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

November 3rd:   Time Change - Fall Back 1 Hour
November 6th: P.A.C Meeting 5:00pm
November 11th: Messy Monday - Leaves
November 15th: Pie Orders Due
November 16th: Pizza & Parents 11:00-12:00
November 16th: SNL @ K2 5:00pm - 10:00pm
November 26th & 27th: Pie Pick Up
November 27th: School Age Day
November 28th & 29th: Closed for Thanksgiving


C losure Dates for 2019

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

Closure Dates for 2020

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

            

November Notes of Interest

Accreditation Update
We have finally received our evaluation dates from the National Accreditation Commission (NAC)! They will be sending an elevator to our center for 1 or 2 days sometime between November 18th and November 26th. This is the final step in our process of gaining accreditation. After the evaluation is complete 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
The conference schedule has been set. The dates are as follows:
  • November 7th (Thursday): Room 8
  • November 8th (Friday): Room 5
  • November 15th (Friday): Room 1
  • December 6th (Thursday): Room 7
  • December 7th (Friday): Room 6
  • December 12th (Thursday): Room 4
  • December 13th (Friday): Room 2 & 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!
Want to save some time over the Thanksgiving holiday? Let Chef Cody make your pies! 


Pumpkin ($8), Cherry ($8), and/or Apple ($12)

We will be taking pie orders from November 1st - 15th. 
Pick up for pies will be November 26th & 27th


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, November 16th
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. 

Future Dates: 
December 14th @ K1
December 15th @ K2 (12:00pm - 4:00pm)

Health Corner

Cold & Flu Season

The cold and flu season is upon us. Below are some tips on staying healthy during this winter season.



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.

Arts & Craft Sale
The ARC is hosting an arts & craft fair on November 9th. Click here for more information.

Artful Designs
The pottery studio, Artful Designs, has a few kid events scheduled this month. Click here for more information.

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

* Pirate Penelope & Friends: 100 Cats & More is a free show being presented on November 16th @ 2:30pm. Face Painting will be available before the show starting at 1:00pm. Click here for more information.

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

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.

Uptown Normal Holiday Open House
Take pictures with Santa and enjoy free sleigh rides on November 9th. Click here for more information.

Giving Fence 2019
Take What You Need. Leave What You Can.
November 9-December 21, 2019
 
GOAL: To make sure our community is warmer by winter.
DONATION ONLY COLLECTION will begin Wednesday, Nov 6th and go through Friday, Nov 8th, 10am-6pm each day. Drop off donations at 1018 W. Washington Street (two buildings west of Retrofit Culture).

DONATIONS (Clean, gently used. Please only items mentioned):
*Warm, winter weight coats (all sizes)
*Snow pants (all sizes)
*Winter hats (all sizes)
*Winter scarves (all sizes)
*Warm winter mittens & gloves (all sizes)
*Clear Ziploc-type bags (gallon size is most helpful)
*Clothes pins

For more information visit 

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Bonus:

Drop off your donations to Crossroads on November 1st between 5pm & 8pm and you will receive 20% off of one item of purchase! 
Ideas for Home
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Take a walk, collect some acorns, and make a game out of counting them! See below for more details.


 
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: 
  • Leaves
  • Buttons
  • Fabric 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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November 7th

Meatball Sub
Potato Wedges
Parfait
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November 14th

Beef Stroganoff
Side Salad
Brookie Bars
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November 21st

Tomato Basil Chicken Breast
Wild Rice
Key Lime Dessert
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November 28th

No Meal to Go
Happy Thanksgiving!
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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: 
 
Hot Apple Cider

Ingredients:

Directions:

  • Wash apples and peel if they aren't organic.
  • Cut into slices and place in slow cooker.
  • Wash orange, cut into 8 slices, and add to slow-cooker.
  • Add spices.
  • Pour water into the slow cooker and turn on low for about 6-8 hours. See notes for 1-hour Instant Pot option! I use my Instant Pot on the slow cooker option since I prefer to make this before bed and have it ready (and the house smelling incredible) for breakfast.
  • Strain out apples, orange, and spices using  cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer  and serve.




 

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