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We are doing a fundraiser from now until the end of April. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The kids are selling blue pinwheels for $1 each. They will be planting them in the ground in our onsite garden. All proceeds will go to Clara's Hope. Clara's Hope exists to help families have success in foster care and adoption. Supports offered are geared toward moving families from simply surviving to thriving. Clara's Hope is a non-profit organization serving Genesee and Livingston counties. One of their main focuses is providing trauma training to individuals, churches, and schools and working to connect the community to the needs of foster and adoptive families so they are not walking through this alone. Copy and paste this link in your browser to purchase the pinwheels:
https://clarashope.generush.org/causes/f8fe0f6c-ffb6-4f40-a77d-1baed8af18e9 and there is also a short video if you want to learn more about Clara's Hope copy and paste this link in your browser: https://youtu.be/-811H5HGATc. Thank you in advance for your purchase and donations. Let's raise some money for this great organization. Now that the weather is getting nicer, let’s get those kids outside. Outside playtime is a great way to get out those zoomies and excess energy that we all have. I am going to share 3 simple, inexpensive outdoor activities that can be done with any age group. They can be modified to fit any environment or any age as well. Chalk Obstacle Course- All you need is sidewall chalk and some imagination. You can have the kids work on gross motor skills, animal recognition, or you can have them trace each other on the ground and make people. Some ideas of gross motor skills are jump like a bunny 3x, jump on one foot 2x or even twirl in place 2x. Map it out like you would do a hopscotch map. Outside Scavenger Hunt- Have pictures of various item you find outside and have the kids find them. Have different items such as leaves, pinecones, rocks, gravel, grass, wood chips etc. Bubble Wands- Go through the house and see what can be used as bubble wands. Some ideas are fly swatters, slotted spoons, spatulas, or anything else that has holes in it. Grab some bubble solution or make your own and have fun. Let’s get outside, have fun and make memories!! Young 5’s or Kindergarten: Where should my child go?
As we are nearing the end of the school year in preschool, there is always one question in particular that most parents tend to ask, and that question is, “Should my child go to Kindergarten or Young 5’s?” This question tends to bring anxiety, thoughts like, “Have I, as a parent, done enough”, and worries about your child being behind a year. I wanted to clarify the difference between Kindergarten and Young 5’s. Young 5’s is more of a social-emotional growth year. These are children that just need that extra year for growth in this area. Know that this still includes working on fine motor skills, cognitive, and language skills. Young 5’s is more of a glorified preschool that is in a school age setting to help with transition and preparation for Kindergarten. Kindergarten is for kids that are ready in all areas of early childhood development. They are developmentally ready emotionally, physically and mentally. The standards that have been set in Kindergarten have higher expectations and really push kids. Back to the question that gets asked the most, “Should my child go to Kindergarten or Young 5’s?”, well that’s your choice. You can get recommendations from teachers, professionals, and other establishments, but the final decision comes from you as you know your child the best. Schools recommend that if your child has a summer or fall birthday then they should attend Young 5’s. However, the Kindergarten cutoff date for schools is September 1st. The cutoff date for Young 5’s is December 1st. Again this is what schools are recommending, but it is ultimately your decision. Feel free to ask if you can visit a school or call the school to get some more information on their Young 5’s and Kindergarten programs. They are always willing to help parents in deciding what would work best for your child. Schedule a tour and take time to see and view the classroom. I know this year may be a little different with the pandemic but it never hurts to ask. In the end, the best advice I want to give you is to do what is best for you and your family. If that means taking an extra growth year, that’s okay. An extra year never hurts; it may actually become more beneficial. If you feel that your child is ready for Kindergarten then go for it. Be in prayer and let the Lord guide you in your decision. --- Mrs. Lindsay: 4 year old lead teacher FCDC is available to be of service to you and your child during that transitional year as well. --- Mrs. Amanda One of the privileges of being an early childhood teacher is getting to know each child for the individual they are. We watch them, observing their interactions and relationships. We discover their interests, their likes and dislikes. We see how they respond to different activities and stimuli. We know which kids like to get super dirty and those who might freak out a little (or a lot) if a bug gets near them. We notice the little things and the big things. We notice them.
We noticed the little girl who would wiggle her toes until she fell asleep for nap. Nothing else would wiggle, just her toes as she would unwind for nap. Then they would stop and the teacher would know she was asleep. Or the little boy who would play with one car, rolling it across the rug or sending it freely across the hard floor, while he securely held a very specific back up car in his other hand. The back up car didn't get played with but everyday he would search out that little car and carry it around while he played. We also noticed the little girl who would cry if there were vegetables on her plate. She believed they were gross because, "they come out of the ground", her words. P.S. we have to serve a vegetable, they don't have to eat it but we have to serve it. You can imagine how we prepared ourselves for the cry that would come when we put her plate on the table. She outgrew it by the end of the year...sort of. The point is, we enjoy learning about each child we care for. We get to know them on a personal level and it builds the relationships we have with them. The relationships don't stop with the children though. We want to know the families we are caring for as well. Likewise, we want the families to know us. So, today we wanted to share just a little something about ourselves. Because I bet you didn't know... Mrs. Amanda-Favorite animals are skunks Mrs. Valvet-Likes to be creative Mrs. Kim-Enjoys singing Mrs. Devvon-Went to 3 different high schools in one year-no she wasn't kicked out Mrs. Megan-Is a real estate agent Ms. Kimmy-Has 12 chickens at home Ms. Emily-Loves plants, has several at home Mrs. Alexis-Favorite vacation spot is Hawaii Ms. Linda-Found a message in a bottle on a beach Ms. Regan-Is a huge True Crime fan Ms. Mallory-Her right big toe is bigger than all the others-her family teases her about it all the time. Ms. Emma-Barrel races horses Ms. Kyla-Likes the Chicago Cubs Ms. Larkyn-Loves to dance Ms. Raina-Loves baking Mrs. Judy-Has gone parasailing Mrs. Lindsay-Really into basketball and football-Go Blue! Ms. Kierra-Is a twin Ms. Liberty-Likes to eat hotdogs and maple syrup Hope these little fun facts help you get to know us a bit more. Looking forward to the girls sharing their education, thoughts, and input through this blog as it continues to evolve. Welcome and thank you for checking out the new Daycare Days blog. This blog is being started with the intention to connect, encourage and enjoy the adventures of raising up the next generation. As an early childhood center, we are honored by the families that have chosen us to share in the journey.
As I prepared to write the first ever blog post (for the center and myself) I was reminded about the power of a greeting. A mom who used to bring her children to the center came to mind. She would pull in and park every afternoon and without fail she would run from her car to the front door. Once she made her entry she would run to her child's classroom. Day after day it was always the same and this intrigued me. I asked her once why she ran in everyday and she told me, "I'm just as excited to see them as they are to see me." I love that thought, and she was so right. Her children, my children and your children are always so excited to see the people they love most. Nothing compares to a greeting that has love, excitement and joy in it. I felt challenged as a wife, a mom and a leader to greet the people and the adventures that come my way with enthusiasm. As FCDC enters this new season, I want to share that we are greeting it much the same way as that mom did. We are running into it with excitement and anticipation for what God is going to bring. We know that things won't always be perfect but we are looking forward to what will come. I think I can speak for all of us at FCDC, as early childhood caregivers and educators, we love what we do and there is a joy and excitement that comes along with it. -Amanda |
FCDC StaffThe posts featured here are a compilation of perspectives, thoughts and strategies from the staff of FCDC. Each of us bring something unique to the team and we are excited to share our experiences and education. We all value the mission of raising up the next generation. We hope you find valuable information and inspiration from the ideas we draft here. ArchivesCategories |
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