June-July-August

2014

Volume 14, Issue 7

ACC-CLS Parent News

Inside this issue:

Staff Bits and

Pieces

2

Family Survey 3

Sustainability 3

Calendar

Birthdays

4

Important Dates:

Wednesday, 6/4, 5-8 p.m.—Summer Celebration at the Thinkery Friday, 7/4—Indepence Day Holiday CENTER CLOSED Monday-Friday, 8/18-22—Center closed for planning, preparation, and professional development Staff vacations are planned throughout the summer—watch the classroom doors to see who will be subbing

Our “Week” of the Young Child turned into a “Month” of the Young Child, and what a month it was! FUN was had by children and adults alike.

PARENTS: OUR BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR BREAK ROOM CREATED BY THE PARENT ASSOCIATION TWO YEARS AGO NEEDS A LITTLE FACELIFT. WE WOULD LIKE TO WEED, ADD SOME COMPOST AND PLANT SOME LOW MAINTENANCE PLANTS TO THE GARDEN BEDS. CAN YOU HELP? CONTACT DAWN IF YOU ARE ABLE TO HELP ONE MORNING OR AFTERNOON. THE LAB SCHOOL WILL BUY THE NEEDED MATERIALS, BUT IF YOU HAVE PLANTS TO SHARE WE WILL HAPPILY ACCEPT THEM AND GIVE THEM A NEW HOME. CONSIDER THIS AS LEAVING A LEGACY.

Page 2 ACC-CLS Parent News

Staff Bits and Pieces A big thank you to Arlene Gunderson, Sydney’s mom, for presenting an informative professional development workshop to the Lab School staff on the Nuts and Bolts of Working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, families and children. Arlene is the director of the Gallaudet University Southwest Regional Center. She is a funny and engaging trainer and shared both known and new information about supporting deaf clients.

Our amazing assistant teachers who are enrolled in the Stephen F. Austin University bachelor degree program continue to plug along and get closer and closer to the finish line. Becky Olivarez (Planet Earth) is on target to graduate in August, Gloria Perez in December, and Shannon Saldana in May.

Congratulations to Lisa Bingham (Sunbeams) and Doris Jones (Stars) for their recent graduations from ACC with an AAS degree in Child Development. These wonderful student have been with the Lab School as hourly employees for almost two years. Lisa will be leaving us to work as an au pair in the Cayman Islands. Doris will continue to work as a lead teacher at First United Methodist Preschool downtown and work for us in the afternoon.

REMINDER: ENROLLMENT PAPERWORK WILL BE SENT OUT JULY 14 AND WILL BE DUE AUGUST 8.

THE PAPERWORK MUST BE TURNED IN COMPLETED BY THAT DATE TO GIVE US TIME TO CHECK

IT BEFORE THE AUGUST BREAK. IF YOUR PAPERWORK IS NOT TURNED IN COMPLETE AND ON

TIME, IT MAY DELAY YOUR CHILD’S START FOR THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR. MAKE YOUR AP-

POINTMENT NOW FOR YOUR CHILD’S WELL CHECK AND REQUEST A HEALTH FORM FROM TERI.

Volume 14, Issue 7 Page 3

We had an 80% return rate on our family survey in April (we didn’t plan on how to factor in when a survey might have been completed by two family members). The returned surveys were fairly equally distributed by classroom. We received high ratings on relationships with staff, helping families learn about community events and resources, communication, assessment and curriculum. Several families lamented their lack of involvement due to long commutes, demanding jobs, conflicting work hours, and the desire to spend more time with their child after a long day at work or school. We strive to make the education and support events we offer convenient for families, but this is an ongoing challenge. We will take the comments made particularly around communication into consideration, set some goals, and work on this more in the upcoming year. Thanks to everyone for taking time to share both your concerns and compliments. This information helps us continue to improve.

Sustainability When the Culinary Arts program began commercial composting, the Lab School asked if we could join in also. Now the whole Eastview Campus participates in paper towel composting. The children here are learning about the concept of “sustainability” in their daily routines. Children sort snack and lunch items into compostable, recyclable and trash or land fill. At the end of every day, children help push the paper towel containers down near the adult restrooms to empty them into the large compost container there. When we bought compost for our children’s gardens this spring we bought compost made by Organics By Gosh, the company ACC contracts with for commercial composting services. Go to http://instagram.com/accriverbats to see Zoie and Enrico helping! Learning about sustainability extends to the adults in our program as well—staff, faculty, students and family members. Curbside composting is already being piloted in the City of Austin and will likely get rolled out to other neighborhoods in the near future. Restaurants will be required to compost in the future. By the time these changes occur,

youR children will be experts. This summer, the teachers in the preschool classrooms will extend the discussion of sustainability for the children to include water. Using water wisely and reusing water will be part of their water play plan.

FAMILY SURVEY SUMMARY

WATER PLAY STARTS SOON Infant-Toddler (Sunbeams and Moons) water play starts 6/6, and every Friday after. Preschool (Stars and Planet Earth water play starts 6/6, and then every Wednesday and Friday after. Bring your child in a swimsuit, sturdy water shoes (NO FLIP FLOPS), towel and set of dry clothes.

Business Name

ACC Children’s Lab School 3401 Webberville Road Austin, TX 78702

www.austincc.edu/childdev Phone: 512-223-5200 Fax: 512-223-5220

Austin Community College Children’s Lab School is a preschool program for children, six months through five years of age, that serves as a demonstration school for the ACC Child Development Department. The Children’s Lab School offers an early childhood program designed to support the growth and development of young children in a warm and creative environment. Through field work experiences in a lab setting, students observe the principles of child development and gain practical experience of qualified classroom teachers. The Children’s Lab School is licensed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and is accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs (NAECP), a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

2014 Calendar at a Glance

*Independence Day Holiday— Fri 7/4

Last Day for Children Going

to Kindergarten— Fri 8/15

*Room Prep/Prof Dev— Mon-Fri 8/18-8/22

Start of the new academic year: Current

children move up and new children start on

Monday, 8/25

*Lab School closed to children these dates.

SUMMER BIRTHDAYS

Tina (SB) 6/10

Richard (Sub) 6/14

Amy (SB) 6/15

Doris (Stars/PE) 7/7

Becky (PE) 7/12

Caitlyn (Stars) 7/28

Claudia 8/1

Dawn 8/12

Pat (Kitchen) 8/27

June 8/29

DON’T FORGET! WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4

Summer Celebration at the THINKERY JOIN FAMILIES AND STAFF FOR FUN AND DISCOVERY AT

THE FAMILY MUSEUM THAT EVOLVED FROM THE AUSTIN

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM. There will be lots of parking, pizza and fun

for the whole family. Sign up at the front desk if you plan to attend.