Golden Nuggets

Early Release: Wednesday, 2/4/26.

Valentines Day Crafts: 2/9/26-2/12/26, 8am.

Parent Teacher Conferences & Early Release: 3/4/2026.

View Here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nZH_Yygn9m-m7lAJchacHMLVVX0qoR5e/view?usp=drive_link

Our amazing Preschool Staff had ZERO violations. Well, Done ETE Preschool!!!

We are hosting Valentine’s Day crafting time!

Join us and make a special keepsake with your child.

Monday, 2/9/26, 8:00-8:30 am:

• Ms. Keely’s Class
• Ms. Robin’s Monday/Wednesday Full-Day Students

Tuesday, 2/10/26, 8:00-8:30am

• Ms. Robin's Tuesday/Thursday Full Day Students and 4 Morning Students

Wednesday, 2/11/26, 8:00-8:30 am

• Ms. Sarah's Morning Class

Wednesday, 2/11/26, 12:15-12:45 pm

• Ms. Sarah's Afternoon Class

Thursday, 2/12/26, 8:00-8:30 am

• Ms. Yami's Class

We will provide a Valentine’s Day craft keepsake for you to complete with your child. If you can stay and do the craft with your child, we’d love to have you join us! If you cannot make it, it’s okay, we will still have fun making a surprise to send home.

We will be passing out Valentine's Day cards at Preschool!

• Please bring enough valentines for each child in class, including your own. Children love keeping one of their own valentines.
• Please do not send candy. Stickers or small trinkets are okay.
• Making homemade valentines are a great fine motor activity to do with your child at home!
• Help your child write their first letter or their name on the valentine "From:" field.
• They do not need to write a name in the "To:" field which will help make it easier for them to pass out valentines to their friends, however some children may be ready to try to write their friend's names or first letters. If this is the case for your child, go ahead, but it is not necessary. It's most important to make this a fun writing experience, not a difficult one.

Ms. Sarah's Morning Class

• 6 valentines
• Passing out cards on 2/12/26

Ms. Sarah's Afternoon Class

• 5 valentines
• Passing out cards on 2/12/26

Ms. Yami's Class

• 8 valentines
• Passing out cards on 2/12/26

Ms. Keely's Class

• 8 valentines
• Passing out cards on 2/12/26

Ms. Robin's Monday/Wednesday Full Day Class

• 8 valentines
• Passing out cards on 2/11/26

Ms. Robin's Tuesday/Thursday Full Day Class

• 8 Valentines
• Passing out cards on 2/12/26

Ms. Robins 4 Morning Class

• 12 Valentines
• Passing Cards out on 2/11/26 & 2/12/26

We have added many science materials to our Preschool Wish List.

Check it out here: https://a.co/7GHJhSV

Thank you to all of the parents who are cutting their child's cold lunch grapes, cherry tomatoes and hotdogs in half! It helps us to follow Colorado Child Care Licensing Rules and Regulations.

• Read the parent communication boards outside of your child's classroom. They are filled with information you can ask your child about when you pick them up from school. Try asking your child open ended questions so you can learn more about their day. ex: What center did you enjoy playing in the most today? Who did you play with and what did you do? Did you read any books or sing any songs and what were they about?
• Read the emails that come from your child's teacher. If you have questions, email them or call and set up a time to meet with them privately.
• There is a Parent Lending Library in the hallway with FREE resources you can check out on many Child Development topics including; potty learning, social emotional skills, helping children cope with death, going to the doctor, and more!
• Don't forget to take a peek at the bulletin board in the hallway (by Paco) with photos of your children in school. It starts at the top at the beginning of the year, and we will continue to fill up the board with photos as the year goes on.

We love our families and are here for you! Reach out any time and we can discuss what's on your mind.

Social Emotional/Friendship Skills

• Use of manners like “Please pass the fruit.” and “Thank you for passing.”.

• Practicing social norms like sitting while eating and using utensils at the table.

• Follows limits and expectations.

• Cooperation with shared materials and activities.

• Impulse/self control as they play games, wait their turn, and follow directions.

• Using tongs, pipettes, scissors, tape, and other tools.

• Pouring from a pitcher into a cup.

• Using pincer grasp to manipulate tools and writing utensils.

• Hand eye coordination as they use their fingers, hands, and arms.

Math

• Counting items one at a time.

• Simple math “You have 3, how many more will make 4?”

• One to one correspondence as they set the table, pass out art supplies, and count out items.

• Counting out loud.

Literacy

• Using and appreciating books.
• Understanding print is meaningful and can be read.
• Noticing and isolating beginning sounds or ending sounds.
• Noticing and playing with rhyming words.
• Learning that print is read from left to right, top to bottom, and from the front of the book to the back.

Language

• Practiced asking for an item to be shared or traded.

• Practice asking a friend to play.

• Use new words and phrases like “Please Pass?”, ”Excuse me.”, "Por favor?", and “Hola!”.

Routines, Rules, & Expectations

• Transitioning from one activity to another.
• Using and following a visual schedule.
• Using self control to follow directions, rules, expectations, and routines.
• Understanding and following a routine like, wash hands when we get to preschool, and cleaning up materials before moving to another area to work.

And so much more!

Next Early Release is February 4th!

-No afternoon classes.

-Full Day parents, please pick-up your child at noon. We will not serve lunch that day.

-Morning Classes run as usual.

The cold weather is here! We go outside almost every day. Please make sure to:

1. Bring your child's warm snow gear each day, or leave their snow gear at the preschool.
2. Label all of your child's belongings with their name.
3. We change clothes often in the winter because children sometimes get wet when outside. If you see a note come home asking for a change of clothes, please bring them the next day.

2 Hour Delay Procedures:

-Full Day classes start at 10:00am

-Morning 1/2 day Preschool classes are cancelled

-Afternoon classes start on time

Make sure your contact information that you have on file with us is correct so that you receive Snow Day and Delay notification!

Thanks for all of the snack donations!!!!

If you are able to bring healthy snacks for the whole class, we would appreciate a variety of fresh items!

Some ideas on what we like to serve:

Pretzels, bagels, english muffins, crackers, granola bars, rice cakes, veggie straws, cheese, carrots, apples, oranges, bananas, yogurt/Go-gurts, hummus, berries, and more. If it is healthy, we would appreciate it!

Save the Date: Thursday, February 12, @ 4:30pm

(Children who are not yet 5 years old can come, but a parent must stay.)

Check out the Movie Night Flier: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11S3jh3Q2Z0AjirASezomwPgB7JumXp-X/view?usp=drive_link

Colorado Preschool Program Overview

In the 2022 Legislative Session, HB22-1295 established the Colorado Universal Preschool Program to offer voluntary, high-quality universal preschool to every Colorado child in the year before kindergarten (must be 4 years old by 10/1/2026). The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) is charged with operating the program to enable families to choose from a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool settings, including licensed community-based programs, school-based programs, and licensed home providers. High-quality preschool has demonstrated positive outcomes for children and families in the short and long-term.

How Does it Work?

All children in Colorado can register for up to 15 hours of free, high-quality preschool in their year before kindergarten through Colorado’s Universal Pre-K (UPK) Program.

• Families may qualify for more hours based on a number of qualifying factors.
• 3 Year Olds should contact their school district for preschool services.
• Preschool aged children with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) should work with their Special Education Administrative Unit (AU) to enroll in UPK.

Sign up for 4 full days ($350 for wrap around care hours that exceed the free 15 hours): https://upk.colorado.gov/provider_referral?subsidyProgramId=92d7c9b1-8b14-4703-8776-320d3ec2658a&programId=268ce30d-8680-426b-a864-258e7fe8a5fb

Sign up for 4 half days (15 hours FREE): https://upk.colorado.gov/provider_referral?subsidyProgramId=92d7c9b1-8b14-4703-8776-320d3ec2658a&programId=162e5a38-f109-4d83-bc2e-ee31002e674c

Need Colorado Universal Preschool Information? https://cdec.colorado.gov/universal-preschool-family-information

Contact Ashlyn Sims at: tpecc.familyresource@gmail.com for help filling out the UPK registration.

Whether you are a family member or a practitioner, caring for and teaching young children means balancing many responsibilities. When children use behaviors that are challenging, you likely respond with what feels familiar and manageable, and what works in the moment. Sometimes you do what is necessary just to make it through the day. This resource is not meant to ask more of you when you are already doing your best. Its purpose is to help you notice and reflect on how you might respond to everyday moments more intentionally. At the center, or guiding everything, is one question to help you begin to shift your mindset: How can I show the child they matter to me right now?: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/spporting_behavior_through_connection.pdf

It is very common for parents to battle sleep deprivation because their 3- or 4-year-old seemingly decided to stop sleeping out of nowhere! It’s not that they don’t sleep at all. It’s more that they just can’t seem to stay asleep. They’re in and out of bed like yo-yos throughout the night and their parents are sleep deprived because of it.

“This is something I see very frequently with families of 3- to 4-year-olds, and it’s completely developmentally normal,” said sleep consultant Rosey Davidson.

“At this age, sleep disruption is rarely about ‘bad habits’ and much more about what’s happening in a child’s brain, body and world.”

The sleep expert explained that between the ages of three and four, children experience “huge cognitive and emotional development”. “Imagination ramps up, separation awareness can deepen, and their understanding of time and routines is still immature,”. “This can show up as bedtime resistance, frequent night waking, or a child needing more reassurance to fall asleep or resettle.”

What can parents do about it?

It’s important parents don’t see this period as a regression or a failure on their part. Davidson noted that the disruption is often linked to development, anxiety, illness, or changes in routine (for example, starting preschool, witnessing family stress, or simply being out of school on break).

While it can be incredibly frustrating having to get up with your child throughout the night and sing them back to sleep at all kinds of ungodly hours, remaining firm but fair is key here.

“Children need both connection and boundaries,” said Davidson. “Responding with warmth and reassurance doesn’t mean a lack of limits. Clear, predictable boundaries around bedtime actually help children feel safer and more settled – boundaries are not harsh, they’re regulating and give children a sense of safety.”

You might also want to rethink your child’s bedtime, as the sleep consultant explained: “Many children this age are asked to fall asleep earlier than their biological sleep pressure supports.

“A slightly later bedtime can sometimes reduce bedtime battles and night waking. In some cases parents are still trying to get their children to bed at the same time they were as babies (i.e. 7pm).”

Preschoolers (those aged three to five years old) need about 10-13 hours of sleep each night, according to the Sleep Foundation. Davidson recommends having a predictable routine to support good sleep. It’s also important to have a bit of flex. “Consistency without rigidity is key,” she added. “Predictable routines support sleep, but flexibility is important during periods of heightened need.” It’s also important to remember that factors such as “emotional load, your child’s screen use, daylight exposure, physical activity, and connection during the day all influence sleep at night”.

“I always encourage parents to zoom out and look at the whole child, rather than trying to ‘fix’ sleep in isolation,” added the sleep expert.

“For most children, these phases pass with support, reassurance and realistic expectations.”

Good luck and Good Night!

English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kBbEe_b0r5kjKITOs1XwZU5IXSncez7r/view?usp=sharing

Spanish: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-RCPrBY708mewKQamj_qLAlLPdf3HV1t/view?usp=sharing

Check out https://mylantern.org/ to find out how to sign up for free parenting resources and information tailored to your child's age and development.

Check out the "Local Events" tab on the Park County School District website. It is next to "Announcements" and will house all of our community events.

Here is the link: https://www.parkcountyre2.org/en-US/local-events-517eaa78