Grace United Methodist Church

Newsletter

Spring Break for your family?

The week of March 24-28 is “Spring Break” for the city schools and the county schools. The Catholic schools will be off from March 31st – April 4th, with West Lafayette schools being closed from March 10th – 14th.

Does this affect your family? We know that some children will be absent, or that some additional Kindergarten students may be attending Grace. To help us schedule enough staff those weeks, it would be great if you could let Mrs. Becker know your plans as soon as possible. Thanks for your prompt attention to this matter!

Summer Enrollment

Calls are starting to come in for summer enrollment. We will count on your child unless we hear from you. So, please let us know as soon as possible if your children WILL NOT attend Grace this summer.

Easter Egg Hunt and Celebration

Each classroom will be celebrating Easter on Wednesday, March 19th. Please check with your child’s individual teacher about the time they will be doing the “Egg Hunt.” It is likely that you would just need to have your child here by 9:30 to be a part of all the special activities.

March Birthdays

Joshua Bessler March 11
Mackenzie Cacucciolo March 15
Noah Gallivan March 14
Theresa Jarome March 12
Han Wen Zheng March 3

Thank You !!!!!!!!!

1) Thanks to Theresa Jarome and family for the glue and glue sticks.
2) Thanks to Mikayla Manaman and family for the computer games.
3) Thanks to Madison Batta and family for the foam and glue sticks.

Help the Youth of Grace Church and Make the Earth Cleaner

The Grace Youth are still collecting empty ink jet or laser printer toner cartridges. They are able to earn money for camps and special church activities that involve the kinds here at Grace. Please place all items in the box at the end of the education hallway. Thanks for your help!

Spaghetti Supper….April 11th

Please mark your calendars now for our “Spaghetti “Supper” that is coming in April. On Friday, April 11th, Mrs. Angie is planning another fun supper for the children and their families. The dinner will be served form 4:30 – 6:30 that evening with the following menu: spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, deserts, and drinks. The tickets will be $ 6.00 for adults and $3.00 for children who are 10 and under if the tickets are purchased in advance. At the door the prices will be $7.00 for adults and $4.00 for children.

Special Days

St. Patrick’s Day March 17 (Let’s all wear green!)
Easter Egg Hunt and Celebration March 19
 

Day Care Reminders

 Just a reminder that all children must be free from a fever for 24 hours before returning to Day Care. Physicians recommend this because children are usually contagious some hours before, during, and after a fever. This is stated in our parent handbook, and it has been our policy for many years.
 Please check your child’s locker periodically for newsletters, notices, and other important papers. It’s always important to encourage young children when it comes to their special pictures and projects they’ve created. We have available sacks if you need help getting items home.
 Please continue to keep an extra change of clothes for the season in your child’s locker.
 Grace Church is a SMOKE FREE facility as of January 1, 2008. This means that we will be asking individuals to not smoke on any Grace property which includes the following: parking lot, playground, and parsonage. Signs will be posted at the main entrance to our property.

LOOKING AHEAD

Please watch for the following upcoming information in 2008 that will affect your child:

 Classroom evaluations of each child that will be done in the spring.
 Valentine and Easter parties
 Our “Spring Program and Open House” has been scheduled for April 24th, 2008 at 7:00 A.M. Our program will take place in the church sanctuary with each classroom performing musical numbers for our parents. We will also have tours of each classroom. Mark your calendars now for this annual event that promises to be a highlight of our year.

BAD WEATHER
Just a reminder to let you know that Grace Day Care will continue to do our best to be open, even on very cold and snowy days. It has always been our policy to make every effort to maintain our daily schedule. We are required to have 2 staff people here at all time; so if you normally bring your child around 6:30, please be aware of this situation. Our goal is to arrive safely.

If you are not sure that we will be open, please call the day care before bringing your child. If we have to close, it will be announced on TV 18.
 

On Call: Learning to Sleep Solo

How can we teach our toddler to fall asleep on his own?

By Dr. Claire McCarthy

Q Our toddler just can't fall asleep unless I'm next to him. How do we get him to sleep on his own?

A Full disclosure: I love snuggling in bed with my children, feeling their breath on my face and watching them drift into sleep.

But this routine clearly has its downsides. There have been plenty of nights when I've wished that they would just fall asleep already so I could get back to my husband, to chores, to the TV show I was watching, or to bed myself. There's certainly something to be said for teaching kids to sleep alone. Here's one good way to do that:

 Start by curling up in his bed and reading to him.

 Once the lights are turned out and it's time to sleep, sit at the edge of the bed, instead of lying down with him.

 Bit by bit, move away from the bed until you're outside the door. If he cries, try talking or singing to him from afar; if he wants physical contact, give him a quick hug or a kiss, then go back to where you were.

It may take a while, but the idea is to show him that you can pay attention without actually being next to him.

Two caveats: Separation anxiety peaks at around 18 months, so if your child's about that age, wait a month or so to try this. Same thing if your family is going through a transition, like a new baby in the house.