Dear Big Seed Families,
We want to warmly welcome your families as your children transition to our classroom. We are excited to have your little ones in Big Seeds this year! We cannot wait to build positive relationships with them as we watch them grow and learn. We wanted to take some time to introduce ourselves to you so you know a little bit more about our backgrounds and who we are. Feel free to ask us any questions you have! We would love to get to know your families a little bit better as well.
Ms. Rebecca (7:30am- 4:30pm):
I have been working in the field of Early Childhood Education for over a decade. I have worked with every age group at some point (infants to teens), but I have found my heart belongs to babies and toddlers. I attended school at OSU-Cascades, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Sciences. I am a mom to an eight-year-old, a one-year-old, and another baby on the way. My free time is mostly spent outside. I enjoy going on walks, going to concerts, and trying new coffee shops. I also enjoy relaxing at home with my family and Aussie pup doing puzzles, watching movies, baking, and sewing. I am an avid plant collector. There is no such thing as too many plants.
Ms. Sarah (8:00am- 5:00pm):
I am so stoked to be a part of this incoming class and to work with your kiddos! I am currently a student at OSU-Cascades majoring in Human Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Early Childhood Education. I have been serving the youth in our community for over three years now, ages ranging from infants to pre-teens. In pursuing education and exploring my passions, I am excited to work with this age of development and grow along next to them. Outside of my grind on school and work, I don’t have much time for hobbies. However, in my time of self-care, I love spending time with my partner, family, and friends. I love traveling, painting, reading, gardening, and being one with nature, whether paddle boarding in the summer or snowshoeing in the winter. I agree with Rebecca; there is no such thing as too many houseplants.
Important Information:
Family Photos: Please email or bring in your favorite family photo, or you can email bigseed@thegrowingtree.org so we can build our classroom community and a sense of belonging for our kiddos! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Sleep: The Big Seeds will be sleeping on cots or mats on the floor in our classroom. A sleep sack is still required until your child turns one, after which they can use a blanket. Blankets and sleep sacks are expected to be taken home every Friday to be washed. We will do our best to accommodate two scheduled naps in our class for the first few months. We will then begin the transition down to one nap a day.
Bottles/Milk: We will offer bottles of breastmilk or formula until your child turns one. We will also encourage drinking formula or breastmilk from a sippy cup at meal times. After their first birthday, we will start the transition to cow’s milk in a sippy cup, and, eventually, milk from an open-top cup. They will be offered milk with breakfast and lunch per USDA guidelines.
Curriculum: We will choose a “study” for the Big Seeds to explore each month. We will include the study in our art experiences, books, toys, songs, and circle time. Some examples of past themes include dinosaurs, farm animals, bodies, sea life, birds, families, weather, balls, growing things, and so many more! For the first month, we like to keep it simple and focus on mastering our schedule/routine and building those essential relationships with our children. We will integrate our first study in October, so keep an eye out for exciting updates on that next month!
If you have any questions or concerns or would like to chat a little bit more, please feel comfortable reaching out! We would love to hear any ideas or feedback you have for us. We are so excited to getto know you!
Warmly,
Ms. Rebecca and Ms. Sarah