Dear CCP Families,
As I consider all the things going on in our world today, I am especially grateful for our preschool teachers who spend much time teaching our students peaceful ways to handle conflict and techniques to calm their bodies when they are upset. Self-regulation and an assertive voice are two of the most important things we teach. These skills will help your children to be prepared to manage what life throws at them now and in the future! Read the Conscious Discipline moment at the bottom for more on Assertive Voice.
CONFERENCES - Watch for your teacher’s sign-up genius in a blog post or email, so you can sign up for a convenient time for a conference. Since school is closed for spring conferences, please plan with another parent to watch each other’s children on our playgrounds during conferences.
TUITION - Please remember that your March tuition payment is due March 1 (It’s considered late after March 5, so you have a few days of grace.) Thanks for paying your fees on time.
SUPPLY/EQUIPMENT FEES FOR 26-27 - Your fees were due last Friday, 2/13. Thank you to those who paid on time. If you still have not paid the fees, please let us know asap if your child will not be attending CCP next year, as we have others on our waiting list that would like a spot here. Paying these fees holds your child’s spot in the class they were placed in.
YOU’RE INVITED! - Come experience an evening of powerful Gospel music from the Bethune-Cookman University Inspirational Gospel Choir on Wednesday, March 4th at 7:00 p.m. in the Christ UMC Sanctuary! This gifted group of students travels from Florida to spread God’s word in song and tell the story of founder Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. Come be encouraged, inspired, and reminded of the power of worship shared together. All are welcome! In lieu of admission, a love offering will be accepted for the choir.
SUMMER CAMP - Camp applications for Ladybugs, Ducks, and Whales were in your cubbies this week. We have spots for 28-30 campers with 4 teachers. Camp is June 2-5 from 9:00-1:00. Bring your completed application and fee to the preschool office.
Coming soon….
February 25 & 26 - Pancakes and Pajamas (finally!). Send your child in their jammies for their day. Ducks, M/W/F Ladybugs, & M/W Frogs on Wednesday. Whales, T/Th Ladybugs, & T/Th Frogs on Thursday. The children will eat pancakes at 10:00am so that will be their snack. Please send their water bottles and lunch if it’s their Lunch Bunch day.
March 1 - Please plan to come to Christ Church on Sunday, March 1 at 8:45 for Preschool Sunday. Your children will sing some special songs near the beginning of the 9:00 worship service and we will celebrate the CUMC Preschool Ministry. The service lasts about an hour. There is a nursery provided in the 2’s classroom for very young children. I’ll send more details, but for now, please mark your calendar!!
March 11 & 12 - Conferences - School is closed for spring conferences, but feel free to plan with a friend to watch each others’ children on the playground during your conferences.
March 30 - April 6 - Spring Break!
April 22 & 23 - 🎼 Casual music programs in the fellowship hall. Shortly after drop-off on this Wed & Thurs, your child will sing a few songs with their class & Ms. Vicki for an audience of parents and special loved ones in Ascension Hall. So, if your child has music on Wed, then they will sing on Wed. If their music class is on Thurs, then they will sing on Thurs) More details to come…
A VERY IMPORTANT CONSCIOUS DISCIPLINE MOMENT (a little long, but well worth the read!) - Here is an important word about the skill of assertiveness, paraphrased from Dr. Becky Bailey. There are 3 voices that we can use to communicate - passive, aggressive, and assertive. The goal of passivity is to please others. Using a passive voice relinquishes your power by leaving decisions to others. Aggressive communication aims to win by overpowering. Aggressive people often speak for others and they frequently use the words "always" and "never" as forms of attack. Assertiveness allows us to express our needs, wants and desires constructively, without devaluing the other person's needs, wants and desires. Assertiveness teaches others how to treat us. The goal of assertiveness is clear communication that paints a picture of what we want others to do. It has a voice tone of "no doubt" and comes from an intention of helping children be successful instead of making them behave.
How can we give assertive commands successfully? By using an assertive voice worded as a command. Commands are about non-negotiable compliance. (Requests offer a choice.) We don't want to confuse children by wording commands as requests if there is really no choice. For example, "Keith, would you take out the trash?" actually meant, "Get up now and take the trash to the curb." There was really no choice, so an assertive command works better, “Keith, take out the trash.” Usually safety issues need to be worded as commands in an assertive voice. "Hold my hand while we cross the street." "Put your notebooks away and line up for lunch." "Walk in the hall just like this." (demonstrate what you want the child to do.) These are phrased so there is no question, no doubt.
Using an assertive voice as an adult models assertiveness for your child. Assertiveness lets you set your boundaries on what behaviors you consider safe, appropriate and permissible. It enables you to say "no" to your children, and teaches them how to say "no" to others (a very important skill. ) Now, look at the workshop above and plan to come and learn this very thing from the Great Debbie Arena, our former director! You will walk away with the tools to make this work, I promise.😁
Peace,
Shelly
BONUS TIDBITS: If there’s something bothering you, ask yourself whether it will matter in one month. If not, let it go right now.
