APRIL Parent News
Dear Parents,

The playground dogwoods are blooming and spring is fully here at last! Classroom learning is at full tilt as we see our chicks grow and anxiously await the hatching of our incubating eggs. Seeds are sprouting and our new herb garden is thriving on the playground. Earth Day celebrations helped the children think about how to care for our planet and our neighborhood.

As we move towards the end of this school year, Please remember that your child lives in the present moment. Please do not discuss next school settings or next classrooms until late summer. Let them enjoy their current friends and teachers without any confusion about transitions. Enjoying the present--what a wonderful idea for all of us! Stop and smell the flowers this spring and thank you for sharing your children with us.

To all the wonderful, hard working, fun and loving CCPC Moms--please celebrate yourself this weekend! You deserve it!
Noni
Our Big Room is Complete!
Parents are invited to walk through and see our finished renovation on the mornings of
May 11 and 12
Thanks to all our families for their generosity in making this a reality for our children.
Creekside Dad, Steve Ball, has been hard at work transforming our space.
Oh, Baby!
We are having a baby boom at CCPC and we couldn't be happier.
How cute are these two? Congratulations to all our families who are welcoming new children!
Wouldn't it be nice? Imagine that these 2 new babies attend nursery school together and later meet, marry and move back to Chevy Chase and send their children to CCPC... A director can dream, can't she?
Happenings
What a Day! We loved having so many fire and rescue vehicles and so many firefighters and EMTs visit us at school. Thanks to Dr. Ryan Gerecht, pictured with his daughter Clara, who brought all these vital community workers to share their enthusiasm and dedication to keeping our community safe. The ambulance even had to leave to answer a rescue call, sirens and all. It was an epic day for all the children, from youngest to oldest, and also for our teachers!
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Important Safety Drills at CCPC
We are required by law to conduct monthly safety drills of three different types: fire, shelter-in-place, and lockdown. You may have heard about our recent fire drill where all classes exited quickly and quietly and gathered by class on the playground. We have set the alarm volume to be "just right" although it still can be a bit loud for some sensitive ears. Shelter in Place involves keeping everyone safe inside the building during an extreme weather or other environmental external emergency, think bio hazard. We gather in the long interior first floor hallway by class away from windows. Late next week, we will conduct a lockdown drill were each class gathers quietly in a designated enclosed space for about 5 minutes. Teachers review the logistics in advance with the children in an age appropriate way, and help them feel comfortable with the exercise. This scenario is designed to hide teachers and children out of danger if an intruder entered our facility. It is extremely unlikely that we would ever need to initiate this drill, but being prepared is important. Please let me know if you need more information about our drill protocols.
Come and Find What You've Lost!

So much stuff! Many nice jackets and other things are here in our Lobby. Please stop in and hopefully find a lost item. After May 10, we will donate everything to a charity.
Mark Your Calendars
School Closed
Monday, May 31
Friday, June 3
Save the Date
Creekside PreK End of Year Celebrations
Families will receive a paperless post invitation to join in these special celebrations!

Tuesday, May 31 Tree Frogs
Wednesday, June 1 Chameleons
Thursday, June 2 Salamanders

11:30am
May Spring Parent Socials
Please join us and RSVP to the Paperless Post invitation!

Woodland Programs: Thursday, May 5 (tonight!)
Creekside PreK Program: Thursday, May 12
La Ferme Restaurant porch

Blue Sky & Hillside Programs: Thursday, May 19 at Little Beasts
Reading Corner
Here are some parenting articles about challenging behaviors at various ages and stages. Recommended by Lead Teacher Stephanie Schaefer!

From Washington Post Parenting advice columnist Meaghan Leahy:

How to respond to hitting at home, click here

For another article about 3 year olds and recommendations for building up positive connections with your child when not in the midst of the struggle: click here

Does your child push the boundaries? Here is an article from Parent Coach Janet Lansbury on responding to aggression in children, click here
Springtime CCPC Fun
Jump Bunch and Earth Day