September was a busy time for your children -- discovering all the play areas, exploring the outdoors, playing table games, role playing in the dress-up room, creating at the art table, learning the daily schedule and meeting all the teachers and children. We also introduced our compost bins for lunch scraps and our wormbox full of wormy recyclers. Our students are learning an environmentally friendly way of reducing and recycling organic waste.

CHOICES
Each day your children make choices at Buen Dia. For part of the day, they decide where to play and what to do; choices include art, cooking, table toys, books, block building, dramatic play, digging outdoors, music, dance, tumbling and storytelling. Making their own decisions helps children gain independence; as they gain confidence in their abilities, they are able to challenge themselves with new tasks. Some children prefer the spatial challenges of working with blocks while others prefer the tactile stimulation of art projects. Activities will change to accommodate the learning needs and styles of your children as the school year progresses.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Social development is an important part of the preschool experience. When children begin school, they usually focus on all the new play areas and activities. Often young children will play separately, although they may be next to a classmate. They tend to be more interested in the activity than in cultivating a friendship. This is developmentally appropriate. Friendships will develop naturally when children feel comfortable and secure at school and when they are ready. Some children prefer the company of a teacher during their first year of school. Younger children usually play with one child at a time; four year olds are working on including more than one child in their play. Children negotiate and collaborate, testing out their own ideas. This is a life-long process, one that develops differently for each child depending on personality and temperament. You may hear a child say, “I’m not your friend.” Then ten minutes later, those two children
are playing and having fun together! As teachers we try to observe and support your children by helping them resolve conflicts and gain positive tools for their future interactions.

When conversing with your child, we suggest asking specific questions like the following:
What did you eat for snack? Did you listen to a story? Dig in the yard? Who sat by you at group? Did you build with leggos? Who did you play with in the dress-up room? In the yard?

After looking in your child’s art cubby, you can ask questions about the projects – “I see you like using the color red?” “How did you make it?” “Did you use tape or glue?”

We do NOT encourage open-ended questions like the following:
“What did you do today?” “Who’s your friend?” “Did you have a good day?”
Young children often respond “nothing” or “I don’t know.” They also may define a friend differently than you do. Be more specific.

ARTBINS
The children have direct access to a great variety of recycled materials in designated Art Bins, generating an atmosphere conducive to creativity. Making unique collages and three-dimensional work has been popular these past few weeks and they have been filling containers, combining materials in interesting ways using glue, string, tape and staples, building with wood, boxes and found objects, painting on textured fabrics and wrapping presents. For example, focus and concentration increase when children are engaged in their work, such as wrapping a box, when each child must fold paper, hold the box in place, cut tape and manage to cover the box with paper and finally tape it. This is no easy task. They practice motor skills and hand/eye coordination and also learn how to solve a problem and feel a sense of achievement.

NATURE OBSERVATION
Digging in the sand and looking for living things (alive or dead) has also been interesting to a group of children. Among other things, they have found dragonfly wings, spiders and a print of a catpaw. Without disturbing the habitats, they study these items, sometimes drawing them, other times displaying them on our science table.

CREATIVE ARTS, YOGA & KINDERGYM CLASSES
Our singing and storytelling classes with Megan are now in progress on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Each small group has the opportunity to participate by telling and directing their own stories on the stage area and group singing with Megan takes place during Wednesday morning group. Yoga classes with Donna have started on Thursday afternoons when children do imaginative stretching movements in small groups.

We recently begin our kindergym classes in UCSF’s Millberry Union on Parnassus Street, thanks to the following drivers: Chris (Ruby), Catherine (Miranda), Veronica (Olivia), Caroline (Julian), Tony (Samuel), Lydia (Stella), Fiona (Claire) and Jorge (Ariadne).

PERSONALITY BAGS-BOLSAS de PERSONALIDAD

During the first part of the school year we focus on SELF-IMAGE activities. To begin with, we are asking each child to bring no more than THREE items that reflect part of his/her personality – we call this our Personality Bag or Bolsa de Personalidad. Each child will have the opportunity to talk about these special things at grouptime.

Examples include a favorite toy or stuffed animal, a photograph showing an activity or person, a special book or a particular food. Anything your child wants to bring is fine; however, try to discourage three of one thing (such as three stuffed animals) and please no weapons or superheroes. The purpose of this activity is:

1) To give parents a time to discuss with their child “what makes him or her special” and to help prepare the three things for school together,
2) To give the Buen Dia community the opportunity to learn more about each child
3) To foster a sense of self-worth in each child.

THIS SHOULD BE FUN. IF YOUR CHILD DOES NOT WANT TO PARTICIPATE, THAT’S OKAY! YOUR CHILD MAY JUST ENJOY OBSERVING WHAT THE OTHER CHILDREN BRING IN THEIR PERSONALITY BAGS.

Please sign up on the bulletin board for a time and day.

PARENT MEETINGS

Parent meetings with Adriana Taranta from Daycare Consultants are scheduled each month on Wednesdays at 4:45 pm. This is an opportunity to ask questions about child development or any related concerns you may have about your child. Our first meeting will take place on Wednesday October 20th. Please sign up on the bulletin board if you plan to attend this meeting.

STAFF UPDATE

We are happy to welcome four additions to the Buen Dia staff. Aaron Neimark, who has returned after teaching kindergarten at Starr King Elementary School for the past three years. He is working on his MA in Education at San Francisco State University. After his first month at Buen Dia,, Aaron says “It’s great to see children discover new interests and work on thinking and negotiating skills with new friends. Grace Kim, a student at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. She earned her B.A. in Business at UC Berkeley and is now studying New Media computer graphics. Grace is working in the office as our administrative assistant. She would like to work for a small design firm doing both print and design media and ultimately set up her own practice. Monica Espinoza, also a student at SFSU, is majoring in Child and Adolescent Development. She is working in the office on special projects and as a teacher assistant in the afternoon. Monica enjoys getting to know the children while pushing them on the tire swing. Laura Kopp is an intern from Antioch College in Ohio. She is majoring in social and global studies. Laura’s experience includes working in a childcare center and a fencing camp with children ages 8-11. She is already in the groove of working with the children here at Buen Día and her favorite thing so far has been observing the children create wonderful art projects.

HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES

We will have our annual Halloween Parade around the block on Friday October 29th at 11:45 a.m. You are welcome to attend (if you come in costume!) Children can choose to bring their costumes or wear them on that day; some children find this holiday to be a little scary and may just want to come in their normal clothes. Please do not send sweets to school; they will be excited all on their own. There will also be a Fun House created by the children and the teachers during that week; please let us know if you would like to help us in the classroom or with any other activity.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

We will be creating a Precolombian altar in honor of Dia de los Muertos during the first week of November. Please ask your child if he or she would like to bring a photo or other memorabilia of special people or pets who have died. One year a child brought a potholder that belonged to his grandmother, another a baseball cap that belonged to his uncle and a third a leash that belonged to her dog. This is not a scary holiday but one that celebrates the loss of loved ones in positive ways. We will be taking two “walking” fieldtrips to Encantada Gallery on Valencia Street where there will be an exhibit of artwork for this holiday.

SCRIP UPDATE:

Annelise and Amy (alumni parents and Board members) are our Rainbow and Good Life SCRIP coordinators. This year Annelise she has instituted a new fundraising program through Peet’s Coffee. We now have $20 Peet’s gift cards available. Buen Día receives 10% of sales. If you wish to have a card of greater value on a monthly basis, it can be ordered. Please let us know. Here is a list of those families and friends of Buen Dia who bought SCRIP and Peet’s cards from the summer to present: Blaire Moser, Phern Hunt, Diane Jones, Giovanni Ariaghi, Michelle Montales, Adelina Arcelona. Catherine Singstad, Jenni Olson, Scott Nelson, Claudia Lundstroth, Vanessa Lambright, Connie Heller, Maggie Perkins, Caroline Day, Phyllida Burlingame, Richard Smith, Jorge Fernandez, Glenn Kenyon, Anne Marie Falge, Sheila Arcelona, Samuel Guia, Liz Worcester, Fiona Devereux, Vanessa Belli, Julie Goot, Sarah Lawton, Daria Hekmat, Annelise Goldberg, Amy Risch, Sandy Barra, Sarah Holcombe, Natasha Lavine, Jim Quadra, Lydia Yaffe and Yvonne Gavre. We earned $3359.00 thanks to all of you.

SUMMER & SEPTEMBER VOLUNTEERS:

When school was closed for three weeks in August and early September, we were busy making repairs and reorganizing the classroom. Seth (Miranda) removed the outdoor Casita and is planning to reconstruct a new one with your help; Lisa (Anna) made smocks for art. Connie (Isaak) designed and created our fundraising postcard for classroom materials; Liz (Jade) and Sarah (James) helped with the mailing of these beautiful cards; Glen (Emanuel) helped with mailing and donated books and classroom supplies; Natasha (Milo) helped with the mailing and Mark and Natasha are also the Extra Hours coordinators; Daria (Keith) and Catherine (Miranda) sold SCRIP; Amy (Kip) offered computer support; Vanessa (Isabel) installed a new mirror for the downstairs classroom and decorated the frame with the help of the children; Rachel (William) administered TB tests to staff; Rick (Alex) baked healthy bread for the teachers; Patricia (Patty) prepared lunch for the teachers; Steve (Angel) donated 49er tickets to our online auction; Maggie (Aubin) donated stationary; Fiona (Claire) donated two antique children’s chairs for the dress-up room; Catherine (Miranda) washed the mountains of stuffed animals and dolls; Lydia (Stella) donated art materials. Mil Gracias!

DATES TO REMEMBER
Wednesday October 20th	Parent Meeting with Adriana Taranta from DayCare Consultants at 4:45 pm
Friday October 22nd	Staff Inservice Day / School Closed
Wednesday October 27th	Visit from The Bookmobile at 2:30p.m.
Friday October 29th	Halloween Parade at 11:45 am. Parents invited. Come in costume please!
Wednesday November 3rd	Meeting for parents of pre-K’s regarding the Kindergarten Application process with two representatives from San Francisco Unified School District at 4:45 p.m.
Thursday November 4th	Trip to Encantada on Valencial St. for Dia de los Muertos exhibit 11:00 a.m. (12-16 children)
Friday November 5th	Trip to Encantada for Dia de los Muertos exhibit 1:30 p.m. (12-16 children)