NOVEMBER 2021
Greetings!
"DESIGN A TURKEY FEATHER" FAMILY PROJECT     
We are asking families to help decorate our turkey by making a turkey feather to add to the EFC turkey body. We will have pre-drawn turkey feathers to get you started and you and your family can be as creative as you wish to decorate. Some supplies will be available at the front of the center and feel free to leave your finished feather on Cathie or Jamie’s desk and we will be sure to add it to our turkey…Have fun!
CENTER HAPPENINGS
COSTUME KIM—“RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE”
Kim Maxwell will be here on Friday, November 19, at 9:00 a.m. dressed in costume to tell stories, sing songs, and even do some simple sign language with our kiddos. She has a COVID-safe set-up and our kiddos really enjoyed her storytelling last month about Apples…we do this program in small groups for toddlers and preschoolers to enjoy.
VIDEO HOLIDAY PROGRAM
It has been a long tradition to host a holiday singing program each year at our center. Since we cannot have a program with all families attending…we have decided to still go through with the singing program here at the center—however—we will be recording it and sending it out for you to view. Please watch for the date…we will inform you of details so you can dress your kiddos in fun attire if you wish.
PARENT REMINDERS
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY DATES
Especially for Children will also be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday & Friday, November 25 & 26. This year we are especially thankful for your support & kindness. We wish you a safe, healthy & fun Thanksgiving weekend. 

Planning Ahead - Winter Holiday Dates:
Thursday, December 23, 2021—EFC Closed
Friday, December 24, 2021—EFC Closed
Friday, December 31st, 2021—EFC Closed
DRESSING FOR WINTER
Outside play has always been an important part of our curriculum for young children and in our current health situation with COVID-19 outside play is even more valuable. 
                 
In order to be successful with this portion of our curriculum, we need help from our families. We will need the following items here each day for winter play...
                 1) Snowpants/snow suit
                 2) Boots
                 3) Winter Coat
                 4) Hat
                 5) 2 pairs of gloves/mittens
                 6) Possibly a neckwarmer
Socks are also a necessity in keep our toes warm—so please keep that in mind each day when your kiddo gets dressed. A back up pair is always nice if we do have a very snowy day and get wet feet. 
 
LABEL—LABEL—LABEL
This is so helpful to our teachers in helping us keep track of your child’s items. We do not have very many things to loan to your child so please keep that in mind when you come to school each day. Winter can come upon us quickly and as you know—the weather will be ever changing and with that in mind—we will do our best to keep giving your child the outside play that is so valuable to them.
CONFERENCES
Conferences will be held this year during the month of November with the options of Google Meet, phone call, or in person. They will be 20 minutes in length and we will be sharing goals for the year based upon your child’s age group. Each classroom may opt for a different method so please watch your classroom for this information. This is a great time to learn more about our curriculum and about the programming in our classrooms.
DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING
Early childhood developmental screening is a check of a child’s development, vision, hearing, growth, health history, and immunizations. Screening takes approximately 1-hour and a parent or legal guardian stays with the child during the process. You can contact Minnetonka public schools at the following phone number (952-401-6840) or connect through this link--https://www.minnetonkaschools.org/district/mcec/early-childhood/screening,
Eden Prairie’s contact information is (952) 975-6940 and their link is https://www.edenpr.org/community-education/ecfe-preschool/early-childhood-screening
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
SHARE YOUR PASSION SPOTLIGHT
In celebration of EFC’s 45th Anniversary, we created the Share Your Passion Project to discover what inspires the people who are and have been part of the EFC community. We’d like to highlight some of the entries we’ve received so far. In addition, we would love for families to participate by sharing photos, video, words, or examples of something about which you are passionate. You can submit your entry to angiew@especiallyforchildren.com.
 
Gail Serbesku
EFC Teacher Since: 1997
Especially for Children – Eden Prairie
My inspiration for painting comes from my love of nature and the amazing world around us. I have always been an outdoor enthusiast. I also enjoy watching shows about our awesome Earth and the animals we share it with. Now that so many species are disappearing and their unbelievable habitat is being destroyed I feel the need to put these incredible gifts down on a canvas.
HONORING LONG-TERM EMPLOYEES
In October we honored long-term EFC employees, as we do each year. Over half of EFC employees have been with the organization for 5 years or longer! We are so grateful for their dedication to children, families, and EFC! Here are the long-term employees who were able to make it to our event!
5-9 Years of Service
10-14 Years of Service
15-19 Years of Service
20-24 Years of Service Brenda (right)
25+ Years of Service
ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS
RISKS WORTH TAKING
By Alli Zomer
This summer our family had the amazing opportunity to travel to Denver and reconnect with dear friends. It involved a long road trip, some roadside rest stops, and lots of audiobooks. Luckily, the drive was easier than we feared, and the end result was completely worth it.
 
Our friends have children about the same age as ours, so it is always fun to reunite. Like our family, our friends love the outdoors. They take full advantage of their Colorado surroundings and spend time hiking, camping and exploring. This trip I noticed something particular about their kids: they have become expert climbers! At the park, in the yard, along the parkway…every time I looked they were scrambling up a trunk or swinging off a branch. It was amazing! And yet, there were moments when I felt myself holding my breath…were they going too high? What would happen if they slipped? And, can my kids do that?
 
Watching them made me recall my (much!) younger days when my sister and I would climb the neighbor’s tree. We loved the challenge of trying to reach that first branch, hoisting ourselves up and ascending into the canopy where we could see the neighborhood from a new vantage point and make up some tall tale to go along with our tree top adventure. Then, one day, we went out to find that our neighbors had cut the lowest branches so that we couldn’t reach the tree anymore. Liability, risk, danger: that was what the adults worried about, so our topiary adventures were over.
 
Of course adults worry about risk, for it is our job to keep our children safe as they grow. But at times, our obsession with safety could actually be causing our kids a different, more invisible type of harm. Risk is crucial for children to develop confidence, resilience and trust. It is only through taking appropriate risks that children build new skills, learn to work through failure, and develop resilience to try again. When we arrived in Colorado, my kids were a little tentative to follow their friends into the treetops, but by the end of our week there I saw them pushing themselves a little bit higher, and saw their smiles grow wider each time they conquered a new branch. It was a risk definitely worth taking.
 
TWIN CITIES
FAMILY EVENTS

Now-2/26 Night Trains, TC Model Railroad Museum, St Paul
11/7-1/9 Annie, Children's Theatre, Minneapolis
11/6&11/20 Llamas on the Plaza, 50th&France, Edina
11/13 Pop-ups on the Plaza Art+Nature, 50th&France, Edina
11/19-12/27 Elf the Musical, Stages Theatre, Hopkins
11/19-1/2 Winter in Bloom, Mn Landscape Arboretum, Chanhassen
11/25 Drumstick Dash 10k and Cranberry Cruise 1 Mile, Lake Harriet, Minneapolis
11/25 LifeTime Turkey Day 5k, Minneapolis
11/25-12/25 Holidazzle, Minneapolis
11/26 Holiday Tree Lighting, 50th&France, Edina

Especially for Children
6223 Dell Road
Eden Prairie MN 55346 
(952) 934-1119 

Center Director:
Cathie Underwood 
Center Assistant Director:
Jamie Kittleson
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