Hello Patti’s Families,

October has been full of weather changes and more will be coming in the next few months.  To make sure all kiddos are comfortable inside and outside at Patti’s your teachers have some requests.  The classroom is warm but outside is getting cold, and often wet.  If your child arrives in a sweatshirt or sweater please make sure they have a lighter shirt underneath in case they get warm in the classroom.  There is one thermostat for the building so we cannot control the heat in our classroom and it is often very warm on cold days  – on the plus side that means we can still keep the windows open for ventilation.  We do go outside every day unless it is very heavy rain or, as earlier in the month, unhealthy air.  We encourage the children to keep their hoods up and play ‘under the trees or in the houses’ on rainy days.  We are lucky to have the big trees with slides and small play equipment underneath that stay quite dry even during rain.  Children have already been saying they are cold outside, so please make sure your child has a weather appropriate coat. As we move into chillier weather, teachers are happy to help with hats and gloves/mittens  to keep children comfortable outside.

Outerwear:Please make sure coats, sweatshirts, hats and, if possible, even gloves are labeled with your child’s name.  We have already experienced children not recognizing their own coat, and also of children claiming other friend’s unlabeled coats because they liked them.  Waterproof  coats are a must on the playground, If your child’s rainwear is lightweight please also provide a sweatshirt or warm layer to wear underneath.

Shoes:Many children have been having trouble with their shoes on the playground.  Natives and ballet style shoes do not work well with the wood chips. While we understand the appeal of shoes that slip on easily, they also slip off easily, and low sided shoes get full of wood chips and make children uncomfortable. Slip on mid or ankle boots or water resistant sport shoes with velcros work great for the playground as well as diaper changes or potty training. 

Classroom Clothes:My favorite early childhood education saying is “Learning is Messy!”  Please send your child to school in ‘play clothes’, those you will not be upset to find covered in paint, marker, or dirt at the end of the day.  Please also send your child in clothing that makes diaper changes or independent toileting easy, we  often are changing 13+ diapers in 20 minutes. Our potty-trained friends like to feel independent in the bathroom so clothes and shoes they can easily pull down and up (all the way to their ankles, so no tall rain boots) give them that ability and reduce accidents.

Halloween Pajama Day 10/31:While a lot of Patti’s kiddos are excited about Halloween, we also know that some are frightened by costumes and/or have difficulty with schedule changes.  We will keep our regular schedule on Monday for Halloween but invite our Patti’s friends to wear (diaper friendly) Halloween Pajamas!
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Cheers,Jennifer Cathey-Roberts

Director, Patti’s Play Center