Day Nursery Indianapolis Thankful Thursday

In anticipation of April showers, the support is raining on Day Nursery and we are so grateful! Thank you to the Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate, and Shaw-Burckhardt-Brenner Foundation, Inc. for supporting Day Nursery’s Tuition Assistance Program. Their tremendous support provides scholarships for young children to attend Day Nursery.

We are excited to announce a new event, Race into Reading, which will take place on Wednesday, May 9^th at Riverwalk Banquet Center in Broad Ripple.  Race Into Reading is a celebration of early childhood literary. Day Nursery is honored to have Indy 500 2010 Rookie of the Year Simona De Silvestro, as honorary chair and emcee, Bob Jenkins, for this special evening. Tickets are on sale now. If you need more information  on this event, please contact Sarah Ferguson at sarahf@daynursery.org or (317) 636-9197, extension 240.

IU Kentucky match up helps teach lesson of friendship

The infant classroom at the Day Nursery Indiana State Government Center is having a IU vs Purdue Day today. Infants and teachers wore their favorite team…IU had 3 and Purdue had 3 and Kentucky had 1.  Our teachers know it is never too early to teach children it’s ok to have different likes and opinions and still be friends.   Thanks to Assistant Director Amy Cavin for sharing a picture.

Day Nursery funders give support to program upgrades and tuition assistance

Today’s guest post is from Sarah Ferguson, Day Nursery Director of Development

Greetings from the Day Nursery Development department! Spring is here! We want to take this time to appreciate the generosity of our supporters.

First, we want to thank the Efroymson Family Fund, a CICF Fund, for their generous support in awarding a $45,000 grant for the Tuition Assistance Program, which currently supports more than 150 families annually.

Next, we would like to extend our appreciation to the Lilly Endowment for supporting the transformation of our Ruth A. Lilly Center’s outside playground area into the Reggio Emilia model. The Endowment made a $25,000 commitment to this project.

We would also like to thank the United Way of Central Indiana and all of the many donors who have contributed to the annual campaign. Your generosity allows us to continue our mission of assuring excellent early care and education of young children in central Indiana.

Day Nursery IU Health students celebrate first day of spring

Tuesday, the Day Nursery IU Health Center had a family event to celebrate the first day of spring!!! Center Director Rene Withers said they put out flowers and butterflies for the children and their parents to decorate to welcome the first day of Spring.

Day Nursery students participate in statewide tornado drill

This morning at 10:15 we had a statewide tornado drill.  School children all over Indiana filed into hallways, bathrooms and interior rooms to practice what they would do if the siren sounded for real.  We participated at Day Nursery too and I wanted to share some pictures I have already received from Joy McCallthe director of our Avon Early Care and Education Center in Hendricks County.  She was quite proud of how smoothly today’s drill went at her center.  There will be another drill tonight when most families will be at home.  This will be a good opportunity to practice your family plan so your young children will know the safest place for them to be in your home during severe weather.

Ms. Marla kept her two-year old students busy during the tornado drill by showing them the flashlight in her emergency kit. A good classroom emergency box has safety supplies like a small first aid kit as well as books and supplies to keep children occupied and calm during the time they have to be out of the classroom.

The infants were wheeled in their evacuation crib to the resource room which has no windows

The Toddler Two class moved into the staff lounge for their evacuation.

Preschool 3 evacuated to their bathroom when they practiced their safety position by covering their faces.

Day Nursery State Center students go looking for leprechauns

Last Friday, while most of the city of Indianapolis was heading to the St. Patrick’s Day parade, the preschoolers in Mr. Tim Tegarden‘s class at the Day Nursery State Government Center talked their teacher into a march of another kind.  Walking in the sunshine along the freshly tinted green canal, the children went in search of leprechauns.  Here are a few pictures Mr. Tim shared with us.

Day Nursery students pick GREEN as the color of the day

Federal Center

Federal Center

Sunny skies and warm weather has everyone in a good mood around Indy today.  Oh, and the fact that it is Friday didn’t hurt either.  Day Nursery joined with other United Way of Central Indiana agencies to walk for the second year together in the Indianapolis St. Patrick’s Day parade over the lunch hour and our Federal Center students were in their usual perch at the starting point of the parade on Pennsylvania at North Street to take it all in.  Sarah Parks, Federal Center Director said once again, the fan favorite was the Firetrucks, a close second by the bagpipes and the marching bands, as well as the leprechaun.  The children enjoyed dancing to the music, waving at the people, wearing their green gear, and of course the beautiful sunny weather to watch the parade Ms. Kesha points to things for her Preschool 1 children to notice, like the big #5 on the Firetruck.  Ms. Grundytook her class to the spot where she thought they had the best view of everything going on…and you can see, only 1 of them could take their eyes off the parade long enough to pose for a picture.

Our parade team

Elsewhere in our other centers, children made crafts, danced to Irish songs and had special all-green snacks.  Here’s a look a fun from our other centers.

State Center

State Center

State Center

State Center

Ruth A. Lilly Center

Northwest Center

Northwest Center

Day Nursery Ft. Harrison students raise money for tornado relief

Earlier this month students at our Start Smart 4 Children Day Nursery at Ft.Harrison commemorated the 100 year anniversary of the Oreo cookie. The young entrepreneurs in the five-year old class sold Oreo cookies for 5 cents each. As you can see by the pictures, the lobby was quite busy with parents willing to purchase a cookie after work.  The students raised $40.70 which they decided to donate to the Red Cross for tornado relief in Southern Indiana.

Sunny days offer fun outdoor activities at Day Nursery Northwest

It was a great day to be outside and Day Nursery students took full advantage of it.  At the Day Nursery Northwest Center, Assistant Director Deanna Saylor shared pictures of the fun going on at her Pike Township location. She reported that the Kindergarten class was outside enjoying some sidewalk chalk.  Ms. Marissa was outside with them drawing a rainbow.  The Toddler 1 classroom was outside for a walk.  They loved watching the big trucks drive by and Mr. Glynn was having them imitate the sounds of the truck.

Earlier in the day inside, the two year olds in the Toddler 4 class experimented with shaving cream for the first time.  Ms. Renee wrote their names in the shaving cream to see who would recognize their own names.