The Weekly Update #1

Natick Preschool Families,

January invites us to slow down, look closely, and wonder together. As the days remain chilly and bright with winter light, our preschool classrooms are embracing this season as a time for curiosity, observation, and discovery - especially through our exploration of arctic and winter animals.

Young children are natural scientists. When they ask questions like “How do animals stay warm?” or “Why do some animals sleep all winter?”, they are practicing early inquiry skills that support language development, critical thinking, and joyful learning. This month, our teachers are building on that curiosity through stories, play, movement, and hands-on experiences that help children make sense of the world around them.

January is also a time when we gently check in on children’s learning and growth. At the end of the month, teachers will be completing brief benchmark assessments, which offer a snapshot of children’s developing skills and help guide instruction moving forward. You’ll find more information about this below.

Thank you for continuing to partner with us as we nurture curiosity, connection, and confidence during this winter season.

Warmly,
Cori

As we move from winter into spring, we are excited to offer more opportunities for families to come together and learn as part of the Natick Preschool community. We plan to host workshops and presentations focused on preschool learning and development, and we would love your input to help guide our planning.

Please take a few minutes to complete the participation Google form that will be shared through your child’s classroom Seesaw next week. Your feedback will help us choose topics, times, and supports that best meet the needs of our families.

Please use the button (below) to find the Strategic Plan page on our Natick Public Schools website. Here you can find answers to questions about the development of a strategic plan, and also a link (QR code) to a survey that will be open from 1/30/26-2/13/26.

At our most recent School Council meeting (1/9/26), we again discussed progress related to the founding a PTO at Natick Integrated Preschool. group of families is working to complete this process and found the first PTO for the preschool. If you are interested in becoming involved or have any knowledge or skills (e.g. prior experience launching or working within a PTO board) and are able to help out, please reach out to founding president, Mary Miller at marycrocetti83@gmail.com

In classrooms across our preschool sites, January learning is centered on arctic animals, what animals we see in the winter, and how animals adapt to winter environments. Building on earlier explorations of self, friends, and community, children are now turning their attention to the natural world during the coldest months of the year.

Through stories, songs, hands-on investigations, and imaginative play, children are learning about animals that live in Arctic habitats, as well as animals closer to home that experience winter in different ways. Teachers are intentionally weaving early literacy, math, and science learning throughout these experiences. Children are listening to and retelling winter animal stories, counting and classifying animals, exploring ice and temperature changes, and engaging in rich conversations about how animals prepare for and respond to winter weather. These playful, inquiry-based experiences nurture curiosity, early scientific thinking, and a deeper understanding of how living things adapt to the winter season.

While January often begins quietly as we settle back into routines after winter break, our preschool community has been full of learning and connection. Children quickly returned to familiar routines of play, exploration, and friendship across our sites.

We are excited to welcome back the Morse Institute Library’s BookMobile between January 23 and January 28. Children have also continued to enjoy their weekly music, art, and library enrichment, adding creativity and movement to each week.

As January comes to a close, classrooms are completing winter benchmark assessments. These brief check-ins help teachers understand each child’s growth while keeping learning playful and age-appropriate. Families can also expect to see progress reports during the last week of January.

Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome families back for our second family engagement event—Board Game Day—taking place the week of February 2. These events help strengthen our home–school partnership and build community.

We look forward to continuing this positive momentum as we move into February together.

Between January 20 - January 30, teachers will complete brief benchmark assessments/universal screening in areas such as early literacy and developmental skills. These assessments are:

• Short and child-friendly

• Conducted through play-based activities and familiar routines

• Designed to give teachers information about children’s growth over time

Benchmark data helps teachers plan instruction and identify how best to support each child’s learning. Families will receive communication regarding their child's performance on these assessments at the end of February. A letter regarding the screening was shared on Friday January 9th via SeeSaw (from your classroom teacher) as well as in the district Engage newsletter. HERE is the letter that was sent.

Emotional Development between ages 3-5

Preschoolers experience emotions in big, powerful ways. Joy can feel overwhelming, frustration can come on fast, and worries—about separation, change, or new experiences—can feel very real. Learning how to recognize, express, and manage these “big feelings” is a central part of early childhood development.

At this age, children are still building the skills needed for self-regulation. They rely on caring adults to help them make sense of what they’re feeling and to guide them through calming strategies. With time, practice, and support, children begin to learn that feelings - even big ones - are manageable and temporary.

In our preschool classrooms, teachers intentionally support emotional growth by:

- Naming and validating children’s feelings

- Modeling calm problem-solving and coping strategies

- Creating predictable routines that help children feel safe

- Supporting peer interactions and repairing conflicts together

These everyday moments help children build empathy, confidence, and resilience—skills that support learning and relationships well beyond preschool.

Supporting Emotional Growth at Home

Families play an essential role in helping children learn about emotions. Here are a few simple, effective ways to support emotional development at home:

- Name feelings out loud

- Help your child build emotional language by labeling feelings as they arise:

- “You look frustrated that the tower fell.”

- “You’re excited to show me your picture!”

Naming feelings helps children feel understood and gives them words they can use instead of behaviors.

Normalize all feelings
Let your child know that all feelings are okay - even the hard ones. You might say, “It’s okay to feel mad. It’s not okay to hit.” This helps separate feelings from actions and builds emotional awareness.

Practice calm-down strategies together
Try practicing calming tools when your child is already calm, so they’re easier to use during emotional moments:

- Taking slow “belly breaths”

- Counting slowly to five

- Squeezing a stuffed animal or stress ball

- Taking a short break in a cozy space

Model regulation
Children learn a great deal by watching adults. Narrating your own strategies - “I’m feeling overwhelmed, so I’m going to take a deep breath” - shows children how to manage emotions in healthy ways.

Reads & Videos for Grown-Ups

• PBS.org for Parents: Managing Emotions
• Child Mind Institute: How Can We Help Kids with Self-Regulation?
• Tips for Promoting Calm in Preschool

While this article may be geared to preschool classrooms, it offers great strategies for managing the emotionality that comes along with development in the preschool years across all settings!

For Kids: Songs & Clips to Watch Together

• Sesame Street: “Name That Emotion” clips
  Helps children identify feelings and build vocabulary.

• Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Calm-Down & Feelings Songs
  Gentle, relatable strategies for managing frustration, worry, and excitement.

• Cosmic Kids Yoga (short clips)
  Movement-based stories that encourage regulation, focus, and calm.

Tip: When watching any cartoon, movie or video clip together, stopping to talk about what you notice (“How do you think they’re feeling?”) deepens learning.

Storytime Together

The Color Monster by Anna Llenas

When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang

Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang

Today I Feel Silly by Jamie Lee Curtis

Try this while reading: Pause to name feelings, predict what might happen next, or connect the story to your child’s own experiences.

The Natick Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is an all-volunteer organization made up of parents and caregivers of children receiving supports and services in Natick Public Schools and private school settings. With more than 800 students in the district supported through Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 Plans, SEPAC offers resources, parent perspectives, and connections for families. Currently, Natick Preschool does not have a formal SEPAC representative. If you’re interested in serving or learning more, please contact SEPAC at the email below.

Learn more: sepacnatick.org
Follow on Facebook: Natick SEPAC
Questions? Email: naticksepac@gmail.com

• Preschool Lottery for the 26/27 School Year opened Monday November 17 and remains open through January 31. For more information about our programs, or to enter the lottery please visit our website at https://preschool.natickps.org/

• 2025-2026 Natick Preschool Handbook

• Natick Preschool One-Stop resource

• Health Newsletter from our preschool nurses

• How-to Video: 5 Steps for Brain-Building Serve & Return (Center on the Developing Child, Harvard). 2-minute strategy that strengthens connection. Harvard Center on Developing Child

• How Every Child can Thrive by Five: A TED Talk by 7-year old Molly Wright (2021)

Flu season is here! To help everyone stay healthy, please remind your child to wash their hands often, cover coughs and sneezes, and rest at home when feeling unwell. Together, we can keep our classrooms happy, healthy, and ready for learning and play!

📅 January 19 - Martin Luther King Jr Day - All Schools Closed

📅 February 4 - Early Release - All Schools

📅 February 16-20 February Vacation - All Schools Closed

📅 March 11 - Early Release - All Schools

• Weekly story time (including Mon, Tues at 10:00am) at the Bacon St Free Library, 58 Eliot St, Natick CALENDAR
• All Together Storytime, Morse Institute Library 10:00-10:30am Tuesdays and Saturday 1/31 at 10-10:30. 14 E Central St Natick CALENDAR
• BookMobile at the Farmers' Market Morse Institute Library Saturday, January 17 and February 7, 9a-1p
• Kids' Story Time Saturdays 11-11:30 Ten Tree Books. Ten Trees Books. 29 Main St, Natick, MA CALENDAR; RSVP requested.
• Project ABC Playgroups, Morse Institute Library, Fridays 10:00am. 14 E Central St, Natick. Drop-in Playgroup through Project ABC. Registration
• Early Childhood Alliance of Framingham: Fall Playgroups - bilingual (free, drop in) at the Framingham Public Library, 49 Lexington St. Framingham, MA
• Maple Sugaring Tours, Play + Outdoor Explore + Play (fee) at Natick Community Organic Farm. Registration required.