Hands for Newsletter
The Medical Center Nursery School 
Volume 15, Issue 2
  
October 2014
  
In This Issue
From the Office
Welcome to MCNS
Play
Dress for Success
Events & School Closings
Birthdays

From the Office

 
New Tappan Zee Bridge Construction Crane Sailing Upriver! 
 

We are well into the school year now.  As always here at MCNS, time seems to fly by with all the exciting activities that take place.   We have had beautiful weather since the start of the year, which makes the playground closure 

 

As you can see from the pictures attached to this column, we are very privileged to have the extraordinary views from our windows.   We never cease to be amazed at all the scenes we witness, from a variety of boats and ships and other fascinating craft on the river (such as the floating crane that received so much recent publicity), the traffic on the bridge, the weather, the leaves changing color in the fall and then re-emerging in the spring.   We enjoy sharing some of these views with you.

 

You may have noticed the new monitor that has been installed on the south wall of the lobby.  Sometime later this month we will inaugurate new slide/video presentations of "life at MCNS."  These presentations will occur during the morning arrival periods.   We hope that you find them stimulating and enriching.   

 

Speaking of slide presentations, our annual classroom receptions will be held the first and second weeks of November.   In the past they have been well-attended, and the response has been enthusiastic. The picture and video presentations about individual class programs and activities will take place after a social time.   Tasty refreshments, wine and soft drinks will be served.   We look forward to seeing all of you at one of these enjoyable events.  

 

As we approach the various late fall and winter holidays, please be aware of the dates of school closings and vacation times.    

 

Fireboat on the Hudson 
 

Howard & Linda


Welcome to MCNS
 

Welcome to MCNS! We are Koto's parents and we're excited for the fall. J Kana & Brian

Welcome to MCNS! I am grandmother of Nora in older group. Have a good season! Beverly ("Bama")

Welcome! This is a very special place and your child is going to grow and have a great time here. Our daughter Eva is in Middle Group now and happy to be back. She has great school spirit! Go MCNS! Ray & Ana

Welcome New Families! J We have seen Ariel grow so much in MCNS soil over the years... Enjoy! Dena & Steve

We love MCNS! Our second child's here and we wish we could do the full K-12 here! Enjoy the wonderful, nurturing & inspiring school! Cheers, David & Anne-Catrin (parents of Talia)

Welcome to MCNS! I am Amy, mom to Isaac in the Older Group - Trailblazers. This is Isaac's second year at MCNS. Amy

WELCOME! Your family will have a great time at MCNS! Lizzie (one of Mari's Moms)

Welcome new families! You and your child(ren) are going to love it here. Monica (Mom to Nora, Trailblazer)

WELCOME!! Your child will have so much fun here they won't want to miss even one day! And you will love MCNS and the teachers as well! Subani (Mom to Bayla, Trailblazer)

An amazing place! (Louise Rogers, MCNS music specialist, Trailblazers teacher, and former MCNS parent)

 

These are the wonderfully warm messages our new families have been greeted with as they began bringing their children to our program. We posted a blank sheet of chart paper on an easel in the common room on the first day of school and invited everyone to jot down their thoughts: From the returning families, we asked what they would like to say to the new families; and from these, we suggested that they either write what their hopes & dreams for the children or ask a question to the returning families.

 

Why is this important? Well, at a time when we hear of a family care provider who has self-published a book that includes in its title "This job would be great if it wasn't [sic] for the parents," I find it reassuring that MCNS has the exact opposite perspective. As a program accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) since 1991, we uphold the association's Code of Ethical Conduct Core Values (http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Ethics%20Position%20Statement2011.pdf) and have made the commitment to

  •  Appreciate childhood as a unique and valuable stage of the human life cycle
  •  
    Base our work on knowledge of how children develop and learn
  • Appreciate and support the bond between the child and family
  • Recognize that children are best understood and supported in the context of family, culture, community, and society
  • Respect the dignity, worth, and uniqueness of each individual (child, family member, and colleague)
  • Respect diversity in children, families, and colleagues
  • Recognize that children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust and respect 

This means we recognize the family as the most important element in a young child's life, value the essential role of families in promoting emotional health and cultural identity, and welcome the unique contributions families can bring to our work. After all, you know your child best of all, and your perspective is necessary for us to understand her or him as the "whole child" we help develop. Moreover, by committing to work together, teachers and families can offer the best possible scaffold for the children's learning in a respectful, collaborative, and mutually beneficial partnership.

 

Given the heartfelt and powerful words our returning families used as they welcomed the new ones, we think it's fair to assume we are honoring our promises to our professional association and ourselves as well as to you, the families who entrust your most precious treasures to us. We hope you will always feel not only welcome here but also free to initiate and engage in dialogue. Such is the kind of modeling we strive to provide the children: a rich environment of positive relationships where we all listen to one another and learn together.

 

In closing, we would like to let you know that NAEYC has recently expanded its website to include a page for parents, which we strongly recommend that you visit: https://families.naeyc.org/ .

 

 

Liege Motta

 


Play at MCNS



 

MCNS is a play-centered school. We believe that the best and most effective way for young children to learn is through their play. Play, according to Jean Piaget, L.S. Vygotsky and many other educational researchers, is children's work. In fact, according to Jerome Bruner (1975) "Play is...the principal business of childhood."

 

In the book A Mandate for playful learning in preschool: Presenting the evidence, the researchers (Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Golinkoff, Laura Berk, & Dorothy Singer) argue that "Playful learning, and not drill and practice engages and motivates the children in ways that enhance developmental outcomes and life-long learning." In addition, the research evidence shows that "both free play and playful learning create optimal environments for achievement."

 

Children are not wasting valuable time when they are playing. They concentrate when they play and become deep thinkers. In fact, they are learning many valuable skills in an age-appropriate, self-initiated way.

 

Children learn to understand social roles through play. They learn socially responsible behavior. They learn how to control impulses and how to give and take and make compromises. Research confirms that social competency is one of the primary indicators of academic success. Problem solving, leadership, and taking turns all are developed through play with other children. Social competency cannot be learned from worksheets or sitting alone at a computer or a Tablet working one's way through even the most engaging educational programs or apps.

 

When children are playing they are creating plots. They learn to sequence. They learn to develop complex story lines that make sense. These pre-literacy skills prepare them to read and write. They solve scientific and mathematical problems as they build sets for their stories, manipulate small and large objects and move through space. Children learn the meaning of symbols as they play thus building the foundation for the academic areas they will study in the future.

 

To many, "play" suggests that the day is unstructured and that children are free to do whatever they wish whenever they wish. Many people assume that a play-centered school lacks the structure of a so-called "academic" school. What may not be clear to the casual observer, however, is the underlying structure that supports the play and the emergent curriculum that is the basis of all we do.

 

In fact, MCNS is very structured. But the structure doesn't lie in daily lesson plans or work sheets. It does not lie in a full day of teacher-directed activities. The structure at MCNS is two-fold. The first is in the physical plant, the carefully designed classroom spaces and contents of the areas within them. The second is in the daily schedule, the flow of large and small motor activities, large group, small group and individual activities, eating and rest periods, music, story and discussion times. Combine those two underlying structures and you have the ideal learning environment for young children to flourish.

 

Our classrooms all have the same basic design. Each spacious room at our school has a block area, a dramatic play area, a meeting area, tables for working with manipulatives and art materials. These areas are stocked with items appropriate for the developmental levels of the children in the rooms. All of the rooms have wooden blocks, trains, play dough, paper, drawing and writing implements, puzzles, paint, sand and water, for example. These are not materials that are structured and have only one way of using them. These materials provide stimulation for open-ended imaginative play. Children learn the protocolsrules and regu for playing in each area. They learn how to put materials away when they are finished with them. They learn how the materials can be used and how to care for them. They learn how to share the materials with the others in their class.

 

The structure of the daily schedule affords children adequate time to explore the materials in their classrooms. The schedules for all of the classes are made from the same elements. The plan for the day includes playground time, snack time, a long period in which children may play in activity areas such as blocks, dramatic play, and art and a meeting time in which books are read, stories told, songs sung, and attendance taken.

 

Because the physical plant and daily schedules remain essentially the same every day the children feel comfortable and at home in their classrooms. Within the structure they have the freedom to be creative, to experiment and through trial and error to gain skills.

 

The teachers are responsible for keeping the structure intact. Supplies must always be on hand. Rules must be established for their use. Through careful observation teachers can evaluate the progress of individual children and become aware of topics that can be enhanced through further study or additional materials. Open-ended questions can be posed to the children, questions that will build on their accomplishments or challenge them to think in a new direction.

 

There is a freedom for both the teachers and the children that the structure supports and encourages. Once the structure is established new things can be attempted, risks can be allowed because the underlying structure is so strong. The structure allows the philosophy of the school to be realized. Creativity and learning cannot exist in chaos, nor can they exist when curriculum is preprogrammed and close-ended.

 

Twlyla Tharp once said that you "can't think outside the box without first experiencing the structure of a box." The structure at MCNS is well balanced, age appropriate, and it works. The children are learning, creating and thriving here.

 

 

Reference:

  

Hirsh-Pasek, K.; Golinkoff. R. M.; Berk, L. E.; & Singer, D. (2008). A mandate for playful learning in preschool: Presenting the evidence. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

 

 

               

Susan Milligan   


Dress for Success


Construction workers wear hard hats and work boots and gloves. Marathoners pay special attention to their running shoes and lightweight clothing. Mountain climbers wear warm hats, windproof, waterproof pants and jackets made of breathable fabrics, warm socks, and hiking boots. They are all dressing appropriately for the tasks at hand. Their clothing helps them achieve their goals rather than hindering them. They are dressing for success.

 

One of our important educational goals for the children at MCNS is the learning of practical life skills. Children gradually take responsibility for cleaning up after they are done with their activities, pouring juice into cups, setting tables, throwing away garbage, and sponging up spills. They are very proud when they no longer need assistance from adults to perform these tasks. We hear that pride in their voices as they announce to the world, "I did it myself!" Children practice the many small and large motor skills that are necessary to perform these tasks on a daily basis and become better problem solvers and organizers as they learn how to perform the necessary tasks of daily life.

 

Wearing the right clothing helps. Young children, too, need clothing that will help them achieve their goals rather than hindering them. They need to be dressed appropriately for the tasks at hand.

 

To help children achieve independence, it is important to choose clothing that they can learn how to handle by themselves. Shoes with Velcro� closings make it easier for a child to remove them and put them back on when playing in the dress up area or taking a nap. Elasticized socks are easy to pull on and don't get twisted. Pull-on pants and leggings, instead of jeans with difficult snaps and belts, allow children to go to the bathroom quickly and avoid embarrassing accidents. Recently toilet-trained children especially need easy pants to pull down.

 

Our youngest children need the most assistance from teachers, of course. Children cannot, for example, learn how to change their own diapers. But dressing your child to make it easier for teachers to change him or her lessens the child's time on the changing table and increases time spent in activities. Overalls are particularly troublesome unless they have snapped crotches. In order to remove overalls without snaps a child's shoes have to be removed first. Most importantly, please use diapers with Velcro� on the sides that can be removed without having to remove all of a child's clothing. Never ever put pull-ups on children who are not fully toilet-trained.

 

Speaking of toilet training, we ask that you never put Onesies� on children who are being trained or are going to the toilet by themselves. Children have great difficulty unsnapping these garments, especially under pressure when time is of the essence. And, because of the design and construction of this piece of clothing, it is easy for its opened flap to drop right into the water in the toilet bowl.

 

Recently toilet-trained children especially need easy pants to pull down. It is particularly frustrating for a child to run to the toilet only to soil his pants because he couldn't get them down in time.

 

Children need clothing that fits properly. Clothing that is too small inhibits freedom of movement. Clothing that is too large can get in their way. Particularly problematic are ill-fitting shoes. Children are actually walking and running right out of shoes that are too big for them! This is very dangerous, especially on stairs and outside in the playground or park.

 

Our children go outside all year long. Because our playground, which we hope to be able to use again next month, is on the roof and exposed to the river, it is usually colder and windier up there than down on Haven Avenue. Children need to be adequately dressed to enjoy playing in this environment. As the winter approaches and the chillier weather sets in, they need gloves or mittens so that they can hold on to cold handlebars and climbing equipment. They need hats and scarves to keep warm. When it snows they need boots, snow pants and snow jackets so that they can play in the snow. Clothing should be comfortable and, for safety's sake, should not impede movement.

 

Children should be provided with jackets and sweaters that are large enough to easily slip on and off so that it is possible for a child to get ready for the playground without help. Oddly shaped, undersized or oversized buttons should be avoided because they quickly frustrate a young child.

 

Finally, don't forget that children should have an extra change of appropriate clothing in their cubbies at all times. Clothing may need to be changed for many reasons and many children resist borrowing clothing that belongs to someone else. As the seasons change and as your child grows, make sure that the extra clothing still fits and is appropriate for the weather. And please, please, label each piece of clothing with your child's name.

 

And that's how to Dress for Success at MCNS!


Susan Milligan


Events & School Closings

Please note the following dates of events and school closings in September and October:

 

 

SCHOOL CLOSED-Columbus Day observed
Oct. 13
Halloween Parades for two older groups (no costumes; children will make their own)
Oct. 31
Daylight Saving Time ends (Move clocks back one hour.) 
Nov. 2
SCHOOL CLOSED - Election DayNov. 4
Explorers' and Navigators' Parent Reception and Presentation;
Pathfinders' Group Parent Reception and Presentation

Nov. 6 at 5:45 PM
Trailblazers' Group Parent Reception and Presentation 
Nov. 11 at
5:45 PM 
SCHOOL CLOSED-Thanksgiving Day
Nov. 27
SCHOOL CLOSED-Thanksgiving Holiday
Nov. 28 
Birthdays

 

 

 

The following members of the MCNS community celebrated or will celebrate birthdays in October: 

 

Jiho Cohen - October 5    

Sanna Cremers - October 14 

Grant Walker - September 21  


Happy Birthday to ALL!

 

The Medical Center Nursery School 
Phone: 212.304.7040
Fax: 212.544.4243
Email: mcns@mcns.org
     MCNS NEWS Writers and Editors 
Howard Johnson
Susan Milligan
Terence Milligan
Liege Motta