NLMUSD Early Education Program

Spring has finally arrived! Your kids are busy exploring insects, plants and flowers around our school sites. This is an exciting time of year as we plan celebrations, help families re-enroll in early education program options and look forward to preparing students for the transition to the next school year.

April is Autism Acceptance Month in the United States. Did you know that one in 22 children in California are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)? We celebrate Autism Acceptance Month to spread awareness, promote acceptance of children who are different, and to ignite change. Every child experiences the world differently, including autistic children, yet all children are the same when it comes to being unique, wanting to be loved, develop friendships and have fun!

*SAFETY REMINDERS:

1. The safety of you and your child is our top priority. PLEASE hold your child's hand in the parking lot and while crossing the street daily. Thank you.

2. Parents please be mindful when parking on the street near school sites. PLEASE do not block driveways and be sure to follow parking regulations to maintain safety and avoid being cited for parking violations.

*REMINDERS:

*No School April 3rd-10th 2026: Spring Break

*Coffee with Dr. Sierra April 22nd @Ramona 8:45am

We appreciate the opportunity to be your partner in the education and success of your child. Please take a few moments to complete the online parent survey which will help to guide our program planning to meet the needs of all families. You may also receive the survey in a powerschool message, you only need to complete the survey ONE TIME, whether you choose to use the link in the newsletter or the link in the Powerschool message. Thank you for your time and valuable insight.

The Early Education Toddler and Preschool classroom environment is guided by The Creative Curriculum for Preschool and which is a comprehensive, research-based curriculum that features exploration and discovery as a way of learning, enabling children to develop confidence, creativity, and lifelong critical thinking skills. It is designed to support teachers to plan and implement a developmentally appropriate, content-rich program for children with diverse backgrounds and skill levels.

As we study insects, we will explore what we know about insects, where do we find insects, and what are the characteristics of insects. We will use the outdoors to explore and search for different types of insects, learn how insects live, how do insects change and why and how do they help the earth?

As we study balls, children will develop fine-motor skills as they play with different sized balls. They will answer questions like what do we know about balls, do all balls bounce, do they all roll, what makes balls move, who uses balls and what are balls made of.

Rainbow Grilled Cheese

April 12 is National Grilled Cheese Day, so why not celebrate it with this colorful grilled cheese! Children can practice fine motor skills by painting their bread.

You’ll need:

• Bread
• Milk
• Cheese
• Food Coloring
• Shallow Bowls
• Paint Brushes

Fill five shallow glasses with 1/4 cup of milk in each glass. Take your 5 food colors and drop 5 drops of food coloring into the milk and stir until the color shows. Have children use a paintbrush to dip into the milk and paint their bread. Have an adult place the bread on a pan and add cheese. Place in the oven at 350 degrees and cook for five minutes or until it melts. Enjoy!

If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the program office at (562) 210-4205 to speak with an administrator.

Early Education Program Administration Team

• Director: Dr. Lorena Sierra
• Assistant Directors: Amie Wilson Bird, Loretta Gallegos, and Marisol Martinez-Garcia