Mission Statement
  
To elevate child development to a new level by leading the social and emotional growth and education of young children by providing a safe, welcoming, home-like environment with a caring, educated and professional staff that promotes partnerships between parents, children, and other early childhood professionals. 

September Notes of Interest

Hand-washing at Drop-off
Hand-washing is an important part of our daily process and the best way to cut down on germs. Our staff do a great job at ensuring all of our children are washing hands at the appropriate times throughout the day. But it has been noted that we are missing a crucial time period...Drop-off! Please help us cut back on the outside germs being brought into our classroom by washing your child's hands when they enter the classroom upon arrival each day. Not only is this is a DCFS requirement that we need to follow, but it is a healthy habit to have as we soon enter into sick season. 

Messy Monday
We will be hosting a Messy Monday on Sept. 23rd this month. The theme is Foamy Games. The older children will be playing twister with colored shaving cream on the dots. The younger children will explore colored whipped cream.

Last Water Day
The last day for water day was August 30th. Please be sure to bring home all of your child's swim belongings.

PayPal Account
Katie's Kids now has a PayPal account to be used for fundraising purposes. There is now a permanent button at the bottom of our newsletters so you can easily find the link to donate in the future. We hope this makes future fundraising easier on all of our families. 

Prep Freeze Cook Fundraiser 
We will continue the Prep Freeze Cook Fundraiser this month to raise further funds for lending library materials. You can find an order form at the front desk. 

Hello Parents/Guardians!
 
My name is Amanda Langford and I am interning here at Katie's Kids! I am a Senior at Illinois State University. I am majoring in Nutrition and acquiring a minor in Public Health. I will be joining your kids in their classrooms every other Friday until December to learn about proper nutrition. My goal is to make it fun for kids to learn about healthy eating!

Each week we will be talking about a different food group. Occasionally, I might send nutrition tips home with your child. This is my way to help you learn a few things you may not know about your child's nutritional needs.
I am very excited to have this opportunity to impact your child's nutrition! Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, or ideas!
 
Amanda Langford


Staff Kudos

Do you have any positive moments you want to share about our staff? If so, we want to hear them! We have created a new Google form called Katie's Kids Kudos. The form is easy for you to access from home, so no need to take extra time at pick up and drop off. Simply click on the button below, fill out the form, and submit. We will be sure to share these positive moments with our staff, as well. 


  Kudos!
 
 
Upcoming Dates

September 2nd:   Closed for Labor Day
September 3rd: First Day of Creative Movement
September 14th: SNL @ K2 5:00pm - 10:00pm
September 17th & 18th: Picture Days
September 19th: Talk Like a Pirate Day
September 23rd-27th: Scholastic Book Fair
September 23rd: School Age Day
September 27th: Katie's Kids Day of Play
September 28th: World Wide Day of Play


October 2nd: Rader Farm Field Trip (preschool only)



C losure Dates for 2019

Please click   here  to view the Katie's Kids Center Closure list for 2019.    
            
Creative Movement is starting again!
First class of the year is 
Tuesday, September 3rd

This fun extra-curricular class incorporates basic tumbling skills on a mat, obstacle courses, basic locomotor movement, animal actions, partner work, improvisation, rhythm sticks, creative movement with ribbons & various sized material, balance, & coordination skills.

The instructor, Gail Herring, has a BSE in Dance and now exclusively hosts her classes at Katie's Kids. Classes are held every Tuesday morning for 45 minutes and is open to any child who will be 3 years or older by December 31st. If you are interested in signing your child up this year, please fill out and return the registration forms that were in your child's cubby earlier this week. You can also find a registration form in the lobby on the parent info board. 



Help spread the word of Katie's Kids!
Do you have a friend, neighbor, or colleague looking for care?  For every family you refer to Katie's Kids we will apply a $50 credit to your account after the family has been with us for 90 days.

Saturday Night Live

Saturday, September 14th
5:00 -10:00 p.m.
@ Ft. Jesse (K2)

Enjoy a night out on your own! We will watch your kids. Children ages 3+ have the opportunity to watch a movie and use their artistic abilities to create a masterpiece of their choice! Free play activities will be set up for children under the age of 3 years. If you have any questions please ask the KKLC Leadership Team. 

Health Corner


Food Safety

September is Food Safety month. Below is some information on keeping you and your kids protected from food borne illnesses.


 Food Safety: Under 5        
Community Connections



















Our community has great things to offer families! This section of the newsletter is to help you connect to the variety of community events occurring  in the Bloomington/Normal area. Enjoy!

1000 Books Before Kindergarten
Children under age 5 can earn a free tote bag by reading 1000 books before Kindergarten. Click here for more information.

Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts
Click here to view the 2019 - 2020 Season of Events

Children's Discovery Museum
Click here for the August schedule of events 

Corn Crib Car Show
The Corn Crib Car show will be held on September 7th, but tickets go on sale starting May 9th. Click here for more information. 

Cornbelters
Click here to view the Cornbelters summer schedule.

Downtown Bloomington First Friday Events
On the first Friday of each month Downtown Bloomington businesses showcase their wares and artisitc abilities. Click here for more information.

Hummingbird Festival 
Sugar Grove Nature Center is hosting their annual hummingbird festival and pollination celebration on September 1st. Click here for more information.

Open Cockpit Day
The next Open Cockpit Day is September 21st. Click here to view more information.


Ideas for Home
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We love sensory bottles at Katie's Kids! They engage the senses and  serve as a great tool for science and calm down moments. Below are some ideas for creating your own at home.

 
Loose Parts Donations  

We, at Katie's Kids, would like to keep utilizing loose parts in our classrooms throughout the year.  Therefore, we are inviting parents and families that are interested to keep the supplies coming!  If you choose to donate you can drop the materials off at the front desk at any time!
  
Be sure to look through our center for how the loose parts are being used within the curriculum! 
  
Thank you in advance for your donations, we look forward to seeing the creativity that stems from all of the materials!


Our Focus this Month: 
  • The insides of push pops
  • Tops to puree pouches
  • Disposable Fruit Cups (cleaned)
Meals to Go

Did you know? In order to make our foot print a little less on this Earth, we use reusable food containers for our Meals to Go! We kindly ask that you rinse your containers and return them to the front desk at your earliest convenience . We will wash and sanitize these containers to be used for our next meals. 

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September 5th

Carolina Pulled Pork
Coleslaw
White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
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September 12th

Bruschetta Chicken
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Brownies
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September 19th

Orange Chicken
White Rice
Baked Cinnamon Twists
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September 26th

Cheeseburger Croissants
Onion Straws
Double Chocolate Cookies Bars
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Getting Healthier...
At Katie's Kids Learning Center, we are committed to providing the best possible nutrition to you and your family.  We hope you enjoy the following recipe: 
 
Summer Minestrone

Ingredients:
  • 1 tbsp. oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped 
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
  • 8 oz. red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 4 c. low-sodium vegetable broth 
  • 1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 small carrot, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 c. frozen peas
  • 1/4 c. grated Parmesan
  • 1 c. fresh basil, roughly chopped
  • Crusty bread, for serving 


Directions:

  1. Heat oil in large saucepan on medium. Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes. 
  2.  Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Add red potatoes and low-sodium vegetable broth and simmer 5 minutes. Add zucchini, yellow squash, and carrot; simmer 3 minutes.
  3. Add frozen peas and simmer until vegetables are just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. 
  4. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and fresh basil. Serve with crusty bread if desired.
 

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Katie's Kids Learning | @ the Links | 309.663.5800 |  Katie@katieskids.net | www.katieskids.net
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