MAY 2023
Greetings!

GARDENING WITH CHILDREN
Planting season is coming up fast. This summer we would love to have parents be part of our gardening experience. We will be having garden parties during growing season. Depending on the weather, that will determine when our first party will be. We will be prepping the soil and planting seeds and plants. Watch for more info on the date of our planting party, mother nature is so unpredictable this year. We will also have weeding parties throughout the summer and a fall harvest festival to sample all our hard work.
CENTER HAPPENINGS
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
We will be hosting a Muffins for Mom to go event on Friday, May 12. Please take a muffin and on your way out of the center that morning. All mothers and special caregivers in your child’s life are welcome to treat themselves!
FAMILY REMINDERS
SUMMERTIME
As we approach summer, please be mindful of the shoe choices for your children. We would like all children to have closed toe shoes with tennis shoe type bottoms so they can safely climb and run during our outdoor activities. Please do not bring or wear flip-flops to school.
 
In addition, please bring in a labeled bottle of sunscreen with your child’s first and last name to keep at school. We do not allow aerosol sunscreens. We will be spending as much time outside as possible this summer!
 
Please let us know of any changes to your child’s attendance/schedule for this summer!
 
EFC CLOSED
In our commitment to provide time and opportunities for staff to grow professionally, EFC will be closed on Friday, May 26, for a staff development day. We will also be closed on Monday, May 29, for Memorial Day. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend!
STAR WELLNESS RECIPE
star wellness
SESAME SALMON BOWLS
 
From the NYTimes Kid-Friendly Recipes:
 
“This one-pot meal, which is inspired by chirashi, or Japanese rice and raw fishbowls, features a savory vinegared rice that’s typically served with sushi. Traditionally, the rice is cooked first, then mixed with vinegar, but here, the rice is cooked in vinegar-seasoned water to eliminate a step. The result is sticky rice that’s tangy and sweet, and a perfect bed for fatty salmon. The salmon is added toward the end to steam directly on top of the rice for an easy one-pan meal. Packaged coleslaw is a time saver, eliminating extra knife work. Make a double batch of the zesty dressing for drizzling over roasted vegetables or green leafy salads the next day.”
ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS
EFC ANNUAL FAMILY SURVEY
“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.”
– Ken Blanchard
Each year, we invite you to provide feedback on your family’s experience with our program through our Family Survey. It is that time of year again! While our hope is that you are able to communicate regularly with your directors and your child(ren)’s teachers—as well as with the EFC administration—about your family’s needs and expectations, the survey offers a more formal means for you to share specific comments and feedback.
 
In the survey, we ask about your child’s experiences with his or her teachers and the curriculum, how communication is going for you, whether your expectations for your child and family are being met, and if there is anything else you would like to share with us.
 
Our goal is to partner with you in this special time of life. It is extremely valuable for us to understand how things are going for you and to learn a bit more about your family (including any family or cultural traditions you’d like to share at your center). We invite you to fill out the survey at the link below by 5/15.

 
We also wanted to take this opportunity to share bios of the EFC Administration—the team that will receive your feedback—in case you aren’t familiar with us yet!
 
DeeAnn Besch, VP of Operations
DeeAnn joined Especially for Children in 2007 and has spent her career in early childhood. DeeAnn works to support all of our directors in their roles through her deep knowledge of the field. She ensures EFC programs meet not only licensing standards but NAEYC accreditation standards and creates opportunities for teaching staff to grow and develop. She has dedicated her career to high quality, developmentally appropriate programs that help children grow and thrive.
 
Alli Zomer, Director of Operations
Alli works closely with DeeAnn in supporting directors, teaching staff, and all aspects of our center’s operations. She especially enjoys helping teachers and managers grow through meaningful professional development opportunities. Alli is part of the “original” EFC family—a daughter of EFC founders Priscilla and Steve Williams. These days you will find her preparing our new center in SW Minneapolis for its May opening!
 
Angie Williams, Director of Marketing and Finance
Angie joined EFC in 2016 and works to support EFC centers and the organization in the areas of marketing/communications (she prefers newsletter articles to Covid letters!), financial management, and facilities. She is also a daughter of Priscilla and Steve, and she and Alli have had the pleasure (in their younger years) of mowing EFC lawns, preparing meals, and, of course, spending time in classrooms with children!
 
We appreciate the opportunity to support your family at EFC.
 
TWIN CITIES
FAMILY EVENTS

Now-5/7 Framed: Step into Art, MN Children’s Museum
Now-5/14 Disney's Newsies Jr., Stages Theatre, Hopkins
Now-6/18 An American Tail, Children’s Theatre, Mpls               
5/6 Vehicle Day, Southdale, Edina 
5/6 Walk for Animals, St. Paul 
5/6 Animal Open House, Eden Prairie Outdoor Center
5/13-5/14 Mother's Day Plant Sale, Arboretum
5/13-5/27 Story Time on the Plaza, 50th&France, Edina 
5/14 Mother's Day Concert, Landmark Center
5/19-5/21 Art-A-Whirl, NE Mpls
5/20  Women Run the Cities, Mpls     


Center Director
Lisa Ward
8885 Evergreen Blvd.
Coon Rapids, MN 55433
(763) 784-0901
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The website Meet Minneapolis has some great ways to celebrate! Check them out here: https://www.minneapolis.org/calendar/holidays/aapi-heritage-month/
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