AUGUST 2020
Greetings!

ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN WILL BE CLOSED ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 , FOR OUR STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY AND MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 , FOR LABOR DAY.
OUR CLASSROOM GARDEN
Our garden has been growing all summer and we are getting excited to harvest the vegetables this month! We have already sampled peppers, radishes, a few tomatoes, and herbs such as mint and basil. 

Our garden in early June:
Our garden now:
CENTER HAPPENINGS
AUGUST DRESS UP & SPECIAL DAYS
** Wednesday, August 12 is Super Hero Day! Please dress your child in his or her favorite super hero costumes or shirts, or be creative and come up with your own ideas for a special Super Hero! We can’t wait to see who shows up😊!
** Tuesday, August 18 is Pancake & Pajama Day, and we will enjoy a pancake lunch in our PJs!
In addition, our older preschool rooms will continue with occasional park trips, bike days and outdoor picnics. Your child’s classroom teacher will communicate those days with you directly.
**We will celebrate the end of summer with a smoothie party on Wednesday, August 26 ! 
AUGUST TASTE TEST THURSDAYS
During the month of August, toddlers & preschoolers will have Taste Test Thursdays, where they will get a chance to sample a variety of yummy & healthy food options. We plan to taste test tomatoes, corn on the cob, melons, and grapes (cut to appropriate size). Please stay tuned to Baby/Daily Connect for updates!

REV SPORTS SOCCER
Rev Sports will continue through mid-August. We will offer soccer classes this fall as well so look for a sign up in August. 
PARENT REMINDERS
HEALTH CARE SUMMARY AND IMMUNIZATIONS
We appreciate everyone’s efforts to keep their child(ren’s) files updated at our center. Our license requires us to keep current records on site of each child. We need annual physical forms as well as the computer print out of updated immunizations. If you have an appointment scheduled, feel free to stop by the office to gather the necessary paperwork. Again—thank you for your help!
PARENT RESOURCES
FLOWER PEDAL PRINTING
Check out this idea from the Community Playthings blog:

“Capture some of that wondrous splash of color from your flower garden on paper. Experiment with different flowers and leaves. We found that marigolds and parsley made the most vibrant colors.”

BUILDING AN ANTI-BIAS LIBRARY
One of the things we are working on at EFC is building an anti-bias library. We are doing so based on helpful criteria outlined by Social Justice Books and wanted to share these ideas with you.

When reviewing a book with an anti-bias lens:

  • Check the illustrations
  • Look for stereotypes
  • Look for tokenism
  • Look for invisibility
  • Check the Story Line and the Relationships Between People
  • Look at Messages About Different Lifestyles
  • Consider the Effects on Children’s Self and Social Identities
  • Look for Books About Children and Adults Engaging in Actions for Change
  • Consider the Author’s or Illustrator’s Background and Perspective
  • Watch for Loaded Words
  • Look at the Copyright Date
  • Assess the Appeal of the Story and Illustrations to Young Children

You can find more detail around each of these suggestions here: https://socialjusticebooks.org/guide-for-selecting-anti-bias-childrens-books/
ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS
THANK YOU!
We wanted to take a moment to recognize and thank our amazing EFC teaching staff and managers for all they have done over the course of this pandemic. We truly appreciate their hard work and dedication to EFC families, one another, and the organization. They have been flexible, positive, caring, energetic…they have been AMAZING!

On behalf of EFC Administration, THANK YOU, to all the members of our staff.
Especially for Children
3300 Edinborough Way 
Edina MN 55435 
(952) 835-0505 

Center Director
Anna Wilson 
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