JANUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER!
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Thurs., Jan. 1 – Tuition due.
Mon., Jan. 5 – Kindergarten and Preschool REGULAR SCHOOL SCHEDULE RESUMES.
Thurs., Jan. 8 – Parent Volunteer Group meeting, 9:15 a.m. in room 201.
Mon., Jan. 19 – SCHOOL CLOSED for Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday.
Wed., Jan. 21 – Raising Cane Encino Fundraiser. 12:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Dine in or Take out.
Wed., Jan. 28 – SNOW DAY.
Thurs., Feb. 5 – Parent Volunteer Group meeting, 9:15 a.m. in room 201.
Fri., Feb. 6 – Parent/Teacher Conferences for E.P.C.C. Preschool and Kindergarten. Afterschool care for Encino Charter Elementary students is a regular day.
Mon., Feb. 16 – SCHOOL CLOSED for Presidents’ Day.
Thurs., Feb. 19 ̶ McDonald’s Fundraiser. Ventura & White Oak. More info to follow.
MARVELOUS MONTHLY MAXIM
Discipline Yourself So Others Won’t Have To!
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
CONGRATULATIONS!!! LORI ADAMS
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH- Mrs. Lori is a hardworking, friendly, energetic, and flexible Kindergarten teacher. She arrives every day around 6:00 a.m. to prepare her classroom so her students can start the day with fun activities that foster a positive learning environment. Mrs. Lori began working at E.P.C.C. in the summer of 2019 with our elementary students. After teaching for 37 years at Lokrantz Special Education Center, she retired in June 2020. When COVID began, Mrs. Lori volunteered to teach one of our three Kindergarten classrooms to support our working families. Mrs. Lori is married and has two daughters, Tori (30) and Darby (28), who both attended E.P.C.C. for Preschool and Kindergarten. Some of her favorite things include the color white, baking, walking, playing Spider Solitaire, and watching the Dodger games. She loves Christmas, wildflowers, iced tea from Starbucks or Coffee Bean, and shopping on Amazon. Her favorite restaurants are Maria’s, Shake Shack, Paquito Mas, and Barragan’s. For dessert, she enjoys chocolate chip cookies with pecans and pound cake. Thank you, Mrs. Lori, for all your hard work and dedication.
One Team, One Dream, One Goal.
FROM THE DIRECTORS:
WELCOME BACK: We hope everyone is well and rested after a very busy holiday season. The teachers are ready to start the New Year with lots of great activities. We are off to a terrific start with so much to do and learn! Our Email Address is: epccdirectors@gmail.com
TAX I.D. # - 95-1831056
FRIENDS OUTSIDE: A very special thank you to all who donated gifts to “Friends Outside.” Your generous spirit helped make the holidays special for so many children.
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION: Registration is now open for our amazing Kindergarten program for the Fall 2026 school year. Kindergarten we will have only 24 spaces available for the upcoming school year. To learn more, you can email or call the school to schedule a visit and see our great Kindergarten program.
SNOW DAY: On Wed. Jan. 28th we will have 12 tons of snow blown into our court yard. Please send your child in snow clothes/waterproof clothes and bring an extra set of dry clothes. Please note your child does not have to have snow clothes to participate, they can participate wearing their regular clothes; please remember to send extra clothes to change them into dry clothes after enjoying the snow.
CONFERENCES:
PLEASE DO NOT BRING CHILDREN TO YOUR CONFERENCE, AS THIS IS YOUR TIME WITH THE TEACHERS.
HELP OUR SCHOOL GROW!!! Recommend us to your friends. YOU receive $100.00 credit * toward your child’s tuition when your friend enrolls their child in our school. *Credit will be applied after 3 months of your referral’s enrollment. Be sure to have your friend write YOUR name on their child’s application as a referral so you can get the $100.00 credited to your account.
REGISTRATION: We are currently touring new students for the 2026-2027
school year. If you know of anyone who is interested in our school, please have them call as soon as possible to schedule a tour. Siblings of currently enrolled students do not need a tour. We will open registration to the public on March 2nd, 2026.
HEALTHY SNACKS AND LUNCHES: Please remember that children are required to bring their own ready to eat lunch, 2 snacks and water bottle. Please keep snacks healthy. Fruits, veggies, cereal bars, string cheese and crackers are always popular choices. Remember to send utensils with your child’s lunch if he/she needs them. Teachers cannot leave the classroom to get spoons and forks for the children. Additionally, be sure that all snacks and lunches are sent to school” ready to serve.”
CLOTHING: As the weather becomes cooler, please be sure to have adequate changes of clothing in your child’s cubby or backpack. If your child borrows extra clothes from the school, please wash and return those items as soon as possible so we can keep our supply well stocked.
NAPPING SUPPLIES: All children who stay for nap must have 2 crib sheets and a blanket for naptime. These items will be sent home at the end of each week and must be returned the following week. Children who do not have the appropriate napping items will no longer be able to stay for nap. Remember that the state of California requires children in daycare to have a brief resting period each day. Even if your child does not sleep, he/she must rest quietly on his/her cot for 30 minutes.
LABEL EVERYTHING: Be sure to label all sweatshirts, jackets, sweaters, backpacks, share toys or school. Labeled items have a far greater chance of being returned to you.
PARENT VOLUNTEER GROUP MEETING: On Thurs., Jan. 8 at 9:15 a.m. we will have a parent volunteer group meeting to discuss upcoming events for the spring. Please join us to help plan some fun events for our school and families.
SCRAP PAPER: Our Preschoolers are in need of scrap paper to draw on and to make paper airplanes. If you work in an office that needs to get rid of paper…we would love to have it.
WORSHIP: For those of you that are looking for a church home or a place to visit, Sunday services are at 10:00 a.m. There is childcare available for children 3 and younger, and church school for children 3 ½ -11. Come and see what’s happening on Sundays at our church.
LLNESS POLICY: In an effort to keep children and teachers healthy please keep your child home if he/she is sick. If your child vomits, has diarrhea, runs a fever, is lethargic or is simply not him/herself, we will send your child home immediately. Children must be symptom free for 24 hours before they can return to school. In addition, if you have given your child Motrin or Tylenol in the morning to reduce fever or ease pain, he/she may NOT come to school on that day. While we understand that a “green” runny nose and cough are not necessarily indicators of infectious disease, we will require a doctor’s note if there is any question about your child’s health. Remember that when we send a child home, we are using our best judgment in determining whether or not your child should remain at school. This has been a particularly tough cold and flu season, especially for young children. Please respect this policy as well as the families and staff at EPCC by adhering to it. Parents in this horrible flu and cold season, please refer to the illness policies at the end of this newsletter and when to keep your child home. This policy is enforced in order to keep a healthy, happy school. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
THANK YOUS: A HUGE HEARTFELT THANKS to ALL who donated so generously to our classrooms during the school year and this holiday season; and to all of YOU for your tremendous support throughout the year. We are so fortunate to have such thoughtful, generous families. We Wish You ALL A Happy, Healthy New Year.
PARKING LOT SAFETY:
Please enter through the Balboa entrance and exit onto Paso Robles. Our parking lot is a one-way lot. Our parking lot can be a busy place at certain times of the day. Please help keep it as safe as possible for your child. We offer the following tips and ask for your cooperation:
Please hold your child’s hand in the parking lot.
Please make sure your child doesn’t run ahead of or behind you upon arrival and pick up.
Please drive slowly in the parking lot.
Enter the parking lot through the Balboa entrance (closest to the church building).
Exit under the apartment building onto Paso Robles.
If you park on the street, please note the following:
Parking is limited on specific days – note the street signs for times and street cleaning.
TEACHER TALK:
ROOM 101: Happy New Year and welcome back! A special thank you to all the families who donated so generously to our classroom during the holidays. Thank you to Mrs. Gael for sharing Hanukkah with us! We will be starting off the New Year with our own New Year’s Resolutions. We will be talking about winter, penguins and solving simple tasks. We will be conferencing individually with you by appointment on Friday, February 6th. Sign-up sheet is going to be posted inside our classroom in middle of January. We encourage everyone to attend our Kindergarten readiness conference. With the cooler weather, please be sure your child has appropriate clothing in his/her cubby. We are ready to start the New Year off with a bang!
Mrs. Geni & Ms. Jazmin
ROOM 102: Happy, Happy 2026! We have had so much fun in 2024; how can things possibly get better? A very special thank you to all of our families for your generosity during the holiday season … We feel so lucky and blessed to work with such great families. In January, you will see us exploring winter weather, learning about penguins, polar bears, and more. The conference sign-up sheet is going to be posted outside our classroom in the middle of January. We encourage everyone to sign up for a conference as this gives us the opportunity to discuss your child’s progress in detail. Please be sure to check your child’s supply of extra clothes to make sure they are appropriate for the weather. Remember to sign in and out everyday. Thank you again for your generosity and support throughout the year. Have a very happy 2026!
Mrs. Asma & Mrs. Tamara
ROOM 103: As we welcome a new year, we want to thank all of our parents for your generosity and hope your holidays were joyous. We will be doing a variety of exciting science experiments. Listen for new words: resolution, frosty, horizontal, vertical, and scientific. We look forward to seeing you all at conferences on Friday, February 6th. A sign-up sheet will be posted outside our classroom in the middle of January. This one-on-one time is an informative and helpful way for teachers to discuss your child’s progress and begin preparing them for Pre-K. Please take a moment to welcome Cassius Young and Noah Datu and their families to our classroom. Here’s to a wonderful start to 2026!
Mrs. Jennifer & Ms. Camila
ROOM 104: Happy, New Year! We hope your holidays were wonderful! We would like to thank all the families for their very generous gifts to us and our classroom. This month we will be learning about sequencing, snow, arctic animals and lots more. Our conferences are on Friday, February 6th, sign-up sheet is going to be posted in our classroom in middle of January, it’s our time to talk with you in detail about your child’s progress and development. Thank you all again, for your generosity and we wish you all a very Happy New Year.
Mrs. Vanessa & Ms. Cyntia
ROOM 105: Happy New Year to all our families and a warm welcome back. Thank you for your very generous donations to our classroom and to us. A special thank you to our room moms for their dedication and hard work for room 105. This month we will be exploring winter and the Artic and how people and animals survive extreme weather conditions. We will talk about hibernation, ice, snow, icicles and icebergs. We will paint with ice cubes and pine boughs, decorate ice castles and build a 3-dimentional snowman for our classroom and we will also make prints in the snow. Most of all, we will enjoy each other’s company. Please take a moment to welcome Mino Joe and his family to our classroom. We will be conferencing individually with you by appointment on Friday, February 6th. Sign-up sheet is going to be posted in our classroom in middle of January. Just a reminder regarding our Mother’s Day shoe project. Please keep one of your child’s old shoes when you are ready to buy a new pair, and don’t forget to sign for conference at the end of the month.
Mrs. Sossi, Ms. Ana & Ms. Roobina
ROOM 106: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome back, we hope your holidays were wonderful. Thank you for your generosity during the holiday season. We are starting the New Year by transforming our room into a winter wonderland, snow scenes, polar bears, penguins…it will be so much fun! Please make sure to sign up for parent teacher conferences which will be on Friday, February 6th. The conference sign-up sheet will be posted in our classroom. Please take a moment to Sofia Bidar, Mackenzie Stecklein and Cameron Kwong and their families to our classroom. Please make sure your child has warm extra clothes during this chilly weather.
Mrs. Karine, Ms. Paula & Ms. Vianey
PEEKING OVER THE FENCE WITH MRS. GAEL: Some of the children are putting together time capsules featuring their favorite things. When the time capsules come home, encourage your child to add special treasures from home to their time capsule. Won’t it be fun when they open these up years from now! Be sure to check the hallway outside room 102 and 103 for our ever-changing displays of original “ART FROM THE YARD!”
AFTER NAP: Happy New Year! We are excited to welcome 2026. At art time we will be creating snow globes, snowmen, polar bears and penguins. We will also be reading amazing stories and singing fun winter related songs. Please make sure your child has their name labeled on their jackets. Also, please make sure to take everything out of your child’s basket every day. Have a warm and wonderful January.
Miss Vianey, Mrs. Narine, Miss Ana, Mrs. Tamara, Miss Marissa Miss Gianna & Mrs. Roobina
KINDERGARTEN: We hope you had a wonderful vacation! With the start of a New Year, we will be moving right along in all subject areas. We have our field trip to Whole Foods scheduled for Tuesday, January 13th. For science we will start learning about penguins, penguins, penguins!! We will be having a “Penguin Power Day” party on Friday, January 16th. Please have your child wear black and white clothing! And don’t forget Snow Day on January 28th! Also, the 100th day of school is right around the corner, on Thursday January 29th Have you planned out your child’s costume to look like they are 100 years old? (Amazon sells an old woman or man costume if you want to get something easy). In our letter books we have completed 10 books so far. There is always a lot of information you can review with your child in these books. Be on the lookout for stories in our letter books that we are learning to read and practice at home!! Also, spelling tests will be a new adventure for us so don’t forget to practice the words that come home for homework on Mondays and Thursdays! We will do all we can to make this a good experience for your child. They will be praised for doing their best. These are building blocks for the years to come, please don’t make your child feel stress or pressure! How are the rainbow words going? Some friends are really enjoying memorizing the sight words and love “testing” each color with the teachers, while others have more difficulty. Be sure to talk to us about any concerns. Parent teacher conferences will be coming up on Friday, February 6. We will be having a sign-up sheet for parent/teacher conferences soon. Look for the sign up. We will be going over a progress report with you and talking about your plans and our suggestions for next year. We would like to thank our parents who brought goodies for our holiday activities, parties and for just about anything we need. You are the best and are the reason we can provide so many quality experiences for your child. We hope 2026 brings you and your family a year of health and happiness.
Mrs. Lori, Ms. Danielle & Miss Kim