Vision Screening

Some of our parents and Mrs. Simpson attended the vision screening training program with the Pittsburgh Vision Services. On December 4, 6 & 7, they will be screening our children for visual acuity, muscle imbalance, lazy eye (amblyopia), and color deficiency. If you have not yet completed a permission form, please do so today! Screening is important because children's eyes are fully developed by eight years of age, yet few children have eye examinations before entering grade school.

Scholastic Book Sale

The Scholastic Book Sale on November 6 & 7 was a great success, providing exciting books for our children and raising $1,076.00 for the Children's School. More than 150 parents, family members and university members visited the fair. Our classroom library received over 20 donated books! Along with Maria Swarts who organized this event, we want to thank Shelley Ross, Ellen Missry, Molly Thayer, Nancy Knowles, Ellen Perez, Joanna Patterson, Audrey Olmer, Seung Lee, Angela Barnes and Brett Johns who helped during those two days. Plans are already under way for the next Book Fair during November 2002. If you want to be a part of this wonderful event, please call Jean Simpson at the Children's School.

Food Bank

Thank you for all the food items donated for the Greater Pittsburgh Area Food Bank. Our families have always been so generous!

Last Day before Winter Vacation - Thursday, December 20, 2001

Again this year, to help bridge the gap while our college students are on winter break, we have hired two students to work full time from December 13th through January 11th. Please join us in welcoming Becky Lamb (senior in education at Edinboro University), and Christy Lamb (junior in education at Geneva College). Both Becky and Christy helped last year, and we are glad to have them back with us!

Holiday Gift Ideas

If you would like to show your appreciation for any of the Children's School staff at the holiday time, we suggest a simple gift, a donation to one of the foundations recommended by our teachers (see below), or a donation to the Children's School. A gift for the classroom (books, train pieces, etc.) is another great option. Involving your child in the decision and/or in the creation of a card or gift focuses the activity on the joy of giving rather than on the gift.

Make a Wish Foundation of Western PA
Westin William Penn Hotel,
Suite 417, 530 William Penn Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1817
(471-9474)

Ronald McDonald House
500 Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 (362-3400)

Beginning with Books
7101 Hamilton Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15208 (731-1717)

Family Hospice
1910 Cochran Rd. Pittsburgh, PA 15220 (572-8800)

Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh
P.O. Box 9024 Pittsburgh, PA 15224 (687-8017)

American Cancer Society
241 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (261-4352)

Most organizations provide cards for notifying the special person of your gift.

School Spirit Sale

The following items are available in the school's office: Lunch boxes, t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, caps, mugs, and sports bottles. Order forms are available in the office.

Bricks for the Playground Fund

You can still buy bricks for our playground walkway to help fund our continuing playground improvements! The brick walkway was designed so that engraved bricks can replace the plain bricks. Included with this newsletter is the form to order your brick. Bricks will be installed on the playground at the beginning of the next semester.

Staff/Parent Brown Bag

"Where Do We Go From Here? Making School Choices"
Friday, December 7, 2001 12:00 to 1:00 PM
Presenters: Miss Hancock and Mrs. Simpson

Come with your lunch for a discussion about readiness issues, what to consider when choosing your next school, and a look into our kindergarten program. Once again, child care will be provided. Please complete the flyer with the number of children and their ages and return to the office by Wednesday, December 5. Parking in our lot is limited. A suggestion is to park in the parking garage on Forbes Avenue, which has meter parking on the first floor.

Spring 2002 Tuition Invoices

You will soon be receiving the spring tuition invoice. To avoid paying the late fee, please have your tuition payment to the Carnegie Mellon Accounting Office by January 7, 2002.

A Winter Reminder

On days when snow or ice may affect driving conditions, please listen to the radio or the television. If the Children's School should close due to the weather, we announce our school closing on both WTAE and KDKA. Again this school year, WTAE will also announce school closings on their web page ­ wtaetv.com.

Continued Alcoa Foundation Support

We have just received word that the Alcoa Foundation will contribute another $10,000 toward our Early Childhood Professional Development Center before the end of the calendar year. In addition to encouraging our development of training programs for area educators, the Alcoa Foundation is continuing to fund the Children's School's participation in the Alcoa Collaborative with Shady Lane Resources, CMU's Cyert Center, Mom's House, and Louise Child Care. The Foundation has allocated another $50,000 to the collaborative for the purpose of facilitating cross-fertilization of professional development ideas and joint development of resources and programming that focus on improving the school readiness of our region's young children. We have already given two joint presentations and have additional projects in the works. We look forward to the many ways that these new outreach and dissemination efforts will enhance our own staff and program. Thank you to the Alcoa Foundation!