March 2008 Newsletter

Summer 2007 Newsletter

It feels like summer might finally have arrived—–HOORAY! This means more outside time for everyone.

We ask that each child have a bathing suit and towel at the school everyday. Also, for children who have emerging bathroom skills, please bring in swim diapers or pull ups. We love to play in the sprinklers and pools but do not have extra suits for children to wear. We want everyone to be able to join in the fun of getting wet!!!

Please be sure that we have a signed permission to apply hypo-allergenic sunscreen daily. If your preference is to provide your own sunscreen, please bring in a bottle clearly marked with your child’s name and sign the paper indicating the teachers are authorized to apply it.

Feel like making a donation that might help? How about a new pool for the playground? The school’s pools need to be replaced annually due to wear and tear. And as you can imagine, we need several pools in order to accommodate all of the children. Thank you!

Welcome to Boris Basora who is the new Office Coordinator at Cushman. Boris has been helping at Cushman in a temp capacity since January. He is currently here Monday-Thursday and will begin 5 days a week for the next school year.

Another welcome to Adrienne Wallace, who will be working as the South Room Assistant through the end of the year. Adrienne has been a work study student this semester and we are happy to have her continue on at the school.

Good luck to Upstairs Teacher Aethena, who has left Cushman to begin graduate studies in the Smith College School of Social Work. She will be missed-we wish her the best of luck!

There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again. ~Elizabeth Lawrence

DON'T FORGET...Teachers are in the process of completing Parent-Teacher conferences. If you haven’t been scheduled yet, please speak to your classroom teachers.

Cushman Pot Luck and Variety Show– Friday, June 9th

Upstairs Classroom Author’s Tea– Wednesday, June 13th
All School Sing– June 15th

Board of Directors Annual Meeting– Monday, June 25th

Cushman is closed Wednesday, July 4th for Independence Day.

Last of Day of School and Graduation is Friday, July 27th.
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Thank you to all of the people who participated in the recent Work Day at Cushman. Volunteers worked on the playground and inside painting and cleaning! The school looks great.

Also, thank you to Chuck Roberts and Rob Brooks who have started putting up the acoustic tiles in the North Room. Donations received from families towards this project (over $1200.00!!!) will be used for the tiles and supplies, as well as new blinds.

And another giant thank you to Kiah and her husband Jessie, who installed a window bench in the classroom. The children love being able to climb up to see the train go by and other exciting outside events!

A reminder that Cushman is a community which relies on volunteer efforts from families. There are many ways to help-from sitting on the Board of Directors to snack shopping to participating in fundraising events or school work days. We always need coverage for staff meetings, which take place every other Monday afternoon, as well. Please help us to keep our community great!
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A three-year-old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm. -Bill Vaughn
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Wish Lists and Donations---Don’t have time to volunteer but still want to help out the school? The following are some of the items on the school wish list:
-Metal rulers
-Exacto Knife
-Large white construction paper
-Crayola Markers
-blank books
-glue sticks
-hypo-allergenic sun screen
-baby wipes
-foaming hand soap
-tissues
-toilet paper
-paper towels
-paper plates, bowls and napkins
-duct tape
-bag of grass seed/fertilizer
-tape measure
-2 gallons of Simple Green
-33 gallon rectangular trash barrel
-flashlights
-bag of cement
-WD-40
-20 oz. Cotton mop heads
-single edge razors

Getting ready for your big tag sale? Maybe you have some items to donate to Cushman—–bigger items on our list include:
-plastic lawn rake
-cordless drill
-hacksaw, adjustable wrench, vice grips
-lawn mower and line trimmer
-canister vacuum cleaner
-dehumidifiers
-hedge trimmers
-hand saw/circular saw
-chain link fence
-preschool child-sized bathing suits
-towels

For families leaving Cushman this year-want to offer a lasting donation to the school? Please consider defering your enrollment deposit as a donation towards the school. Cushman relies heavily on donations and your $250.00 can go a long way towards purchasing classroom items on our list, such as a new sensory table or light table.

Finally– we currently have two light tables at the school that are no longer working. If anyone is willing to take a look at them, please let us know. The cost for a new table can be up to $350.00 each!!!
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As a part of the Board of Directors Annual Meeting on Monday, June 25th, current members will be voting on participants for the 2007-2008 Cushman Board. The mission of the Board is as follows:

The Board of Directors, brought together as parents, staff and members of the community, shall blend their diverse experiences, skills, and perspectives in order to further Cushman’s mission to create a dynamic, engaging, child-centered community. The members of the Board shall support the work of the Executive Director, govern with respect and integrity, and adhere to well-established principles of non-profit corporation law for standards of conduct and attention in carrying out his or her responsibilities to the organization.
Anyone interested in participating on the Board of Directors should submit a letter of interest to Margaret Oakes, Upstairs parent and current Board President (margaretoakes@comcast.net) or to Odelle (cushmanscc@earthlink.net).

Winter Newsletter

Cushman News

January 2007

www.cushmanscott.org

Happy Winter!!!

While it hasn’t felt much like winter this year, it clearly is by the level of energy in the school. Our outside time is often limited because of the cold and the teachers are working hard at challenging the children during their time in the building. Recent investigations have included:

South Room- Colors and light exploration
North Room- Social skill development, Emotional awareness and storytelling/picture creating
Upstairs- Color mixing exploration

Building Committee Updates

North Room Improvement Fund-
Cushman is currently seeking donations from families towards improvements in our wonderful North Room. Those of you who have been involved with this classroom might already be aware of the poor acoustics. In investigating the reasons for this, we have identified several culprits, foremost of which-the tin ceiling tiles. Additionally, the high ceilings contribute to the echo.

Having identified the major cause of all the noise, the Building Committee has done research regarding the expense for improvements. We estimate this amount to be approximately $1,000.00 for prep supplies, adhesive and tiles. Our hope is to be able to install the tiles during a work day in March.

We are asking families to consider a donation to the fund for North Room improvements. While we are aware that each family contributes to the school in many ways, we are hoping that the amount of contributions we receive will eliminate the need for additional fundraising towards this project and will expedite our ability to begin these improvements.

Please consider a contribution towards these improvements. Any amount received above what we need will be used towards a window seat, drapes, paint, a loft and other specialty items in that room. A folder is on the studio door for contributions. Thank you.

Board of Directors

As always, the Board is hard at work keeping Cushman running smoothly and looking at program improvements and changes for next year. If you have any suggestions or ideas, please speak to one of its members:

Meg Oakes- President- Upstairs Parent
Sherri Lawrence- Treasurer- Former Upstairs Parent
Amy Coulthard- Secretary- SR Parent
Sue Kelly- SR Parent
Michelle Tracey- Aftercare Teacher
Zoy Soulis- NR/Upstairs Parent
Matt Wells- Upstairs Parent
Jessica Carlson-Belanger- SR/Upstairs Parent
Aethena Enzer-Mahler- Upstairs Teacher
Amy Mae Silvia- SR Teacher
Odelle Kinder-Wells- Upstairs Parent/ Director
Kris Nelson- NR Parent

Fundraising 2006

Thank you fundraising committee for coordinating our Friends of Cushman campaign in December. To date we have raised $1475.00.

The committee will be meeting again on February 5^th to discuss further fundraising efforts for this year. Anyone interested in participating can contact a committee member:

Aethena Enzer-Mahler- Upstairs Teacher
Zoy Soulis- NR/Upstairs Parent
Amy Coulthard- SR Parent
Odelle Kinder-Wells- Upstairs Parent/Director
Deborah Bazer-Upstairs Parent

Accreditation is Underway!

Cushman is currently seeking accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children. NAEYC recognizes exemplary programs for their commitment to educating young children. The process is lengthy and will include a self study, a parent input component and an accreditation visit from a NAEYC representative.

Parent-Teacher Committee

Winter Family Event-

The Parent-Teacher committee has a meeting scheduled for Monday, January 5^th at 6:30 at the Cushman Café. This committee, which is primarily responsible for the social events at Cushman, will be planning our Winter Family Event. Past efforts have included a Family Contra Dance and a Family Variety Show. Anyone interested in helping is welcome to attend the meeting or to contact one of the committee members:

Amy Coulthard- SR Parent
Amy Mae Silvia- SR Teacher
Jenny Hebert- Upstairs Assistant Teacher
Zoy Soulis- NR/Upstairs Parent
Michelle Tracey- Aftercare Teacher

Scholastic Orders Come to Cushman

Scholastic book order forms are now available on the North Room door. This is an inexpensive way to get quality books for your child. In addition, Cushman receives credit for every order placed. There are many books available on a variety of subjects. Please see Kiah with any questions. Orders can be placed in the folder on the studio door.

Comings and Goings

Welcome to:

Melody and Ananda Martinez(NR Family); Eve, Cade, Jayce, Nyssa and Joe Lazanfame(NR/Upstairs Family);

And Jane, Anne and Aren Scanlon-Emigh (SR Family).

Goodbye to Beverly (NR/SR Assistant) whose last day is February 2.

Hello again to Lexy (Aftercare Teacher) who will now also be our North Room Assistant Teacher.

And finally…a see you in the Summer for the Ash family, who are on a grand adventure in Hungary until July….We will miss Rafi and the gang!

Upcoming Events:
Fundraising Committee- February 5 @ 5:30
Parent/Teacher Committee- February 5@ 6:30 (both at Cushman Café)
Nurtured Heart Series Continues- February 6, 13 and 27
Board Meeting – February 26th
Closures – Monday, February 19 for President’s Day

Read the summer 2006 newsletter

Cushman is gearing up for another great year…..

Happy summer!!! I trust that you all are enjoying your family time. I know that many of you have summer vacations planned and hope that they are relaxing and fun!

Here at Cushman-Scott, we are busy beginning preparations for the coming year. Teachers have been in and out working on their classrooms. You can see the changes already.

I have been working on updating information and trying to devise a more universal tracking system for our files.

I have also stated researching some grants that we will be applying for– in particular a grant to attend a performance at the Umass Fine Arts Center, a gardening grant to use towards the “Fay Kaynor Community Garden” (read on to learn more about this), family literacy grants to begin a family book group at Cushman and technology grants, so that we can update computers, keeping in mind the important role that technology plays in our Reggio work.

I am glad to be a part of the Cushman-Scott community and look forward to what I am sure is going to be an exciting, exhausting and exhilarating year...

CALLING ALL PAPERWORK: Please remember that any child with an incomplete file may be prohibited from beginning school on August 31st. The Department of Early Education and Care, which licenses our school, requires that all children have complete files when they are attending preschool programs. We would like all children to begin school on their first scheduled day. Therefore, we ask that you be sure to submit any outstanding papers to the school as soon as possible. Thanks for working with us on this!!!

WHO'S WHO AT CUSHMAN-SCOTT???
Confused by which staff works in which classroom at Cushman-Scott? To clarify, here are the classroom configurations for the coming school year:

South Room Teachers. Amy Mae will be returning to the South Room, with a new co-teacher. Our new teacher, Dave, has worked in early education for the past six years and has an extensive knowledge of child development and the emotionally responsive classroom. What a great team they will be!

North Room Teachers. Debbie and Kiah will both remain in the North Room. They developed a strong team-teaching approach last year and are sure to continue that quality partnership this year.

Upstairs Classroom. Deborah and Aethena will be the teachers in the upstairs room this year. Working with them will be Jenny. These three are sure to create a dynamic and engaging classroom for their group!

After Care. Michelle will be returning as our After Care Leader. As always, Michelle will continue to offer fun and relaxing end of the day care for our children.

We are currently interviewing candidates for the role of floating assistant in the North/South Classrooms and an After Care Worker.

CUSHMAN-SCOTT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As you know, Cushman-Scott is a program governed by a Board of Directors. This year, we are fortunate to have a good cross-section of Cushman-Scott represented. Currently on the Board for the coming school year are:
Interim President Kris Nelson– NR Parent
Interim Treasurer Sherri Lawrence
Secretary Amy Coulthard– SR Parent
Zoy Soulis– NR/Upstairs Parent
Sue Kelly– SR Parent
Matt Wells– Upstairs Parent
Jessica Carlson-Belanger– SR/Upstairs Parent
Aethena Enzer-Mahler– Upstairs Teacher
Odelle Kinder-Wells– Program Director and Upstairs Parent

We currently have openings for three more members. Anyone who is interested should submit a letter of interest to Kris or Odelle by September 20th. We will also be seeking participants for several committees including Outreach, Capital Campaign, Parent-Teacher, and Building Committee.

DATES TO REMEMBER: Tuesday, August 29th is DROP-IN DAY at Cushman. The teachers will be working diligently on getting the classrooms ready. On that morning, w e invite you to visit the school with your child to say hello. Feel free to bring a picnic snack or lunch and to do some playing on the playground. This is great chance to visit with other families and to ease any transition anxiety for you and your child. Drop-in hours are 9:00-1:00.

Thursday, August 31st is the first day of school!

Monday, September 4th is Labor Day. Cushman-Scott is closed.

Friday, September 15th is our annual Pot Luck Dinner. This event allows families to get to know one another as well as the Cushman staff. We hope you can all join us!

FUNDRAISING UPDATE: We have several exciting fundraising events ready to kick off:
**Teacher volunteers will be coordinating a “Parent’s Night Out” for early October. For parents, this means a night out with quality child care at minimal expense. For the kids, this means we will be jammin’ in our jammies with music, games, and snacks. Money raised will be earmarked for classroom supplies and special events. More details to follow….

**North Room parent Simon Alciere (Eva’s Dad) has also been working diligently at developing an on-line affiliate program for Cushman-Scott. This means that whenever Cushman folks shop on-line with affiliated sites, Cushman gets a small profit if the order is placed through the Cushman link. Simon reports that commissions range from 1%-25% and that it should be accessible as a link from our web site very soon!

**AND AS ALWAYS, Cushman Grounds can still be ordered monthly. Order forms are available in the office and orders are due by September 15th for delivery by the 19th. At only $8.50-9.50 per pound, this is an easy way to support Cushman each month. Also available: Chai Tea, Cocoa, Chocolate covered beans and other coffees.

The Board of Directors will also be seeking volunteers to participate in the fundraising committee for this school year. Please speak to a Board member if you might be interested.


NAEYC ACCREDITATION: Cushman-Scott will be pursuing accreditation through The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) this year. This accreditation designates individual programs as offering exemplary, developmentally appropriate learning experiences. It can help to secure various funding sources and can serve to show our commitment to providing the optimum learning experience for the students and families we serve.

The accreditation process is typically a year-long self-study of the program which is completed with a visit from NAEYC accreditation specialists. As a part of the process, all families will be asked to complete questionnaires regarding their experiences with Cushman, its staff and the program as a whole.

While this is an expensive process, we see it as another way to reaffirm ourselves as a strong learning and development community.


VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Are you a parent with special skills in construction, landscaping, plumbing or electrical work?

IF SO, Cushman needs you!

We have several projects in the work that we need assistance in implementing. Please speak to one of the Board members if you are able to offer some help!!

Also, Cushman will be planning a clean-up day for early fall and will need several volunteers to work at carpentry, painting, clean-up, etc. We will also need donations of wood, plexi-glass, mulch, sand and paint.

Helping with the building and clean-up day is a great way to fulfill your volunteer commitment to Cushman and to show your support for our school.

OPENINGS STILL AVAILABLE: We still have a few openings in both the North Room and Upstairs. If you know of anyone seeking a quality experience for their preschool aged child, please refer them to our web-site for further information.

We also have a limited number of After Care openings available. Please see Odelle for questions about availability in After Care.

And--South Room Parents--we have several children who will not be staying for nap time. If you have a need for care through 3:30, please let us know.

AND FINALLY-
This year, it is my hope to keep parents updated on school happenings via e-mail. Please e-mail me at odelle@cushmanscott.org with your family’s current e-mail address so that I can add you to my list. Thank you!!!

--Odelle