June is Pride Month
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. We are here to help you promote awareness, celebrate, and provide examples on how to be a fantastic ally!
Here at Common Ground, we love every member of our community. All are welcome here! Because educators are a foundational part of a student’s life, we do everything we can to support them with love, understanding, and humility. That last one is super important, because it stems from the simple truth that we never stop learning, especially as educators. Once we have decided we know everything, the world keeps turning along without us.
Our children look to us to teach them how to be the best people they can be. Kindness, openness, acceptance, these are the tools that help them navigate the world with love and, in turn, help to shape the world into a more beautiful, gentle place. I would hope that my children are better than me, and that their children after them are better than that. We must always be growing, changing, learning.
Our LGBTQ+ friends have faced so much adversity. Our children learn from early ages how people are supposed to dress, what they are supposed to look like, how they should act, and it shapes their perceptions before they even understand what the ramifications of those perceptions. I have heard three year olds on the playground tell their friends that “only girls wear pink” or “you can’t play with us, the boys are over there.” Little children constantly look for guidance on how to act, they pick up on social cues and paradigms so much earlier than you could ever imagine.
How do we combat this? Reading to them. Answering their questions. Changing our vocabulary and helping to educate them. Simply admitting that we don’t know everything, but that our love is boundless, uncompromising. It allows them to feel free to explore their world without fear, leaving wonder in its wake.
Educate Yourself:
The Trevor Project offers free education on how to support youths, and offers support to those who need it. They also offer news and information about the state of LBGTQ+ kids and what they need.
Introspection and Self Awareness:
Be aware of your gender biases.
Do you hesitate to allow your kids to wear certain colors or themes? Why? Are you afraid they’ll be made fun of? Are you uncomfortable? Explore those feelings within yourself.
Do you find yourself suggesting certain shows or books to your children/students/etc. based on their sex? Is there anything in their books or shows that enforce gender stereotypes or even passively utilize homophobia as humor? These moments can often be teaching moments, if we catch them in ourselves or in others.
Do you find yourself trying to discourage gendered imaginative play? Children explore their world and try to discover/practice what they’ve learned through imaginative play. Consider what you’re teaching them when you try to guide their games through your biases.
Consider the behavior of others.
Once you have considered your own language and biases, consider those people who interact with your children. Do they exhibit any of the gendered language above? Do you allow it because of the source? Remember your children are watching what you do.
If there is resistance from a friend, a family member, a teacher, to avoiding teasing, consider speaking with them consistently rather than changing your child’s behavior/outfit/etc. Even if they don’t, your child will see you support them, and will support others that same way.
Small, Everyday Support
Add your preferred pronouns in your signature line. It normalizes the practice.
Use people’s chosen names and pronouns. If you are corrected on someone’s pronouns, thank them and move on.
Instead of “boys and girls” say “people/folks/friends/students/kids.”
Support local LGBTQ+ businesses, artists, entrepreneurs, non-profits, etc.
Stand firm in these beliefs and don’t keep silent.
Stay aware of how LGBTQ+ youths are being affected by the local school system, in local politics. Become their advocate with your money, your voice, your vote.
Kid-Friendly Media to Consume together: Did you know that a beloved character in a book can have the same empathetic effect on a person as a real life friend? Stories have power, and sharing them with your children can help them have an awareness of the world around them that they wouldn’t normally have.
Julian is a Mermaid: An imaginative and insightful book that captivates the imagination while showing, without a doubt, that boys make beautiful mermaids too.
Prince and Knight: This is the cutest, most incredible picture book. It’s one of my absolute favorites. It is a rhyming story about a prince whose parents are struggling to find him a partner to rule the kingdom. But when a dragon threatens his kingdom and he races to the rescue, perhaps he finds what he’s been looking for all his life…
Steven Universe: A hilarious, fun, adventure cartoon that introduces a lot of complex concepts of identity and love in charming, bite sized pieces. You’ll find yourself singing along to the amazing songs that encourage self-love and confidence. It also covers issues like anxiety, fear of failure, and unconventional families.
Mommy, Mama, and Me: A sweet picture book for young readers that helps show that a family isn’t just a mommy and a daddy.
Pink is for Boys: A fun picture book about smashing down gender stereotypes!
The House in the Cerulean Sea: This is a chapter book for older children and young adults. It is one of my personal favorite books ever. The story is fantastical with laugh-out-loud moments. The message is wholesome: Who you are is enough.
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo: The story is so sweet and the illustrations are so cute.
How are some other ways we can widen our impact in the community? How are some other ways we can support our students? What are some other ways we can talk about these issues with our children? We would love to hear from you.
Love, Love, Love,
Your CG Family
De-Clutter and Support Your School!
Spring Cleaning is such a transformative experience.
Who knew that thinning a bookshelf or tackling that front hall closet you avoid could feel so powerful? At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic I channeled my anxiety into cleaning and reorganizing the house. I set out to conquer “the creep” that tends to take over corners and closets during the daily bustle of kids and jobs. I wanted my home office back! I wanted to not feel guilty about buying new workout clothes! I wanted to feel like we were moving forward in an uncertain time.
The world is opening again, and rather than “going back to normal,” most of us have embraced the fact that it will be a WHOLE NEW ERA. A totally new definition of normal.
The best way to make that “new normal” a WAY BETTER normal than to start out with an old favorite, Spring Cleaning.
Here at Common Ground, we are doing just that! We are emptying our old storage units and thinning out our book collections (have no fear! We support child literacy more than ever before, we just don’t need 18 copies of “The Foot Book” floating around in the back of our closets).
What will we do with all this STUFF? Some of it is quite beloved and well taken care of, some of it is barely used but we certainly do not need it taking up space.
On our quest to REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, we found a company called FUNDrive. Their incredible business model encourages groups of people and schools like us to get together and collect gently used items to donate!
Our drop-off date is not until June 5th, but ‘Spring Cleaning’ is happening as we speak! Save up those donation items and you will only have to do one drop-off.
Instead of trying to find different places to donate all of your myriad items, just bring them straight to us.
1. The donations will cost you nothing!
2. You are giving your house a spruce up!
3. You are helping your community recycle perfectly fine items instead of creating waste, and offering quality goods to people at more affordable prices.
4. You are helping your school by helping us raise funds through no cost to you.
We are looking to raise $1000 by cleaning out your closets and cabinets of GENTLY USED items. Help us get to our goal by helping us collect AT LEAST 120 full 33 gallon size bags and 100 small boxes. (there is no limit! I think we can blast through that number, but let's have a baseline) Ask your friends, neighbors and coworkers to do the same and make your pledge today!
DATES TO DROP OFF ITEMS:
Friday, June 4th from 7:45 AM-6:00 PM
Saturday, June 5th from 8:00AM-12:00PM
Drop off will be at Common Ground Childcare: 1700 Wainwright Drive, Ste 2, Reston VA 20190.
ITEM PICK UP DATES:
TBD: If there are enough people interested in this, we may schedule a “pick up” for items before our time slot on June 5th.
If you need help with lifting bags/boxes, please let us know: lj@commongroundchildcare.org
**IF NONE OF THE ABOVE DATES WORK FOR YOU: Please contact LJ Donnell: 703.498.9073/lj@commongroundchildcare.org. We will find a way to help you, store your things, et cetera.
SAVE THE DATE (June 4th and 5th). SAVE YOUR STUFF (clothes, accessories, small household items, books). SAVE THE WORLD (every little bit counts).
Love Love Love,
LJ and your Common Ground Family
May is Asian-Pacific Heritage Month
May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month—a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. A rather broad term, Asian-Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and Easter Island).
It is incredibly important to educate ourselves and our children about our Asian-Pacific American neighbors, especially because of all the misinformation spreading around due in-part to the coronavirus pandemic. The more we inform ourselves, the more we can understand the Truth, the less fear and hate we help spread!
We got a lot of our suggestions below from The U.S. Dept. of Education, and we have added our own ideas as well! Please share some of the ways you make learning fun in your home in the comments!
History and Culture
HISTORICAL LANDMARKS: Teach your kids about the Great Wall of China, and then use ALL THE BLOCKS YOU HAVE (we are talking duplos, legos, wooden blocks, plush blocks, couch cushions, everything!) to make the longest wall you can!
Here is a great book about it: The Emperor who built the Great Wall of China — This is part of a whole series of children’s books on the History of China, and it’s incredible!
Go for a visit: Pretend you are going to be visiting a country on the Asian continent or one of the Pacific Islands, and plan your imaginary trip! You can research tourist sites, talk about the food you’re going to eat there, what language you would have to learn to speak, etc! You can even look up local music on YouTube or Spotify. Who knows? This may be such a fun experience that you want to do this for real!
Japan: Travel for Kids — Here is a great example of a “travel book” you could look up to help with this immersive learning experience!
Explore AAPI history: From helping build the first transcontinental railroad to protecting the nation during times of war, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) have played significant roles in shaping modern history. Help your kids learn more about how AAPIs have enriched America’s history, by visiting some online resources.
Geography
Make a globe: Help your kids cut and wrap a map of the world around a ball. Show kids how big Asia is compared to our North American continent. As you make it, you can point out the Pacific Ocean area of the world, and how Asia is on the opposite side of the world from us.
Books on Countries: Geography books like Where in Asia is Malaysia? help kids (and their parents) to understand how diverse the Asian continent is!
Arts Connections
Make lei: Tell your kids that lei, which are garlands, are made and given for occasions like marriages, birthdays, and lu’aus. Colorful flowers and greenery are braided, twisted, wrapped, or strung together to create lei for the neck, head, wrists, and ankles. Take construction paper and/or tissue paper and twine to make your own lei. Have a lu’au (see Healthy Eating below) and wear them, or give them to friends.
Check out an art exhibit: Consider the diverse cultures of the AAPI community by looking at Asian art. Check out the Smithsonian’s Museum of Asian Art online. Point out to your kids how some of this art uses mediums like ink on paper; have your kids try their hand at creating similar art with basic supplies, such as paper, pencil, and chalk. Older kids may like to compare the similarities and contrast the differences in media used and subjects chosen.
Social Studies
There are 48 countries in Asia: Write them all down and have your kids put them in alphabetical order!
Find out more other cultures: Ask your kids how many countries make up the Asian-Pacific area of the world. Let them know that it’s not a small number, but instead over three dozen. Put the names of some Asian countries (e.g., Japan, China, South Korea, Philippines, Vietnam) each on a separate piece of paper, crumple into a ball, and put in a pile for kids to pick one. What do they know about that country’s location in the world, what language(s) people might speak, what foods they might eat, and what kind of climate they have.
Help older kids appreciate a multitude of diverse ethnic backgrounds by exploring the Smithsonian photo gallery A Day in the Life of Asian Pacific America. Older kids may also like to read about what steps agencies, such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, have taken to preserve the APPI heritage.Have a lu’au: Our own state of Hawaii is part of the Asian-Pacific culture. Tell your kids that a lu’au is a traditional Hawaiian feast; today the lu’au is a celebration that brings together an entire family and community. The lu’au is a contemporary expression of a traditional Hawaiian feast set with food cooked in an earthen pit oven, covered with hot rocks and leaves; food can include fish, pork, and coconut dishes. Help kids contribute a dish, like Haupia, which is Hawaiian coconut pudding, to the family meal.
History of Origami: Origami is a beautiful, relaxing hobby you can practice with your kids! You can start at a very young age, and get materials HERE. But you should really understand the history and cultural significance of the craft! Origami and Haiku is an incredible book that delves into two lovely art forms of Japan.
Science
Learn about the lunar calendar: Explain to your kids that the lunar calendar is based on phases of the moon, unlike the calendars we typically see at home and in the classroom that are based on the earth’s rotation around the sun. Observed by people of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan, and Mongolian heritage, the Lunar New Year is a time of modern festivity and ancient tradition.
Discover more about trees: Let you kids know that in 1912, Japan gave several varieties of over 3,000 cherry trees to the U.S. as a symbol of friendship. These trees were planted in Washington, DC, and produce the well-known cherry blossom. According to the National Park Service, in 1965, Japan gave another 3,800 trees. In 2011, about 120 propagates from the surviving 1912 trees were sent back to Japan to retain the genetic lineage. Look at the different trees in your neighborhood or on the way to school, and see how many different kinds of trees you can find. How can you differentiate among the trees you see—do some have noticeable flowers, like cherry blossoms, in the spring? Are leaves different shapes and sizes on different kinds of tress?
Try Asian horticulture: With your kids, read about bonsai and penjing. See if your kids would like to try their hand at creating a bonsai.
Healthy Eating
Make an Asian dish: With your kids, research different countries in the Asian-Pacific region, and think about what kinds of foods the people there might eat. Why do you think fish and rice dishes are frequently consumed—could it have to do with people in a lot of Asian and Pacific countries being close to or on the water (look at your globe) or the climate and soil in those areas? Find recipes that your kids can help prepare. They might enjoy following a traditional fried rice recipe created as part of the Let’s Move! initiative. or watching a video on how it’s done. Many grocery stores carry ingredients common to Asian cuisine. You could also make a special trip to a local Asian market.
Reading
Read books with AAPI connections: Help your kids discover different aspects of the AAPI community by reading books related to the Asian American experience—the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center has a list of books aimed at developing multicultural appreciation in students. For younger kids, consider this list of children’s books
Thank you so much for helping us celebrate our Asian-Pacific American Teachers, Students, and Families!
Love, Love, Love,
LJ and your CG Family
May is National Foster Care Month
Here at Common Ground Childcare we are dedicated to helping all children grow in a loving, nurturing environment.
Which is why we are using our voice to bring attention to National Foster Care Month. Foster care children are in more need of advocacy than ever. The Covid-19 pandemic has done a lot to shine a light on the inequalities of representation and support, especially for our minority children in the foster care system.
What can you do to help?
Educate Yourself
What is Foster Care? Why is it necessary? How can I get involved? These questions and more are answered Here.
Key Facts and Statistics
Include these key points in your messaging to demonstrate how child welfare and legal professionals can prioritize foster care as a services to families by engaging young people in all aspects of permanency planning and helpingthem maintain meaningful connections with family and other support systems while in out-of-home care.
There are over 423,000 children and youth in foster care. Over half have a case plan goal of reunification with their parents or primary caregiver.
Juvenile and family court systems can influence whether children are reunified with their families or reenter care.
Meaningful and appropriate involvement of youth in their court hearings and case planning greatly benefits all participants and leads to more favorable outcomes for families.
Competent legal representation for parents is associated with the achievement of timely reunification.
A strong support system of professionals and family can help young people address the challenges they face during their transition to adulthood. Virtual engagement tools can be used to establish and maintain that support system by enhancing connectedness for all involved.
In addition to supporting brain development, encouraging young people to be active participants in planning their own lives supports the development of leadership skills, improves self-esteem, and helps form critical social connections.
The Resources that child welfare professionals need to have access to are HERE. This site has a lot of info for adults in every level of involvement, including how to volunteer and be a personal advocate for a child in need.
A Proclamation from the White House - This is an acknowledgment that all foster care children, even ones recently aged out, need extra support. We need to do everything we can to make sure these kids don’t fall through the cracks just because they aren’t little.
Share what you have learned and how essential our impact is to foster children. Share it with friends and family, share it on social media, shed light on the inequities of our system and work to help us change it. Here’s a link to an Outreach Toolkit to show you the basics.
Donate: There are tons of non-profits all over the country that donate to help Foster Care Children in some capacity. We recommend checking Charity Navigator or doing your own research before picking one, but there are so many ways to help! For example, the Blue Ribbon Project aims to make sure foster kids are provided with a backpack full of essentials to make them more comfortable in their new homes.
Help your kids understand Foster Care
Explain to your children that Foster Care kids are just like them. Like all children, they need empathy, care, and patience while they figure out the world around them. This is always easier with books:
The Foster Dragon: A Story about Foster Care — One of the Dragon Series books that helps kids begin to understand what Foster Care is and what Foster Care Kids need!
Kids Need to be Safe: A Story about Kids in Foster Care — A children’s book for children IN the foster care system, and for kids who want to understand why the Foster Care system is so important.
Home for Awhile — A Children’s Book about Calvin, a kid in foster care who wants to feel safe in their “for awhile” home.
Love You from Right Here — Featuring a diverse representation of characters including men, women, boys, and girls, it is written from the perspective of the foster parent to the child in foster care.
No Matter What — A little squirrel’s journey to find love!
Above all, please keep abreast of the situation politically. Keep pushing for equity with your local representatives! Together, we will make a difference.
Love Love Love,
LJ and your Common Ground Family
Common Ground Class of 2021 - Graduation Ceremony
Please Note: This post is for parents of children in our Honeybees and Owls classes only.
It’s the end of our school year and its time for a Graduation Celebration!
The current state guidance allows us to have 100 people outdoors for events, so this means that we are able to have a proper Graduation Ceremony this year! In years past, we have just graduated the Honeybees that were going on to Kindergarten the following year, but because since our 2020 Honeybees missed out on a Graduation last year AND this may be the only time we ever have an Owls class, we thought we’d let them graduate this year as well!
The event will be on Thursday, May 27th at 4:30 pm and will last approximately 1 hour.
Both classes have prepared a song, Miss Tanisha will be our keynote speaker and will read the book that she has written, we will have some light refreshments as well!
Due to the restrictions from the state, we can only confirm that each child can have two (2) guests attend. However, we will do our best to accommodate requests for extra tickets! Please make sure to sign up here:
Teacher Tips: Healthy Eating
If you are like most parents or educators out there, you have stressed a non-zero amount of times on feeding the children in your care.
Here at Common Ground we have gotten every question in the book, so we are going to try to give you some peace of mind:
How do I get my picky child to eat things? How do I get them to not hold out for sweets?
This is a tricky question, and one I have actually faced a lot at home. There is no one simple answer that works for everyone, but there are lots of ways you can get a child to eat outside of their comfort zone.
PLEASE NOTE! We are using “picky” as an umbrella term because it is the question we get asked so often. There are lots of reasons a child may be hesitant about food. Maybe it is a sensory discomfort! Maybe they had allergies in the past or have allergies now, and are just hesitant about trying NEW foods. Maybe there are plenty of foods they will eat, but they are not interested in a particular genre of food (vegetables, meats, etc.). MAYBE they are on a sweets kick and are on a hunger strike until they get what they want! Whatever the reason, there are things on their plate that you wish they would eat that they aren’t…
Be a Role Model: The best way to encourage a behavior is to EXHIBIT that behavior. Making sure everyone’s plate has pretty much the same thing is very effective. If you are drinking water instead of soda, if you are eating almonds for a snack and fresh fruit for dessert, you are helping to show that you really believe in what you are asking them to do, and are not just “making them eat” the healthy stuff.
Let them be involved in the process:
Planting fresh fruits and veggies in a local garden is an amazing option. We have seen kids try foods grown right here at Common Ground that they would never try at home. Don’t have time or space to have a garden? There are plenty of farms locally that offer “picking” days! You would be supporting local farms and providing your child an amazing, technology/screen-free activity that might encourage them to try a new food.
Cooking together in the kitchen and having them be “in charge” of a particular meal or dish gives them control and autonomy. Let them serve your plate too! Kids want control in their lives. Giving them a little bit helps them develop independence and confidence. Cooking has also been known to be an excellent activity for math and number sense!
Offer Limited Choices: Give the child choices for what they want, but eliminate the choices that you would rather they not pick! “Do you want broccoli or cauliflower?” over “Do you want broccoli for dinner?” This is especially important if you want to cut back on the sweets intake! Offer healthier options for snacks and desserts.
Is my kid eating enough?
Here is a guide to how much kids should be eating generally: Infant Guide, Child Guide, General Nutritional Guide
I was personally shocked at how little kids actually need to keep growing healthy and happy. Children have an incredible ability to self-regulate. They know their bodies, when they are hungry, what they need. Sometimes, in an effort to make sure they are getting enough food, we are actually over-feeding/force-feeding our children, which can cause this ability to self-regulate to disappear. As long as our children are hitting their markers and their doctor is happy with their progress, they are okay! Make sure to keep in regular contact and stay up to date on your doctor visits.
Is my kid eating too much?
Does your kid seem to want a lot of snacks in between meals? Do they seem to always want way more helpings than you expect? Fear not! Most of the time, kids are eating what they need to eat. During a growth spurt they tend to eat a ton! Kids who are especially active may also want extra snacks between meals. Here are some healthy tips to snacking:
Do not offer overly sugary food items for snacks. Kids will eat these even when they are not hungry! Same thing with sugary drinks. Water or milk are the liquids kids should be drinking during most meals. (Tip: Sometimes thirst masks itself as hunger! Make sure that water is always available)
The best “between meals” snacks are little healthy portions of foods that have a low glycemic index: fruits, nuts, cheese, veggies with hummus, nut butters on whole grain breads, etc. these have the good proteins and fats that kids need, and they will probably be less snacky overall. Chips, goldfish crackers, these kinds of snacks may not be sweet but they ACT like sweets. They have fewer healthy bonuses and their high glycemic index leads to the kids needing to eat MORE of them just to feel full.
When to check with your doctor:
Your child is literally eating until they throw up
Your child eats constantly and doesn’t seem to be gaining weight, has abnormal bowel movements, and/or seems fatigued
How do I know if they are getting enough protein/vitamins/fat/fiber?
Our first bit of advice is going to be: KEEP UP A GOOD DIALOGUE WITH YOUR PEDIATRICIAN. If they have any concerns they will help guide you through a nutritional plan. You can also reference our nutritional guides we linked above so that you have a general idea of what a kid’s day should look like.
The most important thing to note is to not make eating an anxiety-inducing affair for anyone involved. Everyone gets caught in negative feedback loops, and since you can’t just skip eating for a few days and start fresh, it can make every meal exhausting. The trick is to offer a plate of the foods you want them to eat, and then leave them to it. It can take kids 15-18 times of trying a new food before it becomes a “normal food” for them.
FED IS BEST. Offer the complete plate every time so that they have the right options, but keep in mind that you really just want them eating enough to keep them moving and happy. It will all balance out.
Keep your eye out for more Teacher Tips on Healthy Eating and Exercise for Spring!!
Love Love Love,
LJ and your Common Ground Family
Teacher Appreciation Week
To work at Common Ground is to feel appreciated EVERY SINGLE DAY, but we love a celebration too! Multiple times per week, families offer to bring in goodies, treat us to lunch, or do something else to spoil our staff. To streamline the appreciation of our teachers, we have something special planned for every day. Rather than over stuff our teachers bellies, you can help by making sure to donate to our teacher bonus fund. This fund will be matched (and more) from Common Ground to give the teachers an end of the school year bonus at the end of May.
We are putting together a little video to celebrate how much we love our teachers! You can record a message and upload it here. Tips for recording a great message:
Keep it short
Daylight is best
let the kids say whatever they want - they’re the cutest!
we can edit out parts too, so don’t worry if it’s not perfect!
*Please keep in mind that this video will be shared publicly on YouTube and not to share any personally identifying information.
Thank you for your support!
WOYC21: ARTSY THURSDAY- We made Crayons!! Here's How...
It was a gorgeous, perfect day today… Most of our time was spent enjoying the outside and celebrating the good weather!
But your Common Ground Office Friends had a silly, fun, totally “Artsy Thursday” inspiration that we absolutely had to act on.
We decided to turn our GIANT TUB of broken, old crayons into new, tie-dye crayons in totally whacky shapes!
Ms. Mimi had seen the idea during one of her Teaching courses last week, and we LOVED it! Ms. Liz ran out to Michael’s to get some fun molds and we went to work! See below for pictures of our process and results!
Peel the crayons. If you want to make this process go a little faster, soak them in water! the wrapper comes right off.
Chop them up! They don’t need to be uniform. We used scissors (poor scissors!) and made a bunch of tiny chunks. Leave some of the chunks bigger, we’ll explain why later!
We used silicone molds with all sorts of different shapes! They can go in the microwave, the oven, and the freezer, so they’re perfect.
Place a layer of crayons in the molds. fill it up! When they crayons melt, they’ll shrink. Since these will completely melt and mix together, we advice complimentary colors.
Place in the microwave. 1-2 minute intervals should do it.
Once the wax is completely melted, place one of the larger chunks in the center of each mold shape. It will create a marbled look with the other colors you added. This color can be as different from the other colors as you like! You can also add another layer instead.
Put it into the microwave for a little bit longer, and then when you’re satisfied put it into the freezer until it’s firm and cool.
We got a uniform back onto the crayons by melting one or two colors into cups and then pouring a layer of wax into the molds once they had firmed up a bit in the freezer.
The result is, dare we say it, ADORABLE and totally functional! We gave them out to all of our students, and we have so many leftover crayons we plan on letting them make their own combinations in the future! It was such a bright, happy way to recycle our old crayons that no one seemed to want. Some of our kids did not even want to color with them! We had a couple of our Honeybee Students play with their robots like toys.
CG Birthday: Celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd
April is not just our birthday month! It’s the month we celebrate our incredible home: The Planet Earth.
What is the History of Earth Day?
April 22nd, 1970 was the very first Earth Day! Proposed in 1969 by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day was celebrated all over the nation in a collaborated effort between grass roots groups and their local governments. Elementary schools did trash-pickup and anti-litter movements. Flowers were planted. People swept their streets. Mothers protested the pollution destroying their children’s air quality.
Did it work?
By the end of 1970, the Nixon administration had established the Environmental Protection Agency and passed the Clean Air Act.
Environmental justice gained momentum in New York especially.
Activists increasingly emphasized “environmental racism,” or how toxins and lack of green spaces in poorer neighborhoods disproportionately affected communities of color.
In the 1980’s El Puente and WE ACT formed to oppose environmental hazards like sewage plants and other pollutants that contributed to health disparities, including high rates of asthma.
Many observers have invoked the threat of climate change and pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have pointed to falling pollution levels in cities, as certain industries are on hold and transportation has slowed.
What can you do?
You can educate yourself:
Know what legislation is affecting the environment all the way from your backyard up
Be aware of how climate change is affecting the earth
Read Read Read! Read to your kids too!
Enchanting Science and Nature Books for Kids from Scrawl Books
Over and Under the Rainforest (Hardcover) By Kate Messner, Christopher Silas Neal
Can You Hear the Trees Talking?: Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest (Hardcover) By Peter Wohlleben
I am the Wind (Hardcover) By Michael Karg, Sophie Diao (Illustrator)
Chase the Moon, Tiny Turtle: A Hatchling's Daring Race to the Sea (Hardcover) By Kelly Jordan, Sally Walker (Illustrator)
Baby Botanist (Baby Scientist #3) (Board book) By Dr. Laura Gehl, Daniel Wiseman (Illustrator)
Weird, Wild, Amazing!: Exploring the Incredible World of Animals (Hardcover) By Tim Flannery, Sam Caldwell (Illustrator)
Over and Under the Pond (Hardcover) By Kate Messner, Christopher Silas Neal (Illustrator)
Start Now!: You Can Make a Difference (Paperback) By Chelsea Clinton
Baby Oceanographer (Baby Scientist #1) (Board book) By Dr. Laura Gehl, Daniel Wiseman (Illustrator)
Volcano Wakes Up! (Paperback) By Lisa Westberg Peters, Steve Jenkins (Illustrator)
You can donate to non-profits that you trust to support concrete improvements. CHARITY NAVIGATOR is a pretty excellent place to check a non-profit’s rating.
Environmental Defense Fund
Mission: The Environmental Defense Fund is perhaps the most wide-ranging organization on this list, working to provide solutions under the broad categories of climate change, oceans, wildlife and habitats, and health. The EDF works with other organizations, businesses, government, and communities to create incentives for positive environmental actions; help companies become better environmental stewards; influence policy; and keep tabs on emerging issues
Top Programs: Climate and energy, oceans, ecosystems
Percent of expenses spent on programs: 79.1
Charity Navigator Score: 94.48The Nature Conservancy
Mission: The Nature Conservancy protects ecologically important lands and waters around the world with the help of more than 500 staff scientists.
Top Programs: Climate change, fire, fresh water, forests, invasive species, and marine ecosystems
Percent of expenses spent on programs: 71.2
Charity Navigator Score: 84.35Natural Resources Defense Council
Mission: The Natural Resources Defense Council seeks to protect the basics—air, land, and water—and to defend endangered natural places, with an eye toward how these long-term decisions affect humans.
Top Programs: Climate, land, wildlife, water, oceans, energy, food, sustainable communities
Percent of expenses spent on programs: 83.6
Charity Navigator Score: 96.35American Rivers
Mission: American Rivers protects wild rivers, restores damaged rivers and the wildlife they support, and conserves clean water for people and nature, with an eye toward recreationists as well.
Top Programs: River restoration, federal river management, clean water supply
Percent of expenses spent on programs: 74.9
Charity Navigator Score: 88.18Sierra Club Foundation
Mission: The Sierra Club Foundation is the fiscal sponsor of the Sierra Club’s charitable environmental programs, and promotes efforts to educate and empower people to protect and improve the natural and human environment. The Sierra Club is the principal, though not exclusive, recipient of SCF’s charitable grants.
Top Programs: Beyond Coal, Chapter and Group Education Project, Our Wild America
Percent of expenses spent on programs: 88.5
Charity Navigator Score: 94.08
How you can celebrate at home
Animal Exercises to do at home with your kids ALL MONTH.
Stock up on reusable bags and try to go a month without using plastic ones!
Plant pollinator friendly local plants in your garden
Walk whenever you can or take public transportation (Keeping in mind Covid-19 precautions)
Use blankets or open windows rather than cranking up the Heater or AC
Pick up trash when you can! Even one piece can make a difference.
Watch Our Planet or Planet Earth to get your kids excited and curious about Earth
Remember everyone, we all share ONE COMMON GROUND. Our little blue planet is precious, and we have to take good care of it.
Love Love Love,
Your CG Family
An Opportunity for Parents to Get Involved
We received the following request, passed along through NVAEYC, as an opportunity for parents of young children to get involved. If you would like to participate, please use the form under the request:
I’m reaching out to see if you can help VECF build a parent advisory group that will advise the Virginia Promise Partnership and its bold goal of ensuring access to quality, affordable child care for all families in Virginia by 2030.
We are committed to ensuring that parents of young children, birth through five, from diverse geographic, socioeconomic, racial, and linguistic backgrounds have the opportunity to inform this important work. And, while we have been grateful to have received nominations from some parts of the state, we want to be sure that parents in the communities you serve also have a voice.
The ask: To participate in an advisory group which would entail a commitment of an average one two-hour Zoom meeting a month (schedule to be determined) to help inform and shape policy decisions and development as we push for an equitable, accessible child care system for all Virginia parents. VECF would provide appropriate compensation for their time and contributions.
Can you think of a parent or two that you would recommend for this important task? If possible, it would be super helpful to have the following information about each recommended parent to make sure we are meeting our diversity goals: name, email address, region/community, race/ethnicity, home language, and number and age range of children/grandchildren. We’d love to have a list from which we can reach out to a selection of parents by April 16.
Feel free to send your suggestions my way! I have also copied Kathy Glazer on this email in case you have questions she could answer about this request. We’re hoping to get this group of parents together in the next couple weeks, so we would very much appreciate receiving your suggestions soon.
Thanks so much!
Alyson
________________________________________________
Alyson Williams, Ed.D.
Community Liaison for Mixed Delivery Grants
Virginia Early Childhood Foundation
1703 North Parham Road, Suite 110
Richmond, Virginia 23229
alyson@vecf.org
804.358.8323 ext. 103 (While our office is currenty virtual, this number will forward to my cell phone.)
VECF is redoubling our efforts to listen, learn, and act with intentionality to dispel racial injustice and economic disparity, internally and in all aspects of our work building equitable and durable early childhood systems. We ask that our partners and investors hold us accountable for these commitments.
CG Birthday: How to Celebrate with Us!
We are turning 49 on April 6th, but we are celebrating ALL MONTH LONG!!
Normally this would warrant one of our excellent all-school events with food trucks, moon bounces, a giant cake, maybe a carnival…
But since we can’t do that, we are finding a ton of new, exciting ways to celebrate, and we want to tell you how you can join us from your own home.
Sign up for our Spring Stuffy Sleepover!
Our featured author Andrea Lamont will be doing a reading of her new book “The Friendship Rock” for the stuffys and their kiddo friends at home. This event is a total blast that we really think is a perfect way to celebrate together while apart.
Participate in and Share our Book Fair!
From April 12th-April19th, 24/7, you can participate in our Online Book Fair with Scrawl Books! There will be readings, book recommendations, and wish lists! Whether you are supporting your classroom, buying your kids’ new favorite book, or finding your next “relax by the fire pit” Spring read, any book you buy supports our fundraising efforts to raise money for our Non-Profit mission. The best birthday present you can give Common Ground is helping us raise money for our educational efforts.
Host your own Fundraiser on Facebook!
Our Non-Profit missions benefit our students, our teachers, our outreach, our support of much needed educational reform. By supporting our beloved school, we are also supporting our community! Helping us raise money to support those efforts is an AMAZING WAY to help us celebrate our birthday.
Here is our Our PayPal Donation Link where anyone can donate! Thank you for widening our impact.
You can Celebrate “The Week of the Young Child” with us!
We have several activities we are doing with all of the children at the center, but here are some ideas for how to celebrate at home!
Music Monday: Instead of turning on the tv when you get home, turn on the stereo and have a dance party!! Show your kids your favorite songs, and let them show you theirs, make a big Youtube playlist of your favorites, dance your heart out!
Pro Tip: Eighties Pop makes great Dance Music, here is our Owl’s Spotify List.
Struggling to come up with songs? Check out our Mister Josh Rock at the Blocks series on Youtube!
Tasty Tuesday: THROW YOUR OWN COMMON GROUND BIRTHDAY PARTY!! We know putting together something complicated on a Tuesday night feel like it’ll take more energy than you have, so you can always save this for a free weekend day. Whether you decide to try it on a weeknight, or a weekend, this does not have to be over the top to be special with your kiddos. Big Bird has a super easy Banana Bread Recipe! Make healthy banana bread “cupcakes,” stick candles in them, sing Happy Birthday, and chow down!
Work Together Wednesday: At school we will be planting our new class gardens!! We encourage you to plant local, pollinator-friendly plants with your kiddo so they can contribute to a healthy environment. Every little act brings great goodness to the world, and if your kid learns that early with you, they will be more confident and ready to do more and more each day.
Artsy Thursday: Draw chalk art on your sidewalk. Send postcards to family members you haven’t seen awhile with pictures from your kids. Let your kids paint with ice cubes or paint rocks to leave on your local trails. Any little art project that you do with your kid is time spent creating something lovely in the world, no matter what your skill level is. This is also a perfect opportunity to show teacher appreciation: If you want to make your teacher’s day, have your kiddo make an art project for them telling their teacher just how much they matter.
Family Friday: Movie Night! Family Walk! Shadow Charades! Board games! If you want to make it Common Ground themed, this is a fine night to throw the CG Birthday Party! You can also do a “name that teacher” guessing game.
All-Smiles Saturday: Sign your kids up for our Saturday Session on April 10th! While your kids are partying it up with us, you can relax, go on a date, do some much needed yard work, finish that 1000 piece puzzle you’ve been saving, anything that makes you smile!
HOWEVER: If SPRING CLEANING without interruption is what really makes your Saturday perfect, we highly suggest saving any gently used clothing/linens, small household appliances, personal accessories, and books for our JUNE FUND-DRIVE DONATION EVENT! By cleaning out your houses and freeing up your space, you could earn your school BIG MONEY. It’s our favorite type of “fundraiser,” because it is a WIN WIN WIN. You get a cleaned out bureau and don’t create more waste, we get much needed funds for our various educational objectives, and someone gets much needed “new to them” items for an affordable price from UNIQUE without creating more waste.
Whatever you do to celebrate, however you do it, please send us pictures. We would love to make a huge birthday picture collage for the center to show all the ways we honored Common Ground Childcare. Show us your cakes, your decorations, your art projects and gardens! Whatever it looks like, it was done with love, and that is everything to us.
Love Love Love,
Your CG Family
P.S. Let us know how you plan on participating on Common Ground’s Birthday in the Comments!
Paleontology and Potatoes
When it comes to Child-Led Learning, Full-Body Play, and Play-Based Curriculum, our Owls Teachers are really DINO-mite.
Today was the last day of Spring Break, and we wanted to do something extra-special for the Owls. They spent last week solving fairy riddles, sewing their own stuffed animals, and just enjoying each other’s company. Being a whole class of hybrid learners, we knew what they really needed was a technology detox. The one drawback to last week was that it was pretty cold each day! But today is pretty mild, and we wanted to get the kids outside as much as possible before school restarted…
There is no greater grand-finale to a no-tech week than a prehistoric dinosaur dig!
The idea came from last summer, where we had noticed some of the kids were digging, looking for “dino bones” in the mulch. We thought to make it an actual activity for our spring break, so it was time to get our hands dirty! The owls prepared for our dino dig outside in our garden patch with Miss Liz! After the fun dirt patch was all set up and the owls went in for snack, something strange happened… suddenly the dirt was filled with small dinosaur skeletons and a scattering of gorgeous jewels! The students were absolutely delighted. They gathered around the patch with spoons and plastic baggies, carefully sifting through the new dirt to find “long-forgotten” treasures. The children had a great time observing the various rocks and minerals they had found. What we were delighted to see was, rather than being a total free-for-all, they began helping EACH OTHER find dinosaur skeletons amongst the dirt. They all took turns scooping and combing through soil, feeling for a fossil, bones or rocks. When some students found more dinosaurs than others, they made an effort to re-hide the skeletons and guided their friends to find it for their keeping.
This activity was an absolute delight for everyone involved. Not only did they get to experience a “paleontology dig,” but they practiced working on their socializing, patience, fine motor skills and problem solving. These social-emotional tools are as essential as any reading/writing practice, and the events have spurred their imagination for future games and projects. At the end of the day, everyone went home happy and with great treasures, a truly wonderful way to end the spring break at Common Ground.
This was just the first digging project. We have a lot of planting to do in April, especially during Week of the Young Child.
The Owls class has shown their love of digging and playing in dirt, so we figured a little Spring Break Gardening would partner nicely with our Dinosaur dig. Every so often you end up with a sprouting potato or two in your kitchen. That is an excellent and easy way to start growing your own and teach about nature and sustainability. We started with 6 sprouting potatoes, provided by a family member who started scrap gardening during the pandemic, and a google search https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/potato-grow-bag-instructions/7099.html. The class got to see the sprouting potatoes whole in the classroom and learned that seeds are not the only way things can grow. We purchased soil and two potato planting bags. With good quality Dollar Store spades, the kids took turns and worked together to get the base layer of soil down. We planted our chunks and took turns again to cover them up. The bags are placed on the grassy patch by the main entrance which is perfect for us to be able to monitor when we go out for recess and then add more soil when the sprouts outgrow the top layer.
As you can see, the best memories do not have to take too much effort. This is an afternoon they won’t soon forget! We encourage you to go on outside and get your hands dirty! You won’t regret it.
Easter Candy: Ingredients and Allergens
Hello Everyone!
We have Easter Egg Hunts going in our Honeybees Class, our Rising Stars Class, and our Dancing Monkeys Class! Inside these colorful plastic eggs we will be having Jolly Rancher Jellybeans and classic Marshmallow Peeps.
We will send these home to be doled out at parents’ discretion. If you want to see the nutritional facts, we have them here!
Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans Nutrition Facts
Marshmallow Peeps Nutrition Facts
Here are some other classic Easter Basket Candies!
3 Musketeers Nutrition Facts
Twix Bar Nutrition Facts
Russel Stover Chocolate Bunny Nutrition Facts
What are you favorite Easter Candies!? Put them in the comments and we will add them to our list!
Love Love Love,
Your Common Ground Family
CG Recommendations: Top Ten Strollers for Spring Walks
Hi! Spring is in the air and we are SO EXCITED to see so many of our parents walking up with their strollers to pick up their kids.
Reston is one of the most walkable cities in America. The local Reston nature trails are phenomenal and we are right on the W&OD Trail.
Do you want to walk to the Reston Farmer’s Market at Lake Anne? EASY! Did you want to take the W&OD trail to downtown Herndon? Vienna? No problem.
You could walk the Lake Thoreau Loop in South Reston, admire the incredible scenery, and stop to play at three playgrounds minimum with very little detour.
There are so many amazing spring ways to make memories right in your back yard! No travel or indoor activity Covid-19 risk required. While we urge caution and social distancing, we are also right on Metro’s Silver Line. If you wanted to take your family to walk among Washington DC’s gorgeous Cherry Blossoms (peaking until April 10th, 2021), you could get there without having to take a car at all!
The key here, of course, is having the right stroller for your young family.
Here at Common Ground, we have seen (and tried!) them all. Umbrella strollers. Jogging strollers. Double umbrella and jogging strollers. Convertible strollers that match up with carseats. Strollers with three wheels, four wheels, eight wheels. We are here to give you our TOP TEN recommendations so that you don’t have to find out mid-memory making that a particular stroller is just not working out…
Single Stroller: Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 Stroller, Jet
Carseat Travel Stroller: Graco Modes Pramette Travel System
Best Convertible Carseat Stroller: Doona Infant Car Seat & Latch Base – Car Seat to Stroller
Lightweight, One-Hand Foldable Stroller: Babyzen YOYO2 6+ Stroller
Excellent Jogging Stroller: BOB Gear Revolution Flex 3.0 Jogging Stroller
BEST NEWBORN TO 50lbs UMBRELLA STROLLER: Summer 3Dlite Convenience Stroller
Amazing, Unstoppable Double Jogging Stroller: BOB Gear Revolution Flex 3.0 Duallie Double Jogging Stroller
Best Economy Jogging Stroller: Baby Trend Expedition Double Jogger, Centennial
Best Lightweight Double Stroller: Kolcraft Cloud Plus Lightweight Double Stroller
Classic Ultralight Inexpensive Stroller: Cosco Umbrella Stroller with Canopy
Do you have a stroller you absolutely love and want to recommend? Leave your suggestion in the comments!
Love Love Love,
Your CG Family
Common Ground Celebrates: Week of the Young Child
We are excited to celebrate the 50th annual ‘Week of the Young Child’ with NAEYC just one week after Common Ground turns 49!
The Week of the Young Child is a chance for us to spotlight how we impact early childhood experiences. From the work we do in our classrooms to our advocacy work, we are excited to share Common Ground far and wide!
Each day the week of April 10th we will be celebrating a center wide theme! The classroom teachers will put their own spin on how they celebrate in their rooms to keep our fun age and developmentally appropriate!
‘All Smiles’ Saturday - we will be open for care from 9:30am to 2:30pm, since we know that Saturday hours put a smile on our parents faces!
Music Monday will feature an outdoor concert from Mr. Josh
Tasty Tuesday will include in class treats, and a chance to pick up dinner when you pick your kiddo up!
Work Together Wednesday will focus on working as a team to plant our gardens on the Common Ground grounds!
Artsy Thursday will feature amazing art work from all classes.
Family Friday will highlight how families, not just the kids that attend, are what make the Common Ground Community special!
During this week, we ask that you participate by sharing your support on your social media channels by sharing what Common Ground (and quality early childhood education) means to your family. You can:
share our posts
share photos of your child enjoying our activities
share your participation in some of our fun “at home” activities that we will share with you that support our themes
purchase some of the recommended books from our book fair, since reading together is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child
If you’d like to register for our “All Smiles Saturday” care hours, please do so here. Like last time, there is a suggested donation of $25 per child, however we know that the value of a few hours off work with care could be worth 100x that, so please don’t limit yourself! Donations can be made here: paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1778362
Birthday at CG: Our SPRING STUFFY SLEEPOVER!
April is our Birthday Month! And to give it a GRAND FINALE, we are hosting another SUPER POPULAR SPRING STUFFY SLEEPOVER!
What is a Stuffy Sleepover? We are glad you asked!
Kids bring their favorite toy. It can be a stuffed animal, a doll, an action-figure, an excavator! They leave them in the loving care of our teachers for a night of music, books, and awesome activities. Kids can watch their favorite toys play with their best friends’ favorite toys from either Facebook Live or YouTube.
Basically, it is a heartfelt way for kids to be together without BEING together.
We had seen them before, Scrawl Books does an especially fun series of them featuring amazing children’s authors.
They are ridiculous fun for everyone involved. CHECK OUT OUR VIDEOS FROM THAT NIGHT ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
STUFFY SLEEPOVER VIDEOS
On Friday, April 30th, the stuffies will come into Common Ground for a night of fun! This time, we are going to have our Mr. Josh sing-a-long around a CAMP FIRE! We will roast marshmallows, look at the stars, and read books about Spring. We will play outside, eat delicious snacks, and make something delightful for our kids at home. After that, we will camp out under the stars and dream of adventures with our Common Ground Family.
Our Featured Author is the warm-hearted, endlessly talented Andrea Lamont.
We will be reading her book “The Magic Friendship Rock,” a lovely story about imagination, art, and the absolute magic of friendship. The stuffys will bring home a copy of this book along with some other fun story-themed surprises to share with their friends.
The next morning on the First of May we will take all the stuffed animals (and other friends) home on the Common Ground Bus with a delightful goodie bag to share with their kiddo to remind them of all the fun things they did the night before.
Does this sound amazing? It does to us too. We could barely wait until Spring to party with all our magnificent stuffy friends again!
Sign Up Right Here!
$30.00 Donation to our COMMON GROUND BIRTHDAY Campaign gets you a ticket for the stuffy sleepover! It includes the goodie-bags, the fun, the live-videos, and more surprises!
Then you can drop your stuffed animal off on Thursday the 29th or Friday the 30th at the center (we will email you with the details when you register!) and it will be delivered home via the Common Ground Bus!
The money raised will go towards necessary educational initiatives at Common Ground Childcare.
In the spirit of OUR BIRTHDAY, since we cannot all BE together, at least we can celebrate together.
Miss LJ
Earth Hour: A Moment to Pause and Reflect
Saturday, March 27th at 8:30 PM local time is Earth Hour.
What is Earth Hour?
Traditionally, global skylines have gone dark and millions of individuals have turned off their lights for Earth Hour as a symbolic gesture to their commitment to preserving our planet.
EarthHour.Org encourages people to participate in the hopes to keep nature loss and climate change top of mind. It is that mindfulness and reflection that will encourage people of every generation to stop and reflect on the lovely fragility of this earth that holds the entirety of our past, our present, and our future.
The World Wildlife Post is hosting a meditative hour for peace and mindfulness Here. You can sign up for text reminders Here.
Reflection may be an important step, but it’s just the FIRST step. There are so many things you can do, even as an individual, to change the world for the better.
Educate Yourself
Earth Hour has links on Nature Loss and Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Potential Solutions Here
World Wildlife Fund has several excellent links on what’s at stake, what needs to change, and how we can help Here
Nasa talks about the proof of Climate Change Here
COTAP.org talks about several ways to reduce your Carbon Footprint Here
The Rainforest Alliance offers tips on how to teach your kids about Climate Change Here
One Planet One Future has a video lesson series coming out that you can watch Here
SCRAWL BOOKS has a whole section on Science and Nature for Kids Here
Sign Petitions and Donate
Earth Hour has its pledge for educating others and finding greener ways to live Here
World Wildlife Fund has a ton of excellent petitions to go through Here and several ways to donate Here
GLOBAL DEAL FOR NATURE PETITION HERE
TWENTY GLOBAL NON-PROFITS PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT YOU CAN DONATE TO HERE
#GiveFundsGiveTime is a motto we came up with during our Giving Tuesday event last year, but we find that the concept behind it is one we want to keep top of mind ALL year long. If you don’t have the funds to donate, spend time educating yourself and others! Every time you pass on knowledge to someone, they pass it on to someone else. These good deeds ripple out. You may be one person, but one person spreading their love can change the world.
With Love,
Ms. LJ and your Common Ground Family
Friends of CG Fridays!: True Mover
HURRAY! IT’S TIME FOR OUR “FEATURED FRIENDS OF CG” FRIDAY!
This week we are bragging on someone who LITERALLY and FIGURATIVELY moved us with their professionalism, kindness, and flawless work ethic.
True Mover in Sterling — Chris and Robert will take care of you.
TrueMover is a small family of local movers born out of a passion for hard work. Their team was entirely raised in Northern Virginia, and everyone there has known one another since the days of High School sports. When asked if they enjoy the work, they said:
“It is a great blessing to be physically active every day with people that we love!”
True Mover serves all of Northern Virginia, but can and do move nationwide regularly. They offer full service moving and storage, and their warehouse is right down the street from us in Sterling, Virginia!
Our Story with True Mover
The year 2020 was stressful the world over. But here at Common Ground, the stress started a little earlier that year, and for reasons completely unrelated to the Covid-19 pandemic.
After a year-long experiment we realized we had to recombine the Common Ground Wiehle-Metro location and the Common Ground Wainwright location. Our Honeybee and Turtle Kindergarten classrooms suddenly had to be at home AND comfortable in the Great Hall, a space that had to be completely cleared and refilled every single week so that weekend groups could use the space.
We were tight on space, funds, time, and energy.
Enter our friends at True Mover.
They loaned us durable plastic storage boxes for all of our Wiehle-Metro classroom supplies.
Once everything was packed up and appropriately labeled they made quick work of emptying that center.
They took all of the essential classroom boxes to the Wainwright location and took all of the “storage boxes” into a very reasonably priced storage unit in Sterling.
They allowed us a week with the storage boxes to unpack all of our classroom items carefully in the Wainwright location.
The most incredible part was: they helped us every Friday night to empty out the Great Hall Room and reload it with all of the furniture in the right places on Sunday night. Every week. One company of movers basically solved 90% of our problems.
January and February of 2020 were really hard months. There was a lot to figure out, a lot of questions to answer, a lot of valid concerns on how we were going to make this work. Our teachers were steadfast and patient, our parents were open-minded and helpful, our children were resilient and optimistic.
Without the help of True Mover crew, it would have been impossible. We are eternally grateful and we will shout our recommendations of their work ethic and character from the rooftops.
Moving is one of the most stressful things you can do in your entire life. Hire a crew that you trust to really have your best interests at heart. Also, you know, moving with a U-Haul is really annoying.
www.thetruemover.com // chris@thetruemover.com - 703-577-6422 // robert@thetruemover.com - 571-777-0800
Women's History Month: Fantastic Books for Kids
Hello Common Ground Readers!
TODAY IS READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY!!
March is also WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, so we decided to share ten of our most favorite books to share with your children. Reading to children is essential. It is food for their imagination. It is integral to the development of empathy and understanding people not like them.
Reading is a gateway to the entirety of what we can know. All you have to do is hand them the keys.
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison: Buy Here - Little Leaders educates and inspires as it relates true stories of forty trailblazing black women in American history.
What will I be? by Jayla Joseph: Buy Here - There are no limits on the greatness we can achieve! A positive & powerful picture book showing Black girls planning for their futures.
Little Feminist Board Book Set by Lydia Ortiz: Buy Here - It is never too early to learn about amazing women of history! This set of board books teaches our littlest leaders about women activists, artists, leaders, and pioneers with colorful pictures to capture their imagination.
Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World by Kate Pankehurst: Buy Here - Share a different story each night, fill your children’s brains with all of the wondrous things even one person can do to change the world.
A Is for Awesome!: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World by Derek Desierto: Buy Here - Why stick with plain old A, B, C when you can have Amelia (Earhart), Malala, Tina (Turner), Ruth (Bader Ginsburg), all the way to eXtraordinary You―and the Zillion of adventures you will go on?
Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating : Buy Here - Who doesn’t love sharks? Who doesn’t love a woman awesome and brave and smart enough to swim with sharks just to learn about them? Read your little marine biologist all about Eugenie Clark!
My Little Golden Book about Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Buy Here - The Little Golden Books all about amazing women are phenomenal, and this one is no exception. Add it to your shelf for your little freedom fighter.
The Girl who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill: Buy Here - This one is for middles instead of littles, but it is worth reading to anyone who will listen. Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the Forest, Xan, is kind. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon. Xan rescues the children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey.
I will be Fierce! by Bea Birdsong: Buy Here - A powerful picture book about courage, confidence, kindness, and finding the extraordinary in everyday moments.
Dear Girl: A Celebration of Wonderful, Smart, Beautiful You! by Amy Krause Rosenthal: Buy Here - A book about how every woman is extraordinary, especially YOU.
Please share your favorite children’s books on amazing women in the comments!
Do you like posts like these?? We have several book lists for all different themes! Here’s one for Children’s Books on Math!
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St. Anne's Episcopal Blood Drive!
As 2021 presses on, there are so many people who are in need! It can be overwhelming to decide where to start, and sometimes it is hard to tell if you’re really making a difference. (Although here at Common Ground, we really believe that all good deeds ripple out, no matter how small).
Donating blood costs no money and very little time, but it is a constant, essential need! Every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. 1 donation can potentially save up to 3 lives.
St. Anne’s Episcopal Church is hosting a blood drive on March 5th!
WHEN: Friday, March 5th, from 12PM-6PM
WHERE: St. Anne’s Episcopal Church! There will be an INOVA Bloodmobile
HOW: Register below, show up for your time slot, it’s that simple!
WHY: To save lives. Our hospitals are strained and people need help more than ever. This is something small we can do to really make a difference!
REGISTER HERE: https://www.inovabloodsaves.org/index.cfm?group=op&expand=27318&zc=20190
PLEASE SHARE THE FLYER! THE MORE DONATIONS THEY GET, THE MORE LIVES THEY SAVE.
FLYER
Let’s all get together as a community and let our goodness shine!!
-Your CG Fam