Policy Update: My child has a runny nose, now what?
The changing weather, cold and flu season, and fall allergies can all cause runny noses, but unfortunately, so can COVID.
*symptom free child used for demonstration purposes only
So what do you do when your child has a new, mild symptom, such as a runny nose?
Stay Home
Notify Common Ground
Make an Appointment with your child’s physician
Staying Home:
While this can seem like an inconvenience when you’re sure your child just has a typical cold, the health department has developed the policy that we are following with the goal of keeping schools open. It states that anyone (this includes staff members) who has any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, sore throat, headache, congestion, runny nose, muscle aches, loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tiredness, or poor appetite, be evaluated by a physician and a covid test is recommended. You can access the full illness policy and health department update here.
Notifying Common Ground:
We need to know when your kids are staying home and if they have any symptoms. By letting us know, it will help us remind you of what you need to do before you can return to Common Ground. We also track data, just in case we do have a case and have to contact trace.
Physician Evaluation:
The health department requires that a physician make an “Alternative Diagnosis” be made before your child can return. In most cases, this will require a COVID test.
We are all in this together.
This is the same policy that we are using for staff members as well as children. We are working to keep COVID out of our center through mitigation techniques outlined in our Community Pledge, and our illness policy is how we will keep a possible case contained.
But what if I don’t want to get my child evaluated by a physician?
You do not have to see a physician if you do not want to. However, if you choose to not seek an alternative diagnosis, you must wait 10 days from onset of symptoms before returning to Common Ground. Again, you can access the full illness policy and health department update here.
Non-Screen Life: Training your Inner Ear
Hey everybody! We are here to talk to you about:
PLAYING OUTSIDE!
GETTING DIRTY!
Finding that SAFE DANGER!
We know with the pandemic, 2020 has been a year of hand sanitizer and indoor quarantine. But it has also been a year of finding your own fun! Going into the woods and rolling down hills. Climbing trees and hanging upside down. Going out in fields and spinning like tops.
According to Pediatric Occupational Therapist Angela Hanscom, not only are these things incredible for attention and sensory issues, they are a KEY ROLE in developing The Vestibular System. This is the system our bodies use to know where we are in space! It is even more important than it sounds. Without serious play, children are more frail, more clumsy, less able to pay attention, and much more likely to struggle with emotional regulation.
Our children spend a long time sitting upright with little movement. Help them train their inner ears by:
Going Upside Down
Rolling Down Hills
Spinning In Circles (10x in each direction ought to do it… with hilarious results)
Climbing Trees
Jumping off Swings
Tossing them in the air
Sliding down slides on their bellies
Teachers and Parents should be life guards in play rather than consistent active participants. We want to ensure the children are safe and healthy, but too much structure and restriction has been shown to be detrimental! Let the kids fall. The dirt can offer so many essential lessons to growing up healthy!
We will be posting more on the benefits of outdoor play here so keep your eyes out! In the meantime, go have fun and WORK THOSE EARS!
For more on Angela Hanscom’s research and Timbernook Program, click here!
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Saving our Planet: Recycling
Okay! So you want to be more green! You want to get those three R’s in action.
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
But where do you start?
We all know that change needs to happen on a world-wide scale. It seems all-encompassing, overwhelming. What can we do as our house, our family, our one person self?
Well, our kiddos are learning about just that. Starting in November, our Rising Stars and Honeybees classes will begin a RECYCLING unit! They will be sorting their recyclables, creating new things from old, and learning life-long habits to reduce their carbon footprint .
We recommend these books to help cement those essential insights on how to protect their world:
Lift-The-Flap Questions and Answers about Recycling Trash — Katie Daynes
A comprehensive, interactive book all about recycling that answers all your curious kid’s questions! The pictures are enchanting, the facts are sharp, the message is STICKY.
Planet Earth Mazes — Sam Smith
Does your kid love to doodle while they learn? Planet Earth Mazes is a book chock full of facts and enchanting images to capture your child while they solve complex mazes and exert their logic skills.
Be the Change, Make it Happen — Bernadette Russell
As we said above, it can be overwhelming to want to help, to enact BIG CHANGE, but be a small person. Bernadette Russell shows kids how even the littlest changes (and the littlest person) can change the course of the future.
These are incredible books to feed your kids’ appetite for knowledge and can be purchased at any time. But if you purchase them this weekend (October 23-26th) Common Ground gets 10% of the funds!
(Visit our Book Fair here)
In the meantime, here are some steps to get you going at home!
1) Look up your local recycling facility HERE
2) Learn which items can be recycled and how HERE
3) Find some creative/fun REUSE projects to do with your kids HERE
4) Find some ways to REDUCE your use of disposable products HERE
We will be posting more ways to do those 3R’s on our Facebook as well as easy tips to reduce your carbon footprint, so check us out! PLEASE also let us know what you are doing at home! We need to work as a team to keep this planet GREEN!!
Have a FANTASTIC DAY!
LJ and your Common Ground Team!