I hope everyone's summer has been restful as well as fun!  I know it's hard to squeeze everything into a few short months--they fly by and we are quickly on our way to the "Grand Opening" of YPA!

I'm sure by now you have read on the website about all of the upcoming activities including the carnival on the 10th and all of the grade level orientations.  These are perfect ways to get to know other families and students who will be a part of our new school.  Please continue to check our website for updates.

There are several good books about starting school.  Sometimes reading them and/or discussing them with your child will open the lines of communication and help get kids to feel more comfortable.  Some great books to read are:  The Berenstain Bears Go to School, by Stan and Jan Berenstain, Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner by Amy Schwartz, First Day Jitters, by Julie Danneberg, I Am Absolutely Too Small for School, by Lauren Child and Get Ready for Second Grade, by Amber Brown and Paula Danziger.

I'll leave you this week with a couple of quotes that may touch you or inspire you in some way.  Starting a new school is both a joy and a challenge!  Focusing on the positive and the long term effects is key to being successful.

"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is a progress, and working together is success."  --Henry Ford

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."  --Lao Tzu

"Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere."  --Chinese Proverb

Let's begin together, stay together and work together! 

Tara V. Huechtker
Academic Director