May / June 2015
Transcription
May / June 2015
DOODLE DAYS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER | MAY • JUNE 2015 EXCELLENCE IN CHILDCARE SINCE 1992 • DOODLEBUGS.COM In This Issue Make Way for Spring 1 From Our Family 2 Center News & Views 3 Summer Vacation 4 Your Doodle Bugs! 6 T.E.A.M8 Make Way for Spring and Summer with Doodle Bugs! May and June are filled with excitement and fantastic activities as the doodle community gears up for summer. We’ll celebrate the end of another school year and begin to welcome in our ultimate summer camp program. After a long winter, the entire doodle community is feeling a little spring fever and eager to get outside! But wait, there’s more than a little fresh air and sunshine during the months of May and June! Our curriculum is bursting with terrific hands-on learning activities. May’s theme brings spring to life by focusing on Eric Carle, including lessons around caterpillars & butterflies, bees & fireflies. Additionally, a very important part of our program is outdoor play. June’s theme, Let’s Move, highlights the importance of fitness fun. For our Pre-K students, June is extra special as they prepare their yearbooks and rehearse for the graduation night performance! Pre-K parents, please see your center director for center-specific details about your child’s graduation ceremony. We welcome all families to browse through the rest of the newsletter (and keep a copy) to learn more on our laughter and learning-filled doodle days! www.doodlebugs.com Extra! Extra! 9 Center Events 10 Doodle Details 11 Center Calendar 12 stay updated on the latest doodle bugs! news at: direct links are available at doodlebugs.com FROM OUR FAMILY From Our Family to Yours: A message from the founders As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week and get ready to commemorate a new class of Pre-K graduates, it serves as a reminder that the doodle community is such a unique place for teaching and learning. It’s so humbling to see the many ways that people can come together to make a meaningful impact on our future generation and their families. On that note, we are eager to welcome in the splendors of late spring and early summer with our doodle families. It’s such a special time of year -- May and June are always filled with exciting events and fun activities, from our year end Tae Kwon Do and Doodle Dance & Fitness demonstrations to the start of Summer Camp 2015! It’s truly a pleasure to see so many happy faces enjoying their doodle experience. As always, we also look forward to continuing to provide you with the high-quality care and innovative program features that your family expects at Doodle Bugs!. Our shared mission of building a community of happy children, happy parents, and happy teachers is more than just a “motto” – it’s the heart of our work, every day, at every location. Thank you so much for your ongoing support. Warmly, Clarine, Anna and Anthony Insinna “ ” Each day, we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. – C. Swindoll 2 may • june 2015 CENTER NEWS & VIEWS Behind the Scenes: Meet the Education Specialists We’re really proud of our proprietary Bravo! Early Childhood Curriculum and are pleased to introduce you to our team of Education Specialists, to provide a “behind the scenes” peek at how the education program at Doodle Bugs! comes to life. This talented team takes the lead in researching education trends and best practice, in order to develop age appropriate daily lesson plans to fully engage children in the learning process. Whether they are developing thematic units, updating curriculum guides, or aligning assessment materials with state-specific early learning guidelines, the Education Specialists are constantly reviewing, evaluating, and revising curriculum content. Although each Specialist had years of practical experience as a classroom teacher before joining the Education team, each still dedicates at least 2 full days per week to spend in classrooms, working with teachers to make sure that every aspect of children’s development is supported as they learn through interactive, playful experiences. Many thanks to Jennifer, Toni, and Betsy for sharing your expertise and enthusiasm – the doodle community truly is a better place because you CARE. Jennifer Horner M. Ed Elementary Education BA Sociology Joined the doodle team in 2012 Toni LaMantia M.Ed Psychology & Quantitative Methods Candidate 2015 BA Music Education Joined the doodle team in 2013 Betsy Wilcox BA Early Childhood Education Joined the doodle team in 2010 Doodle Bugs! Introduces Rich Miniconzi as Florida Regional Manager Doodle Bugs! is pleased to announce that Rich Miniconzi has joined the administrative team as the Florida Regional Manager. In his capacity as Regional Manager, Rich’s initial responsibilities include providing leadership and support to the existing Lake Worth center and supervising the development of the new Lakewood Ranch location, which will open in 2016. As Doodle Bugs! presence in Florida grows over the next few years, so too will Rich’s capacity for educational leadership and quality assurance throughout the market. A Philadelphia native, Rich has resided in Florida since 2012; his most recent professional experience included supervising 8 child care centers in markets in 4 different states. With 15 years of experience in early childhood education management, a master’s degree in human resources management and a bachelor’s degree in education, Rich brings a wealth of industry knowledge and practical experience to his new role. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Rich, who can be reached at the Lake Worth center or by email at [email protected] . www.doodlebugs.com 3 ULTIMATE SUMMER VACATION! Happy Campers Found Here! Join Us for Summer Camp! Whether it is one week or all summer, your child will have the ultimate summer camp experience at Doodle Bugs! Our camp program provides a safe, supervised environment that keeps children active through creative learning and fun activities. Leap Ahead Summer Camp (3-5 Year Olds) Specifically designed for preschoolers and pre-k students, Leap Ahead Summer Camp is the perfect combination of skill-building and summer fun! School-readiness happens naturally when children’s minds and bodies are actively engaged in learning. Special Events Awesome weekly themes feature amazing special events! Camper favorites include parades, carnivals, bake sales, car washes and more! Doodle Day Camp is never the same day twice! Summer Camp (5-12 Year Olds) Carnivals, clubs, field trips and special events guarantee that Doodle Day Camp is non-stop fun. Doodle Bugs! keeps children active through creative learning and fun activities, all supervised by qualified adults. Daily Clubs: Sports Club Team members and peer coaches enjoy team-building activities and organized sports and games, including basketball and soccer. Garden Club Gardeners plant and tend to our outdoor gardens, harvesting the crops to create unique recipes and run a Farmer’s Market. Swim Club Summer Camp Discount Campers dive right in and enjoy swimming at local indoor/outdoor town pools. STEM Club Love to build with Legos, conduct creative experiments, or solve puzzles? STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) Club is the place for you! Summer Camp 2015 is just around the corner and is sure to be the best summer adventure yet. Ask your director about our Early Bird Discount! Book Club Campers take some DEAR time (Drop Everything And Read), then bring stories to life with Readers’ Theater, journals, and more. 4 may • june 2015 CAMP THEMES Themes listed above are in no particular order. For a complete list of weekly themes and events at your center, please talk to your center Director. www.doodlebugs.com 5 YOUR DOODLE BUGS! 6 may • june 2015 www.doodlebugs.com 7 T.E.A.M Together Everyone Achieves More! “Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work.” ~ V. Lombardi March Employee of the Month Whether she is greeting families at the front desk, or lending a helping hand in the classroom, Kaitlyn always goes the extra mile to make everyone feel welcome and “at home” in our Lake Worth center. CONGRATULATIONS! Congratulations and many thanks to our doodle team members celebrating milestone anniversaries! FIVE YEARS Linda Rowley, a valued member of the Penfield team, celebrates her 5th doodle anniversary this year. As an infant room assistant teacher, Linda provides consistent, responsive care to our littlest learners, helping new doodle families feel at home at the center. TEN YEARS Nicole Quigley has been a valued member of the East Amherst team for 10 years. Nicole gives careful attention to the cleanliness of the center, assuring that children and faculty alike enjoy a clean, sanitary learning environment daily. Roseann Boswell, our Healthcare Consultant, celebrates her 10th doodle anniversary this year. In addition to approving health care plans and facilitating training in CPR, First Aid, AED, and medication administration, Roseann provides valuable insight and support to the admin team. Thank you all for your consistent commitment to high quality. The doodle community is truly a better place because you CARE. Coworkers greatly appreciate Kaitlyn’s genuine kindness and interest in helping others, noting that every interaction with her is positive and thoughtful: “she brings a warm smile to so many faces!” Thank you, Kaitlyn, for consistently going above and beyond in your efforts to build a community of happy children, happy parents, and happy teachers. The doodle community is a better place because you CARE. “How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it.” ~George Elliston April Employee of the Month Michele Yoviene has been a valued member of the doodle team since 2008. As an HR Specialist, she assures that every center is in compliance with the varied state, local, and company HR-related policies, assisting 11 directors and 500+ employees! Recently, Michele has also skillfully covered our Payroll Specialist’s maternity leave, successfully giving equal attention to both HR and Payroll functions. Her willingness to take on new responsibilities, often working long hours and juggling multiple deadlines, is evidence of her admirable work ethic and genuine dedication to the doodle community. 8 Kaitlyn Jensen - Teacher Assistant, Lake Worth Center Michele Yoviene - Human Resources Specialist may • june 2015 EXTRA! EXTRA! Doodle Bugs! Children’s Centers Participates in Screen-Free Week As technology advances and younger generations become more tech-saavy, Doodle Bugs! recognizes the benefits of technology in education, such as our partnerships with ABCmouse.com (for ad-free interactive learning experiences) and Tadpoles (for electronic daily reporting). However, the core of our curriculum and program is a full day of hands-on learning, including experiences in art, music and dramatic play. To reinforce our philosophy, Doodle Bugs! centers will participate in ScreenFree Week held May 5th – May 9th and invite families to join us in reducing use of entertainment screen media, including television, video games, computers, and hand-held devices. During this week, we encourage children and families to discover fun, screen-free activities. Teachers will take time to discuss with students the importance of time with friends and family. Check out the Doodle Bugs! Children’s Centers blog for tips on how families can generally limit screen time at home! Celebrate the Let’s Move Theme at Home! Part of our June curriculum centers around the “Let’s Move” theme, which discusses transportation and also encourages physical fitness fun. Play, in general, and good nutrition habits are a very important part of the Doodle Bugs! program. Physical activities – inside and outside – and healthy, well-balanced meals are incorporated into every day’s plan. During the fitness lessons, our students will learn about good sportsmanship and different sports and how athletes practice. They will also partake in lots of overall fitness activities, such as Zumba, yoga, dancing, biking and walking. The idea is to reinforce the healthy activities they see parents do at home, which can often create a fond association with fitness. What’s even more exciting is this theme can be celebrated at home as a family, too! According to the national organization, Let’s Move, there are five simple steps for kids to achieve a healthy lifestyle at home. 1. Move Every Day. Kids need 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous active play every day. Physical activity throughout the day all adds up. 2. Try New Fruits and Veggies. Bring your child to the grocery store and let them pick out new fruits and vegetables to try. Smoothies are in right now; let them help you mix one up! 3. Drink Lots of Water. If you can’t sell them on strictly water, throw in a piece of fruit or a splash of juice to make it exciting. 4. Do Jumping Jacks to Break up TV Time. Doesn’t have to just be jumping jacks; try dancing, push ups or even a few household chores! 5. Help Make Dinner. By participating in the shopping, or finding recipes, or making dinner, you’re teaching your children about healthy eating. www.doodlebugs.com 9 CENTER EVENTS Cinco de Mayo May 5th Our centers will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a variety of activities, including participating in a traditional Mexican Hat dance, and enjoying a salsa and chip taste test. Don’t forget your sombrero! Mother’s Day Celebrations May 7th and May 8th Mr. Doodle Bug cordially invites every student’s mom (or special guest) for a special classroom visit on Thursday, May 8th and Friday, May 9th. The children are planning activities to celebrate mom, including special treats and homemade gifts. This is a FULL DAY celebration, so guests are welcome to visit at any time during the day, on either date (or both). Father’s Day Celebrations June 11th and June 12th Mr. Doodle Bug cordially invites every student’s dad (or special guest) for a special classroom visit on Thursday, June 11th and Friday, June 12th. The children are planning activities to celebrate their fabulous fathers, including special treats and homemade gifts. This is a FULL DAY celebration, so guests are welcome to visit at any time during the day, on either date (or both). Teacher Appreciation Week: May 11th – May 15th Parents are encouraged to put the spotlight on a spectacular team member by completing a Smile Award this week. Tell the entire doodle community about the ways your child’s teachers make him or her (and you!) smile! Awards will be posted throughout the center all week long to recognize our team’s many talents. 2015 Pre-Kindergarten Graduation Information It’s time to celebrate another Doodle Bugs! graduating Pre-K class! We’re so proud of our students, who have spent their time at Doodle Bugs! having fun, learning, developing life skills and making friends. We want to thank our faculty for making their journey with Doodle Bugs! as educational and enjoyable as possible. We are excited for our graduates to enter the next stage of their educational career. Family and friends are invited to join us for the ceremony and help us celebrate this joyful occasion. Center directors will provide the date, time, and location for each classroom’s graduation celebration. Year-End Performances Doodle Dance & Fitness “Creative movement and dance represent the education of the whole child, in the deepest sense.” Everyone loves Doodle Dance & Fitness classes. They’ve danced, wiggled, tumbled and giggled all year long and can’t wait to show you what they’ve learned! Please join us for our year-end demonstrations, a genuine celebration of fun & fitness; classroom specific demonstration dates and times will be posted on the parents’ boards soon! Tae Kwon Do Tae Kwon Do is the perfect combination of fitness and fun! The children are especially proud of the progress they’ve made in this year’s Tae Kwon Do classes. Please join us to celebrate their successes and give them a well-deserved round of applause; classroom specific performance dates and times will be posted on the parents’ boards soon! 10 may • june 2015 Doodle Details Community Connections Please consider helping the West Amherst center reach their goal of collecting 250+ boxes of fun, colorful bandages. “Bandaids for Booboos” will be donated to Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. The McCandless center happily participated in the Ultimate Play Day, which was held in Burgwin Park on April 26th. Hosted by the Pittsburgh Playful Collaborative, this fun event celebrated play as an essential part of childhood! Rochester area faculty and families are invited to join in the annual Town of Henrietta Parade, which will be held on Sunday, May 17th at 12PM. This is a terrific opportunity to connect with other families and show your #doodlespirit! The Clarence center is proud to support the Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis Walk and invites all faculty, families, and friends to join them on Sunday, May 17th. This event is held at Island Park in Amherst; check in is at 10AM and the walk begins at 11AM. Parent Reminders Doodle Bug! Vacation Club is the perfect place for school age students to spend spring break! Anytime elementary schools are closed, our centers offer a full day of fun for children ages 5 – 12. Organized sports & games, arts & crafts, special events and field trips add to the fun! Please see the front desk for center-specific details, including field trip plans. Doodle Bugs! will be closed in observance of Memorial Day (Monday, May 25th). A doodle day includes lots of outdoor play. Please be sure to provide sunscreen and protective clothing (such as hats and sunglasses) for your children; safe, sturdy footwear is also required. Secure Your Spot Today for Preschool, Pre-K and After School Enrollment applications are now being accepted for the 2015-16 academic year. We’re proud to implement the Bravo! Early Childhood Curriculum, an innovative program that combines theme-related age-appropriate classroom experiences, amazing enrichment programs and our series of center events. Our curriculum is aligned with each state’s early learning standards, ensuring that children build essential skills through play. At Doodle Bugs!, learning is hands-on fun! Preschool (3 year olds) Doodle Bugs! provides preschoolers with the ideal environment for learning through play! We happily support children’s growth and development as we build a caring community of learners. Pre-K (4 - 5 year olds) Doodle Bugs! Pre-K graduates are noticeably well prepared for future school success. The Bravo! Early Childhood curriculum provides meaningful opportunities to build academic skills through play. Above all else, our staff is responsive to children’s varying needs and abilities, which builds each child’s confidence and instills a love for learning! After School (ages 5-12) We understand that your family’s need for safe, supervised care extends well into your child’s elementary years! We are happy to provide fun, hands-on recreation activities (sports, computers, theater, crafts and more!) in the educational, high-interest environment you’ve come to expect from Doodle Bugs!. www.doodlebugs.com 11 CENTER CALENDAR May Sunday 3 Monday 4 10 Tuesday 5 CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATIONS 11 12 Wednesday 6 Child ID event at Webster center 3-6PM 13 Thursday 7 MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATIONS 14 Friday Saturday 1 2 8 9 Bug Squad: Fun Festival at the Irondequoit Public Library 10AM-2PM MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATIONS FL Summer Camp Early Bird Discount Deadline 15 PA Summer Camp Early Bird Discount Deadline 16 TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24/31 25 26 27 28 29 30 Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis Walk at Island Park 10AM Town of Henrietta Parade 12PM Bug Squad: Dreams from Drake event at Total Sports Experience from 4PM-6PM (May 31) MEMORIAL DAY CENTERS CLOSED June Sunday Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 NY Summer Camp Early Bird Discount Deadline ROC City Values 5K 8:30AM 12 Tuesday FATHER’S DAY CELEBRATIONS FATHER’S DAY CELEBRATIONS may • june 2015 6 Bug Squad Volunteers at Ronald McDonald House
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