The Prouty Voice: April 2019

The Benefits of Early Intervention

by Chloe Learey, Executive Director

Benjamin Franklin is credited with the axiom “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, a statement which is true across many circumstances, from fire safety to substance abuse treatment, healthcare to child development. Policymakers who developed the “Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities” recognized that identifying developmental delays and disabilities early would lead to better outcomes for children in school and beyond.

Congress passed Part C of the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Act) in 1986 with the intention of enhancing development, reducing educational costs, minimizing institutionalization and maximizing independence, and enhancing the capacity of families to meet their child’s needs. These are targeted services to children birth through age 3 embedded in a natural environment (home, early learning program, etc.) that are meant to help a family support the optimal development of their child. The services may be direct speech, physical or occupational therapy, although this is not always required, and, if necessary, they are ideally part of a holistic approach which aligns meaningful activities across settings. For instance, if a child is having difficulty with fine motor skills, i.e. picking up small objects, starting with objects that are useful at play time and meal time can be immediately rewarding and relevant to daily life.

The numbers of children served through early intervention have increased dramatically, almost doubling in Vermont since 2005. Continue Reading


Winston Prouty Center’s Annual Report Released

Our FY 2018 Annual Report has recently been published. Please take a look through to learn more about Prouty’s community impact between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018.

 


Resources & Events for Families

April is Month of the Young Child

The month of April is filled over 30 with free, family-friendly activities throughout Windham County, including art classes, nature walks, performances, and so much more. Events details, photos and updates are at the Month of the Young Child Facebook page.

“Resilience, The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope” Film Screening on April 11

Free screening, hosted by Thrive EAP at the Winston Prouty Center. Stress and Burnout are such common complaints in today’s society, too much to do, not enough to go around. This important film highlights the best of today’s science to describe why we may “do too much” at the cost of our own health and well-being. More information

 

Circus Show to benefit Winston Prouty on  Sunday, May 5

Circus Minimus: The One-Man Circus in-a-Suitcase gives everyone an opportunity to participate in an enthralling, whimsical celebration of the imagination. This show has been performed over 500 times around the globe, for family theater audiences and school assemblies alike. The show is by donation and all proceeds support the programs of the Winston Prouty Center. More information

 

Family Matters: March 2019 – Child and Adult Care Food Program

Kristy Rose, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Coordinator and Amaryah Pendlebury, registered family child care provider and CACFP participant, speak with Chloe Learey, Executive Director of the Winston Prouty Center about CAFP and nutrition in early childhood.

ELC families, keep your eyes peeled for some children in the opening and closing scenes!


Early Learning Center News

Enrollment paperwork coming soon

Keep an eye on family mailboxes next week for pre-enrollment paperwork for next year and for opportunities to let us know your any scheduling shifts you have in mind for the summer.

Garden Committee Update

Save the Date – Family Green Up Day: Sunday, May 19

There are lots of ways you can support our growing garden.

  •  Volunteer with your child’s classroom to help start some seeds in the next few weeks.
  •  Sign up to turn on or off the sprinkler when you drop your child off in the morning.
  •  Help dig up new garden beds for perennials
  •  Join us for Weeding Wednesdays when you come pick up your child – or – weed any time that is convenient for you!
  •  Help us process our summer abundance to supplement our snack program year-round.
  •  And much more!

Let us know if playing in the dirt, growing, and preparing food sounds like a good way to donate your time and the garden committee will be in touch. Contact Sueno – sueno@winstonprouty.org or Nancy – nancy@winstonprouty.org to help out.

Acorn Room

As I looked out the massive windows this morning from the Acorn Room. I observed the beginnings of spring.  The snow is pretty much gone from our infant toddler yard and I saw about 10 robins hopping around looking for something to eat.  Spring has begun!  And with spring comes a burst of growth, seen in our little ones in the Acorn room.  We wrapped up our spring narratives and conferences last week and spoke about how far they have come in such a short time.  The development is so rapid and purposeful as they unfold and bloom.  I then look to the pending garden outside and how it is shedding it’s winter coat and in no time it will be filled with stalks, stems and vines reaching for the suns warmth, as they reach for their full potential.  We have begun planting seeds throughout the ELC and children are exploring the soil and “The Tiny Seeds”.  In no time those tiny seeds will be providing nurturance for our snacks and meal times. There is so much potential in that garden plot, I can’t wait to see what it produces.  Then I look at the babies in our room.  Some 4 months, some 6, 8 and 9 months.  Again I see the potential and ask myself what will they be like when they are 1 or 2 or 5 or 21?  What will their personalities be like? What will  their world look like?  Our room is just like the empty plot outside. filled with fertilizer, and nutrition to grow their minds and bodies.  We have the sun and  the environment which protects and empowers the growth and potential, “ And then I think to myself What a wonderful World!”

The month of April we will be celebrating month of the young child, we will have our Family Circle April 23rd with our families.  We will be looking for parent volunteers to help with our infant yard to prepare it for our summer program.  And of coursed help with the garden!  Please keep an eye out for future invites and sign ups!

Willow Room

Here’s a look at what’s happening here in the Willow Room!

Elm Room

The month of March was the theme of the “Prouty Veggie Shop” where we had pretend fruits and vegetables in the dramatic play area. We also enjoyed our “Fantastic Foods” trying some new fruits and veggies such as, Kumquats, Kiwi and even Mango! We have also been enjoying our Monday mornings with Alfred and having him bring us on different walks throughout campus! We did many art activities with the color “green” too!
For the month of April, we will be focusing on the theme of “Number Awareness” as we already enjoy counting from 1-20! We will be introducing the doll house items and babies in our dramatic play as well. The color will be purple so we will be enjoying art activities creating the color purple.
Teacher Allie welcomed her a healthy (9 pound 4 ounce) son, Jackson on Wednesday, April 3rd. We will miss Allie and look forward to her return in mid-June.  For now, we have created a social story for the children that we read most days talking about Teacher Allie’s leave and what happens during that time until she returns.

Maple Room

The month of March went quickly in the Maple room as we counted down the days until spring. Along the way we squeezed in a birthday for Amy F. (March 11th) and the very next night, a granddaughter arrived. Miss Nima Skye Tenzin arrived almost two weeks early on March 12th!  We are all head over heels about this exciting event. The Maples are so curious about this little baby and of course Amy F. has been sharing lots of pictures. As proud as she is to be a first time Grammy, sharing this event it is also part of our community curriculum and a learning moment, as we will have lots of babies soon. Our Elm room teacher (Ali) is awaiting her second baby any day now, Madison is expecting her baby sister in late April/May, Navaeh is expecting also expecting a sister later this spring/summer and Rue is expecting a sibling in August!

We are so excited that spring is in the air even if it means some days are more like winter. We are loving going for walks and looking for signs of spring. We recently found some pussy willows and luckily, Misses Pussy Willow said we could take one branch of her tree.

We also welcomed 5 fish and 1 snail to our room. We are so excited to have some fish friends and have begun to decorate our tank. Feel free to come visit us and say ‘Hi” to our new friends.

Birch Room

We are pleased to let you know that we have hired the permanent Lead Teacher for the Birch Room. Kim Simeon will begin full time starting next week. Kim taught for 10 years at Head Start and has her teaching license. We are excited to have her join the team! 

Oak Room

With the nicer weather the Oak friends have all really enjoyed running up and down the big hill, hiking our trails and finding fun, new spots for us to explore. We also had the opportunity to plant various vegetable seeds for our Prouty garden! We planted: eggplants, jalapeno peppers, sweet peppers, and tomatoes. Sueño visited our classroom twice last week and showed us how to decorate various canvas boards for a new room located in our building. We have also been learning about wood working which has been a blast! We have been experimenting with different types of toy tools, some of which include, hammers, screwdrivers, saws and levels. This lead up to a wonderful visit from our friend, Piero, who carefully demonstrated how these power tools are used in a safe manner.

Dates to Remember

  • Monday, April 15 – Friday, April 19 – ELC Closed for Spring Break
  • Monday, April 15 – 10-11 am – Wet Felting Fun with Sueño at Winston Prouty Center
  • Wednesday, April 17 – 10-11 am – Talk a Walk with Mrs. Cranberry & Friends with Alfred Hughes, Jr at Winston Prouty Center
  • Tuesday, April 23 – Acorn Room Family Circle
  • Sunday, May 5 – One Man Circus in a Suitcase fundraiser at Prouty (details below)
  • Wednesday, May 1 – ELC Closes at 3:30 for ELC Staff Meeting
  • Sunday, May 19 – Family Green-Up Day at Winston Prouty
  • Monday, May 27 – Center Closed for Memorial Day

View the full school year calendar

 


Celebrations & Recognitions

Happy Birthday!

4/4 – Archer is 2!

4/5 – Happy Birthday, Alyssa K, Elm Teacher Associate

4/12 – Holly is 3!

4/12 – Happy Birthday, Sarah D, Executive Assistant

4/14 – Logan is 4!

4/18 – Happy Birthday Eric, Facilities Manager

4/19 – Rylan is 3!

4/21 – Happy Birthday, Kim S, Birch Lead Teacher

4/25 – Aiylah is 2!

4/25 – Happy Birthday, Tia, Assistant Teacher

4/29 – Brooks is 2!