What the heck is a QR Code?

Posted on September 19, 2011 by admin

It’s been an exciting new year here at Centro Armonia! With all the new changes with the parking, drop off and parent communication we want to make sure you can get information when you need it!

With our decision to go paperless with our weekly updates and notes, it’s more important than ever that you are able to access information from us in a timely manner. Our weekly newsletter goes out through our mail service “MailChimp”, linked via Facebook and the Weekly Update is posted here on the blog.

Enter the QR Code———>

This little gem seems to be popping up everywhere and honestly, I never took the time to find out what it was for or how to use it until Claudia’s son Diego suggested that we post one in the bulletin board in front of the school. (Genius, I say….even if we haven’t quite gotten to the implementation part.) It looks a little like this:

This QR code can be read by smart phones using several different apps. On our school iPad, we have found the  RedLaser app to work the best.  Blackberry has a promising app you can download through BB App world called QR Code Reader Pro, and finally Android users are rating QR Droid 4 1/2 stars.

 

We have posted signs with the this week’s update around the school, give it a try! I even tried scanning this photo online and it worked!

 

 

 

And the best part (I think) is at the top of the newsletter screen there is a view past issues link which takes you to the newsletter archive!

The pictures are not doing this justice! Give it a try!

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Parent Participation Opportunity ~ The Garden

Posted on July 11, 2011 by admin

We hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! The Centro Armonia staff is looking forward to the fall school year and is looking for a couple of parent/family members to volunteer to help us plan and implement a gardening program for the 2011-2012 school year.

We want to get lots of help on this project so this will not be a burden on just one or two families. We have 2 4′x4′ planter boxes that we would like to creatively/cleverly plant on a rotation each year. We would like to incorporate the garden into several parts of the curriculum during the school year. We have added a list of things you might consider volunteering to do.

~ Plan the planting for the season
~ Prepare the beds for planting
~ Help the children plant during class time
~ Create and art project for labeling the “crops”
~ Help the children create the “crop” labels
~ Help with the harvest/help with a cooking project using the harvest
~ Repair/construct new planter boxes

We know that many of you have talents and interests that can make a huge impact on the children at school, so if if your green thumb is a little……wilted :) we would love to have you recommend other ways that you would like to get involved here at school. Centro Armonia is about community as much as the kids!

If you would like to get involved with the garden or any other project here at school, email Patti and she will get you all set up!

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Summer Time!

Posted on June 22, 2011 by admin

The weather has finally warmed up and we have real summertime fun going on here at the school!

This week’s theme is “Little Chefs” and the kids are all in! Today they made taco salad (but the report you get may sound more like nachos….the kids have their own ideas ;) in full chef “uniform consisting of paper chef’s hats and hand painted aprons sporting a variety of fruits!

Just a few reminders about the summer heat.

~Please send your child in appropriate footwear, preferably something closed-toe and definitely not flip-flops.
~Put sunscreen on your child BEFORE school.
~Send your child with a refillable water bottle so the teachers can make sure the kids stay hydrated and healthy.
~Parking is starting to be a problem with the park getting so much more use now. Please feel free to use the West Valley Christian School parking lot located at 95 Dot Ave. It’s just a short walk around the corner to school and WVCS has given us permission to use their lot. We will hopefully have a more workable parking situation by the fall.

Maestro Santos is back! Please find sign up sheets located near all of the check in computers. Just $8 per class!

Speaking of check in computers…..the software contractor recently updated the software on the computers which has adversely affected their performance. If you are finding that the computer is not recognizing your print, you will need to re-register. We apologize for the inconvenience but it appears that this is the only solution.

Get out there and enjoy the sunshine!!!!

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End of the Year Notes

Posted on June 8, 2011 by admin

It’s the end of another year here at Centro Armonia. It’s been filled with wonderful children and their very special families.

We see the children almost everyday and yet right around this time of year we actually take a step back and really SEE them. It’s amazing to see how much they have changed right before our eyes. The very littlest ones have become so capable and confident, ready to move to the next class and the oldest seem so grown up, ready to take on the next step in their education.

We want all of you to know how much we have loved and appreciated getting to watch your children grow. It’s such a special time for them and for us.

Whatever the summer and fall have in store for you and your children, thank you for being a part of Centro Armonia.

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Family Day Celebration

Posted on June 2, 2011 by admin

Each year here at Centro Armonia, we celebrate the end of the year with a potluck picnic and performance by the children.

This year’s celebration will include a short graduation ceremony for the children of Maestra Blanca’s class as well as a special tribute to the Dads!

Sign up sheets have been placed on the tables at each sign in computer for potluck dishes. Please bring enough for 8 people. If you bring your contribution with a container or utensil you would like returned, please make sure you mark them with your name. Patti will provide tape and a Sharpie on Friday in case you forget.

With the exception of the children in extended care, please bring your children to class at 9am and sign them in as per usual. After you have dropped your child off, please bring your dish across the street to the park and find a seat in the “amphitheater” to the west side of the playground area. You might want to bring a picnic blanket or some chairs as the grass can sometimes be wet.

We hope to get started at 9:30 with the music, some activities/games will follow immediately and the lunch afterwards. Once the music presentation has finished, please find your child and remember that they are under your supervision from that point forward. Extended care families that are not staying with their child must bring their child to his teacher before you leave and make sure that the teacher knows that you are leaving.

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Events and Information

Posted on April 22, 2011 by admin

Last Day for Early Registration

The deadline for early registration has been changed to the 2nd of May to account for the weekend. If you would like to keep your current tuition, you must have your enrollment and registration fees paid in full by the 2nd. These fees are not refundable. (Offer is valid for currently enrolled families only.) Remember that we now accept Visa, MC and Discover cards!

Introduction to Positive Discipline

Introduction to Positive Discipline with Claudia Hernandez – Thursday, April 28, 2011 6:30-8pm

Please join us for a free introductory class led by director Claudia Hernandez.

Positive Discipline is “The classic guide to helping children develop self-discipline, responsibility, cooperation, and problem solving skills.”

Claudia will introduce the principles of positive communication with your children, fostering an atmosphere of mutual respect.

Everyone is welcome, please use the RSVP below to save your spot.
Please contact the office at 408-866-2585 with any questions.

Child care will be available, please let us know how many kids you will be bringing on the RSVP form below.

 

Mother’s Day Tea

Friday, May 6th, 2011

We are excited for our annual Mother’s Day Tea!

The children have been practicing their songs and dances and the teachers and staff are busy preparing refreshments for after.

Here are a few things you need to know:

  • Even though we are doing this on a Friday, children from all schedules are encouraged to attend.
  • It’s not just for moms! Bring dads, sibs, and extended family! Friends are always welcome, just be sure to RSVP for all attendees.
  • Please drop your children off in their classroom at 9am and find yourself a seat!
  • Additional parking will be available via the gate at the end of Rincon, and the gate on Dot Ave. PLEASE DO NOT PARK DIRECTLY BEHIND THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS. THIS IS THE PLAYGROUND USED BY OUR LANDLORD. Please use the parking area to the west of the playground.
  • The performance usually lasts about an hour (but please try to be flexible) and the tea will follow immediately after.
  • Please use the RSVP form below or sign up on the paper sheets at school (But please, not both! :)

 

 

Last Day for Early Registration

The deadline for early registration has been changed to the 2nd of May to account for the weekend. If you would like to keep your current tuition, you must have your enrollment and registration fees paid in full by the 2nd. These fees are not refundable. (Offer is valid for currently enrolled families only.) Remember that we now accept Visa, MC and Discover cards!

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New Ways To Pay! And Online Summer Registration

Posted on April 12, 2011 by admin

Hello Families!

We are happy to announce that we can now accept credit cards and debit cards for enrollment as well as monthly tuition. We can also set up monthly checking account or credit draws for tuition. Imagine never having to write another check!

 

Online Summer Registration

Summer registration is now available online here.Let us know what you think!  Summer school deposits are non-refundable, non transferable and may not be credited towards fall enrollment if not used.

We have limited spaces each week for children 4.9 years of age and older, otherwise know as school aged children. If you are enrolling a child who will be 4.9 years of age or older, your deadline will be May 20th. After this date, only registration for children 4.9 years of age and younger will be accepted. There are only 12 spaces total, each week, regardless of schedule (days of the week). Once we have reached 12, registration will be closed. No exceptions can be made regardless of actual children on campus.

 

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Spring Family Night

Posted on March 17, 2011 by admin

Earth Day

Our Spring Family Night is on Thursday March 24, 2011 at 6:30 pm. Please feel free to bring friends and family.

Contact Patti if you have any questions info@armoniapreschool.com

 

See you there!


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Help! My Child is Mixing Languages!

Posted on March 15, 2011 by admin

One of the most frequent concerns discussed during initial visits here at the school involves a common phenomenon in bilingual children, refusal of the minority language or mixing.

Our experience at Centro Armonia is that once in the immersion program, parents see a marked improvement in attitude toward speaking the less dominant language.

This article from the Spanglish Baby Blog, has some great tips for managing this situation at home as well as encouraging participation in programs like ours :) ( We love that!)

We’d love to hear your stories about this situation and how you are working with your kids to help them through this stage in their language development. Please leave a comment!

 

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2011….. The year of communication.

Posted on February 9, 2011 by admin

Hola Parents and Friends!

We’ve been working hard here behind the scenes at school to bring you timely communications in a variety of eco-friendly ways! (No more endless paper notes in your child’s folder!!!!) So we’d like to introduce you to the “Centro Armonia Parent Blog” ! But more about that later.

We wanted to give you a little background in what we are trying to achieve. Our goal has three key points, information will be pushed, accessible and archived. Additionally, we want to get the word out about our wonderful program, and we would love your help.

The Blog
We want to be able to publish information in a place that the parents can use as an archive, a little library of useful Centro information that you can always access and get the information you need. Enter the Parent Blog!

Friend Us!
We created a place where parents can get information and “socialize” with other Centro friends, so we created a Facebook Page which you can access via the button below. Please, if you have a concern about the way the school is run, please do not use the Facebook page to discuss it.

“Mimi’s Gone Mad”
Finally, we wanted an efficient way to push information to you via email. We chose the email newsletter provider MadMimi. Those you should have already seen in your inbox, if you haven’t, check your junk mail and add patti@armoniapreschool.com as a safe sender.

Yelp!
Finally, we wanted a way to get the word about our wonderful school so we created a Yelp page. If you are so inclined, please review us on either the Facebook page or our Yelp listing.

We hope these changes will make Centro Armonia an even more incredible experience for you and your family. We love your feed back, so leave us a little comment love or email info@armoniapreschool.com with your suggestions.

Yours in learning,

Patti and the Centro Armonia Staff

Posted in Parent Communication, Spanish Immersion | Leave a comment