The Lunchbox Press November 2017

Help Your Child Become a Great Problem Solver By National Association For The Education of Young Children

(NAEYC)

Your child has been working hard to learn how to be a capable problem solver. Preschoolers who can solve their own problems feel confident and enjoy learning. They are willing to make mistakes and learn from them and to keep trying until they succeed. You can help at home by taking advantage of opportunities to talk about solving problems. Here are some ways to start a conversation. • Point out that it takes time to learn something new (like riding a

bicycle). Explain that learning something new can take a while and that “practice makes better.”

• Remind your child that problems and challenges are chances to “grow our brains.” Say “You know how to do lots of things. You practiced until you got good at them.” Or “Remember when you didn’t know the letters in your name? Now you write them all in order! We can read your name!”

• Work with your child to think of three ways to solve a problem. Talk about each one and then have your child pick one to try out.

• Let your child know that you believe in him or her. Say “Do you think you can solve that problem on your own? I think you can. What do you want to do first?”

• Point out your own mistakes as part of life and learning. “Uh-oh, I spilled my soup. But everyone makes mistakes. Next time, I won’t put the mug where my elbow can bump it.”

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THE LUNCHBOX PRESS NASA Goddard Child Development Center

GCDC’s philosophy is to meet children’s developmental and individual needs and to create a stimulating environment in which children learn through exploration and discovery.

Upcoming Events

Nov 9: Kindergarten Report Cards Issued

Nov 9: Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) MeetingGEWA/GSFC Rec Center

Nov 10: Federal Holiday (GCDC Closed)

Nov 17: Pre-K Parent Videos Due

Nov 20-22: Reduced Hours GCDC opens 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Nov 23-24: GCDC Closed

Dec 12-15: Family Dinners

Dec 18-22: Reduced Hours GCDC opens 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Dec 25-29: GCDC Closed

The Lunchbox Press November 2017

Mindfulness At GCDC At NASA GCDC, one of our primary goals is to help children develop skills that support self-regulation. According to NAEYC*, self-regulation is a deep, internal mechanism that enables children as well as adults to engage in mindful, intentional, and thoughtful behaviors. Self-regulation has two sides: first, it involves the ability to control your impulses and to stop doing something, if needed—for example, a child can resist his immediate inclination to blurt out the answer when the teacher poses a question to another child. Second, self-regulation involves the capacity to do something, even if you don’t want to do it, because it is needed – such as waiting for your turn or raising your hand. Children who are practiced at self-regulation can delay gratification and suppress their immediate impulses enough to think ahead to the possible consequences of their action or to consider alternative actions that would be more appropriate. While most children know that they are supposed to “use their words” instead of fighting, only children who have acquired a level of self-regulation are able to actually do it.

In support of our efforts to help children improve self-regulation, Ms. Tasha Morton, one of our Team Coordinators, recently attended a three day class on mindfulness and breathing techniques for young children. One of the ways we will help

build mindfulness is by using a meditation practice that begins with paying attention to breathing in order to focus on the here and now—not what might have been or what you’re worried could be. This type of practice can help develop the ability to be able to ‘observe’ whatever the current situation is without immediately reacting to it. We will use these strategies alongside existing strategies to support all of our students grow their ability to self-regulate. In addition,

Ms. Tasha will work directly with children who may require more support as they work to become better with self- regulation. Ms Tasha will also mentor Teachers as they learn how to use mindfulness and breathing techniques in their day to day work with children. —— * Bodrova, E., & Leong, D. J. (2008). Developing Self-Regulation in Kindergarten Can We Keep All the Crickets in the Basket? Beyond the Journal, 1-3. Retrieved November 5, 2017.

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Here are a few mindfulness themed books to consider

including in your child’s library.

Master of Mindfulness: How to Be Your Own Superhero in Times of Stress by Laurie

Grossman 

Charlotte and the Quiet Place  by Deborah Sosin

Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids

(and Their Parents) by Eline Snel

The Lemonade Hurricane: A Story of Mindfulness

by Licia Morelli 

Take the Time: Mindfulness for Kids

by Maud Roegiers 

Mindful Movements: Ten Exercises for Well-Being

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Moody Cow Meditates  by Kerry Lee MacLean

Puppy Mind by Andrew Jordan Nance

The Lunchbox Press November 2017

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Family Dinners To Celebrate customs and traditions, each class will have a family dinner Families are

asked to bring a prepared dish that is reflective of their culture/family traditions. Food items may be homemade or store

bought; however, fast foods are not allowed. Volunteer credit will not be

awarded for this activity.

Because the celebration includes homemade food, families must make their

child's plate. For your child’s safety, the Teachers will not do this. If you are unable

to attend, please identify a parent to stand in for you during meal service.

Before the meal, the children will share a brief performance. The performances will begin promptly at 3:45 and usually last less than 10 minutes. If you do not want to miss the performance, your prompt attendance

is required.

Schedule:

Dec 12th: Milky Way and Little Dippers

Dec 13th: Rockets and Constellations

Dec 14th: Satellites & Shooting Stars

Dec 15th: : Comets and Little Discoveries

Among other credentials, NASA GCDC is accredited by Maryland State Department of of Education (MSDE).

Maryland Program Accreditation is not the same as licensing. Licensing regulations are set by each state with the goal of ensuring the safety and well-being of children. Programs that are licensed must meet the state’s minimum standards.

Accreditation requires that early childhood program meet standards created by national groups. Accreditation standards are most often higher than licensing regulations. Child care programs can voluntarily become accredited; it is not mandated by state law. A program voluntarily pursues self-appraisal, program improvement and external program review to achieve and publicly confirm that they meet state, regional and/or national standards.

NASA GCDC is accredited by two agencies The National Association for The Education of Young Children (Expires: 08/01/2022 ) and Maryland Program Accreditation (Expires 03/31/2018)

As the expiration date above indicates, it is time for NASA GCDC to re-certify our Maryland Program Accreditation credential. Our first of two external

program reviews is scheduled for November 16, 2017. We expected the validator to be on site that day and to observe each of our

eight classrooms. After this visit, the validators will provide feedback and identify any areas of improvement. We will need to correct any findings then schedule our final validation visit. It is the second validation visit that determines whether we will “maintain” our Maryland Program Accreditation.

Maryland Program Accreditation Validation Visit

The Lunchbox Press November 2017

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GCDC’s Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is equivalent to what many may refer to as a school’s PTA. GCDC’s PAC is an excellent way to become involved in activities that support our school. Every GCDC Member (enrolled or wait listed) can attend and support GCDC’s PAC. The more support provided, the better for our school. PAC meetings are held monthly and are lead by the Parent Association’s Vice President. Bring your lunch and join in the conversation.

Join us for our next scheduled PAC parenting class:

Who’s in charge in our house? This is a great and helpful question to consider as a family.  If it feels like the child is in charge in your house, you are not alone!  The issue of authority in a household can become a challenge.  Often, children want things to go their way and when they do not, look out for a struggle!  In this workshop, we will talk about strategies for keeping the adults in charge in your household and why this is important for children.  Speaker: Angie Antoniak, LCSW-C, The Parenting Center and the BEST program, Anne Arundel Community College

November 9, 2017 Noon-1 p.m.

GSFC/GEWA Recreation Center POC: Jolena Crawford

2017-2018 GCDC Association’s Board of Directors

Gale Fleming President

Jolena Crawford Vice-President

Sean Douglas Registrar

Charisse Dorrell Treasurer

Raquel Marshal Education Advisor

Jeff Steir Facilities Advisor

Juana Sosa Secretary

Sara Winfield Member At Large

Ted Ying Member At Large

Pam Guzzone GEWA Operations Manager

GCDC Association Board Meetings

4th Thursday of each Month11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Open to Members 12:00-12:10

POC: Gale Fleming, Association President

The Lunchbox Press November 2017

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The character trait of the month is Respect. Through studying this character trait, we want children to understand that

people of character:

In support of this character trait, each class has selected a community service project to support during the month of

November. Families are asked to help their children to become effectively engaged in this lesson by contributing as outlined by the parent volunteer/project leader. Look for an

email from the the parent volunteer for your child’s class (right) to learn about how to support your child’s efforts.

Character Counts & Community Service Projects

Community Service Project Leaders: ———- Comets

David Aronstein

Little Discoveries Nargess Memarsadeghi

Little Dippers Alexis Harris

The Milky Way Katie Garcia-Sage

Shooting Stars Suana Watson

Constellations Sujay Kumar

Satellites Risha George

Rockets Laurie Mann

Volunteer Opportunities

Rockets Board Game Volunteer (Play Board Games With the children) November 21st

Milky Way or Rockets Board Game Volunteer (Play Board Games With the children) November 22nd

Rockets Mystery Reader: December 19th

Wash Toys for Comets, Little Discoveries or Little Dippers: December 19th

Comets, Shooting Stars or Rockets Mystery Reader December 20th

Constellations, Rockets, Satellites or Shooting Stars Mystery Reader: December 21st

Little Dippers, Rockets or Shooting Star Mystery Reader: December 22nd

To learn more about our volunteer policy, sign up for available opportunities or view your family’s volunteer record, visit http://

www.nasagcdc.org/volunteer-information.html

The Lunchbox Press November 2017

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We have been working with our NASA GCDC Association’s Board of Directors to procure an

additional storage shed. To ensure that this project is completed in an an efficient, safe and cost effective manner, the Board’s facilities advisor is managing this

project for us. The shed will be placed outside the playground fence in the same manner as the existing

shed. Once in place, a fencing contractor will cut away the fencing in front of the shed so that the Teachers can access stored materials easily. We

expect this to happen sometime before the end of the calendar year. The playground may be closed

or a day or two in support of this project.

However, we have plenty of other

alternatives for the children to ensure they have opportunities for

gross motor play throughout this project.

Facilities Work Kid Friendly Museums Looking for some indoor family fun? Check out these kid friendly museums:

National Geographic Museum: features a variety of changing exhibitions, from interactive experiences to stunning photography. www.ngmuseum.org

International Spy Museum: world's largest collection of international espionage artifacts. www.spymuseum.org

National Air and Space Museum: offers daily programs involving science experimentation https://airandspace.si.edu/

US Botanic Gardens: offers a variety of exhibits, tours, and programs for visitors of all ages. www.usbg.gov

National Museum of Natural History: contains some of the most famous artifacts in the world http://naturalhistory.si.edu/

Preschool 2 Comets

Little Discoveries

Preschool 3 The Milky Way

Little Dipers

Preschool 4Shooting Stars

Pre-Kindergarten Constellations

Satellites

Language ArtsStory Comprehension Letter People M, V, W

Positional Words

Rhyming Words Story Sequence (First, Next Last)

Letter of the Week: X, V, W

Rhyming Words Letters of The Week: A, I, T, J Sight Words: Can, Play, Said

Parts of a Book & Author Study Sight Words: Can, Play, Said Letter Review: A, I, T, J, D, E

MathNumber Recognition

Quantifying More or Less

Comparative Attributes (e.g. biggest/smallest, Longest/shortest,

etc)

Patterns One-to-One Correspondence

Comparative Attributes (e.g. biggest/smallest, Longest/shortest,

etc) More/Less

SciencePhysical Properties (e.g. sink and float)

Rough and Smooth Making Comparison Charts

Buoyancy (Sink and Float) Exploring Fall Produce

Buoyancy (Sink and Float) Exploring Fall Produce

What is Chemistry? Through experiments and cooking, define

chemistry.

Social StudiesCommunity Service Projects

Thanksgiving

Land, Air and Water Home and Community. Where Do

I Live?

Thanksgiving Community Service

My AddressMaps

Scope and Sequence For The Month

The Lunchbox Press November 2017

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October Reflections

During this Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Season, consider NASA Goddard

Child Development Center (GCDC) as your charity of choice. NASA GCDC is

committed to providing financial assistance to qualified NASA/GSFC families

through income-based scholarships. To that end, all funds received through the

Combined Federal Campaign, will be used to support the GCDC Scholarship Fund.

Persons interested in supporting our scholarship fund, should identify our school

using the CFC Code 76902. For more information about CFC, visit www.cfcnca.org.

Preschool 2: Comets Cooking Projects

Preschool 2: Little Discoveries Dramatic Play

Preschool 3: LittleDippers Writing Center Preschool 3: The Milky Way

Cutting Skills

The Lunchbox Press November 2017

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October Reflections

Pre-K: Constellations Action Research

Preschool 4: Shooting Stars Building With Friends

Pre-K: Satellites Exploring Ramps

Kindergarten: Rockets Literacy

Transition Tip: Will your child transition from NASA GCDC to a new school next school year? If so, it is never too early to begin

learning about your child’s new school. Now is a good time to begin following potential

schools on social media. This is a good way to learn more about the school setting and to ensure you do not miss any important dates

(e.g. open house, registration, visit days, testing, etc) over the next few months.