Goldilocks and the three year olds

Downtown at the Day Nursery Federal Center this week Ms. Diane Taylor‘s three-year-olds are studying bears.  They did a story re-enactment of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and they also have been spending ALOT of time this week in their bear caves…hibernating!! With this new layer of snowfall on our city, that sounds like a great way to spend a cold winter day.

Have you heard the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears?

The porridge is too hot!

This bed is too hard (not to mention a bit too small! too)

Pretending to be a hibernating bear

This cave is nice and warm

Wordless Wednesday: Pajama and Movie Day

Pajama and movie day at the Day Nursery Ruth A. Lilly Center.

Day Nursery enrolling infants on Indy’s Northwest side

New parents are often surprised to find a waiting list for infant care when they call to make arrangements to go back to work.  If you are currently shopping for a safe, loving, educational environment for your infant, I am happy to share we have a handful of openings right now at our Day Nursery Northwest Center at 5735 W. 73rd Street in the Park 100 area.  Several current children are moving up to the toddler room together which will open up spaces in February and March.  Call Marla Segal, Center Director or Deanna Saylor, Assistant Director at 291-8048 to learn more and to schedule a tour of this beautiful nationally accredited center.

Day Nursery teachers are life long learners

Linda Noble rolls a ball across the floor to model the movements that accompany a song which helps infants and toddlers develop hand-eye coordination, memory recall, and social-emotional skills.

This winter,  Day Nursery teachers are participating in a workshop, presented by Linda Noble of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, to learn more about Making Music in the Early Childhood Classroom. Linda has been a member of the early learning staff of the Symphony since 1996.  The three-hour session models age-appropriate lessons using music that will support students’ development of critically important skills including listening, following directions, taking turns and participating as a group.   Thanks to Patty Fisher, Day Nursery Director of Curriculum for snapping this picture. During the course of the Day Nursery winter institute “Making Music in the Early Childhood Classroom,” 120 lead and assistant teachers will be trained, which in turn will impact  1,350 Day Nursery children a year. The training is generously underwritten by the PNC Foundation which is committed to funding educational and developmental opportunities that improve the school readiness of underserved children.

Wordless Wednesday: It’s time to pay up

It is time to make good on our friendly wager with the Community Day Nursery in New Jersey over the Colts-Jets wildcard playoff game. This is what we are sending.

Close up of one of the trucks we are sending to the Community Day Nursery in East Orange NJ. Did you notice all the vehicles I picked out to send were Colts blue?

I found these cool Automoblox at Mass Ave Toys downtown. They come apart for additional play opportunities.

Thanks Evelyn Croom for 22 years of service to Day Nursery

Last Friday evening, friends and family of Day Nursery Clarian Center cook Evelyn Croom gathered at the center for a retirement party.  During her 22 years of working for Day Nursery Evelyn worked at four locations including our (now closed) Northside and Wiles Centers, as well as our Ruth A. Lilly Center and our Clarian Center where she finished her tour of duty.  As you can see by these photos, Ms. Croom loves the color purple so Day Nursery Director of Curriculum Jesse McCloud, a long time friend of Evelyn’s,  decorated everything she could find with the color–including the cake (which, thank goodness, Ms. Croom didn’t have to bake for herself!). The guests went around the room sharing special memories of Evelyn.  Day Nursery Clarian Center Director Rene Withers said among other things, she will miss the potatoes and onions Ms. Croom used to make for the staff as a special breakfast treat.   Day Nursery Executive Director Carolyn Dederer presented her with a rolling suitcase and best wishes for many happy travels in her retirement.

Thanksgiving Family Lunch November 2009 at the Day Nursery Clarian Center: (L to R) Evelyn Croom, Dollie Smith, Jesse McCloud, Rene Withers

Our hearts are blue

We cheered and cheered but unfortunately the outcome of Saturday’s Colts-Jet’s game didn’t end in our favor.  Now it is time to go out and get the box full of race cars I promised to the Community Day Nursery in East Orange NJ.   I promised you…they will all be BLUE.

Day Nursery Colts Fans show their colors

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Friendly football wager renewed with Day Nursery in East Orange NJ

Just got confirmation last night that we have officially renewed our friendly football wager with the Community Day Nursery in East Orange New Jersey for another year. Even though we share the same name, our centers are not affiliated. I found them through a search of NAEYC centers in New Jersey last year and we had so much with with it, I wanted to renew the connection.  Last year, thanks to a Colts victory,  we were the recipients of some awesome handmade multi-cultural puppets.  This year, the staff and children in New Jersey are offering 7 copies (for our 7 locations) of a beautiful book called Martin’s Big Words. Executive Director Kathy Burke sent me a picture of some of their students with the potential prize.  We are offering a box full of great race cars if we have to pay up.  Let the best team win!

Our friends at Community Day Nursery in New Jersey!

Blue Friday-Day Nursery Style

Tory Masters, Cathy Johnson, Susan Davis, Denise Hancock

I am heading out the door in a few minutes on this Blue Friday to find the best dressed Colts fans among our staff at our 7 early childhood centers.  One winner at each site will get a $25 gift certificate for staff apparel. The first winner is here at our adminstrative office downtown in the English Foundation Building.  Congratulations to Tory Masters (left), Inclusion Specialist for our Child Care Answers program.