shirts available now. Remember to order your fall pansies by October 12th, too!

Spaghetti with Santa

November 30th

  All proceeds will go to the Weekday Program Scholarship Fund.  Donated toys will go to Plano Santas.

think about it...Learning is not a race for information, it is a walk of discovery.-Bev Bos

Home/School Connection

Rhyming Games

Rhyming- generating words that end with the same sound- is fun for young children. It increases their phonological awareness, that is, the ability to pay attention to the sounds of language (apart from its meaning). Here are some ideas for rhyming game to play with young children.

                Word substitution.  Substitute a word at the end of a line of a familiar song, poem, or chant, and ask children to choose a rhyme for it. Here is an example:

                                Row, Row, Row your boat

                                Gently down the block

                                Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

                                Life is but a _______. (What rhymes with block?)

                Rhyming I spy. Using an empty paper towel tube or other prop as a “spyglass,” ask children to find words that rhyme with different items you “spy” around the room. Make sure they can see all the areas while you play this game. Here is an example:

                                “I spy something in the art area that rhymes with crush. What do you think it is?”

                                “I spy something in the house area that rhymes with vroom. Can you guess what it is?”

                                “I spy something in the toy area that rhymes with guzzle. What do you suppose it could be?”

                Rhyme time. Present a word and ask the children to think of words that rhyme with it. As a variation, give them a rhyming phrase and ask them to fill in the last word. Once they have the idea of the game, children can be the leaders. Accept non-sense words, conventional words, and part of speech that do not fit, as long as they rhyme. Here are some examples:

                                “Let’s think of words that rhyme with toe (bow, go, grow, hoe, Joe, voe, low, snow, no).”

                                “I saw a pig sitting on a ______. What rhymes with pig (fig, dig, big, snig, twig, jig, rig, hig, wig)?”

From “Essentials of Active Learning” by Ann Epstein

Mark your Calendars

Items in bold have been added or changed.

First United Methodist Church Weekday Program * 3160 E. Spring Creek Parkway Plano, TX 75074

phone 972.423.4910 * fax 972.633.9126