Dear ACG and Sunrise (TK) families,

Thank you to everyone who attended our Countdown to Sunrise event this week! It was a wonderful evening filled with community and conversation and even an opportunity for families to connect with our incoming Head of School, Michelle Klosterman.
You are all invited to view the Countdown to Sunrise presentation to learn more about our incredible Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten (TK) programs. Feel free to reach out to our Sunrise Teachers, Cara (ckiser@ngfs.org) or Julia (jspoor@ngfs.org) with any questions and to learn more. 

Chris Skidmore, our Director of Admissions is also happy to help and can set up a time for you to spend time in the Sunrise classrooms during the school day. She can be reached at cskidmore@ngfs.org.
We are so excited about the year ahead for your child and thank you, as always, for your partnership!

In peace,
Genny
 

Countdown to Sunrise, Wednesday, January 14, 6-7 p.m., Sunrise classroom

This event is for current ACG and TK families and is an opportunity to see the classroom and hear from the Sunrise teachers about our Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten programs.  Learn about Kindergarten readiness skills, our approach to social skills, outdoor play and much more. Come explore what is next for your child.
 

Extended Care is provided for free for families (ACG and TK students and siblings) during this meeting. 
 

Click this link to RSVP to attend this event and indicate your need for extended care during the meeting.
 

For any questions, please contact Genny Smith at gsmith@ngfs.org.
 

We look forward to seeing you next week. Many thanks,

Genny Smith
Head of Lower School
 

Hi ACG Families,

Over the next few weeks we will be discussing and exploring Holidays of light and Winter holidays around the world. We would love to hear from you all about any special traditions your family may have centered around Winter holidays. We welcome anyone to come in and talk with us about a specific tradition or cultural holiday. Please respond to this email if you would like to come in or you may send in some pictures and descriptions if you would rather the teachers share with the class. Thanks so much!

In peace,

Ashlee, Lindley, and Maddie

Our field trip to Whitaker Farms pumpkin patch (on Oct. 30) is almost here!

• Please be sure your child is dressed for Thursday morning's weather forecast (a jacket for the morning temp may be needed).
• If you are joining us as a chaperone, please make sure you have already purchased your ticket online.
• Students will ride the bus, and chaperones will meet us at the farm. This is another way for us to practice independence and community building.
• We will be arriving at the pumpkin patch shortly before 9:30.
• Please remember to pack a SEPARATE snack for your student that day. It does not need to be disposable.

We will return to school in time for lunch and rest time. 

ACG families,

Let the GOURD times roll! We are so excited for our first field trip of the year to Whitaker Farms pumpkin patch on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 30! We will return to school in time for lunch and rest time. Please pack a SEPARATE snack for your student that day. It does not need to be disposable.

If you would like to join us as a chaperone, please reply to this email. You must have a background check on file to attend the field trip. If you need to have a background check done, please email Genny Smith, Head of Lower School (gsmith@ngfs.org). Note: these directions are updated since the email was sent on Sept. 30. You do not need to go to the front office for a background check form; just email Genny. 

Students will ride the bus, and chaperones will meet us at the farm. This is another way for us to practice independence and community building. Admission for chaperones is $14 per person; the farm asks that you purchase your admission ticket one week ahead of time to ensure they have room on the hayride. Thank you so much!
In peace,

Ashlee, Lindley, and Maddie

Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday evening for the Lower School Parent Night meeting. If you were not able to attend or would like to review the information we shared, the presentation links are provided below. The first is the "Introduction" presentation with the information that was shared during the all-campus portion of the evening. This is followed by links to the presentations that were shared in classrooms by the teachers.

Lower School Parent Night Introduction presentation

A Child's Garden Parent Night presentation (preschool and pre-K)

Sunrise Parent Night presentation (TK and K)

Rainbow Parent Night presentation (grades 1-2)

Horizon Parent Night presentation (grades 3-4)

Galaxy Parent Night presentation (grades 5-6)

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Speech Pathologist, Martha Eanes, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, offers speech and hearing screenings to the children at New Garden Friends School. These screenings include:

• Hearing screening using an audiometer - This assessment takes about 5 minutes. If the child does not pass the initial screening, parents/guardians are notified, and the child is seen again in 2 weeks (at no additional charge). If the child does not pass a second time, families are referred to an audiologist or ENT specialist for further audiological assessment.
• Screening of articulation, language concepts, sentence grammar, auditory memory, voice and fluency - Teachers are asked to fill out a questionnaire that will assist in identifying any speech, language, listening or early literacy problems. This screening takes about 10 minutes.

These screenings will result in either 1) no further evaluation necessary, 2) a recommendation for a short assessment in specific problem areas identified, or 3) a recommendation for a more comprehensive assessment. A letter will be provided to parents/guardians and teachers indicating the child has either passed all of the developmental screening or is recommended for further assessment. A list of services available in the Greensboro area will also be provided.

This service is offered at a cost of $50 per child. *The fee for 4 and 5-year-olds (ACG-Iris and Sunrise students) is paid through tuition and no payment is required.

Screenings will take place during September. If you would like for your child to participate in the screening, please complete the permission form here (or a paper copy) and return it as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, please email Marci Richardson, Lower School Learning Specialist  at mrichardson@ngfs.org.

Thank you,

Genny

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am Kathryn, the school nurse. My job is to ensure our students are learning in a healthy and safe environment, this includes asking for your assistance in being mindful of food allergies.

In A Child’s Garden we have children allergic to: tree nuts, cashews, pistachios, almonds, sunflower, egg, coconut and soy.

This year ACG will be a NUT-FREE ZONE.

I know these precautions take extra thought and planning, but together we can make sure every child feels safe and included at school. Thank you for helping us keep our classrooms healthy for all.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Kathryn

School Nurse

health@ngfs.org 

Click here for the ACG welcome letter.