Save the Date Spring Fair May 17th

Spring Fair 2014 Save the Date!!

Saturday May 17^th 9:30-2pm

At our 1 Avenue B location and in the beautiful El Jardin del Paraiso Community Garden.

Teachers have begun planning what is sure to be an enchanting puppet show, and the crafters and the spring fair committee have been hard at work planning and plotting and creating wonderful hand-made items!

Please join the spring fair committee, meeting each Friday 9-10 in parent lounge!

The spring fair is a school-wide effort and we hope that every family will participate in a meaningful way. Like last year, our classes will be divided into groups. Each group will be tasked with fulfilling a certain duty on the day of the event. Stay tuned for more info from your parent reps. AND, be prepared, you will be assigned a day-of shift!! The shift won’t last more than and hour & a half, so you will have plenty of time to enjoy the day with your family. You might consider hiring a babysitter or arranging for extra help that day to help facilitate. The shift work is not a big commitment, but it is an important one. In order to be a success, the spring fair needs everyone to pitch in!


How you can participate: 

Come plan with us most Fridays 9-10am in the parent lounge…

If you have some time to spare during these weeks leading up to the fair, we’d be delighted to have more help! Try your hand at needle-felting pocket fairy items, or hand sewing veggies for our magical garden or even making a doll! Anyone with crafting skills or desire, please come join us for craft cooperative each Friday or see one of us to take materials home with you. Spring Fair planning meetings will be taking place on open Friday mornings each week until the fair is upon us. We welcome any and all ideas and support. We encourage planners, woodworkers, gardeners, designers, photographers, solicitors, and spread-the-word-ers… to stop by and help be a part of planning this magical event. If you can’t make it Fridays, please email Kaarin at kaarinvon@gmail.com and we can work out a way for you to participate and be a part of this!

The Market…

This year our Spring Fair Market will once again offer the sale of crafted items and Waldorf materials, along with a silent auction of select crafted goods by our parent and teacher body, and other springtime delicacies. See Lynne Wu,  lynne.wu@newamsterdamchildhood.org for further info or if you have an idea or an item to donate!

Thank you everyone.  We look forward to working with you.  

Spring Fair Committee

We Need Your Help to Distribute New Amsterdam Postcards!

This week each pre-school family will receive an envelope with 15 of our most recent postcards.


Please leave a stack or post them in your favorite neighborhood yoga studio, market, library, toy store, pediatrician's office, book store or café.  Please keep a list of the names and addresses of businesses where you leave cards so that we can add them to our marketing database.  Once you've distributed your first set of cards please pick up more at the school.


You are also welcome to take lecture flyers from the front desk to post as well.


If you are unable to distribute your cards please return them to the school.


Thanks to everyone for helping get the word out about New Amsterdam!

Register Now for Our 2014 Summer Camp

Our Summer Camp is a fun way for children between 3 and 6 1/2 years of age to enjoy the long summer days exploring and playing at the New Amsterdam School! 


We offer extended playtime in the garden, a hearty snack, activities, circle games and time to enjoy a lunch brought from home before they are picked up at the end of the day.


Classes will be held Monday through Friday from 8:45 AM to 1 PM.
Children can enroll for the full 9 week session from June 16^ththrough August 15^th or for a minimum of any two consecutive weeks.  Parents may enroll their children for additional single week sessions after the initial two week session.  There is a 10% discount for children enrolled for three weeks or more.


Please note that class will not meet on Friday, July 4th.
The camp is open to all so please invite your friends to enroll their children too.


Register by Friday April 11th

Week 1,   6/16-20	$435
Week 2, 6/23-27	$435
Week 3, 6/30-7/33 (NO Classes on 7/4)	$348
Week 4, 7/7-11	$435
Week 5, 7/14-20	$435
Week 6, 7/21-24	$435
Week 7, 7/28-8/1	$435
Week 8, 8/4-8	$435
Week 9, 8/11-15	$435

March 31st Parent Lecture with Patricia Carlin 7-8:30 PM

Working with the Will of Young Children


How can we best serve the needs of the young children in our care?

Discerning how to work with their wills is fundamental in guiding them to realize their full potential. Come listen to a lecture full of examples from real life, and take away some insights and tools for using at home.

Speaker: Patricia Carlin

Patricia joined our faculty in 2011 and is the lead teacher of the 5-Day Nursery class. She has a Master's Degree in Elementary Education from SUNY New Paltz, and has been a nursery teacher and kindergarten teacher. She will complete her Waldorf professional development training this summer.

Monday, March 31st 7-8:30 PM

1 Avenue B, New York, NY


This event is free and open to the public.  Please invite your friends and share on web groups and social media.

March & April Admissions Events

Pre-School Sample Session
Saturday, March 22 from 9:30-11 AM
The Sample Session is an opportunity for parents and their children over the age of two to spend time in one of our classrooms, meet our teachers and learn more about our unique approach to early childhood education.  We will share in an activity and a circle, and their will be time for questions.  Sample Sessions are limited to six families.  RSVP Karen.Talluto@newamsterdamchildhood.org


Pre-School/Kindergarten School Tour
Tuesday, April 1st from 9:10-10:30 AM
Briefly observe two of our classes and then share in a discussion of your observations. 
Space is limited.  Parents only please.  RSVP Karen.talluto@newamsterdamchildhood.org.

Pre-School/Kindergarten Open House
Thursday, April 3rd from 7-8:30 PM
See our classrooms, meet our teachers and share in an in depth discussion about our Waldorf inspired approach to early childhood education.  Parents only please.  RSVP Karen.Talluto@newamsterdamchildhood.org.


Grade School Open HouseWednesday, April 9 from 7-8:30 PM
Parents are invited to share in a discussion about the New Amsterdam Grade School curriculum.  Join us to learn more about how we can meet the needs of your child as they enter into their primary school years.  Parents only please.  RSVP Karen.Talluto@newamsterdamchildhood.org.


The New Amsterdam School is Growing
As we begin to grow our grade school programs we are also growing our preschool and will have more space than ever before for new families in the Fall of 2014.  With the addition of new classroom space we will expand our offerings to include two Mixed Age Kindergarten classes and two 5-Day Nursery classes while continuing to offer our Bridge, 3-Day Morning Nursery and 3 & 5-Day Afternoon Nursery classes. 


There is still time to apply for next year.  Please contact me if you would like to attend one of our upcoming events and learn more about our school.


We also have limited space in our current 3-Day Morning and 3 & 5-Day Afternoon Nursery Programs and in our Mixed Age Kindergarten Program.  If your child is between 3 and 6 years of age consider joining one of our classes this Spring!

2014-15 Robin's Nest/Extended Day Survey

This year's Robin's Nest program has met the needs of many of our families.  We conducted a survey last spring and it helped us make the decision to extend the program from 3 PM to 3:30 PM.


This year we are looking at the possibility of offering an extended day option that would allow children to stay past 3:30 PM.  We are asking all families who will be in our 2014-15 morning drop off programs to complete a brief Robin's Nest/Extended Day Survey so that we can better understand the needs of our community.


Thank you!


If you have any questions please contact me at Karen.Talluto@newamsterdamchildhood.org.


Warmly,


Karen

Plant Dye Cafe This March

This March there are many opportunities to work with Ms. Kaori in the Plant Dye Café. 

• March 10th:  Open House
• March 17th:  Kitchen Colors Part 1--Explore colors from common "kitchen" items such as spices, vegetables and things at the grocery store.
• March 24th:  Kitchen Colors Part 2--Continue exploring dyes made from "kitchen" items
• March 31st:  How to Plant Dye at Home--If you have materials from home you would like to plant dye this session is for you.  There will be a step by step tutorial for the whole process of plant dye.

Each session will meet from 9-11 AM at 19 Clinton Street.  To participate please sign up at the front desk or email kaori.fuller@newamsterdamchildhood.org.

 

We request a $25 donation for each session and there is a materials fee of between $5 and $20.