ROADS ARE CLEAR!!!!

Good morning everyone. I just went out to check road conditions and they are good. We will plan too open without delay. The primary building will open at 6:30 for ALL students and the secondary building will open at 7:30. Please take ALL students to the primary building until 7:30 am. All staff should contact me promptly if they will be running late. Thanks, Danielle

Winter weather advisory

As all of you know, we are experiencing some cold, snowy and potentially dangerous weather conditions. The city of Melissa has delayed opening their offices until 10 am. Depending on overnight conditions, this may change and include a later opening time or even closure. At this time, for the safety of our team and the families that we serve, we will plan to open Mudpies at 9 am on Wednesday, December 30th. If road conditions worsen overnight and this changes, it will be updated by 6 am on the blog. All staff scheduled to arrive at or before 9:00 should report at 8:50 am unless otherwise notified. Staff should call Danielle or Melissa if they anticipate travel issues.

Christmas recipe collections

All preschool and pre-k parents need to make sure to submit recipes by tomorrow morning please. Thanks, Danielle

2009 Christmas Parade Float

Congrats to all of the staff, spouses & kiddos that helped with the 2009 Christmas Parade float... we won 1st place! Melissa, Alyssa, Elizabeth, Jess, Donna, Kimra, Joe (Alyssa's hubby), our precious reindeer : Katy, Liberty, Elizabeth V. & Gaby, JJ (my hubby) for gathering last minute supplies and feeding us on Friday night, city councilman Stan Mercer aka "Stanta" for being the big guy and anyone else I may have accidentally left out.... YOU GUYS ROCK! Scroll down for a picture of our fabulous float.

Thanksgiving Feast Today

Our secondary building students will host thier annual Thanksgiving Feast today at Noon. We will have turkey with all the fixings. Come join us if you can, the more.... the merrier! As a part of our feast preparations, the students were asked what they were thankful for this year. The classes made large posters to display thier answers so you can see your child's response. Today, as I head to work extra early to finalize turkey carving.... I am thankful for all the wonderful families that share thier kiddos with us everyday!

Cranium Kids Computer Classes

Cranium Kids is now offering computer classes on Fridays. If you would like your child to participate, stop by the office to get more information.

Fire Safety Week

The fire truck was unable to visit today because of the rain. However, they have rescheduled for Thursday, October 15th at 10AM. Additionally, preschool and pre-k will get to meet a firefighter on Monday and see all of the gear they use to protect themselves in a fire.

Menu Changes are In

Over the next couple of weeks, we will be introducing some new menu items to the children. Tuna fish, carrot sticks and fresh fruit like sliced apples and quartered grapes are just some of the items that we will be taste testing with our little Mudpies. Please be sure to check the menu boards each week and let us know if your child has any allergy concerns that may apply to our new items. Thank you.

Circus is Cancelled

Today, the Anna Chamber of Commerce notified us that the circus is cancelled due to the rain. If you have questions, contact the chamber.

Congratulations to Mrs. Tina

Please take a moment to stop by the primary building and congratulate Mrs. Tina. She has been named our September "Teacher of the Month". All of her students love and appreciate her and WE DO TOO! Way to go Mrs. Tina, YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!

School Time Reminders

Just a few reminders as we begin our new school year...

First, remember that students enrolled in our 1/2 day programs attend school from 9:00 to 2:30. Clocking in before or out after those times will result in overtime charges being added to your account.

Also, Kiss n' Drive is now open at the secondary building from 9:00-9:15 and 2:15-2:30 each day. Families wishing to utilize this service should pull up to the sign during open times. If the sign indicates that it is closed, you will need to park in the lot and bring your students in to the building. Please do not part your car in the Kiss n' Drive lane or handicapped spaces without the proper permit.

The water park will be open through September. Check with your child's campus office for a schedule.

I am so excited about this upcoming school year. Our team has spent many hours getting ready and planning meaningful activities for your kids. Thank you for trusting us to educate and care for your little ones!

Summer is ONLY 5 weeks away....

Can you believe it? Summer is so close. This year has flown by and we are finalizing our summer class lists. Stop by the office and make sure your kiddo is signed up for one of our awesome summer programs. We have enrollment options to fit the needs of just about everyone... check it out!

Pre-K Graduation Ceremony is May 27th

Attention all Pre-K & TK parents:
We will have our commencement program on May 27th at 12 PM at the secondary building. Please RSVP by Wednesday, May 13th and let us know how many guests will attend. Parking will be an issue that day so please try to carpool if you can. After the ceremony, we will serve cake and punch for those who would like to stay. Please make sure that you give your child's teacher a big hug... they deserve it! Mrs. Elizabeth and Mrs. Vernita have done an outstanding job with your kids this year, they are well prepared for the challenges of kindergarten. Thank you for sharing your children with us, it has been another wonderful year! Danielle

Another Successful Staff Training Day!

Wow... I just wanted to thank all of the parents at Mudpies for supporting our staff this week for our Spring training. We had a great time and everyone is heading back refreshed and full of new ideas. We studied several topics including, Conflict resolution in the classroom, Recognizing the signs of autism spectrum disorders and ADD/ADHD, How boys and girls learn differently (very good training) and Communicating tough topics with parents. Additionally, we spent some time on curriculum training, science centers and using prop boxes. As always, this experience helps bond our staff and in turn, your children benefit. Thank you again!!!

Part Time Summer Program Options

After numerous requests to offer a part-time summer program, we have developed some options for everyone. All of these part-time classes will meet from 9am to 2pm. Mrs. Vernita has graciously agreed to teach two bridge classes this summer. Summer Bridge to Pre-K will be on T/TH for kids entering Pre-K (must turn 4 before 9/1/09) and Ready, Set, Kindergarten will be on M/W for kids entering Kindergarten must be 5 before 9/1/09). We are also offering a part-time camp on Fridays for ages 5 to 10. We will be going to Collin County Adventure Camp on these days. For younger children, we will offer a limited number of flex-time days. Flex-time offers the ability to use the school for longer hours. It allows more flexible scheduling. This is a great option for parents wishing to work part-time. Speak with either school office if you have questions about these programs.

Summer Camp is Around the Corner

We have begun pre-registering currently enrolled families for the 2009 Mudpies on the Go Summer Program. Open enrollment begins March 23rd if space remains. We plan to offer 42 spaces in camp this year. Those spots will fill fast! We have teamed with Collin County Adventure camp again this year to offer great outdoor opportunities to our campers. Pick up a summer brochure at either Mudpies location. Hope to see you there!

School is CLOSED Wednesday, January 28th

At 7:28 am, MISD cancelled classes for the day. For the safety of our staff and the families we serve, it is our policy to close Mudpies if the ISD closes. If you do venture out, please be very careful. The roads are very icy and are expected to remain so until lunchtime. Stay warm and we will see you tomorrow.

Delayed Start for Wednesday

I just got an email from MISD stating that there will be a 2 hour delay for classes on Wednesday. The district plans to re-evaluate road conditions at 8am and determine further delays and or closing school for the day. If no further delays are scheduled, we will plan to open at 9:15 am, 30 minutes prior to the ISD. Parents should drop school age children off at their MISD campus as we will not plan to run the bus in the morning due to safety concerns. Staff should report to work after taking their own kids to school or at their regularly scheduled time if after 9:15. This blog will be updated after 8am or earlier if the ISD releases more information. Thank you!

Severe Weather Expected Wednesday

Current weather reports are indicating that the conditions outside will continue to deteriorate overnight, leaving the streets icy for the morning commute into work. If this occurs, it is likely that Melissa ISD will have a delayed start on Wednesday morning. When Melissa ISD calls for a delayed start, we will open 30 minutes before classes start to allow teachers and ISD staff time to get to school. For example, if MISD classes begin at 10:00 am, we will open at 9:30am. This gives our staff time to get to work safely as well. I will update the blog as information becomes available. Thank you for your understanding.

Severe Weather Update 1/27/09 8:10 am

As of now, Melissa ISD has not closed schools. However, in the event that school is released early, we will close early as well. We will pick up children enrolled in our after school programs unless parent's notify us otherwise. Please have a plan to pick up your children in the event that road conditions force us to close early as we will need to get our staff home safely as well. Thank you. Feel free to call the school at 972-837-2332 if you have questions or concerns.

Yes, we have some openings!

Attention families of Kid's Casa:
We have been receiving calls from you since early this morning. We have a limited number of openings and we are prepared to welcome your children into our program. Come by today and tour our buildings, meet our team and pre-register. For more info, call 972-837-2332.