Climb On

Now that the 2 feet of surprise snow has melted, and our playground is clear again, we have been spending a lot more time outside. The end of the day is now outdoor playtime and the kids and staff are loving it.

Our new play structures are one year old now and they are fully broken in. The kids have figured out that you go DOWN the slide and UP the stairs. You slide down FEET FIRST and you keep the ROCKS ON THE GROUND. The preschool class has a larger, higher structure and they decided as a class that there can be NO TOYS ON THE PLAY STRUCTURE. It's always amazing to me how the kids remember the safety rules about 90% of the time. Last week, the Sunday School had taken trucks on the climber and when the preschoolers arrived on Monday, they all gasped in horror at the thought of it.

On the toddler side, we have a smaller play structure that is lower to the ground, but still gives the kids an element of appropriate risk. As a former rock climbing enthusiast, my favorite feature on this equipment is the climbing ladder.

It's not a straight ladder, but three metal loops attached asymmetrically to a metal pole. The kids have to navigate the steps, coordinating their hand placement and foot holds, and keeping their eyes on the prize - the platform.

When coaching the kids on the climber, it's tempting to just lift them up there, or hold on to their waist to help them balance. But what does that do? It teaches them to lean back and let go their hands - not a safe climbing stance. Instead, we try to coach them up - tapping on the place where their foot or hand would go and pushing them forward if they try to lean on us.

It usually takes two or three tries but eventually they develop their pattern - right foot here, left hand there, pull up, left foot there, right hand around the middle, pull up; reach for the platform with the left foot, grab the bars, pull forward and then OH MY GOODNESS I MADE IT!!!

They all develop their own system, but I swear the hum of the universe is going full force when they finally figure it out and they make it on their own with no help. They grin, laugh, clap their hands, wiggle around and do a victory dance when they make it on their own. It's incredible.

And the adults dance inside too - we LET THEM DO IT WITHOUT OUR HELP. It's so easy to just lift them up - or just put on their coat for them, feed them their potatoes, put on their shoes, do their homework, pay their bills - you get the idea. But the satisfaction a kid gets from doing it themselves and that winning "proud face" when they've accomplished something is the real thing we should take credit for.

And yes, climbing is a metaphor for all kinds of things. What's your climber?

With independent love,

Miss Tara and Miss Leah

Lotsa Matzah

It's the middle of Passover week and many of us have grown tired of the cracker that tastes like a box - that's right: Matzah! Well, I should mention that some of our kids ask for matzah on an hourly basis, but the rest are a little sick of it. I'm not sick of the kids acting out the 10 plagues, though. That's a cuteness I'll never get over.

At the JEC, we've been serving a variety of hot lunches and kosher for Passover snacks, and they don't always include matzah. Of course, when we serve matzah lasagne on day #1, we always realize we didn't prepare enough - those kids pack it away! Some kids are very vocal about wanting their Doritos or fruit snacks back, but we provide lunch for the week so we can assure everything's kosher for Passover. They're trying new things and loving it, believe it or not.

We also had our JEC seder yesterday with lots of parents attending lunch and asking for Tanta Leah's chicken recipe. And her matzah ball soup recipe and her apple bake recipe. Miss Carrie prepared a wonderful story and song session for us, highlighted by the kids singing a song about working all the time and how awful that would be. I especially liked the Disney pillows and Bob the Builder cushions the kids brought with them.

Passover celebrates freedom, but there are also restrictions in how we observe. One is no bread for eight days. No pasta, no crackers, no pancakes, no pizza. But we also try to think about those who are not free and how our actions might affect them.

When we talk about dietary matters, whether you espouse all organic, no sugar, no wheat, or kosher food plans, we understand that we all have our food flags to wave. One of the many points of keeping kosher (or having any kind of food standards) is to make you conscious of what you're eating.

Every year on Yom Kippur, observant Jews fast for a day. There are a lot of reasons for it, but I'm always struck by how much time I spend preparing, shopping, thinking about and cleaning up after food. Without that distraction, my observance of the holiday is more complete.

That said, my daughter was having a hard time Monday deciding what to pack for her school lunch. She usually has some kind of bread, but not this week. I explained to her that one of the benefits of no bread for eight days is to try new things, be aware of what you eat and if it's good for you, and figure out solutions to limitations. I'm sure she gave me the full-body eye roll when my back was turned.

So she's counting the days until Saturday night when we will have a pizza feast at my house. After eight days with no bread, pizza is a real luxury and a tradition we relish every year. Because I'm a mom, I'll probably ask her what she learned this week. What she doesn't know is there is no right answer to that question!

Wishing you all freedom this year,

Miss Tara and Miss Leah

ART nights - What can Art do for you?

Last fall, we got a generous grant from the Alaska Association of School Boards to create a project that lets adults and kids connect through the arts. So, we started Art and Recreation Nights (ART Nights) at the JEC and it's been a rousing success. The idea is to make materials and projects available for kids and their families to do together and to encourage parent involvement in our school.

At first, only a few families participated, mainly because of the time we picked (once a month, on Tuesday, from 4:30 to 5:30). We also asked parents to accompany their kids to ART area, which meant many people would skip it altogether since it was the end of the day.

About three sessions in, we changed it up: Kids went together with their teachers to the ART area at 5:00, started a project with our school-age kids, then finished up when their parents arrived. It worked beautifully; parents would stay with their kids and do a project, or at least talk to their child about what they had done before the parent arrived.

What we've noticed over the past few months of doing ART Night regularly is that parents are coming around more - they're volunteering at events, helping out in the classroom and generally showing that they feel more comfortable at the JEC. Which is what we absolutely wanted all along.

At our annual fundraiser, we had unprecedented parent participation - they manned tables, sold raffle tickets, kept things tidy, and served concessions. For our upcoming silent auction, parents are gathering up donations at lightning speed.

The best was two weeks ago, when we celebrated Purim. We had close to 99% parent attendance at the party. There were people EVERYWHERE. The school-age kids made carnival games, did crazy hair and face painting and served cookies to everyone. The younger kids guided their parents around the fair and even extended family attended.

The next ART Night is April 22 and we'll celebrate Earth Day together. There will be greenie projects and fun games about recycling for everyone to do. Once the weather is warmer, we plan to do outside art projects, including an art obstacle course.

I hope next year we can enlist the parents as project leaders - having them sign up to host an ART night for the school. Then the project's goal will be full circle - art bringing kids and adults together in positive ways.

Love,

Miss Tara (Miss Leah is on vacation in California - whatever!)

Tell Don't Ask - It's time

Well, we promised this topic a while back and now we're going to let you in on one of the biggest secrets of discipline for young children. Tell them what to do. Figure out what you want them to do and then tell them.

Sounds simple, but too often parents fall into the bad habit of ASKING a child to do something that really is not negotiable.

Here are some examples:

• "Do you want to pick up your toys now?" Of course they don't. They want you to do it or they want to leave the toys on the stairs or in the dog bed.
• "Can you please put on your coat so we can go?" This has a 50-50 chance of working. If they want to go, they may comply, but if not, oh boy.
• "Could you stop hitting your sister?" Well, they could, but do they want to?

You get the point.

There is one magic phrase that is so fabulous I don't know why we don't tattoo it on our palms before we take our babies home from the birth. It's called, "It's Time."

"It's time" is a neutral, matter-of-fact statement that does not place blame, induce conflict or invite negotiation. It can make a child feel secure that you are the adult and you know what's going to happen.

So let's see how this sounds in real life:

• "It's time to pick up your toys."
• "It's time to put on your coat."
• "It's time to go to bed."

When using these phrases you can vary the tone in your voice, make things sound fun, and be upbeat and encouraging. These are things they need to do, but they don't have to be unpleasant.

Did you notice we didn't use "it's time" when there is a safety issue?

• "Could you stop hitting your sister?" would become "Stop hitting your sister."
• "Please get out of the road" becomes "Get out of the road."

Try this little exercise: Stand up in front of a mirror and set your feet hip width apart. Cross your arms and lean forward slightly with your upper body. Fix your gaze on a point (about kid eye-level) and make your face as neutral as possible. Raise your eyebrows slightly. You now have an "I'm in charge" face. This is the face and body posture you use when you're making statements that involve safety and seriousness. Practice this as much as you can.

Don't be afraid to be the boss. There is a time when you can be your kids' friend - it's called college. For now, you gotta be the bad guy and lay down the law. It makes your kids more secure, better able to make choices later on and much more ready for life's challenges.

What are your magic phrases? Send us a comment and let us know what works for you.

How To Succeed in Kindergarten Without Really Trying

Many of our preschool parents are shopping for Kindergartens this spring. In Anchorage, we have the closest thing to school choice available, with lots of alternative elementary schools for parents to choose from.

We have anything from language immersion or optional to Waldorf / Montessori focused programs. You can also go to the neighborhood school in your zone. A lot of parents choose to enter the lottery system and get their child into a more specialized curriculum. Does this all sound confusing? Well, the Anchorage School District Web site has the details: www.asdk12.ak.us.

What's difficult about making the transition to Kindergarten (besides the fact that your kid is growing up) is that you realize they will be thrown into a new environment with new rules and huge crowds at lunch time. Rest assured that the transition is usually much more difficult for the parents. Add to that the pressure of actually choosing the school your child will spend the next six to seven years.

There are some tips to selecting the best school for your child, and they're similar to the way you would pick a preschool.

• Go there. There's no substitute for visiting the school first.
• See the environment and imagine your child there. Is the room small or unfriendly to children? Are there age-appropriate toys and interesting art on the wall?
• Talk to the principal. Find out if their school has multiple programs (some schools have an alternative wing and a "neighborhood" program in the same building.
• Ask about enrichment opportunities: Most elementary students get one hour of art twice a month and music once a week or less.
• Talk to other parents. This can usually be done at the introductory meeting or group tours.
• Enter as many lotteries and waiting lists as you can. You may not get your first choice, so have a backup plan.

We would also caution you to realize that Kindergarten will not be the same as preschool. Namely:

• There is not as much individual attention. Teachers in grade school will not be available during the day to talk about concerns or get updates on your child
• There will be new kids to meet and new ways to learn
• There is less time for lunch; some kids eat lunch in their snow pants so they can get outside after 20 minutes allotted eating time
• There is more structure and a lot more moving around
• They get a lot more independence and meet new people and learn more about the world

A lot of parents want to know if preschool is preparing their child for Kindergarten. Many people think this means memorizing the alphabet and numbers, and knowing shapes and colors. We do this in our school, but our main focus is cultivating a LOVE of learning and capitalizing on the natural curiosity of children.

We asked a few Kindergarten teachers what they want your kid to be able to do by the first day of school: Dress themselves, recognize their name, walk into and out of the building on their own, carry their own belongings, and follow simple directions. They don't have to know the entire alphabet or numbers or how to classify the periodic table of elements. What preschools give your child most are social skills, so that when they are learning more complex things, they don't also have to learn basic manners and getting along with others.

Finally, don't be pressured into having a child tested to enter Kindergarten early. Most kids who do this have trouble mid-year and really struggle by 1st grade. It's much more important that a child have a positive experience in school, not an overly academic one. If a child is truly gifted, there are ways to enrich your child until they are tested for a specialized program.

Mainly, we want them to like to come to school and love learning. The rest is gravy.

Miss Tara and Miss Leah

Smackin' it Down with Senator Stevens

All I can say is if you weren't at the Crafters Smackdown yesterday, YOU MISSED OUT!! What is it, you say - it's a crafting tournament and art event extravaganza. We had parent volunteers, celebrities and unbeleivable craft artists.

Seriously, here's what we offered:

• Mr. Whitekeys: Nothing says irreverent Alaska like this guy. He actually told us our event was "Over the top." Coming from that guy, that's amazing
• Senator Ted Stevens: Wearing a barrister's wig and homemade apron, he wielded a mean glue stick and made an Alaskan cereal box: Gold Rush Crunch
• 17 teams competing: Some of the craziest, most competitive crafters around. The Krafty Killaz took 1st prize with the Bite Me Girls in close 2nd. Holy Crafters and Artsy Fartsy Mamas rounded out the top four.
• The Craft Mafia: These ladies put on a wonderful art/craft show, complete with hula hoops, silkscreened ties, bicycle seat covers and knitted items, just to name a few. The head Mafia ladies participated in the Senator Ted challenge, too.
• Celebrity Judges: First Lady Deborah Bonito, Superintendant Carol Comeau, DJ Amber O'Niell and Marla Greenstein (aka the East German Judge). Seeing them laugh out loud for 2-1/2 hours straight was icing on an already huge cake.

All of this was to promote and raise money for our preschool and afterschool programs at Congregation Beth Sholom's Jewish Education Center. Our parents know this program is one of the best around, but now the general public knows it too.

Check out these links to see all the press coverage for the 3rd Annual Crafters Smackdown.

http://www.adn.com/politics/story/318326.html Watch the slide show, too.

http://www.ktuu.com/global/story.asp?s=7886203

If you want to be on our email list for next year, please let us know. You can join the Smackdown - or are you too scared?

Proper Care and Feeding of Pre-K Kids

We do not have a hot lunch program at our preschool yet, and someday we hope to change that. in the meantime, we've been, shall we say, diligent about letting parents know what's healthy, what are appropriate portion sizes and what we allow kids to eat while in our facility. You can't make a child eat, but you can give them choices that you feel better about.

At the JEC, we also adhere to kosher-style guidelines. We don't have to eat certified kosher food, but we don't eat milk/dairy products and meat together and we don't allow pork or shellfish. Then we have the FDA requirements, which we ensure for each kid, so we're in complicance with the Municipality of Anchorage licensing guidelines.

By the way, the guidelines say these kids have to be offered all the FDA required items in the appropriate sizes. We aren't required to make them eat, thank goodness.

With all this regulation, it's no wonder our parents get confused sometimes. Heck, we get confused among ourselves. We send home flyers with portion sizes and what's allowed and what's not, but we still see the occasional ham sandwich or cheeseburger bites.

So we started a lunch ticket system, so we can give parents an idea of what's going on with their kid's lunch, what items we had to add or substitute and what they can do better in the next lunch. We also put up flyers when parents have a streak of good lunches.

One of our biggest difficulties is portion sizes. Surprisingly, a lot of kids aren't getting enough of all their healthy food. We all resist our kids growing up, but as they grow they need larger quantities of food. Some parents pack a ton of food, which is okay, as long as they know the kids may not eat everything and that doesn't mean they're not getting enough.

We tell parents that children of this age like to make choices, so they pack crackers, a big piece of bread, some rice or pasta and a pretzel for them to choose from. Unfortunately, none of these choices are fruit, vegetable or protein. And while we're on the subject - a Fruit Roll-Up is neither fruit, nor a roll-up, discuss. No, blue apple sauce and a green fruit roll-up don't count - we suggest buying a bag of apples and oranges instead. Kids love fresh fruit!

So what do we do about it? First of all, it helps to plan ahead. Write down healthy choices and what you know your kid eats (and it WILL change, sometimes daily). Put them in categories, like bread/grains, fruit, vegetables, protein and then make up a lunch. This can be used as a shopping list, too.

Don't worry if your kid likes PBJ and only that for a week then decides PBJ is yucky and not worthy of them. Kids go through phases (usually the above scenario occurs when you've just gone to Costco and gotten a case of Jif Creamy).

So hang in there. You can stop by the JEC any time and get our Food Chart and portion size guides. It's very helpful to hang on the fridge while you're packing lunches.

Bon Appetit!

Miss Tara and Miss Leah