Holly Ridge Happenings

Holly Ridge Happenings
September
&
October
Holly Ridge Center ● 5112 NW Taylor Rd. ● Bremerton, WA 98312 ● (360) 373-2536
A New School Year
Welcome to all new & returning families to the
2012/2013 school year! We
are starting out the year with
full classes and excited staff.
Please be patient while we
(children, parents, and HRC
staff) adjust to the new
school year: we want to
make this a positive experience for all involved.
Along with familiar staff from
last year, we have a new
teacher, Candee Cole, teaching at the Bremerton and
south site. Each year our
program seems to get a little
bigger. We will have 6 playgroups at the main site in
Bremerton, one located in
Volume 9, Issue 1
the Sophia Bremer Center at
Olympic College, 3 at our
south site at the Givens Community Center in Port Orchard, and 2 at the north
site, located at Poulsbo Elementary School in Poulsbo.
We also will have 4 sessions
of Little Tykes classes for our
young
learners
and their moms,
dads, or
grandparents—2 of
these classes will
be at our main site
and 1 at each at the
north and south sites.
Our “High 5” program, which
provides highly intensive,
structured services for children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, has
increased to 3 sessions. In
addition to playgroups, we
also have 8 speech groups, a
feeding group, and our Language Through Music and
Movement class starting the
year. Some children’s schedules are still “in process” so
please be sure to talk with
your Family Resources Coordinator if you have any questions or need any additional information!
development, sleep problems, toilet training—just to
name a few! Since each site
will have its own schedule,
watch for postings from Chris
and Tana at your child’s
classroom for times and
days.
Signing with Babies and Toddlers, led by Becky Blake, will
be offered at the Bremerton
site in the evenings. This is a
3-week class designed for
beginners, concentrating on
improving communication
with your toddler through the
use of sign language. It will
Calendar
Our calendar section will provide
reminders of holidays and happenings, as well as other HRC activities
and meetings. We will include
community events as appropriate, so
we welcome any additional information on community happenings or
support groups.
 Sept. 17
First day of playgroups
 Oct. 2
Baby Sign class session #1
 Oct. 9
Baby Sign class session #2
 Oct. 16
Baby Sign class session #3
 Oct. 31
Halloween (classes and
therapy in session, as
usual!)
Here’s to a great year!!
Inside this issue:
Parent Support Groups
Parent support groups, led
by Chris Cuneo and Tana
Tortorelli, will occur once a
month during the time that
your child is in class. The
group discussions vary each
month according to the interests of the parents in each
group. Discussions have included positive discipline,
managing tantrums,
coping
w i t h
stress,
brain
2012
be offered at no cost to Holly
Ridge families. Watch for
notices in your child’s classroom and in future newsletters for dates and times.
Other parent classes, led by
various members of the Holly Ridge staff, will occur
throughout the year. These
classes will cover a variety of
subjects, including managing
challenging behaviors, sensory integration, early literacy, and calming ourselves in
stressful moments. Watch
for notices in your child’s
class and in this newsletter.
Separation Anxiety
2
Playgroup Themes
3
Director’s Corner
3
FICC
3
Sippy Cup Do’s &
Don’ts
4
When A Child Bites
4
Transition Songs
5
Sept. Songs
6
Oct. Songs
7
Signs
8
Page 2
Holly Ridge Happenings
Wish List
Some parents ask if there is
something they can do to
help us out. We are always
in need of supplies for craft
projects. Sometimes we’ll
ask for an item from a store.
Sometimes we’ll ask you to
recycle a certain item. Here
are a few things to get us
started:
 Sand toys
 Small glue bottles
 Macaroni
 Fruit snacks
 Plastic rolling pins for play
-doh
 T-shirts (sizes 8-10) for
painting
 Washable markers
 Glue sticks (colored so
they can see the glue)
Separation Anxiety in Toddlers
In all
likelihood,
you'll find that
within a few
minutes of
your
departure,
your child has
started doing
what the
other children
are doing.
The actual moment of
parting is often the most
difficult. Your little one
may cry or make a fuss no
matter how much he enjoys himself after you
leave. So try not to make
too much of your child's
tears or let them dissuade
you from leaving. When it's
time for you to go, offer
your child a hug and a
warm goodbye.
Before leaving, let your
child know exactly when
you'll be back. Of course, a
toddler has no concept of
clock time. So ask the teacher what the class will be doing in the half hour or so
before you'll pick your child
up. Then tell your child, "I'll
be back a little after circle
time".
Don't try to sneak away
without letting your child
know you're leaving just because he seems happy. Your
toddler will never get comfortable or really take part in
the group if he's constantly
checking to make sure
you're still there.
Talk to your child's teacher.
Ask her whether your child
stops and joins in with the
group after you've left. Or
stand outside the door and
after a minute or two, peek
in through a window to see
how your child is doing. In all
likelihood, you'll find that
within a few minutes of your
departure, your child has
started doing what the other
children are doing. If he isn't, then talk to the teacher
about getting your child
more involved in a project or
a group activity as soon as
he arrives.
Be meticulous about
picking your child up on
time. If he starts to look
for you when other parents arrive and you aren’t
there yet, he may fly off
into a panic. Show interest
in what your child did in
class. Help him look forward to the next playgroup
by being delighted that he
did so many wonderful
things.
Playdoh Fun
Mix together:
1 cup flour
2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of
tartar (found in baking
section of grocery store)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable
oil
1 teaspoon food
coloring (or vary to your
preference for vividness of
color)
Stir constantly over medium
heat in large heavy saucepan
until a ball forms as it cooks.
Mixture will get very stiff,
similar to mashed potatoes.
Remove from heat and
knead until stickiness goes
away or until cool. Store in
airtight plastic container.
Mixture will keep for about
two weeks in the refrigerator.
This dough is best when it is
brought to room temperature
before using.
Then gather up cookie
cutters, child-safe scissors,
plastic knives, forks, spoons,
a garlic press, and/or a toy
rolling pin (or a small plastic
bottle) to cut, shape and flatten the dough.
Look around for interesting buttons or small toys to
press into the playdoh to
make interesting impressions.
Volume 8, Issue 3
Page 3
Playgroup Themes
September: Back to School
We will focus on the concepts “Cause and Effect” and “Making Choices”. We will have a
schoolhouse, a bus, backpacks, and
phones to play with. The sensory table will
have rice and scoops. We will be singing
about apples in
an apple tree,
“Ha
Ha”,
a n d
“Wheels
on the Bus”. Be sure to
review the song and sign
sheets in the newsletter
for September.
October: Fall
The focus this month will be on the concepts
“Separation” and “Transitions”. We will have
farms, animals, and fruits and vegetables.
Since Halloween occurs on the last
day of the month, we will have Halloween activities the last
week—especially pumpkins!
We’ll be singing about itsy,
bitsy spiders and pumpkins
on a fence and Old MacDonald
and his animals. Check the song and
sign sheets to brush up on these preschool
classics!
The Director’s Corner
I want to welcome
you all to the beginning of
another “school year!” We
are excited to be able to provide you with quality early
intervention services! The
Infant Toddler Program is
continually growing and
changing in our attempts to
meet your individual child’s
needs as well as the needs
of the community as a
whole. In the near future you
will be receiving a very quick
& simple survey in regards to
your preferences for service
provision ~ we want to be
sure to incorporate parents/
guardian’s desires in our
long range planning for the
program. I hope to get out
and meet families as the
If Your Child Is Ill
We’ve been hearing about tummy bugs already
this year! No matter what the ailment, keep your
child home. We want to make sure that your
child has every opportunity to recover without
complications and we don’t want to expose your
child’s classmates, teachers, or therapists to
illness. So, if your child has a temperature, looks
pale or listless, is coughing or has a thick runny
nose, give us a call to tell us you are not coming
to playgroup and cancel therapy appointments
as well. Then, put your child back to bed.
school year starts, but if I
don’t get to meet you personally please know that my
door is always open and I am
always open to phone calls
with questions, concerns, or
“job well done”! All of our
staff love to hear from you
about the good things that
you see happening: at each
site there are blue stars and
slips of paper for you to give
feedback, so please take a
minute to fill one out and it
will be shared with all staff.
FICC
The Family and Interagency Coordination Council
(FICC) is your forum to advise, improve and promote
early intervention services in Kitsap County. Parents
Voices Are Needed so please consider joining this
group. Meetings vary between business meeting
and Information and Issues meetings. FICC
meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month (with
the exception of July, August and December) at
Olympic ESD #114 from 10:00 am to
noon. For more information contact Kathy
Avery, Kitsap Lead Family Resources Coordinator at 360-373-2536.
I want to
welcome you all
to the beginning
of another
“school year!”
Page 4
Holly Ridge Happenings
Managing Challenging Behaviors
Holly Ridge Online
While you’re on your computer,
check out Holly Ridge Center.
We have a web site: http://
www.hollyridge.org/
You’ll see just what we’re all
about!
Then, if you have a Facebook
page, you can link to the HRC
Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/
pages/Holly-RidgeCenter/444553948911397?
ref=hl#!/pages/Holly-RidgeCenter/444553948911397
Just click like to become a Holly
Ridge
friend and
get Holly
Ridge updates on
your wall.
Explore the possible causes of your child’s
challenging behavior and how to implement
effective strategies for children two to five
years old.
November 13, 2012
6:00-7:30 pm
Child care is not provided
Cost: $15.00 / Free to Holly Ridge Families
Please call to register (360) 373-2536
Sippy Cup Do’s & Don’ts
When your
little one bites
you or
another child,
say firmly,
“No, biting
hurts.”
When using a sippy cup,
here are a few things to
keep in mind:
Do have multiple cups. Your
baby may have days when
he’s picky about which cup
he wants.
Do look for a sippy cup
made with an easy grip, a
weighted bottom to keep
from tipping, and plastic
material so it won’t easily
break.
Don’t rely solely on the
spout of a sippy cup. Try to
sometimes use a regular
cup. This works different
mouth muscles, helping your
baby develop yet another
skill.
Don’t let your baby carry the
cup everywhere he goes,
and don’t put your baby to
bed with the cup. Doing this
may lead to overfeeding and
cavities.
http://www.gerber.com
When A Child Bites (or Hits)
Sometimes when young children play
together, they push, hit, slap, or bite. Biting and forceful hitting must be stopped
right away. When your little one bites you
or another child, say firmly, “No, biting
hurts.” Move her to a safe place, look her
in the eyes and say, “Stay here until you
feel calmer. I cannot let you bite.” After a
minute or two, ask her if she is ready to
play again without biting or hitting. When
she says yes, let her return to her play.
Never bite or hit your child back. This
does not stop the behavior. In fact, it
may make her believe that biting is all
right. Most children who bite do so for only
a short time. Hitting may continue for a
longer time than biting. Help your toddler
learn better ways to handle her anger.
Teach him to substitute words such as
“Stop that,” or “I don’t like that” for hitting
and biting. When your little one substitutes
words for hurting, praise him with words
and hugs and say, “You did a good job of
using words instead of hurting.” As your
child learns to express his feelings in
words, hitting and biting will decrease. The
reasons why your little one bites another
person can vary. Ask yourself: Why did this
child bite? What happened just before the
biting occurred? What did she want or
need? Is there a pattern in his biting (time
of day or repeating circumstances such as
hunger, tiredness, extra noise, a brother or
sister grabbing a toy, etc.)? Act to solve the
biting problem based on your answers to
questions such as the ones above.
Volume 8, Issue 3
Page 5
Transition Songs
Clean Up
Clean up, clean up,
Everybody clean up.
All done, all done.
Bye-bye toys,
Bye-bye toys.
(repeat)
Apples
It’s time for:
Where-oh, where-oh, where are my friends?
Where-oh, where-oh, where are my friends?
Where-oh, where-oh, where are my friends?
Where - - - are my friends?
Apple Time
Where-oh where is my friend ___________?
Where-oh where is my friend ___________?
Where-oh where is my friend ___________?
______________ stand up now!
Snack
It’s time for:
Juice and crackers,
Juice and crackers,
Come and sit.
Come and sit.
It’s time for juice and crackers,
It’s time for juice and crackers,
Come and sit.
Come and sit.
Snack (continued)
This is the way we wash our hands,
Wash our hands
Wash our hands.
This is the way we wash our hands
Before snack time.
This is the way we wash the table,
Wash the table
Wash the table.
This is the way we wash the table
After snack time.
Circle
It’s time for:
Hello, friends.
Hello, friends.
Hello, friends,
How are you today?
Circle Ending
Hickory, dickory dock.
The time has come to stop.
Pick up your carpets and put them in the basket.
Open, Shut Them
Open, shut them,
Open, shut them,
Give a little clap, clap, clap.
Open, shut them,
Open, shut them,
Lay them in your lap, lap, lap.
Ending Song
It’s time to say good-bye, good-bye, good-bye,
It’s time to say good-bye, good-bye, good-bye,
To all of our friends!
To __________ and __________ and __________
and __________,
It’s time to say good-bye to all of our friends.
To __________ and __________ and __________
and __________,
It’s time to say good-bye to all of our friends.
Page 6
Holly Ridge Happenings
Songs for September
Apples in the Apple Tree
Way up high in the apple tree
Ha Ha
Two little apples smiled at me.
Ha-ha this-a-way (hands slap on knees twice and
then swing left)
Ha-ha that-a-way (hands slap on knees twice and
swing right)
Ha-ha this-a-way all day long!
Verses:
Now we are clapping, clapping, clapping.
Now we are clapping, clapping, clapping all day
long! (clap hands)
I shook that tree as hard as I could.
Down came the apples.
MMMMMM, they were good
The Wheels on the Bus
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
Round and round, round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town.
Now we are stomping... (stomp feet)
Now we are stretching…(stretch your arms up)
The people on the bus go up and down,
Up and down, up and down.
The people on the bus go up and down
All through the town.
The horn on the bus goes honk, honk, honk.
Honk, honk, honk; honk, honk, honk.
The horn on the bus goes honk, honk, honk.
All through the town.



The lights on the bus goes blink
The babies on the bus go waa, waa, waa
The mommies on the bus go sh, sh, sh
Elevator
Let’s go riding on an elevator
(slapping lap to the beat)
Open, Shut Them
Open, shut them
Open, shut them.
Give a little clap, clap, clap.
Open, shut them,
Open shut them.
Lay them in your lap, lap, lap.
Creep them, creep them,
Creep them, creep them.
Right up to your chin, chin, chin.
Creep them, creep them,
Creep them, creep them.
But do not put them in!
Let’s go riding on an elevator.
First floor (hands out in front and low)
Second floor (hands out in front higher)
Third floor (hands out in front higher)
Fourth floor (hands out in front higher)
Fifth floor (hands waving above head)
Down, down, down, down, down!
Volume 8, Issue 3
Page 7
Songs for October
Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, “Oh, my it's getting
late!”
The second one said, “There are witches
in the air.”
The third one said, “But we don't care.”
The fourth one said, “Let's run, let's run!”
The fifth one said, “Isn't Halloween fun?!”
Ten Little Pumpkins
1 little, 2 little, 3 little pumpkins,
4 little, 5 little, 6 little pumpkins,
7little, 8 little, 9 little pumpkins,
10 little pumpkins in all!
Then Woooooo went the wind
And OUT went the lights.
And five little pumpkins rolled out of
sight.
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
And on this farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O.
With a “moo, moo” here; and a “moo,
moo” there;
Here a “moo!”; there a “moo!”; everywhere a “moo, moo.”
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
Duck—“quack, quack”
Pig—“oink, oink”
Horse—“neigh, neigh”
Baby Bumble Bee
I’m bringing home a baby bumble bee.
Won’t my mommy be so proud of me!?
I’m bringing home a baby bumble bee.
LISTEN! (hands by ear)
BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ
OUCH! He stung me!
Bye Bye bee. (wave goodbye)
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Itsy, bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain.
And the itsy, bitsy spider went up the spout again.
Page 8
Holly Ridge Happenings
Signs for September & October
We use this sign for juice, as well.