Welcome to Young Explorers 2! We are so excited to welcome your child into our classroom. Here are some notes regarding procedures and policies for our classroom that will help you and your child transition into this new environment more easily. If you have any further questions, please feel free to touch base with us any time. We are also happy to schedule a conference as needed in addition to the regularly scheduled conferences in April and October. Our classroom is always open to you, so please stop by and visit anytime!
Supplies Needed
Your Child’s Independence
Much of the focus in YE 2 is encouraging independence and confidence in your child’s abilities. We teach children how to dress and undress themselves, and we assist only when needed. Children wash their own hands, practice using the toilet, feed themselves, and clean up their own messes. We intervene to assist as needed. We ask that children try to do things themselves before they ask for help. Then, we encourage them to ask a peer for help before asking a teacher. At The Applewood School, we place a major emphasis on social and emotional development. Thus, learning to persevere and seeking help from peers when needed are important developmental goals for YE 2.
We encourage you to push your child to try to help at home to complete tasks on their own without your intervention. Some things you may want to try include:
Dropping Off
Drop off’s – Drop-off’s can be challenging for both parents and children. Remind your child that you will return at the end of the day, and be sure to let them know when you are leaving. We find that "sneaking out” can sometimes be harder for children than letting them know you are going. If your child struggles with drop offs, sometimes it is best to make the drop off quick. Often, once parents leave, children adjust quickly to the classroom environment and are able to calm themselves. YE 2 teachers are always prepared and happy to spend extra time with your child so you can leave.
Discipline Style
The Applewood School promotes positive reinforcement to encourage appropriate behaviors. We praise children frequently every day and encourage pride in their own behaviors. When children act out, often simple redirection to appropriate activities is all that is necessary to change negative behaviors. However, if a child requires further guidance, we will have children take breaks away from triggering stimuli. Occasionally, children benefit from stepping out of the classroom and visiting another teacher or director to calm down and refocus.
Cubbies - Please label all clothing items.
We have limited storage space in YE 2, so please be mindful of the clothing you bring and leave behind each day. Drawer space is primarily used for
extra clothing. Please check your child’s drawer regularly and switch outgrown or unseasonal clothing for more appropriate attire. If the drawer is too full, try to take items home that are not being used regularly. Please take home jackets and backpacks at the end of each day.
Diapers, wipes, creams, ointments, etc. are stored in a separate area out of reach of children. We have space for every child to keep a one-week supply of diapers and wipes. We do not have storage space for "value sized” boxes of diapers. We will let you know when your child need more supplies.
Keep out of reach items must not be stored in backpacks or cubbies. This includes plastic bags.
Art Cubbies
Your child’s artwork, paperwork, items to take home etc. will be found in their art cubbies above their drawer cubbies. Please check these daily.
Potty Training
As soon as children join our classroom, we encourage them to use the toilet each time they need to be changed. If they decline, we do standing diaper changes in attempt to eliminate the changing table from the bathroom routine.
Diapers and Pull-Ups are both fine, however Pull-Ups are much easier for a child to pull up and down when using a toilet. We strongly prefer Pull- Ups that open on the sides. Having to remove a child’s pants and shoes each time and then put them back on again makes an already time- consuming process much longer, especially since we encourage the children to dress themselves to the best of their abilities.
Because the children transition to the Great Minds 1 classroom between 34- 36 months of age, we focus on potty-training in YE 2. Ideally, we would like to start on the potty-training process by 30 months. While children are not required to be potty trained prior to entering GM 1, we strive to have children potty trained before transitioning as the GM 1 classroom and schedule is not well-equipped for diaper changing.
When your child first starts wearing underwear at school, please bring a bag full of extra underwear, pants, shoes, and socks each day. It is much easier for children to potty train when they have clothes that are easy to pull up and down and shoes that are easy to put on and take off.
To help keep your child successful, we try to take them to the restroom every 30-45 minutes early in the potty-training process. They may become frustrated with the increased frequency of toileting, so we may allow them to wait longer periods in between if they are capable.
If/when your child has an accident, we ask the child to clean and change themselves to the best of their ability. We provide assistance, if necessary, but the act of changing themselves after they’ve had an accident has proven to be very helpful when potty-training because they begin to understand the consequences of soiling themselves. We encourage you to do this at home as well. If/when your child soils their clothing, we will put the clothing in a plastic bag in the bio-hazard bin located next to the bathroom. Please take soiled items home daily.
We prefer to use diapers/Pull-Ups during naptime when potty-training. Often, it is more difficult for a child to control their bladder when they are unconscious, and we prefer not to cause any further stress for children as they are already going through major change.
The YE 2 teachers have successfully potty-trained many children and have extensive experience with the process, if you ever have questions or are struggling with something specific, do not hesitate to ask! We have books and resources available for your use to provide guidance along the way.
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