February Newsletter
Dear Families,
IT IS TIME… to register now for the 2024 – 2025 school year, and for Summer Camp 2024. (Camp is full for some age groups already at this point-so please call ASAP if you have not yet registered, to see if we can save a spot for your child!) We have received so many registrations that we are still working on processing them to fit as many children in as we can. Please be patient in waiting for your registration confirmation. All current children, who registered during the in-house priority period, are guaranteed a spot in school or camp to continue at Peppermint Tree.
Registrations for the 2024-2025 School Year and Summer Camp 2024 are coming in from the general public for both programs now. (In House Priority registration periods have ended.) It is first come first serve, and space is limited.
If you have not done so already, please fill out your child’s registration form either on paper & hand in to your child’s teacher, or on-line at our website: https://www.pepperminttree.com/registration/, (There are two buttons on this page: one for “New Families” and one for “Current and Returning Families”) and send in the $150.00 family registration fee for school and $100 for camp as soon as possible if you would like to reserve a spot for your child at Peppermint Tree next Fall and/or camp.
And, as a reminder, you can either register online at the above link or by returning the form we recently sent home.
Just to clarify, the same form is used for school and camp-but we need a separate registration and fee for your child for camp and school.
If you prefer the paper form, we sent home a paper Summer Camp application in the last weeks. The Peppermint Tree Summer Camp program is available to children who are 2.5 years old through fifth grade graduates. We are planning lots of fun activities, so we hope you will join us.
As always, if you have any questions about the programs we are offering, please call (732) 929-2500.
Valerie Frost-Lewis, MS Ed.
Owner/Director
$25.00 Referral Tuition Credit – for each family you refer to Peppermint Tree (once they register)
Is your child benefiting from the loving care and enriching education we offer? If so, please spread the word about Peppermint Tree! We will reward you, if you do!
“Word of Mouth” is our best form of advertising! And, we truly appreciate your spreading the word about Peppermint Tree to your friends, family and neighbors. We offer all of our current families a tuition credit of $25.00 for each new family you refer to Peppermint Tree. Once they pay their registration fee, and their registration is confirmed, we credit your account $25.00. There is no limit to the number of credits you can earn! (Please make sure your friends mention your name!)
Valentines Day 2024 at Peppermint Tree
We welcome you to send in Valentines for your child’s classmates. To make distribution easiest, please sign them from your child (or if you child can write their name, have them sign them), but do not address them to specific children in the class. We will give one to each child in the class. Some families like to send in a treat or “goodie bag” during the week of Valentine’s Day. Please make sure anything sent in is individually wrapped (if a food item). Please limit sweets! You can ask your child’s teacher how many children to send in for-for their class. Each classroom is planning their own Valentine’s themed activities, as well, so don’t feel obligated to send something in.
The Fun Bus is extending and offering a new session from February 14th - March 20th.
Please see the registration form and information sent home via email.
Toms River School Holidays in February: Friday, February 16th and Monday, February 19th (President’s Day)- No classes at Peppermint Tree
Just a reminder that we do not hold our regular classes when Toms River Schools are closed, however we do provide child care. Those children who follow the Toms River Schools calendar with us are not expected to attend on this day. However, if you need care, you may arrange with the office to add 2/16 and/or 2/19 to your child’s schedule on a space available basis. Those children who follow our full Peppermint Tree Calendar will be on our list to attend on these days, so no need to arrange in advance for those families. If your child follows the Peppermint Tree calendar, and will NOT be attending, kindly let us know so we can plan accordingly.
Mr. Scott the Music Man will be visiting on Tuesday, February 20th.
Mr. Scott spreads joy and the love of music and movement each time he visits. The children have a blast, learn to move their bodies and enjoy various genres of music.
Free In-Person Parent Workshop: Wednesday, February 21st at 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m: “Fast Fine Motor Fun @ Home” Presented by Peppermint Tree Parent and Early Childhood Teacher, Jessica Dunne
Please join us for an hands on in-person parent workshop, providing ways to use inexpensive household items to quickly and easily create fun activities that build your child’s fine motor and cognitive skills. Please RSVP to Miss Val. We will need a count of attendees to make sure we have enough supplies available for the activities. Please let us know if offering childcare would be helpful. We are working with our staff to see if we can offer that! (stay tuned for more information)
Earth Friends @ Peppermint Tree
As you may know, Peppermint Tree is the pilot school for a new curriculum being developed by Peppermint Tree parent, Janna Hockenjos. Earth Friends is teaching our children all about planet earth, things like where our food and the things we have around us comes from, and where they go when we are done with them, and about all the fascinating animals and plants we share the earth with. We can’t wait to apply all we are learning in the gardens this Spring! They are curious learners! You can learn more about Earth Friends at earthfriends.us
We wanted you to know that the work we are doing with the children is being recognized all around the state and across the country. Our Director, Valerie Frost-Lewis, and Janna Hockenjos have been selected to speak on the topic of Early Childhood Environmental Awareness at The College of New Jersey, The National Association for the Education of Young Children’s National Conference in Nashville, TN, The New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children’s Annual Conference, as well as at a local Ocean County Early Education conference.
Little Peppermint Tree is doing big things! And we wanted you to know…we are making an impact not only for our children at the school, but also working to impact schools and children across the state and the country.
Peppermint Tree is a proud of our 4-star rating in the state’s Grow NJ Kids Quality Rating and Improvement System!
We were awarded this distinction previously, but I wanted to remind our families about it. The extensive rating process is a confirmation that we are offering the very best early care and education to our families. From curriculum to health and safety to procedures, classroom materials and teacher qualifications – all has been closely examined based on high quality standards. We prepared for three years, and our quality improvement process is an ongoing effort – giving you, our families, the assurance that your child is experiencing a high quality early education foundation in a nurturing and engaging environment.
Winter Weather Reminder
We will announce our delays and closings via the ProCare App, email, on our phone message, and on njstormwatch.com (which is a service of WOBM and other media outlets.)
Please stay tuned to your email/texts on snowy or icy mornings.
Boxtops for Education
Boxtops for Education: Please download the BoxTops App and select “Peppermint Tree”, and scan your grocery receipts. The funds raised from this simple activity helps us buy extra books and other items needed for the children!
Parent Reminders:
· Label all pieces of clothing, backpacks and lunch boxes.
· Please be sure your child has a warm coat, mittens and a hat so they stay warm while we play outdoors. Please send mittens and NOT gloves. We play outside as long as it is not precipitating and the temperature is 32 degrees or higher.
· Please limit sugar when packing your child’s lunch. For Early Learners and Preschool, it is naptime right after lunch. Too much sugar may make it hard for them to relax for rest time. We would like all children to have a healthy lunch including all the food groups: protein, grain, fruit, vegetable, and we serve milk. This will help them to develop and grow stronger and will feed their brains for better learning.
· Please consider sending your child in clothes they can easily remove to use the bathroom. Elastic waistbands on pants that can be pulled up and down are best to encourage children to be independent. And, for those in diapers, it helps our staff to have easy on and off clothing. Thank you!
· Afternoon Snack: Some of our full day children come to the end of the day and find they have nothing left in their lunch box by the 2:30 p.m. snack time, and the 5:30 p.m. snack time. Please send in a labeled snack meant for the afternoon, or two afternoon snacks if your child is here after 5:00 p.m. Label it “Afternoon Snack”. Please remember that a healthy snack includes two food groups, so whole grain crackers and peanut butter, or apple slices and cheese, for example would constitute a healthy and complete snack.
