Happy New Year!

Here are some great activities to do with your children as you bring in the New Year together.

• Pick your Favorite Movie 
• Photo Booth
• Countdown to the New Year
• Paper Plate Shakers

Have a Happy New Year from The Academy of Gateway!

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Merry Christmas.

We hope you have a Merry Christmas from The Academy Of Gateway! 

Here are some great activities you can do with your little ones to keep them involved. 

1 Start a new Family Tradition

    2.Decorate a Ginger bread house

3. Bake Cookies                

4.Watch marathon movie

5.Read Christmas Stories

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Breakfast And Fun.

This week at the Academy Of Gateway we had a Winter Wonderland day. The children came out to enjoy the festivities.We had breakfast with the family and letters to Santa. The kids really enjoyed eating with their friends and the parents got to mingle with their favorite classmates. The parents got to see what's at the top of their Christmas list! We also had a snowman that shot out fake snow and the kids absolutely loved it! We had pony rides in the parking lot. This was a great opportunity to have some fun with your children and see them in action.

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Making Choices.

Here at the Academy of Gateway we learned about making choices. The children have learned that depending on what choice they make it will have a consequence with it. Learning this will teach the children how important it is to think about what they are doing before they do it. The children get to feel independent and learn that if you make good choices how proud the teacher will be. Preschoolers are able to make reasonable choices if adults help them by not giving too many directions at one time and making sure that the choices are age-appropriate and clearly understood. Give the children opportunities to explain their reasons for choices. Discuss choices with the children.

Here are some great ways to help your child make good choices:

• Teach your child to know herself
• Learn your child's interest 
• Talk to your child
• Get involved 
• Pile on Praise
• Let them make mistakes

         Choosing Our Commitments to start the day.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is great for spending time with your family. You can share recipes with each other and let your children help you prepare for the meal. Children learn so much by helping out with everyday tasks.

Here are some valuable benefits:

• Mathematics skills
• Literacy skills
• Science In action
• Following Instructions
• Language and Vocabulary

Here at The Academy of gateway we are all about spending time with family. The children had a great time having a thanksgiving lunch with their family and friends.

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Petting Zoo

This week at the Academy of Gateway we have learned all about animals. The children have really enjoyed learning the difference between farm animals and wild animals. The children had lots of fun choosing which animal is their favorite. We had them bring in photos of their animals at home and let their classmates learn all about how to take care of the animal.

  Here are some great benefits to having a pet with your children

• Pets give unconditional love
• Pets can teach empathy
• Pets can teach confidence and responsibility
• Animals can help socialize children and increase verbal skills. 

Here at The Academy of Gateway we had Molly's Ark petting zoo. The children absolutely loved it. They got to learn about the animals, brush the animals, and feed them.

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Fall In Love With Reading

Reading is detrimental to a child's learning experience. Start reading to your children as soon as possible. It helps them get started on a journey to love to read.
Having a busy schedule can make it hard to find time to sit down with your little ones. If you can get in at least fifteen minutes a day studies show it makes a difference. Reading is great for your children to use their imagination. As your children get older they can start acting out the stories with you. This will increase their vocabulary.

At the Academy of Gateway we incorporate reading everyday and it is in our curriculum. We have great books that we build on with activities and they really enjoy acting the stories out.

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Fun Fall Activities

As the weather gets cooler and the leaves begin to change color, its time to start thinking about how you can help your kids get outdoors and take advantage of all that this amazing season has to offer.

Here are some fun fall activities for kids:

1. Visit an apple orchard.
2. Make apple crisp.
3. Paint wooden crafts.
4. Have an apple cider "tea" party.
5. Bake apple chips.
6. Make an apple stamp.
7. Bob for apples.
8. Make handprint leaves.

Getting ready to decorate our pumpkins here at AOG!

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Fall Is For Family

Fall is a great time to spend time with your family. The weather is nice. Not to hot or cold. A good way to incorporate some extra time with your children is to have a family night. For some this may mean organizing and executing one more thing to your already to do list. As parents we may feel we have spent time feeding, teaching, and playing with our children, which is exhausting itself. You have to remember you are building their brains everyday and want to make great memories for a healthy human being.

Here are some great ideas for Family Night:

• Roasting Marshmallows
• Movie Night
• Camping Indoor/Out 
• Baking A cake or Making your favorite snack 
• Arts and Crafts 

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Health and Safety

This week at The Academy of Gateway our weekly focus is Health and Safety. Its has been all about the different ways to be safe in day to day operations. We have had a few visitors come see us and give us some friendly tips on keeping safe. The children have had a blast on the tips they have recieved from our special guests. All week they have had different activities to show what they have learned. When teaching kids tips on how to be safe at home, make sure you are asking open ended questions that encourage back and forth conversation.

Our AOG kids learned all about the electric truck and where electricity comes from.

The Postal Worker told us all about what to do if we see a mail truck at their house.

The kids loved learning about how a plane works and all the different parts of a plane.


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Your Child's Dental Health

It's the first week of October and fall fun is upon us. You simply cannot avoid all of the sweet treats fall brings and who would want to! There is a way to keep your child's teeth healthy despite all the sugar. Here are some helpful healthy tips.

•  Chew sugar free gum. It's a great way to feel like your enjoying a tree without the guilt.
•  Choose chocolate. Chocolate is easier to clean off of teeth because it melts away.
• Avoid hard candy and sticky candy. These cause the most damage to teeth. If they do consume these make sure they drink plenty of water and brush as soon as possible.
• After a few days of Trick or Treat fun have the "Switch Witch" come and swap out the candy for non edible goodies or cash.

Here at The Academy of Gateway we have been talking about our teeth and the importance of keeping our teeth clean. Here the kids are painting their "teeth" clean. 

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Fall and Family

It may not feel like Fall yet but the first official day of Fall is September 23rd. Fall is a great time for fun festive family activities.
Here at The Academy of Gateway fall is in the air and we are ready for some fun. We have so many great activities planned. We kick off Monday, September 23rd with a Special Guest from the Linebaugh Library, the 24th we will have Pumpkin Time with Mother Goose, and Wednesday the 25th we will have Train Rides. Our big Fall Festival will be October 25th.

Painting fall leaves.

Enjoying the last rays of summer sun.

Watching the deer in the crisp morning air.

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Open House

We will be having Open House Tuesday, September 10th from 6- 7:30 pm.
 There are many reasons to attend your preschool open house.

1.  It is a great way for you and your family to get acquainted with your school.
2.  You can meet the teacher and talk outside of the day to day drop off and pick up.
3. You will learn about the curriculum and understand the classroom's goals and learning objectives to better support your child's experience.
4. You can meet the other parents in the classroom. This gives you a opportunity to socialize and make connections.
5.  You can learn how to better support your child's teacher, classroom, and communicate needs.

All these things are for the benefit of the child which brings us all together!

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Making Your Family Tree

It can be a fun family activity to make a family tree. Little ones can learn a lot by having a visual aid to teach them about their family. Children know and feel loved by their family members but may not fully understand what makes them family.
A family tree can:

• Provide a visual aid
• Introduce concepts of Aunt, Uncle, Grandma, Grandpa, Cousins
• Help child understand blended families
•  Be a fun family project

Be creative in making your family tree. Every family is unique and your family tree should reflect that.  You may even make it into a scrap book. While making your tree you can tell stories, memories, and pictures about certain family members. This creates stronger bonds and a great family concept. 

This week at The Academy of Gateway we have been putting up our family pictures and talking about the different members of our family. We have been making creative pictures of our families and further developing our self concept through self portraits. 

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Back to School

It's that time of year when the kids head back to school. Many parents start thinking about going to preschool or Pre K if they are not already. Putting your child in a quality preschool program has many perks.

• Preschool introduces them to the basics of school.
• It allows them to improve their social skills and make friendships.
•  They can be creative and express themselves in a whole new environment.
• Your child will be in the hands of a professional who has been trained in early childhood education.
• They will have fun creating childhood memories!

The first few days of preschool can be hard for the parent and child to navigate if this is their first time. It's a big deal to a child and while you both may be excited and nervous about this new adventure it can be a great one with some preparation.

Tips for handling the first days of preschool:

• Take time to establish a morning routine and don't rush. 
• Be consistent when setting your school schedule.
• Arrive early and allow time to settle in.
• Bring something that comforts them. A small soft toy, blanket, or even a family picture.
• Don't let on that your nervous and be positive. Your attitude is contagious and they definitely pick up on it.
•  Encourage them to be independent and dive into the classroom.
• Give hugs and reassure them you will be back. Keep it short and sweet. 
• Talk about the school and classroom being a place for them to have fun with their friends and teachers. 
•  Remember that meltdowns happen and their teachers are trained to handle it.

Look at all the fun times we have at The Academy of Gateway!

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Healthy Snacks

It's back to school time! Back to school means packing lunches and snacks. After the first month we start to run out of options and creativity. The grocery store makes it so easy to reach for a processed snack instead of something healthier. Children often get hungry between meals and need something to nourish their growing body. Here are some great snack ideas for your preschooler.

Get creative and let your little one help make their snacks. Look at these great ideas and see what you can come up with.

Here at The Academy we are a Gold Sneaker Facility. This focuses on things that prevent childhood obesity. We make sure they get in movement daily and have healthy food choices. Including lots of healthy snacks.

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