Holiday Breakfast at NIS

The morning of Saturday, December 8, will find holiday revelers enjoying our Fourth Annual Pancake Breakfast.  Our school will be filled with NIS elves cooking, serving, and singing.  Santa will also be visiting, so bring your cameras!  We will have two seatings, at 8:30 and 10:15. 
Look in your child's backpack for further information.

Thanksgiving Feast

Our annual Thanksgiving Feast with our students will take place Wednesday, November 21.  The children and staff have been busy cooking, making decorations and thinking about all the things we are grateful for.   Parents are invited to share dessert with us at the time noted in the invitation in your child's notebook. 
We are certainly thankful for the wonderful families who are part of NIS, and wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

CHANGE OF DATE FOR NIS GALA

Due to Super Storm Sandy, our NIS Fall Gala is now our NIS Spring Gala.  We will celebrate at Villa Lombardi's on Tuesday, March 5th at 6;00 PM.
We will be honoring Kerry Cronin as Woman of the Year and Rhoda Rosenblum, recipient of the Rhoda Rogoff Education Award.
 If you have not purchased tickets or sponsorships both are available. For information, contact Paula Scott at 631 924 5583 or paulas@niskids.org.  Please join us for a wonderful evening of food, drink and dancing.
All proceeds will benefit the NIS kids and their families.

Change of Date for Pumpkin Patch

With the warnings of a strong storm hitting our area next week, we are changing the date of the Pumpkin Patch to November 6th.  Look for more information in your child's backpack, and stay dry!

Our First NIS Sibshop!

Sibshops are a celebration of the many contributions made by brothers and sisters of people with developmental needs.  Sibshops is a national program that acknowledges that being the sibling of a person with special needs is sometimes a good thing, sometimes a not-so-good thing, and sometimes somewhere in between.
While Sibshops are not therapy, they are often therapeutic for the children who attend.  Through fun, active games, and discussion activities, siblings are able to connect and share with other brothers and sisters who are in similar situations.
Our program is designed for brothers and sisters ages 6-10 of children with any type of disability.
NIS Sibshop will be held Saturday, December 1, 2012, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm.
For more information or registration please contact Betsy Kaplan or Kristen Moran at 631-924-5583.

Pumpkin Patch!

This month our students have explored farm and harvest themes. Our school has been filled with the smell of apple pies and pumpkin muffins! We are hoping all our parents can join us at the Pumpkin Patch and Petting Zoo which is our Special Event for October.  The event will be held on October 30 in our playground area.  Look in your child's backpack for further information and schedule.

NIS FALL GALA

We are very excited about our upcoming Fall Gala which will take place on the evening of October 30, 2012 at Villa Lombardi's in Holbrook.This is an annual event that gives us the opportunity to honor two special people in our NIS family.  This year's Woman of the Year award is being given to Dr. Kerry Cronin, who is an extraordinary  supporter of our learning center. Rhoda Rosenblum is receiving our Rhoda Rogoff Education award, honoring her expertise and years of dedicated service as the Coordinator of  NIS Child and Family Services.
All are invited to join us at the wonderful affair.  For further information please call Paula Scott or Betsy Kaplan at 924-5583.

Parent-Child Story Time

We are once again offering our popular Saturday Morning Parent-Child Story Time.  Join us as we all read stories, sing songs, create with arts and crafts.These activities are all designed to help preschool children develop early literacy skills.
This program is free to any NIS family, and we enroll on a first come, first serve basis.  Look in your child's backpack for dates, times, and registration form.

Open School Night

We are looking forward to seeing our NIS parents at our Open School Night, October 3, 2012 at 7:00 pm.  This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to see their child's classroom, meet the education and therapy staff, and learn more about their child's daily activities.We know this is an important step in creating a partnership with parents that will enhance their child's school experience.  More information will be coming home in your child's backpack.  Hope to see you there!

Family Fun Night 2012

Come join us as we kick off the new school year with our annual Family Fun Night!  This event will be held after school at NIS  on September 20, 2012.  We will have activities for children such as face painting, bowling, sand art, and bean bag toss.  In addition, we will have snacks and drinks for all.  This is a great way for staff members and families to meet each other while having fun.  Look for further information in your child's backpack.

SMART BOARDS Arrive at NIS!

  Twelve SMART BOARDS have been installed in classrooms at NIS and the staff has attended trainings for a hands-on experience in their use.  SMART BOARDS are large computer-driven touchscreens mounted on the classroom wall.  We are exploring the new opportunities we will now have to expand children's skills in cognition, math, language, early literacy, writing and social development.   The students, as well as the staff, are having so much fun while they are learning!

Graduation at NIS

Our graduation ceremonies will be taking place this week for those students who will be moving on to kindergarten in the fall. We are so proud of all that the children have accomplished during their time at NIS. Classes will be gathered outside, weather permitting.   The children will be singing some of their favorite songs, and will then go to their classrooms to receive their diplomas.  With so many students, and so many happy family members, we have scheduled four separate ceremonies, with specific times for each class. Look in your child's backpack for further information.

One Enchanted Evening

Our graduating students and their parents celebrated last week at our 5th Annual NIS Prom.  Hosted by our hardworking Prom Committee, this year's gala event was held at the Mediterranean Manor.  Decorated in our "One  Enchanted Evening" theme, and entertained by our DJ, the crowd danced all evening.  The children's favorite dance was the conga line!  The menu included child friendly dinner offerings as well as cake and do it yourself sundaes.  Many thanks to all our volunteers, and congratulations to all our students and families!

Field Day

We are all looking forward to our annual Field Day which will take place during the week of June 3rd on our playground.  Our Adaptive Physical Education Teacher sets up a variety of activities for the children in which every child is a winner! Join us as we have fun and practice our motor skills at the same time.  The specific date and time for each class will be sent home in your child's backpack.

NIS Kids Onstage !!

Our Special Event for this month is sure to bring delight and smiles to all who attend, as our students perform in our Open Space.  The classes have been busy rehearsing songs, painting scenery and making costumes.  Arts and Music are an important part of our curriculum, and we hope that parents will be able to attend and share in the childen's enjoyment. Look in your child's backpack further information as to the schedule.

Amazing Day!

Thank you to all the families for your cards, letters, cakes, cookies, etc. that you showered upon our staff on Staff Appreciation Day!  Your heartfelt words mean so much to us, and your desserts capped a wonderful day. Most of all, thank you for the honor of working with you and your child.

Beautiful Flowers

Many thanks to our wonderful volunteers who helped man the register at our annual plant sale. 
This is an annual fundraising event that is so appreciated by all the gardeners on our staff and in our NIS families. The beautiful flowers are the products of the IGHL Flower Barn in Moriches.

Let's Celebrate our Favorite Authors!!

Our Special Event is taking place this week as we celebrate some of our favorite authors and picture books.  Join the children as we toss bones to Clifford the Big Red Dog, find food for The Hungry Caterpillar, try to find Spot or create a Big Green Monster!  You can also read books created by our classes.  We love to read!

Week of the Young Child April 22-28.

Each year, NIS looks forward to celebrating the Week of the Young Child.  This year we are highlighting early literacy and cultural diversity.  We are kicking off  our celebration with a visit from a well-known storyteller and musician who will be working with our students on April 25.  Many community members will be visiting our classes throughout the week to read to the students.  In addition, we are tailoring our curriculum activities to include art projects, music, cooking and stories that involve cultual diversity within our school community.

Special Event: Dinosaurs!

Help us explore our fascination with dinosaurs during our special event for this month.  Our students are already learning about dinosaurs in their classrooms, and we look forward to sharing this event with you.  This all will occur on March 27, 28, and 29 in our Open Space.  Look in your child's backpack for more details.

NEWS FLASH: LEPRECHAUNS CREATE MISCHIEF AT NIS

When our students arrived at school today, many of them noticed something unusual in their classrooms.  Little green footprints, green sparkles, toys, puzzles, and paper strewn around the floor!!  It must have been a visit from some mischievous leprechauns.  One class even tried (unsuccessfully) to catch a leprechaun!  We suspect that they will not visit us again until next year, at just about the same time.

Parent Workshop on Use of the iPad with Preschoolers

On March 20th, we will host an evening Parent Workshop with a guest speaker, Lorianne Hoeninger.  Lori is an educator who specializes in using technology with children.  She will demonstrate and discuss the best ways to use the iPad, and various apps to support learning and communication.  Look in your child's backpack for a flyer with more information.

NIS Receives $30,000 Grant

The Richard J O'Brien Foundation was created in memory of our beloved friend and supporter.  We are the fortunate recipient of a grant from the Foundation.  Our thanks are best expressed in the words of our Executive Director, Helen Wilder:  "The generous donation from the Richard J. O'Brien Foundation will  provide additional resources to help NIS continue to create a learning environment for our children to grow and learn to their highest potential.  Your gift is special because of our relationship with our dear friend, Richard.  We are truly grateful."

The NIS Bear Hunt!

Come join us at your child's special event next week as we go on a bear hunt!  Many thanks to Beargivers Inc. for the donation of teddy bears for our children.  Look in your child's backpack for your invitation.

Our Winter Special Event

Our special event for this month celebrates the many enjoyable activities that winter brings.  We will be warm and dry indoors as we invite family members to join us in a range of activities from building a snow fort to sipping hot chocolate. The event is planned for January 24, 25, and 26.   Look in your child's backpack for further information as to the specific date and time slotted for your child's class.

Parent Education News

We are pleased to present two Parent Education happenings for our NIS parents and guardians.
      The first is a series of workshops being presented over  an eight week period entitled The Incredible Years Workshops.  These workshops provide practical solutions to everyday behavior problems you may face with your child.  These workshops will be presented on Tuesday mornings from 9:45 to 10:45 am, starting on January 10.
     We are also offering an evening workshop entitled Transitioning from Preschool to School Age on January 31, at 6:30.  This workshop is designed for parents/guardians of children with special needs.  A guest speaker from the Early Childhood Direction Center will discuss the transition process for children who may need special education services when they enter the public school system.   We will also have a Spanish speaking representative present that evening who can address these issues for our Spanish speaking families.