Save The Date: Summer Camp Teaser
The Summer Camp you remember that your kids will never forget…
Kids need to be outside. They need to run under the trees, chase each other, skin their knees.
They need to play with rules they make up themselves.
That’s why Common Ground is hosting a classic summer camp that is perfect for any kid from kindergarten to rising fourth grader.
1 in 12 kids are as fit as the average child 35 years ago. Their attention spans are suffering under a sedentary education style. Sensory training, emotional regulation, physical stability, these are as key to learning as letters and numbers, and much harder to master after age 5.
We believe in exploration, reasonable danger, and dirt. Our weekly themes are designed to teach kids about the world and their own abilities. There will be projects, games, and field trips! We are also looking to do swimming lessons.
We will be outside as much as possible, allowing kids to foster independence through child-led lessons that encourage enthusiasm for holistic learning.
KEEP AN EYE OUT! We will begin registration in the next few weeks! Think Capture the Flag. Think trail running and skipping stones in the creek. Think sweat and dirt and sunshine. Your kids deserve a camp experience like you had.
LET’S GO OUTSIDE!
Ms. LJ
PSA: Santa loves ALL CHILDREN EQUALLY. Remember this when shopping.
The miracle of Santa Claus is more than just the presents. It’s more than the sleigh and the flying reindeer. It’s even more than the wondrous event of a jolly old elf popping in and out of houses all over the world in the span of one magical night.
The true wonder that comes from St. Nick is he’s there for all kids who believe. Big ones, little ones, rich ones, poor ones. He loves them all the same, and for one fantastic night, every kid who waits for him is united.
Please keep this in mind when buying “Santa gifts” for your children. Keep them small and meaningful, but do not give Santa credit for the expensive and lavish gifts.
What about the kids whose parents just cannot afford that new bike or iPad their kid has been wishing on dandelions for since March? What about the families with three or four kids? It is natural for even the most grateful child to wonder why Santa chose to give them a stuffed animal and their friend at school a new VR headset and lego kit.
We are not saying you cannot purchase fun and expensive gifts for your kids. We are saying YOU should be the one that gives those gifts. You are allowed to love your kids the best and splurge. Santa should not look like he has favorites.
The price of a gift does not determine the value or magic behind it! What we do in our house is: Our children ask for one thing from Santa in their letters and visits with him. It is one thing and usually a thing that could be homemade in a toy workshop by a busy elf. One year they were matching stuffed dragons. Another year they were old wooden toys that the kids found hidden in the fireplace with a smidge of soot on them.
THEY LOVED IT. They looked up into the chimney, they wondered what the elves’ names were, they laughed when they saw reindeer prints in the soot and leftover eaten carrots next to the dragons on the hearth. (Santa gets cookies in our house, but reindeer need veggies for good digestion).
They got expensive Frozen 2 and Paw Patrol sets from their grandparents, they got balance bikes from us, they had a loud half hour of tearing paper and bright colors. If this is a part of your Christmas you want to keep, I get it!
But let Santa’s visit be about the magic, the wonder, the love and care he gives to each child.
Sprinkle glitter on the floor by the window to show that he doesn’t need a chimney to get in.
Show evidence of reindeer in the house
Have Santa write a letter about how happy he was to get to pet the dog/cat/bird
Make the gifts (or gift! one gift can be extra special) emotionally heartfelt, homemade, older (secondhand is perfect for this!), and important to the kiddo. Money doesn’t have to factor into it.
Leave sleigh bells on the side walk in front of your house like they broke off the reindeer harness
Have your kids pick gifts for Santa to pick up from their house to give to needy children*
This last suggestion is a big one. Maybe you want to teach your child about gratitude, about WHY Santa would go through all the rigamaroll of Christmas Eve every year. Maybe what Santa can give your child is the magic of a giving heart. After all, that’s what the holidays is really about.
Local Gift Charity DrivesAngel Tree for kids with at least one parent in prison
Please add links to your favorite local gift charities in the comments, we would be happy to add them to our list! We ALSO would love to hear more creative suggestions for how to make Santa magical, and the gifts you have given that follow this idea. All suggestions are welcome and helpful!
We love you all, HAPPY HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Ms. LJ
#GiveFundsGiveTime: GIVING TUESDAY IS HERE
December 1st, 2020 is probably one of the strangest, loveliest, and most necessary Giving Tuesdays since its inception in 2012. The world is wracked by a pandemic. Unemployment has been at an all time high. An unmatched 12 named storms, including a record-tying six hurricanes, have made landfall in the United States this year alone.
We are quarantine-fatigued, decision-fatigued, anxiety-fatigued. Traditions are changed, family visits are reliant on internet connections.
It is in the midst of this unique adversity that we find our most profound strength, our brightest hope, our purest joy.
We have stood together, protecting one another with masks and distance. We have created new traditions out of whole cloth that will withstand the test of time. We have rallied around our small businesses, our schools, our communities to provide whatever support we can, even though it never seems like enough.
THAT is what our Giving Tuesday #GiveFundsGiveTime campaign has been all about.
We raised over $4,000.00 for our programs (and still have $3,000 of matching funds available!) and had such an incredible time doing it. If you are reading this on #GivingTuesday, you can still donate to our cause with double the impact HERE.
We had so much fun during the sleepover. Our kiddos left their best stuffed friends in care of Mr. Josh, Ms. Janette, Ms. Liz, and Ms. LJ, your CIRCLE TIME crew! We spent the evening dancing, singing, doing art, eating popcorn, and sending pictures/videos of the whole thing to the students while they were safe at home! APART DOES NOT MEAN ALONE, Friends and Families!
If you didn’t see the ridiculous good time that was our STUPENDOUS STUFFY SLEEPOVER, you are missing out… BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO MISS OUT NEXT TIME! We will be doing more of these.
You can download a copy of the one-of-a-kind stuffy sleepover coloring book where we featured each of the animals present (along with your circle time friends!)
Check out the fantastical highlights of our Stuffy Sleepover HERE.
This event was a perfect representation of the #GiveTime part of our campaign, what we consider to be the KEY and MOST VITAL part. We wanted to give our kids something to look forward to in uncertain times, to give them a new tradition that they can share with their friends no matter what is going on in the world outside. Each of us gave a little bit. Scrawl Books gave us ideas and goodies for our bags. Pal Dentistry gave us toothbrushes for our stuffys and instructions on how to keep our teeth healthy! We would also love to thank our local author Wayne Truax and family members Mary and Richard Badley for the wonderful addition of Mouse, The Man, and the MGB to our evening (and our goodiebags!)
Last, but not least, Our wonderful families gave us faith, time, money, and their happiness made our giving feel like receiving something warm and full of love.
We have written a lot in the last few weeks on how to Give Time to the people around you that matter, and we will continue to do so. This was just the jump start to our Giving Muscle Fitness Program! We want you to keep at it. Keep giving those five minutes a day. Give yourself five minutes because you are worth it. Give attention to your family for five minutes because you’ll suddenly find that it’s your favorite part of the day. Keep giving it until suddenly it’s seven minutes. Then ten. You will inspire others to do the same, and your reach will expand far beyond your wildest dreams.
We have dug deep into our hearts and not been found wanting. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making #GivingTuesday2020 so incredible.
Love and Regards,
Ms. LJ
Thanksgiving Box Drive: BIG THANK YOU!!
Common Ground Family and Friends,
I am, as always, sincerely humbled by the giving hearts of our community. We had promised Cornerstones 6 lovingly decorated boxes, one for each classroom, and we ended up with 10 fully stocked Thanksgiving meals. That’s ten families that will get to celebrate with a proper meal on one of the most difficult holiday seasons in recent memory.
This was an elegant example of what our #GiveFundsGiveTime campaign is all about. Together, each of you giving a little time and money, we managed to pull of something magical.
And you know what? Our kids see that.
I had a student come up and ask us what else we needed. He was so excited to be a part of this with his family, and he wanted to know if there was anything missing from any of the boxes. He and his parents then went out, together, gathered the remaining items, and brought them in.
This was something they did as a family, something that this child genuinely enjoyed, and he could see, first hand, what a difference his items made.
He’s always had a good heart, but practice makes perfect. We are helping our kiddos work those giving muscles so that when they’re adults, they’ll be SUPER heroes.
After they were all packed and ready to go, I went over to our buddies at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church! They had gathered a whopping 54 BOXES!! SOME OF THEM GLUTEN-FREE!! I WAS ECSTATIC to be working with them!
With all of their helpful volunteers, we loaded up the Common Ground Bus and drove all 64 boxes over to the drop off station. I have to tell you, I love driving that bus, but loading would have been quite a big chore had everyone not been ready to give a little. They have been at this Thanksgiving Box drive thing for many years, so it has been really amazing working with the and learning all about how to make this an effective Giving campaign.
All together, working as a unit, most of the volunteers maybe spent 5-10 minutes of their day pulling this off. Many hands make light work. DO NOT EVER DOUBT what your five minutes of giving a day can do, especially with a community like Common Ground Childcare.
Warmest Thanks and Love,
Ms. LJ
#GiveTime: Community and Causes
Hi there! LJ Donnell here with some incredible (and quick!) ideas to #GiveTime to your community! This is a part of our #GiveFundsGiveTime Campaign for #GivingTuesday, so if you need more ideas, visit THIS PAGE. We also ask that if you have any excellent ideas of your own that aren’t listed here, PLEASE share them in the comments!! A community is always better when we work together.
So far, our suggestions are:
5 minutes a night knitting/crocheting/making blankets for Project Linus
Do click throughs on charity sites
Sign petitions
Call your local representative and talk to the about an issue
Draw inspirational chalk messages around your neighborhood
Draw loving chalk messages and pictures on the sidewalk of your local hospital so patience can see them out the window
Write post cards to senior citizens and other high-risk populations who are stuck in quarantine and away from their families. Example Here
Share/Amplify social media messages for local businesses, charities, and local activist groups. — I know this doesn’t sound like much… but it really means the world to people trying to get their messages out there. It takes you very little time, and you could make a big difference to their business or cause. Even something as small as sharing a “Missing Pet” post from your local neighborhood’s facebook could make a world of difference for a family.
Volunteer as your Cal de sac’s glass recycling person — okay, this one may be a 15/20 minute task once a week. Have your neighbors put their used glass products in bags and place them on their doorsteps, then you take them to the nearest glass recycling bins. You could also set up a round-robin sort of thing, and it’s as easy as making a post on your neighborhood’s facebook or NextDoor page.
Pick up trash on your walk — You may be getting fresh air. You may be on a little run! You may be taking your kids out of the house to get rid of some of their energy. Either way, just have gloves in your pockets and a grocery bag so you can pick up trash you see on the walk. You’d be surprised how little effort it takes, and what a big difference it makes. Wildlife in the area is getting snared in disposable masks on the ground. It’s pretty awful. Every little bit you do, even if it’s just five minutes while you’re already walking outside, could save a precious life.
#GiveFundsGiveTime is all about giving what you can when you can, and not overtaxing. All good deeds make waves, no matter how small. Let’s make this holiday season as full of hope, magic, and love as we possibly can.
See you out there!
Ms. LJ
Your Time + Saving You Money = $20 Donation
When we talk about the Common Ground Community feeling like a family, we’re not joking! Once a part of Common Ground, always a part of Common Ground!
Jacob Ayubi is about as connected to Common Ground as someone can get! His mother, Miss Najiba, was a teacher at our center for over 35 years and all four of his kids (he and his wife, Meghan, have a son and triplet daughters!) have attended as well! So when Jacob found out that his company, State Farm, had a charitable giving initiative, he reached out to make sure Common Ground was on their list for the following giving cycle in 2021.
Jacob didn’t stop there though! For our Giving Tuesday campaign, “Give Funds, Give Time”, Jacob has offered to give Common Ground $20 for every person who gets an insurance quote from him. So the gift of a few minutes of your time could save you money, give back to our center, and it’s pretty easy too!
First: Fill out the form at the bottom of this post
Second: Visit Jacob’s Site here: https://jacobsf.com
And that’s it! Jacob will take care of making the donation to Common Ground. Easy as PIE! And just like pie, a lot of small pieces add up to make an even greater whole!
SAVE THE DATE: Stay Home with Santa!
Santa Claus has spoken!
He wants all of the good girls and boys around the globe to stay home and protect their families!
MALLS ARE OUT. SOCIAL DISTANCING IS IN.
You are in luck though, because ol' Saint Nick has been working with us here at Common Ground. With a lot of magic and a little technology, we have created our Zoom-hosted holiday event:
STAY HOME WITH SANTA! Register here: https://www.commongroundchildcare.org/santa
What: A half hour event where kids will get to meet Santa with ten other families! While the kids in the main room get to build a craft, sing holiday songs, and hear updates from the North Pole, kids will go into a break out room one at a time to get a little chat with Santa by themselves.
When: December 12th, starting at 8:30 AM (half hour increments)
Where: YOUR LIVING ROOM! Once you are signed up, we will send you a ZOOM link for your reservation!
How: Santa's Elves will do drop offs of a goodie bag with treats, a craft, and a SPECIAL COMMON GROUND LIMITED EDITION HOLIDAY ORNAMENT. Once you are in the zoom room, your kids will be able to interact with everyone and do the craft together. We will explain it all day of as well!
THIS IS A COMMUNITY-WIDE EVENT! We encourage you to invite your family, friends, and neighbors to join us. We want as many families as we can to help flatten the curve and protect our loved ones.
Tickets will go on sale December 2nd, add this to your calendar so you don’t miss out!
If there are two or more children in one household: Sign up for one zoom ticket and do add-ons for the rest of them! That way everyone gets a goodie bag.
Tickets: $25.00 +$10.00 for each additional bag in the household
Ornaments: $10.00 a piece
We know traditions are kind of out the window this year. But that doesn't mean that this Holiday season can't be just as special, just as wonderful, just as miraculous.
See you on the big screen!
LJ
Thanksgiving, Keep it Small
Yesterday, I found myself listening to “The Daily'“ podcast from The New York Times during my lunch break.
I’ve been a daily listener to “The Daily” since the beginning of February. I had just purchased my new car, and with Apple CarPlay on board, I traded in my usual pop music for a Spotify curated playlist called “Your Daily Drive” that included music, a one minute stock market podcast, “The Daily”, “The Journal”, and “NPR News Now.”
Call it luck or coincidence, or maybe ‘the universe’ just had my back, or possibly the fact that its linked to my Facebook account means that they’re privy to my usage data - but it was just at that time that I was becoming more interested in what was happening in the world, reading more news stories and paying more attention to current events that Spotify suggested I trade my running podcasts for current event ones.
Yesterday’s episode was a good one! Michael had on reporter, Carl Zimmer, to talk about the Pfizer Vaccine breakthrough (you can take a listen here). But it wasn’t the vaccine mechanism and preparations, which frankly, “The Journal” - another podcast that I enjoy daily, had filled me in on the day before that struck me as so interesting. It was the conversation between Michael and Carl about Thanksgiving.
It starts with Michael saying “…I have to imagine this is an especially dangerous moment in the pandemic.”
Carl’s response begins with the word “Absolutely.” He goes on to share that he is worried about all the travel that could happen, the mixing of households, and the sinister mechanism of the virus itself - that you can feel well, attend a family event, and then discover that you were the person who infected your entire family.
Michael goes on to ask a very tough question, joking that Carl should channel is inner Donald G. McNeil Jr.:
Should people avoid traveling to see their families for Thanksgiving…all the big holidays that are happening this fall and winter?
Carl side steps giving a ‘McNeil’ answer and just says:
I’m not taking my family to see my parents for Thanksgiving.
Michael and Carl are in agreement on that - neither is going to travel the 2 and 3 hours to see their parents this holiday. They both agreed that neither feel that it is safe, but neither came out and told listeners that they shouldn’t travel this holiday season themselves.
This is what resonated with me - I know, it’s a pretty long background to get to this point. While I know that each family has their own risk tolerance, and I respect that there are differing opinions on what is viewed as ‘safe’ - I’m certain that every health expert would agree that traveling to or hosting a family gathering this holiday with people who you do not interact with regularly, is a bad idea.
Health experts are dancing around the issue because they know it’s a hard pill to swallow. They are offering advice for people who plan on ignoring the advice to stay home this Thanksgiving holiday:practice social distancing, wear masks, and move festivities outdoors.
But let’s face it - when you’re celebrating and enjoying time with people, especially if there is alcohol involved, you forget to be as strict as you’d like to be. Just look at how well we have been able to enforce social distance at Common Ground. Yes, each class is able to distance from one another, but within the classes - it’s almost impossible. In my opinion, if they’re outside and with their own pods, the kids are safe enough. It takes something away from the social value of being at the center if we are too hard on them when they are being so careful.
So, while we don’t have a policy on travel like some private schools/centers (yes, there is a school in Reston that requires a 14 day quarantine if you travel 2 hours away from the Northern Virginia area!), I’d like to point to our Community Pledge. Having your child in any center or school, or wanting them to return to school in person, is strongly in “Medium Risk” category. Everything else you do should fall to the left of that orange dot. This virus is not taking a break for Thanksgiving.
That doesn’t mean that this Holiday season can’t be fun! I think there are a lot of us out there focused on what we are “missing out on” this year. Certainly, things are not the same as they have been in years past, but it doesn’t mean that new traditions can’t be just as special. How many times, after spending the bulk of your holiday season traveling, have you wished for a fun weekend at home? Here’s your year to do it!
Have a ‘Staycation’ and treat the long holiday weekend as a trip! Only this time, you don’t waste any of your vacation hours on travel.
If you still want to get away, book a cabin or airbnb for just your family. Long story long, there are a lot of ways that we can celebrate the holidays and keep our community (and your families!) safe from COVID.
With that, I’ll leave you with a quote from Carl at the end of the podcast episode:
what we do now, will make a big difference in who lives and dies this winter
Stay home. Stay safe.
-Miss Liz