Dear CNS Families,
As we quickly approach the end of the school year, we pause to reflect on the immense growth of our children over these past several months. They have gained independence, formed friendships, and learned to be open and curious about the world around them.
The transition from school to summer is a big change filled with excitement and new experiences. Routines begin to shift, and preschoolers often feel the change in energy. As summer begins, the relationships and rhythms built during the school year still matter. Rereading books, sharing memories, and staying in touch with friends can help children feel secure. Summer offers a balance of freedom and familiarity, giving our children the space to grow, rest, and get ready for the next big step in their learning journey.
We hope you also look back on this school year and see growth in your community; the connections made at CNS will strengthen our children throughout the years to come. We’re so grateful for your commitment to the CNS co-op experience. Together, we have built more than a school - we have created an extraordinary, nurturing village. Thank you.
What’s New
A Successful Great Give
Thank you to everyone who donated to CNS during The Great Give. During the 36-hour giving event, CNS raised $8,360! The Great Give was the start of our first Capital Campaign, which will raise funds for our new classroom. The new classroom will allow us to teach 15 additional students per day, as well as provide a handicap-accessible learning environment.
CNS’s 2024-2025 Annual Report
We’ve had a wonderful year! Please take a moment to read our 2024-2025 Annual Report.
Dr. Jen Scoggin’s Final Parent Literacy Workshop
This year CNS was lucky to work with Dr. Jen Scoggin, a literacy consultant and author, to develop our literacy curriculum. Dr. Scoggin’s final workshop focused on four key areas that guide a child’s literary development: print concepts, phonological awareness, alphabetic knowledge, and phonics.
Reading aloud is by far the most powerful way to help your child grow in all four of these areas. Additionally, the best ways to support learning print concepts include pointing out your child’s name in print, occasionally pointing to words you are reading aloud, and pointing out common signs. Phonological awareness involves identifying sounds and counting syllables, and games that prompt children to clap out syllables or rhyme help to develop this. Alphabet books or puzzles are great tools to strengthen alphabetic knowledge, which is knowing letter names, shapes, and sounds. The most advanced area of knowledge is phonics, which begins to be a focus in kindergarten. Benchmarks to look for include making primary sounds for consonants, knowing long/short vowel sounds, and reading high frequency words.
Dr. Scoggin recommends numerous books to support our children as they grow in each area of early literacy, shown below. If you’re interested in learning more about Dr. Scoggin’s work, please visit https://trustingreaders.com.
Volunteering at the Little Folks Fair
Get ready for Little Folks Fair! Held on Saturday, June 7, it's our only annual event where everyone works together to create a fun day for the community. Here's what you need to know:
Arrival: Please make sure you’ve heard from your team captain! They will let you know what time to arrive on the green. (If you have not received an email from your team captain, please email Amy Johnson at amyjohnsoncns@gmail.com.)
Sign In/Out: Check in and out at HQ with the LFF chairs or assistants. This helps track volunteer hours.
Schedule: Expect to stay until the Green is cleared, usually around 4:30-5 pm. (Except Set Up/Clean Up Crew.)
Food & Drinks: Bring water and snacks! Food trucks might have long lines.
What else to bring? LFF shirt, sunscreen, phone charger, and a portable power bank.
Making it a Success:
We need everyone to show up on time, stay for the duration, and work hard! This ensures we can continue with the one-adult-per-family requirement in the future, instead of the two-adult-per-family requirement from previous years.
Why it Matters:
While dedicating a Saturday can be challenging, it's rewarding. It's a chance to work with other parents, bring joy to children, and support a great cause.
A Big Thank You!
Huge thanks to our LFF Chairs Amy Johnson and Chrissy Toner, and all the booth chairs and others who helped to make LFF possible!
Questions?
Please email Amy Johnson at amyjohnsoncns@gmail.com.
Spring Painting Clean Up Rescheduled for June 21
The rain continues to foil our painting plans! The spring cleaning and painting party will now be held June 21st (rain date June 28/29th). Unfortunately, anyone who previously signed up will have to do so again using the link below. There will be plenty of other things to do in addition to painting, so please consider joining us! As a reminder, all families must send one parent to one school clean up per year, equal to four hours of work.
Family Spotlight
The DeLucias
We’re Catie and Derek DeLucia, parents to Josie (4), who is in the afternoon class with Ms. Sullivan, and Ani (2).
We moved from Hamden to Guilford in 2017, because we love the sense of community here! Our time as CNS has been such a positive experience for similar reasons. Our co-op participation role has been the "Rides" booth chair for the Little Folks Fair. Derek, or "Coach D," is the PE teacher at A.W. Cox, but was previously at Jones. He also coached soccer in town for many years. Catie is a School Psychologist at Lakes Elementary. Our family hobbies include spending countless hours outside and at the beach. We love building forts and trying new restaurants, and we’re excited for our upcoming family trip to Ogunquit!
Classroom Corner
The year is almost over, and our toddlers have grown so much! There are three toddler offerings at CNS; PreK2, Nature Explorers, and Co-op playgroup. These programs give children the opportunity to become familiar with school alongside their parent or caregiver. In September these little friends look so young, but by May they are so grown and capable!
Rachel Daniels, CNS Director
