September News from Especially for Children

SEPTEMBER 2021

Greetings!

BACK TO SCHOOL!

Happy Fall! We are sad to see the summer go, but we welcome the cooler weather and new school year with open arms. Good luck to all the kindergarteners going to school. We wish you all the best!

As we begin our fall program, we welcome you! We wanted to take a minute to say thank you for choosing EFC and trusting us to care for your families. We appreciate all of you! We look forward to working with you to make this a great school year.

CENTER HAPPENINGS

FALL SOCCER

We are excited to be able to offer soccer with RevSports for the preschool groups this fall! Soccer will be on Monday mornings and will start on Monday, September 13. Registration is open here.

PARENT REMINDERS

EFC CLOSED

Especially for Children will be closed Friday, September 3, for staff professional development and on Monday, September 6, for Labor Day.

CUBBY CHECK

As we begin this new school year, please take a moment to check your child’s cubby and make sure that your child has weather appropriate clothing that still fits (they grow so fast!) Please pick up your sunscreen from your child’s teacher to take home.

HEALTHCARE SUMMARIES 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!

STAR WELLNESS

HOMEMADE VEGETARIAN CHILI

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 tablespoons chili powder*

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika*

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 large can (28 ounces) or 2 small cans (15 ounces each) diced tomatoes**, with their juices

2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups vegetable broth or water

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnishing

1 to 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar or lime juice, to taste

Garnishes: chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream or crème fraîche, grated cheddar cheese, etc.

View instructions here:

https://cookieandkate.com/vegetarian-chili-recipe/

ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS

TEACHING STRATEGIES: SIX POSITIVE MESSAGES

By Angie Williams

As we begin the fall program at Especially for Children, we wanted to share with families some of the guiding principles for our classrooms and interactions. The Six Positive Messages below come from Teaching Strategies, author of The Creative Curriculum®, and for the past several months, our team of managers has reflected on them and set goals and strategies for ensuring they are reinforced in our program:

This is a good place to be.

The intent of this message is reassurance for children that they will enjoy being in the classroom and feel safe there. Our goal is to have them look forward to learning new things and spending time together.

You belong here.

This is a message of acceptance. By sending this message, we help children feel accepted for who they are and encourage them to build connections with others. Our messages can help children appreciate different types of people and learn to find similarities that form the foundation of friendships.

This is a place you can trust.

This message is about reliability. Young children crave consistency, routine, and structure. Once children build trust in their environment, teachers, and classmates,

they feel safe to unleash their creativity and big ideas.

There are places you can be by yourself.

The intent of this message is respect for children as individuals. Some children need more alone time than others. We let them know that this is okay and that we respect their needs.

You can do many things on your own here.

This is a message about nurturing independence. During the early childhood years, children are learning that they are unique individuals with their own interests and agency. By sending this message and providing developmentally appropriate

challenges, we are building children’s confidence in their ability to achieve their goals.

This is a safe place to explore.

This is a message of confidence. To do their personal best, children need the freedom to try new things without fear. They should feel that it’s quite acceptable—even expected and encouraged—to make mistakes as they learn.

These positive messages guide our teaching staff and leadership as we arrange classrooms and build relationships with children and families. In addition, we will look to EFC’s core values below as we build community at the start of the “school year”: