As a Berry Patch family, you have access to a licensed Parent and Family Educator as part of the program. We are delighted to have Becky Danielson, M.Ed, on staff and available to you for one-on-one conversations at no additional cost. To schedule an appointment with Becky, please email her at b.danielson@berrypatchschool.com.
Dear Berry Patch Families,
The summer months are quickly approaching. Rich learning opportunities are available for children in the context of everyday living. Provide hands-on activities to foster creativity and focus on play. I highly encourage limiting screen time and avoiding workbooks. Here are a few ideas to get your family started. Continue reading “Summer Parent & Family Education Newsletter”
Dear Berry Patch Families,
Respect is the virtue of the month at The Berry Patch School with our online learning. Respecting others in thought, word, and deed is a foundational virtue to instill in young children. When respect reigns in the family, children learn to be respectful to others.
The antithesis of respect is rudeness and disrespect. With young children, disobedience and uncooperative behaviors are also grounded in lack of respect. Here are five tips to foster respect in your family.
Five Tips for Instilling Respect in Children
Continue reading “May Parent & Family Education Newsletter”
Here is a selection of our favorite places, ideas, and organizations on the web. Feel free to recommend a resource that you believe would be of value to our community. Continue reading “Links”
Dear Berry Patch Families,
Honesty is the virtue of the month at The Berry Patch School for online learning. An honest person is truthful, sincere, honorable, and authentic. Dishonesty breaks trust and takes a long time to rebuild. Small children are trusting by nature and believe what the people they love tell them. It’s our responsibility as parents and teachers to live up to the challenge of being honest and trustworthy.
Continue reading “April Parent & Family Education Newsletter”
Dear Berry Patch Families,
Kindness, empathy, helpfulness, compassion, and love are a part of how we care for others. How do your children relate to siblings, extended family, and friends? Make compassion part of the fabric of your family life. Children who are nurtured in caring families are more likely to become kind adults.
Ten Tips to Encourage Caring Continue reading “March Parent & Family Education”
Dear Berry Patch Families,
Creativity is a virtue we lean into daily at The Berry Patch School. When lesson planning, the teachers create activities and play spaces to nurture your child’s mind and promote imagination. Creativity flourishes the students’ classroom experiences. Continue reading “February Parent & Family Education”
February 1, 2019
Dear Families,
As February unfolds it feels great to settle back into a more normal routine and a full school week! There are a few school-wide items I’d like to highlight:
Children Serving Others
Thank you for your generous donations of craft supplies for the children in day treatment at Washburn Center for Children. They are THRILLED to have many boxes of new markers and crayons and all of the other great items the Berry Patch family is sharing with them. Your Continue reading “February Director’s Newsletter”
Dear Berry Patch Families,
Are your children brave? Are they willing to try new things, meet new people, and embrace new opportunities to learn? Some children dive right into unfamiliar situations while others hold back. Both responses are normal for young children!
There are ways to encourage all children to be courageous in a variety of situations. Whether outgoing or timid, children benefit from parents and teachers who help kids to be brave. Use the following ideas to inspire courage, this month’s virtue at The Berry Patch School. Continue reading “January Parent & Family Education Newsletter”
Welcome Back Berry Patch Families,
It was wonderful to see many of you at school today after a fun and restful winter vacation! It is such a joy to see your children enjoy their friends in their classrooms, on the playground, and in the gym. They delight in these budding friendships. Registration for the 2020-21 school year is underway. Please keep in mind that we have limited space available for each age group so please get your child’s forms in as soon as possible.
Dear Berry Patch Families,
Last month, during Thanksgiving, we gave thanks for our many blessings. Thankfulness is a concept we all work to instill in our children. A grateful heart is a happy heart. From that place of gratitude, we are much more likely to be generous. Generosity is our virtue of this month. Continue reading “December Parent & Family Education Newsletter”