Happy Thanksgiving! I am very thankful to have such a supportive and kind group of families with us this year. Thank you all for all that you are doing!

Please enjoy the time off with your families, read a little, eat a little (or a lot!), and use the time to just be a family! <3

Wishing you all a healthy and safe break! See you on Monday!

We WILL go outside if the temperature with windchill is above 20 degrees! Here is what the research says about playing outside in the cold…..

Q: Can cold weather make you get sick?

A: We’re so happy you asked this question so we can set the record straight once and for all: To catch a cold, you need to be exposed to a virus. Simply being out in cold weather can’t trigger the sniffles.

You’ve probably heard this before, but washing hands (yours, baby’s, and anyone else’s who comes into regular contact with her) often is the number-one way to keep colds and other germs away.

Q: Why does my child need to play outside?

On average, American children spend four to seven minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play compared to seven or more hours in front of a screen. Here are five good reasons why it’s so important for parents to incorporate children playing outside.

1. Build physically healthier children.

Nowhere is better than the outdoors for running, jumping, throwing balls, catching, pulling things, lifting and carrying objects. All these actions require motor skills that improve with practice. Children playing outside get aerobic exercise and gain skills, such as pushing and pulling outdoor play equipment. Studies show children burn more calories outdoors, helping to prevent obesity and strengthen bones and muscles. Playing in the sun builds vitamin D in the body, which means stronger bones and less likelihood of chronic diseases. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, many children have vitamin D deficiencies.

2. Contribute to cognitive and social/emotional development.

Unstructured outdoor play helps kids learn to take turns, share and develop other positive behavioral skills. They are more likely to be inventive, explore and learn about the world around them and use their own abilities. While they invent and play games with siblings or friends, these interactions help improve communication, cooperation and organizational skills. Additionally, fresh air and free play reduce stress levels.

3. Improve sensory skills.

An optometry and vision science study showed children who play outside regularly have better distance vision than children who are always indoors. Preschoolers, in particular, learn new things through their senses. Think of a toddler’s delight at seeing new animals (sight), stopping at a bed of fragrant flowers (smell and touch), watching the water form puddles for stomping (hearing and touch) or eating a parent-approved berry from a bush (taste). On the other hand, children glued to television and electronic devices use only two senses (hearing and sight). This can negatively affect development of perceptual abilities.

4. Increase attention spans.

Children who play outdoors regularly are more curious, self-directed and likely to stay with a task longer. Children who spend most of their time indoors with little exposure to activities requiring their own initiation and follow-through show less ability to initiate or participate in new activities. In fact, studies of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) found that children with ADHD who spent significant time outdoors exhibited fewer symptoms.

5. Grow in happiness and immunity.

Outdoor light stimulates the pineal gland. This part of the brain is vital to keeping our immune system strong and making us feel happier. Spending time in nature is also associated with improving mood and happiness. An added bonus is that children who identify with nature are more likely to become adults who appreciate nature and want to protect the environment.

A warm jacket, hat, and gloves also help to keep your child healthy and happy during outside time! Be sure they have them every day for school just in case! Also pack a FEW extra masks so your child can easily switch them out when they do get yucky!

Blowing noses, and keeping hands clean are the best bets to keep from spreading germs! Use these videos with your child to help them become self sufficient when it comes to self hygiene care!

Thank You!

We had 100% attendance for parent-teacher conferences! THANK YOU! It was so nice to be able to sit with you all, chat about your kiddo, and connect for more than 10 seconds at the door! Thank you for investing in your child, and showing them that school matters!

In the room:

We are grooving with our routines now, and have starting adding more and more academic content into our days. We are currently working our way through exploring the alphabet, the sounds that letters make, both capital and lowercase letters, the letters that make up our names, and words that start with each letter.

For math we are working on lots of concepts: counting 1 to 1, making patterns, identifying shapes, sorting items into categories, and understanding data.

We are going to be working on journaling/writing/drawing more too now that we have Mrs. Hamade back! Lots of fun learning is coming our way! <3

Looking Ahead:

Thanksgiving Break: NO school for all students November 24-26

Winter Fun Parent “Meeting”: On December 16th our parent-child meeting will be a morning filled with lots of fun winter themed activities! This will be a super fun morning without any kind of speeches from Ms. Reid! 🙂

At Home:

Looking for ways to keep your child engaged and off of that tablet at home?

Try this! Set a timer for 2 mins and have your child go find something on the list and run it back to you. Once they have collected all the items, maybe let them have a small treat!

We GO OUTSIDE in ALL kinds of weather! Kids need fresh air and a chance to run and stretch their legs! If the windchill is 20 degrees and above we are going out!

NOW is the time to pick up snow boots and snow mittens! If you wait until it snows, you won’t be able to find any. The children LOVE to play in the snow! Knit mittens/gloves are fine for when it is just cold, but they get wet and yucky real fast. Snow/waterproof mittens + boots are BEST for this age group when it comes to snow play! Go for waterproof + warm! See examples below!

Other Notes

*Daylight Savings Time is this weekend! Fall Back 1 hour

*Tuesday evening parent-teacher conferences

4:00 Dena + Lena

5:30 Mansoor

6:15 Eleen

*NO PREK on Thursday! Parent-teacher conferences all day!

9:00 Aya

9:45 Hussein

10:30 Jouri

12:00 Mohammed Alrukhami

12:45 Malik

1:30 Ryan

2:15 Emma

3:00 Athena

Henry Ford Parent Education Meeting / PTA 

Nov. 10th, 1:30-215 pm in Main Cafe

• Learn Math strategies that will help your children K-5 – presented by HF teachers
• Vote for PTA board members
• Sign up for Upcoming Events: Movie Night, Curriculum Night, and Book Fair
• PTA fundraisers: Candy Grams

جمعية الاهالي/ المجلس الثقافي لمدرسة هنري فورد 

١٠ تشرين الثاني، ١:٣٠-٢:١٥ مساء في المقهى الرئيسية 

تعلم إستراتيجيات رياضية لكي تساعد أولادك من الروضة إلى الصف الخامس- بشرح معلمات مدرسة هنري فورد 

انتخب أعضاء من جمعية الاهالي 

قم بالتسجبل في الأحداث القادمة: الفيلم الليالي، ليلة المنهج، و معرض الكتب

جمع التبرعات: غرام الكاندي (الحلوى)