Day Nursery Federal Center two year olds celebrate Earth Day with special visitors

Day Nursery Federal Center teacher Nina Woodbury is known for going the extra mile to present a hands-on learning opportunity for the two-year olds in her classroom.  Today she didn’t have to travel any further than her driveway at home to find some special visitors for her class. On her way to work, Miss Nina scooped up a handful of earth worms to bring in to celebrate Earth Day today.  While our downtown Federal Center has a beautiful playground, it doesn’t have much dirt on it to explore so Nina imported the visitors. The chatter around the earthworm table has been punctuated with giggles this morning as the children have worked up the courage to touch the worms and marvel at their mobility.  Hope you and your little ones have a chance to dig into the dirt today.  Happy Earth Day!

Post update 11:15 am-Just got this photo emailed to me by Day Nursery Federal Center Director Sarah Parks.  She wanted to share this picture of the worms being released on the grass in front of the Federal Building.  She thought some grownups might be concerned about the worms spending the entire day with two year olds.  Rest assured, the worms have been safety returned back to the earth.

Downtown Indianapolis preschoolers enjoy annual Easter Egg Hunt

The Pre-k class at the Day Nursery Federal Center made their own paper mâché baskets for their annual egg hunt on the playground yesterday.  Sarah Parks, center director sent the photo and  big thank you to Mother Nature for the sun!!

Day Nursery Federal Center Family Feast

Families gathered at the Day Nursery Federal Center yesterday to have lunch with the children and to enjoy a Thanksgiving program.  If you have ever seen the size of our kitchen in this center, you know that is was no small feat to prepare a big special meal for all the guests.  A big shout out goes to Center Director Sarah Parks, and our cook Gail Dodson.

Ms. Gail was assisted by our floating teacher Ms. Robyn and one of our parents Ms. Porshea.  Porshea is taking classes in the Human Services field and needed some volunteer experience, so has been volunteering here at the center for a few hours.

Day Nursery Federal Center staff bid farewell to a great teacher

Miss Amanda with Federal Center Director Sarah Parks and her daughter Selena

Today’s post was submitted by Day Nursery Federal Center Director Sarah Parks

Day Nursery Federal Center staff gathered Friday night to celebrate Amanda Childress, her 10 years of service to Day Nursery, the friendship and memories we share with her, and to wish her well as she starts a new chapter in her life in Alabama.  She was presented with a plaque, as well as a “moving gift” of cash from staff, families at the center now, as well as families whose lives she has touched in the past.  There were hugs, tears, smile, and lots of laughter.  The whole week Ms. Amanda was visited at the center by a host of families–past and present, as well as Senior Management from the main office.  It’s not every day you come across someone so dedicated to her job and to the families that she served, we will miss her more than she knows. Good Luck Amanda, and thank you for everything!

Hey everyone its Ms. Amanda and I cant thank all of you enough for all the love shown to me during my last week and especially my last day. I love you guys and families that allowed me to become a part of your lives and will miss you all more than you will ever know. Thank you for all years of love and laughter. It has been a great journey and I wish all of you nothing but the best.

 

Two Day Nursery Indianapolis centers recognized by Federal Government

Day Nursery Federal Center Director Sarah Parks (left) with Brenda Roldan, Regional Child Care Coordinator, GSA Public Buildings Service
Facilities Mgmt & Services Programs

Last month, two Day Nursery Association of Indianapolis centers were presented with a Keystone Award by the General Services Administration in recognition of our commitment to provide quality child care through the achievement of re-accreditation from the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs.  NAEYC accreditation is an achievement reached by only 10% of child care centers nationwide, so we are very proud that 100% of our seven Day Nurseries in Indianapolis have reached this goal.  The two centers recognized are those we operate in partnership with the Federal government. Congratulations to Sarah Parks and her staff at the Day Nursery Federal Center downtown and to Debra Ballard and her staff at Day Nursery Start Smart 4 Children at Ft. Harrison.

(Left to Right) Jessica Stewart, Assistant Director and Debra Ballard, Director, Day Nursery Start Smart 4 Children at Ft. Harrison; Myrine Callihan, property manager at the Major General Emmett J. Bean Federal Center at Ft. Harrison; and Patty Fisher, Director of Center Adminstration, Day Nursery Association.

Firefighter Brian visits preschoolers at Day Nursery Federal Building

Firefighter Brian Booth (aka preschool 1 teacher Ms Kesha‘s husband) from the Indianapolis Airport Fire Department visited our Preschool classes today at the Day Nursery Federal Building downtown.  He came in regular clothes, and then put on his equipment one piece at a time, so the children saw that firefighters aren’t someone to be afraid of.  He explained what each piece does, and talked about things they aren’t supposed to play with–like lighters and matches.  Since he couldn’t bring the fire trucks to the Federal building, he did bring pictures of his trucks instead.  The children’s favorite part was when they got to try on Firefighter Brian’s equipment! Center Director Sarah Parks said Brian’s visit prompted a lot of good conversation among the students: Firefighter Brian asked what should you do if your clothes catch on fire?  One Pre-K student raised his hand, and when Brian called on him he said “Panic!!”  So that led to the discussion that you don’t need to panic, you need to stop, drop, and roll.  After Brian’s explanation, another Pre-K student says—“So you’re saying we shouldn’t panic?  But roll around on the ground instead?”  

 

Day Nursery Federal Center February heart project

Day Nursery Federal Center Director Sarah Parks shared this picture of a center wide project going on this month in her location  called How much can a big heart hold? Families are bringing in caps and lids for children to attach to the big heart on her office window.  Preschool children are trying to guess how many lids it will take to fill up the entire heart.  When we last checked, there was still space on the heart with a week left in February.  Stay tuned.

Day Nursery students help tackle hunger in Indy

Federal Center

Congratulations to the staff and families of the seven Day Nursery early childhood centers and our administrative staff for helping to Tackle Hunger in the Indianapolis area as part of the national Souper Bowl of Caring annual event.  As a group,  Day Nursery made this contribution:

• Total food donated: 559 items
• Total money donated: $340.59

Here’s a recap of our success story center by center. The Day Nursery Federal Center downtown selected their Pennsylvania Street neighbor, The Metro Baptist Center food pantry to support.  In a typical month, this pantry serves 400-500 people.  Federal Center Director Sarah Parks reports her center  collected 118 items and $32 to help them out.

Ft. Harrison Day Nursery

Our Start Smart 4 Children Day Nursery at Ft. Harrison split their collections between the Damien Center on North Arsenal and The New Haven Missionary Baptist Church food pantry.  The center collected 100 food items and $19.22 in cash. Ft. Harrison Center Director Debra Ballard and her head cook Beverly Croom are pictured here getting ready to wheel the donation out to the car.

Day Nursery Hendricks County

The Day Nursery Hendricks County Center collected 73 food items and $31.50 for the Messiah Lutheran Church in Brownsburg. The MLC Food Pantry exists to provide food for families and individuals in Hendricks County who are experiencing temporary financial hardship.

Day Nursery IU Health

The Day Nursery IU Health Center was collecting for Dayspring Center at the corner of 16th and Central Avenue.  Day Nursery Director of Curriculum, Jesse McCloud, who is based out of our IU Health Center knows the Dayspring Center very well because her late mother used to run the food program there. Dayspring provides emergency shelter, clothing, and three nourishing meals-a-day for homeless families with children in central Indiana. The IU Health center collected 34 cans of fruit and vegetables and $143.69 in money for Dayspring. Pictured above, Jesse McCloud joins  Rene Withers of Day Nursery to make the presentation to Dayspring Center Executive Director Lori Casson.

Northwest Center

The Day Nursery Northwest Center chose to do their Souper Bowl of Caring collection for their Pike Township neighbors at the Fay Biccard Glick Center at Crooked Creek,2990 West 71st Street. They collected $81.23 in funds and 20 different non-perishable items.  Ms. Rene’s class, pictured here, collected the largest amount of money and food.  The classroom won a pizza party and Ms. Rene won a Souper Bowl of Caring t-shirt.

Lilly Center

The Day Nursery Ruth A. Lilly Center was so close to the beneficiary of their Souper Bowl of Caring collection that the Pre-K class took the donations over to them in wagons. The students collected 100 food items for donations to the Tabernacle Presbyterian Church,418 East 34th Street. TAB serves meals to their neighbors every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. More than 800 people come through our doors each month for a hot lunch and food to take home to families.

State Center

The staff and families of the Day Nursery Indiana State Government Center chose to collect for the Northside New Era Baptist Church Feed the Sheep program where Day Nursery teacher Debbie Beatty is a volunteer.  The food pantry served over 1400 families last year and is open twice a week. The center collected$32.95 cash and 74 food items.

Day Nursery Human Resources Director Cathy Johnson

Finally, the staff of the Day Nursery Administration office in the English Foundation Building chose to collect food for the Ronald McDonald House to honor our co-worker Marsha Hearn Lindsey, Day Nursery Chief Operating Officer, who is retiring from a position on the RMH Board of Directors.  Food collected will help restock the pantry at the Ronald McDonald House allowing families to prepare meals at the house so they can stay close to their child being treated at Riley Hospital.  We collected 40 non perishable items and also donated fresh fruit and eggs for their kitchen.

Friday Faces: Hat Day at Day Nursery Federal Center

This Sunday is National Hat Day so the Day Nursery Federal Center Preschool 1 class of Ms. Kesha & Ms. Brittany got into the celebration early.  This center currently has a few openings for children ages 2 1/2 through 5.  Call Sarah Parks, Center Director for a tour 226-5487.  This center is open to the public and is located at 575 N. Pennsylvania.

Playground time is an important part of Day Nursery child’s day

Tricycles help children develop gross motor skills

Day Nursery children go outside a minimum of twice a day as long as the temperature is above 25 degrees.  It was hard to believe it was January today when these children from the downtown Federal Center  poured out onto the playground after nap time.  As I write this post at the end of the day on Thursday, the temperature in Indianapolis is still at 50 degrees. Thanks to director Sarah Parks for sharing these pictures from her center.

Play is an important vehicle for developing self-regulation as well as for promoting language, cognition, and social competence. Children of all ages love to play, and it gives them opportunities to develop physical competence and enjoyment of the outdoors, understand and make sense of their world, interact with others, express and control emotions, develop their symbolic and problem-solving abilities, and practice emerging skills. Research shows the links between play and foundational capacities such as memory, self-regulation, oral language abilities, social skills, and success in school. 

While in a sandbox, children learn many concepts including cause and effect and sharing.

This student is using his problem solving skills to work his way out of this dead end