Journal 13

Join Us For

Muffins with Mom!!

“Muffins with Mom” is an informal social event for children to spend a special morning with their mom.

DATE: Thursday, April 4th

LOCATION: In your child’s classroom!

TIME: 7:30 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.

COST: 1.50 per person

MENU: One large muffin and coffee/juice per person

Journal 12

1.       He is very good with his numbers. He can count from 1-100 with very little mistakes. He is very good at his sounds. He is doing well in writing and is able to spell at least 5, 3 letter words when read aloud.
2.       One of his favorite things that I have noticed is recuses. He is always excited to go out and stretch his legs and play with his friends. His favorite outside toy would probably be the monkey bars he is able to go all the way across without falling and sometimes go every other bar.
3.        He really enjoys math. He has learned how to use his fingers as a tool to add and subtract.
4.       Kneeling down and getting to his level and asking his to find another center to work in. he is pretty good about listening as long as I am looking into his eyes and asking the question.
5.       I suggest sitting down in the evening and reading at least 30minutes a night. When reading ask him to try and sound out a couple (easy) words. This will help him along his reading journey.

Journal 10

Health Alert!!!

It has been reported to the center that your child may have been exposed to Influenza (flu).

What is it: Influenza (the flu) is an infection of the nose, throat, and lungs caused by influenza viruses. There are many different influenza viruses that are constantly changing. They cause illness, hospital stays and deaths in the United States each year. The flu can be very dangerous for children. Each year about 20,000 children younger than 5 years old are hospitalized from flu complications, like pneumonia.

How it is Spread:  Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with the flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might get the flu by touching something that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, eyes or nose.

What to look for: Symptoms of the flu can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. Some people with the flu will not have a fever.

What you can do:  In addition to getting vaccinated, take – and encourage your child to take – everyday steps that can help prevent the spread of germs.

1.        Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

2.        Stay away from people who are sick.

3.        Wash hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

4.        Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.

5.       If someone in the household is sick, try to keep the sick person in a separate room from others in the household, if possible.

6.       Keep surfaces like bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, kitchen counters and toys for children clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.

7.        Throw tissues and other disposable items used by sick persons in your household in the trash.

If you suspect your child has been infected:  Call for emergency care or take your child to a doctor right away if your child of any age has any of the warning or emergency signs below:

1.       Fast breathing or trouble breathing

2.        Bluish or gray skin color

3.        Not drinking enough fluids (not going to the bathroom or making as much urine as they normally do)

4.        Severe or persistent vomiting

5.        Not waking up or not interacting

6.       Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held

7.        Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

8.        Has other conditions (like heart or lung disease, diabetes, or asthma) and develops flu symptoms, including a fever and/or cough.

What we are doing to prevent the spread: Having children wash their hands with soap and water (for as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice) will help protect against many germs. We are also planning to disinfect the entire building.

Journal 9

Aggressive Behavior
All children need to be able to participate in planned activities and be able to follow simple directions. As with all aggressive behaviors parents are notified with each incident. Aggressive and hurtful behavior includes, but is not limited to: biting, hitting, kicking, pushing, and pinching. Such behavior is not appropriate. We will use every appropriate method to help children control their:
Step One: Teacher/Director Coaching the child and contact with the parent.
Step Two: Director, Teacher, Parent Conference make suggestions.
Step Three:Second Conference at which time the parent maybe asked to find alternate childcare.
Any or all of the steps may be skipped or omitted as deemed appropriate, based on the extent of the aggressive behavior and circumstances.

Journal 6

1.       The director showed a lack of communication between the parent and the teacher. She should have discussed the importance of keeping confidentiality.

2.       The teacher in no way should be gossiping about the children in her care. That is wrong and is teaching the children that it is ok to talk about other people.

3.       I do believe that there should have been a meeting between not only the parent and director but the teacher as well.

4.       The director teacher and parent. And possibly hold a staff meeting to discuss the importance of keeping all children’s personal business confidential.

5.       I do feel that a talk with the other children about a new student coming into the classroom would have been good. It would have prepared the class as a whole for a new face. The teacher could have gone over things that the children could have done in order to make the new student feel comfortable and welcome.

6.       I think that it would have been easier for him if the teacher would not have made him feel like an outcast from the beginning. She could have allowed him to eat his sandwich and have him Elmo during naptime so that he would feel more secure within him new surroundings. If the sandwich and Elmo were not allowed this is another issue that should have been discussed between the parent and director before enrollment.

7.       I don’t think it is professional to gossip about the children that you care for. We as teachers do not know all of a child’s past and we are not here to judge. We are teachers because we have a passion for children which includes seeing all children succeed.

8.       If this happened in my center I would possibly fire the employee but would definitely hand out written warnings to each employee that was involved.

9.       I would sit down with the teacher and parent to discuss all issues and assure the parent that her child would be well taken care of and that we as a whole were going to do whatever it took to make her child feel comfortable and welcome within the classroom.

10.   If I was the parent I would be furious I am not sure what I would do probably withdraw him from the center and find somewhere else to take him.

Journal Entry 7

The most important reason why your appearance matters is for you yourself. When you know you look good you tend to feel better about yourself which spikes your confidence which can be helpful in the workplace. You shouldn't dress for the position you have, you should dress for the position you want. The way you look or dress is how you present yourself to the world. A person who dresses well is much more likely to be respected and taken seriously. You should dress appropriately when you want a job, or have an interview just dress nice to look the part.

Journal Entry 5

God’s Creation’s

Mandatory Staff Meeting!!

Communication skills between Coworkers and PARENTS!

1.       Develop effective was to communicate with our coworkers. Possibly set up a box to drop comments, concerns or ideas into either with a name or anonymous. The box will be checked every Friday by me (director). Which I will review over the weekend and Monday morning all issues, concerns, or ideas with be addressed individually and as a whole.

2.       Welcome parents into the classroom at drop off and pick up. Get them involved! Help parents to be active in the classroom. Show them what their child has been working on. And address any questions or concerns that they may have.

3.       Cell phones!! Absolutely NO cell phones in use in the classroom. Please turn all phones on vibrate. NO calls should be taken inside the classroom unless it is an emergency! If you need to answer because of an emergency please ask the director or assistant director, to come and step in your class so that you may take the call.

4.       Music in the classroom! The only music that should be played inside the classroom around the children is kid friendly music. Please nothing else!

I feel that staff meetings are important because it opens up the floor for all workers to ask and address any questions or concerns that they may have. It also allows the director to provide any necessary feedback to employees. It also helps employees with resources needed to take additional training.