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GARDEN UPDATES
Our gardens are doing AMAZING!! We have already picked and tasted radishes and cucumbers!! As you guess radishes were not a big hit with all of us!! Watch for EFC farmers market as our produce begins to ripen. Our little farmers have done a great job and will have way more then we can eat!!
UPCOMING EVENTS
SPECIAL DAYS THIS MONTH
We have a lot of fun days planned this month...check them out!
 
August 5 -  Opening Olympic Ceremony
 
August 11 -  Team USA!!  Wear RED, WHITE and BLUE!!
 
August 16 -  Splash Day!!
 
August 26 -  PJ Day!! (by request)
 
August 31 -  Bike Day Tractor Pulls
PARENT REMINDERS
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Especially for Children will be closed on Friday, September 2, for a Staff Development Day and on Monday, September 5, for Labor Day. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

EFC'S REFERRAL PROGRAM
Refer a family to any of our Especially for Children locations and earn $100 on your account. Please see Lisa for more details.
CONSTRUCTION
Road construction is well under way.  Thank you for your patience as they  improve the access to the center. 

STAR WELLNESS
star wellness
SIMPLE SMOOTHIE RECIPES
Here are easy smoothie recipes that are sure to delight your kids -- and you!

PEACHY PUNCH
Sip on summer, no matter the season. Blend 1 cup frozen peaches, 2 cups almond milk, 1 banana and a handful of frozen strawberries for a sweet start to the day.
 
PURPLE POWER
The best healthy smoothie recipes for kids are those that incorporate greens, but getting your kids to actually drink them can be a challenge. "To get kids to drink green smoothies, start with 1 cup of mild greens like spinach, romaine, and kale mixed with some frozen fruit and water or milk," Masters suggests. "If your kids don't go for green, add vibrant purple picks like cranberry, pomegranate and grape juices, and add beets, berries and red grapes for gorgeous berry-looking smoothies that don't turn green."

BLUEBERRY BANANA BLAST
The tang of Greek yogurt adds a new dimension to this smoothie, but also serves up a dose of protein to tide your little ones over till lunch. Blend 1 banana, 1 cup leafy greens (such as spinach or kale), 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1 cup Greek yogurt and 1 cup almond milk to start your day on the right foot.

ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS
DEVELOPMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS: WHY THEY MATTER
Everyone seems to agree that "relationships matter." But what is it about relationships with young people that matter?
 
That is the question currently being studied at the Search Institute. What they are finding is that, in addition to the fact that the caring interaction of adults is central to young people's development, there are some other elements of relationships that further enable a child to thrive.
 
Search Institute has adopted the term developmental relationships to describe relationships in a young person's life where a person does other things in addition to expressing care. That person can be a parent, teacher, or even a friend or peer.
 
The most transformational relationships for a child are those that:
 
Express CARE - "Show that you like me and want the best for me."
 
CHALLENGE Growth - "Insist that I try to continuously improve."
 
Provide SUPPORT - "Help me complete tasks and achieve goals."
 
Share POWER - "Hear my voice and  let me share in making decisions."

Expand POSSIBILITIES - "Expand my horizons and connect me to opportunities."
 
These developmental relationships powerfully and positively shape a young person's identity and help the person develop a thriving mindset. A thriving mindset can be summarized as the orientation not just to get by in life, but to flourish - not just to survive, but to thrive.
 
Some other aspects of these relationships are that each person in the relationship is both contributing to and benefitting from the relationship. And, although a single relationship can be powerful, young people grow most when they experience multiple developmental relationships across multiple environments.
 
So, to bring this all into perspective for your family, we hope that the relationships your child is forming at Especially for Children can be some of his/her first developmental relationships. We want to support and challenge your child. By working with your child in the classroom, with his peers and in all of our daily activities, we are striving to influence your child's educational performance and behavioral choices. We want to give your child the confidence to persevere in the face of difficulties and distractions. We want your child to develop a thriving mindset.
 
For more information about the Developmental Relationships Framework, go to:  
http://www.search-institute.org/sites/default/files/a/Dev-Relationships-Framework.pdf

* Information for this article taken from Search Institute.

TWIN CITIES
FAMILY EVENTS
Now-9/5 Dinosaurs , MN Zoo, Apple Valley
Now-End of Summer  Big BackYard
Science Museum of MN, Saint Paul  
8/5-8/7  Uptown Art Fair , Minneapolis
8/5-8/20 Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Stages Theatre, Hopkins
8/12 Thomas and Friends: Explore the Rails, Children's Museum, St. Paul
8/12-8/14  Irish Fair , Harriet Island, St. Paul
8/20-10/2  Minnesota Renaissance Festival , Shakopee
8/25-9/5  Minnesota State Fair , Saint Paul
  
All Summer  - Music and Movies in the Park - Various Minneapolis Parks  




The gardens at our schools are transforming before our eyes. It has been a wonderful experience for the children to plant, water, weed, observe, cook and taste! We've had some special visitors in our gardens including many bugs and even some baby bunnies! Check out a gallery of our gardens on the blog.
 


Especially for Children
8885 Evergreen Blvd
Coon Rapids MN 55433

Lisa Ward
Director, EFC Coon Rapids 

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