www.FELSkids.org Iyar / Sivan / Tammuz Dear Lassin Families, Spring has finally sprung and we are so happy to be a part of it! With the change in seasons, comes changes at Lassin Early Learning Center. Our long time dedicated teaching assistant, Maya Lapin, is retiring on May 29th after over 20 of caring for children. Please join me in thanking Ms. Maya for her many years of service to hundreds of children and their families. Thank you Ms. Maya, you have helped make a difference in the lives of children and it will be a challenge to find someone to fill your shoes. Additionally, please join me in welcoming new staff to Lassin. Ms. Yvonne Howard (room 7) and Ms. Desiree Wheeler (room 6) have joined the Lassin team as lead teachers. Ms. Artresah Stewart who had been the long term substitute in room 6 while searching for a lead teacher, will now take on the role of Group Leader in room 2 until her delivery in July. Congratulations, Ms. Artresah! And finally we welcome Ms. Madina and Ms. Dishae as group leaders in room 5 and 8 respectively. Our toddler playground was updated and there is a lovely new climber for the children to enjoy with plenty of space to ride their tike bikes. A schedule has been put in place to ensure all get to enjoy the new equipment. Lesson plans will be updated to include wonderful new summer themes and projects for the summer months. Remember to send in the sunscreen! We will be welcoming new children to our classrooms, both new to the center and those who are moving up. Lassin will be celebrating the graduation of 40 students to kindergarten, making room for the next wave of preschoolers. Time moves quickly and we want to make this educational experience a memorable one for (y)our children, so please support our program by donating your time. Lassin will have new events and projects that will need the support of our parent volunteers, and we welcome you to join us! And finally I would like to thank you all for a wonderful experience at Lassin ELC. June is approaching and I am coming upon my first anniversary and I am proud to say I am part of the Lassin team! Enjoy the sunshine! Gina Small, Lassin Center Director Teacher Appreciation Week Alternate Mondays: May 4 May 8 June May Yoga Alternate Mondays: Yoga Alternate Tuesdays: Sign Out Loud Alternate Tuesdays: Sign Out Loud Wednesday, May 6 Story teller Don Dougherty Visits Friday, May 8 Mother’s Day Snacks in the Lobby Thursday/Friday, May 14, 15 Picture Day, Wear your Smiles! Thursday, June 4 Dental Presentation Wednesday, June 10 and 17 Franklin Institute Visits Weekly Friday Shabbat Celebrations Wednesday, May 20 Franklin Institute Visits Thursday, May 21: PreK Graduation Wednesday, May 27 Quiver Farm brings the Chicks! Weekly Friday Shabbat Celebrations Friday, June 19 Father’s Day Snacks in the Lobby Monday, June 22 Summer Session Begins Help us honor the wonderful teaching staff at the Lassin Center! Teacher Appreciation Week is a great opportunity for parents to express their gratitude toward the caregivers who are helping them to shape and mold the minds of their children! Please sign-up in the front office to bring a special treat in for the teachers. Make sure to “like” the Lassin Early Learning Center on Facebook to see more of our activities! https://www.facebook.com/LassinELC Give a hand to Ms. Maya! Lassin Summer Program Begins Our summer program at the Lassin Early Learning Center is around the corner and we are taking a moment to give you some more details and reminders to help ensure your child not only has a fantastic time filled with memories, but a safe one as well. Our program officially begins on Monday, June 22, 2015 and continues through Friday, August 28, 2015. Each week your child will participate in a theme based camp program. Since the majority of the children’s time will be spent outdoors, please remember to send the following labeled items with your child:  Tote bag / backpack for all of their belongings  Plastic bag for wet items  Sunscreen (applied before Lassin arrival)  Bathing suit (All children must wear their suit to Lassin on Monday, Wednesday & Friday)     Ms. Maya relocated to the United States in 1989. Soon after Ms. Maya joined Lassin Early Learning Center in 1993 and has been a fixture ever since. Ms. Maya started as a group leader/substitute for all FELS centers and became a lead teacher soon after. In her native country of Belorussia, Ms. Maya was a teacher of music, middle school, and high school. The requirements are different under Pennsylvania's Keystone Stars and Ms. Maya then transitioned to a teaching assistant. She certainly used her 46 years of teaching experience and Master’s levels skills to facilitate learning for many children over the years. For that we are grateful! Over the years Ms. Maya contributed to the children’s daily programming, developed musical lessons, and leading performances for the families and student events such as graduations. Thank you, Ms. Maya. Good Luck and Good Health! Hat Towel Change of clothes (in addition: shoes for the day) Swim shoes or shoes that can get wet (no flip-flops) We asked that you bring your child to school with a fresh application of sunscreen. However, the teachers will be reapplying throughout the day as often as the children go outside. We also ask that wet bathing suits and towels be taken home daily. We are all looking forward to a fun-filled summer! Graduation Celebrations Thursday, June 21st @ 11am Invitations for the graduates will be sent home. School Agers Celebrate Lassin’s Women Cooking Corner at Lassin ELC... Cooking is an important part of our curriculum. Many discoveries are made while cooking. By seeing dough rise, children learn science concepts. When they measure ingredients, they are practicing math. Following picture recipe cards, they learn skills that will prepare them for reading. When they make Mexican tacos, Chinese vegetables, Israeli humus, etc., they learn about other people and their cultures. Ms. Collen Long and the school age children are celebrating the women of Lassin and their contributions. Children surveyed the staff and asked them what they are famous for last month. Visit our bulletin board in the back of the building for details and see what our women are famous for today! Celebrate Screen-Free Week with DVAEYC Screen-Free Week, May 4-10, gives children and adults a much needed break from screen based technology. Power down and rediscover the joys of life beyond the screen! Enjoy the weather, take a walk, have a picnic, or just snuggle up with a good book. During classroom cooking time, we talk about each step in our cooking directions and ask the children questions about what they are learning. Our children love being chefs and learning as they make delicious treats! During NAEYC’s Week of the Young Child, the children made Fruit Tacos for Lassin Taco Tuesday, yummy! Closings Monday, May 25, 2015 Memorial Day