A Day in the Life of Our Nurseries

    We are so excited to have the opportunity to welcome lots of new friends in Ms. Jennifer and Ms. Makenya's Nursery Classrooms! Have you ever wondered what a typical day in the life of a Nursery friend might look like? Well after some extensive documenting, I am happy to share with you just that! So without further delay, here is a typical day in our nursery classrooms:   (WARNING: The following contents may force you to smile & make googly eyes at your computer screen!)

Our friends start out there day with a quick hug & kiss from mom or dad before they are placed in the loving care of our Nursery Teachers:)

We have a very diverse group of friends with a variety of different needs. It is so important to us to give each of our children individual attention, therefore, some days are started off with some much needed cuddle time!

Other friends might be feeling very sleepy...... :)

Some of our precious little ones may need their diapers changed (we love Ms. Jennifer's enthusiasm!!)

Some of our friends may also be ready to eat!

Another thing you can count on is that we will keep these sweeties busy! It is so important to give infants the opportunity to explore their environments. We work on building cognitive, language, and creative arts skills daily!

 It isn't always all work and no play! We do have a tenancy to let loose and have a good time just being together!

    For those of you that are new to our Holly Tree Family and to those of you that have been with us, welcome to our family. Your little ones truly do brighten up each of our days and we appreciate every moment spent with them and all of our children here at Holly Tree.

For more information about our program, please visit our website at: http://www.hollytreechildcare.com

Family Fun!

   It is so important for us to get together with our parents and have some fun! One event that we have recently hosted was our annual Chili Cook Off. Parents were invited to bring their favorite chili recipes and taste test each contribution. Our chili cook-off winner is Krystal Lewis! Krystal is the mother of Layla in our Toddler classroom. Krystal won a red hot gift basket with lots of yummy candy! Thanks for letting us try your delicious chili! Congratulations!

   On Thursday, January 30th, we hosted our Super Bowl Tailgate Party. Families were invited to wear their favorite jerseys and join us in games, food, and prizes! We had a bean bag throw, a target toss, and a corn hole game! We enjoyed chicken wings, pretzels, dip, and cocktail wienies. We gave away stickers, footballs, and gift cards. It was so great to see everyone and get a chance to hang out and have some fun!

For more information about our program, please visit our website at http://www.hollytreechildcare.com

 Is it a Cold or the Flu?

    With cold and flu season upon us, it is important that we are aware of the differences between a cold or the flu. Here is a breakdown that help us differentiate between the two:

Cold: Fevers and headaches are rare. Exhaustion is not usual. General aches, pains, fatigue and weakness are sometimes present. More common symptoms include stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat, and a mild cough.

Flu: Fevers are usually high. Headaches are common. General aches, pains, fatigue, weakness, exhaustion, and coughing are usual and possibly severe.

For more information about the flu, please visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/freeresources/updated/a_flu_guide_for_parents.pdf

For more information about our program, please visit our website at: http://www.hollytreechildcare.com

Block Challenge Winners!

    Educator Caroline Pratt developed the unit block in the early 1900s. The unit block is a staple in early childhood education classrooms. In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the unit block, all 10 schools in our company were challenged to come up with creative activities that would promote and extend block play. We are proud to announce that we are the winners of our company's First Annual Block Challenge! Here are some of the activities we participated in:

Our toddlers were invited to build with soft blocks and use toilet paper roll people to extend their block play. Each child received a personalized block person! 

 In Pre-K, the children were invited to build a block maze. Using a straw and a ping pong ball, the children were also invited to navigate the maze!

 Pre-K also used unit blocks to measure their friends! Each child lied down on the floor while other children measured that child in blocks. The children counted how many blocks long their friends are, compared, and recorded the information.

Preschool 3 and Pre-K worked together using assorted materials such as seashells, fabrics, pebbles, and pine cones to create with unit blocks!

What a fun way to build onto our learning!

For more information about our program, please visit our website at: http://www.hollytreechildcare.com

Sensational Singing

    We want to recognize the hard work of our Preschool 3 and PreK classrooms for putting on a spectacular performance at our Christmas Program! We know Ms. Melissa, Ms. Elizabeth, and the children worked really hard to put the show together! The children serenaded our ears with the sounds of "Jingle Bells," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and many other holiday favorites. There was even a portion of the show where parents were invited to sing together with the children! We were happy to get the opportunity to invite parents into our center to enjoy the sounds of our little ones. Thank you to all the parents that came out!

To learn more about our program, please visit our website at: http://www.hollytreechildcare.com