Mommy & Me Orientation
CLASS LOCATION
The classes will be held at 330 Melville Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301. The house is a light blue, two-story house at the end of the cul-de-sac on the left side of Melville.
Monday 9:30 meets upstairs, stairs at the back of building
Tuesday 9:30 meets downstairs
There is a deck upstairs with chairs and a table and a courtyard downstairs in front of the house with benches; you are more than welcome to stay and have snacks or spend time there before or after class.
NO SHOES POLICY
The center has asked us to remove our shoes upon entering the room - please remove your children's shoes and your own if you enter the room for any reason.
PARKING
You will find plenty of street parking on Melville Ave or one block down on Waverley.
CLASS FORMAT
To help maximize absorption and facilitate a focused yet relaxed classroom environment, I typically structure the time in the following way:
WHENEVER POSSIBLE, PLEASE USE SPANISH
Because we are attempting to create an immersion environment for the entire hour, join me by using Spanish whenever possible - learn and participate with your children!
ABSENCES
When possible, kindly notify me when your child will not attend a class ([email protected]) or text/call (215) 882-2458.
TIMELINESS
Please make every effort to arrive on time. Arriving on time will be essential to your child's feeling of inclusion (and your own.) Because we can occupy the room for a limited amount of time, and because there may be someone else waiting to enter and use the room after our class, please exit the room directly after class and feel free to carry on conversations with other class members outside on the lawn.
PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSIBILITY
Out of consideration for the health and well-being of the rest of the group, please do not send your child to class if s/he has not
yet recovered from an illness. If you are not sure whether your child may be contagious, please consult a pediatrician describing the nature of symptoms and the period of time that they have been present before sending him/her to class.
PHYSICAL NEEDS & SAFETY
Bathroom
There will be an accessible bathroomsor potty training children (and their mothers!)
Snack
Please bring children to class after having a morning snack if that is typical for them. In light of the various allergies that other children may possess, for the safety and well-being of all please do not bring food into the class.
Safety
Because this is a Mommy & Me class I ask you to please supervise your own child and take responsibility for his or her safety.
GUESTS
It is possible to bring a friend, relative or sibling to class. The guest fee is $20/class per guest due at class on the day the guest attends. Please keep in mind that an individual may attend class as a guest a maximum of two classes in a calendar month. If he/she will attend more than two classes then the child or individual must be officially enrolled on a separate terms and conditions.
SIBLINGS
Infant siblings under the age of 13 months may attend the class for free. Siblings over the age of 13 months may participate as a guest for a maximum of 2 classes per month at the rate of $20 per class. If a sibling will attend more than 2 classes in a calendar month he or she needs to be enrolled for the full calendar month on a separate terms and conditions.
PAYMENT
To officially secure your enrollment please make the first month's payment as soon as possible. Full payment (non-refundable) for the month must always be submitted at or before the first class of the new month.
Please make checks payable to Janel Moses.
Full payment (non-refundable) for the month must always be submitted before the first of the month. Per the Terms and Conditions, late payments will incur late fees at a rate of $5/day. Checks should be made payable to Janel Moses. Checks can be submitted in class or sent to the following address: 359 Everett Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301. Payments can also be made via PayPal ([email protected]) but if you choose to use this form of payment, you will need to absorb PayPal's commission/administrative fees, which - be advised - can be rather significant.
DEADLINE FOR ENROLLMENT CHANGES
Please make a note in your calendars: The date by which you must make any changes to your enrollment (suspend
enrollment, switch classes, take a month-long break, etc.) is the 15th of the month. For budgetary and administrative reasons we must enforce this deadline very strictly. If we do not receive notification by the 15th you will be charged for the subsequent month at the rate of the class in which you are currently enrolled.
Note:
Please review and sign the Terms & Conditions document and bring it with you to your first day of class.
GUEST FEES DUE ON THE DAY GUESTS ATTEND
We love having guests. They are always welcome and bring wonderful enthusiasm and energy. That said, we have had guest fees pending for months numerous times. This generates extra work and communication for all. Please remember that payment is due at the class on the day the guest attends. It is also possible to PayPal guest fee payment before class.
ADULT PARTICIPATION
Please continue to enthusiastically model learning and participation - sing, repeat, use broken Spanish, make mistakes, clap, jump, laugh. You and your caretakers will influence the children more than I. I do not need to be the center of attention, rather want to facilitate a community learning experience. If you can sing harmony with me, please do so! If you play an instrument, bring it in and play! If you have a topic relevant book to share, I will read it.
SOCKS
The wood floor upstairs (Monday 9:30) can be slippery, please remove socks so children (or adults) do not slip during the movement portion of the class.
CHILDREN WHO PREFER NOT TO SIT
If your child needs to move and wander during class this is perfectly fine! Some toddlers need to be mobile to learn, they are likely kinesthetic learners (need to move their bodies for greater acquisition), please feel free to let them do their thing and rein them in for participation when possible.
OBSERVANT CHILDREN
Some children do not want to be in the middle of the group activity but rather prefer the periphery. They may not want to participate in "columpio" (our swinging, community ritual) at the end. This, too, is fine! Their desire to distance doesn't mean that they are unhappy or that the class does not suit their needs.They will learn just as much, maybe more, observing from the sidelines. Let them opt out; join me in honoring these learning instincts.
CHILDREN IN DISTRESS
If a child is crying the best thing you can do for him/her (and yourselves) is to step outside the room to regroup. The change of environment will be soothing and you will be less stressed about interrupting class.
UKULELE
My ukulele is very popular. Children want to touch it and strum it and I want children to feel comfortable to explore. Please sit with them in one place to demonstrate gentle handling of the instrument. Also, please watch to make sure the tuning keys are not turned - it can be very difficult to find the time to retune before the next class!
FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS
Please ask me questions - any or all - at anytime. Before class you can ask the big questions - Why do we do things this way? How do children retain? How can we support their learning? During class the quick questions - What does a word mean? How does one say X? Please feel free ask questions about your specific child's progress or learning trajectory over email.
FEEDBACK/CONCERNS
At any time, in any moment, please email me with feedback, comments, concerns. I am sure there are numerous ways I can improve your child's experience. Please feel free to share them with me.
BIENVENIDOS - WELCOME
It is my great pleasure to accompany you and your child on your journey towards multi-lingualism. I very much look forward to meeting you all and enjoying Spanish with you on a weekly basis. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions, concerns or suggestions. I am always very glad to improve my work with your children in every way possible.
The classes will be held at 330 Melville Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301. The house is a light blue, two-story house at the end of the cul-de-sac on the left side of Melville.
Monday 9:30 meets upstairs, stairs at the back of building
Tuesday 9:30 meets downstairs
There is a deck upstairs with chairs and a table and a courtyard downstairs in front of the house with benches; you are more than welcome to stay and have snacks or spend time there before or after class.
NO SHOES POLICY
The center has asked us to remove our shoes upon entering the room - please remove your children's shoes and your own if you enter the room for any reason.
PARKING
You will find plenty of street parking on Melville Ave or one block down on Waverley.
CLASS FORMAT
To help maximize absorption and facilitate a focused yet relaxed classroom environment, I typically structure the time in the following way:
- 10-15 minutes songs and music making;
- 10-15 minutes of jumping, running, galloping, etc.
- 10-15 minutes of free play, exploration, building, puzzles, etc. (during which I rotate around the room interacting one-on-one with each of the students, contextualizing vocabulary and new language in activities directed by the children); and,
- 5-10 minutes for a closing circle, story, song.
WHENEVER POSSIBLE, PLEASE USE SPANISH
Because we are attempting to create an immersion environment for the entire hour, join me by using Spanish whenever possible - learn and participate with your children!
ABSENCES
When possible, kindly notify me when your child will not attend a class ([email protected]) or text/call (215) 882-2458.
TIMELINESS
Please make every effort to arrive on time. Arriving on time will be essential to your child's feeling of inclusion (and your own.) Because we can occupy the room for a limited amount of time, and because there may be someone else waiting to enter and use the room after our class, please exit the room directly after class and feel free to carry on conversations with other class members outside on the lawn.
PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSIBILITY
Out of consideration for the health and well-being of the rest of the group, please do not send your child to class if s/he has not
yet recovered from an illness. If you are not sure whether your child may be contagious, please consult a pediatrician describing the nature of symptoms and the period of time that they have been present before sending him/her to class.
PHYSICAL NEEDS & SAFETY
Bathroom
There will be an accessible bathroomsor potty training children (and their mothers!)
Snack
Please bring children to class after having a morning snack if that is typical for them. In light of the various allergies that other children may possess, for the safety and well-being of all please do not bring food into the class.
Safety
Because this is a Mommy & Me class I ask you to please supervise your own child and take responsibility for his or her safety.
GUESTS
It is possible to bring a friend, relative or sibling to class. The guest fee is $20/class per guest due at class on the day the guest attends. Please keep in mind that an individual may attend class as a guest a maximum of two classes in a calendar month. If he/she will attend more than two classes then the child or individual must be officially enrolled on a separate terms and conditions.
SIBLINGS
Infant siblings under the age of 13 months may attend the class for free. Siblings over the age of 13 months may participate as a guest for a maximum of 2 classes per month at the rate of $20 per class. If a sibling will attend more than 2 classes in a calendar month he or she needs to be enrolled for the full calendar month on a separate terms and conditions.
PAYMENT
To officially secure your enrollment please make the first month's payment as soon as possible. Full payment (non-refundable) for the month must always be submitted at or before the first class of the new month.
Please make checks payable to Janel Moses.
Full payment (non-refundable) for the month must always be submitted before the first of the month. Per the Terms and Conditions, late payments will incur late fees at a rate of $5/day. Checks should be made payable to Janel Moses. Checks can be submitted in class or sent to the following address: 359 Everett Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301. Payments can also be made via PayPal ([email protected]) but if you choose to use this form of payment, you will need to absorb PayPal's commission/administrative fees, which - be advised - can be rather significant.
DEADLINE FOR ENROLLMENT CHANGES
Please make a note in your calendars: The date by which you must make any changes to your enrollment (suspend
enrollment, switch classes, take a month-long break, etc.) is the 15th of the month. For budgetary and administrative reasons we must enforce this deadline very strictly. If we do not receive notification by the 15th you will be charged for the subsequent month at the rate of the class in which you are currently enrolled.
Note:
Please review and sign the Terms & Conditions document and bring it with you to your first day of class.
GUEST FEES DUE ON THE DAY GUESTS ATTEND
We love having guests. They are always welcome and bring wonderful enthusiasm and energy. That said, we have had guest fees pending for months numerous times. This generates extra work and communication for all. Please remember that payment is due at the class on the day the guest attends. It is also possible to PayPal guest fee payment before class.
ADULT PARTICIPATION
Please continue to enthusiastically model learning and participation - sing, repeat, use broken Spanish, make mistakes, clap, jump, laugh. You and your caretakers will influence the children more than I. I do not need to be the center of attention, rather want to facilitate a community learning experience. If you can sing harmony with me, please do so! If you play an instrument, bring it in and play! If you have a topic relevant book to share, I will read it.
SOCKS
The wood floor upstairs (Monday 9:30) can be slippery, please remove socks so children (or adults) do not slip during the movement portion of the class.
CHILDREN WHO PREFER NOT TO SIT
If your child needs to move and wander during class this is perfectly fine! Some toddlers need to be mobile to learn, they are likely kinesthetic learners (need to move their bodies for greater acquisition), please feel free to let them do their thing and rein them in for participation when possible.
OBSERVANT CHILDREN
Some children do not want to be in the middle of the group activity but rather prefer the periphery. They may not want to participate in "columpio" (our swinging, community ritual) at the end. This, too, is fine! Their desire to distance doesn't mean that they are unhappy or that the class does not suit their needs.They will learn just as much, maybe more, observing from the sidelines. Let them opt out; join me in honoring these learning instincts.
CHILDREN IN DISTRESS
If a child is crying the best thing you can do for him/her (and yourselves) is to step outside the room to regroup. The change of environment will be soothing and you will be less stressed about interrupting class.
UKULELE
My ukulele is very popular. Children want to touch it and strum it and I want children to feel comfortable to explore. Please sit with them in one place to demonstrate gentle handling of the instrument. Also, please watch to make sure the tuning keys are not turned - it can be very difficult to find the time to retune before the next class!
FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS
Please ask me questions - any or all - at anytime. Before class you can ask the big questions - Why do we do things this way? How do children retain? How can we support their learning? During class the quick questions - What does a word mean? How does one say X? Please feel free ask questions about your specific child's progress or learning trajectory over email.
FEEDBACK/CONCERNS
At any time, in any moment, please email me with feedback, comments, concerns. I am sure there are numerous ways I can improve your child's experience. Please feel free to share them with me.
BIENVENIDOS - WELCOME
It is my great pleasure to accompany you and your child on your journey towards multi-lingualism. I very much look forward to meeting you all and enjoying Spanish with you on a weekly basis. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions, concerns or suggestions. I am always very glad to improve my work with your children in every way possible.