2010 Here We Come...

The turn of the calendar is especially meaningful to Leanne and I as we celebrate our 4th anniversary as owners of Harvard Park!  Thank you all for your continued support… You and your children are amazing and we are so lucky to have you as part of our Harvard Park Family!

The New Year also brings some paperwork for us all.  Coming soon you all will be issued a New Parent Handbook.  Each year, we revisit our policies to see what works and what needs adjusting.  Of course, there are new licensing requirements that we need to meet also.  You will need to read through this and sign a paper saying that you received an updated copy for your child’s file.

One of our goals  for 2010 is to have the ability to accept credit/debit cards for tuition payments.  Our goal is to research this in February and have decisions made by March.  Cost has been the main reason we have not done this in the past, and we hope it will not keep us from being able to pursue this avenue now.  We will keep you informed of our progress! 

Why Is Play Important?

Children of all ages love to play.  Whether your child is five moths or five years old, play is the best tool for fostering learning.  When building with blocks, your child is solving problems in a creative and imaginative ways.  Through dramatic play,  your child expands their imagination, creates their own worlds, and safely acts out fears and life experiences.

  The book center is a place where children can go to relax, think and get lost in a book or share a story.  Through books, children learn that language is useful and powerful. As your child uses sand to measure and fill plastic bottles or places a toy boat and marble in water to see if they float, they are learning basic concepts relating to science and math.  With art, your child is experiencing the pleasure and satisfaction of creating something entirely personal and feeling free to experiment and  discover.

  Play gives your child a chance to try out new ideas, see themselves as successful, and develop a positive attitude toward participating in new experiences.  Learning takes root in early childhood though play!  Play with your child and enjoy this special time together!

Important Dates:

1/27, 28 Hearing Testing                     Testing

2/12  AM Valentine’s                 Day Party &  Parent’s Night Out

2/12, 15 Dist 81 and                Mead NO              SCHOOL!

2/26 HPN /Chief’s Night

Growing Creative Kids… By Evelyn Petersen

Creativity is not a product, although it may result in something that e can hear, see or touch.  Creativity is really a process of thinking and doing:  it is a particular way of         approaching life.  Creative thinkers are divergent     thinkers.  They know that there are many ways to solve a problem.  They know that there may be many correct  answers to a question, not just one.  When confronted with an obstacle, they think of new ways to work around it, “turning lemons into lemonade.”  When you see creativity through this light, you know that it is an important life skill for children to learn.  Creative   thinking will help them in school.  It will help them as adults when they are on the job and when they work with others.  It will also help them when they need      release from stress or a renewal of energy.  At Harvard Park, your child has opportunity after opportunity to become a creative thinker throughout his/her day.