Events & Updates - Young Scholars Academy

The School Decision

July 28, 2020 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

I have never been an anxious person, but wow has COVID-19 played a leading role in my lack of a carefree life. I was skimming random articles on the internet when one titled “COVID stole My Motherhood Joy.” That headline stopped me in my random scrolling and I read it. It made me think how much parent guilt, worry and questions have been on my mind these past couple of months. It was good to know that someone else was feeling like it did, but didn’t really make me feel any better.
As the summer comes to an end, the school year is staring at us again.

One of the hardest decisions you will have to make in 2020 is the choice to do e-learning, in person, or home school your child(ren). There is no wrong decision here, but the anxiety and guilt of wanting to do right by your child is ever present. There are several factors that will play a part in what is best for your child(ren) and family, and no it doesn’t get any easier.

I am sure a lot of you have seen the three options parents have regarding the magical question of what to do with their children and their learning for the 2020-2021 school year. The thing is there is no right or wrong answer. Family dynamics, the necessity of work for the parents, and the learning style of the child all play into attempting to figure out what is best for each individual family. There have been three factors that I focused on to help me decide what is the best fit for my family regarding the children returning to care/school. Hopefully this can help you wonder and help guide your decision as well.

Social emotional and mental health of my children.
I have two boys and they are very opposite of one another. One thrives in group play and making friends wherever he goes. Another is very content to have alone time for most of the day but never turns down a good playgroup session. Social emotional health will differ from child to child and their need for those social interactions will vary as well. Home school or e-learning may have an impact on your child if they thrive being around other children.
Health of my children and the immediate family surrounding the children.
My children rarely get sick and our household is healthy overall, so we have a little bit more liberty and wiggle room with the risk to others in our household. Anytime family wants to come visit or anything like that we do let them know our children are in school. That way they can be informed and decide on that information as well. However, this decision may have to take more consideration if there is a family member who is high risk or has a susceptible immune system in the immediate household. Everyone wants their children to be protected from any kind of virus or bacteria. Understand that whatever you decide, it was the right decision for your family.
Not letting guilt or others bully me into making me paranoid about my decision.
Like previously stated this is not a decision that has a wrong answer to it. What works for one family might not work for the next. This is not a one size fits all solution. So we need to give ourselves some grace and know and our heart of hearts that we made the best decision that we could for our child(ren). Do what you can by feeding them an unnecessary amount of chicken nuggets (if it calls for it) and go face mask shopping if you need to. Take a breath and just try your best.

I wish nothing but the best for every parent who had to make this decision this year.

Ms. Michaela
Lead Preschool Teacher
Social Emotional Coordinator

Catching Our Breath

July 23, 2020 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

It’s the middle of March, the sun is out past 4 o’clock and you’re most likely rushing to go pick up the kids from preschool. You check your Facebook at the red light and can’t help but see articles about COVID-19 popping up here and there. Another couple seconds of scrolling and you slowly forget about that headline and continue on with your busy night. Your brain is focusing on dinner, hockey practice, getting the kids bathed. You may have even considered washing your hair but then laugh at that cute thought and continue to drive.

Boom. A global pandemic is now suddenly at your front door and you’re unemployed, a home school teacher, and chef on top of all your other duties you had before you had to be with your family for 24 hours straight. You’re worried for the health and safety of your children even more than you already were.

Can we share with you how the shut down looked like for us?

We had a staff meeting in the middle of March like we do quarterly. We did our housekeeping as usual and the topic of COVID-19 was brought up. We all really weren’t too concerned with it. We told our team, “Keep up with your hand washing, sanitize everything and just keep doing what you know how to do.” Little did we know just days after our world would turn upside down.

Our phone was flooded with concerned parents. Emails came pouring in with parents seeking answers we didn’t have. There is no “How To Handle A Pandemic” pamphlet for business owners, though we bet someone is working on one now. Then as more fear set in, we started getting notices for our babies. We get it, but it hurt so bad. No job means no money for preschool tuition and you all didn’t have a choice.

Babies that we’ve had since they were babies were leaving us. It wasn’t supposed to “end” like that. We’re all suppose to cry together at graduation wondering how the past 5 years flew by so fast! The kids were suppose to happily leave with their tassels in hand, eager to head off to Kindergarten. It’s never easy to say goodbye, but usually we’re able to say goodbye…

Slowly but surely, our classrooms became quieter and quieter. When the Stay At Home Order was issued, the decision to temporarily close was made. So many tears were shed when our administration broke the news to the entire team. If you’ve had the opportunity to know our team for more than 5 minutes, you’d know that we’re a family. How could we handle being away from each other? We’ve never done such a thing before. We’re a bunch of aunts to each other kids, therapists when life calls for it, and each other’s biggest cheerleaders. So not only do we not get to see our kids, we don’t get to see each other either. This was not how we had planned our year.

The next four weeks our team would brainstorm ways to connect with each other and our families. Many teachers were doing video lessons, bedtime stories and recording videos saying hi for their classrooms. We didn’t see many other businesses, let alone preschools doing this, so again another moment when we were so proud of our team.

Then finally, we were able to open, and regardless of the crazy world that was still outside of us, we were all so thankful to just be around our kids and each other again. The first couple weeks were chaos as expected. Our kids didn’t understand why mommy couldn’t walk them to class anymore and a lot of tears were shed.

It’s almost August now and our little preschool is adjusting well to the “new normal.” Our kids have become accustomed to the new drop off and pick ups, and the team is working extremely hard to communicate with their families since really we all have zero face to face interactions with them. We’ve been voted “Best of the Springs” 6 years in a row now, but we feel like it’s in times like these that “The Best” really show up. It would be easy to just keep the tiny humans alive and use a sanitizer bottle here and there. That’s just not who we are. Our curriculum now is even more aimed at building up our kids’ brains and social emotional health. Young Scholars Academy is meant to be a safe place for children, a place where a kid can know what it’s like to be a kid. That’s our job.

In a sense we like to think of ourselves as a little snow globe for the kids where they can be protected from the chaos of the outside world. The kids are looking to us for the answers. We still don’t have them, but were doing our absolute best.

So this is us catching our breath. The days are long and it’s exhausting.

Our hands are cracked from excessive hand washing.

We’re dying in our face masks as we chase the kids on the playground.

You know what though?

We’re so thankful to be able to do a pandemic with all of you.

Stay safe and healthy, thanks for reading.

The Young Scholars Academy Family

Summer Safety Tips for Kids

July 21, 2020 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

Summer is the time when your kids are up and about and wanting to take part in the activities going on around them. Kids love this time of year because it marks the end of the school term and the beginning of long, fun summer days. With hot days ahead, kids love to spend most of their time outside doing water sports, riding bikes, going to family gatherings, camping, or going to the beach.

While this time of year is one of the most memorable and enjoyable times, the best way to ensure your kids get the most satisfying experience this summer is to follow the summer safety tips for kids checklist below.

Preventing Heat Exhaustion

When your kids are playing and interacting with their friends, they may be unaware of how dehydrated and exhausted they are. The increased temperature during summer months makes heat exhaustion more of a concern.

Your kids can become thirsty and fatigued when they do not drink enough water to hydrate their bodies. Furthermore, vomiting, dizziness and the possibility of fainting can occur if your kids do not consume enough water throughout the day.

This summer safety tip for your kids is of utmost importance because it is not always apparent that your kids need to hydrate when they are having fun. Soda and other sugary drinks can sometimes make the problem worse by forcing the body to divert water, energy, and other resources to processing such drinks.

Just remember kids are more prone to become dehydrated than adults and are even more at risk as the temperature rises. Make it a fun game where every 20-30 minutes your kids are taking a sip of water and misting themselves with water to cool down.

Sunscreen is a Must

While the excitement of relaxing under the hot summer sun can get the best of us, remember to apply sunscreen when you will be outdoors. This should be a habit throughout the summer, even on cloudy days.

Ensure that a generous amount of sunscreen is applied at least 30 minutes before going outdoors. This can help protect kids from overexposure to the sun that causes painful sunburns and skin damage. Avoid staying in direct sunshine for long periods throughout the day. Seek out shaded areas and stay within these areas as much as possible.

Dress your kids in appropriate, breathable outdoor clothing, hats, sunglasses and comfortable shoes. If adequate shade is not available, apply enough sunscreen. Especially to parts of the body that will be exposed.

If nothing else on this list is implemented, this recommendation should be strongly considered. Applying sunscreen is one of the most important takeaways from this summer safety tip for kids’ checklist.

Why deal with the aftermath of treating sunburn when you can simply talk to your kids about the importance of sunscreen? A daily application can protect their skin from UV rays that can seriously hurt them.

Protecting your Kids Against Bug Bites

During this time of year, the warm weather attracts bugs to come out to feast and play. Therefore, this summer safety tip for kids will be helpful in preventing your kids from bug bites and limiting the annoyance of itching all day.

To prevent bug bites, apply a substantial amount of child-friendly insect repellent before your kids go exploring the outdoors.

While taking the proper precautions to prevent your kids from bug bites, keep in mind that they are prone to getting bug bites and treating these bites can also be a great option.

Here are three ways to treat bug bites:

If your child happens to get a bite, apply ice to the area right away to prevent itching and swelling.
Apply calamine lotion to further reduce itching at the site of bug bites.
Avoid scratching. Explain to your child that scratching will break the skin, which will make the bug bite worse. Cutting your kids’ fingernails will help in combating this issue.

Watch your Kids Closely

Take the time to ensure you have an eye on your kids. Whether it is at the beach, playing in the driveway, or simply playing in the backyard.

Kids have a tendency to wander off and get caught up doing their own thing. They do not grasp the concept of staying in sight where a parent can see and speak to them if danger is near.

Safeguard the environment they are playing in by checking that is free from hazards and is kid-friendly.

Ensure your kids are supervised at all times while in any body of water. It is critical that you have plenty of safety measures in place for your kids during this time.

Be Safe and Make the Best of This Summer!!

This summer is going to be a blast, these summer safety tips for kids can make your summer one that is relaxing and enjoyable for your kids. Remember to keep them hydrated, slather on the sunscreen, use child-friendly insect repellent, and watch them at all times.

You will be more prepared and knowledgeable about the right safety measures in making this summer one to remember.

These summer safety tips for kids’ checklists are here for you to use and implement this summer. This checklist is a guide to remind and inform parents about a few of the many ways to protect and safeguard kids during the summer months.

Young Scholars Academy is here to inform you that you can put into action things to prevent an unsafe summer. To learn more about Young Scholars Academy and what the center has to offer, call us or visit our website at youngscholarsacademy.com

Meaningful Conversations with Our Littles

July 2, 2020 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

Let’s shed light on what is going on in our world with our children. It is more important to have these conversations with our children than to shield them from what is going on. This is how we make change in the world. We can not keep shushing our children when they have questions and expect them to grow up and know the right way to handle things. This needs to be one of the “hard conversations” that DOES happen in every child’s life; just as you will have the conversation about their bodies and how they are different as boys or girls. Even if you do not want to do it, as parents, it is a part of the job.

It should make you feel more comfortable knowing that you will be teaching your child about races, skin color, tolerance, acceptance, and kindness in a way that you are comfortable with. This way you teach what you feel is right. Once children learn something new the first things that they hear are more likely to stick. This way you are choosing when and where to have these conversations. The where does not matter as much as the when. Make time for these concepts to settle in and definitely make time for questions. Let them know that this is a safe space to discuss anything that they want to know. Kid’s hearts are always in the right place so do not jump at them no matter what they have to say or ask. This is the opportunity you have then to correct them and let them know if how they are describing someone is unkind. It is okay to talk about skin color, culture, and differences. Being color blind is not the best way to be. People do not want to blend in and forget about where they came from. Our differences should be celebrated and talked about in respectful ways.

There are so many children’s books that give you the best words to pass onto children. Here is a list of some of my favorites to help you on this journey:

“Say Something” by Peter H. Reynolds- each page touches on a way that you can express your feelings in a way that you are comfortable. It reiterates that every person has something to say and if you really believe in it you have the power to make others listen too. It tells kids to stick up for themselves and what they believe in.

“Be You!” by Peter H. Reynolds- This feel good book lets kids know that no matter who they choose to be they should be able to fully express it. Love yourself for just being you! It tells about all the ways that people may be, and to be kind to that person for just being themselves.

“I am Human: A book of Empathy” by Susan Verde Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds- tells us how to be us, love ourselves, be kind and think of others all while making mistakes because we are only human. We can all connect with one another and that connects us to the whole world.

“Mixed Me!” by Taye Diggs- This book will surely make you and your child smile; especially if this really touches on your family. I love this book because this is my family, and I had another teacher tell me that this book was her! And I loved seeing that excitement even in an adult’s eyes.

“Mommy, Mama, and Me”- A board book showing how wonderful it is to have two mothers. They each do things for the child as any child would expect from parents. It is a loving, feel good story that just shows the love of a family.

“My Two Dads: A book of Adoption”- Beautiful story of how 3 people become a family. Reading books such as these normalizes every kind of family dynamic without having to be over the top or be in fear of saying the wrong thing to our children. Our children will be exposed, so send them off into the world full of love for everyone.

I hope that this inspires you to feel ready to speak with your children about how to change the world. I have so much hope and love for each child that will one day be our leading generation. I have many more book recommendations, so please feel free to reach out if you are in need.

Ms. Brooke

Lead Prekindergarten Teacher
Literacy Coordinator
Curriculum Coordinator

Mental health is more than feelings and triggers

July 2, 2020 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

Mental health one of those things that people most of the time, do not want to talk about. Instead they bottle all those feelings up inside and they eat away at them. What some do not understand is that mental health is more than feelings and triggers, there are many moving parts that add to the stress and anxiety of many. For the month of July, we will be focusing on mental health, a challenge was created to help cope with mental health. This challenge will be shared with you all and I encourage you to try it out and see how some of these activities may work for you.

Stress can be triggered by many factors but what some don’t understand is that it can lead to bigger issues and trigger anxiety or depression. Now as parents we are always go, go, go. However, what happens when you simply get into a funk and cant seem to get out of it. What helps you to break through that spot that has you stuck and thinking how did it get to this point? For me, I tend to get inside my head a lot, thinking oh no I didn’t do that right or that could have been accomplished so much faster. I don’t give myself enough credit and at times am my own worst critic. What I need to start doing is lifting myself up and that will help when I get into a slump.

Instead of saying to yourself do better, work faster, or you know better. Tell yourself you got this, that was great you accomplished your to do list while taking care of the kids and still meeting their needs. There may be times when you can only get to one goal or so many items on your to do list, that is totally ok! You accomplished that one task or goal while still taking care of the daily chaos. We don’t give ourselves enough credit sometimes and I am notorious for that as well. Slow down take those extra minutes to soak in the sun or hang back. Learn to schedule things around you, don’t overpack yourself with things to do on the weekends. Set short term goals that help you accomplish the immediate tasks at hand.

I encourage you all to take that day for yourself, set the phone down for the day and got outside. Try that healthy recipe if only to say you did it! Try out some new exercises and create a space for you, a place you can go to when you feel yourself slipping out of control. TALK about your feelings it is ok to simply not be ok. But holding it in will only make things worse. Lean on your tribe in times of need. You are never alone, WE are here for you!

Ms. Brittani

Lead Early Preschool Teacher
Wellness Coordinator