Wordless Wednesday: Pictures from Day Nursery Federal Center

Happy Johnny Appleseed Day

This preschooler from the Day Nursery at Ft. Harrison was surprised even though he had taken many bites, he had not found any seeds in his apple.

I was glad to see we have apples on the menu for lunch today because tomorrow is the birthday of Johnny Appleseed, born John Chapman (September 26, 1774 – February 18, 1845). Appleseed was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. He became an American legend while still alive, largely because of his kind and generous ways, his great leadership in conservation, and the symbolic importance of apples.

Museum Day offers free admission this Saturday

This Saturday you can enjoy free general admission for you and a guest to museums and cultural venues nationwide thanks Smithsonian Magazine. Present a Museum Day admission card to receive free general admission at participating Museum Day locations across the country including the Indiana State Museum, Conner Prairie in Fishers and the Museum of Minature Houses on Main Street in Carmel. The admission card is available in the September 2009 issue of Smithsonian magazine or downloadable via their website.

Get out and play this weekend

On Saturday, September 26, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard is encouraging all children, teens, adults and families to turn off their TVs, get outside and PLAY! The First Annual Indy Play Celebration honors Indianapolis as a city recently named by KaBOOM! as a Playful City USA. 

Play is important and fun for everyone! It promotes healthy bodies and minds. Plan now to play together in an Indy Park or on a Greenway Trail, at a church or school playground, a museum, or cultural center. A Play Day Program Guide is being assembled by Indy Parks so check out their website.

Swing together, bike together, slide together, be together.

KaBOOM!’s Playful City USA is a national recognition program honoring cities and towns across the country committed to taking action for play. In 2009, KaBOOM! recognized 93 cities in 33 states for their commitment to play.

Hoosier Outdoor Experience-free family fun this weekend

This weekend’s Hoosier Outdoor Experience at Ft. Harrison State Park is a family-friendly event that is the first of its kind in Indiana. Unlike traditional trade shows, visitors will be able to enjoy hands-on experiences in a wide range of outdoor activities, such as fly fishing, target shooting, archery, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, camping and much more. The Hoosier Outdoor Experience is presented by the Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation, with sponsorship support from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust; Ball Brothers Foundation; WXIN-Fox 59, Indianapolis; and numerous other sponsors. Parking, admission, activities, demonstrations and seminars are free to the public, but online registration is required. To register, go to hoosieroutdoorexperience.IN.gov and click on the yellow registration icon. Event updates can be found at hoosieroutdoorexperience.IN.gov or on Facebook.

Visitors to the Hoosier Outdoor Experience this weekend at Fort Harrison State Park won’t have a reason to go hungry. Several low-cost food and beverage options will be available for purchase at the Sept. 26 – 27 event. “We are partnering with several nonprofit, community and youth organizations to provide food for our participants,” said Amanda Wuestefeld, Hoosier Outdoor Heritage Coordinator. “These groups will be using the Hoosier Outdoor Experience as a fund raiser. Food choices will range from breakfast sandwiches, barbecue sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, corn-on-the-cob, walking tacos and even elk burgers. Food vendors have worked hard to make sure that we will have several food options for around $5 during the event.” Participants are welcome to bring their own food and non-alcoholic drinks to the event. However, large coolers will not be permitted inside the Hoosier Outdoor Experience. Participants should bring only what they feel comfortable carrying with them throughout the event.

Day Nursery’s Mrs. Bennett goes to Washington

Mindy Bennett, who is the Program Director for Day Nursery’s community outreach program Child Care Answers is in Washington DC for the next two weeks.  She just sent me an email asking for your help.  Mindy says…I will be going to see Representatives Burton and Carson next week as well as Senator Lugar. If you have a story about child care and your family that you would like for me to share email it to me at mindyb@childcareanswers.com.

In addition to seeing her in a professional setting every day, I have known Mindy since she was my son’s Kindergarten teacher at the Day Nursery Federal Center.  He’s in college now so we’ve been friends for a long time.   We were very proud of her when she was selected to be a part of an exclusive group of interns at the National Association for Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) this year.

I promise that if you email her, she will deliver  your message with the same passion that you would have done if you could be there in person. Mindy really cares about early childhood education in Indiana. Click here if you would like to follow Mindy’s trip to Washington on the Child Care Answers blog.

Your comments can help shape work-life balance for American families

The National Association for Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) is partnering with Care.com on an important research project on caregiving in America. Care.com has crafted a survey to gauge the challenges families face when trying to find quality care. The results will be used to help President Obama’s White House Task Force on Working Families reach its goals of improving care giving and work-life balance for families across the country. Your participation will help improve care. By taking part in this study, you’ll provide invaluable feedback that can help shape the future of care in America. You may access the survey by clicking on this link. Your responses to the survey will remain completely CONFIDENTIAL. No results will be reported in a way that will identify you. Thank you in advance for your time and input on this important initiative. NACCRRA and the Care.com Team

Vote for Kids

Many Day Nursery parents have indicated they are interested in what’s going on in our state and the nation with politics, budget, and issues concerning children.  Vote Kids, a journal of children’s issues and politics has a page on their website where you can see what is happening in Indiana and across the country including:

• The overview of the budget shortfalls in our state
• How the stimulus legislation will benefit children in our state, and
• How our US Senators have voted on important legislation impacting children and families.

You can find this information at Vote Kids.

Day Nursery mentors offer support and guidance to new teachers

Day Nursery rolled out a new initiative this month designed to increase teacher retention by helping new teachers feel better connected to Day Nursery from day one.  Eleven classroom teachers have been designated as mentors with the task of offering support and guidance to new teachers through their first 12 months at Day Nursery.  The mentors will assist the new hire in building a portfolio with 6 competency goals.  The new teachers will be coached in maintaining a safe, healthy learning environment; ensuring a well-run program responsive to the needs of the family; establishing positive and productive relationships with families; advancing physical and intellectual competence; supporting social and emotional development through positive guidance and maintaining a commitment to professionalism.  The mentors will meet with their mentee a minimum of once monthly to make sure they are achieving the goals of their portfolio. Erin Slack, Day Nursery’s Director of Human Resources and Cathy Johnson, our Human Resources Manager deserve a round of applause for getting this new initiative started.

NEW DAY NURSERY MENTORS: (front L to R) Eva Johnson, Lilly; Amanda Childress, Federal; Berta Rice, Clarian; Mary Cosby, Northwest; Tracey Wood, Avon; (back L to R) Mary Smith, Northwest; Kim Townsend, Ft. Harrison; Twanette Harrington, State; Krystal Gardner, Avon and Tonia Jaggers, State. Missing: Patricia Peoples, Clarian.

About Special Kids

About Special Kids (ASK) is the place for families and professionals in Indiana to go to “ASK” questions about children with special needs and to access information and resources about a variety of topics such as health insurance, special education, community resources and medical homes. ASK is the connection to family support in the state of Indiana and is committed to helping families access the resources and support they need to ensure the success of their children. On Friday, September 25 from 8:30-4:30 pm, ASK will hold a training in Speedway, combining the Article 7 and IEP training, offering basic information about special education laws and regulations for Indiana children ages 3-21. In addition, this training provides information on how to prepare for a case conference and write an IEP. This training is a great opportunity for family members and professionals who advocate for children with a disability or serious chronic illness. Register online by Sept. 23 at www.aboutspecialkids.org/training.aspx