2024 Thanksgiving Boxes
Common Ground Childcare is working with Cornerstones to gather Thanksgiving boxes for Reston Families in need!
What's a Thanksgiving Box? Each one is fully stocked with everything needed to make a complete Thanksgiving dinner for a family. No person should ever have to go hungry, especially in a time of giving and gratitude. Let's show gratitude for our good fortune by sharing it with our community!
HERE IS THE LINK TO OUR SIGNUP GENIUS
If you would like to help us build these Thanksgiving Boxes, there are a couple of different ways to sign up!
>You can choose to help your child's class by purchasing certain items. Each class with decorate and pack one box, while our School Aged Program will build all of the additional boxes donated through individual items and cash donations!
> You can build your OWN box as a family
ALL ITEMS AND BOXES MUST BE BROUGHT TO COMMON GROUND CHILDCARE CENTER BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH, BY THE END OF THE DAY.
That will ensure that we have enough time to organize them and fill in any missing pieces before drop off on Wednesday, November 20th.
Do you know someone in your family or neighborhood who would like to sign up to donate a Thanksgiving box?
Encourage them to sign up! There are hundreds of families who are struggling to provide for their families this year… we want to help as many people as we can every way we can.
Common Ground Childcare: sign-up here
2022 Thanksgiving Boxes - Let's make the holidays bright!
Common Ground Childcare and St. Anne's Episcopal Church are working with Cornerstones to gather Thanksgiving boxes for Reston Families in need!
What's a Thanksgiving Box? Each one is fully stocked with everything needed to make a complete Thanksgiving dinner for a family. No person should ever have to go hungry, especially in a time of giving and gratitude. Let's show gratitude for our good fortune by sharing it with our community!
HERE IS THE LINK TO OUR SIGNUP GENIUS
If you would like to help us build these Thanksgiving Boxes, there are a couple of different ways to sign up!
>You can choose to help your child's class by purchasing certain items
> You can build your OWN box as a family
ALL ITEMS AND BOXES MUST BE BROUGHT TO COMMON GROUND CHILDCARE CENTER BY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH, BY THE END OF THE DAY.
That will ensure that we have enough time to organize them and fill in any missing pieces before drop off on Thursday, November 10th.
Do you know someone in your family or neighborhood who would like to sign up to donate a Thanksgiving box?
Encourage them to sign up with either Common Ground Childcare or St. Anne’s Episcopal Church! There are hundreds of families who are struggling to provide for their families this year… we want to help as many people as we can every way we can.
Common Ground Childcare: sign-up here
St. Anne’s Episcopal Church: sign-up here
Emotional Resilience - The First Days of School
The First Day of School is FULL OF EMOTIONS!
And not just from our students! Teachers, Parents, Bus Drivers, Admins, even pets feel the change in our schedules.
Flip flops are exchanged for sneakers. Swimsuits and goggle are exchanged for books and pens. There are new routines, new friends, new rules.
Here at Common Ground we experience the beginning of school from all sides. A lot of our school-aged kids have been with us since they were babies! When they get off the bus, all we want to see is a HUGE, confident smile on their faces after a long, successful day.
Brace yourselves, friends, because the reality is, they are just as likely to come off the bus crying. If it’s not the first day, it may be the fifth, or the ninth day when the novelty wears off and the anxiety and fatigue kicks in.
It is totally normal for a kid to be bewildered, overwhelmed, or even angry about what seem to you to be the littlest things.
Even so, this can be a lot to process. In the moment, you may not know what to do or say! Having experienced this ourselves with LOTS of kids as teachers and parents, we have some perspective and tips to share with you.
FOCUS ON THE WHOLE.
When you ask your child how their day went, we know you really, really just want for it to have all gone well. It hurts your heart when the first thing (or the only thing) they bring up are all the bad and sad things that happened to them! You might be inclined to say “let’s focus on the good things! forget the bad, tell me the good!” in an effort to help reshape their perspective. Ignoring the bad does not change their perspective. It just makes them feel like those feelings are shameful, or that they’re wrong for feeling that way. They may even try to hide their worries and negative feelings from you. Worries and negative feelings are as natural as victories and good feelings, and should be honored with the same weight.
Allowing each child to speak. One of the tricks we noticed works really well with kids, especially if there are multiple kids around the dinner table who want to share bits from their day, is to take turns sharing one thing at a time. We go around the table and share one good thing each, then one bad thing, then one weird thing. We keep going around until everyone is shared out.
The round robin mentioned above may not work if a kiddo has a big worry or problem to share. They also may not want to share it with an audience! Taking them one-on-one for a moment to let them talk it all out may be required before they can even focus on finding a good thing to share. Whether you are comforting them, helping them find a solution, or just simply honoring their feelings, you are letting them be heard. That is sometimes all they need.
Finding good things to say about the day is still important. Sometimes we are inclined to give more attention to issues and worries because we are trying to honor them! This is good, but we want to be engaged with their positive stories too. When they are sharing, be sure to give them your full attention. Ask questions, give them specific feedback, show you are interested! We have found that having a specific “cell-phone parking” place for these conversations is incredibly helpful for everyone involved. We get so much more out of something that has our complete attention.
Remember: What you focus on, you get more of. Giving each share equal value and weight will encourage them to share everything, not just the things that get them the most praise or comfort. It will help them honor their day with a more objective perspective.
Whatever they share, the good, the bad, and the weird, show your gratitude. Thank them for sharing their whole day with you, and for discussing solutions for any sticky bits! This will remind them that, no matter what, you are a safe space. Don’t forget to share YOUR day with them too! Your victories, your frustrations (obviously ones they can handle and help with), and moments when you felt you weren’t your best. This reminds them that you are human, that you are not perfect, and certainly do not expect your loved ones to be.
THERE IS NO “PERFECT.”
There are no perfect days. There are no perfect people. Perfect is an enemy of the Good, and expecting perfection only leads to disappointment. THIS IS NOT A NEGATIVE STATEMENT! This is freeing, and empathetic, and forgiving. It allows for a day to be GOOD even if a bunch of things didn’t go right. It allows for a friend to be a good friend even if they don’t alway get along. It allows for a child to know they are amazing, no caveats required. We are all intimately familiar with fear of failure. We all know those days where it feels like one misstep spoils the rest of the dance. It is incredibly hard to remember, when we are upset, to give others the benefit of the doubt, and to not take others’ actions personally.
Scenario 1: Your child is upset because they feel like their teacher did not call on them as much as other people. Honor that feeling! Let them know that it may very well be true. But also remind them that Teachers are not perfect. Remind them that it’s their teacher’s first week of school with nineteen new children they need to get to know, so maybe they just made a mistake! This lets the child know that it’s not a “vs. them” situation, that they can give their trusted adults the benefit of the doubt.
Scenario 2: Your child is upset because they had friction with their friend. This is disappointing! This is uncomfortable! No one likes this, and let them know that. Remind them that friction is normal, and is important for growth and learning to talk to each other with honesty. Remind them that our friends have bad days too, and they are learning to express themselves too. EVERYTHING TAKES PRACTICE, including friendship!
Scenario 3: Your child is mad at you because, while you were running late for the bus this morning, you snapped at them to put on their shoes. Apologize. Let them know that parents are not perfect. This is a good reminder for you too. you are not perfect! Forgive yourself, practice, and grow. Let your child know that you were frustrated, that you should not have acted that way, and encourage them to discuss solutions with you for how to avoid rushing in the morning. This is where you could encourage them to, perhaps, have their shoes on by a certain time. This empowers them with responsibility, and creates a “team” out of a blame/vs. situation.
WHAT WE CAN CONTROL/WHAT WE CAN’T CONTROL: We cannot make others feel or act the way we want them to. But that means they cannot make us feel or act any particular way either. Kids want control over their world as much as we do, and they want us to help them find peace within themselves. We cannot MAKE them feel happy or grateful or confident. We can help them find the tools to do that on their own.
Check out our posts on DEEP BREATHS to help you and your kiddos regulate your own emotions.
We cannot control how others feel and react. Work hard to hope for the best for everyone in your life. WISH WELL.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE: We don’t have all the answers! Check out some of these resources that we recommend to help with emotional resilience, gratitude, conflict resolution, and communication. This list will be updated often, so come and check it out!:
Chrysanthemum: A First Day of School Book by Kevin Hankes: Chrysanthemum thinks her name is absolutely perfect—until her first day of school. "You're named after a flower!" teases Victoria. "Let's smell her," says Jo. Chrysanthemum wilts. What will it take to make her blossom again?
Ninja Life Hacks: Books for Emotions and Feelings: Life is tough. But so are you! The new children’s book series, Ninja Life Hacks, was developed to help children learn valuable life skills. Fun, pint-size characters in comedic books easy enough for young readers, yet witty enough for adults.
Ninja Life Hacks: Books for a Growth Mindset: The new social emotional learning children's book series, Ninja Life Hacks, was developed to help children learn valuable life skills. Fun, pint-size characters in comedic books easy enough for young readers, yet witty enough for adults.
Doggyland - Kids Songs and Nursery Rhymes: Snoop Dog is ready to use his vast talents to teach our kids social-emotional skills!
Essential Bluey Episodes: Bluey is an amazing children’s show on Disney+ with some incredibly key episodes for overcoming emotional obstacles:
Bin Night: Bingo is being teased by a new child in her class, and has conversations about it with her parents over the course of a month.
Bike: When Bluey becomes frustrated with riding her bike, her dad, Bandit, has Bluey watch her little sister Bingo and friends trying difficult things.
Dance Mode and Yoga Ball: Dance Mode and Yoga Ball are all about finding your voice and standing up for your feelings, especially with people you love!
Pass the Parcel: This is an episode about learning that disappointment is a natural feeling when losing, but that it does not have to define your fun!
Most importantly, keep an open channel of communication with you and your teachers! Conscious Discipline’s idea of “The School Family” insists up on the fact that you, your child, and your child’s teacher all want the same thing: For Students to grow up safe, healthy, happy, and confident. Giving each other honesty, communication, and the benefit of the doubt is key to strengthening those bonds and giving your child a firm foundation.
What kind of obstacles did your child have on the first day of school? How did you handle them? What kind of tools do you wish you or your child have? Let us know in the comments!
How to Help Ukraine and Ukrainian Families
Russian-Ukraine War: Info and Ways to Help I Write to Elected Officials I Voices of Children
What’s Happening in Ukraine? I How to talk to your child I Books and PBS Info for Kids
Ukrainian families are fleeing their homes, and those that cannot escape must seek refuge in subway stations. Hundreds of thousands of people are without electricity, water, or basic supplies. There could be as many as seven million refugees in desperate need of help. It is disheartening to see people suffering and feel powerless offer assistance, especially when so many of them are children.
How do we do anything that seems gigantic and overwhelming and impossible?
One piece, one step, one breath at a time.
A crisis like this is a marathon, not a sprint. Help how you can, when you can. Whether it’s time or funds, you will be able to offer aid less often and consistently if you overextend yourself.
Ask for help. Many hands make light work, and if you encourage everyone around you to give a little, and they reach out in turn, the ripples from your initial kindness will expand exponentially.
Here is some guidance for how to help out:
UNICEF - Protect Children in Ukraine: UNICEF has been working nonstop in eastern Ukraine, delivering lifesaving programs for affected children and families as fighting has taken an increasingly heavy toll on the civilian population of 3.4 million people — including 510,000 children — living in the Donbas region
World Food Program USA: $75 can provide a family with an emergency box containing enough food for an entire month.
NOVAUKRAINE is a local Northern Virginia group that you can volunteer your time with.
AirBNBs in Ukraine: A lot of people cannot get out of Kyiv. As a result, a lot of Ukrainians who run AirBnBs in the country are offering their houses to families who can’t stay at home. You could purchase a week in an airBnB to support a family directly, especially families that are offering their homes.
NPR gathered a ton of vetted charities where you can donate. Check them all out HERE.
Another small way to help that might also be meaningful to kids and to help them feel connected is to buy digital patterns (sewing/knitting/crochet/etc) or art from Ukrainian creators on Etsy. It’s a small but measurable way to help. One woman is using her Etsy store to sell digital art made by her children JuliaHappyArts's shop on Etsy https://etsy.me/3sy2OsF. (Thanks for the brilliant suggestion!)
Educate yourself and your child about what’s happening. We have provided some helpful links above.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: Encourage your children’s desire to help and comfort, not any desires for violence or vengeance. If the kid says “I wish I could fight the bad guys,” help them to write a letter to a Ukrainian child instead. Focus on the people who need help. Encourage helpful behaviors and compassionate feelings.
If you have any questions or anything to add to our list, please email us or message in the comments below. We will update this! Let’s extend Common Ground’s reach. Love your neighbors, wish them well, work toward a better world.
Love Love Love,
Your CG Family
Ms. Gitti talks to our preschoolers about Nowruz
What is Nowruz?
Nowruz is the Persian New Year. Our beloved Ms. Gitti went over the basics with our Busy Bees and Love Bugs this morning! It is all about new beginnings. It's a time of reconciliation and neighborliness, "contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among peoples and different communities."
Nowruz marks the end of the old year and the beginning of a new one, and it occurs on the day of the vernal equinox.
It occurs on March 20th this year coinciding with the arrival of Spring!
People start getting ready for Nowruz about three weeks before the actual vernal equinox. Pretty much everyone goes into serious spring-cleaning mode, ridding their homes of any unnecessary clutter and lingering grime that’s settled in over the past year so they can start fresh.
In these same weeks leading up to the actual day, families also set aside a space for a “haft-seen,” or a collection of items that symbolize a different hope for the new year. While some families add their own variations to the haft-seen (more on those in a bit), there are seven things that are always included:
Sabzeh: Some kind of sprout or grass that will continue to grow in the weeks leading up to the holiday, for rebirth and renewal
Senjed: Dried fruit, ideally a sweet fruit from a lotus tree, for love
Sib: Apples, for beauty and health
Seer: Garlic, for medicine and taking care of oneself
Samanu: A sweet pudding, for wealth and fertility
Serkeh: Vinegar, for the patience and wisdom that comes with aging
Sumac: A Persian spice made from crushed sour red berries, for the sunrise of a new day
Today, our preschoolers got to do one of the most important parts of the celebration! Ms. Gitti presented all of us with two bowls.
We took a handful of lentils from one, make a wish for the new year, and place it in the other bowl. These lentils will sprout and be a part of the celebration! Thirteen days after Nowruz, families head outdoors and throw the lentil sprouts they've been growing (and using to decorate Haft Sin tables) into flowing waters.
Do you celebrate Nowruz? What kind of traditions does your family have?
We wish you well! Share your joy with us!
Your CG Family
FCPS Language Immersion Lottery Now Open
If you have rising Kindergarteners or first graders and are interested, the lottery for the language immersion programs in Fairfax County opened today. We have been really impressed with what we have seen from the Lake Anne Spanish Immersion Kindergarten Teachers. .
Below please find additional information.
For families wanting to apply for Lake Anne Dual Language Immersion, the lottery registration begins today. Here are the dates
Online registration will close March 3, 2022 at 4 p.m.
Status notification emails regarding lottery outcomes will be sent on March 16, 2022.
Parent online responses with school selection, signed disclosure statement and fee payment (if applicable) is due on March 30, 2022.
Late online registration will open March 16, 2022. Late applications will be added to the end of the generated waiting list according to the date received.
https://www.fcps.edu/registration/dual-language-immersion-programs-registration
In order for families to place their kids in the lottery, they need to register their rising kindergartener at their base elementary school and ask for an activated SIS Parent account.
https://www.fcps.edu/registration/kindergarten-registration
Then they go to this URL and log into their SIS account.
https://insys.fcps.edu/WLImmersion/login/ED/00
The Hunters Woods lottery is separate and has slightly different dates, beginning in March. Hunters Woods has an info session on 17 Feb. Hunters Woods Elementary School has a magnet program for the Arts and Sciences. Through Responsive Instruction, Responsive Classroom strategies, arts integration, STEAM and Project Based Learning (PBL) opportunities, we work to promote a collaborative family of learners, focusing on innovations in teaching and learning. The staff at Hunters Woods is committed to weaving the arts throughout the curriculum.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/elementary-magnet-schools
https://www.fcps.edu/registration/elementary-magnet-school-lottery
It is ok to go into both lotteries. It is also ok to accept a Lake Anne offer and then decline it if you get into Hunters Woods. You do not give up your spot at your neighborhood school or the other lottery by doing so.
Holidays in Covid: Keep The Spirit Despite Quarantine
*PLEASE NOTE: we will be adding more items all week long! Check for updates!*
Home for the Holidays is not such a jolly thought when it’s because of Quarantine.
That’s where so many of us find ourselves right now. With 569 new cases in Fairfax County just today (Fairfax County Health Dept. Dashboard), there are a ton of families in our community who will not be traveling to see loved ones for Christmas.
So what do you do to help maintain the Christmas Spirit if you are stuck in quarantine? Ms. Victoria and I (Ms. LJ) have been there before, and are in that situation now, and we thought we would help you get some good ideas.
Holiday Stories: You could go totally screen-less for most of our activity suggestions below, or you could have holiday specials playing in the background! But my personal recommendation will always be BOOKS AND STORIES.
Audible books has a ton of kid-friendly holiday audio dramas and read-alouds. It really puts me in a festive mood to share favorite stories with the littles.
Do you have family that you would like to visit, but you are playing it safe? You can read over zoom. Read stories to each other! Do this nightly! You could read a chapter book and parse them out chapter by chapter until the end of the year! During the day you could talk about what might happen next, send theories to each other, or just talk about your favorite part. We did this with my friend and her kids last year and the kids got to pick out picture books for each other. It was just one more gift they could give to their friends, and it made them feel like they were together even when they were apart.
We have a WHOLE SERIES of Read-Alouds! They are available HERE on our website and on our YouTube Channel! We also have a HOLIDAY PLAYLIST where we will be adding more videos!
Caroling: Spread is limited outdoors, and it is easy to socially distance. You can go to your friends’ and family’s houses and sing your favorite Christmas songs to them on your sidewalk! Sidebar: We do not advise singing together with a group that isn’t quarantined with you, even outside. You expectorate far more when singing! We advise singing to a group at least ten feet away.
CARDBOARD CRAFTS:
We know you’ve ordered just a ton of stuff from the internet for the holidays… right? No? Just us? Well if you’re like us, There’s definitely plenty of cardboard to go nuts with. When we were stuck in quarantine, we built a very interesting space ship… It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be jolly!
Do you not have enough to make a whole house? Make a mini gingerbread cardboard village! Everyone cuts and decorates their own house and can cut out little cardboard people, animals, furniture, space ships… this is something that could take up literal hours.
Holiday Recipes and Foodie Crafts:
Holiday Activities and Crafts:
Print-Outs: Sometimes a relaxing activity on a cold day can be as easy as coloring with hot cocoa. I’m serious! Sometimes we as parents think memories have to involve HUGE EVENTS. My daughter’s favorite thing is to color together with no distractions. Put on Christmas music, get out the colored pencils, make some hot cocoa, and just get goofy with it. Click the links we have to get print outs, or just google your own! Holiday Print Outs
Advanced: If your kid is a little older, use a little journal or even some stapled together pieces of paper to make your OWN. HOLIDAY. STORY. Write your family’s next classic! This activity is fun for the whole family, allows your school-ager to practice writing and drawing, and can be a real laugh riot.
CLICK HERE for a little book creation pdf!
Here’s a MINI BOOK creation PDF and instructions!
Holiday Themed Dance Party: I am so not kidding when I say that “dancing it out” helps drive away the darkness. Studies have shown that dancing helps with anxiety and depression. It boosts mood and memory, which is perfect for making new holiday traditions!
Maybe you feel like pretending you’re on stage during The Nutcracker.
Holiday Scavenger Hunts: Do you have local family that’s in the area that you can’t visit because one of you is in quarantine? That really stinks… and it’s hard. BUT there is something you can do to show that you’re around.
Chalk games:
Write loving messages on their walkway! Have them do the same for you
Write HOLIDAY RIDDLES THEY HAVE TO SOLVE BY THE END OF THE EVENING!
Draw a little game they have to play outside like hopscotch or floor is lava or dance party! If they’re little kids it doesn’t have to be too complicated, just have spaces where they HAVE to run like a reindeer or play “don’t see Santa!” freeze dance.
Write each other up a “holiday nature walk” scavenger hunt! Possible things that could go on your list:
A snowman light up structure
A unique/whacky inflatable
A singing house
A bit of frost on the ground
A wreath made of real foliage
A real Deer
A Santa Claus
People singing live music
Birdsong
A Winter Constellation, like Orion’s Belt
A moon in a particular phase
An Evergreen Tree
A squirrel/Chipmunk
Holiday Drive-Thru Lights: Ms. Victoria is a HOLIDAY LIGHT GURU. We are going to provide links for a couple of official set-ups you can buy tickets to, but we will also have QR codes available that will take you on an amazing round trip through some spectacular light shows in your area free of charge!! Make sure you go to the bathroom, pack your favorite snacks, and have some music queued up for the radio (scroll up for links to neat music playlists on spotify).
Conscious Discipline: The School Family
School Climate Impacts All Achievement
Ask yourself, “Would I rather have children say, ‘What do I get if I’m good?’ or ‘How do I give of my goodness?’” How you answer this question will determine the school climate and culture you want to create. School climate impacts all achievement. The culture of a school can foster bullying, blame and cliques, or it can build cooperation, willingness and responsibility.
The School Family builds connections between families and schools, teachers and teachers, teachers and students, and students and students to ensure the optimal development of all.
Historically, we have unconsciously used the metaphor of a factory when creating our classrooms and schools. The goal of a factory is to create standardized products through a rewards and punishment paradigm. Research and experience prove that we need a new metaphor if we wish to build successful and safe educational institutions. The School Family, built on a healthy family model, is this new metaphor. The goal of a healthy family is the optimal development of all members.
The School Family is created through routines, rituals and structures.
The School Family creates a fundamental shift in education and classroom management. Leave coercion, fear and external rewards behind, and step into a world where intrinsic motivation, helpfulness, problem-solving and connection govern your classroom.
How are we helping cultivate The School Family at Common Ground?
Changing the entire philosophy and direction of our educational system seems daunting… but how do you do anything? One step at a time.
One of the little steps is: Creating a visual schedule in our classrooms.
The classroom is for the child. It is supposed to be a supportive, loving environment structured toward holistic learning. A child thinks symbolically and needs assistance with visualizing the future. If a child is anxious or unsure about what comes next, this impacts their attention and their behavior. This simple addition to the classroom offers a clear view of transitions It can also help with home sickness.
All of our schedules will be a more specific version of this example from Conscious Discipline’s helpful materials.
What schedule pictures would be on your schedule at home? How does/would a consistent schedule help you and your children during transitions?
Subscribe to our blog to learn more about what we are doing to cultivate our school family!
Conscious Discipline Spotlight: Clearing up Misconceptions
Social-Emotional Learning has been on the rise in schools since the nineties, and we at Common Ground are eager to continue that trend.
As many of you know, we have been learning and promoting the study and lifestyle of Conscious Discipline as a center. We have been taking and retaking the courses (Ms. Victoria is on her second time through! I personally listen to the audio and then watch the videos to help get a firmer grasp on the subject matter) in order to appropriately apply the lessons to all of our classrooms. We hope to encourage our parents to take the course with us in time (stay tuned!) so that we can teach our kiddos how to speak confidently and kindly with their hearts.
Teaching with Love is much more powerful and long lasting than Teaching with Fear.
But sadly, this is a rather new concept in education and parenting, and it’s receiving backlash from those who refuse to grow themselves.
This article came out today. It brought to our attention some arguments against Social Emotional Learning programs in schools. The immediate and long-lasting benefits of teaching your child the inner disciplines of emotional self-awareness and problem solving through empathy are essential to our growth as a species, so I would personally like to clear up some of the misconceptions presented.
All learning begins at birth. Children begin learning the second they open their eyes. Everything is new and without context, so they turn to their caregivers for guidance. Children begin mimicking and responding to parents and teachers as early as three months. No Small Matter is an eye-opening documentary all about the essential roll early childhood educators play in the lives of children, starting with newborns. How you interact with babies, when you interact with babies, what responses you give to different emotions and behaviors, children absorb these calls and responses, these cause and effect relationships, like little sponges. Learning to calm yourself, learning to deal with frustration, learning how to communicate those feelings and frustrations in an appropriate way with peers and adults, all of this begins to happen before the age of 2. They have friends they “parallel play” with starting at 18 months. They are playing WITH each other by the age of 3. Imagine how overwhelming a disagreement with a friend is when you have all the social tools you have now can be.
There are parents who are questioning the validity of these emotional regulation practices and their usefulness in elementary school. They even suggested the notion that Guidance Counselors in grade school are an invasive waste of money. If children primarily learn through social interaction with adults and peers, how could giving them the tools to navigate those interactions with clear communication and confidence be anything but essential?
Awareness is not Encouragement. One of the arguments against SEL is the notion that it makes kids face social issues they “don’t need to know about yet.” They are even using the scare tactic that SEL “advertises suicide.” Making a child aware of their feelings can only be helpful. It gives their anxieties and frustrations names. It encourages them to untangle their thoughts and focus on keeping calm.
Becoming aware of problems in the world and personal stressors does not make them manifest, it simply sheds a light of what’s already there. Children primarily learn how to interact with their world by watching adults interact with each other, not how adults interact with them personally. They know so much more than we give them credit for. Conversely, trying to hide or dismiss their feelings does not make them any less real, and only encourages them to hide/bury any issues they have. These don’t go away, they just get expressed as anger and distrust down the line. Mental and Emotional Health issues are not on the rise, we are simply becoming more aware of them. We are seeing the multi-generational effects they have on entire families and communities. Social Emotional Learning SAVES lives because we are learning about these toxic behaviors that have defined our teaching for so long. Instead of trying to hide them again, we should be working to eradicate them once and for all.
Emotional stress affects academic achievement. A child that cannot calm down is a distracted learner. A child that fights with their peers is a disruptive learner. A child that is afraid to fail is a stressed learner. A child who thinks their only value comes from achievement and academic prowess will do anything they can to achieve perfection. If they do not have a safe space to express their negative feelings and sort through their fears, they will find other outlets in the form of one addiction or another. Conscious Discipline has been recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), which promotes the adoption of scientifically established behavioral health interventions. Social Emotional Learning is key in helping avoid substance abuse in children. The notion that “children should only focus on their academic progress” is privileged, because some children do not have a choice. Acknowledging that their are factors in a child’s life that matter besides academics is just acknowledging reality.
Your child is not raised in a vacuum. I am a parent. I am a teacher. I am slowly becoming trained in Conscious Discipline. I am still not everything my children need, and I do not pretend to be. My children have been nurtured by trained childhood education professionals. They have been taught by teachers with a strong background in education. I love them with all my heart, but I am not a trained counselor. I am not a history teacher, a math teacher, a science teacher. I am a single, biased human being. I am so incredibly fortunate that my children have a fleet of adults who can teach them so many things I can’t. A lot of these parents are arguing that the emotional and mental health “stuff” should all be dealt with at home. Just holding that belief implies that those lessons and obstacles are private matters to be hidden or ashamed of. Learning how to treat your friends and how to talk to your loved ones in times of friction or stress is JUST as essential as learning your numbers, and so much harder to learn later in life. Teachers that have gone through social emotional training are trained in programs written by health and education professionals. They have gone through rigorous testing and years of classroom observations. They have proven results. Read more about Conscious Disciplines 25 years of award winning classroom management here. You could be the best parent in the entire world, but you shouldn’t have to be EVERYTHING your child needs. Trust professionals.
Lastly, there has been an argument against SEL because of the idea that teaching emotional regulation and empathy for others has somehow become 'a vehicle for this quote-unquote 'social justice activism' and the indoctrination of controversial ideas related to race, sexuality and even gender and identity.'
First of all, asking a child if they feel like they belong and teaching them how to react with understanding over anger in an argument is (hopefully) unrelated to any political agenda. We are hoping to help our children learn to communicate better. We are hoping to help offer a strong, assertive foundation based in self-actualization and the knowledge that you can only control yourself, not others. These are teachings based in ancient stoic philosophy. They are not new, and they have withstood the test of time.
Second of all, we at Common Ground firmly stand for our neighbors of every race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality, gender identity, etc. If understanding our own feelings and empathizing with the feelings of others is “controversial,” so be it.
Help us create a kinder world. Help us create a world more rooted in reason and focused problem solving.
We can love our parents, our teachers, our friends with all our hearts and still acknowledge that our old methods of teaching and parenting were flawed. We can love ourselves and understand that our CURRENT methods of teaching and parenting are flawed. Let’s continue growing together.
Love Love Love,
LJ and your Common Ground Family
Thanksgiving Boxes - Let's make the holidays bright!
Common Ground Childcare and St. Anne's Episcopal Church are working with Cornerstones to gather Thanksgiving boxes for Reston Families in need!
What's a Thanksgiving Box? Each one is fully stocked with everything needed to make a complete Thanksgiving dinner for a family. No person should ever have to go hungry, especially in a time of giving and gratitude. Let's show gratitude for our good fortune by sharing it with our community!
HERE IS THE LINK TO OUR SIGNUP GENIUS
If you would like to help us build these Thanksgiving Boxes, there are a couple of different ways to sign up!
>You can choose to help your child's class by purchasing certain items
> You can build your OWN box as a family
ALL ITEMS AND BOXES MUST BE BROUGHT TO COMMON GROUND CHILDCARE CENTER BY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH, BY THE END OF THE DAY.
Do you know someone in your family or neighborhood who would like to sign up for a Thanksgiving box?
Encourage them to sign up with either Common Ground Childcare or St. Anne’s Episcopal Church! There are hundreds of families who are struggling to provide for their families this year… we want to help as many people as we can every way we can.
Common Ground Childcare: sign-up here
St. Anne’s Episcopal Church: sign-up here
Spotlight On: Conscious Discipline - A Transformative Experience
We, as an entire center, have been taking Dr. Becky’s Conscious Discipline courses.
This is so much more than a “how-to” class. Conscious Discipline takes a transformative view on our interactions with EVERYONE, not just our students, which makes it an incredibly unique and humbling experience.
What is Conscious Discipline?
Instagram I Blog I Free Webinars I Podcast I Discipline Tips I Extra Info Links I Methodology
Conscious Discipline is designed to completely transform the way we look at “discipline.” For generations we have looked at punishment and discipline as synonyms. We have created a divide of judgment between good and bad, pass and fail, win and lose, that encourages learning and behavior through fear.
All. Behavior. Is. Communication. If we only address the behavior, we are not addressing the needs causing the behavior that aren’t being met. The goal is not “to drive you crazy,” which they can’t do anyway, if you have control! They just do not know how to ask for what they need yet.
Conscious Discipline is a series of classes designed to give you empowering tools that help you communicate, guide, and encourage with LOVE, a force much more powerful and long lasting than fear. Check out the methodology link above for the four key tenants!
In order to help children build a foundation of discipline and emotional regulation within, we need to teach ourselves to be aware of what we are saying with our words. We need to catch ourselves in moments of heightened emotion, and break defensive habits that have been passed down from parent to child.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN US! How?
Here is a tried-and-true tool that we learned at the very beginning of our training. It’s called STAR BREATHING, you star!
Three deep breaths shut off the “fight or flight” system of the brain.
This active calming technique is an essential component of emotional health. Teach children to S.T.A.R.: Smile, Take a deep breath And Relax.
S.T.A.R. is one of four core breathing techniques in Conscious Discipline. The other techniques are Drain, Balloon and Pretzel. <—Click here to download a poster showing these different techniques to remind you and your kiddos how to calm yourself before you respond.
Giving yourself a chance to calm down gets you out of the “survival state.” Once you’re calm, if you’re still frustrated, repeat to yourself ”I am safe, Keep Breathing, I can handle this.” to keep the bad feelings at bay. Problem solving can commence once you are calm and ready!
We have made our Conscious Discipline Action Team and will be rolling out changes! Stay tuned, we will be sharing more things that we are implementing in our center to help transform early childhood education as we know it.
Love Love Love,
Your CG Family
Team Spotlight: Kindergarten + School Age
Our Kindergarteners, better known as “The Jellyfish” are doing swimmingly with Miss Janette!
The small class experience has really allowed Miss Janette to take our kids on a hands-on, personalized adventure for their first year of elementary school. They do yoga, they utilize play in all their lessons, they get up-close and personal with science projects and class activities. It has been such a delight seeing them grow so much in so little time!
Our School-Age Kids don’t “check out” when they check in, thanks to Ms. Victoria!
Once the Before/After care kids get to their outdoor classroom, the fun really starts! Ms. Victoria has taught them kickball, read Encyclopedia Brown, even made elephant toothpaste! They are even making a HAUNTED HOUSE for our Trunk or Treat Spooktacular!
They may only be here for a few hours, but our School Age crew really makes that time count for something.
We have found that, for both groups, the more focused physical activity the better. These two teachers really get to know the students in their care, take account of what they need, and make sure they provide for them in a patient, structured way. In doing so, these kids feel confident in trying new things and exploring their curiosity.
Thanks, Elementary School Team! You exemplify what Common Ground stands for.
Team Spotlight: Our 4 year olds DIG their Routine!
Our 4s teachers are absolutely incredible at what they do to get their kiddos ready for kindergarten.
What’s the main thing they focus on? Self-Motivated Learning. This requires our preschoolers to feel safe, supported, and free to explore their surroundings without fear.
A clear, firm, interactive schedule provides an excellent foundation to a child. The teachers have a schedule complete with pictures of their students doing each activity! Having pictures tied to words helps form tangible understanding of each task and is really helpful for prewriting skills. Plus, seeing themselves in pictures DOING the activities is often a fun incentive to get them to stick to it!
Jobs and Responsibilities. The students have to take care of their classroom! To encourage them to be excited about this, their teachers give them SPECIAL JOBS every day to show them how to be leaders!
Practice Practice Practice. Every day the kids help guide circle. Every day the kids draw whatever they like in their journals and have discussions with their teachers about it (there’s no WRONG way to draw a squiggle). Every day they get a chance to be the person they want to be when they step through the door. Their teachers are here to encourage them, not punish them, and making mistakes is an essential part of GROWTH!
Family Photos. We are all Common Ground. Our teachers understand how integral a child’s family is to their growth and learning journey, and do not expect them to leave that at the door! Each child has a family photo with them so that they can be reminded they are loved ALL the time, 24/7.
The Love Bugs and the Busy Bees have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to preschool. Our kids go into kindergarten confident in themselves and comfortable in the learning environment. We have found that in this time of uncertainty where everyone is a little more stressed and unsure, we need these foundational tools more than ever! So parents, take as much comfort as your kiddo does that they are safe, healthy, happy learners here at Common Ground Childcare.
Love Love Love,
Your CG Family.
Team Spotlight: Infant and Toddler teachers make our days bright!
As we all know, LEARNING BEGINS AT BIRTH.
Our Bubble Buddies, Little Penguins, and Playful Pandas Teachers are incredible about offering what all babies need: Undivided attention, opportunities for curiosity, full-body play, and daily outside time.
We all know that children function better in countless ways if they get to be outside for multiple hours each day. The little ones, especially the LITTLE little ones that are not ambulatory, sometimes make this tricky…
So what do your fabulous infant and toddler teachers do? They lay out blankets and let them stare up at the sky while getting leg stretches. They go on lovely nature walks where they narrate the new and interesting surroundings. The teachers talk about leaves and bird calls while the kids stare in wide-eyed wonder and peace. They let them play with age appropriate toys, practice their walking skills, or sometimes just read them a book in the bright sunshine! It is such a joy to see them go on their mini-adventures.
How do we do this all year, rain or shine, cold or hot weather? Take a peek at our EXTRA DAILY SUPPLIES for all seasons! We recommend you make sure your children are prepared for any weather at all times. We are outside as much as possible to protect against the Covid-19 pandemic, but also because kids just learn better after running around breathing fresh air.
THANK YOU, INFANT AND TODDLER TEACHERS!! You are all shining stars, and our babies are so lucky to have you.
Team Spotlight: Our 2s and 3s are ROCKING AUTUMN!
September is in full swing and our Dancing Monkeys and Rising Stars are really bringing Autumn into their classrooms! All of our lessons are rooted in full-body play and exploration, which means our littles get to really experience nature with their hands while they learn colors, numbers, and shapes!
In the Monkeys, our two year olds are playing with pine needles and leaves they collected themselves! In the Rising Stars, the three year olds are painting their own houses and learning how to be curious in circle time. Our teachers are amazing at letting kids become brave, independent learners who realize that the only thing FAIL means is “First Attempt In Learning.”
How can you bring Autumn into your daily life?
You can collect Acorns and Pinecones and discuss their role in the life cycle of trees.
You can do a leaf freeze dance!
You can have a sunset journal and talk about all the different things that happen in each season.
What else? Let us know in the comments! We will also post more lovely things our teachers are doing each newsletter!
Thanks again, Rising Stars and Dancing Monkeys! Our kiddos are lucky to have you.
— Your CG Family
Save the Date: Flu Shot Clinic
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH: GET YOUR FLU SHOT AND PROTECT YOUR COMMUNITY!
We will be hosting a flu shot clinic right here in the Common Ground Parking Lot!
WE WILL BE SELLING LARGER PIECES OF LEDO’S PIZZA FOR $2.00 EACH FOR ALL FAMILIES WHO WANT TO GET THEIR SHOT AND REWARD THEMSELVES WITH DINNER! We take cash and venmo! Please do exact cash if possible.
SIGN UP TO LET US KNOW YOU'RE COMING, BUT WALK-INS ARE WELCOME. This does not promise you a specific time, this just allows us to know how many people might be coming and helps send you reminders.
Studies show that a flu shot helps prevent serious symptoms and hospitalization with Covid-19
With the Covid-19 pandemic, hospitals are struggling with capacity. With Flu season coming we need to do everything we can to keep our community safe and healthy. This is open to the public, so please encourage everyone you can to come out to get their shot! Even if you get the flu, with the shot the symptoms are mitigated. This clinic is open to everyone ages 4 and up.
The Flu Shots are free with insurance, incredibly cheap without, and you are not required to pay onsite! Just sign up, get the shot, and enjoy the food truck afterward!
HERE IS THE SIGN-UP. You can sign up for any of these:
- Influenza (Flu Shot)
- Shingles
- Pneumonia
- TDAP/Whooping Cough
You can also just show up on the day! Please encourage everyone you know to get the flu shot this year, whether or not they get it with us it is ESSENTIAL to keeping our community healthy!
Your CG Family
CG Spirit Night: BASKIN ROBBINS BACK TO SCHOOL
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH FROM 6-9PM
WE WILL BE CELEBRATING THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR
AT BASKIN ROBBINS!!!
A lot of our school age kiddos have already started classes (which is also worth celebrating!!) but our preschool programs start on Tuesday, September 7th! We wanted to give everyone the opportunity to say goodbye to the summer months and Hello to school in any delicious style they want.
IT IS ALSO A FUNDRAISER!! Every wonderful, yummy, technicolor treat purchased gives us proceeds to help support your classrooms all year! Encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to come celebrate the new year with us, because everyone should have an excuse to get icecream.
Worried about Covid? They have amazing outdoor seating! Still don’t want to stay out? You can order pick-up or delivery!!
However you order, just make sure that you are letting them know you are ordering to support Common Ground! Along with eating something delightfully tasty.
If you have any questions you can email LJ Donnell. Happy September!
Goodbye Mr. Josh!
After five years of laughter, hugs, skinned knees, and turning nursery rhymes into classic rock instant hits…
We are saying goodbye to our beloved Mr. Josh! He is focusing in on school and looking towards his future to decide what he’s going to do next, and we could not be more proud of him, more sad to see him go (but excited for the next part of his journey!), more thankful for everything he has done for us and the students who were lucky enough to grow under his care.
While he will no longer be working with us, he still loves his community here and would be happy to hear from any of you! Make sure to say “see you soon!” to him this afternoon!
We will also be posting pictures on our Facebook, and encourage you to share your favorite Mr. Josh pictures, stories, songs, memories!! It shows Mr. Josh what you meant to him and reminds us all that all of our most normal days are sometimes the most lovely.
A note from Mr. Josh:
“My five years at Common Ground have been some of the most transformative and fulfilling I have ever known.
I started teaching as a goofy 19 year old kid, and now? I'm a goofy 24 year old man, and I wouldn't have it any other way. From sharing my music and any creepy-crawly creature I could get my hands on to helping my students navigate the complex emotional landscape of early childhood; I've considered it privilege to grow alongside these wonderful little people.
To the children I've had the opportunity to work with: I love you all. I'm constantly amazed by how far you've come, and I'm so proud that I had the chance to call myself your teacher. This time has more to me than I could possibly express and I look forward to visiting Common Ground in the weeks, months and years to come.”
Thank you for everything, Josh, Common Ground loves you!
BLOOD DRIVE + FIREWORKS JULY 9TH!
JULY 9TH IS THE END OF OUR CELEBRATIONS WEEK AT CAMP.
Our camp will be doing different holiday celebrations all week, but we are reserving 4th of July for Friday! How are we celebrating?
We are co-hosting a blood drive with St. Anne’s Episcopal Church! Sign up HERE and use Sponsor Code 8604.
It goes from 12-7PM so schedule your appointment any time. SHARE THIS FLYER with anyone you think would like to help save a life!
There will be fireworks!
Officially, WE CLOSE ON TIME ON FRIDAY, JULY 9TH. But you don’t have to leave! We will have a food truck, the playground, and a moon bounce for anyone who wants to stay and play! PLEASE NOTE that this is not an event where teachers will be on duty! We would like to celebrate with you!
Wear your Tie-Dye if you Got it!
All of our campers will be wearing their tie-dye shirts today! We encourage you to come out in your Tie-Dyed Best! Dressed to the multi-colored nines! We want pictures of our color-splashed CG fam <3
THERE WILL BE A DRAWING FOR FABULOUS PRIZES FOR DONORS!
Donating blood is worth five tickets! Otherwise, tickets are $5.00 each! We will have prizes available including:
Common Ground Tie Dye Tote Bag! Hand-made by your campers!!
Common Ground Water Bottle!
Common Ground Coffee Mugs!
A night of babysitting FREE from your very own Mr. Josh!
STAY TUNED FOR MORE PARTY ANNOUNCEMENTS! We have more surprises in store!
HELLO SUMMER SHINDIG - Party on June 18th from
Common Ground is kicking off Summer 2021 with a party on the playground!
The kids will get their first sweet cold treat of the Summer from Kona Ice at 3:30!
We will open up the grass area at 4:30PM for families, so please come out - bring a picnic or purchase dinner from Casa de Avila Tacos, who will be on site.
The playgrounds will open for free play at 5:30 after the last kid is picked up. Come mingle, give the kids a little extra play time and just have a fun start to the weekend/summer! We are so excited to be able to play in the sunshine with you.
Love Love Love,
Your CG Family
