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Greetings Parents:

            I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and welcome you to summer 2021!! Many of you already know me, for those who do not my name is Erin Edge. I am a 20 -year teaching veteran, 4 years spent in Nashville, Tennessee, and almost 15 years here at FUMP. I have spent the better part of my 46 years working with children and knowing at an early age I wanted to teach.  My educational background is a BA in elementary education with a focus on early childhood (4’s through 6’s) and an additional degree in musical performance (singing) and a minor in piano.

            My philosophy on early childhood education is fairly straightforward and simple and that is to allow each child to grow, develop and thrive in my classroom at their own pace without the pressures of a highly academic setting.  My keyword is fun!  We have exciting adventures every day using many various materials to achieve this end.  I love to teach the children using open-ended art, music, dance, movement, sensory activities, literature, manipulatives, dress-up, and much more.  My main goal for the 4’s and 5’s is to gain independence, self-help skills, and social skills.  We talk a lot about how we treat one and other, how we function as a group, how we can stand up for ourselves in a positive manner, and how we can express ourselves creatively. I bring many elements of various cultures into my classroom. I have had the fortune of traveling all around the world from a very young age and I have great joy in spreading the beauty of other lands and peoples to our children in Austin, TX.

Just a couple of reminders for summer.  Please send children every day with a face mask (plus 1 or 2 backups), lunch, snack, and water bottle.  The children will also need to bring their rest mats for quiet time.  Please apply sunscreen and bug spray at home before school as we are not allowed to do as teachers.  For drop-off and pick up my class will be using the front door (by the garden, on Lavaca St.) please use the sandbox app to check your child in/out and to receive messages from me.

I look forward to seeing many old and new and returning faces this summer!

All the best,

Erin Edge

erin@fumcaustin.org

Welcome Families, old and new!

I am looking forward to summer with your child. Our objective this summer will continue to be to develop important social/emotional, cognitive, and physical skills. Please feel free to reach out to me to let me know if you have any specific goals for your child this summer.

A little about me and my philosophy: I am a native Austinite and live with my 10-year-old daughter and FUMP graduate, Lina. We have a sweet cat named Estrella that we love to call family. After having many positive experiences with children throughout my life I realized my fascination with child behavior and development. I started studying child development back in high school and have been continuing my education ever since. This is my 13th year at FUMP. I have really enjoyed these years and have learned so much from my time working hands-on with the children here. I really love what I do.

My belief is that the most important skills your child will take away from their preschool experience will be social and emotional skills. My hope is that your child will learn positive ways to express themselves, feel confident enough to persist, and have a positive approach to learning. These are such invaluable skills to carry as they grow as learners. Here are some ways I plan to support these skills:

• Helping form healthy attachments with teachers and peers
• Encouraging independence
• Open-ended exploration
• Essential ASL signing
• Spaces to explore with their bodies
• Experiencing other children with needs separate from their own
• Exploring through their senses

On the following pages you will find lists of things to bring and to do to prepare for our summer days. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Ms. Rosa

rosa@fumcaustin.org

Things to bring to school to keep stored in the classroom:

• Sleeve of Diapers
• Diaper Cream
• Thin blanket
• 2-3 sets of extra clothes
• Teethers (in a ziploc, labeled)

Items to bring each day: 

• Fresh set of bibs and/or burp clothes as needed
• Food items: bottles (ready to warm and serve), lunch/snack containers, water bottle (if applicable)
• Soothing items like pacifiers or lovies
• Replacement items for the things listed above

We highly encourage families to bring a small tote or kids backpack with their daily items. Our storage space is limited and this will help us access their items with efficiency.

*Label all personal items, please!*

This includes any food items or containers and clothing. First full name and last Initial for food items, as required by licensing.

*Apply sunscreen and bug spray prior to drop-off as teachers are not allowed to apply.*

Drop-off/Pick-up

• Use the Colorado entrance, left of the playground for drop off and pick up. You can message teachers through the Sandbox app to notify that you have arrived.
• Teachers will take the child’s temperature and bring them inside with their personal belongings.
• Sign your child in using Sandbox. Please make sure you have it downloaded and ready to go before your child’s first day. We will have a QR code posted on the door which you can bookmark or pin to your phone’s home screen for your convenience.

At the start of the summer sessions, our daily schedule will directly reflect the individual needs of the children. As we get a better idea of what that will look like, I will provide more of a group daily schedule for you. I will be sending you daily summaries of your child’s day using the Sandbox software. These can be viewed through the parent portal or the parent app. If you have any issues or questions about the Sandbox app or still need to set up your sign-in/out code, please reach out to Sandy.

Hello, all!

We look forward to spending the summer with your littles!  Session 1 will be led by Keely & Mari, Session 2 by Janis & Keely, and Session 3 by Janis & Mari.

Let me take the chance to introduce myself briefly.  My name is Keely Nugent.  I am a wife and mother of two children, Riley (8) and Callen (6), a bunny and a black lab.  This is my second year at FUMP, and I have been enjoying every minute of it!  My educational background includes a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (double major in International Business and French) and a Master of Public Administration degree, emphasizing Nonprofit Management.  I am also currently midway to earning my Child Development Associate Credential.  My early childhood experience ranges from parenting, camp counselor, nanny, and in the classroom.

My name is Janis Morgan. I’m looking forward to spending Summer Sessions 2 and 3 with your children! This summer wraps up my eighth year at FUMP after returning in 2013; I also taught here for several years in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Although I’ve taken a break here and there, Early Childhood Education accounts for the bulk of my career; all in all, I’ve been teaching for more than 25 years. Sometimes that surprises even me when I see it in writing.

First day details: Your child will need lunch, snack, and a water bottle; one full change of clothes; and a nap mat – the kind with attached pillow and blanket (more about rest time below). If your child is toilet training, you may want to send a few sets of clothing. We also have plenty of room to store diapers. Please apply sunscreen and bug repellent, if desired, before drop-off. (We will probably try to spend as much time outside as possible, early in the day before it gets too warm.)

Our designated drop-off/pick-up is Colorado 1, the glass doors just south of the parking lot on the Capitol side.

Our core day includes a rest period. Sleep is optional, but relaxation is encouraged. Please let us know if you want your child to nap here or if that interferes with your at-home sleep schedule.

Many of our summer activities will involve things like paint, shaving cream, potting soil, water (hence the change of clothes) – not necessarily all at once, but you never know!

See you soon –

Janis and Keely and Mari

janis@fumcaustin.org

keely@fumcaustin.org