20417 S. University Blvd. Missouri City, TX 77459 281-499-7214

1. 20417 S. University Blvd. Missouri City, TX 77459281-499-7214 • THRS Family, • Welcome back! The 2011/2012 school year has officially begun. We are excited to see familiar faces from last year and new faces starting with us this year! • We have made a few name changes to our classrooms: • Infant II is now Toddler I • Young Toddler is now Toddler II • Toddler is now Beginner • Pre-K is now Intermediate • TK is now Pre-K • The name changes were done in order to align with our Links to Learning materials. I assure you the curriculum has not changed, only the names of our classrooms. • A few reminders for the new school year: • Parents please remember to sign your child in and out everyday • Circle time starts at 9:00am. Please have your child at the school before 9:00am in order for your child to experience circle time • Look at our website for important dates and events: http://riverstone.thehonorrollschool.com • Tuition is due every Monday and is considered late at 12:00pm on Wednesday. A $25 late fee will be assessed at noon on Wednesday if a payment has not been received • I look forward to a fantastic school year! My door is always open! • -Natalie Robles/Principal September 1- Extended Book Fair Hours (6:00pm-7:00pm) 2- Last Day of Book Fair 5- School Closed in observance of Labor Day

2. Introduction to Social and Emotional Development We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.- StaciaTauscher As parents, we spend a great deal of time and energy ensuring that our preschool aged children are not only academically developing but also that they are socially and emotionally adjusting well. We wonder “Who are her friends?” “How can I handle his temper?” “How should I best support her shyness?” “How can I help develop his self-confidence?” “What can I do to ease her separation anxiety?” but mostly we wonder “What can I do to raise a happy child with a healthy self-esteem?” These are all question which pertain directly to our child’s social and emotional health and well-being, an important concept and issue readily embraced within our preschool program. As a preschool, we regularly speak to the education of the ‘whole child,’ but what does that mean in terms of social and emotional development? A growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that emotional development begins early in life and is closely connected with the emergence of cognitive, language, and social skills. Early emotional development lays the foundation for later academic performance, mental health, and the capacity to form successful relationships. (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004). Beginning at birth, children quickly develop the ability to experience and express a range of emotions. As these emotional experiences, expressions, and identifications are occurring, children are also showing visible growth and development in mobility, communication, cognition, and reasoning skills. The point being, these areas of growth are occurring concurrently and consequently impact one another (Thompson and Laguttuta, 2006). Just as we seek to understand the foundations of speech and communication, literacy development, and mathematical understanding, it is imperative that we spend adequate time getting to know our child’s emotional growth and how we can help support him or her in socio-emotional development. To form this foundational understanding, it is important to visit the key components of socio-emotional development in a preschool-aged child. Most notably these include the ability to identify and understand one’s own feelings, the ability to read and understand emotional states in others, the ability to manage strong emotions, the ability to regulate one’s own behavior, the ability to empathize, and the ability to establish relationships with others (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2005). This year we will take a close look at each of these domains and what we can do in partnership with our preschool to help our children develop and flourish socially and emotionally. Lauren Starnes, PhD- Manager of Curriculum and Instruction/ East .