April 2023
Our mission is to elevate child development to a new level by leading the social, emotional growth, and education of young children while providing a safe, welcoming, home-like environment with a caring, educated and professional staff that promotes partnerships with parents, children, and other childhood professionals.

News...
April 3-7
The Week of the Young Child

April 10-21
Accreditation Window

April 12
Sunscreen forms due

April 24th & 25th
Picture Days

April 31
Last day for Early Bird Summer Camp Registration
School Age Summer Camp:
Do you have a school age child or know a family looking for summer care? Katie's Kids wants to offer an invitation to our summer camp program.
  • Pricing: $65.00/day or $265.00/week
  • Registration: $65 early bird registration fee or $80 registration fee after May 1st
  • The summer application link is below, please return with days of attendance marked and the registration fee.


Outdoor Play:
  • Sunscreen forms went home with your child on Friday. Please make sure that you have your child's sunscreen form filled out and returned. If you will be providing your own sunscreen please label and send it with your child.
  • As the weather turns warmer, our classrooms will be spending more time outside. Please make sure your children have appropriate outdoor attire. Boots and extra clothes are great to have as they will get wet and muddy during this season.
Reminder

Tuition rates increased on March 20th. Please ensure your payment reflects the changes. The new tuition rates can be found below.

If you have not completed your new financial agreement or your updated admission form, please return them ASAP. We are required to update the admission form yearly. If you have any questions, please see the front desk.
Teacher Appreciation Week...
May 8th-12th

It is that time of year again! Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8th-12th this year and we are already thinking of ways to let our staff know that they are loved and appreciated.

As we begin to plan for this special week there are multiple ways that you can help!
  1. Provide monetary donations via drop box at the front door.
  2. Share your ideas with Andrea or Lindie at andreac@katieskids.net or lindie@katieskids.net
  3. Volunteer to provide items including prepackage food items when the time comes. (More info to come on that in the future.)
Health Corner...

Kids and Food: 10 Tips for Parents
Following some basic guidelines can help encourage your kids
to eat right and maintain a healthy weight.

Here are 10 key rules to live by:
  1. Parents control the supply lines. You decide which foods to buy and when to serve them. Though kids will pester their parents for less nutritious foods, adults should be in charge when deciding which foods are regularly stocked in the house. Kids won't go hungry. They'll eat what's available in the cupboard and fridge at home. If their favorite snack isn't all that nutritious, you can still buy it once in a while so they don't feel deprived.
  2. From the foods you offer, kids get to choose what they will eat or whether to eat at all. Kids need to have some say in the matter. Schedule regular meal and snack times. From the selections you offer, let them choose what to eat and how much of it they want. This may seem like a little too much freedom. But if you follow step 1, your kids will be choosing only from the foods you buy and serve.
  3. Quit the "clean-plate club." Let kids stop eating when they feel they've had enough. Lots of parents grew up under the clean-plate rule, but that approach doesn't help kids listen to their own bodies when they feel full. When kids notice and respond to feelings of fullness, they're less likely to overeat.
  4. Start them young. Food preferences are developed early in life, so offer variety. Likes and dislikes begin forming even when kids are babies. You may need to serve a new food a few different times for a child to accept it. Don't force a child to eat, but offer a few bites. With older kids, ask them to try one bite.
  5. Rewrite the kids' menu. Who says kids only want to eat hot dogs, pizza, burgers, and macaroni and cheese? When eating out, let your kids try new foods and they might surprise you with their willingness to experiment. You can start by letting them try a little of whatever you ordered or ordering an appetizer for them to try.
  6. Drink calories count. Soda and other sweetened drinks add extra calories and get in the way of good nutrition. Water and milk are the best drinks for kids. Juice is fine when it's 100%, but kids don't need much of it — 4 to 6 ounces a day is enough for preschoolers.
  7. Put sweets in their place. Occasional sweets are fine, but don't turn dessert into the main reason for eating dinner. When dessert is the prize for eating dinner, kids naturally place more value on the cupcake than the broccoli. Try to stay neutral about foods.
  8. Food is not love. Find better ways to say "I love you." When foods are used to reward kids and show affection, they may start using food to cope with stress or other emotions. Offer hugs, praise, and attention instead of food treats.
  9. Kids do as you do. Be a role model and eat healthy yourself. When trying to teach good eating habits, try to set the best example possible. Choose nutritious snacks, eat at the table, and don't skip meals.
  10. Limit TV and computer time. When you do, you'll avoid mindless snacking and encourage activity. Research has shown that kids who cut down on TV-watching also reduced their percentage of body fat. When TV and computer time are limited, they'll find more active things to do. And limiting "screen time" means you'll have more time to be active together.
NAC Validation Visit Information

Katie's Kids at Ft. Jesse submitted the request for a "validation visit" to our accrediting body (National Accreditation Commission - NAC) at the end of August. A "validation visit" is when NAC sends staff to visit our center and verify all of the documentation we submitted meets their standards.  During the validation visit, NAC staff will observe in classrooms, interview staff, go through A LOT of documentation and thoroughly interview Andrea. All of the information they collect will be submitted to the Commission and they will determine if we meet Accreditation standards. 

Recently, we were given a time frame for our validation visit (April 10-21). We will not know an exact day, just that it will be in those 2 weeks! 

Once the visit happens, it could take up to 4 months to hear the Commission's decision. There are 3 decisions we could receive: 
A decision to AWARD - we get re-accredited! A decision to DEFER - we still have a few things to work on with a time frame to make improvements or finally a decision to DENY. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress. 

Thank you for your continued support!
Share your positive moments!

Do you have any positive moments you want to share about our staff? If so, we want to hear and share them! Simply click on the button below, fill out the form, and submit.

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.
Katie's Kids Learning Center at Ft. Jesse
Accredited by: National Accreditation Commission