What I learned about Black History from Day Nursery preschoolers

As I review my pictures on this last day of February, I realized how much Day Nursery students have taught me this month about black history.  Here are a few things I learned from the children and teachers of the Day Nursery Federal Center.

The three-year olds at the Day Nursery Federal Center taught me about George Washington Carver how his research helped poor farmers find alternate crops like peanuts to grow to improve their quality of life. I learned that Garrett A. Morgan invented the traffic light while the children learned to match up the colors of red, yellow and green. And we all learned about Benjamin Banneker who goes down in black history as a noted astronomer and mathematician who once carved a clock out of wood.

In Memorium

Long time Day Nursery cook Edith M. Crabtree passed away February 22 at the age of 61. She started at Day Nursery in the spring of 1987 as a cook when our former Northside center on E. 54th Street opened. During her 17 years with us she also worked at the Day Nursery Federal Center and our former Wiles Center on East Street. Services will be held Saturday February 26, 2011 at noon with calling beginning at 10:00 am at Washington Park North Funeral Center 2706 Kessler Boulevard West Drive, Indianapolis.

Friday Faces: Day Nursery students chat via Skype

A three-year-old student at the Day Nursery Hendricks County center takes his turn with his Skype pen pals at Day Nursery Northwest.

This is how the Hendricks County Day Nursery students see their friends in Marion County during their chat. The small box in the upper right hand corner shows what the other students can see of the Avon class.

Students in Avon enjoy their turn talking to friends via Skype.

Students from two Day Nursery classrooms separated by the Marion/Hendricks County line have put a modern-day twist on making new friends by corresponding with pen pals.  Because the preschoolers are just learning how to write, the classes of three-year-old students keep in touch via video chat on Skype.  Teacher Matt Miller, at the Day Nursery Hendricks County Early Care and Education Center in Avon says his students were most surprised to find how similar their classroom was to the one lead by Shanna Nowosielski at the Day Nursery Northwest Center. “Their latest Skype chat was filled with back and forth questions about their favorite learning centers in each classroom.”

We’re open!

In case you are wondering…all Day Nursery centers are open this morning. Stay warm and please drive carefully!

Three Year Old Thursday

I’d like to introduce a new feature of the Day Nursery Early Edition blog: Three Year Old Thursdays! featuring the creative learning activities going on in Day Nursery preschool classrooms across our city.  Today’s post highlights the three-year-olds at the Day Nursery Northwest center in Pike Township.  The children in this classroom are a clever group. After brainstorming with their teachers Ms. Shanna and Mrs. Michelle, they have come up with a way to have running water for their water table. They are really enjoyed this latest addition to their classroom.  Thanks to Deanna Saylor, assistant director at the center for sharing this picture.

Day Nursery Presidents Day Project

Yesterday was Presidents Day and it seemed like a perfect day to make a cherry pie. Many children have heard the tale of young George Washington and how he could not lie to his father about chopping down a cherry tree. Although historians say the story is a myth, cherries and George Washington are forever tied together in this legend.

The preschoolers at the Day Nursery Ruth A. Lilly Center had fun with this project.

Presidents Day Plans

If you happen to have Monday, February 21st off because you work at a bank or for the Federal government, you might be making plans to spend time with your children for Presidents Day.  The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis will be open from 10 a.m.–5 p.m with free museum admission and a special Presidents Day program until 3pm that day. Discover Indiana’s presidential heritage, meet Abraham Lincoln, and explore more about our past Presidents with fun crafts, activities, and historic facts.

Monday afternoon, we will be celebrating Day Nursery volunteers who have served as presidents of our association, foundation and auxiliary over the years. We will honor this special group with a tea and a tour at the President Benjamin Harrison home on Delaware Street.

By the way, only the Day Nursery Federal Center downtown and Day Nursery Start Smart 4 Children will be closed on Monday.  Our other five locations will be open for business as usual on Presidents Day.

Day Nursery Valentines spread the love

The students at the Day Nursery Start Smart 4 Children Center at Ft. Harrison made some special Valentines for the children at Riley Hospital. Teacher Susan Ross and parent Melissa Olson coordinated the project. Thanks to Melissa for delivering the Valentines to the hospital on Friday.

Mrs. Tammia Sanders, lead teacher in one of the two-year old classrooms at Day Nursery IU Health delivered singing telegrams and treats to her coworkers for Valentine’s Day today.

Day Nursery Talks “W” – Winter Weather and Impact on Caregiving

We are excited that the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana featured Day Nursery on its website today. Click here to read a short question and answer interview with our Chief Operating Officer Marsha Hearn Lindsey.

Indiana Legislators consider child care bill

Today’s post is a message from the staff of our Child Care Answers program.

Dear Friends, We know that Early Childhood issues are important to you. It is our goal at Child Care Answers to keep you informed on issues that affect Indiana’s youngest children.

Did you know that currently there is a bill being reviewed by the Indiana House of Representatives and the Indiana Senate that relates to safety in Child Care? To review a grid that has the details of the bill please visit here.  Here is a summary of SB56/HB1226, Child Care Regulation Standardizing Certain Health and Safety Requirements in Child Care. During the interim 2010, the Committee on Child Care identified areas of inconsistency in the basic health and safety requirements for child care providers as required by the State of Indiana. After a thorough review, the committee reached unanimous consent on the items contained in SB56/HB1226. Other provisions—such as staff/child ratios and fire code compliance were desired by many members of the committee but are not included in the bills as introduced by Sen. Holdman as SB56 and by Rep. Lehman as HB1226.

What the SB56/HB1226 does:

• Standardizes basic health and safety requirements for the staff, physical site, health and nutrition, including drug testing and policy, national criminal background checks for directors (not all staff), training in CPR, first aid, universal precautions and child abuse and neglect, hot and cold running water. Makes this consistent in the Indiana Code. 
• Provides registered ministries the same recourse for assistance by the Bureau of Child Care as provided to homes and centers when issues are identified. (Currently, the Bureau has no recourse but to request the Attorney General close a registered ministry.)

SB56/HB1226 does not address religious content. The bill in no way addresses religious curriculum or programming for registered ministries or faith-based child care. This bill in no way affects Sunday School, Vacation Bible School or part-time programs that are not considered child care (Mothers’ Day Out, Part-time Preschools, etc.). Currently SB56 has been assigned to the Health and Provider Services committee and HB1226 has been assigned to the Family, Children and Human Affairs committee. The Senate Health and Provider Services members are Senator Miller, Mishler R.M., Becker, Charbonneau, Gard, Grooms, Leising, Breaux R.M.M., Rogers, and Simpson The House Family, Children and Human Affairs members are Representative Noe, Yarde II, T. Brown, Culver, Davisson, Foley, Messmer, Rhoads. Summers R.M.M., Bartlett, Day, Klinker, and Riecken.

If you have an opinion about the bill it is important that the members of the committees hear from you this week so that they can make an educated decision based on what the voters want. The Senate has a hearing scheduled for the bill next Wednesday, February 16th but the House has yet to set a hearing. You can email the members of the committees your thoughts here. You can subscribe to news from the Child Care Answers’ Legislative Education Center to keep you up to date on the issues that relate to children in our state by following this link.