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"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love." -Saint Basil
FYI… hand washing may be the single most important act that you and your child have for disease prevention. Please get your child into the habit of washing her hands often and thoroughly. All day long, your child is exposed to bacteria and viruses—when touching a playmate, sharing toys, or petting the cat/dog. Once her hands pick up these germs, she can quickly infect herself by: rubbing her eyes, touching her nose, and placing her fingers in her mouth. The whole process can happen in seconds, and cause an infection that can last for days, weeks, or even longer.
Hand washing can stop the spread of infection. The key is to encourage your child to wash her hands throughout the day. For example, help her or remind her to wash her hands: before eating (including snacks), after a trip to the bathroom and using the toilet, whenever she comes in from playing outdoors, after touching an animal like a family pet, after sneezing or coughing if she covers her mouth, and when someone in the household is ill – vomiting and/or has diarrhea.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following steps:- Wet - your child’s hands.
- Lather - apply soap to the hands
- Scrub - rub the hands vigorously. Scrub all over for 15 to 20 seconds to remove germs.
- Rinse – make sure you rinse hands completely.
- Dry – pat the hands dry.
Regular use of soap and water is better than using waterless (and often alcohol-based) soaps, gels, rinses, and hand rubs when your child’s hands are visibly dirty. However, when you are in the car, or there is no available sink and water, hand rubs can be a useful alternative.
How Long to Wash??? Please, keep in mind that although 15 to 20 seconds of hand washing sounds like an instant, it is much longer than you think. Try this song, but please don’t rush the singing!!!
The Hand Washing Song…for 15 to 20 seconds
(To the tune of Frere Jacques)
Top and bottom, top and bottom.
In between, in between.
Scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing.
Now they’re clean, now they’re clean.
SUMMER READING 2021
Entering Pre-Kingergarten3 (we encourage you to read as many as possible)
The Night Before Preschool by Natasha Wing
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.
Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll WalshPete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin and James Dean
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
Assignment: Please pick one story and draw a picture of your favorite part...with your parent's help!Entering Pre-Kindergarten4(we encourage you to read as many as possible)
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Lucilee Colandro
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
Any version of the Gingerbread Man/Boy
One nonfiction book of your choice about Dinosaurs
One nonfiction book of your choice about Space
Assignment: Please pick one story and draw a picture of your favorite part...with your parent's help!Entering Kindergarten
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
Go Dog Go by P.D. Eastman
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
*One non-fiction book of your choice about animals
This is just a reminder of STM’s policy to ensure the health of our students:
To ensure the health and safety of all students…students who exhibit vomiting, diarrhea, or a fever ≥ 100, must be excluded from school. We will give you a call if your child needs to be picked up from school. If you are unable to leave work, please have a back-up family member or friend that you may call upon to pick up your child that is ill…thank you.
Regarding admittance back in school:
Free of fever (<100) for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Common trade names of products containing these medications include, but are not limited to Tylenol, Motrin and Advil. All aspirin-containing products should be avoided.
Your child is eating food and drinking liquids and able to tolerate them for at least 24 hours without vomiting and/or diarrhea, and without the use of medication to relieve symptoms.
Students diagnosed with a contagious illness that is being treated with prescription medication, must complete a minimum of 24 hours of the prescribed medication dosage prior to returning to school.
A DOCTOR’S NOTE DOES NOT SUPERSEDE THE “24 HOUR RULE”.
Those students who have special health needs such as food allergies or asthma, or who require medications to be stored on campus should print off the permission form and take with you to your doctor's appointment for signature.
Please keep in mind that the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston requires a MD/NP/PA signature for all medications, even over the counter medications if they will be given at school.
Just a reminder, we are a FoodSafe Campus and do not allow food items in the classroom that are not provided by STM school. Please review the information on birthday and classroom celebrations in your STM Family Handbook for approved items and guidelines.
Your child’s health and safety are of primary importance to us! Thank you for complying with these guidelines to ensure the health of our entire STM community!
Is your child getting enough sleep???
Research shows that preschoolers need 10-13 hours of sleep every night to help them grow, stay healthy and do well in school.
Have your child stick to a nightly bedtime routine. Take a bath, brush teeth, put out the next day's clothing, listen to a story are a few suggestions but do this regularly - make it your night time routine. Also, research shows that watching TV or playing video games close to bedtime can get kids wound up and keep them from sleeping. Turn off all electronics at least an hour before bedtime. Finally, encourage the rest of the family to read or do other quiet activities after you tell your young child goodnight....this will make it an easier time for all going to bed and staying there...especially if they think everyone else is having fun while you have to go to bed!
JUST PLAYING…
When I am building in the block area, please don’t say I’m just playing. For you see, I’m learning as I play about balance and shapes. Who knows, I may be an architect someday!
When I’m playing kitchen or caring for babies, don’t get the idea I’m just playing. For, you see, I’m learning as I play. I may be a parent someday!
When you see me up to my elbows in paint, or standing at an easel, or molding and shaping clay, please don’t say I’m just playing. For, you see, I’m learning as I play and I may be a teacher someday!
When you ask me what I’ve done at school today, and I say, “I just played”, please don’t misunderstand me. For, you see,I’m learning as I play!