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. 

April Notes of Interest

Sunscreen Forms
With warmer weather coming it is time to start thinking about sun care. We are sending home sunscreen forms for 2019. Please fill out the form for your child and turn it back into the front desk.

Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent Teacher Conferences will begin Mid-April. Please talk to your child's teacher for your exact date and to sign up for a time slot. 

Creative Movement Show
If your child is in Creative Movement, Miss Gail is hosting the end of the year show on May 21st. There will be two shows; one at 6:00pm and one at 6:45pm. In a few weeks Miss Gail will post a sign at the front desk showing the time slot that has been chosen for your child's group. Please mark if your child will or will not attend the show. Just a reminder, the show counts as the last class for May.
 
Prep Freeze Cook Fundraiser 
We have officially met our Fundraiser goal of $400 to pay for 4 new tricycles for the preschool playground! Thank you to all who ordered and helped with our fundraising goals. We will continue the Prep Freeze Cook Fundraiser this month to raise further funds for lending library materials.

Scholastic Book Fair Recap 
We had a total of 20 books donated from families for our classrooms and we earned over $700 back from Scholastic to use on more books and materials for the classrooms. Thank you all for helping us have a very successful book fair this Spring!! 

 
 
Upcoming Dates

April 2nd: P.A.C Meeting 5pm
April 8th - 15th: Week of the Young Child
April 13th:  SNL @ K2 5:00pm - 10:00pm
April 18th & 19th: School Age Days



C losure Dates for 2019

Please click   here  to view the Katie's Kids Center Closure list for 2019.    
            
Saturday Night Live

Saturday, April 13th
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. 

 Each month Katie Stelle-Mardis either writes an article for Pastelle Magazine or lends advice to other authors writing articles concerning some aspect of Early Childhood Education. To view these articles, you can either pick up a copy of Pastelle in our lobby or click on the link below.
Health Corner


Seasonal Allergies

Spring is on it's way! It is a great time of year with warmer weather, bright sunshine, budding trees and the beautiful growth of flowers. Unfortunately with this seasonal change can sometimes come seasonal allergies.

Click below for more information on seasonal allergies in children.

            
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 2018 - 2019 Season of Events

Children's Discovery Museum
Click here for the Winter 2018/2019 schedule of events 

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 and here for a list of highlights for the month of March. 

Egg Hunt
Town of Normal is hosting an Easter egg hunt for children and for dogs. For more information click here. 

Rock the Block
Support the United Way while enjoying music, food, and fun on April 27th from 4pm-10pm. Click here for more information. 

Ideas for Home
--------------------------------------------  
Spring means color! Here is a fun way to add color to a room. Make your own stained "glass" windows!

Click  here for the instructions!
 
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: 
  • Bottle Caps
  • Paper Towel Rolls
  • Cotton Balls
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. 

_______________________


April 4th

Club Sandwich
Homemade Potato Chips
Chocolate Chip Cookies 
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April 11th

Prime Rib w/Au Jus
Corn on the Cob 
Brownies
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April 18th 

No Meal to Go
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April 25th

Stadium Brats
Macaroni & Cheese
Strawberry Cheesecake
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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: 
 
Breakfast Casserole 
Ingredients:
  • 8 ounces spicy or sweet turkey sausage links, casings removed, meat crumbled
  • 2 scallions, sliced
  • 6 large eggs and 6 large egg whites 
  • 1 3/4 cups 1-percent milk
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • One 9-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of excess liquid 
  • 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 whole wheat baguette, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
  • Cooking spray
Directions:
  1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey and scallions and cook, stirring to break up any large chunks, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  2. Whisk the eggs, egg whites, milk and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add the cooked sausage, spinach, cheeses and bread and toss to distribute ingredients evenly.
  3. Spray a 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread the egg mixture evenly in the dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the casserole, uncovered, until set and lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes.
Cook's Note
Make-Ahead Tip: Freeze the baked casserole for up to 2 weeks. Cover with foil and reheat at 350 degrees F until hot, 35 to 45 minutes.


 

Katie's Kids Learning | @ the Links | 309.663.5800 |  [email protected] | www.katieskids.net
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