Welcome to Infant Orientation School Year

Classroom Team Teacher Guide: Ms. Kinnari Pandya Assistant Guide: Ms. Melissa Sillman Late Day: Ms. Ayla Archer Other: Ms. Maria Ghahreman (Spanish) Homeroom Parent: Ms. Janelle Smith

Montessori Infant The Infant/Nido team is an extended family for your child and we are here to provide a safe, nurturing, loving, holistic, and rich experience for your child. These are the most formative, beginning years of life where the child begins their journey as a capable, independent, yet inter-dependent human being with full capacity and potential.

Arrival and Attendance Make drop-offs quick and precise Establish a routine - choose a drop-off time/method and be consistent Attendance will be taken by 8:30 (Considered Tardy afterwards) Contact Ms. Kinnari if you have questions/concerns via phone/

What to Bring/Supply List Nap items – Maintain same bedding every week; Please provide a two crib sheets and two small receiving blankets. Extra clothes- Please bring two sets of extra clothes - Make sure they are weather appropriate and please include socks! Pre-Made Bottles- Breast and Formula needs to be defrosted prior to school. Jar Food/Cereal Individual daily schedule- Please make a full-sized page and include important phone numbers (cell phone, etc) LABEL EVERYTHING! Please include first and last name (REQURED BY STATE)

Please place car seats on the Infant patio Please drop off siblings before coming to the Infant room We are a shoe-free environment Refrain from using Sippy Cups Pacifiers Hair clips/bows Toys/Dolls Best Practices

Daily Routine/Schedule Throughout the Infant Day, infants are exposed to multi-sensory stimuli, including music, reading, Spanish, motor skill opportunities, sign-language, speech, etc. while each infant’s natural napping and feeding cycle is honored. 7:00 – 8:00 – Early Care 8:30 – 9:00 – Morning Snack 9:00 – 11:00 – Morning Work Cycle 11:00 – 11:30 – Lunch (First Sitting) 12:00 – 12:30 – Lunch (Second Sitting) 12:30 – 2:00 – Afternoon Work Cycle 2:00 – 2:30 – Early Afternoon Snack 4:00 – 4:30 – Late Day Snack 2:30 – 6:00 – Late Day Work Cycle

Dress for Success Dress your child in seasonal, comfortable clothing Select clothing that is easy to change, no zippers/overalls/snaps Please prepare for your child to explore and enjoy their day as their clothing may get dirty Provide socks for your child to wear daily

◦Spanish instructions in the infant program is immersion style, with a native Spanish-speaker, Ms. Maria Ghahreman, in the classroom five mornings per/week, speaking exclusively in Spanish ◦Music is a constant presence in the Infant environment. In addition, Mary Hu, a specialist in early childhood music education, will be teaching music in the Infant classroom on Tuesdays and Thursday at 10 am. Specials in Our Environment

maintain regular schedule at home allow child to hold own bottle, drink from cup be fully present with your child; unplug, eat together, be aware of sensitive periods sign language oral language ◦read daily ◦speak in complete sentences no pacifier after 6 months nurture check Montessori Compass on a regular basis recommended Books: “How To Raise An Amazing Child” by Tim Seldin & “Ask Ginny” by Ginny Varga attend Mindful Parenting classes Parent Partnerships

Sprout Program ◦Joint Program between Adolescent Program and Infant/Nido ◦Adolescent paired with Infant ◦Adolescent tracks, records and learns about child development ◦Infants benefit from one-on-one interaction, building social skills empathy confidence communication acceptance compassion trust respect

Nutrition Nutrition for Infants is critical as their brain develop more in the first year than in any other time of their lives Our organic kitchen does a wonderful job of modifying the menu to meet the unique needs of our infants Please partner with us in providing the utmost in nutrition for your child; whole, organic, healthy choices

Conferences Conference 1 Goal Setting (Fall) Reflecting on the first few weeks Setting goals for the year Conference 2 (Winter) Progress Report Mid-term discussion Conference 3 (Spring) Progress Report Re-cap and look ahead

Communication Daily Log Montessori Compass s Phone Calls Person-to-Person (limited during class time) Office Hours two Thursdays/month 3:00 -4:30 pm (please check Montessori Compass for dates)

Resources Located on the Classroom Page on our website: ◦Daily Schedule ◦Supply List ◦Orientation Slide Show Infant Located under the Parent Resources dropdown: ◦Parent Handbook