June 2018 - Play Centers

1 FROM THE DIRECTOR Christina Creager Welcome to a New School Year! THEMES Getting to Know You Welcome Back Character Building Kindness HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Joshua C. 9/3 Gavin D. 9/6 Jack P. 9/13 Hunter R. 9/23 Joe T. 9/28 IMPORTANT DATES: Monday, September 10 Rosh Hashanah BCPS Schools and Play Centers CLOSED. Wednesday, September 19 Yom Kippur BCPS Schools and Play Centers CLOSED. Play Centers at Carroll Manor Elementary School 4434 Carroll Manor Road Baldwin, Maryland 21013 ~ Hours of Operation: 7:00 - 8:30 / 3:15 - 6:00 This organization and its materials are not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Baltimore County Public Schools, the Superintendent, or this Baltimore County public school or office.

2 SEPTEMBER 2018 FROM ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE (AR) Questions about your account? Please contact Sharon Gunther, AR Coordinator, at , ext. 106. Questions about Subsidy? Please contact Kari Thomas, Subsidy Specialist, at , ext. 111. FROM DIANE MELLOTT, COO/CEO Welcome back! Our staff have been busy preparing a wide variety of curriculum enrichment activities, organizing and adding to our supplies and equipment, organizing paperwork and, in the week prior to the first day of school, participating in professional development. Topics included: Successful Relationships begin with Friendships , Conscious Behavior Management , Communication in Leadership , Making the Most of your Music , and First Aid / CPR Certification.

3 The staff and administrative team are energized and eager to begin the new school year! We want to take the opportunity to start the year off right by reminding each of you of a few important issues/policies: As dictated in our leases, we are permitted to enter Baltimore County Public School buildings at 7:00 , but not any earlier. This program opening time is determined by the BCPS Offices at Greenwood and is not flexible nor in the control of Play Centers staff/school personnel. For parents interested in having their child drop-in on a particular day, please remember that it is a requirement that you confirm with your Center Director, at least 24-hours in advance, that there is space available for dropping in on that specific day.

4 Dropping in without advance permission is not permitted. Upon arrival at the center, parents must sign their child in and deliver him/her to the staff person in charge. Similarly, staff must be told when a child is leaving for the day and the parent must sign his/her child out. Children who are attending Play Centers may not be dropped off/ picked up outside of the school, because they are not permitted to walk in/out of the program without parent supervision. Please be reminded that it is a misdemeanor in Maryland to leave a child under the age of 8 unattended, including leaving the child in the car while picking up another child from the center.

5 Please see your Center Director to update necessary forms for the new year (Emergency Forms, etc.). This is a regulatory requirement. Please be reminded that each child must have written permission to participate in any and all after school activities offered outside of our before or after school programs (Clubs, Scouts, play practice, concert rehearsals, etc.) The Activity Permission Slip is available from the Center Director. Also, remind your child that he/she must sign in at Play Centers before heading to their activity to help ensure that each child is appropriately accounted for each day.

6 Don t forget to read all pages of the Monthly Parent Newsletter throughout the year. This useful tool includes important program information and updates as well as articles of interest. We respectfully request, in this new age of Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social networking, that we all strive to be respectful of all Play Centers children, families, and staff in our communications. We strongly encourage our families to sign up for the direct communications from Play Centers via email and text alerts. This is particularly important for notifications regarding emergency program closures!

7 See your Center Director for more information regarding these important communication tools. Should you have questions, concerns, or comments throughout the school year, please let us know! At any time you may complete a Parent Survey and your child may complete a Participant Survey, available via our website Home Page by clicking Surveys . We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking the time to read this information and thank you for being part of the Play Centers family! We are all looking forward to a terrific year filled with fun, creative, and enriching opportunities for learning through purposeful play!

8 Play Centers at Carroll Manor Elementary School 4434 Carroll Manor Road Baldwin, Maryland 21013 ~ Hours of Operation: 7:00 - 8:30 / 3:15 - 6:00 SEPTEMBER 2018 PARENTS CORNER Back to School 9 Tips for an Awesome School Year (an excerpt by: Bonnie Harris) Whether your kids are going to school for the first time or in high school, a new school year marks a new beginning. New hopes and fears emerge at this time of year. And isn t it always a new beginning for you as well? For a child just beginning, you may have the following questions: Will he succeed? Will she have friends? Will teachers like my child?

9 What is my role at school? How can I make this a great year for my child? present and away from inappropriate expectations. Do your best to focus on right now and let go of past mistakes and old experiences. Your child is different than he was even three months ago. Talk with your child and make plans based on who he is now. 2. Maintain a strong connection with your child. Especially in the beginning of the school year, keep quiet tabs on what s happening. A change in your child s behavior may be a signal that something might be going on at school. Many kids don t talk about their ex-periences. It all shows up in behavior.

10 3. Don t ask a lot of questions at the end of the day. The last thing your child wants to talk about at the end of a long, hard day is how it was and what happened. She wants to chill, play, call her own shots for a while. Be patient. 4. Make contact with your child s teacher. It s always a good idea to set up a time with your child s teacher about a month into the year. Talk about how your child responds best at home and what tends to set him off 5. Set up a homework schedule and school-day rules and expectations with your child. Establish a sit down time to talk about what time and place your child wants to choose for homework, acknowledging when you will and will not be available for help.