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. 
 
 
Upcoming Dates

December 4th:   P.A.C Meeting 5:00pm 
December 7th: Christmas Parade
December 14th: SNL @ K1 5:00pm-10:00pm
December 15th: SNL @ K2 12:00pm-4:00pm
December 23rd - January 6th: School Age Days (except for closures)
December 23rd: We Will Close at 5pm today
December 24th & 25th: Closed for Christmas

January 1st: Closed for New Years


Closure Dates for 2020

Please click   here  to view the Katie's Kids Center Closure list for 2020.    

            

December Notes of Interest

Closing Early December 23rd!!
We will be closing early on December 23rd, the day before Christmas Eve. Our hours that day will be 6:30am - 5:00pm. We will also be closed all day on Dec. 24th and 25th. Enjoy the holidays!

Accreditation Update
Our evaluation dates were moved to the week of December 9th. This will be the final step in our process of gaining accreditation. It will take up to 4 months for us to hear the results and final decision from NAC. Gaining our national accreditation has been a 2 year process, so we are very excited to be nearing the end and seeing our hard work pay off. We will keep you updated as we know more. 

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher Conferences will continue this month. Due to the rescheduling of our accreditation evaluation, we will have to reschedule the conference dates for Room 2, Room 3, and Room 4. The new dates are listed below:
  • December 5th (Thursday): Room 7
  • December 6th (Friday): Room 6
  • December 10th (Tuesday): Room 2
  • December 11th (Wednesday): Room 4
  • December 18th (Wednesday): Room 3
Please sign up for a time slot in your child's classroom. If you are not able to attend a conference on the date and times available, please talk to your child's teacher for alternative scheduling. 

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. 

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. 
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!


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, December 14th
5:00 -10:00 p.m.
@ the Links (K1)

Sunday, December 15th
12:00 -4:00 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

Fevers

One of the most common symptoms we see in children is a fever. But fevers vary so much and can mean so many things that it can leave a parent feeling unsure and concerned. Below is some information on fevers to help you feel informed. 


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 December schedule of events, including Jammie's and Jingles.

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

Santa's Station
Santa's Station in Uptown Normal opens on December 7th for visits with Santa and Mrs. Clause. Click here for information on Santa's schedule.

Skate w/Santa
You can go ice skating with Santa on December 7th. Free cookie and hot chocolate with admission. Click here for more information.

Ugliest Sweater Run
A fun run for all ages in your ugliest sweater! Click here for more information.
Ideas for Home
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Explore the snow and your creative side with snow painting! The article below focuses on bringing the snow inside your house so you can be warm and cozy while still exploring the snow. But for added fun, try walking outside in the snow and creating a masterpiece in your own backyard! 


 
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: 
  • Ribbon
  • Wrapping Paper Tubes
  • Wrapping Paper Scraps
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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December 5th

Cheesy Ham & Potato Casserole
Garlic Bread
Oatmeal Scotchies
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December 12th

Chili
Cornbread
Apple Zucchini Muffin
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December 19th 

Fish N Chips
w/homemade tartar
Caramel Apple Bars
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December 26th

No Meal to Go

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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: 
 
Coconut and Banana Fudge

Ingredients:
  • 3 cups coconut flakes
  • 1 medium banana
  • 2 ounces of Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:
  • Place the shredded coconut in a high speed blender and blitz until it reaches a butter consistency. If you are having difficulty getting it to blend try adding a small dash of coconut milk or melted coconut oil to get it moving.
  • Add the banana and blitz again until combined.
  • Spoon the mixture into a small dish lined with parchment paper. Top with sprinkles if desired and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or until the fudge has hardened.
  • Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.



 

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