Your Infant is ready to join our Toddlers!
Congratulations! This is such an exciting time for your family! Everything changes when your baby starts to walk! We are so proud of your little one and excited to say that it is time to transition to the Toddler Class! Your toddler will be visiting his or her new class to become acquainted with new teachers and friends. Toddlers get to rotate into different rooms throughout the day! This is an exciting new adventure for them!
Your child will quickly learn what to expect during the day and will enjoy having a predictable routine. We know this is a big step for moms and dads too, so we want you to feel at ease with this transition. We have outlined some basic information below about this new adventure at Paradigm, but of course, feel free to ask any questions you think of that we do not cover here! We are so grateful to be part of this journey and in partnership with you as your amazing child continues to grow into a toddler and beyond!
When children join our Toddler Program, we ask parents to send family photos to school. We hang these in the classroom at the children’s eye level.
We love to celebrate our families! Giving our children the opportunity to share their families with their peers and Teachers makes them so proud and gives them a sense of community!
Big Kid Shoes
Since your sweet pea will now be using the whole building, we recommend some good walking shoes for school. This is to protect cute little piggies in our “big kid” learning spaces. It will also provide support and comfort as he/she walks and runs through all of the new learning environments at Paradigm.
Paradigm is an indoor/outdoor shoe school. Therefore, you will need to send in one pair of indoor shoes to leave at school. Shoes will need to be switched when entering and exiting the building. Please make sure your child’s shoes are clearly labeled with their name or first and last initials. This is super important and very helpful to the Teachers!
Snacks and Meals
Unless your child has an allergy, we ask that you no longer bring in outside food. This helps to protect the children at Paradigm who do have allergies. Paradigm will provide a morning and afternoon snack, along with a lunch which will consist of a main course, fruit, and vegetable.
Morning snacks vary but some examples are fresh fruit such as apples, bananas, and melon or veggies such as sweet peppers or cucumbers as well as cheese or hummus and crackers or yogurt. Breakfast will be offered to children upon arrival until 7:45 am and consists of things such as cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, sausage, bagels, or toast. Whole milk will be served during breakfast and lunch and water is served with snacks.
We do not serve juice. Your child will be drinking out of a sippy cup and will practice self-feeding. Wow! The Teachers are amazing at supporting them and will encourage your child to use eating utensils.
Naptime
Your little one will be sleeping on a cot! This may seem like a big change but we find that they transition very easily from crib to cot. Each child has their own cot that is labeled with their name. You will no longer need to send a crib sheet but will be required to send a cot mat. Click here to see information about Nap Cot Mats.
Please bring your child’s cot mat in at the beginning of their week and then we will send it home at the end of the week for you to launder. Your child’s cot mat will remain on their cot until the end of their week. Please be sure to label your child’s Cot Mat and pillow with their name or first and last initials. After washing their Cot Mat, please check to make sure their initials are still clearly labeled before returning them to school the next week. It is important that their pillow is clearly labeled since everyone has the exact same pillow.
ASQ Screening
As part of our service, we provide you with the Ages & Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3). This is a wonderful screening tool to help you keep track of your child’s development. Because your child’s first 5 years of life are so important, we want to help you provide the best start for your child.
The questionnaire will be provided to you every 2 to 6 months depending on your child’s age and will include questions about your child’s communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal social skills. During this transition, this is the perfect time to complete the questionnaire. Your child’s new teacher will be included in the process as well, thus working together in the development process.
Thank you for the gift of watching your child grow and learn. We are honored to be part of this journey. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any additional questions!
