Newsletter: December 15
(click to see the full Common Ground Calendar!)
Good Morning Common Ground Family!
We had such a lovely time with all of our families that came to talk to Santa this weekend! A special thank you to Liz’s uncle, Wayne Truax, who was the perfect St. Nick for our “Stay Home with Santa” event! We learned a LOT about Santa’s life up at the North Pole, thanks to some INQUISITIVE children!
Elves eat candy during the Christmas season, but the rest of the year, Santa is VERY strict and makes them eat healthy foods and a lot of vegetables.
Santa was around during the time of the Dinosaurs, but they didn’t celebrate Christmas because the Dinosaurs couldn’t open presents and stomped around too much!
There was a fresh snow up at the North Pole and the reindeer were all out playing this morning! Also, Santa loves all of the reindeer the same, much like he loves all of our children the same.
3896 is the number of FTEs “Full Time Elves” at the North Pole! The elves that visit your home are seasonal contractors with fantastic union benefits - they report to an elf named Bobby who updates the naughty and nice list!
Even though we were all in different living rooms, this was one of the most cozy, special little Santa get-togethers we’ve ever had. The kids really enjoyed being together, being read to, and talking about their holiday wishes without ever having to change out of their warm winter jammies.
Speaking of Santa, the parent community really came through as ‘Santa’ for the staff and their Holiday Bonuses! You can read more and the rest of the update from the board here.
Your WINTER Update:
This week Reston is expecting some winter storms! We could see up to 8" inches in accumulation!! Please know that we generally follow OPM guidelines on whether or not we are open or closed.
HOWEVER, if Reston’s weather is worse or better by a considerable amount, we will also make judgment calls so please check your Brightwheel account for messages the morning of any accumulation.
We will update any change in operations via:
Brightwheel
Email
Facebook
Instagram
Website
Read Here for Common Ground’s thoughts on Winter Weather and our suggestions for Essential Winter Attire for your kiddos.
Covid CASE Update (it’s good news!)
There was a possible covid exposure in one of our classrooms last week. Due to that, we had to quarantine that classroom group until 12/18. We are happy to report that after contact tracing was completed by the Fairfax County Health Department (the group that is focused on spread in educational settings) that there is NO EVIDENCE of community spread within our center. That means that noone else within that classroom group tested positive for covid.
Broadly, it highlights the fact that Common Ground is effectively implementing the 5 key mitigation strategies recommended by the CDC, while also meeting the developmental and social needs of the children in our care. Thank you all, because this is a team effort and we know that everyone is doing their part to keep our center safe and OPEN.
Speaking of ‘open’, please make sure you check out our FAQ’s if you have any questions on if and/or when Common Ground may close again.
The answer is: Common Ground will only close again if it is ordered by the Health Department due to either community spread of a case of COVID or multiple unrelated cases of COVID OR if it is ordered by the Governor of Virginia.
As we head into the last three weeks of December, we’d like to take a minute to thank our community for being, well, a community! 2020 has brought new challenge after challenge, and together, we have overcome them and become stronger because of them! And now, a quick note from Miss Liz:
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to congratulate me on my official appointment as Director. I am beyond touched and grateful for the opportunity to continue to advocate for our staff and community!
Thanks again for making Common Ground a special place to be and drive safely tomorrow, unless we hear otherwise from OPM!
Have a happy holidays!
The Common Ground Team
Happy Holidays & Board Update
Dear Parents,
2020 has been a truly extraordinary year. As the holiday season continues, we would like to thank all of our amazing families and friends for the love and support shown to Common Ground during these very challenging times. We really are getting through this time as a COMMUNITY :)
We have a few updates for you. First, an enormous ‘thank you’ to everyone who contributed to the Staff Holiday Bonus Fund. Your generosity was so heartfelt and Common Ground has matched all donations dollar-for-dollar so that our staff will be receiving a wonderful holiday gift in the next few days. I think we all agree that this is so well-deserved this year of all years.
We also want to acknowledge the heroic efforts of the entire staff team but especially Liz in managing the center during 2020. It has not been easy to operate a childcare center with a pandemic raging around us. However, we exit 2020 stronger than ever and this has allowed the Board to focus on our long-term vision. In collaboration with Liz, we have built a strategic plan for the Center’s leadership and I am delighted to announce that, as of January 1, 2021, Liz will be appointed Acting Executive Director of Common Ground Childcare Center. The pandemic has prevented Liz from completing a few remaining educational steps which would qualify her to take the position permanently at this time. However, we do want to acknowledge her leadership and our intention to see Liz fill that role in due course.
Finally, I am also delighted to announce that Nicole Daniel will be appointed as President of the Board of Trustees from January 1, 2021 allowing me to step down from that role after almost 5 years. Nicole is extremely well-qualified to take on the responsibilities of this position and we will work together through a transition period. Please join me in congratulating Nicole on this appointment and give her all your support as she steps up. Alexis Layne has stepped into the role of Secretary that was previously held by Nicole. Joe Acheson continue to serve as our Treasurer. It has been a huge privilege for me to serve Common Ground for several years. This amazing community and the staff team will always have a HUGE place in my heart not least for the incredible love shown to our family while our children were cared for here every day. Thank you also for your support and forgiveness of my leadership through some interesting times!
On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I would like to wish each and every one of you, your families and loved ones a very safe and happy holiday season whatever you may be doing this year. We wish you every blessing for a better year in 2021.
Warm regards,
Emma Sharma
President of the Board of Trustees
Newsletter: December 8
Hello Common Ground Family!!
THIS WEEK IS SUPPOSED TO BE ESPECIALLY COLD for the beginning of December! Please remember to dress your kiddos warmly. Pack those hats and mittens, throw on that winter coat, and remember: we can always take off layers, so it’s better to be over prepared! If you’d like to leave a set of mittens, a hat, and some other cold weather gear at the center, we’re happy to keep it in your kiddo’s cubby! In fact, why not pick up some labels from our fundraiser to make sure we know who’s winter clothes are who’s!
This weekend we are gearing up for STAY HOME WITH SANTA!! WE STILL HAVE SPOTS AVAILABLE and since it is a ZOOM EVENT everyone is welcome! Please let your friends and family know that if they want to see Santa, they should do it the safest way possible. SKIP THE MALL. SKIP THE IN-PERSON! Our Santa will visit EVERY CHILD one on one and find out their Christmas wishes all while keeping you and your families safe from the COVID-19 pandemic.
A little HOUSEKEEPING:
FILES: You may have received an emergency form, a request for an immunization record update, or for us to see your child’s birth certificate. Please help us reach our goal of a complete digital file conversion by the end of 2021!
Teacher Bonuses: Thank you all for the donations to our teacher bonus fund thus far! Common Ground will be matching the funds donated by all of the parents to assure that our teachers have a wonderful Holiday Season! There is still time to make your contribution to the the Teachers by:
Asking Liz to invoice you
Making a donation to: paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1778362
Sending money via PayPal to CommonGround1700@gmail.com (friends and family, please)
CHECK-IN Questions: We have noticed that parents are just checking all of the questions upon arrival, even when they are awaiting COVID results for a ‘prophylactic’ reason - such as before travel or as required by work - Please make sure you answer all the questions accurately upon check in. As long as the explanation complies with the health department policies that we follow, your child will NOT be denied care.
One of the things we are trying to do at Common Ground for our kids, especially this year when the pandemic has made spontaneous adventures nigh impossible, is give them more autonomy over how they learn.
Ms. Adella and Mr. Josh teach our 4-year-olds in the Honeybees class. Ms. Adella has a strong understanding of all her students need to learn before they start kindergarten, which, for her, is all the more reason to give them a say in the content of their lessons!
Read more about the amazing thing Ms. Adella and Mr. Josh did when their students showed their passion for music HERE.
Speaking of socially-distant holiday activities, we know ONLINE SHOPPING is bigger than ever this year!!
If you’re having trouble finding the perfect gift for a special someone, please check out our MABEL’S LABELS FUNDRAISER!
They have buttons, they have bags, they have package labels, wrists bands, food tags! Make your gifts and cards TWICE as snazzy this year while supporting Common Ground at the same time!
Shopping on Amazon instead? Cool! Just Click on our Affiliate Link! It’s the quickest way to support us. That and Amazon Smile
Thank you so much for making this holiday season bright. It is easy to keep our spirits high when we know you are out there doing the same.
Have any socially-distant traditions new or old? SHARE THEM WITH US! Email LJ or Liz, we would love to feature them in our “Creative Holiday Plans” post!
Love,
The Common Ground Team
Newsletter: December 1
Dear Common Ground Community,
We have been so excited about our #GivingTuesday #GiveFundGiveTime campaign and today is the day! It is Giving Tuesday TODAY! Here’s an update on what we have raised this season:
We have raised just over $2000 that qualified for matching funds! We still have another $3000 in matching funds that we can earn as well!
Our community members have mentioned that they are making time for things that they normally wouldn’t think to do - pledging to give small first and grow from there
Teacher Bonus - Parents have been INCREDIBLY generous this season and Common Ground will be matching those funds to make the the Holidays extra special for the teachers! It’s not too late to contribute. Please either email Liz - liz@commongroundchildcare.org, make a donation through the PayPal Giving Fund, or send funds directly through PayPal (friends and family, please) - commonground1700@gmail.com
Looking forward - we are excited to continue the spirit of giving within our community, by highlighting the multiple ways that you can participate in the way that works for you! Take the time to read our #GiveTime post today, because we are giving super special permission to GIVE TIME TO YOURSELF.
Our New Lunch Menu is LIVE! Remember, you can also access the Lunch Menu from:
Our Calendar Page
Your Brightwheel Account (in the learning tab)
And as a reminder - Common Ground is a NUT FREE center. This includes Peanuts and Tree Nuts. Certain classrooms have additional restrictions so please make sure to check before bringing any treats into the center - including if they are just intended for the staff - so that we can make sure to protect those with allergies in our center.
OUR STAY HOME WITH SANTA SIGN UP IS LIVE!!
We have limited spots for each half hour visit to keep them small and special so SIGN UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Let your friends, family, and neighbors know because this is a community-wide event! SIGN UP HERE
What: A half hour event where kids will get to meet Santa with ten other families! While the kids in the main room get to build a craft, sing holiday songs, and hear updates from the North Pole, kids will go into a break out room one at a time to get a little chat with Santa by themselves.
When: December 12th, starting at 8:30 AM (half hour increments)
Where: YOUR LIVING ROOM! Once you are signed up, we will send you a ZOOM link for your reservation!
How: Santa's Elves will do drop offs of a goodie bag with treats, a craft, and a SPECIAL COMMON GROUND LIMITED EDITION HOLIDAY ORNAMENT. Once you are in the zoom room, your kids will be able to interact with everyone and do the craft together. We will explain it all day of as well!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK! LET’S ENJOY THIS LAST MONTH OF 2020!
Your Common Ground Family
Newsletter: November 17
EAT AT CHIPOTLE TONIGHT 5 PM to 9 PM! SUPPORT YOUR SCHOOL!!
THE EVENT IS FROM 5PM-9PM TONIGHT! ANYONE WHO SHOWS THIS FLYER. EARNS US 33% OF THEIR PURCHASE!!
TELL YOUR FAMILY! TELL YOUR FRIENDS! TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS! You know… from a safe social distance…
READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE.
We wish we could all eat together, but if you sign up for our Facebook Parent Community Group, it may be the next best thing!
FROM NOW UNTIL DECEMBER FIRST, FLEX THOSE GIVING MUSCLES!
This year, for Giving Tuesday, Common Ground Childcare is running our #GiveTimeGiveFunds campaign.
We are asking for a pledge time OR funds OR both, and we are asking you to give slowly, with care, and with self-forgiveness if it feels too small. No act of kindness is too small.
GIVE FUNDS
WE ALREADY HAVE AN ANONYMOUS DONOR from outside the Common Ground network that has pledged $5,000 in matching funds! Share our message, you never know who is ready to give to a fun cause…
Our BIG Fundraising Event of this #GivingTuesday season is…
THE STUPENDOUS STUFFY SLEEPOVER!! Have your kids’ favorite stuffed toy come out to Common Ground Childcare to sing, dance, play, read, and be GOOFY! They will be returned to your door the next day with a delightful goodie bag of presents and stories to tell…
MORE DETAILS HERE
GIVE TIME
We are pledging 5 minutes a day until December 1st, and we are only asking for you to do the same.
Do you think you can do more than that? GREAT! Pledge it! We want to see what our community is capable of, because we know it is incredible!
What can you do in five minutes? CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM for ideas every single day!
Read more about this HERE, and make sure to subscribe to our blog for advice on what you can do in those 5 minutes a day.
STAY AT HOME WITH SANTA — SAVE THE DATE
What: A half hour event where kids will get to meet Santa with ten other families! While the kids in the main room get to build a craft, sing holiday songs, and hear updates from the North Pole, kids will go into a break out room one at a time to get a little chat with Santa by themselves.
When: December 12th, starting at 8:30 AM (half hour increments)
Where: YOUR LIVING ROOM! Once you are signed up, we will send you a ZOOM link for your reservation!
How: Santa's Elves will do drop offs of a goodie bag with treats, a craft, and a SPECIAL COMMON GROUND LIMITED EDITION HOLIDAY ORNAMENT. Once you are in the zoom room, your kids will be able to interact with everyone and do the craft together. We will explain it all day of as well!
If there are two or more children in one household: Sign up for one zoom ticket and do add-ons for the rest of them! That way everyone gets a goodie bag.
Tickets: $25.00 +$10.00 for each additional bag in the household
Ornaments: $10.00 a piece
SIGN UP LAUNCHES DECEMBER 2ND
THE THANKSGIVING BOXES ARE COLLECTED, AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL!!
I am honestly humbled and moved by the incredible generosity of our families here in Common Ground.
Because of you, I promised six boxes and we will be bringing TEN to Cornerstones for needy families around Reston.
For looking beyond your own stresses and suffering, for looking outward and working together,
We thank you from the bottom of our full hearts.
Love Love Love,
LJ and your Common Ground Family
Newsletter: November 10th
Thank you to everyone who has purchased School Portraits! So far we have raised over $200 for Common Ground! You can find your portraits here. Remember that the profits from any prints, keepsake items, or paid down loads will be donated to Common Ground!
Teacher Bonus Donation Collection is underway! You can read the letter from the board about it here. You can make your donations by emailing Liz or donating directly through our Paypal Giving Fund Link.
NO ONE SHOULD GO HUNGRY. ESPECIALLY ON THANKSGIVING.
Our Drive is under way! SIGN UP TO BRING ITEMS HERE. You can also sign up for your own box!
All the details can be found HERE.
All items due COB Monday November 16th!
Thank you for your generosity.
(Drive hosted by: Cornerstones)
ONE WEEK AWAY!! PERFECT TACO TUESDAY LOCATION!
EAT CHIPOTLE. SHOW OUR FLYER. TELL YOUR FRIENDS.
READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE.
It might be the tastiest way to support your school yet!
We wish we could all eat together, but if you sign up for our Facebook Parent Community Group, it may be the next best thing!
Rising Stars celebrates friendship outside!
Ms. Petty and Ms. Vanessa are teaching the kids about FRIENDSHIP this week. Under a cloudless, November sky, the Rising Stars go on a lovely nature walk to a field where Ms. Petty reads “Corduroy,” a timeless favorite.
Did you know that being outside in all weather, especially “bad” weather, is an incredible developmental boost for your child?
Read more about that here!
Get your hands on the Chocolate Delight Peanut Butter before we eat it all!
OMmade with Love CEO Radhika Murary will be donating 20% of all sales through this link to Common Ground as a thank you for the use of our busses! Read more about the fantastic partnership (and her amazing journey into the business of quality peanut butter) on our blog HERE
Their peanut butter is locally sourced, humanely made, and really tasty. Get your hands on some today!
Giving Tuesday Text
We are looking for community partners to help us with our Giving Tuesday
(link to blog)
Having fun isn’t hard, when you’ve got a library card!
Fairfax County Public Library is offering virtual programs! The next one available is:
Music Time with Jazzy J
This fun and interactive music program is designed to enhance the curiosity and creativity of young minds around music. Children and parents will be engaged in singing, movement activities, reading and the joy of music. Ages 4-5.
Saturday, November 21, 10:30 a.m. Register.
Read about all of the upcoming Fairfax County Library Events HERE
A Halloween Thank You!
2020 has changed everything, and it’s easy to focus on the traditions that we will miss out on due to the pandemic. After the success of the outdoor flu shot clinic, we knew we could do a safe, outdoor Halloween event at the center.
It was a center-wide team effort to make the day feel as ‘normal’ a Halloween experience as possible. All of the teachers coordinated their class parties, collected treats and decorations, and made sure every child in the center had plenty of treats to take home. Parents sent in whatever was asked of them and created amazing table and trunk displays for the kids to trick-or-treat at. And two staff members stepped up to make the day amazing: Miss Patty and Miss LJ.
Both of these staff members returned to us full time after the event was already on the calendar. They were given it and were told “run with it and make it amazing.”
That is exactly what they did!
Over the Halloween week, more and more decorations showed up outside! Whenever Patty had a moment free from building furniture, learning to back up other duties, and preparing for her own class to begin next month, she was running around making decorations and coming up with ideas for Friday. While Miss LJ coordinated all of the volunteers and communication about the event - anxiously watching the weather and creating a back up plan if it rained!
Without Patty and LJ’s hard work, this even wouldn’t have been the amazing success it was. It truly felt like a normal Halloween party! Thank you, LJ, Patty, and all of the Common Ground team for making Halloween special in a year that’s been a different kind of special.
-Miss Liz
Please check out our photo gallery from Halloween here: https://lizbadley.smugmug.com/Common-Ground-Childcare/Halloween-2020/ the password is: common
You can upload your own photos to add to this gallery here: https://lizbadley.smugmug.com/upload/RTRbg2/Halloween
Newsletter: it's Halloween Week!
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
OCTOBER 30TH - HALLOWEEN EVENT 3:30 TO CLOSE
Kindergarten FCPS Teacher Work days - Nov 12 and 13 - CG OPEN
November 17th - Chipotle School Spirit Fundraiser 5:00-9:00PM
November 5th-20th — Thanksgiving Food Box Drive (more info next week!)
November 25, 26, 27 - CLOSED for Thanksgiving
we are in the process of updating all of our files. Please fill out anything sent through adobe sign.
It is Flu Shot Season! — Email LJ Donnell proof of your child’s flu shot for brightwheel
Peanut Butter for a Peanut Free Center?
It might seem strange for a peanut free childcare center to partner with a peanut butter company, but not when both are Reston based!
Last week, we shared that Miss Liz took an adventure on the Common Ground bus up to Maryland with OmMade PB owner, Radhika, to get compostable packing peanuts so that she can ship her peanut butter across the country! You can read more about our adventure here.
Well, as a thank you, she has offered to donate 20% of sales from this link back to Common Ground!
Shop here: http://www.ommadepb.com?aff=4
Choose local pick up and you can pick up your PB at the center!
Our lunch menu for November is live. You can access the PDF here or on our Calendar page!
The daily lunch menus is also accessible through the Brightwheel App under the ‘learning’ tab - the one that is a little lightbulb!
CHIPOTLE SCHOOL SPIRIT FUNDRAISER NIGHT!
WHEN — NOVEMBER 17TH FROM 5:00PM TO 9:00PM
WHERE — THE SUNSET HILLS CHIPOTLE LOCATION: 12152 SUNSET HILLS RD, RESTON, VA 20190
WHY — TO HAVE A DELICIOUS, FAMILY-FRIENDLY MEAL AND SUPPORT YOUR SCHOOL! WE GET 33% OF EVERY SALE MADE!
HOW — ON THE DAY BETWEEN 5-9PM JUST ORDER FOOD AND SHOW OUR FLYER!
CARRYOUT, DELIVERY, EAT OUT, WHATEVER YOU LIKE!
FORGET THE FLYER? NO PROBLEM!
SHOW THEM THE ELECTRONIC COPY HERE
YOU CAN EVEN ORDER FROM THE APP AND USE THIS PROMOTION CODE (N8AZX3W) TO GIVE US CREDIT.
HOW TO HELP: LIKE AND SHARE OUR POSTS ABOUT IT! SHOW IT TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW! EVERY PERSON SHOWING OUR FLYER COUNTS TOWARD OUR FUNDRAISING TOTAL! EVERY BIT COUNTS. AND HELPS US BUY CURRICULUM SUPPLIES FOR OUR CLASSROOMS.
Halloween Party:
A QUICK NOTE TO ALL WHO HAVE RSVPd: The weather is looking quite grim for our little gathering.
We will let you know by WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28TH, if we plan on cancelling. We really do not want to cancel, but we also do not want our brave parent volunteers to freeze at their little tables.
Please sign up HERE to RSVP regardless! If by some stroke of truly spooktacular luck, the sun is shining, we WILL HAVE OUR COMMON GROUND HALLOWEEN!
More info HERE
The Owls are a Hoot!
Did you notice our School Age kiddos practicing WheelBarrows?
How about Head Stands and somersaults?
Ms. Liz and Ms. Victoria are making sure the kids are having a ball… but did you know that the Owls are also training their inner ears and helping to combat sensory issues?
Find out more on our blog here.
CG Beautification Tasks
Do you need parent hours?
We are looking to schedule volunteers capable of many different levels of handiwork to help keep our school in tip top shape!
Please fill out this Google Form if you are interested!
Sign up for as many of the tasks as you like. We will then contact you to see when would be a good time to schedule.
Please contact us with any questions. (Liz@commongroundchildcare.org, lj@commongroundchildcare.org)
We have updated our illness policy in line with new recommendations by the Fairfax County Health Department.
The policy, as well as notes from the webinar can be found here.
WOW! We have so many families signed up for this! We will be doing something about once a week, so Miss Liz or Miss LJ will reach out about a week ahead of time when it is your turn!
Center Event: Halloween Trunk Or Treat
Hello Everyone!
We know. Halloween on a Saturday? With a FULL BLUE MOON? (What is a Blue Moon? Find out HERE) AND it’s an extra hour of spooky fun because of Daylight Savings Time?
It seems like such a waste on a year we are all working our hardest to protect our families and neighbors from the Covid-19 Pandemic. The kiddos still want their costumes, candy, and spooky shenanigans. We know you all want to do SOMETHING fun for your children, and as the year stretches on and the days get darker, it’s hard not to feel discouraged.
BUT HAVE NO FEAR! Common Ground Childcare has a solution for our enrolled parents that is sure to give your kids a memorable afternoon full of games, treats, and dancing!
We are having a Trunk or Treat style outdoor Halloween party from 3:00-4:30PM on Friday, October 30th!
Parents who volunteer to host a parking space have quite a few options including, but not limited to:
- Classic Trunk Decorations: Decorate your trunk, provide a treat, play spooky sounds or music, whatever you like!
- Set up a table in a parking spot (no trunk required) and have a little themed table
- Run a game/activity in a spot! No trunk or table required! Read a book/tell a story, Monster freeze dance, Spooky Simon says, there’s no limit!
We will also have an area where kids can dance their heart out in their costumes. Had we not mentioned costumes before?? WE LOVE COSTUMES AT COMMON GROUND! Send your kids with their costumes that day and we would be happy to help them change.
How do we maintain our health standards?
This is just for the kids currently enrolled to avoid a wider risk of exposure.
Our fantastic parent volunteers will wear masks and are encouraged to pre-bag their treats so that kids do not reach into a communal bowl.
Classes will be going around one at a time through the trunk-or-treat.
We may keep the event going for 30-45 minutes past 4:30pm, but at that point it will be up to each family to decide their comfort level with interactions between classroom groups and families.
We will not be serving food, but we will have individual bottles of water.
All spaces will be 6 feet apart from one another and outdoors to remain safe.
RSVP HERE. You can sign up as a volunteer or just come as a guest, we would love to celebrate with you.
Looking for ways to celebrate on the day? CDC Alternative Halloween Recommendations can be found HERE
Thank you so much for reading! Remember to check out our Youtube Channel for fun seasonal books.
Newsletter: Today is TACO Wednesday!
Important Dates:
Taco one fundraiser TONIGHT!
School portrait links will be emailed to you after the weekend
Book fair ends soon!
School Halloween event on 10/30
Tonight is taco night!
From 4-4:45 it is only for families that are currently attending Common Ground, but at 4:45, we have invited the community to stop by to pick up dinner!
Please invite your friends and neighbors to swing by, pick up some amazing tacos, and support two businesses in the process!
Our Book Fair ends NEXT MONDAY! (Click HERE to shop)
Don’t miss out on your kid’s next favorite book.
For every purchase, Common Ground gets at least 10% cash back to support your classrooms
For our little ones, there are dozens of Lift-The-Flap books available! Sturdy enough for little hands to practice fine motor skills, sweet enough to keep their attention and enchant parents.
Shine-A-Light books are amazing stories filled with fascinating facts! Your kid can learn about Vehicles, the rain forest, even the human body! The best part though? Shine a flashlight on the pages and reveal hidden pictures. See the Wonder on your child’s face as they learn about their world in the coolest way.
Check out the Shine-A-Light Book on Apples HERE
Halloween Event
We wanted to quickly clarify that this is an internal event for the classrooms at the center. Classes will be going around one at a time through the trunk-or-treat.
We may keep the event going for 30-45 minutes past 4:30pm, but at that point it will be up to each family to decide their comfort level with interactions between classroom groups and families.
Please make sure you sign up here if you would like to do something. You are not limited to a trunk - we can also provide a table, but all spaces will be 6 feet apart from one another and outdoors to remain safe.
Survey Update
Thank you to all the families who completed the survey that I put together when the state lifted our classroom size restrictions. In general, the community here supports what Common Ground has been doing and is in support of:
a health protective approach
smaller class sizes
the stability of Common Ground long term
our reduced hours, though there is some concern when offices open back up that parents will need more care hours
We have carefully adjusted our maximum class sizes to address all of these metrics in a thoughtful way:
under 2 - class maximums remain at 8 for under 16 months and 10 for under 24 months
Dancing Monkeys Class - up to 12 students
Rising Stars Class - up to 14 students, with the exception that we will not enroll to that number until 80% of the class is potty trained, until that point, 12 students
Honeybees Class - up to 14 full day students and 5 half day students.
School Aged Virtual Learners - up to 16 all virtual students
We are not in a rush to get to these numbers, as our goal is to be intentional with our enrollments as things progress.
Hours
In response to the survey, we are anticipating adding an additional half hour to the beginning and end of the day beginning in January! Our hours would be 7:30-5pm. We will update families on when that will start and will be contacting each family to find out what additional time they intend on using for staffing purposes in December.
As we move into the holiday season, we would like to remind you of our community pledge.
As a part of the Common Ground Community, we have the expectation that our families and staff members continue to only participate in low risk activities that are to the left of ‘send kids to school, camp, or daycare’.
We understand that this can feel like giving up a lot, but we are all in this together with the goal of not having to close a classroom, or even the center for an outbreak AND to protect the health of our community. You can read our community pledge here.
New Newsletter Format, Click Here!
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
OCTOBER 13TH TO 26TH - BOOK FAIR
OCTOBER 19TH - SCHOOL PORTRAITS
OCTOBER 21ST - TACO ONE FOOD TRUCK FROM 4-6PM
OCTOBER 30TH - HALLOWEEN EVENT 3:30 TO CLOSE
we are in the process of updating all of our files. Please fill out anything sent through adobe sign.
We had an issue with our initial sign up for spoiling our teachers and we didn’t collect contact information.
Please sign up again and Liz or LJ will reach out to you!
We have updated our illness policy in line with new recommendations by the Fairfax County Health Department.
The policy, as well as notes from the webinar can be found here.
Our virtual book fair is live! You can order books by visiting the site here.
We will also be featuring some of the books on our YouTube Channel, Story Time blog, and in our Facebook Community!
Common Ground will receive a 10-15% cash donation based on the sales from this book fair fundraiser.
Speaking of fundraisers…
Keep up the Amazon shopping! We are up to $9.56 raised since we launched the affiliates program! And don’t forget to check out the other fundraisers that we have on our fundraiser page!
Reminder:
The weather has turned cooler and there are more rainy days in the forecast this fall, so make sure that you have brought in what your kiddo needs to stay warm and dry!
On October 21st from 4-6PM The Taco One Food Truck will be coming to the Common Ground Parking Lot! Join us for some of the best tacos in the DC Area and have a safe and socially distant dinner with your Common Ground crew.
Visit their website ahead of time here to get yourselves hungry!
RSVP here so that you can get reminders and not miss out on a delightful evening! The playground will remain open so that your kiddos can play safely while you eat.
Halloween Party:
You are invited to our Common Ground Outdoor Halloween Extravaganza!
What: A Trunk or Treat Style Party with games, candy, music, and spooooky decorations
When: Friday, October 30th from 3:30-5:00 PM
Where: Common Ground Childcare Playground and Upper Parking Lot!
We need volunteers for the Halloween Parking Spots that the kids will be "trick or treating" to!
Please sign up HERE to RSVP and to let us know if you want to be a spooktacular Volunteer! We cannot wait to see all of your creative ideas!!
CG Beautification Tasks
Do you need parent hours?
We are looking to schedule volunteers capable of many different levels of handiwork to help keep our school in tip top shape!
Please fill out this Google Form if you are interested!
Sign up for as many of the tasks as you like. We will then contact you to see when would be a good time to schedule.
Please contact us with any questions. (Liz@commongroundchildcare.org, lj@commongroundchildcare.org)