April 2016 Newsletter - Creative Playrooms Montessori and Child

CREATIVELY SPEAKING
Loving, Nurturing & Educating Children Since 1968
CREATIVE PLAYROOMS
April 2016
Vol.4
Our centers are always looking for good people to work for us! If interested, or if
you know someone that is, talk to the center director for details!
APRIL HIGHLIGHTS
April 1:
Happy 48th Birthday, Creative Playrooms!
April 5:
Montessori Parent Meeting – 6:30-7:30pm
The Math & Geography Areas
April 25-29: Kindergarten Testing (Part II)
Creative Playrooms
Montessori Schools
Spring Programs 7:00pm for Pre-K, Montessori & Kindergarten
(Please check with the Center Director for the date)
&
Child Care Centers
32750 Solon Road
Solon, OH 44139
(440) 349-9111
www.creativeplayrooms.com
Joan Wenk, M.S. Ed.
President
Shirley Jeric
Vice President
Terri Jacobson
Executive Assistant
From the Regional Director's Desk ~ Debbie Pack
This month we celebrate our commitment to young children. Creative
Playrooms was founded on April 1, 1968 by Joan Wenk. Today, along with
Joan, we continue to provide the quality child care she started 48 years ago.
Watch for fun activities to celebrate Creative Playroom’s birthday!
We look forward to the spring program performances this month for the
Pre-K, Montessori & Kindergarten classes. Please check the parent board for
dates and times.
Finally, if you have not done so already, we are still enrolling for Kindergarten
for the fall, as well as Summer Camp! Stop in and register today!
Denise Benko
Finance
Tina Merolla
H.R. Coordinator
Debbie Pack
Regional Director
Refer a family and receive a $25.00 bonus!
What's Happening Around Us...
Submitted by Center Directors
Independence ~ Donna Kupiecki
We have a fun-filled agenda scheduled for April. On the 1st, we will be celebrating Creative Playrooms' 48th
birthday. Congratulations on 48 great years and good luck in the years to come! We are so excited to finally
get outside to play and enjoy the warmer weather and the sunshine. We finish off the month with our spring
programs. (Dates to be announced) Come and support our singing stars! We will be singing songs from the
Wizard of Oz!
Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Jan Piskac! Miss Jan has worked for Independence Montessori & Child Care Center since
June of 2011. She helps in all the classrooms and in the summer months she drives the bus for our field trips.
She loves children and enjoys watching them grow. Miss Jan loves to help with taking and posting pictures on
our Facebook page. Three words to describe her are kind, funny, and caring!
Maple Heights ~ Lisa Woodward
Happy Birthday, Creative Playrooms! May you have many more wonderful years of enriching children’s lives.
We have many of our current parents at the Maple Center and two staff who attended when they were young,
and now these families are bringing their young children to the center. What a wonderful legacy. Our spring
program will be held this month. Please see me for details. Make sure your children have a change of clothes
and a pair of tennis shoes to play on the playground.
Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Gail Schroeder! Gail began with Creative Playrooms in 1972 and celebrates 44 years with
the company this month. She works with the Toddler group and enjoys doing art work with the children and
decorating her room with that art work. She’s always eager to help out with art ideas in other classrooms,
also. Gail is dependable, honest, kind, and dedicated! Thanks for all your wonderful years of consistent service,
Gail!!!!
Parma ~ Jennifer Cook
We are very excited that spring is finally here! Please make sure your children wear weather-appropriate
clothing as we will be going outside every day weather permitting. Also make sure your child has season
appropriate extra clothing in their cubby. April 1st, we will be celebrating Creative Playrooms’ 48th birthday!
Our Pre-K spring program will be on Monday, the 18th and the Montessori & Kindergarten program will be on
Tuesday, the 19th. Both programs will be at 7:00pm in the center.
Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Allison Sutorius! Miss Alli is a teacher in our Toddler 1 classroom and just celebrated her
one year anniversary with Parma Montessori. She loves to create new projects with her classroom. Thank you,
Allison for all your hard work and dedication!
What's Happening Around Us (Cont'd)
Solon ~ Kathleen Milliken
Happy Birthday Creative Playrooms! April 1st we celebrate our 48th birthday. April 12th our Montessori, PreK, and Kindergarten students will perform their spring program, the “Great Outdoors” at the Solon High
School Lecture Hall at 7:00 p.m. The students will be planting seeds near our peace pole in the front of our
building for Earth Day. April always brings warmth of fresh air, so please dress your child accordingly for
daily outdoor play. Registration forms have been sent home for summer camp and fall enrollment so please
remember to return them to reserve your spot. We are also enrolling for the 2016-2017 Kindergarten year.
Employee of the Month
This month we give a great big thank you to our infant teachers. This past month we registered over 8 new
families and they keep coming. Our infant teachers are dedicated and committed to making our families
feel welcome. As both building openers and closers, they are here regardless of the weather and the time!
It is nice to see such a great team working together. Thank you Linda, Ann, Erin, Maria, and Ileen!
Strongsville ~ Lisa Ross
Happy 48th Birthday Creative Playrooms! We will be having another Montessori Parent Meeting on the 5th.
Please join us to learn more about the Math and Geography areas of the classroom. April 12th is National
Grilled Cheese Day – to celebrate we will be having grilled cheese for lunch! Pre-K, Montessori (4 years and
older), and Kindergarten will be having their spring programs this month; please see your child’s teacher for
the date and time. April 22nd is Earth Day – celebrate by doing something nice for the Earth. The
Kindergarten testing for First Grade Readiness will be April 25th through the 29th.
Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Amanda Franc! Mandy rejoined us here at Strongsville Montessori in August. Mandy is a
great team player, helping out in all the rooms whenever needed. She has a special bond with the infants
and gets to spend a good part of her day in that room.
Westlake ~ Debbie Pack
We begin the month with a birthday celebration for Creative Playrooms! The children will enjoy cake and
activities throughout the day. The Pre-K, Montessori, & Kindergarten children will perform their spring
program on April 12th at 7:00 p.m. at Parkside School. Please be sure to submit your registration form and
pick up your tickets if you will be attending. Hope to see you there! The children will be going outside often,
so please be sure to have jackets and weather-appropriate clothing for your child. Don’t forget to register
now for Summer Camp 2016, as well as Montessori & Private Kindergarten classes for the fall.
Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Brittani Cool! Brittani has been with Westlake Montessori since October 2015, and
works in the Toddler 2 classroom. Her favorite activity to do with the children is art. Brittani is a very
reliable and helpful employee and has been a great addition to our center! Thank you, Brittani for all your
hard work and dedication!
April Curriculum Ideas & Classroom Themes
Infant Info
Sensory:
Gross Motor:
Fine Motor:
Audio/Visual:
Puppet Play, Feather Fun, Puzzles, Cheerios Book
Row, Row, Row your Boat, Basketball Hoop, Sliding Board, Balls
Build Towers with Blocks, Cupcake Flowers, Paint the Kite
Itsy Bitsy Spider, Peek-a-Boo, Xylophone, Fingerplays
Jr. Toddler Tidbits - Themes: April Showers, Fun Things That Fly, Baby Animals, All about Bugs
Practical Life:
Gross Motor:
Language:
Science:
Art:
Sr. Toddlers -
Let’s go Fishing, Dress Baby Doll, Set the Table, Mail a Letter
Bean Bag Toss, Riding Toys, Parachute, Large Waffle Blocks
Felt Board, Shape Sorter, ABC Puzzle, Color Books
Matching Mom to Baby Animals, Weather Bear, Shakers
Watercolor Kite, Handprint Umbrella, Rain Boots, Hot
Air Balloon
Themes: April Showers, Fun Things that Fly, Baby Animals, All about Bugs
Practical Life:
Gross Motor:
Science:
Art:
Let’s Go Shopping, Birthday Party, Making Cookies, Water the Plants
Ring Toss, Large Lego Blocks, Tunnel Time, Riding Toys
Soft Sculpture, Parts of a Flower, Bug Match, Birds & Nests
Handprint Raindrop, Party Hats, Rainbow, Watercolor Kite
PS/PK - Themes: Community Helpers, Get Up & Move, What’s Cooking, Under the Sea
Music/Movement:
Gross Motor:
Science:
Art:
Stop, Drop & Roll, Five Little Monkeys, Food Tag, Take Me Out to the
Ballgame
Octopus! Jellyfish Jiggle, Dancing Animals, Hide & Seek Fish
Whale Facts, Light Up a Rainbow, How Big? Flower Arrangements
Bouncy Ball, Painting, Barefoot Artist, Vegetable Prints, Ocean Tissue
Collage, Fishy Finger Prints
After School - Themes: Cleveland Indians Day, Bird Day, Juggler’s Day, Arbor Day, Poetry Day
Backyard Science:
Cooking:
Games Galore:
Art:
Cooperating Games:
Plant Seeds, Under the Sea, Sink/Float, Animal Guess
Popcorn Bar, Pretzel Wands, Almost S’mores, Cupcake Bar
Charades, Freeze Dance, Treasure Hunt, Heads up 7 up
Baseball Pennants, Clown Face, Penguin Feet, Beach Scene
April Showers
A Very Long Car Trip, 7-up, Bingo, Swirls & Twirls
MONTESSORI MATTERS
Independence Center
Themes: Happy Birthday, Spring Program, Earth Day, April Showers, Baseball
Happy Birthday Creative Playrooms. We will celebrate a special day on April 1st. Our spring program
is going to be wonderful. We are all so excited to perform for our families. Earth Day means
planting our seeds. We will reduce, reuse, and recycle as we help the earth. Spring showers may
come, and we will learn a lot about weather. Indians Day will make us all feel like spring.
Sensorial:
Geography:
Language:
Math:
Practical Life:
Science:
Art:
Music, Spring Sounds
Australia, Asia Review
Letter Sound Review
Decimals and Money
Sewing Cards, Baseball Day
Weather, Insects, Recycle, Trees
Kites, Umbrellas, Rainbows
Refer a family and receive a $25.00 bonus!
Parma Center
Themes: Spring, Week of the Young Child, Earth Day, Recycling
Happy birthday Creative Playrooms! Spring has sprung here at Parma Montessori! We will be
discussing the change in the weather and going on a nature walk to observe these changes. We will
also be celebrating the Week of the Young Child. Our spring program will be on Tuesday, April 19th at
7:00 p.m. We’re also start our butterfly garden by feeding caterpillars and watching them turn into
butterflies.
Sensorial:
Geography:
Language:
Math:
Practical Life:
Science:
Art:
Small Hexagon Box
Animals of Asia
3-Letter Phonetic Words
Ten Board
Tweezing
Weather Changes
Umbrellas, Birds Nest,
Marble Art, Rain Drops
CREATIVE PLAYROOMS
MONTESSORI MATTERS
Solon Center
Themes: Be a Good Choice Maker, Be Grateful, Be Mindful, Be Selfless
Happy Birthday, Creative Playrooms! While our winter was mild, we are happily welcoming in the season
as we get ready for our spring program on the 12th. Our classrooms will be full of color while we bring
in the art of spring flowers and sunshine. Spring conferences will also be taking place this month, so
make sure to set up a time slot. Children will also be learning the importance of taking care of our
planet and the environment in celebration of Earth Day.
Sensorial:
Geography:
Language:
Math:
Practical Life:
Art:
Making Dough, Sifting
Stories of Famous People and Musicians
“o” Sound, “u” Sound, “a” Sound
The Short Chains
Watering a Plant, Sifting, Peel, Slice, Mash
Painting Spring Flowers, Umbrella Flowers
Strongsville Center
Themes: Spring, Parts of a Plant & Flower, Weather, Mammals and Birds, Girl & Boy Day
(Asia), Baseball
Although it has been a mild winter, the children are excited about spring and are enjoying their time
outside. We are very busy and active in the classroom – the classroom is mirroring the weather outside!
We are practicing for the annual spring program and hope to see everyone there.
Happy 48th Birthday to Creative Playrooms on April 1st!
Sensorial:
Third Color Box
Geography:
Asia, Asian Rainforest, Land & Water Forms
Language:
Blends, Synonyms, Ending Sounds, Poetry, Music
Math:
Bead Box, Long Chains, Introductory Story Problems
Practical Life:
Patterns, Tweezers, Care of Self, Gross Motor, Plant Care
Science:
Life Cycle of a Frog, Parts of Flowers & Plants, Signs of Spring
Art:
Color Wheel, Still Life of Flowers, 3-D Art Intro, Collage
Westlake Center
Themes:
Earth Day, Spring, Birds, Africa
This month the Montessori class is excited to welcome spring with fun art, silly songs, and outdoor
activities. We will study African culture and learn all about birds and bugs. In Language we will continue
practicing sight words and learn about blends. Please join us on April 12th for our spring program at
Parkside Elementary School. More details will be posted. Happy Birthday Creative Playrooms!
Sensorial:
Geography:
Language:
Math:
Practical Life:
Science:
Art:
Feather Sorting, Flower Patterns
African Wooden Puzzle Map
Blends: ch, sh, th, Sight Words
Subtraction Strip Board
Bubble Whisk, Braiding
Butterfly Life Cycle
Rainbow Art
KINDERGARTEN KORNER
Parma Center ~ Janice Peak
Themes:
Earth Day, Sea Creatures, Land & Water, Under the Sea
Spring is here! Our spring program will be on Tuesday, the 19th, at 7:00 pm. This month we will learn
about animals that live in and near water. We’ll also discuss other creatures that live in water and why
they need water to live. The class will also learn about the animals that live in salt water versus fresh
water.
Math:
Large to Small Measurements
Language:
Spring Words & Animal Names
Science:
How Rivers are Formed
Social Studies:
Where Ocean Animals Live
Art:
Umbrellas, Mosaic Globes
Solon Center ~ Nicole Craft
Themes:
Spring, Love our Earth, Community Helpers, Animals, Ocean Life
Happy Spring! This month we will be focused on learning about the importance of preserving our
earth. We’ll talk about recycling, as well as what we can do to keep our earth healthy. Our class will
also be discussing the importance different jobs in our community. Please join us for our spring
program in the Solon High School Lecture Hall on April 12th at 7:00 p.m.
Math:
Language:
Science:
Social Studies:
Art:
Addition, Subtraction, Geometric Shapes
What Can We Do For the Earth
Recycling Experiment, Growing Plants Indoors
Indoor Ocean Experience
Earth Day Handprints, Ocean Mural
Refer a family and receive a $25.00 bonus!
KINDERGARTEN KORNER
Strongsville Center ~ Mrs. Sue Kemp
Themes:
Spring, Down on the Farm, Travel & Maps, In the Garden
We begin the month with Creative Playrooms’ 48th birthday celebration. Spring has finally arrived and
we are looking forward to getting back outside for some fresh air. Please mark your calendar with
these important dates: Spring program on April 21st; details to be sent home; First grade readiness
test April 25th through the 29th.
Math:
Language:
Social Studies:
Science:
Art:
Addition, Money
Short Vowel Sounds, Word Family, Blends
Maps and Directions
Signs of Spring, Farm Animals, Parts of a Plant/
Flower
Fireflies
Westlake Center ~ Diane Runner
Themes:
Spring, Down on the Farm, Travel, In the Garden
This month we’ll talk about blooming flowers and parts of a tree. The children will also make handprint
trees. We will talk about the continent of Europe and label the map. The children will begin word
families now that they have learned so many sight words. This will further increase reading vocabulary.
We look forward to our field trip to the Natural History Museum this month.
Math:
Language:
Social Studies:
Science:
Art:
Fraction Practice
Word Families
Label Europe Map
Parts of an Insect, Farm Sorting
Handprint Tree, Flowers
~~Pool News~~
Parma: This month we will continue to work on back
floating and also learn to float on our stomach.
Solon: We’ll be learning how to safely enter and
exit the pool. Toddler & PreSchool classes will learn
to float on their back. Montessori & Pre-K will begin
their spring evaluations and test all their skills.
Kindergarten & Afterschool will resume their regular
sessions with water aerobics and exercise.
Westlake:
Preschool will work on kicking and
swimming on their backs with assistance. Pre-K will
be treading water and learning the front crawl.
Young Montessori class will be putting their faces in
the water, while the extended day Montessori will be
getting rings from the deep end. Kindergartners will
be swimming under water.
Don’t forget to check your child’s swimsuit to
make sure it still fits!
Employee Spotlight
Nicole Craft
Solon Creative Playrooms
This month we shine our spotlight on Nicole
Craft! Nicole has been employed at the Solon
Center
since
2013.
Currently,
as
our
Kindergarten teacher, Nicole effectively and
efficiently runs a class of 18 students. These
students are all reading and ready for first
grade.
She is passionate, dedicated, and
cheerful, and enjoys cooking and spending time
with her extended family. Thank you Nicole, for
all you do to make our center extraordinary!
~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY~~
MAY TODAY BE AS EXTRAORDINARY AS YOU!
~~HAPPY ANNIVERSARY~~
SHARING THE JOYS THAT BLOSSOM EACH YEAR IN YOUR DEVOTION
TO CREATIVE PLAYROOMS MONTESSORI & CHILD CARE CENTERS!
APRIL
BIRTHDAYS
ANNIVERSARIES
CORPORATE
NONE
Denise Benko
Shirley Jeric
Joan Wenk
Lew Wenk
1 Yr.
48 Yrs.
48 Yrs.
16Yrs.
INDEPENDENCE
Amber Murrin
Kathy Polimene
Nicole Sorma
20 Yrs.
1 Yr.
MAPLE HEIGHTS
NONE
Robert Hejl
Marquetta Pruitt
Gail Schroeder
Stacy Woods
3 Yrs.
18 Yrs.
44 Yrs.
9 Yrs.
PARMA
Mariah Kupiec
Mary Royer
Briana Zelinka
04/02
04/21
04/15
Justine Brzoska
Janice Peak
2 Yr.
1 Yr.
SOLON
Nicole Craft
Brenda Early
Nicole Meloy
Amanda Walker
04/07
04/01
04/11
04/23
Linda Kubica
STRONGSVILLE
NONE
WESTLAKE
Megan Lee
04/05
12 Yrs.
NONE
04/30
Gail Long
2 Yrs.
Leigh-Ann Muszynec 1 Yr.