PEDP families,
What a teaser these 65 degree days were this vacation week! It was a bellwether of warmer days to come! We hope everyone had a great February break whether you were here with us at PEDP or getting some needed family time elsewhere! Meanwhile…. time “Marches” on!
March Theme
March is Women’s History Month and we are celebrating by choosing the theme Herstory for the month. Julia Child, Madame Curie, Billie Holiday, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Indira Gandhi are just some of the many, many women that will serve as the inspiration for our activities in March.
Spring Vacation Week
We will be offering a program at PEDP the week of April school vacation. The program will run from Tuesday, April 19th through Friday, April 22nd from 8:30a.m. – 4:30p.m. We are hopeful that the program will include time in the building as well as field trips in the area. More detailed information will be sent via email in the next two weeks.
Fundraisers
In a typical year, the PEDP Board and staff plan 3-4 fundraisers. Similar to last year, this year has been anything but typical! Although the coming months are beginning to look a little brighter, the Board has decided not to sponsor the PEDP Silent Auction and Trivia Night this year. Everyone is hopeful that this fun night out will be back in the ’22-’23 school year. We are, however, looking forward to our upcoming BINGO NIGHT this week. Join PEDP and Peirce families this Saturday, March 5th, at 7 p.m. for our Family BINGO Night. Check your recent email for details. It’s not too late to sign up! If you cannot attend, but would like to make a donation, simply click the following link – Bingo Night Donation.
Mask and COVID Protocol Changes at PEDP
Effective 2/28, the Commonwealth will no longer mandate mask wearing in EEC-affiliated child care programs. PEDP will now defer to the masking policies put in place by the Newton Public Schools. A recommendation is coming before the school committee on March 7th. We will inform you of any changes following that meeting. Note that mask wearing remains strongly recommended for those who are unvaccinated, returning to care on days 6-10 after 5 days of isolation, and for those identified as close contacts and participating in Rapid Cohort Testing.
You may have heard that parents and visitors may be allowed back into the school buildings. At PEDP, our visitor policy and our dismissal procedures will remain the same for the foreseeable future. If we decide to change this practice, you will be notified. Finally, we will continue to practice social distancing when possible, and maintain hand-washing practices and mitigation protocols, within our spaces.
Let us all be respectful of our individual circumstances and choices during this transition time.
Registration for 2022-2023
Some of you have asked about PEDP registration for the ’22-’23 school year. We are gearing up to open our online registration later this month. Information about enrolling will be emailed out in the coming weeks so be sure to read your emails from us!
Calendar Reminders
March 14 – PEDP Board Meeting via Zoom. Contact Kathy for the link if you would like to attend.
March 24 – Early Release Thursday – School dismisses at 12:10 pm. The Sharks are planning a Field Trip and the Minnows and Barracudas will take part in a special event here at PEDP.
A lot of news this month! Thank you for reading!
Cheers,
PEDP Staff
