1. family and parenting
2. children
3. daycare and preschool

CREATIVELY SPEAKING
Loving, Nurturing & Educating Children Since 1968
CREATIVE PLAYROOMS
April 2015
Vol.4
APRIL HIGHLIGHTS
Creative Playrooms
Montessori Schools
April 1:
Happy 47th Birthday, Creative Playrooms!
April 3:
No Classes for Montessori & Kindergarten (Good Friday)
Passover Begins at Sundown
April 5:
Easter
April 6-10
Spring Break for Independence, Parma, Strongsville &
Westlake’s Montessori & Kindergarten Classes
April 27:
Start of Kindergarten Testing (Part II)
&
Child Care Centers
32750 Solon Road
Solon, OH 44139
(440) 349-9111
www.creativeplayrooms.com
Joan Wenk, M.S. Ed.
President
Shirley Jeric
Vice President
Terri Jacobson
Executive Assistant
Bob Starman
Finance
Tina Merolla
H.R. Coordinator
Debbie Pack
Regional Director
From the Regional Director's Desk ~ Debbie Pack
This month we celebrate our commitment to young children. Creative
Playrooms was founded on April 1, 1968 by Joan Wenk. Today, along with
Joan, we continue to provide the quality child care she started 47 years ago.
Each year at this time we renew our commitment to young children and to
Joan Wenk's philosophy to "love the children".
If you’re looking for fun over Spring Break, be sure to check with your
director regarding the week long plans. There will be field trips, group
projects, crafts, cooking and more!
We look forward to the spring program performances this month for the
Pre-K, Montessori & Kindergarten classes. Please check the parent board for
dates and times.
Finally, if you have not done so already, we are still enrolling for Kindergarten
for the fall, as well as Summer Camp! Stop in and register today!
What's Happening Around Us...
Submitted by Center Directors
Independence ~ Donna Kupiecki
We have a fun-filled agenda scheduled for April. On the 1st, we will be celebrating Creative Playrooms' 47th
birthday. Congratulations on 47 great years and good luck in the years to come! We are so excited to finally
get outside to play and enjoy the warmer weather and the sunshine. We finish off the month with our spring
programs on Wednesday, April 22nd and Thursday, April 23rd. Come and support our singing stars!
Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Jan Piskac! Miss Jan has worked for Independence Montessori & Child Care Center since
June of 2011. She helps in all the classrooms and in the summer months she drives the bus for our field trips.
She loves children and enjoys watching them grow. Miss Jan loves to help with taking and posting pictures on
our Facebook page. Three words to describe her are kind, funny, and caring!
Maple Heights ~ Lisa Woodward
Happy Birthday, Creative Playrooms! We will celebrate with cake, balloons, and singing. Spring break for our
area schools occur this month, and we will be highlighting some of our summer events. Make sure you have
registered your children for our summer camp program. Our spring program will be held on April 23rd at Maple
Heights High School. We wish to remind parents that we cannot wait to go outside with the arrival of spring
weather, so please make sure you have an old pair of tennis shoes and a change of clothes for your child.
Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Gail Schroeder! Gail began with Creative Playrooms in 1972 and celebrates 43 years with
the company this month. She works with the Toddler group and enjoys doing art work with the children and
decorating her room with that art work. She’s always eager to help out with art ideas in other classrooms,
also. Gail is dependable, honest, kind, and dedicated! Thanks for all your wonderful years of consistent service,
Gail!!!!
Parma ~ Meaghan Meade
The arrival of spring has the classrooms hopeful for nice weather to enjoy spending time outside again. Please
make sure to appropriately dress your children for the day so they are able to join their friends outside. In
addition, the Kindergarten, Montessori, and Pre-Kindergarten classrooms will perform in their 2015 Spring
Programs here at the center the week of April 27th.
Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Kera Ozanich! Kera started at Parma Montessori in May of 2014 as a summer camp teacher.
Kera is an extremely kind teacher and takes her positivity to every classroom she is needed in. She loves
working with all ages and her favorite thing is seeing that she is helping them grow. We are so lucky to have
such a caring and dedicated teacher. Keep up the good work, Kera, and thank you for your love of the children!
What's Happening Around Us (Cont'd)
Solon ~ Kathleen Milliken
Happy Birthday Creative Playrooms! Don’t forget to dress up for our Spirit Week. April brings us Passover
and Easter. Our annual Montessori, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten spring program will be at Solon High
School on April 15th at 7:00pm. Please remember to register for Summer Camp for your 4-12 year olds;
spots fill up quickly. Our 2015-2016 Kindergarten class is filling up quickly – please stop by the office if you
are interested in registering your child or learning more about this great opportunity.
Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Samantha Morell, our Montessori Assistant. Sam recently hit her two-year anniversary
with Creative Playrooms. We are grateful for her artistic talents that grace our center. As a building
opener, she always answers the pertinent questions many parents ask. She is always excited to help during
programs and classroom set-up. Great job, Samantha!
Strongsville ~ Lisa Ross
Spring is finally here! The children are so excited to be able to go outside again! Don’t forget to make sure
they have weather appropriate clothing to wear for outside play! Check the school calendar to see which
night your child’s class will be putting on their Spring Program –On Broadway. Also, this month the Pre-K,
Montessori and Kindergarten classes will be going on a field trip to the Botanical Gardens! The children will
also be celebrating National Fun Day (April 1), National Farm Animals Day (April 10), National High-Five Day
(April 16), and Kindergarten Day (April 21).
Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Sue Alli! Sue has been with Strongsville Montessori since May 2012! She has done a
wonderful job in the School Age room. Sue always has great activities for the children and a smile on her
face. She loves doing arts and crafts with the children, and engages the children in the day to day planning
in the classroom. Thank you, Miss Sue, for such a fantastic job!
Westlake ~ Debbie Pack
We begin the month be celebrating Creative Playroom’s 47th birthday on April 1st! The children will enjoy
cake and activities throughout the day. This month the Pre-K, Montessori, and Kindergarten children will
perform their spring program on April 14th at 7:00pm at Parkside School. Please be sure to submit your
registration form if you will be attending. Hope to see you there! The children will be going outside often, so
please be sure to have jackets and weather appropriate clothing for your child. Don’t forget to register now
for Summer Camp 2015, Montessori and Private Chartered Kindergarten classes for the fall!
Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Brittany McCarthy! Brittany has been with Westlake Montessori since October 2014.
She works with the Toddlers and her enthusiasm shows in the classroom. Brittany loves to do art with the
children, as well as teach them their colors and numbers. She is super friendly and her smile is contagious!
Thanks for being such a great addition to our staff!
April Curriculum Ideas & Classroom Themes
Infant Info
Sensory:
Gross Motor:
Fine Motor:
Audio/Visual:
Activity Cube, Snaps Box, Music Shakers, Feather Fun
Tunnel Time, Parachute Play, Riding Toys, Rocking Horse
Cheerios Book, Scooping Balls, Painting, Puzzles
Listen to Silly Songs, Finger Puppets, Felt Board Story,
Flashcards
Jr. Toddler Tidbits - Themes: April Showers, Fun Things That Fly, Baby Animals, All about Bugs
Let’s go Fishing, Play Restaurant, Go to the Store
Bean Bag Toss, Large Foam Blocks, Basketball, Bowling
Felt Board, Fingerplays, Activity Cube, 1, 2, 3 Book
Weather Bear, Shakers, Birds & Nest, Number Bugs
Birthday Party Hats, Watercolor Kite, Baby Duck Puppet,
Handprint Umbrella
Practical Life:
Gross Motor:
Language:
Science:
Art:
Sr. Toddlers/Preschool Posting
Themes: April Showers, Fun Things that Fly, Baby Animals, All about Bugs
Practical Life:
Gross Motor:
Language:
Science:
Art:
Let’s Have a Picnic, Dress Up, Make a Birthday Cake
Bowling, Tunnel, Ring Toss, Large Trucks
A, B, C Book, Puppets, Number Puzzle, Activity Cube
Soft Sculpture, Birds & Nest, Weather Bear, Number Bugs
Handprint Raindrop, Coffee Filter Butterfly, Rainbow Puppy Puppet
Pre-K Publication - Themes: Spring, Easter, Community Helpers, Transportation
Language Arts:
Music/Movement:
Gross Motor:
Art:
More or Less, Review Numbers & Letters
Litter Bug Walk, Bear Hunt, I Can Fly
Pirate Ship, Flower Tag, Whale Watch, Parade
Brush Paint, Wind Socks, Egg Roll, Bunny Collage
After School Social Corner - Themes: Spring, Easter, Community Helpers, Transportation
Cooking:
Games Galore:
Art:
Play Dough, S’mores, Sink & Float
Heads Up 7 Up, A Very Long Trip, Charades
Earth Pictures, Paper Bag Lion, Car Poster, Bubble-Up
April 8 – Indians Day
April 22 – Earth Day
MONTESSORI MATTERS
Independence Center
Themes: Happy Birthday, Happy Easter, Happy Spring!
Happy Birthday Creative Playrooms. We will certainly celebrate with our special hats. We will be
practicing for our spring program all month. Our classroom is making some special decorations for
the spring season! Montessori’s spring break will be April 6-10, 2015. The center will be open for
child care during that week.
Sensorial:
Geography:
Language:
Math:
Practical Life:
Science:
Art:
Spring Flowers
States of the U.S.A.
Spanish Months
Fractions, Making Puzzles
Growing Plants, Hardboiled Eggs
Weather, Storms (Tornados)
Decorate Eggs, Weather Art
Parma Center
Themes: Spring, Earth Day, Mammals
Happy birthday Creative Playrooms! We will celebrate our school this month with a special cake that
we will decorate on the 1st. In addition, we will discuss the changing weather and hopefully get
outside to do some fun weather experiments. In Geography we will learn about Asia and make
continent maps. Our Spring Program will be on Tuesday, April 28th here at the center; more
information to follow!
Sensorial:
Geography:
Language:
Math:
Practical Life:
Science:
Art:
Weight Cylinders
Asia
Rhyming
Adding With Spindles
Water Transfer (Eye Droppers)
Color Mixing
Flowers, Weather, Umbrellas &
Raindrops
CREATIVE PLAYROOMS
MONTESSORI MATTERS
Solon Center
Themes: April Showers, Easter
As we head into spring we will be practicing our spring program to be held April 15th at the Solon High
School at 7:00pm. Reviews will consistently take place to reinforce material already taught. Reading
will begin with sounding out words based on the vowel utilized. Memorization of number 1-100 will be
mastered in preparation to begin addition and subtraction. While your students are learning various
subjects and bringing home works in their cubbies, please review material at home to provide additional
practice aiding their education.
Sensorial:
Geography:
Language:
Math:
Practical Life:
Art:
Sink/Float, Texture Boards, Sound Containers
Ohio
Sounding out Words with Vowels a, e, i, o, u
Memorizing 1-100, 100 Board
Dressing Frame Review, Dusting, Weaving, Sorting
April Shower Activities, Easter
Strongsville Center
Themes: Earth Day, Invertebrates, Flowers
This is a busy month for our class as we focus on our spring performance April 21st at 7:00 a.m. here at
the center. The children have been working hard and hope to see you there! Our class will be busy with
language and math activities. Spring break is from April 3 through the 10th. The center will be open
for child care.
Sensorial:
Geography:
Language:
Math:
Practical Life:
Science:
Art:
Knobless Cylinders, Touch Board
Map of U.S.A. & Africa
Sound Game, Handwriting Practice
Numbers 1-25, Addition
Dusting, Hand washing Practice
Sea Creatures
The 4 Seasons, Flowers, Bunnies
Westlake Center
Themes:
Earth Day, Spring, Birds
This month the Montessori class is excited to finally explore spring inside and outside the classroom!
We will talk about our planet Earth, mammals and be studying African culture, food, music and land.
Look for all our spring projects when you visit our classroom! We hope to see you at our Spring
Program on April 14th at 7:00pm at Parkside School.
Sensorial:
Geography:
Language:
Math:
Practical Life:
Science:
Art:
African Drums, Smells of Spring, Yoga
African Wooden Puzzle, African Animals
W, X, Y, Z, Blends
Money Work, Fraction Tour, Place Value
Recycle Sort, Blue Water
Mammals, Parts of a Horse, Recycling Work
Earth Day Globes, Spring Eggs, Rain Art
KINDERGARTEN KORNER
Parma Center ~ Nicole Wenneman
Themes:
Spring, Down on the Farm, Travel & Maps, In the Garden
This month we hope to get outside to plant seeds to explore the foundation of data collection. We will
compare and contrast the seasons and use clothes to dress for the seasons. In Social Studies we will
learn to read maps by taking “trips” to other states and mark our progress. In addition we will learn
the many important jobs down on the farm!
Math:
Measuring, Continuing Patterns, Location Words
Language:
Re-telling Stories, Writing Sentences
Science:
Plant Parts, Motion Studies
Social Studies:
Using Maps to Locate States
Art:
Water Color and Tissue Paper Flowers, Trees,
Barn Art
Solon Center ~ Nicole Sicurezza
Themes:
Spring, Down on the Farm, Travel & Maps, In the Garden
Happy Spring! We are so excited that spring has finally sprung! This month we will be busy planning
for our Science Fair which will be held on April 11. We will also be planting plants and observing as
they grow. Our class will also be learning about the changes we will see with animals in the spring
time. Lastly, we will be preparing for our School Readiness Test, which will be the week of April 27th.
Math:
Reading:
Science:
Social Studies:
Art:
Addition Stories, Use Objects to Add
Review Positional Words, Blending Short u, o, i
Planting Seeds, Study of Motion
Places to Travel Around the World
3D Farm Scene, Water Color Garden, Drawings
of Plants as they Grow
KINDERGARTEN KORNER
Strongsville Center ~ Mrs. Sue Kemp
Themes:
Spring, Down on the Farm, Travel & Maps, In the Garden
We begin the month with Creative Playrooms’ 47th birthday celebration. Spring break will be April 3rd
through the 10th. The center will be open for child care. Our class will be going on a field trip to the
Botanical Gardens on the 16th. We hope you will join us for our spring program on April 16th at 7:30pm
at the center. We will have our First Grade Readiness Testing during the week of April 27th. Please
make sure your child is well-rested and has a healthy breakfast.
Math:
Language:
Social Studies:
Science:
Art:
Addition, Money
Short Vowel Sounds, Word Families, Blends
Maps and Directions
Signs of Spring, Farm Animals, Parts of a Plant/
Flower
Bunnies, Flowers
Westlake Center ~ Diane Runner
Themes:
Spring, Down on the Farm, Travel & Maps, In the Garden
What a busy month! We look forward to our spring break at the beginning of the month.
Remember, the center is still open for child care. When we return we look forward to our
spring program on April 14th at Parkside School. We will also have Part 2 of our Kindergarten
Testing at the end of the month. Finally, we look forward to our Science
Fair – watch for more details.
Math:
Language:
Social Studies:
Science:
Art:
Farm Animal Sorting & Graphing
Singing for our Spring Program, Sight Words & Writing
“Me on a Map” Project
What grows in a garden?
Tissue Paper Flowers, Design your own Farm
~~Pool News~~
Parma: This month’s lessons will include some water
aerobics to get the children moving after this long
winter. The children will enjoy many games that
increase movement, as well as confidence building in
the water.
Solon: We will be going underwater for objects in
the pool such as pennies, diving rings, and diving
sticks. We will practice going under water catching a
bubble and also count how long we can stay under
water.
Westlake: Preschool will be working on floating
without assistance. PreK will work on gliding. The
younger Montessori children will be focusing on
swimming while putting their faces in the water and
blowing bubbles. Kindergarten will be working on the
backstroke.
Employee Spotlight
Linda Wade
This month we shine our spotlight on Ms. Linda
Wade. Linda has been working at Creative
Playrooms since August 2011. She works in the
Infant 1 classroom. Linda loves to do art and
music with the children, as well as work on their
eye-hand coordination. She is thrilled to see how
the children progress! Thank you, Linda for your
dedication.
~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY~~
MAY TODAY BE AS EXTRAORDINARY AS YOU!
~~HAPPY ANNIVERSARY~~
SHARING THE JOYS THAT BLOSSOM EACH YEAR IN YOUR DEVOTION
TO CREATIVE PLAYROOMS MONTESSORI & CHILD CARE CENTERS!
APRIL
BIRTHDAYS
CORPORATE
Bob Starman
INDEPENDENCE
ANNIVERSARIES
04/23
Shirley Jeric
Joan Wenk
Lew Wenk
47 Yrs.
47 Yrs.
15Yrs.
NONE
Kathy Polimene
19 Yrs.
MAPLE HEIGHTS
NONE
Robert Hejl
Marquetta Pruitt
Gail Schroeder
Stacy Woods
2 Yrs.
17 Yrs.
43 Yrs.
8 Yrs.
PARMA
Avery Rogers
04/22
Justine Brzoska
Sarah Fedor
Lauryn Hupka
1 Yr.
12 Yrs.
1 Yr.
SOLON
Brenda Early
Nicole Meloy
Nicole Sicurezza
Heather Siders
04/01
04/11
04/07
04/01
Shatara Bencke
Linda Kubica
1 Yr.
11 Yrs.
STRONGSVILLE
NONE
WESTLAKE
Megan Nagy
NONE
04/30
Megan Nagy
1 Yr.