Happy Winter Vacation!

A Plymouth parent shared that MoMA is having a Family Festival during the winter break - from Saturday, February 15th through Wednesday, February 19th.  It is five days of engaging activities that explore creativity and the natural world.

See below for more information.

https://www.moma.org/calendar/events/10272

 Magic Show

Please join us on Saturday, March 1st for a magic show with Magical Dave. Bring the whole family for pizza in the gym at 11:15 am followed by a magic show at noon in the Plymouth Church Sanctuary.

  Upcoming Parent Talk with Rachel Hass - February 28th

 Holding Ourselves Through the Parenting Journey While Building Connection with Our Children

 Entrenched in perfectionist parenting culture and the fast-paced lifestyle of city living can leave little room to nourish and nurture ourselves through the big reactions we may have to our children on a daily basis. This session will provide reflection and acknowledgement of the stress of parenting while providing strategies for a more joyful and fulfilling experience with our little ones. There is a lot of discomfort in parenting, whether we are trying hard to not repeat the challenging patterns of our own caregiving experiences when younger or consciously imbuing our parenting with what we did receive in a culture that has shifted quite drastically. We will explore what it truly means to be a “good enough parent” and to allow and hold the full range of feelings and reactions to parenting.  

  Rachel Hass has a Master’s in Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Jewish Studies and Visual Arts from Oberlin College. As a Social Worker, LCSW, and Mental Health Specialist for Bank Street Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice, she facilitates workshops, support groups, and on-site consultation for teachers and staff in public schools, shelters, and childcare programs around the city. She is currently an adjunct faculty member at the Bank Street Graduate School and is in private practice, working with parents and children. At the core of her practice, Rachel values and honors children's and families' voices, histories, resourcefulness and strengths. She takes deep pride and joy in working with children and families who are navigating challenging moments in their lives, as she honors her role as a partner in development and support for parents and children alike.

 Making Math Fun with Jennifer Woodruff - March 12th 6:30-7:45 pm

 We are partnering with the Parents League to host this event. Plymouth parents have free access by using the code PLYMOUTH25 https://www.parentsleague.org/event/making-math-fun-for-young-children

 Including math experiences and math talk into your child’s everyday life can be fun and can support their academic growth; early math skills are more powerful predictors of later academic achievement. (Duncan et al, 2007).

Just as children’s development in movement follows a (generally) predictable path (crawl, stand, walk, run, jump, skip), children’s growth in math follows a natural developmental path. When caregivers understand these paths, they can make math fun — providing math experiences, math talk, and math games in ways that are attuned to their child’s development. 

During the Making Math Fun workshop, caregivers will learn about developmental paths in a few areas of math (counting, subtilizing, geometry, addition), practice a variety of fun games to bring home to support math development, and learn how to vary the games based on children’s levels. Caregivers will also have a chance to exchange ideas and tips that work for their families in supporting math.

Jennifer Woodruff is a consultant in early childhood education and a former preschool teacher. She co-founded La Escuelita, Manhattan’s first Spanish/ English dual language preschool. Jennifer graduated from Stanford University and holds an M.S. from Bank Street College of Education, and an Ed. D. from Teachers College, Columbia University.

 Important Dates to Remember

 February

17-21 – School Closed for Winter Vacation

24 – Classes Resume

28 – Parent Talk with Rachel Hass

 March

1 – Magic Show with Magical Dave

12 – Making Math Fun with Jennifer Woodruff

     

Purple Room: Animals in their burrows

Plymouth Cares

 At Plymouth we believe in a curriculum that intentionally fosters children’s empathy for others and by extension their world. This curriculum is centered around community service - projects that young children can do to have a direct and positive impact on others.

 Each February, Plymouth Church hosts a shelter for ten unhoused men who need a warm place to sleep at night. The shelter guests eat dinner and sleep in Hillis Hall between the hours of 5pm and 7am.

 During Family Chapel last week, Plymouth children learned that they can help our shelter guests feel cared for by baking special treats and making cards for them. This month all of the classes will do just that.

 Today during our professional development, we continued our work with Lori Riddick. Through our work with Lori we are learning to respond to children’s questions about race and societal inequities in a developmentally appropriate way. These conversations and our community service projects are teaching children to care for others which plants the seeds of empathy that will help them grow into kind and caring adults.

 Magic Show

Please join us on Saturday, March 1st for a magic show with Magical Dave. Bring the whole family for pizza in the gym at 11:15 am followed by a magic show at noon in the Plymouth Church Sanctuary.

 About Magical Dave:

Voted the Best Kids’ Party Entertainer in New York by New York Magazine!

 Dave has been bringing magic to children’s parties and events for over 30 years. He is a full-time NYC teacher with a Master’s in education and he is also a dad. As one of New York’s top children’s entertainers, Dave performs over 200 in-person shows annually.

Dave’s Magic Show has delighted tens of thousands of children and even his 3rd-grade teacher! He has been featured in The New York Times, Time Out Kids and on Channel 11 News.

 Upcoming Parent Talks

 We had such a great Parent Talk last week with Rachel Hass – the first in her series. We really hope you can join us for the next two talks in this series.

 Holding Ourselves and Our Children Through It All: A series of parent talks that will provide insight and strategies around the challenges we face and the joys we embrace as parents and caregivers.  

 February 28th - Holding Ourselves Through the Parenting Journey While Building Connection with Our Children

 April 11th - Holding Space for More Than One: Navigating Sibling Life and Relationship

 Rachel Hass has a Master’s in Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Jewish Studies and Visual Arts from Oberlin College. As a Social Worker, LCSW, and Mental Health Specialist for Bank Street Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice, she facilitates workshops, support groups, and on-site consultation for teachers and staff in public schools, shelters, and childcare programs around the city. She is currently an adjunct faculty member at the Bank Street Graduate School and is in private practice, working with parents and children. At the core of her practice, Rachel values and honors children's and families' voices, histories, resourcefulness and strengths. She takes deep pride and joy in working with children and families who are navigating challenging moments in their lives, as she honors her role as a partner in development and support for parents and children alike. 

 Important Dates to Remember

 February

14 – Re-enrollment agreements due

17-21 – School Closed for Winter Vacation

28 – Parent Talk with Rachel Hass

 March

1 – Magic Show with Magical Dave

Willow Room composition with ink and chalk

Re-enrollment

Re-enrollment letters and agreements for next year will be emailed to our current families on February 6th.

Magic Show
Please join us on Saturday, March 1st for a magic show with Magical Dave. Bring the whole family for pizza in the gym at 11:15 am followed by a magic show at noon in the Plymouth Church Sanctuary.

About Magical Dave:

Voted the Best Kids’ Party Entertainer in New York by New York Magazine!

Dave has been bringing magic to children’s parties and events for over 30 years. He is a full-time NYC teacher with a Master’s in Education and he is also a dad. As one of New York’s top children’s entertainers, Dave performs over 200 in-person shows annually.

Dave’s Magic Show has delighted tens of thousands of children and even his 3rd-grade teacher! He has been featured in The New York Times, Time Out Kids and on Channel 11 News.

Upcoming Parent Talks

We had such a great Parent Talk last week with Rachel Hass – the first in her series. We really hope you can join us for the next two talks in this series.

Holding Ourselves and Our Children Through It All: A series of parent talks that will provide insight and strategies around the challenges we face and the joys we embrace as parents and caregivers.  

February 28th - Holding Ourselves Through the Parenting Journey While Building Connection with Our Children

April 11th - Holding Space for More Than One: Navigating Sibling Life and Relationship

Rachel Hass has a Master’s in Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Jewish Studies and Visual Arts from Oberlin College. As a Social Worker, LCSW, and Mental Health Specialist for Bank Street Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice, she facilitates workshops, support groups, and on-site consultation for teachers and staff in public schools, shelters, and childcare programs around the city. She is currently an adjunct faculty member at the Bank Street Graduate School and is in private practice, working with parents and children. At the core of her practice, Rachel values and honors children's and families' voices, histories, resourcefulness and strengths. She takes deep pride and joy in working with children and families who are navigating challenging moments in their lives, as she honors her role as a partner in development and support for parents and children alike. 

Dressing for Outdoor Play

Please remember that the children play outside most days, even if only for a few minutes. Children should dress appropriately - including hats, mittens, snow pants and boots during the winter months. You can leave extra warm clothing at school. Label everything and put it in their lockers. Remember, there is no bad weather, only bad clothing!

Materials Center

We welcome your donations to our Materials Center. You can drop them off in the box located in the main lobby next to Adrienne’s office. Currently, we need the following: Ribbons, bottle caps, buttons, rubber bands, envelopes, stationary, packing materials and netting from produce.

 Important Dates to Remember

February

6 - Re-enrollment agreements go out

7 - School Closed for Professional Development

13 - Re-enrollment agreements due

17-21 - School Closed for Winter Vacation

28 - Parent Talk with Rachel Hass

March

1 - Magic Show with Magical Dave

Orange Room sculpture made with bubble wrap and fabric

Dressing for Outdoor Play

Please remember that the children play outside most days, even if only for a few minutes. Children should dress appropriately - including hats, mittens, snow pants and boots during the winter months. You can leave extra warm clothing at school. Label everything and put it in their lockers. Remember, there is no bad weather, only bad clothing!

Re-enrollment

Re-enrollment letters and agreements for next year will be emailed to our current families in early February. We look forward to another wonderful year together. 

Office Hours with Kate

We have added additional office hours with our psychological consultant Kate Wechsler in March and April. Kate has worked with Plymouth for over 25 years and has helped many families tackle the conundrums of parenting. Plymouth hosts monthly open office hours with Kate, which allow you to meet with her individually to discuss issues and concerns you might have and get support. The upcoming dates are March 21st and April 11th. Half-hour appointments will be available between 9:30 am and noon. Please email Silvia at pcsadmin@plymouthchurch.org to book an appointment. 

Time for Twos

Please let Silvia (pcsadmin@plymouthchurch.org) know by February 10th if you want to register your child for Time for Twos for next year, as we give priority to siblings and church members before we open registration to new families. Information about our Time for Twos program is on our website.  

Upcoming Parent Talks

We had such a great Parent Talk this morning with Rachel Hass – the first in her series. We really hope you can join us for the next two talks in this series.

Holding Ourselves and Our Children Through It All: A series of parent talks that will provide insight and strategies around the challenges we face and the joys we embrace as parents and caregivers.  

February 28th - Holding Ourselves Through the Parenting Journey While Building Connection with Our Children

April 11th - Holding Space for More Than One: Navigating Sibling Life and Relationship

Rachel Hass has a Master’s in Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Jewish Studies and Visual Arts from Oberlin College. As a Social Worker, LCSW, and Mental Health Specialist for Bank Street Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice, she facilitates workshops, support groups, and on-site consultation for teachers and staff in public schools, shelters, and childcare programs around the city. She is currently an adjunct faculty member at the Bank Street Graduate School and is in private practice, working with parents and children. At the core of her practice, Rachel values and honors children's and families' voices, histories, resourcefulness and strengths. She takes deep pride and joy in working with children and families who are navigating challenging moments in their lives, as she honors her role as a partner in development and support for parents and children alike. 

Materials Center

We welcome your donations to our Materials Center! You can drop them off in the box located in the main lobby next to Adrienne’s office. Currently, we need the following:

Toilet and paper towel rolls

Corks, caps, plastic and metal

Prescription bottles with caps

Washed take-out containers

Newspapers

Magazines

Samples from wallpaper, fabric, tiles

Ribbons, string, rubber bands

Office supplies, folders, envelopes, etc.

Food Art Cooking Camp

We are sharing the information below in support of a neighborhood summer camp.

Food Art for Kids (located in Brooklyn Heights!) is offering Plymouth families a special discount for the month of January only! Weekly registration for a full day of camp (9am-3pm) between July 7th and August 15th for only $500. This year we are enrolling children 4-8.

You can register for more than a week and also register for an unspecified week(s) in the event you want to take advantage of this opportunity but cannot commit to a date just yet (you will need to let us know by June). Mention Plymouth to receive this amazing discount.

For more info: www.foodartforkids.com

Important Dates to Remember

January

29 - School Closed for Lunar New Year

31 - Family Chapel

February

7 - School Closed for Professional Development

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday

Today we had chapel in the Sanctuary where we celebrated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tirzah, our Willow Room teacher, read a book that she wrote about Dr. King, and the children learned that Dr. King once came to Plymouth Church and spoke about his dream for all people to be safe and treated fairly. Next, we listened carefully to a few minutes of the recording of Dr. King speaking right here at Plymouth on February 10th, 1963. It was very moving to be in the room where he once was and to listen to his words. We closed chapel singing This Little Light of Mine, one of Dr. King’s favorite songs.

Upcoming Parent Talks

Please join us for a series of parent talks with Rachel Hass on Fridays at 9:15 am.

Holding Ourselves and Our Children Through It All: A series of parent talks that will provide insight and strategies around the challenges we face and the joys we embrace as parents and caregivers. 

January 24th - Navigating Big Feelings and Challenging Moments in Parenting Within the Developmental Context

February 28th - Holding Ourselves Through the Parenting Journey While Building Connection with Our Children 

April 11th - Holding Space for More Than One: Navigating Sibling Life and Relationship

Rachel Hass has a Master’s in Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Jewish Studies and Visual Arts from Oberlin College. As a Social Worker, LCSW, and Mental Health Specialist for Bank Street Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice, she facilitates workshops, support groups, and on-site consultation for teachers and staff in public schools, shelters, and childcare programs around the city. She is currently an adjunct faculty member at the Bank Street Graduate School and is in private practice, working with parents and children. At the core of her practice, Rachel values and honors children's and families' voices, histories, resourcefulness and strengths. She takes deep pride and joy in working with children and families who are navigating challenging moments in their lives, as she honors her role as a partner in development and support for parents and children alike. 

Re-enrollment

Re-enrollment letters and agreements for next year will be emailed to our current families in early February. We look forward to another wonderful year together. 

New Office Hours with Kate

We have added additional office hours with our psychological consultant Kate Wechsler. Kate has worked with Plymouth for over 25 years and has helped many families tackle the conundrums of parenting. Plymouth hosts monthly open office hours with Kate, which allow you to meet with her individually to discuss issues and concerns you might have and get support.

The upcoming dates are February 28th and March 21st. Half-hour appointments will be available between 9:30 am and noon. Please email Silvia at pcsadmin@plymouthchurch.org to book an appointment. 

Time for Twos

For children who are not old enough to attend our drop-off program, we offer a wonderful program called Time for Twos. The description is below.

Time for Twos is Plymouth’s gentle introduction to school for our youngest children. Classes are led by an experienced early childhood educator and meet twice a week for an hour and 15 minutes each class. Children explore and play together in a warm, safe environment while learning how to be part of a school community. We support a gentle separation process that is tailored to each child’s unique development. Each class follows a preschool schedule and includes open-ended play, art activities, circle time, stories, music, snack and gym time. Children are accompanied by a parent or caregiver. Adults must remain in the building for the duration of the class. Children who will be two by June 30, 2026 are eligible to enroll.

Please let Silvia (pcsadmin@plymouthchurch.org) know by February 10th if you want to register your child for Time for Twos for next year, as we give priority to siblings and church members before we open registration to new families. Information about our Time for Twos program is on our website.  

Materials Center

We welcome your donations to our Materials Center! You can drop them off in the box located in the main lobby next to Adrienne’s office. Currently, we need the following:

Toilet and paper towel rolls

Corks, caps, plastic and metal

Prescription bottles with caps

Washed take-out containers

Newspapers

Magazines

Samples from wallpaper, fabric, tiles

Ribbons, string, rubber bands

Office supplies, folders, envelopes, etc.

Los Angeles Wildfires

As a community our hearts are hurting for the many people who have been affected by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. We have researched some organizations that are doing relief efforts. If you are interested in helping, we can recommend the following organizations:

World Central Kitchen provides fresh meals to communities in need.

World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team is in Southern California to support first responders and families impacted by wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Their teams and partners have mobilized across the region to provide nourishing meals to people in need. Website: wck.org

California Fire Foundation provides immediate assistance to victims through programs like supplying disaster relief cash cards to those affected by wildfires. The California Fire Foundation is working with local fire agencies and community-based organizations to provide direct financial support to impacted residents.

Your donation to the CFF Wildfire & Disaster Relief Fund directly supports victims of wildfires and disasters throughout California. Website: www.cafirefoundation.org 

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles builds and repairs homes in partnership with hardworking, low-income families and individuals. They offer a hand up, not a hand out, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a long-term investment for the future. Website: www.habitatla.org/support-us

News from Plymouth Church

Migrant Ministry Winter Coat Drive

We are collecting winter coats, warm clothing, and practical shoes for our newest neighbors, through January 24th. Then, we will invite migrants staying in shelters for the community distribution on Saturday and Sunday, January 25-26, in Hillis Hall. Your men’s, women’s, and kid’s donations can be dropped off weekdays & Sundays 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at the Reception Desk.

Important Dates to Remember

January

20 - School Closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

24 - Parent Talk with Rachel Hass - Navigating Big Feelings and Challenging Moments in Parenting Within the Developmental Context

29 - School Closed for Lunar New Year

31 - Family Chapel