A Message from the Director
Dear Parents and Families of The Burke Foundation Early Childhood Center and Princeton Public School Pre-k 3 General Ed (Hybrid), Pre-k 3 & 4yr old DLI classrooms,

A New Year, a New Start, and So Much More to See & Do Together!
With the New Year 2021 here, we are looking forward to continuing with our health and safety protocols, our studies, and our work at the childcare center.

With the start of the New Year, we are happy to announce our referral plan reward. Effective January 2021, for every family you refer to our program, you will be awarded a one-time $100.00 credit on your family's tuition! There's no limit to the number of awards your family can earn. For more details, click here.

We are pleased and happy to share the good news that the enrollment is slowly & steadily increasing in our classrooms. We want thank all our past & present parents for spreading the good word about how happy their children are in our care in & around the surrounding community.

Our teachers recognize that your child’s first few years are among the most important in his or her development. Our nurturing classrooms with activities that are developmentally appropriate for each child. After carefully consideration & review, we were able to move several of our children onto the next age group.

Although the transition was different from anything we did in our past, both the staff and children eagerly moved onto greet the new teachers & children who welcomed them into their classroom.

Great appreciation and a “Shout Out” to the parents for trusting us when it comes to their child’s experience at our facility before & during these challenging times.

The Creative Curriculum allows our classrooms to be set up into “interest areas” and are aligned with the New Jersey Preschool Standards.

Right from the beginning, daily routines and schedules are established to provide a structured learning environment designed to enhance your child’s individual strengths. In each classroom, teachers create an environment where children are encouraged to work and play together to have a positive early childhood experience.

As always, please feel free to share your concerns or questions to me. My contact info: toshea@ywcaprinceton.org or 609-497-2100 x325.

Be safe and wishing you well! 
Tara O’Shea
Notes from your Administrators
Dear Parents/Guardians,

We are so happy to have most of our families back from their winter holidays. We truly appreciate the amount of caution everyone is taking in order to keep our students and staff safe after any travel as well as visits with family. This helps us as administrators feel secure in the fact that we are not putting those who remained in attendance through the holidays at risk.

Thank you!
When you are answering "NO" to our morning screening questions you are answering "no" to the following:
  • Did you or anyone in your household have a fever of 100.04 or higher in the last 24 hours?  
  • Did you or anyone in your household take a fever reducing medication in the last 24 hours?
  • Do you or anyone in your household have any one of the following: Cough, Shortness of Breath, Difficulty Breathing, New Loss of Taste or Smell?
  • Do you or anyone in your household have 2 or more of the following symptoms: Chills, Shivers, Muscle Aches, Headache, Sore Throat, Nausea/Vomiting, Diarrhea, Fatigue, Congestion/Runny Nose
  • Did you or anyone in your household travel to an area of high community transmission in the last 14 days?
  • Did you or anyone in your household come into contact with someone with Covid-19 in the last 14 days?
Your Opinion Matters...Spreading the Word
We would love to hear from you regarding your experience in our Public School classrooms as well as The Burke Foundation Early Childhood Center at YWCA Princeton. Please take a moment to write us a review on Google and/or on our YWCA Princeton Facebook page.
Important Reminders for all:
  • The center will be closed on Monday, February 15, 2021 in observance of Presidents Day.
  • We cannot accept any drop-off after 10am. The only exception is for doctors appointments, please notify us of the appointment in advance and provide a doctors note for the tardiness.
  • Safety Concern-It is important to notify us when your child will not be attending school for the day. Please send an email to your classroom teachers and administrator with your child's name, date and reason for the absence. You could also call our pick-up line at 609-273-6524.
  • Please call 609-273-6524 when you arrive to pick up your child.
  • A current Universal Health form and immunization records must remain on file at the center at all times. If your child has their yearly physical or any new immunizations throughout the year these records must be updated. Your administrator will contact you if we are missing any records or if they have expired. Please act on these requests immediately in order to allow your child's pediatrician the time they need to complete them.
  • In order to receive updates and important information, please send us your current contact information. Updates can be sent to Myra, mrabanales@ywcaprinceton.org, or Cassandra, cmendoza@ywcaprinceton.org
  • Because of unforeseen emergencies, usually related to inclement weather, our center may be delayed, closed early, or closed entirely. Please check our website at www.ywcaprinceton.org as well as our ClassDojo School Story.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best Regards,
Ms. Cassandra and Ms. Myra
Cassandra Mendoza
Assistant Director, The Burke Foundation Early Childhood Center
Email: cmendoza@ywcaprinceton.org
Phone: 609-497-2100, Ext. 311
Myra Rabanales
Administrative Assistant, The Burke Foundation Early Childhood Center

Family Liaison, Princeton Public School Preschool Expansion
Email: mrabanales@ywcaprinceton.org
Phone: 609-497-2100, Ext.336
Notes from the Teachers
Toilet Training
It is our goal to work with our families when it is time for their child to start toilet training. Please note that if we feel your child is ready to begin the process we will reach out to the families directly for their support. Also, if you are ready to start trying before we contact you please reach out to your classroom teacher to discuss your plan so that we can follow your lead.

Important things to know when starting:
  • Continue to send pullups to school until the teachers advise you otherwise
  • When ready for underwear, please send ample sets of underwear, pants, socks, and an extra pair of shoes

Remember, accidents still happen. We have to be patient and understanding throughout this process.

Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in this matter.
Weather Appropriate Clothing
All children who are well enough to attend school will be taken outdoors on a daily basis. The only exceptions are if there is active precipitation, or public announcements that advise people to remain indoors due to weather conditions such as high levels of pollution, extreme cold or heat that might cause health problems. On these days, children may go outside for a short walk and return inside to participate in gross motor activities.
It is the centers policy that all children go out at the same time in order to maintain our child-staff ratios. Please dress your child in weather appropriate clothing so that the class can enjoy some fresh air and our playground equipment. During the winter months please send your child to school in the following:
  • Warm clothing
  • Winter coat
  • Winter hat
  • Gloves
Also, please be sure that we always have weather appropriate extra clothes at the center. We can get messy as we learn through play and it is part of our Health and Safety protocols to change soiled clothing immediately. If we do not have any extra clothes on site for your child we must call you to drop off clothing or pick up your child.
Thank you for your assistance!
Winter Art Show
We hope that you were able to view our Winter Art shows on ClassDojo! The children were so proud to share what they had created as well as perform a special holiday song for everyone. If you haven't, please take a moment to view our School Story.

Click the link below for a presentation of some of the highlights:
Mark Your Calendars
  • February 2021 - Black History Month - Click here to view our YWCA Calendar for resources and events provided by our Community Partners as well as a daily mini documentary series which will highlight a prominent figure in Black History each day.
  • February 12th - Chinese New Year - Year of the Ox
  • February 14th - Valentines Day - If you do not feel comfortable accepting Valentines at this time please let your classroom teacher know as soon as possible. Classroom lists will be sent to families by Friday, February 5th.
  • February 15th - 19th - Random Acts of Kindness - Our Bulletin board will be filled with "Kindness Confetti" during the month of February. Please share any random acts of kindness that your child participated in at home so we can share it with their classmates.

*Further information will be announced on ClassDojo*
To learn more, call (609) 497-2100 ext. 325