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!
Celebrating Juneteenth
Here at Common Ground, it was already in our minds to honor and celebrate Juneteenth. We were so surprised and pleased that Governor Northam made it a state holiday last year, even in the midst of everything else going on. We were closed in June 2020, so we could not honor it properly, but it gave us time to think on what it means to our teachers and students. On the actual day we continue to do the work and support our families today, but all of our staff gets Holiday Pay.
We are also here to say that’s not enough. A nod to acknowledge this National Memory on what was supposed to be the end of racial injustice is the best way to BEGIN striving for growth and change. Stopping here implies that there isn’t still work to do.
Our work is just beginning everywhere, especially in childcare, where women of color help raise and educate the future.
The best way to begin striving for growth and change is acknowledging the mistakes of our past. There is no better personification of this journey than Ralph Northam.
The Daily Podcast has an amazing episode covering Northam’s journey in the last five years. You can listen to it HERE. When it was discovered Northam had dressed in black face during a contest in medical school, it was disappointing, but unsurprising. Black politicians had been used to this song and dance of half-hearted apologies and photo ops. Instead of trying to bury his mistakes, Northam took the time to feel that shame and consider his internal dialogue. Most importantly? He asked. He listened. He sat down with his BIPOC politicians and asked what he should be doing to guide the future of Virginia in the right direction.
Their collaboration has transformed Virginia. Knowing that there is so much still to do is heartening, because it means we can still grow and change and continue toward a better future.
What are things we can do here? Today? Now? What are the things WE can do to move our families, our school, our district, our state, our country, our world forward?
Self-Reflect. Be okay with realizing you don’t know everything, that you are wrong, that you have biases. Familiarize yourself with them. Knowing the problem is instrumental in defeating it. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO DO THE SAME. Making a mistake or being wrong is only bad if you don’t work to improve. Learn what there is to know about Juneteenth.
Listen. Listen to your BIPOC neighbors, friends, teachers. Ask them what you can do, how you can support them. Ask them what they need, and keep your promises.
Speak. After the first two steps, it’s time to speak! Talk to your representatives, talk to your friends and family, help guide them in personal growth. Supporting your BIPOC childcare teachers is more essential than ever, now that the Biden administration is taking great strides in the early childhood educational field. Help them make their voice heard by adding your own.
Thank you for helping support our Common Ground community every single day. Growing with you has been an honor and a privilege.
Love Love Love,
Your CG Family
We LOVE to SWIM!
Outdoor swimming is synonymous with summer! And our campers have been having a BLAST visiting both the Herndon Swim Club and Reston Association’s Uplands Pool!
To be honest, I knew that we (Miss Liz, Miss LJ, and our Summer Counselors) could successfully take the kids safely to the pool, but it has exceeded my expectations! Our kids have been AMAZING listeners, BRAVE while trying new things, and EXCITED about improving!
And KUDOS really go to our summer camp staff who are ENGAGING and INCREDIBLE with our campers!
Swimming is such a great, relatively (covid) safe activity to do this summer, so if you’re looking for a pool to join, here’s some information about the two pools that we swim at:
Herndon Swim Club: This little pool is the BEST KEPT SECRET in Herndon! This little pool in the woods has memberships available to anyone, without any boundary limitations! In fact, after coaching their NVSL summer swim team, I purchased a membership for myself because it’s such a great pool, even though I’m also an RA member! They were actually the FIRST pool in the area to open last year during COVID. http://herndonswims.com
Reston Association: Hopefully you know how amazing Reston’s 15 pools are if you live within the association, but did you know that ANYONE can purchase RA pool passes? Non Member passes are a great value for the number of pools there are in Reston! RA passes can be purchased here: https://web1.myvscloud.com/wbwsc/varestonhoawt.wsc/splash.html
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
Curious? -- Little Caesar's Pizza Kit Review!!
WE ARE DOING A FUNDRAISER FOR DELICIOUS LITTLE CAESAR’S PIZZA KITS UNTIL JULY 7TH AND THE REVIEWS ARE IN!!
Are you intrigued about getting these for your next movie night, but unsure if your kids would be interested? Well GOOD NEWS!! One of our Rising Stars families came back with a STELLAR REVIEW about the “build your own mini pizza kit” and I think the pictures speak for themselves…
These are easy peasy for toddlers to participate with. They cook up really nicely, they are easily shared, and did you know that a child is much more likely to try a food that they helped to prepare? It’s true!
Have you tried any of these kits? Do you have pictures from your family gathering?? Feel free to share them with us! We would love to see all the ways that these little “party in a box” pizzas add to your memories.
Anyone can buy them and support us! Share THIS LINK or THIS FLYER on your social media, with your office, with your fam! Anyone who buys a mouth-watering pizza, breadsticks, cheese bread, or cookie kit with our link earns us money!
PIZZA PIZZA!!
-Your CG Family
CG Life: Making Each Day a Loving One.
Not every day is a good day.
We want them to be. We want our children to be happy and our students to prosper. We want the worst things they experience to be skinned knees and hurt feelings that are forgotten in minutes.
But sometimes people get sick. Sometimes families don’t stay together. Sometimes terrible things happen that you just can’t fix.
When those times come, those days full of tears and uncertainty, we want you to know: You are not alone, and neither are your children.
There is an incredible story from the perspective of a childcare educator that was written a little while ago. The premise is that there is a disaster occurring while she’s with her students. You can read it HERE if you wish. In the story, the teacher was terrified, but she did everything she could to protect these children. She refused to leave them. She let them play outside, fed them a good lunch, let them spill glitter on the floor. She was not sure what was going to happen, but she was going to make sure that these kids spent the day knowing they were cared for, knowing they were loved.
Here at Common Ground, your teachers love your kids. We have known most of them since they were very small. We have hugged them when they cried and laughed ourselves silly watching them grow into little people we are so proud to know.
When the Covid-19 pandemic happened, our teachers did not have any more answers than anyone else. We were uncertain and frightened. Kids came to school asking why they couldn’t visit their families or why they had to wear masks. Even our younger students noticed the world was different, and felt the anxiety from their grown ups.
We didn’t pretend that everything was fine. We answered as honestly as we could and told them we were there for them. We kept their days structured and full of fun. In that way we honored their feelings and still offered the support they needed to feel safe.
Because when tragedy inevitably happens, they can’t be completely shielded from it. But they can be loved through it. They can depend on being cared for on all days, in any weather.
Kids deserve to know that all of their feelings matter. Teaching our children resilience, independence, and strength in the face of darkness requires an acknowledgement and honoring of their emotions. When we try to protect them from negative feelings and reactions, we make them feel as though they have to hide them, that they are somehow shameful. Kids are ALWAYS smarter than we give them credit for, they know when we feel anxious and upset, it’s our responsibility to own our feelings while supporting them. This does not mean relying on them for comfort (although everyone needs to know they have the power to make others feel better. Thanking them can go a long way.) This does not mean putting the responsibility of healing on a five year old’s shoulders or imposing frightening details on them. It’s simply saying that Truth is essential to teaching and adds a layer of trust and respect to the relationship.
We won’t let them wallow either! Positivity and encouragement, a promise that happy days will come, guidance toward healing, that’s all part of it. On days that are hard for you too? Know that your village is there so you can honor your feelings.
The end of that story is fantastic. Just when all hope seems lost, Super Heroes come to save the day! These children in the teacher’s care are their children, and it meant the world to these heroes that they could count on their babies to be safe and loved while they were out there saving the city. YOU ARE YOUR KIDS’ SUPER HEROES. You are their comfort and love, their guide through the world. We are honored that you entrust them to us on all days, good and bad.
From the bottom of our hearts, you are loved.
Your CG Family
Summer Camp: Brave Explorers Monday!
This is LJ Donnell, you Summer Camp Director! I just wanted to say I am so excited that our camp is beginning MONDAY, JUNE 14TH! Our theme is BRAVE EXPLORERS because your campers will be embarking on a new adventure! If you want to see more about what we will be doing next week, please check out the learning tab in your child’s brightwheel profile! Along with games, crafts, and snacks, it has the pool schedule for both rising kindergarteners and older campers. There is also a section at the bottom with fun (and totally optional) games, discussions, and activities you can do at home if your camper is really excited about the theme.
I wanted to send some quick reminders and give you the opportunity to ask any questions before drop off!
We sent you this INFO AND SUPPLIES blog recently, but here are some key reminders.
Drop off is from 8:00-8:30AM. We do offer breakfast. YOUR CHILD MUST BE HERE BY 9:15AM. We leave for the pool shortly after that, so in order for them to ride the bus, they must be here. We will play on the playground in the morning unless there is inclement weather. We will then be in the Great Hall in our TEAM QUADRANTS. Each school-aged camp child will be either in the red or blue team. Rising kindergarteners will be on the yellow team. We will be sending you a message with your child’s team separately, so don’t worry about this!
Send your children in their swimsuits. ALL THREE GROUPS will either be swimming or doing water play EVERY DAY except Fridays. We can always change into dry clothes after.
Your children will go through a swim test their FIRST DAY at the pool so we can determine what level of swimmer they are. They will receive a swim band they will wear all week that lets us know their swim level. We will keep them observed accordingly. Please do not take off their wrist band, it is water proof and will last the week.
Make sure you've checked out our SUPPLY LIST. The cooler, water bottle, and backpack are especially important. We will be providing bag lunches but encourage packing extra snacks. Water and Gatorade will also be supplied.
CAMP SHIRTS: CAMP SHIRTS ARE REQUIRED DAILY. That is their camp "uniform." Rising Kindergarteners will have their camp shirt sent home on Friday, June 11th. So make sure to look in their backpacks! For all the other campers, we will supply your children's camp shirt the morning of June 14th so you can send them in any shirt otherwise.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SIGNED UP FOR YOUR BRIGHTWHEEL ACCOUNT. You can see updates on your children, communicate with your camp counselors, and see what they will be doing in their learning tab from your camper's profile, so it is an essential tool! If you need any help with this, please let me know.
My number is 703.498.9073. You may call or text me with any questions before camp. Once camp has started you may use your brightwheel messaging tool! I see all of those, as do your counselors and Camp Leads.
Classroom Laundry Sign Ups are BACK!
Since we now know that covid isn’t spread through touch surfaces and laundry, we are HAPPY to announce that volunteer opportunities are BACK! We are working on setting up a community work day, so stay tuned for that!
The following classes need families to Volunteer to do the classroom laundry each week:
Playful Pandas
Dancing Monkeys
Rising Stars
Busy Bees
Kindergarten (starts August 23)
When you volunteer, laundry will come home with your child on Friday, you’ll wash and fold it, then return it at drop off on Monday! Easy Peasy!
Please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0F4FACA723ABFF2-laundry
Summer Sign Up for early drop off!
Summer Season Morning Drop Off Hours - 7:30 to 8:00am begin JUNE 14TH
All families are welcome to sign up for early drop off and these earlier hours are included in your tuition if you use them, however, if you sign up and arrive after 8am, you will owe a $20 no-show fee.
Sign ups will be locked 2 days prior. Summer dates are available 14 days out. You are responsible for either showing up or the 'no show' fee if you do not cancel 2 days ahead of time.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0f4faca723abff2-morning
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
FUNdraiser: Little Caesar's Pizza Kit
Our next fundraiser helps you plan your next movie night!!
We are partnering with Little Caesar’s to sell pizza kits from JUNE 7TH to JULY 7TH. I honestly think this is the most family-friendly food fundraiser we have done yet.
Kids can help you create your perfect pizza! They can spread the sauce, sprinkle the cheese, add the ingredients. Did you know that kids are more likely to try foods they help prepare? You can reward them with a scrumptious cookie they also baked themselves!
These are frozen! They keep for any occasion. Movie nights! Birthdays! Rainy days when you don’t feel like cooking. Rough days when you want to see a smile. Have a perfect memory stored away for when you need it most.
Anyone can buy them and support us! Share THIS LINK or THIS FLYER on your social media, with your office, with your fam! Anyone who buys a mouth-watering pizza, breadsticks, cheese bread, or cookie kit with our link earns us money!
This fundraiser is completely online and runs 24/7! The Pizza Kits get delivered right to your door, so it’s simple, easy, perfect. I will personally be trying out the personal combo kit. Six tiny perfect pizzas for 20 bucks is almost too good to be true, and it means we can have grandparents over one sunny Saturday afternoon.
Thank you so much for supporting our school every day. We have a lot of fun and try to make these fundraisers a win for everyone. But we couldn’t do all we do (and have a blast doing it!) without your love.
Have any questions? Email LJ DONNELL!
- Your CG Family
Summer Camp Information and Supplies
Hello Camp Parents!!
Summer is right around the corner, and we are so excited. We are going to go over some essentials now so that you can be ready when we start camp on June 14th:
FIRST UP:
There are TWO camp groups - The Rising K Camp (starts JUNE 1) and The Camp (starts JUNE 14). They will be following the same themes, but they will have different schedules. It’s pretty self explanatory, but if your child is a rising kindergartener, then they will be in the Rising K Camp, and if they have already completed kindergarten they will be in Camp.
SWIM DAYS:
Rising K Camp: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 11am at Herndon Swim Club, bus departs at 9:30am. They will do sprinkler water play on the other days of the week!
Camp: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays! Mondays and Wednesdays will be from 10am to 11am at the Herndon Swim Club, bus departs at 9:30am. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be from 1pm to 2pm at Uplands Pool in Reston. They will do sprinkler water play as well, so they should still prepare to get wet on Fridays.
NEXT UP - WHAT THEY NEED:
Supply List: These are all the things we recommend for camp!
T-Shirt Size Sign up: We will provide (2) camp shirts for every kiddo enrolled in more than 3 weeks of camp! Campers should wear their camp shirts everyday. We know that they will get dirty and grubby, but that is OKAY! Dirt is a sign that they have had a fun time! You may purchase additional Camp shirts up front now on our form, but we may also provide extra shirts as needed (and if we have leftovers as the summer goes on!).
Supply List
Hard FLAT TOP Cooler: This will be WAY more than your kids’ lunch holder. It will be your camper’s on-the-go camp chair. And an extra container for water.
Outdoor Backpack: This needs to be large enough to hold what your kid needs all day long. We will be outside, so there will be no cubbies or hangers! Make sure it has a chest clip, a side pouch for a water bottle, and that it can stand up to the elements and hard, outdoor use!
Camp shirt - provided
Gallon Ziploc Bag: For wet swimsuit
Swimsuit: We will be going swimming most days all summer long! Send your kiddo in their swimsuit if possible.
Dry underwear and shorts to change into after pool time.
Towel: Small, lightweight towel. Your child will be carrying all of their own things, so make sure it can fit in their bag!
Goggles (these are not required but they are pretty awesome)
Tough, outdoor shoes with good support: Make sure they are breathable and good for wet weather. EXAMPLES: Keens, Crocs, Nortiv, among others
Water bottle: 12-16 oz maximum, we will have the ability to refill the bottle
Extra clothes: ONE complete set - this should be packed in a ziplock in their backpack, as they will be carrying all of their things with them all day!
Optional Items:
One Long-sleeved sun shirt if you want them to swim in it.
Optional: Hat (baseball, visor, sun hat) or Sunglasses
A book! Kids will have some down time, or may want to take a breather. Nothing is better than a book to read.
Snacks: Even if your kid isn’t bringing a full lunch we recommend having snacks. It is a long day and we are really moving out there!
ONE toy: one car, one stuffy, one action figure, etc. One toy from home to play with can be brought (but we are hoping the natural items they find will suffice!)
A deck of cards: we will have our own, but having one means that they never have to wait to check one out!
Unnecessary Items: Because of the interference with the flux-capacitor of our time machines, we ask that any ‘tech’ items be kept at home!
No tablets/ipads
No smartphones unless absolutely necessary. These will be kept with a counselor in a waterproof container
No gaming systems
No toys with a lot of small parts
Curious about t-shirt sizes?
Please fill out the form below so that we can begin to get your camper’s kit together for them!
And here’s Miss LJ in all of our sizes - from Youth Medium to Adult Medium!
New Playground Installation - begins May 24
We are super excited to announce that Common Ground’s playground will FINALLY be getting some updates!
The work begins Monday morning at 8am on May 24th. During the work, the following areas will be closed to classes:
the blacktop
the twos playground
the infant playground
The work should not impact:
morning car line
the grassy area
the swings area
the climbing structure
The work should take about a week, but it may spill over into the first week of June. During this time, we will be creative with our space to make sure the kids all have great places to play!
Here’s are the updates that we have planned:
INFANT PLAYGROUND:
Along the back wall, extending from the existing sidewalk all the way to the fence, there will be and 11 foot wide, poured rubber surface area. This are will allow our littlest a place to crawl around outdoors! The way that it will be installed, with a beveled edge, will also make it easy to sweep the mulch off and back into the play area.
We will then purchase a few new push toys, rockers, and slides for that section!
TWOS PLAYGROUND:
The small yellow climbing structure and slide will be removed and replaced with the new structure in the photos! We are so excited to have our logo colors incorporated in our new slide structure!
MAIN CLIMBING AREA:
A ‘landing mat’ will be installed under the slides to help keep mulch from wearing away in that area!
SWINGS AREA:
Mats will be installed under all four of the swings to keep the mulch from wearing away. This will keep our swings safer, and make it easier for our kids to reach the swings!
ENTIRE PLAYGROUND:
Once the installation is completed, we will have new wood carpeting installed in the entire playground area. Certified, engineered wood carpeting is the safest material to have on playground to protect children from falling from play structures!
Friends of CG Fridays!: Dryer Vent Wizard and Mr. Appliance
Hello Everyone!
It’s been awhile, so for this FRIENDS OF CG FRIDAY we are featuring TWO of our best company friends as a special treat!
DRYER VENT WIZARD and MR. APPLIANCE came to save the day for us a few weeks ago and we wanted to brag on them.
Do you remember a few months ago when we wrote about how to vacuum out your dryer vent? Ms. Liz is very handy in a pinch! While this was a good temporary fix, you really should make sure that you hire a professional to completely clean our your dryer.
A few weeks ago we had a little snafu with both our washer and our dryer simultaneously. We wanted to make sure our littles’ linens were getting the best care possible as QUICKLY as possible, so we shopped around and found Dryer Vent Wizard and Mr. Appliance.
Dryer Vent Wizard came in and took extra care to assess the situation! While we had cleared out all the dryer lint for aways down the vent, we didn’t realize how far it extended! Especially with the vaulted church roof. Our technician gave it a full examination, explained the issues, and gave us a fair price. He also got the job done super quickly, and we haven’t had issues since!
Mr. Appliance helped us diagnose our washer! Full disclosure… we were overloading it with items and soap. Our technician let us know that, since that was our primary issue, he would just give it a good examination and tune up, no reason to get too expensive. We appreciate honesty! (and guidance from a pro)
YES! This recommendation isn’t glamorous! But since most of us deal with laundry every single day, we thought this one was helpful, ESPECIALLY since summer is right around the corner… stay tuned for our TEACHER TIPS on grass stains and other pesky clothing ailments!
Love, Love, Love,
LJ and 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!