Newsletter: January 10
Dear Parents, Caregivers, and CG Community Members,
Happy New Year! 2023 is off to an amazing start here at the center. Our children and staff have been able to remain mostly healthy through the holidays, due to our community’s health protective mindset, even as we have all resumed “normal” activities. We can’t thank you enough for your participation in keeping your kids home when they are sick, continuing to test, keeping lines of communication open, and adhering to our mask policy. The hope is that we will be able to amend the mask policy once we see overall illness rates reduce, not just at the center, but in the area.
If your child will be absent for any reason, please make sure to use our absence form here: https://www.commongroundchildcare.org/absence
We have a lot of amazing things coming up this month, so read on for our January activities:
In the Center:
The Busy Bees are kicking off our 2023 goal of ramping up a center wide recycling program with their recycling unit! We are phasing in our sustainability efforts, so that we can build a sustainable habit that lasts, and improves, as time goes on. The Busy Bees will be going around the entire center to help every classroom make sure their recycling makes it to the right dumpster.
Phase 1: paper, cardboard, and cans: single stream recycling picked up in our recycling dumpster
Phase 2: the addition of mail away recycling programs
The Love Bugs are doing their clothing exploration unit. The winter is a great time for this, as the kids will learn about weather appropriate clothing, sizes, and of course, how to express themselves through what they wear!
We will be opening a second two year olds classroom later this month. We will send individual messages about transitions in the coming weeks.
Our infants and toddlers have done amazingly well with their transition into new classrooms, as we prepare for some new little ones to join our center!
Staff Updates:
Mr. Jordon has joined us full time as part of the twos program, in addition to his bus driver duties with school age
It’s been wonderful having Miss Elise back over winter break. She will remain with us through the end of next week before going back to school
Mr. Zach and Miss Elizabeth have switched rooms for the new year. Mr. Zach is now in the Love Bugs and Miss Elizabeth is with the Busy Bees!
Upcoming Events:
We are closed on January 16th in observance for the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Our next On The Border fundraiser is on Thursday, January 19. We need to have RSVPs in prior to the event, so please make sure to sign up here: https://www.groupraise.com/events/236435
Saturday Hours this month will be on January 21st. Please make sure you sign up before January 16th and if you pay via PayPal, please send us a note. Donations not made prior to the event will be billed the Friday before the event: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0f4faca723abff2-january
Our teachers are participating in a step challenge for the next 8 weeks! We use an individual approach to this, so that everyone can feel successful! Teachers set their baseline during the first week, then work to improve upon their personal baseline OR maintain if they are already in the habit of getting more than 10,000 steps per day.
This webMD article “Turns Out There Is Something Special About 10,000 Steps Per Day” says it perfectly. This wellness challenge is a fun way to improve the overall health and wellness of our teachers and a great goal for the new year!
We have plenty of COVID tests available and have been seeing COVID infections that don’t test positive until a day or so after symptoms, so we still recommend daily screening when new symptoms arise until they begin to resolve.
Thanks for being a wonderful part of our community!
-The CG Team
