The Cheerful Helpers Courier - November 2025
|
|
|
Embracing Change: My Second Year at
Cheerful Helpers
Maria Lainez, MA
|
| Gratitude
Sam Zarate, MSW
|
|
|
This second year at Cheerful Helpers has brought many changes for my students and for me. Moving up to the Kinder/1st grade class has been a big shift, filled with new routines, new goals, and new faces. Change is never easy, but it often brings growth, and this year has been a reminder of that in every way.
Our classroom looks and feels different, not just because of the age group, but because of the wonderful new team I’ve had the chance to train and work alongside. Supporting and retraining staff has been an important part of helping our students succeed, and I’ve seen how consistency, patience, and communication make such a difference as everyone finds their rhythm. We are only into month number three.
Academically, I’ve adjusted our goals to match the developmental needs of Kinder and 1st grade students, building more structured routines, literacy foundations, and opportunities for early independence. Each child brings something special, and getting to know my new students has been such a fun adventure. Together, we’re learning how to balance curiosity and focus, play and responsibility, all while celebrating small victories each day.
Interestingly, this professional season of transition has mirrored my personal life. I’ve recently moved homes, and like my students, I’ve felt the discomfort and excitement that comes with starting fresh. We are all, in our own ways, learning how to say goodbye to what was familiar and lean into what’s new.
Change can be hard, for children, for teachers, and for anyone who grows attached to people and places. Saying goodbye to students and colleagues I’ve worked closely with wasn’t easy, but it’s also a reminder of how much connection and care shape our work. This year, I’m
learning to embrace change as part of our journey, to flow with it rather than resist it, and to help my students do the same.
At Cheerful Helpers, every new beginning is a chance to practice flexibility, patience, and
empathy, skills that serve us not just in the classroom, but in life. I am excited to continue to take in all the changes that comes our way!
|
|
Every year in November, it seems like there are conversations around gratitude everywhere. What does it mean to be thankful? What are you thankful for? How do you show gratitude? For many reasons, this year has felt like a harder year to be grateful for. Personally, it has felt like my city of Los Angeles has had one upsetting thing after another after another since January, all building up to what feels like the longest year to have ever year’ed. If you at all resonate with this feeling of lingering despair and waiting for the other foot to drop, you are not alone. The hard feelings may come and stay longer than we wish, and then they go, and they may even come back, and despite it all, we persist. I have been challenging myself to seek out things to be grateful for and hold on to, however big or small. For example, I am grateful for my group of friends and the fun times we have had this year. How lucky am I to exist at the same time as iced coffee and Wordle? I find so much joy in sitting on the floor with my dogs, warm in my house, filled with the noise of my family. And really, what I am trying to say is that, as hard as things may seem, there is always something to be grateful for. It is those small or large moments of warmth and enjoyment that I invite you to seek out and hold on to as we come close to the end of the year and the beginning of a new one.
|
Rebeca's Class - is working on addition starting with the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
The class is focusing on letters, words and sentences with letters d, e, f and g.
Maria’s Class - is beginning to learn about long vowels. If you have a student in Maria's class, this is a learning activity you can support at home by identifying objects in your house that have a long vowel sound!
First Grade - is learning about the water cycle. Students are doing experiments to measure evaporation and condensation.
A small sample of books we read this month:
* In My Heart, A Book of Feelings
* The Thank You Book
*An Awesome Book of Thanks!
|
|
|
You Won't Want to Miss It!
On November 7, 2024, we kicked off our annual fundraising campaign. Click here to read this year's letter written by alumni parents, Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey.
|
| |
|
Managing Stress in Your Body |
In this month's video Jaclyn sits down with our OT Ani to learn about how to identify and manage stress in your body. Ani shares more ideas here! |
| |
|
- Wednesday, November 26 - Friday, November 28: No School / Thanksgiving Break
- Friday, December 5: No School / Parent Teacher Conferences
- Saturday, December 6: Alumni Support Group (LINK), 9 am - 10 am PT
- Monday, December 22 - Friday, January 2, 2026: No School / Winter Break
-
Announcements or additions for the Courier? Use this LINK!
|
|
|
Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
|
1986 W. Jefferson | Los Angeles, CA 90018 US
|
|
|
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
|
|
|
|
