Professionals Providers of Duluth Newsletter

January 2010

Notes from the President:
By Brianne Torrance

Please thank Stephanie LaFleur for hosting the annual holiday gathering again. A good time was had by all who attended. Please join us for a great season of trainings set up by Maureen Marple for this spring.
Happy New Year to everyone and their families.


Training...please take note of dates...
January 7, 2009 7-8:30 p.m. Fire Safety
Presented by Marni Grondahl, Deputy Fire Marshal, Duluth
Core Content Area VI: Health, Safety & Nutrition CDA Content Area I: Safe Healthy Learning Environment
Summary: Fire Extinguisher and fire safety information

Next month: note this is the first Thursday!
February 4: Storytelling and Flannel Boards with Lisa Brown

Northland Foundation Child Care Providers' Appreciation & Training Event
Date, Time, and Location
Saturday, February 13, 2010 -- 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (Continental breakfast and lunch provided)
Registration and Continental Breakfast begin at 9:30 a.m. Program begins at 10:00 a.m.
Lake Superior Ballroom Duluth Entertainment Convention Center350 Harbor Drive, Duluth MN 55802
Description
Everyone in the region who provides child care -- whether at a child care center, licensed home-based care, or regularly caring for the child of a family member, friend, or neighbor -- is invited to a day of appreciation and learning. Enjoy lunch, prizes, speakers, and networking. Click here to read about last year's event.
Registrationand Cost
Cost is $15 per person. Download an Informational Flyer and Registration Form (82 KB pdf) and mail or drop it off at the Northland Foundation along with a check for $15 by February 3, 2009.
Information
For more information, email Shari McCorison or call the Northland Foundation.
723-4040

Our sincere sympathy goes to Sharmon Tullgren on the passing of her father last month. We also wish a speedy recover to Theresa Bjonskaas who ended up in the hospital Christmas Eve. Please contact one of the board members if you know of anything that a fellow member has experienced that would merit the support of fellow members. After all, we are here to support each other not only as providers, but also as friends.

Please note we all always interested in items you have to share for the monthly newsletter and welcome your contributions and suggestionsJ
Suggestions or Questions? Contact your 2009-2010 Officers:
President: Brianna Torrance
Vice President: Rochelle French
V. P. /Training Maureen Marple
Treasurer: C.J. Backmann
Secretary: Donna Stratioti
Membership: Stacia Ceryes AND Stephanie LaFleur
Gov. Connection: Roni Budde

Learning To Listen
One of the greatest problems facing families today is the problem of being able to really listen to one another. Parents claim: "He can't follow simple directions!" "He is easily distracted and hears only what he wants to hear."
Children sometimes feel their mom, dad, or teacher is too busy to listen to them and have difficulty resolving the stress of not being heard. And, of course, there is the TV and other related diversions which seem to be barriers to developing good listening skills.
It's important to know that being a good listener is hard work. Once a decision is made to place a high priority on genuine listening within the family, parents can begin practicing the skills of listening. As children journey through childhood they will then reap the many benefits and pleasures of a home that knows how to listen.
How can I help my child be a good listener? Here are some skills and ideas that will help.
Good listening must first be modeled and practiced by the parent if it is to become a part of the child's character. The power of parental example cannot be overstated. If you want your child to be a good listener, you must be a good listener by providing a daily mirror of what your child can become.
Good listening skills need to be identified and practiced on a regular basis. Positive non-verbal messages need to be given away freely: direct eye contact, open facial expressions, touch. What you say also has value in proving you are listening. Simply restating what a child has said or asking a simple question demonstrates that you value the child's conversation: "You got to be the leader today!" "Tell me one place you led the class."
Listen patiently. People think faster than they speak. With limited vocabulary and experience in talking, children often take much longer than adults to relay what is on their mind. Avoid cutting children off before they have finished speaking. Ask questions to help children clarify their thoughts. Providing them with a word or supplying a child with a phrase is helpful, but don't finish the child's sentence for him.
Encourage conversation in your home. Affirm your child's willingness to share her/his ideas, feelings, and experiences. Place a high value on talking together. Remember to create a climate of acceptance in your home and give away lots of empathy to your child as a means of nurturing her/his emotional health.
Be sure to have the child's attention before speaking. Use the child's name to secure an attentive response. Ask the child to repeat what he heard to make sure you were understood. Do not routinely repeat directions or instructions.
Remove distractions from conversation. Turn off the TV. Seek out quiet times to have conversation. Use listening games to improve skills. For example: Ask a child to do three tasks in a row, each with increasing difficulty. Be sure to use lots of encouragement and support when a child demonstrates good listening skills.
There are many benefits to a child who has developed good listening skills. In fact these children have a distinct advantage over others who lack these skills. School achievement ranks higher and social relationships are stronger and more successful. Listening also paves the way for sharper thinking and reasoning abilities. Lastly, a stronger sense of self-worth is built as a child learns to communicate well with others.
.....Karin Klein, Administrator, Red Hill School, Red Hill, PA.


Craft ideas
Q-tip snowflakesMaterials Needed-Wax paper, q-tips and glue. Lay a sheet of wax paper on a table. Use Q-tips to make a snowflake on the wax paper. Squirt glue on any spot where two q-tips meet. Let dry completely and peel off the wax paper. Remember you don't have to use whole q-tips; you can break them and use pieces too. Icicle PaintingMaterials Needed-Glue, Black Paper, GlitterDraw a thick line of glue across the top of the paper, pick up the paper and let glue run down. Sprinkle with glitter. Let dry. Hanging MittensMaterials Needed-Old file folder or thin cardboard, glue, scissors, yarn, hole punch, pencilTrace around child's hands on cardboard to make mitten shape. Cut them out. Punch a hole in top for hanging. Spread glue all over the mittens. Cover with scraps of yarn to look like knitted mittens. Let dry and then use a piece of yarn to hang the mittens together.

December 2009

Notes from the President:
By Brianne Torrance

SIDS/SHAKEN BABY: 7 pm (this will satisfy your annual viewing requirement)

Featuring good friends, good fun, and good food!!

Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Time: 6:00 p.m.

This is a very fun time for us to get together socially and enjoy each other's company. Hope to see everyone there. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

Santa visits:
Santa will be making visits this year on Tuesday, December 22nd. The fee will be $25 per stop. This will be long enough for each child to sit on Santa’s lap, have a photo taken, and tell him what they want for Christmas. Any gifts must be provided by the child care. Last date to pay is 12/11…at the holiday party. On 12/15 the route will be set (routing is done with shortest travel distance between homes in mind) and you will be called for specific details (door to use, etc.) If the time available is not suitable to your needs, you may cancel and your check will be returned. Once the route has been set (12/15), there will be no refunds. Mail checks payable to PPD to: Maureen Marple, 2330 E. 5th St, Duluth, MN. 55812

Training...please take note of dates...
January CPR is scheduled for December and the January training is on the first Thursday of the month...not the second!
December 16, 2009 6-10 HEARTSAVER CPR ***must pre- register
Core Content Area VI: Health, Safety, and Nutrition
CDA Content Area 1: Safe, Healthy Learning Environment
***Location: 3704 Allendale Ave
CPR Class size is limited and enrollment secured by non-refundable payment in advance for this 2 year certification. Training is $25.00 for members. Please call 724-5653 or e-mail Maureen at Maureen22m@aol.com with any questions. Please make checks payable to PPD and mail c/o Maureen Marple, 2330 E. 5th St., Duluth, MN. 55812-1439
January 7, 2009 7-9 p.m. Fire Safety
Presented by Marni Grondahl, Duluth Fire Dept.
Core Content Area VI: Health, Safety & Nutrition
CDA Content Area I: Safe Healthy Learning Environment
Summary: Required training. Fire Extinguisher and fire safety information
Spring trainings "in the works": Storytelling and Flannel Boards, Multiple Intelligences, and Sign Language

Christmas Craft ideas

Craft Stick Christmas Star Materials--Craft Sticks, Paint, Sequins or jewels, string or ribbon, Glue, PaintbrushPaint craft sticks desired color, Glue 5 sticks into star shape and let dry. Glue on Sequins and Jewels. Hang String on and hang on tree.Hand Print Christmas tree Materials--Red, Green, Yellow construction paper, Glue, scissors, and Pencil Trace child's hand ten times on green paper, cut out. Cut out a yellow star and ten red hearts that will fit on the hand. To assemble tree--Start with one hand fingers pointing down for the top of the tree, Use the rest of the hands fanning out to make the tree. Glue the yellow star at the top of the tree. Write the words (I love) on the star. Glue each heart on a hand. On each heart write the name of a person the child loves. Christmas Angel Materials-Construction Paper, Glue, Glitter, Coffee Filter Cut out a triangle and a circle for the angel’s body and head. Fold the coffee filter in half and glue on black construction paper. Glue on body and head. Make a face on the head--eyes closed, oval nose sideways and oval mouth. Add glitter on bottom of her dress and by her bodice and add glitter for her halo.

November 09


Notes from the President:
By Brianne Torrance
Where has our fall gone? We had such a bummer of an October; hopefully you were all able to find some type of indoor entertainment for the kiddos, since we weren't able to get out much. With the Holidays fast approaching there will be lots of fun crafts and projects that we will be able to do with our kids.
Thank you to all of you that have made it to our trainings. Our trainings are a great way for us to network and get the additional education that we need. I look forward to seeing you all at the Holiday Potluck!

Upcoming Trainings:
by Maureen Marple

This month:
November 12, 2009 6-9 p.m. Heartsaver First Aid
Laurel Morken, Licensed Family Child Care Provider, EMT Carlton County
Core Content Area VI: Health, Safety, and Nutrition
CDA Content Area 1: Safe, Healthy Learning Environment

First Aid is a pre-paid non-refundable ($20/member) and pre-registration required (deadline Nov 4th) training. This will be a three hour American Heart certified First Aid class so it will begin promptly at 6.
Holiday Gathering: Thursday, December 10th, Annual Holiday Pot Luck…Bring a dish to share. There is also an optional $15 gift exchange for those who choose to participate. 6 p.m. at Stephanie LaFleur’s house, 3704 Allendale Ave. We will also be viewing the Shaken Baby tape during the course of the evening. This will comply with the annually mandated viewing of this tape by licensing. Another option for those who cannot attend is to rent a copy of this tape to view. It is currently available at all branches of the Duluth Public Library.


CHILD CARE RELICENSING VISIT
Licensing staff need to verify information on the following forms as part of the relicensing process.
Admission and Arrangement forms Provider Policies
Immunization Forms Proof of insurance or statement
Permission to Administer Forms Original training certificates
Written Authorization Forms Results of well water test, if applicable
Fire and Storm Drill Log Rabies certificate for pets
Record of Background study
SIDS, SBS training, training date for helpers and substitutes

COMMONLY OVERLOOKED REQUIREMENTS
♦ Water must not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
♦ Bleach solution must be used to disinfect the diaper changing area. (Clorox Wipes and others do not
contain bleach and do not meet this requirement). Clorox Clean-up with Bleach may be used.
♦ Dirty Diapers must be placed in a covered container lined with plastic and be in the diaper changing area.(Not kitchen or eating area)
♦ Provider must use a single use towel after diapering or assisting a child in the bathroom.
♦ Infants must be slept in a crib with a rail pattern of no more than 2 3/8 inches.
♦ Infants must be held during bottle feedings until the child can hold their own bottle. (Bottles must not be propped.)
♦ Gates, doors, and barriers must be used on stairs for children 6 months to 18 months of age. They must be used whenever a child of this age is on the same level as stairway, whether they are sleeping or not.
♦ Combustibles must not be located within 36 inches of heating sources.
♦ Plastic wraps and bags, including sandwich bags, must be locked or out of reach of children.
♦ All personal care products must be out of reach or locked up.
♦ Tools, sharp items, small batteries, and other hazards must be out of reach of children or locked.
♦ Rooms that are not used for childcare and are not childproofed must be locked so that they are
inaccessible to all children.
♦ 8 hours of training is required each year after the 1st year of licensure for all providers, adult caregivers, and co-applicants.
♦ Children under school age must be supervised at all times so that caregivers can hear or see them AND be able to intervene to protect their health and safety. (see Supervision section)
♦ Providers must be available to assist school age children so that their health and safety is protected.
♦ The capacity, age distribution and adult ratio must be maintained at all times. There cannot be any overlapping of children for any period of time that would cause providers to be over their capacity.
The above information was taken from the St Louis County Licensing Provider Handbook, available online at the url below. 102 pages of information to answer your questions! If you can’t find the answer there call your licensor.

http://www.stlouiscounty.org/slcportal/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=WGM0pOkHf9c%3d&tabid=1446&mid=3145


LSS Bethany Crisis Nursery provides services for families experiencing a crisis or stress with children ages infancy through 12 years of age. This is done through our Crisis Line, emergency care for children in Southern St. Louis County, the emergency clothing room, and special projects. These services are available to alleviate parental stress while providing safe, quality care for children. Donations accepted at Meetings.

November is a great month to make stone soup with the children…harvest time! Have them all bring a cup of chopped vegetables to put in the pot, read the book, and have a feastJ


Please remember that this is your newsletter and we welcome any and all ideas that you have to share with your fellow providers.


November Ideas:

Submitted by Rochelle French
Apple Turkey Craft Materials for each child:
1 red apple1 large marshmallow5-6 small marshmallow12-14 raisins6-7 toothpicks1 candy corn
To assemble turkey: 1. Take stem off apple.2. On each toothpick you will have two raisins and one small marshmallow. The marshmallow will be at the top. 3. Evenly space the toothpicks directly behind where the stem was. 4. Use two raisins for eyes and candy corn for nose. Push the raisins and candy corn using pointed end into the marshmallow. 5. Put the large marshmallow on a toothpick and stick it in the apple directly opposite of where the other toothpicks are. Plastic Spoon Turkey Materials: Plastic Spoon, Assorted Feathers, googly eyes, scrap of red and orange construction paper or foam, glue and scissors Glue assorted feathers into hollow of spoon. Cut out a small red heart and small orange triangle for waddle and beak. Glue eyes, beak and waddle(upside down heart) to curved part of spoon.
Clothespin and muffin paper turkey Materials:Flat Clothespin, scraps of red and orange paper, googly eyes, muffin paper, red, orange, yellow markers, glue and scissors Fold muffin paper in half with light side facing out. Color to look like turkey feathers. Glue two eyes near top of clothespin front. Cut out small orange triangle and small red heart from the paper. Glue on for beak and waddle. Glue clothespin to muffin paper.

October 2009

Notes from the President:
by Brianne Torrance
WOW!!! What an awesome turn out we had for our first meeting of the year!! Let's keep it coming!

We enjoyed an informative evening on Gender Learning Differences with Vicki Thrasher-Cronin. She explained different teaching styles used to address children’s needs, as well as what we can do with the environment that they are in during their care.

Upcoming Trainings:
by Maureen Marple

October 8, 2009 7-9 p.m. Math & Young Children
Becky Gamache, MA in Early Childhood Education
Core Content Area I: Child Growth & Development
CDA Content Area VIII: Principles of Child Growth & Development

Learn how young children construct math concepts. Discuss math in learning centers, home-made math, and join in a math make & take.

November 12, 2009 6-9 p.m. Heartsaver First Aid
Laurel Morken, Licensed Family Child Care Provider, EMT Carlton County
Core Content Area VI: Health, Safety, and Nutrition
CDA Content Area 1: Safe, Healthy Learning Environment

First Aid is a pre-paid non-refundable ($20/member) and pre-registration required (deadline Nov 4th) training. This will be a three hour American Heart certified First Aid class so it will begin promptly at 6.

2009 Legistlative Changes and Clarifications

*Parent Directive form, signed by parents, required permits provider to sleep child in a position other than on their back
*SIDS ½ hour every 5 years for anyone caring for infants
*SHAKEN BABY ½ hour every five years for everyone caring for children under school age, annual viewing of the video also required for anyone caring for children under school age.
*DHS prevented from renewing a license if provider still owes fees, fines or for settlement.
*New requirement to notify licensing when individual returns to the fcc home after 45 day absence
*Providers must place infants in a crib directly on a firm mattress with a fitted crib sheet that fits tightly on the mattress and overlaps the mattress so it cannot be dislodged by pulling on the corners of the sheet.(through 12 months of age).
*as of 7/1/09 all children in every motor vehicle under 8 years of age or shorter than 4 feet 9 inches must be properly restrained in an approved passenger restraint system.
Children’s Book Club Interested in joining a book club and offering monthly books for your children’s parents to purchase and earning free books for your child care at the same time? Call 1-800-SCHOLASTIC (1-800-724-6527) or go to www.scholastic.com

Looking for training on a specific subject, in a specific area or grant information? Try http://www.mnstreams.org to obtain your individual password contact Kim at Hammillk@pinetech.edu


October Ideas

Fire Safety
Submitted by Roni Budde
Stop, Drop & Roll
Cut flame shapes from construction paper or fun foam. During the day, stick this “fire” on a child’s arm or tummy. When they’re “on fire”, they should immediately stop, drop and roll. Most children love this game and beg for their turn. Remind them that it’s not a game if they’re really on fire. Be sensitive to some children who are afraid of evn the pretend fire.

Song- tune of Farmer in the Dell
Stop, drop and roll
Stop, drop and roll
If fire gets on your clothes,
Stop, drop & roll Keep rolling until the fire is out!

Under the smoke
Light, then blow out a match to show children how smoke goes up. Drape a blanket over some chairs to represent smoke and have children crawl underneath. Emphasize that we’re pretending its smoke. Have children tell you the place to meet when there is smoke.

Find the matches
Break Q-tips in half, dip the cotton end in red tempera paint and let it dry. Hide these ”matches” all around your site and instruct the children to report discovery to you, but never ever touch them. Hide them well and up from little crawlers.

Submitted by Rochelle French
Fall Handprint Wreath--Trace kids hands on fall colored construction paper or craft foam. Glue hands together in wreath shape. Autumn Bookmarks--Cut orange art paper into a 9 inch by 2 inch shape. Break leaves into 1 inch pieces and glue onto both sides of the art paper. Let dry. Cover with contact paper. Stained Glass Apples--Brush a lot of glue on waxed paper. Then cover the glue with red, yellow or green tissue paper pieces and allow to dry overnight. Peel wax paper off and glue an apple outline over the tissue paper. Trim around the apple outline and hang in a window. Paper Plate Pumpkins--Paint a paper plate orange. After it dries glue on eyes, nose and mouth from black construction paper or foam. Spaghetti Spider Webs--Cook 2 lbs of spaghetti. Add white glue(no certain amount). The kids mix it up with their hands. Then they can pull individual strands out and begin to design their web on a dark piece of construction paper. After it dries, you can pull the web off completely (if you are very careful) and hang them on string and use for decorations.
Submitted by Stacia Ceryes

A REALLY CUTE PRINTABLE HALLOWEEN BOOK
http://www.prekfun.com/G-M/Halloween/Printables/Counting%20Book-BW.pdf

Pumpkin Lollipops Here's what you'll need...
•Orange and green lifesavers(7 orange and 1 green for each lollipop) •Popsicle stick •Tin Foil •Baking Sheet •Oven
Here's how you make them...
1. Line your baking sheet with a piece of tin foil. Place your popsicle stick on the foil. Place 2 orange lifesavers directly on top of the stick - at one end of the stick (see picture)
2. Arrange the rest of your orange lifesavers around in circle. Break your green lifesaver in half and place at the top of your pumpkin. Make sure all of your lifesavers are touching, otherwise they won't melt together properly. 3. Bake in the oven at 250F for 12-14 minutes or until the lifesavers have melted. All ovens are different, keep checking your lollipops while they're baking!
If you want to spend the extra money you can buy white lollipop sticks in the cake/baking aisle in your local craft store. **********************************************************************
Remember we have: Theme Bags
We now have bags for MULTICULTURAL MUSIC, MULTICULTURAL FOODS, COWBOYS, PIRATES, OCEAN LIFE, JUNGLE LIFE, BUGS/INSECTS AND DINOSAURS almost ready to be loaned out. These bags will include such things as manipulative, games, books, and dress-up items. I will be copying pieces from curriculum books the association and I have to go along with the themes. They will be free for our members to check out and use for a month at a time. There are no consumables in them. Any paper, art materials, etc will be on you. We expect normal wear and tear, however, if pieces are missing or broken beyond normal expectancy, we will expect them to be replaced. If you would like to check out one of these bags, call Roni at 624-2968 or e-mail LtlRedHen@msn.com and I'll finish that one out for you and bring it to the next meeting.

************************************************************************An excellent resource is the Sesame Street Fire Safety Station program that can be ordered free of charge fromHTTP://www.usfa.fema.gov/usfapubs/pubs_browse.cfm?subject_code+17

September 2009

Notes from the President:
by Brianne Torrance
I would like to thank Stephanie LaFleur for her years of service to our association as President. We look forward to her continued input. I would also like to welcome all our new and renewing members. If you have not met me, I have been in family daycare for over a little over 3 years. We have four children, all girls and we are expecting our 5th child in March. I live in upper Woodland; I left my full-time job as a Mortgage Closer 3 years ago, to save money on childcare, and opened my doors then. I am a Senior Consultant with Tastefully Simple, which allows me to have time away from the children, and make money, while having a wonderful time out and meeting new people. We have a great year of training ahead of us. I am always open to new ideas and suggestions for trainings that will enhance our educational opportunities as professional providers. Articles, ideas and activities that members would be willing to share in this newsletter are welcomed and appreciated. Remember we are meeting at the Downtown Sammy's Pizza.
Introductions of our new Executive Board:

Rochelle French/VP
If you have not met me, my name is Rochelle French I have been in family daycare for nine years. I live in Lakeside. Before I started my family daycare I worked with many different families taking care of children in their homes.

Donna Lee Stratioti/Secretary

If you do not know who I am, my name is Donna Lee Stratioti. I live in the Norton Park neighborhood, in the Western end of Duluth, with the Duluth Zoo in my backyard.
I've been a licensed Childcare Provider, for 37 years, and I enjoy every minute, with the children!I started in Childcare, as a means of giving my own small children playmates; and, I found that not only was I good at taking care of other peoples' children, but that I loved having the small children around.
When I started, I took all ages; and now I limit myself to infants, toddlers and pre-school aged children, up to Kindergarten age. I have 3 grown children, none of whom live at home.
Stacia Ceryes/Membership
Hey there, my name is Stacia Ceryes. I have been in family child care for over 14 years. I have an associate degree in early childhood. I live in Duluth Heights with my husband, three children, two dogs, and five chickens. My hobbies are scrapbooking, antiquing, and making folk art that I sell at local craft shows and at The Rocking Horse in Superior.

CJ Backman/Treasurer
Welcome to PPD. My name is CJ Backman. I started Creative Journey Childcare in 2001. I have four children ages 23, 19, 12 and my peanut popper 3 at the end. I have been involved in business accounting all my life and have wanted to start childcare. When I started I did not realize that I would have the opportunity to stay at home with a child of mine. I tease my parents that if they could stay home and put me out of business this would be the ultimate. I am so fortunate to be able to watch their children for them while they are working and supporting the family. Besides working with the developmentally disabled in my previous job, daycare rocks! It’s the best job I have ever had. It can go from harmony to humor in seconds. I live in "Little Italy" off of Mesaba. I love the Duluth area. I have a lot of outdoor hobbies and spend most of my time as a single parent with my children at their extra circular activities. I look forward to meeting all our members this year.

September Training:
by Maureen Marple, Membership

September 10, 2009 7-9 p.m. Gender Learning Differences
Vicki Thrasher Cronin, a licensed Pre-K teacher and parent educator, has 30 years of experience working with providers, parents and teachers. A former family child care provider herself, Vicki is devoted to the professional development of those who are raising the future of this nation.
Core Content Area I: Child Growth & Development
CDA Content Area VIII: Principles of Child Growth & Development
We know boys and girls are different, and these differences show up even before birth! Understanding early brain development will help adults create supportive and responsive environments for boys and girls .Understanding the differences between girls and boys will help you design effective discipline strategies and, Understanding gender differences will prepare girls and boys for success in school and life!

Children’s Book Club Interested in joining a book club and offering monthly books for your children’s parents to purchase and earning free books for your child care at the same time? Call 1-800-SCHOLASTIC (1-800-724-6527) or go to www.scholastic.com

Looking for training on a specific subject, in a specific area or grant information? Try http://www.mnstreams.org to obtain your individual password contact Kim at Hammillk@pinetech.edu

Professional Providers of Duluth 2009
Members Tour of Homes
Thursday, May 14 ,2009
6:15 p.m.
Jenni’s Playcare & Learning Center Jennifer Sternberg 724-3100
1218 E 11th St
I started doing daycare in my home with my husband almost 4 1/2 years ago. At the time we were called Paul & Jenni's Daycare. Last May our landlords decided to sell the house and told us they wanted us to move out. We have really struggled getting new kids since then. We have struggled getting children and keeping them past 2 always, but the move really put us back. My husband has since left the daycare and I am doing it by myself. I renamed it Jenni's Playcare & Learning Center. I have tried to add a little more structure and learning activities. I have an Elementary Education degree and after teaching over 4 years and continually going through layoffs and such I decided to go into business for myself. Also, I knew I would want to stay home with my own children. We currently have a 2 year old daughter. I would like any advice as to why people think we are really having a hard time getting any children after an interview. I love doing it, but just want to be able to make it.

Directions:
Turn on 9th St. and go up 12th Ave. E. take a right on 11th St. You will see my sign leaning against the porch. It’s a yellow stucco house

7:00 p.m.
Pleasant View Playland Margaret Geer 728-0925
301 Pleasant View Road
I started my daycare originally due to being blessed with fertility after the age 40! I was able to be home and had five children of my (only two in school) at the time. Now with my baby in school all day, I am very attached to some of my families and enjoy being home in the summer - And being my own boss. I was a member of the Air National Guard for 22 years, and worked full time 14 years between the Mpls and Duluth bases. I have been doing child care close to seven years. My greatest training for child care was growing up in a family of eight children. I stay motivated by hiking and running and playing really great music during the day!

Directions:
Top of Woodland Ave. - go up 7 blocks past Piggly Wiggly-Turn right on Pleasantview-1st house on the left

April 09

Notes from the President:
By Stephanie LaFleur

Our March meeting, Labels and Weight & How They Relate, was presented by Linda Jacobsen, Adults & Children’s Alliance. The training was excellent. I was educated on reading and understanding package labels and how unaware I was about many things in my shopping aisles were full of fillers. Linda did a great job in having us measure and figure/calculate sugar in the foods we eat and prepare. Not to mention how to calculate our body mass index and what it means to be overweight verses obese. I also want to mention that we are still in need for all our executive office positions in PPD. We need to fill these seats in April to get them all the info they need for the future of our group.

We have two volunteers and are still looking for another for the Tour of Homes, scheduled Thursday, May 14th. Call Stephanie (724-350) to sign up. This will be a fun way to end the year.
This months training:
April 9, 2009 7-9 p.m. Autism, Attention Deficit, & Sensory Disorders

Presented by David Harper, Speech-Language Pathologist
Core Content Area VII: Observing & Recording Behavior
CDA Content Area III: Assessment & Planning for Individual Needs

Summary: A brief overview of the characteristics of autism spectrum, attention deficit, and sensory integration disorders will be detailed. A list of “red flags” for each disorder will be presented, along with suggestions for dealing with children with each kind of disorder in a day care setting. There will also be discussion of how to approach parents about the provider’s concerns, and where parents can go for help. Questions and Answers will be part of the presentation throughout.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
Next months training:
May 14, 2009 7-9 p.m. Daycare Tour of Homes
Presented by
Core content area II, Learning Environment & Curriculum
CDA content area 1, Safe, Healthy Learning Environment
Locations and directions to be announced in the May newsletter

April Is Keep America Beautiful Month

April Is Autism Awareness Month

The Center for Inclusive Child Care (CICC) provides on-site and phone consultation, free of charge, to early childhood care and education programs, school age programs, family child care and education programs, and preschool programs that are including a child with special needs. The definition of special needs includes Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, physical disabilities, cognitive disabilities, and challenging behaviors. Consultation services can also be used if you have a concern about a child’s development. The funding to support this program is provided by the MN Department of Human Services and the McKnight Foundation. The goals of our program include assistance in the retention of a child in the current child care setting, provision of transition support for a child starting a new program, and the enhancement of the services you offer to children and their families. Inclusion consultants collaborate with programs, providers, and parents offering technical assistance, specific strategies, recommendations, resources, and other types of assistance to help children be successful.

We have expert Inclusion Consultants who are coordinated by Dea Anderson through CICC. If you have questions or are interested in the use of this service, please contact her by email at dea@inclusivechildcare.org or by phoning her at 612-767-5159.

Please forward this message to others in the Minnesota early childhood and school-age community who may benefit from this important service.
Cindy Croft, Director, Center For Inclusive Child Care Faculty, Concordia University
275 N. Syndicate St., St. Paul, MN 55104,croft@csp.edu,651-603-6265

here is the top 10...
You know you’re a child care provider when…10) Your instinct is to rhyme and sing when you meet resistance with a request9) You are in shock when you go to a friend’s house and see a scissors in the junk drawer.8) The majority of your adult conversations are surrounding the intake and output of little ones7) You’ve bought five fire extinguishers in the last five years, because you don’t have the time to
figure out where to get yours serviced.6) The clerk at the local craft store knows you by name and inquires about your ‘theme’ this week.5) You know who Laurie Berkner is, and catch yourself singing “We are the Dinosaurs” as you’re
getting ready for bed.4) Your hands are so chapped from washing them they crack and bleed when you move them.3) Your shower takes 7 minutes to warm up2) You can’t reach your own knives1) You get anxious each time a salesperson rings the doorbell, thinking it’s your new licensor
doing a drop in visit.


Newsletter format

If you are currently receiving your newsletter via the mail and would like to receive it via email (or visa versa) please call Stephanie at #724-1350 or email at rockofoo@msn.com. In order to keep your provider contact information (directory) correct, please take time to update any of your current data (hours, email addresses, etc.) as changes are made.

March 09
Notes from the President:
By Stephanie LaFleur

February was a very educational training. Sgt. Nick Alexander & Det. Thomas Champaigne presented a training titled, “Internet Predators”. It was amazing and very informative. They informed us who, what, where, when, and how these predators prey on our families and children. Along with showing us how it happens, they went on to show us how to protect ourselves and our children against being victimized. It’s unreal how much information they passed on and I am still going through the handouts. Hats off to both of these officers for taking the time to share their knowledge with us. http://www12.familywatchdog.us/ Enter your street address... it will show a "house", that's yours... all the little colored boxes are Sex Offenders... click on them and you get a name & picture of the person along with his crime

Also, please remember that officers for the new executive board need to step forward for nominations in March, elections will be held in April.

We have two volunteers and are still looking for another for the Tour of Homes, scheduled Thursday, May 14th. Call Stephanie (724-350) to sign up. This will be a fun way to end the year.

TIPS FOR Providers IN TROUBLED TIMES
Take care of your own needs: When you are in an airplane, they tell you that if you are have a child with you and the oxygen masks drop from the compartment above, you need to do the following: first, put the oxygen mask on yourself, only then put the second mask on your child. The reason for this is, if you pass-out from lack of oxygen, then there will be no one to help your child.
Get enough sleep: This can be one of the best things you can do for yourself. You will feel better physically and react better emotionally if you take care of yourself.
Surround yourself with positive, caring family and friends: Talk to other adults--family, friends, faith leaders, or a counselor. Sharing feelings can make you feel more connected and secure.
Be optimistic: Studies show those who cope best are comfortable expressing strong emotions, surrounded by caring family and friends, use problem solving skills, and keep a positive view of the future. Focus on what you can actually do.
Be thoughtful: Think about what you want to teach your children about living in difficult times.
PPD has grant money available to pay members conference fees (Channel 8? Stout? MLFCCA Conference?) Contact Stephanie for more information at 724-1350. You must pay your transportation, room and meals and share what you learned in the newsletterJ and your conference fee will be reimbursed.
This months trainings:

March 5, 2009 6-10 HEARTSAVER CPR ***must pre- register FULL
Core Content Area VI: Health, Safety, and Nutrition
CDA Content Area 1: Safe, Healthy Learning Environment

March 12, 2009 7-9 p.m. Labels and Weight & How They Relate
Presented by Linda Jacobsen, Adults & Children’s Alliance
Core Content Area VI: Health, Safety & Nutrition
CDA Content Area VIII: Principles of Child Growth & Development

Summary:
In this workshop we will calculate your sugar consumption in the foods you eat and prepare. We will be looking at the major nutrients and where they are found, how to calculate your body mass index, what it means to be overweight/obese and its consequences.

Newsletter format

If you are currently receiving your newsletter via the mail and would like to receive it via email (or visa versa) please call Stephanie at #724-1350 or email at rockofoo@msn.com. In order to keep your provider contact information (directory) correct, please take time to update any of your current data (hours, email addresses, etc.) as changes are made.

LSS Bethany Crisis Nursery provides services for families experiencing a crisis or stress with children ages infancy through 12 years of age. Donations will be accepted at monthly meetings.

Feb 09
Notes from the President:
By Stephanie LaFleur

Our January meeting, Caring for Children with Food Allergies, was presented by Jennifer Hall, Registered Dietitian. The training was very informative. It’s amazing how unaware I was about many things in my kitchen/house that could be a problem and cause of an allergic reaction. The ladies did a great job in handling all of our questions and demonstrating the use of an EpiPen. They also donated a binder titled “Child Care and Preschool Guide to Managing Food Allergies”, produced by the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network to our lending library. If you missed the training you may want to take it out. It also contains a video titled, “Alexander, The Elephant Who Couldn’t Eat Peanuts”, that helps explain allergies to children through the story. A big thank you to Jennifer and her colleague for taking the time to educate all of us.

Newsletter format

If you are currently receiving your newsletter via the mail and would like to receive it via email (or visa versa) please call Stephanie at #724-1350 or email at rockofoo@msn.com. In order to keep your provider contact information (directory) correct, please take time to update any of your current data (hours, email addresses, etc.) as changes are made.

LSS Bethany Crisis Nursery provides services for families experiencing a crisis or stress with children ages infancy through 12 years of age. Donations will be accepted at monthly meetings.

PPD has grant money available to pay members conference fees (Channel 8? Stout? Mega Conference) Contact Stephanie for more information at 724-1350. You must pay your transportation, room and meals and share what you learned in the newsletterJ and your conference fee will be reimbursed.

This Months Training

February 12, 2009 7-9 p.m. Internet Predators
Presented by Sgt. Alexander & Det. Thomas Champaigne
Core Content Area VI: Health, Safety & Nutrition
CDA Content Area I: Safe, Healthy Learning Environment

Summary:
Internet crimes against children will be discussed to include the types of crimes committed, who commits them, and various steps parents can take to identify potential problems and protect children online. Instant Messaging, chat rooms, and social networking sites such as My Space will be discussed. A live online chat session will be started, with Officers pretending to be a young a child, to demonstrate how vulnerable children can be. This presentation is for adults only because sexually graphic material, to include language and images, may be present.


Next Month’s Trainings


March 5, 2009 6-10 HEARTSAVER CPR limited enrollment ***must pre- register
Core Content Area VI: Health, Safety, and Nutrition
CDA Content Area 1: Safe, Healthy Learning Environment

March 12, 2009 7-9 p.m. Labels and Weight & How They Relate
Presented by Linda Jacobsen, Adults & Children’s Alliance
Core Content Area VI: Health, Safety & Nutrition
CDA Content Area VIII: Principles of Child Growth & Development

Summary:
In this workshop we will calculate your sugar consumption in the foods you eat and prepare. We will be looking at the major nutrients and where they are found, how to calculate your body mass index, what it means to be overweight/obese and its consequences.


Check it out! So if you are looking for information, some fun web sites, or to track down information provided in a previous newsletter this is the place to go: http://childcareprovidersofduluth.blogspot.com/

2008-2009 PPD Officers

President: Stephanie LaFleur 724-1350 rockofoo@msn.com
Vice President: Heidi Dallmann 392-3670 hdallmann@q.com
V. P. /Training Maureen Marple 724-5653 Maureen22m@q.com
Treasurer: Carla Meneghini 724-7788 pcmeneghini@charter.net
Secretary: Brenda Anderson 624-7526 michael.w.anderson15@charter.net
Membership: Pat Jaekel 525-6744 pljaekel@q.com
Government Connection: Roni Budde 624-2968) Ltlredhen@msn.com
February Ideas
Valentine Song
Will You Be Mine? (Sung to the tune of Clementine)

February, February, Time to make a valentine.
Will you send one, give a friend one?
I will be yours if you’ll be mine!
Cotton Ball Colors
Three-dimensional art exploration! Have each child tear cotton balls into small pieces and place them on a paper plate. Next, help mix white glue and food coloring with the cotton balls. Mix on the plate and then spread the mixture on a sheet of construction paper and mold as desired (or just leave on the paper plate). Then allow the project to dry. Try this with red food coloring and cutting out a heart for valentines (from mailbox)

January 09
Notes from the President:
By Stephanie LaFleur
Happy New Year Everyone!
I hope everyone had time to enjoy the Holidays with family and friends. The Holiday Celebration/Meeting in December was well attended and a great time to relax and learn more about each other. Thank you to everyone who attended! We have some great trainings coming up, it is a great way to interact with other providers while receiving your training time. So please support your association by attending the meetings.
I invite all of you to submit any ideas you have by e-mailing us. This is your newsletter so take advantage of it by sharing with other providers any thoughts or ideas that are pertinent to childcare. I know I am always looking for something “new” to do with the children.


Newsletter format

If you are currently receiving your newsletter via the mail and would like to receive it via email (or visa versa) please call Stephanie at #724-1350 or email at rockofoo@msn.com. In order to keep your provider contact information (directory) correct, please take time to update any of your current data (hours, email addresses, etc.) as changes are made.


LSS Bethany Crisis Nursery provides services for families experiencing a crisis or stress with children ages infancy through 12 years of age. This is done through our Crisis Line, emergency care for children in Southern St. Louis County, the emergency clothing room, and special projects. These services are available to alleviate parental stress while providing safe, quality care for children. Donations will be accepted at monthly meetings.



This months training:

January 8, 2009 7-9 p.m. Caring for Children with Food Allergies
Presented by Jennifer Hall, Registered Dietitian
Core Content Area VI: Health, Safety & Nutrition
CDA Content Area II: Physical & Intellectual Development

Summary:
Food allergy basics and facts: allergy symptoms, anaphylaxis & treatment, day to day management of food allergies, minimizing risks, caregiver’s and family’s responsibilities.

Next months training:
February 12, 2009 7-9 p.m. Internet Predators
Presented by Sgt. Alexander & Det. Thomas Champaigne
Core Content Area VI: Health, Safety & Nutrition
CDA Content Area I: Safe, Healthy Learning Environment

Summary:
Internet crimes against children will be discussed to include the types of crimes committed, who commits them, and various steps parents can take to identify potential problems and protect children online. Instant Messaging, chat rooms, and social networking sites such as My Space will be discussed. A live online chat session will be started, with Officers pretending to be a young a child, to demonstrate how vulnerable children can be. This presentation is for adults only because sexually graphic material, to include language and images, may be present


Check it out! So if you are looking for information, some fun web sites, or to track down information provided in a previous newsletter this is the place to go: http://childcareprovidersofduluth.blogspot.com/


Tax Tip
by Roni Budde

In this day and age, it's downright dangerous to release your social security number to parents. Instead, you should apply for and give them your Federal Employer ID Number. No, you don't need to have employees to get this number. You can file online here: Online Application - Form SS-4, Employer Identification Number (EIN) or call IRS at (800)829-4933. Either way, you'll get your number right away, so you can start using it on this year's tax statements.

The 5 Steps of Family Child Care Recordkeeping..
answers most questions of what you need to complete your taxes http://stepbystepcc.com/tax5steps.html

Need a New Years Resolution?
Licensing checklist
Is all my paperwork up to date? Including the children’s shot records?
Where do you store your cleaning products and dishwashing soap?
Where are your knives and scissors?
Where are your matches?
Do you have a working flashlight?
Do you have a battery powered radio that works?
Are your playpen records up to date? Do you have sheets to record them on each month yet?
Do you have and use incident forms?Where do you post your license? Your Emergency Escape Plan?When was the last time you had your fire extinguisher checked?
Do you have any combustible materials within 36” of your furnace?Do your smoke detectors work and are your outlet plugs in place?*When you receive your relicensing information do you go through the checklist? The above questions and others that are on that checklist are what licensing is looking for to evaluate the safety of your facility.

Standard Mileage Rates for 2008 & 2009
Its January….start keeping track now….many providers forget to take advantage of this deduction!

Rates effective January 1 through June 30, 2008
50.5 cents per mile for business miles driven;19 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes; and14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations.

Rates effective July 1 through December 31, 2008
58.5 cents per mile for business miles driven;27 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes; and14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations.

Rates effective January 1 through December 31, 2009
55 cents per mile for business miles driven;27 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes; and14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations


Things to do in January

Shapes Collage
Materials
Different color construction paper
pencils, crayons and markers
scissors
glue

Cut different shapes and glue to white paper, color and create collage

Cut snowflakes and act out this poem:

One little snowflake with nothing to do.Along came another andThen there were two.Two little snowflakes laughing with me.Along came another, andThen there were three.Three little snowflakes looking for some more.Along came another, andThen there were four.Four little snowflakes dancing a jive.Along came another, andThen there were five.Five little snowflakes having so much fun.Out came the sun, andThen there were none!

Make a Sensory Table
It's a place designed for squishing, sifting, sorting, digging, and pouring, where children can get messy, have fun and play freely. Fill a dishpan on the kitchen table!

Mittens

Trace the children’s hands and have them color themselves a matching pair of mittens with crayons, paints or bingo daubers. Tie them together with yarn.


Winter trees

Trace child’s hand for a trunk and attach crinkled pieces of white tissue paper for snowy branches

December 2008

Notes from the President:
by Stephanie LaFleur

My home for the Annual PPD Holiday Party

This is a potluck dinner, so bring your favorite dish to share. It is also a Christmas exchange, if you wish to receive a gift you need to bring a $10 gift to exchange.

SIDS/SHAKEN BABY: 7 pm (this will satisfy your annual viewing requirement)

Featuring good friends, good fun, and good food!!

Thursday, December 11th, 2008
Time: 6:00 p.m.

Directions:
Up Woodland Avenue, take a right at the Catwalk Salon onto Winona St. Follow Winona to the top of the hill where it intersects with Allendale at Steph’s garage, green house with tan trim. Please RSVP to Steph at 724-1350 or rockofoo@msn.com to let her know what you are bringing or find out what everyone else is bringing for the pot luckJ

This is a very fun time for us to get together socially and enjoy each other's company. Hope to see everyone there. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY


LSS Bethany Crisis Nursery provides services for families experiencing a crisis or stress with children ages infancy through 12 years of age. This is done through our Crisis Line, emergency care for children in Southern St. Louis County, the emergency clothing room, and special projects. These services are available to alleviate parental stress while providing safe, quality care for children. Donations will be accepted at monthly meeting

Check it out! So if you are looking for information, some fun web sites, or to track down information provided in a previous newsletter this is the place to go: http://childcareprovidersofduluth.blogspot.com/

January 2008 training…



January 8, 2009 7-9 p.m. Caring for Children with Food Allergies
Presented by Jennifer Hall, Registered Dietitian
Core Content Area VI: Health, Safety & Nutrition
CDA Content Area II: Physical & Intellectual Development

Summary:
Food allergy basics and facts: allergy symptoms, anaphylaxis & treatment, day to day management of food allergies, minimizing risks, caregiver’s and family’s responsibilities.

Happy HolidaysJ

Please note we all always interested in items you have to share for the monthly newsletter and welcome your contributions and suggestions

Christmas Craft ideas
Candle Jars (family fun) While melting and pouring wax is best left to adults, the creative parts of this candle-making project (choosing the perfect crayon to color the wax and decorating the glass holder with beads) are meant for kids
Prep Time: Under 1 hour
What you need
Large saucepan coffee can Metal canning jar lid rim paraffin waxcrayons paint stirrer Candlesticks (one for each jar) Thick wide mouth glass jars tacky glue Metal tongs plastic beads
Materials: beads, cans, crayons, wax
Instructions:
1.
Set up a double boiler to melt the paraffin. Fill the bottom of the saucepan with 4 to 5 inches of water and drop in the canning jar lid rim. Then pack chunks of paraffin into the coffee can, setting it on the jar rim so that it doesn't directly touch the bottom of the pot.
2.
Melt the wax over medium-high heat, carefully adding more chunks until the can is about two-thirds filled. To color the melted wax, break half of a peeled crayon into pieces. Add them to the wax and slowly mix with a paint stirrer, then turn off the heat and let the paraffin cool for about 10 minutes (this will help minimize shrinkage when the wax hardens).
3.
Using a sharp knife, cut the candlesticks 1/2 inch shorter than the jar heights (adults only). Now, heat the jars by running warm water on the outsides but not the insides (this will help prevent cracking when you pour in the hot wax).
4.
With metal tongs, dip the bottom of each candlestick into the melted wax and stick it to the inner jar bottom. When the candlestick ends have hardened enough to hold, carefully pour enough wax into the jars to cover the candlestick tops but not the wicks.
5.
Once the candles cool completely, your kids can glue beads to the outside of the jar, arranging them in a border around the rim, perhaps, or creating a multicolor pattern all the way around.



Hand Print Wreath (preschool education)
Need: Thick, White Fabric - cloth napkins work well, Red and Green Paint, Wooden Dowel, Ribbon or YarnDirections: Lay fabric flat on some newspapers. Using one hand to dip in paint, form a circle on the material to look like a wreath. Let the green dry. Dip one finger in the red paint and make holly berries on the wreath. Fold over the top of the material to form an opening to slide the dowel through. Tie the ribbon or yard onto the ends of the dowel to hang it from.

Christmas Angel (preschool education)
Need: Construction paper, glitter, coffee filterDirections: Make the body out of a triangle and a circle for her head. Fold a coffee filter in half and glue on a black con. Paper. Then glue the body and then the head. Make a face on the head: eyes closed oval nose sideways and oval mouth. Add glitter on the bottom of her dress and by her bodice. Put glitter on for her halo.


Star Santa (preschool education) Need: Construction Paper, Star pattern, markets, cotton, and glueDirections: Cut out large red stars. (5 point) Have children put the stars with 1 pointfacing up - this will be Santa's head. The 2 points of the star that point out to the sides are the arms, and the 2 points that point downwards are his legs. Let children add face with markers and skin colored paper, use cotton for his fur (top of hat, cuffs of arms and legs) glue black strips across center for his belt. Color black boots on the two feet tips.


Pretzel Wreath (preschool education) Need: Little Pretzels, Glue, RibbonDirections: Glue pretzels together so they form a circle -like a wreath. Glue a second layer on top of that making sure the pretzels on this layer meet in the center of a pretzel on the bottom layer. Hang with a ribbon.

November 08


Notes from the President:
By Stephanie LaFleur

Wow! What another great training. I love seeing new members at these meetings as a lot of time it is the only way we can associate with each other. I would like to welcome all the new members to the Association. Again remember this is your Association so if there is any thing you would like to see or hear at our meetings just give one of us a call and we will do our best to accommodate your request. I know that there are a number of talented providers out there so e-mail your craft/art ideas to me. Check out our web site for lots of information, including past newsletters and current trainings and area conferences: http://childcareprovidersofduluth.blogspot.com/


November 13, 2008 7-9 p.m. Curriculum Planning Using Internet Resources
Presented by Addie Clyde, CDA, AA: Early Childhood Emphasis, FDC Provider 17 yrs.
Core Content Area II: Learning Environment & Curriculum
CDA Content Area II: Physical & Intellectual Development & V:Effective Program Operation


Summary:
Providers will explore fun, free and exciting ways to create their lesson plans using the Internet as a resource tool. You will learn great ways to enhance your learning environment & develop an educational curriculum.
Next month: Annual Holiday Gathering…
Thursday, December 11th, Annual Holiday Pot Luck…Bring a dish to share. There is also an optional $15 gift exchange for those who choose to participate. Also, the Tape has been scheduled for 6 p.m. at Steph LaFleur’s house. We will also be viewing the Shaken Baby tape during the course of the evening. This will comply with the annually mandated viewing of this tape by licensing. Another option for those who cannot attend is to rent a copy of this tape to view. It is currently available at all branches of the Duluth Public Library.


LSS Bethany Crisis Nursery provides services for families experiencing a crisis or stress with children ages infancy through 12 years of age. This is done through our Crisis Line, emergency care for children in Southern St. Louis County, the emergency clothing room, and special projects. These services are available to alleviate parental stress while providing safe, quality care for children. Donates excepted at Meetings.

October 08

Notes from the President:
by Stephanie LaFleur
September training: It was excellent! What a great turn-out, we learned a lot about limits, liabilities and what we should have for insurance coverage to protect our business. It was great to see so many new faces at the meeting. We have some excellent trainings coming up, please join us at Sammy’s Pizza-Downtown. Also remember to check out our web site for lots of information, including past newsletters and current trainings and area conferences: http://childcareprovidersofduluth.blogspot.com/


Upcoming Trainings:
by Maureen Marple, Training and Education

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

October 9, 2008 7-9 p.m. Speech & Language Development and Enrichment in Young Children
Presented by David Harper, Speech-Language Pathologist
Core Content Area I: Child Growth & Development
CDA Content Area VIII: Principles of Child Growth & Development


Summary: Review of normal language development and techniques to facilitate language development. Learn when to be concerned and what to do.



November 13, 2008 7-9 p.m. Curriculum Planning Using Internet Resources
Presented by Addie Clyde, CDA, AA: Early Childhood Emphasis, FDC Provider 17 yrs.
Core Content Area II: Learning Environment & Curriculum
CDA Content Area II: Physical & Intellectual Development & V:Effective Program Operation


Summary:
Providers will explore fun, free and exciting ways to create their lesson plans using the Internet as a resource tool. You will learn great ways to enhance your learning environment & develop an educational curriculum.

Fire safety sites:
http://www.drpbody.com/images/FireSafetyAward.pdf
http://www.fastq.com/~jbpratt/education/theme/firesafety.html
Free children’s learning software
http://www.hiyah.net/software.html

If anyone has day care related items for sale, please let us know and we will be more than happy to pass that information on to other providersJ

Unannounced Licensing Visits:

Have you had one recently? Possibly with both a licensor and the county attorney? These are mandated now and you can do your part to prepare for them by following Rule 2 and keeping your records in order. Admissions forms, updated immunization records and detailed hours of county subsidized children’s attendance records are required. Supervison is a targeted area for compliance. Did you know that your own children must comply with day care regulations during regular hours of business operation? So sending your own three year old preschooler upstairs to her room to play alone is a violation if she is not within sight or hearing and you could not intervene for her safety. If you have any questions like this, call your licensor and ask…they would be happy to answer you rather than have to write a citation.

Are You A True Child Care Provider? Original Author Unknown adapted from preschool education.com1. Do you ask guests if they have remembered their scarves and mittens as they leave your home?2. Do you move your dinner partner's glass away from the edge of the table?3. Do you ask if anyone needs to go to the bathroom as you enter a theater with a group of friends?4. Do you hand a tissue to anyone who sneezes?5. Do you refer to happy hour as "snack time"?6. Do you declare "no cuts" when a shopper squeezes ahead of you in a checkout line?7. Do you say "I like the way you did that" to the mechanic who repairs your car nice?8. Do you ask "Are you sure you did your best?" to the mechanic who fails to repair your car to your satisfaction?9. Do you sing the "Alphabet Song" to yourself as you look up a number in the phone book?10. Do you say everything twice? I mean, do you repeat everything?11. Do you fold your spouse's fingers over the coins as you hand him/her the money at a tollbooth?12. Do you ask a quiet person at a party if he has something to share with the group? * If you answered yes to 4 or more, it's in your soul--you are hooked on teaching. And if you're not a teacher, you missed your calling.* If you answered yes to 8 or more, well, maybe it's *too much* in your soul--you should probably begin thinking about retirement.* If you answered yes to all 12, forget it--you'll *always* be a teacher, retired or not!

September 08

Notes from the President:
by Stephanie LaFleur

I would like to welcome all our new and renewing members. The PPD Picnic was held at Driftwood Estates this year on beautiful Fish Lake. It was a gorgeous day and we had some awesome training done by Brooke Nelson. We have an exciting years worth of training ahead
of us. I am always open to new ideas and suggestions for trainings that will enhance our educational opportunities as providers. Articles, ideas and activities that members would be willing to share in this newsletter are welcomed and appreciated. All information must be submitted by the 15th of the month prior to publication.

September Training:

**Please note that Kegler’s, our former meeting place, has become a sports bar. We will now be meeting at Downtown Sammy’s Pizza. They have a separate meeting room that will accommodate up to 60 people and a public parking lot directly across the street that is free after 5:30 PM

September 11, 2008 7-9 p.m It’s Your Business: Protect It

Core content area VII, Program Planning & Evaluation CDA content area V, Effective Program Operation
Rod Hofstedt, Adults & Children’s Alliance or James Bjorgan, Hays Companies

Class Summary: Each year an accident requiring medical attention occurs in 1 of every 22 child care homes. Most injuries are not accidents, they are preventable. As a child care professional you are the expert in caring for children and in providing a safe and healthy environment for children in your care. In this workshop, we will discuss prevention as primary to providing safe child care, common misconceptions about liability, and what you need to know when purchasing your number one risk management tool, a liability insurance policy.
OUTLINE OF "IT’S YOUR BUSINESS: PROTECT IT”
I. DEFINITIONS: A. "Liability" and "Legally Liable” B. "Negligence"
II. COMMON LAW A. "Degrees of Care" and relationship to Negligence
III. BREAKDOWN OF GENERAL LIABILITY COVERAGE FORM: A. Who is Insured B. Conditions/Territory C. Definitions D. Exclusions
IV. OPTIONAL ENDORSEMENTS/COVERAGES: A. Accident Coverage B. Abuse (Sexual and Physical) C. Automobile D. Workers Compensation
V. IMPORTANCE OF DOCUMENTATIONVI. SAFETY ISSUESVII. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Next Month’s Training:

October 9, 2008 7-9 p.m. Early Childhood Speech Development
David Harper, Speech Pathologist
Core content area I, Child Growth & Development & CDA content area 8, Principles of Child Growth & Development

Training update by Maureen Marple

From August 07 to August 08 Professional Providers of Duluth sponsored 10 trainings for 201 participants, totaling 441 credit hours.

On August 2nd PPD sponsored a provider family picnic at Driftwood Estates (Fish Lake) for its members. Those attending enjoyed a fun afternoon with other providers, great weather and good food. Our trainer, Brooke Nelson, put the younger children to work playing games and participating in outdoor activities for prizes. The grand prize, a one night’s stay at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Downtown Waterfront, Duluth was won by Jennifer Sternberg. A $30 merchandise certificate was also won by Brenda Anderson, donated by Adults & Children’s Alliance.

Children’s Book Club Interested in joining a book club and offering monthly books for your children’s parents to purchase and earning free books for your child care at the same time? Call 1-800-SCHOLASTIC (1-800-724-6527) or go to www.scholastic.com


Fifteen-Minute Reading Activities

Make 15 minutes go a long way. Try these quick reading activities with your younger kids.
1. License to read. On car trips, make it a game to point out and read license plates, billboards, and interesting road signs.
2. Better than TV. Swap evening TV for a good action story or tale of adventure.
3. Look and listen. Too tired to read aloud? Listen to a book on tape and turn the book's pages with your children. You'll still be reading with them!
4. Labels, labels, labels. Label things in your children's room as they learn to name them. Have fun while they learn that written words are connected to everyday things.
5. Pack a snack, pack a book. Going someplace where there might be a long wait? Bring along a snack and a bag of favorite books.
6. Recipe for reading. The next time you cook with your children, read the recipe with them. Step-by-step instructions, ingredients, and measurements are all part of words in print!
7. Shop and read. Notice and read signs and labels in the supermarket. Back home, putting away groceries is another great time for reading labels.
8. Your long-distance lap. Away on a business trip? Take a few books with you, call home, and have your child curl up by the phone for a good night story.
9. A reading pocket. Slip fun things to read into your pocket to bring home: a comic strip from the paper, a greeting card, or even a fortune cookie from lunch. Create a special, shared moment your child can look forward to every day.
10. A little longer? When your child asks to stay up a little longer, say yes and make it a 15-minute family reading opportunity. From family education.com

May 2008

Notes from the President:
By Stephanie LaFleur


I would like to take this time to wish the mother’s a Happy Mother’s Day. You not only take care of your own children but the children of many others. You deserve a BIG pat on the back. Great Job!
The April meeting was well attended. It was on Attachment Theory-Lessons from the Field: Attachment Series Workshop #1 Center of Excellence in children’s Mental Health. This was a DVD viewing.
Our May meeting is the Tour of Homes, Thursday, May 8th. This is the last newsletter until next years membership drive in August when the training schedule will be revealed for next year. Do not forget our Provider’s Picnic on August 2nd, 2008 at Fish Lake. Letters will go out to all members in July.

Volunteers needed:
The 2008 Air Show is July 19th & 20th. Volunteers, age 14 or older, may sign up now to work Sat. or Sun. Each volunteer enjoys free admission to the show, a t-shirt and lunch. The association will be paid a stipend for its help. There are only 15 spots available for each day, so sign up soon by calling or e-mailing Maureen.

Websites:
Collage, our new monthly e-mail newsletter, provides valuable articles on timely subjects for busy early childhood educators. Each issue includes 3 or 4 hand-picked articles on a single topic such as:
Block Play Sand & Water Play Dramatic Play, etc.
http://www.communityplaythings.com/cpc/NET/subscription/frmsubscribe.aspx?sub=4
***
http://www.epa.gov/region5/publications/happy/happy.pdf

REDUCING YOUR LEGAL LIABILITIES AS A DAY CARE PROVIDER
Self protection
Follow regulations from state and county, do not over enroll
Review your contracts and policy once a year with parent
Do not discriminate, do not insult
Screen parents, ask for references, ask for previous providers, and make sure you get written permission from parents
Report incidents, drunk, car seats
Make sure to get written permission for meds, trips, maybe even to walk around the block and go to play ground
Get insurance

Insurance
Home owners insurance is for the home, not for the daycare
Need business property, and liability. Insurance should be for occurrence. Make sure car insurance covers daycare

When is it safe to talk about rates?
Do not discuss at meetings, it is probable violation Federal antitrust law that forbids
Associations like CCR&R would be the place to ask

ADA- ID ways to reasonably accommodate child
Not temp condition
Reasonable expense, yes, significant exp no

Contracts and Policy-review annually/keep separate
Parents are not your friends, they are a business relationship
Pay days, clearly communicate, use a prop, such as a sign on door or bulletin bd
Contracts are legal documents when signed bay all, both parents and provider. Should have times, money, vacation days anything that deals with time and money
Policies are not legal docs and are meant to say how day care is given
On contract make there is start date but no end date.
Make sure that when there is a termination it is regardless of any other term in contract

Enforcement-it is your contract/policy. Consequences can be late fees, 5$ per minute, termination,

Termination If it continues to happen, document, try to resolve,
3 Choices of Life
It is not acceptable to complain about a problem with parents and not be willing to do something about it.

April 08

Notes from the President:
By Stephanie LaFleur

Our April training, presented by Dr. Tina Hyser, Dr. Jessica Winterfeldt and Dr. Kim Kruger, of the Family Practice Residency Program was excellent. The training covered an overview of the signs and symptoms of asthma and allergies. Discussing treatment recommendations, emergency situations and what families and caregivers can do to help. Plus, participants went over an “Asthma Action Plan” as used by many local physicians to educate patients and their families.

PPD has limited grant monies available to pay conference fees for its members on a first come basis (Channel 8? Stout?). Complete scholarship information and applications are available on the PPD web site. To request a scholarship application if you don’t have computer access contact Steph. Volunteering for fundraising and association events will benefit in approval of your scholarship in case of duplicate conference requests. Your requirement in return will be to share what you learned in the newsletterJ The cost of transportation, room and meals are not includable, but your personal responsibility to pay.

This months training: Changed Location!!!!!!

April 10, 2008 6:30-9 p.m. Attachment Theory
Lessons from the Field: Attachment Series Workshop #1 Center of Excellence in children’s Mental Health. Due to a lack of equipment at Kegler’s, the DVD will be viewed at 6:30 at the home of Steph La Fleur. We will be ordering pizza from Sammy’s for supperJ Please pre register by calling Maureen at 724-5653 (email at Maureen22m@aol.com) by April 6th.

The Members Tour of Homes is scheduled for Thursday, May 8th. This will be a fun way to end the year. We still need two more homes for our tour, call Steph to volunteer now! The tour schedule and directions will be in the May newsletter.

Volunteers needed:
The 2008 Air Show is July 19th & 20th. Volunteers, age 14 or older, may sign up now to work Sat. or Sun. Each volunteer enjoys free admission to the show, a t-shirt and lunch. In return for volunteers, the association is given a stipend that is placed in the conference scholarship fund. There are only 5 spots still available, so sign up soon by calling or e-mailing Maureen at 724-5653.

Things to check out:

Colds, Allergies, and Asthma: How Do You Tell Which Is Which?
http://life.familyeducation.com/medical-diagnosis/medical-treatment/42296.html?WT.mc_id=FE_Your-Child_7-11_2008-03-17_email

What the Teacher Should Know About Asthma Attacks:
http://life.familyeducation.com/illness/school/36154.html?WT.mc_id=FE_Your-Child_7-11_2008-03-17_email

CCR & R Training Survey is now available at:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=qO6hGs0gcbstIws2PFFtvg_3d_3d
Please complete the survey and let your needs be known.

Enter your street address... it will show a "house", that's yours... all the little colored boxes are Sex Offenders... click on them and you get a name & picture of the person along with his crime. http://www12.familywatchdog.us/

March 08
Notes from the President:
By Stephanie LaFleur

February was an interesting training about Nutrition and Obesity: Happy Healthy Kids Campaign Presented by: Dawn Schafer, Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She discussed problems and the predominating causes of the state of current children’s health. She also gave some simple solutions and the science behind it…like the importance of having children taste foods….they often need to “taste” something 10 or more times before their body tells them they ”like” it!. Thank you Dawn!
.
This months training:

March 13, 2008 7-9 p.m. Wheezing and Sneezing!
Presented by: FPC Staff & Dr. Kim Kruger, Assistant Director, Family Practice Residency Program, Associate Professor of Medicine, UMD School of Medicine
This course provides an overview of the signs and symptoms of asthma and allergies. We will discuss treatment recommendations, emergency situations and what families and caregivers can do to help. We will also review an “Asthma Action Plan” as used by many local physicians to educate patients and their families.

Next months training:

April 10, 2008 6:30-9 p.m. Attachment Theory
Lessons from the Field: Attachment Series Workshop #1 Center of Excellence in children’s Mental Health. Please note we are still working on approval of this training through the ccr&r…you may want to consult your licensor for training credit approval as this is a dvd viewing.

We are now looking for Volunteers for the Tour of Homes in May. This will be a fun way to end the year plus give and get some great ideas from other providers.

Volunteers needed:
The 2008 Air Show is July 19th & 20th. Volunteers, age 14 or older, may sign up now to work Sat. or Sun. Each volunteer enjoys free admission to the show, a t-shirt and lunch. The association will be paid a stipend for its help. There are only 15 spots available for each day, so sign up soon by calling or e-mailing Maureen.

http://www12.familywatchdog.us/ Enter your street address... it will show a "house", that's yours... all the little colored boxes are Sex Offenders... click on them and you get a name & picture of the person along with his crime
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs_details.cfm?from=milk&pubs_id=5639
Free milk/toothbrush coloring books, fill-out information and books arrive in 2-3 weeks.

Reminder: When you have time, check out the PPD Website http://childcareprovidersofduluth.blogspot.com/
WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS
An Angel says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."
1. Play 2. Go to bed on time. 3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed. 4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health. 5. Delegate tasks to capable others. 6. Simplify and un-clutter your life. 7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.) 8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places. 9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together. 10. Take one day at a time. 11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what you must do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it. 12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases. 13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc. 14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble. 15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday. 16. Carry a Book with you to read while waiting in line. 17. Get enough rest. 18. Eat right. 19 Get organized so everything has its place. 20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life. 21. Write down thoughts and inspirations. 22. Every day, find time to be alone. 23. Having problems? Try to nip small problems in the bud. 24. Make friends with supportive people. 25. Keep a folder of favorite readings on hand. 26. Think positive thoughts 27. Laugh. 28. Laugh some more! 29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all. 30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can). 31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most). 32. Sit on your ego. 33 Talk less; listen more. 34. Slow down. 35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe. 36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

February 08
Notes from the President:
By Stephanie LaFleur

Our January meeting was well attended. Taxes & Record Keeping for Family Child Care Presented by Jerry Toman. This training did highlight basic tax laws, book keeping preparation, overlooked deductions, depreciation of your home and property as used in business and answer your tax questions. Jerry did a great job in handling all of our questions. A big thank you to Jerry and his wife for taking the time to educate providers.
This months training: February 12, 2008 7-9 p.m.
Nutrition and Obesity: Happy Healthy Kids Campaign
Presented by: Dawn Schafer, Certified Family Nurse Practioner
A review of the problem and the predominating causes of the state of current children’s Health. Discuss simple solutions and the science behind it. You will learn 9 simple steps to improve children’s nutrition

PPD has grant money available to pay members conference fees (Channel 8? Stout? Mega Conference) Contact Roni for more information at 624-2968. You must pay your transportation, room and meals and share what you learned in the newsletterJ

Volunteers needed:
The 2008 Air Show is July 19th & 20th. Volunteers, age 14 or older, may sign up now to work Sat. or Sun. Each volunteer enjoys free admission to the show, a t-shirt and lunch. The association will be paid a stipend for its help. There are only 15 spots available for each day, so sign up soon by calling or e-mailing Maureen.

February ideas
Valentines Window Hangers

Tear pieces of red and pink tissue into 1 inch pieces. Press them between two pieces of wax paper (using an iron…adult) or scatter them between two pieces of contact paper. Be creative….add glitter or other shapes. Fold two pieces of red paper in half together and cut out a shape of a heart. Open them up and place the tissue collage between them. Glue edges together and make a hanger from string or ribbon so you can put them in a sunny window.
Valentine's Day Fingerplays
Guest Author - Jeanette NormanI'm a Little Valentine Sung to: "I'm a little teapot" I'm a little Valentine,Red and white. with ribbons and lace, I'm a beautiful sight. I can say I love youOn Valentines Day Just put me in a envelope, and give me away.
Three Red Valentines Sung to: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"Three red Valentines, each one with a bow. Pretty and shinny and lacy, too. Standing in a row

January 08
Notes from the President:
By Stephanie LaFleur

Our December Christmas gathering was a great time. It was a wonderful way to get to know other providers and enjoy some great food and company. I hope to see more people in the future. It’s 2008 and its time to get ready for tax time, so if you are available don’t miss our January training. It should provide some great information for you and your day care business.


Reminder: All meetings have been rescheduled to Kegler’s again.
This Month:

January 10, 2008 7-9 p.m.
Taxes & Record Keeping for Family Child Care
Presented by Jerry Toman, former child care business operator of 13 years and owner of Jerry Toman's Tax and Accounting Inc. or 15 years. This training will highlight basic tax laws, book keeping preparation, overlooked deductions, depreciation of your home and property as used in business and answer your tax questions.

Next month:
February 12, 2008 7-9 p.m.
Nutrition and Obesity: Happy Healthy Kids Campaign
Presented by: Dawn Schafer, Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
A review of the problem and the predominating causes of the state of current children’s Health.Discuss simple solutions and the science behind it. You will learn 9 simple steps to improve children’s nutrition.

Provider of the Year is Stephanie LaFleur. The Provider of the Year will receive their lodging, banquet and conference fee paid to the Spring Mega-conference, May 3, 4, and 5, 2008 at Cragon’s in Brainerd, Mn.

Volunteers needed:
The 2008 Air Show is July 19th & 20th. Volunteers, age 14 or older, may sign up now to work Sat. or Sun. Each volunteer enjoys free admission to the show, a t-shirt and lunch. The association will be paid a stipend for its help. There are only 15 spots available for each day, so sign up soon by calling or e-mailing Maureen.


Adopt family values:

· Expectations need to be fair and clear. Stick to them; model them with your own behavior. Modify them as children grow.
· Discipline is not punishment, but teaches self-control and responsibility for actions.
· Limits establish the line between right and wrong.
· Consequences make the connection between actions and the results.
· Forgiveness/reparation prevents a child from giving up not trying to be “good”.
· Communicate about fairness and sharing. Model respectful listening.
· Chores allow children to feel valued for making a contribution (age appropriate).
· Media literacy helps children think critically about messages coming from TV, radio, advertising. Encourage independent views and values.
· Traditions teach moral values through family stories. Wonder with children about moral dilemmas they may raise: Is a “white lie” ever better than the truth?
· Mealtimes allow you to share good times and bad and build everyone’s sense of belonging.
· Set an example by being honest about our own mistakes and learning from them with humility. (adapted from www.familycircle.com 6/05)


If you are currently receiving your newsletter via the mail and would like to receive it via e-mail (or visa versa) please call Pat at 525-6744 or e-mail at greatkid@cpinternet.com
In order to keep your provider contact information correct, please take time to update any of your current data (hours, email addresses, etc.) as changes are made.


Other Websites:

Parenting the preschooler index….http://www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/pp/index.html

Resources on early learning tip sheets…http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tips.htm
Things to do in January:



Peanut Butter Play dough
1 C. peanut butter
1C. white corn syrup
! C. powdered sugar
3 C. powdered milk

In a large bowl, mix peanut butter, corn syrup and powdered sugar together. Add powdered milk and knead until smooth. (Add more powdered milk, if needed.) Mold dough into any shape you wish. ”Munch on some while you play.

Labeling Ideas, Feelings, and ConceptsAnother way to help your child become more comfortable using ideas is to name, or categorize, the themes and feelings that emerge during pretend play. When he's being particularly bossy, recognize his need for control by saying something like "I can see you like being the boss today." Then let him continue to direct the drama. If he gets a little feisty and pushes you away, try remarking, "Boy, you sure want to do things by yourself today!" You could then move back just a little from him, so your body language communicates the message that you're willing to give him some more room. Just remember that it isn't your job to change his feelings or ideas; instead, you're simply going to let him know that you recognize and are comfortable with what he's feeling and thinking. As you do this, however, also join in and interact. Be the "child" while he takes on the role of "Dad" and bosses you around. As you help him stay with those intense feelings for just a few extra seconds or another sentence or two, you're gradually expanding his tolerance for and use of ideas.
It's also important to label and discuss the abstract themes that arise in your pretend play together. Three-and-a-half-year-olds can begin to grasp the idea of opposites; good guy/bad guy, wicked/good, and scary/silly, so when you see your child create characters that possess these qualities, help him label them. It's okay if he insists on being the good guy most of the time and you're stuck being the villain, but try to reverse roles occasionally; your child will enjoy pretending to be mean and angry! Your make-believe play also gives you many opportunities to introduce concepts concerning time and space. Although comprehending how to tell time is way beyond the capabilities of your 30-month-old, he may very well pick up a sense of "now" and "later" from your pretend-play scenarios. For instance, when the two of you have lined up long rows of action figures to assault the bad guys, you can catch his eye, give him a sweeping hand gesture, and toot out a pretend fanfare as you bellow, "Attack, now!" If he previously has found it difficult to wait to launch the attack, your shaking head, cautionary hand gesture, and conspiratorial whisper of "No-later!" has taught him that "later" is something he has to wait for.
If the character you are playing is an explorer going "far away to the North Pole," dramatically kiss your child good-bye, tearfully wave, and disappear into another room. "Far" thus becomes a label for a distance that's out of eyesight and earshot. The concept of "near" can be labeled and played out when your doll is afraid of the approaching big, bad wolf and wants to huddle "near" a Mommy or Daddy doll.
Dos and Don'ts
Don't rely on puzzles, books, structured games, videotapes, or TV. To spark your child's use of ideas.
Do get down on the floor and become a character-such as a bear or wizard-in a pretend drama of your child's own choosing. Ham it up! Interact, talk, and emote through your character.
Do hold long conversations about anything that interests your child, from a new toy to his favorite or most despised food. Use games, TV, and videos as a basis for long back-and-forth conversations rather than as ends in their own right. (http://life.familyeducation.com)

Senator Solon's Survey Results

10. EDUCATION: EARLY CHILDHOOD
Currently, parents of toddlers in St. Paul, Hennepin County and Blue Earth County are eligible for early childhood “allowances” of up to $4000 per year (based on income requirements) to use for quality early childhood education expenses. Would you support expanding this funding source for similar allowances to make them available to families statewide?

Response Total
Response Percent
Yes

117
71%
No

28
17%
Undecided

19
12%
Total Respondents
164
(skipped this question)
15

11. Studies show investments made in early childhood education provide high dividends down the road. Do you support more state funding for early childhood education programs such as: Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE), Head Start, and programs that work to combine early education with child care?


Response Total
Response Percent
Yes

139
85%
No

17
10%
Undecided

8
5%
Total Respondents
164
(skipped this question)
15

12. EDUCATION: K-12
The Duluth School District plans to implement a long-range facilities plan to consolidate, renovate, expand and construct new buildings in the district. Under state law, the district can undertake the proposal without a vote of area citizens. Do you agree or disagree with the District's plans?


Response Total
Response Percent
Yes, I agree with the District's plans

69
42%
No, I disagree

95
58%
Total Respondents
164
(skipped this question)
15

13. Minnesota schools are funded mostly with state dollars, although districts can ask voters to approve additional dollars for programs and buildings. Do you think the way the state of Minnesota funds schools needs to be changed?


Response Total
Response Percent
Yes, we need a more equitable system

131
80%
No, our current system works well

33
20%
Total Respondents
164
(skipped this question)
15

14. Through the No Child Left Behind Act, the federal government requires our students to be tested to determine if they are making progress in school. The state also requires students to take tests for academic progress and graduation. Do you believe Minnesota students are required to take too many tests and that we should design new and better ways to assess our students?


Response Total
Response Percent
Yes, our students take too many tests, and I believe we should design programs that use some tests but other assessment tools for teachers

137
84%
No, our students take the right amount of tests

27
16%
Total Respondents
164
(skipped this question)
15


15. Do you think that Duluth schools receive adequate funds to meet the educational demands of the 21st century?


Response Total
Response Percent
Yes

24
15%
No

113
69%
Undecided

27
16%
Total Respondents
164
(skipped this question)
15




December 2007
Professional Providers of Duluth
Notes from the President:
by Stephanie LaFleur



The Annual PPD Pot Luck will be at my home featuring good friends, good fun, and good food!!
We will also have an optional Christmas gift exchange, if you wish to receive a gift you need to bring a $10 gift to exchange. This is a very fun time for us to get together and enjoy each other's company. Hope to see everyone there. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
The annual viewing of Portrait of Promise for SHAKEN BABY will be at 7 pm December 6th at 3704 Allendale Ave, (Directions above) in conjunction with the holiday gathering.

2008 Training…
This Month:
January 3rdth (Wednesday) AMERICAN HEART CPR 6-10 Health/Safety
Location: 3704 Allendale Ave (directions page 1)
This training has also been added by membership request. The law now states there must be someone certified in CPR in the day care home at all times. CPR Class size is limited and enrollment secured by non-refundable payment in advance for this 2 year certification. Training is $25.00 for members and $35.00 for non-members. Please call 724-5653 or e-mail Maureen at Maureen22m@aol.com with any questions. Please make checks payable to PPD and mail c/o Maureen Marple, 2330 E. 5th St., Duluth, MN. 55812-1439

January 10, 2008 7-9 p.m. Taxes & Record Keeping for Family Child Care
Presented by Jerry Toman, former child care business operator of 13 years and owner of Jerry Toman's Tax and Accounting Inc. or 15 years. This training will highlight basic tax laws, book keeping preparation, overlooked deductions, depreciation of your home and property as used in business and answer your tax questions.

Next month:
February 12, 2008 7-9 p.m. Nutrition and Obesity: Happy Healthy Kids Campaign
Presented by: Dawn Schafer, Certified Family Nurse Practioner
A review of the problem and the predominating causes of the state of current children’s Health.Discuss simple solutions and the science behind it. You will learn 9 simple steps to improve children’s nutrition.




Happy Holidays

Please note we all always interested in items you have to share for the monthly newsletter and welcome your contributions and suggestionsJ
2007
Christmas Craft ideas

From Roni
clear glass ornaments gold spray paint
etching cream pine cones
shredded mylar string of lights
basket
Etch one family member's name on each ornament and fill them with mylar. Spray paint basket and allow drying. Fill the basket with ornaments, pine cones and lights, with the cord hanging out the back to plug it in.
An easier version is to fill a mason jar with potpourri and lights, cover with a square of fabric and tie it on with raffia
You can also put in a few popcorn seeds in the ornament (make sure it's a heavier weight glass). Put it in the microwave until they pop (you will need to experiment for the time as each micro is different.) Then add some small red or gold beads (you can cut apart beads from tree trim) and some silver icicles. Tie a ribbon on top and it is finished! Even more amazing is to look for very small pine cones that are closed up. (These come from a short needle pine tree) Put one or two in the clear ornaments and add the same type of details as above. As the pine cones dry, they open up and get much larger, leaving everyone to wonder how the children got them inside! This last one will need to be done several weeks in advance, to give the pinecones time to dry out!
Or paint the ornament with glitter paint so that you can still see inside and put a picture of the child inside.
If you get the solid colored, larger bulbs, paint the kids hands white and stamp their handprint on the bulb. Paint the fingers to look like snowmen.


Bits and Pieces
Make pot holders with their hand prints on them.Christmas banner using their hand to make a Christmas tree or a reindeer with their feet & hands.Make wreaths from paper plates and macaroni noodles.Tree ornaments with children’s photos. A whisk and chocolate candies w/saying, “I Whisk you a Merry Christmas.” A really big cookie will fit in small pizza box. Let kids decorate it (it takes 1 roll (store bought) of cookie dough per child).Various frames, decorated for holiday, purchased and made.Crystal ornament with name, or ceramic or dough oneNice big holiday platter, filled with homemade goodiesA very large holiday cookie cutter filled with fudge.HOMEMADE Carmel corn with a neat tin.



Have a Gingerbread Day
From Deb
Find your favorite bakers clay recipe and add lots of cinnamon. Have the children cut out Gingerbread people and bake. Remember to poke a hole in the top to make ornaments or necklaces, and let them decorate them. You can follow this up with baking gingerbread cookies.
No-Cook Strawberry Freezer Jam
1-3/4 quarts of strawberries
1-3/4 Cups sugar, divided
1pkg. Sure-Jell Light Fruit Pectin
1 Cup corn syrup

Thoroughly crush strawberries, one layer at a time. Measure berries into a large bowl. You should have 4 cups. Combine fruit pectin with 1/4 cup sugar. Gradually add pectin mixture to fruit, stirring vigorously. Set aside for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn syrup; mix well. Gradually stir in remaining sugar until dissolved. Ladle quickly into scalded containers. Cover at once with tight lids. Let stand overnight, then store in freezer. Small amounts may be covered and stored in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Makes 6 cups
Have the children help wash the jars. Let them rub rub-on’s, can be bought at Michaels, on their jars. Help them ladle the jam into jars. You can decorate the cover with material and/or ribbon. JHave them make some bread to go with the jam. Use a cloth Christmas napkin to wrap the bread and tie.
More Gift ideas in a jar
From Maureen
Other Canning Jar ideas:
Fill regular mouth size jars with potpourri and top with a pot shaped class candle holder and candle…add a ribbon around the rim.
Fill large mouth canning jar with sewing supplies…small scissors, needles, thread, thimble, buttons, etc. Cover inner lid with fabric (stuff with batting first to create a pin cushion)
Use a large mouth jar to create a meal in a jar…hot dish or soup or let the children layer jars with ingredients for cookies or brownies.

Brownies In a Jar2-1/4 cups white sugar 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour2/3 cup cocoa 1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 cup chopped pecans 1 teaspoon salt Pour sugar, cocoa powder into a clean and dry one quart jar and press down firmly. Pour in chopped pecans or substitute chocolate chips making sure they are evenly layered in the jar. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into jar and seal.
Attach the following directions to the jar: Add 3/4 cup of butter or margarine and 4 slightly beaten eggs. Mix until completely blended. Spread batter into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pan. Cut into 2 inch squares. Makes 2 dozen

GIFT TAG DIRECTIONS: Add 1/2 c. boiling water to dry ingredients. Stir in 2/3 cup oil, 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla. Pour in lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

April 2007

Notes from the President:

The meeting of March 8th, School Readiness, was a great meeting. As most of us already know kindergarten is not like when we went. The children need to know more now, and be prepared to work hard. What we as providers need to do, with the help of the parents, is teach the children behavioral/social skills, help them with their fine motor skills, personal skills, gross motor skills, and also their academic skills. We do all of that everyday by playing, doing crafts, exposing them to letters, colors, numbers, and teaching them to make choices for themselves. The providers that were in attendance received handouts listing the skills expected to begin kindergarten successfully. Kathy Watczak shared the star chart she uses to keep track of the goals reached by her children.

Plan to attend the April meeting as we will be voting for the new officers. It has also been proposed that the elected officer’s annual dues be waived.

PPD training this month:
April 12, 2007 7-9 p.m. Nutrition and Gardening with Young Children

What do the colors of fruits and vegetables tell us in regard to the nutrient value of a food? Using gardening concepts and biology you will learn ways to involve and encourage children to establish healthier eating habits at an early age.

PPD training next month:
May 10: 6 to ?? Tour of Homes

Directions will be printed in the May newsletter. This tour will provide time for sharing environment and curriculum ideas with other providers.


April is child abuse prevention month

12 Alternatives to Lashing out at Your Child
The next time everyday pressures build up to the point where you feel like lashing out—STOP! Try any of these simple alternatives. You’ll feel better…and so will your child.
Take a deep breath…and another. Then remember you are the adult.
Close your eyes and imagine you are hearing what your child is about to hear.
Press your lips together and count to 10..or better yet 20.
Put your child in a time-out chair (remember this rule … one time-out minute for each year of age).
Put yourself in a time-out chair. Think about why you are angry: is it your child or is you child simply a convenient target for your anger?
Phone a friend.
If someone can watch the children, go outside and take a walk.
Take a hot bath or splash cold water on your face.
Hug a pillow.
Turn on some music…maybe even sing a song.
Pick up a pencil and write down as many helpful words as you can think of. Save the list.
Call for prevention information 1-800-children
Prevent sexual abuse of children: http://www.stopitnow.com/

Link to Minnesota's Early Learning Guidelines Birth to 3: http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/DHS-4438-ENG

Remember to check the web site and call Roni (624-2968) to check out books and theme bags and she will bring them to the monthly meeting for exchange, or you can make other arrangements to pick them up.

If you find information or ideas that you think other providers would be interested in, please mail or email them to me and I will try to include them in the newsletters. Maureen

For Sale: Four Large Dandi-Li-on Mats $25.00 each. Great shape 51"L x 22"W x 5"H So easy to stack and store, these Dandi-li-on® Cots are strong, durable, and designed for child care! Winner of the 12th Annual Earlychildhood NEWS Directors' Choice Award. Each one has a "super-grip" closure at the foot end to enable you to pull taut if you would need to reassemble them at some point. Look at these other great features: patented no-sag removable cover design, easy to wipe clean, durable, rounded stacking corners, heat sealed seams, super tough vinyl coated mesh cover and a sturdy steel frame! 51"L x 22"W x 5"H. Set of 4, assembled.
If interested please contact Stephanie LaFleur #724-1350

April Ideas
Plastic eggs:

Fill sensory table with different sizes and colors
Add to play dough tools
Fill with rice, salt, beans, etc. and seal shut to use for sorting by sounds.
Use half an egg. Fill with a yellow cotton ball and glue on an orange beak and wiggle eyes to make a chicken
Fill and have an Easter egg hunt

Bird’s nests:

6 C. broken shredded wheat
1 bag marshmallows
3 Tbls. Margarine
Optional jelly beans
Melt margarine and marshmallows, add shredded wheat. Scoop into greased cupcake tins,

Caterpillar Art

Pattern Caterpillar -- 2” circles cut from different colors of construction paper; glue in a chain; add wiggle eyes to first circle and construction paper scraps to body circles.

Caterpillar – Glue small green pom-poms to the top of a spring-type clothespins; glue on wiggly eyes and a magnet to the back to use as a memo holder.

Egg Carton Caterpillars -- an egg cartons: three-section piece for each child; paint with green or brown paint; use black markers or glue on wiggly eyes; add pipe cleaners
for antennae.

Rain song / fingerplay

Rain on the green grass, (wiggle fingers upward)
Rain on the tree, (extend arms like branches)
Rain on the house top, (form peaked roof with arms)
But not upon me! (shake head no, then point to self)

Spring Language Ideas

Tell the children you’re going to play a guessing game about spring things. You will tell them a riddle and they must guess the answer. Remind them to listen to the whole clue before they answer.

What is hard on the outside and soft on the inside and rhymes with leg? (egg)
What is pretty and smells good and rhymes with shower? (flower)
What is soft and white and rhymes with honey? (bunny)
What falls from the sky, helps things to grow, and rhymes with plane? (rain)
What is yellow and fluffy and rhymes with stick? (chick)
What is something small that walks or flies and rhymes with hug? (bug)

Spring nature walk

Take a walk with the children to discover how the earth is awakening after its long winter
sleep. Use all your senses and ask the children open-ended questions, such as;
What do you see? Are there any plants coming up? Flowers blooming? Are there any bugs flying or crawling? Can you hear birds singing? Can you smell how fresh the air is?

Occasionally stop and sing:
(Tune: The Muffin Man)
Can you find a sign of spring, a sign of spring, a sign of spring?
Can you find a sign of spring? Tell us what you see (child's name).

When you return home, talk with the children about what you saw, heard and smelled on your walk. Make and write the different things on the “signs of spring” chart. Throughout the season, add anything new that you discover.

Ideas for Making Spring Bird Feeders

Make simple feeders by spreading peanut butter on a pinecone or stale doughnut and rolling in birdseed. Hang from a tree where the children can observe them. Help the children learn the names of the birds that visit.

Bird Food Garlands – String popcorn, pieces of fruit, and bread on loops of yarn or string. Hang them on tree branches.

Plastic Net Bags –- Reuse mesh bags that onions or potatoes come in by simply filling them with bread, fruit, and suet and hanging them outdoors.

Pie Tin Feeder -– Nail an aluminum pie tin to the top of an old broom handle or wooden dowel. Press the dowel into the ground. Place birdseed in the pie tin. Or place the pie tin on the ground.

March 2007

Notes from the President:
Deb Spitzley

We will be taking nominations for NEW officers at the March meeting. If you are interested in being more involved and wish to run for one of the offices or know of someone else who would consider becoming an officer, please submit a nomination. We will also be discussing the job descriptions and which offices are open for nomination.
The vote will be held at the April meeting. I know you can do the job and it was a fun learning opportunity for me.
There were no nominations for Provider of the Year, so we will not have a representative from St. Louis County. However if you are interested in attending the MLFCCA Conference on May 5, 2007, you can find more information on our web site.
This years Tour of Homes is scheduled for Thursday night, May 10th, beginning at 6 p.m. We are seeking two more providers to open their child cares to the rest of the membership. Please contact me if you are available or have any questions. This is a great way to share what works for you or get suggestions and ideas from other providers.


Notes from the Vice President:
Stephanie LaFleur
The February meeting was excellent!
Signing with Children
Presented by: Presented by: Thera Wiersma
Day care provider for 12 years, BA in Sociology, AA in Educational Interpreting, Early Childhood Education Certificates. Currently a preschool teacher, Thera was an interpreter for the Duluth Schools for 9 years.
All providers attending February’s training agreed on the fact that signing is important: Practicing signing skills, sharing with others, and understanding them are just a few highlights. We, as providers, are helping the children reach these goals. This benefits anyone that has children and is eager for them to communicate. We need to be team players working together in order for our children to win educationally.
A lot of great things are happening with PPD, so make sure you are a part of them. Get involved! You are needed. This group needs people to step up to the plate and get involved. Everyones time is valuable, but if you get involved this helps everyone by sharing in the little things that keep our group alive. We are coming around full circle as a group and taking steps to keep the spirit alive. I want YOU to be a part of it, even if it is a little part it’s something. Minutes from February 2007 meeting to follow on our website. Check it out!

PPD training this month:
March 8, 2007 7-9 p.m. School Readiness
Presented by: Edison School Kindergarten Faculty

CPR re-certification has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 14, 2007 from 6-10 p.m. Cost: $20 per person, space is limited and guaranteed on a first paid basis by non-refundable check payable to PPD. Training held at 3704 Allendale Ave. TRAINING IS FULL, WAITING LIST FOR CANCELATIONS.

PPD training next month:
April 12, 2007 7-9 p.m. Nutrition and Gardening with Young Children
Presented by: Robert Olen, St. Louis County Extension Office, UMD Horticulturist
What do the colors of fruits and vegetables tell us in regard to the nutrient value of a food? Using gardening concepts and biology you will learn ways to involve and encourage children to establish healthier eating habits at an early age.
It is that time again for the 2007 Early Childhood Education Conference at Stout. Pre-conference is on Thursday, April 26, and we four fabulous presentations. Friday and Saturday, April 27 – 28, we have a variety of new and returning workshops. Visit our website at http://www.uwstout.edu/outreach/conf/ece/ececonf_intro.htm or you can contact us at 715-232-2793 for more information.
Microwave Oven Can Sterilize Sponges, Scrub Pads Science Daily — Microwave ovens may be good for more than just zapping the leftovers; they may also help protect your family. University of Florida engineering researchers have found that microwaving kitchen sponges and plastic scrubbers — known to be common carriers of the bacteria and viruses that cause food-borne illnesses – sterilizes them rapidly and effectively.Full article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070122143050.htmI received this notice, in a newsletter, which I get from Michelle Simon, remember her?) Lots of neat information, at the website, too.....Donna S in Norton Park
FOR SALE:
High chairs, exersaucers, porta cribs, etc. Contact Vicki 392-3295

Listening to Children’s Feelings
Mvp parents.com
· Effective listening is reflective and nonjudgmental; its purpose is to help the listener understand what the speaker is saying.
· Effective listening includes respectful silence. Silence shows a willingness to hear the other person’s views fully, without interruption.
· Effective listening shows that the listener genuinely wants to see the other person’s point of view.
· Effective listening shows that the listener trusts the other person to solve his or her own problems—in other words, the other person is in charge.
· To rear a child who listens, parents can model good listening skills.
· Effective listening is basic to all other communication skills.
· Some keys to listening effectively include the following starter phrases:
“You seem to be saying that…”, “Sounds like…”,
“You’re feeling…”

06-07 Directory:
The directory is published for use as a referral and networking tool for our membership. If you cannot help a potential client, please use the directory as a resource to put them in touch with other PPD members who may have space available.
Please add the following updates to your directory.

If you find information or ideas that you think other providers would be interested in, please mail or email them to me and I will try to include them in the newsletters. Maureen

March Ideas
Green Day

Food ideas: Use naturally green foods or….easy to color green foods: milk, applesauce, pancakes, muffins, homemade breads, cream cheese, eggs (add blue food coloring) and use to make French toast. Explain the science of adding two things to create another and explore the fact that colors “don’t necessarily make things taste differently.”

March is National Noodle Month, National Nutrition Month and National Craft Month

Materials Needed:
Noodles
Rubbing Alcohol
Food Coloring
Ziploc Baggie or Bowls
Instructions:Note: Give yourself plenty of time for this craft! It can take hours for the noodles to reach the desired color, and it can take the noodles up to 24 hours to dry. And... Please do not do this craft without an adults help!
First we want to color the noodles. Use one baggie or bowl for each color you want to make. Place the desired number of noodles in the baggie or bowl. Pour on enough rubbing alcohol so all the noodles are covered. Add a generous amount of food coloring to each container of noodles. Put these aside and let them sit until they are the desired color (this can take hours - the longer they sit the brighter the colors). Once the noodles have reached the desired color, remove them from the baggie or bowl and lay them in a single layer on paper towels to dry.
Once your noodles are dry, you are ready to be creative! Use the noodles to make jewelry (use a variety of noodles with a hole in them), collages, sculptures, or anything else you can dream up. Glue them to a shamrock shape for St. Patrick’s Day. If you are really feeling creative, use acrylic paints and paint brush to hand paint small designs on your noodles!

February 2007

Notes from the President:

Gene Sauter and Piaget are both interesting men. Our training was well attended. Child development begins at birth and continues to spiral upward. Gene stated the importance of us to do thinking games: games that make the child think. Do math games; this encourages thinking about numbers and number concepts. Let the children be part of the decision making for the day; take a vote, a vote that is visual to the children. By doing this they will see the difference and start to put it all together. The more you know about child development, the more it becomes second nature to you, so share your ideas and expertise with the children and with their parents. Children learn by making sense of their world, so give them a lot of opportunity to play, think, and explore. This can only encourage the process of thinking.

Jean Piaget had three ideas on how to encourage children’s thinking:
1. Use or create situation that are personally meaningful to the children.
2. Provide opportunities for them to make decisions.
3. Provide opportunities for them to exchange viewpoints with their peers.

These are things providers do all the time at childcare, but sharing ideas with your parents may encourage them to implement these lessons at home as well.

PPD training this month:

February 8, 2007 7-9 p.m. Signing with Children
Presented by: Thera Wiersma, BA in Sociology, AA in Educational Interpreting

PPD traininsg next month:

March 8, 2007 7-9 p.m. School Readiness
Presented by: Edison School Kindergarten Faculty

CPR re-certification has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 14, 2007 from 6-10 p.m. Cost: $20 per person, space is limited and guaranteed on a first paid basis by non-refundable check payable to PPD. Training held at 3704 Allendale Ave.

SIDS: watch the video off their web site (see link below) and print off a certificate from the site. http://www.co.stearns.mn.us/4356.htm

http://www.voicesforchildrenmn.org/vertical/Sites/%7B92E0E5E7-87E4-42DF-BE59-CE301225EA59%7D/uploads/%7B01439FFE-379D-4606-A200-E471778AF911%7D.PDF If you want to make flowers & bring them to the Feb or March meeting, Roni will get them where they need to go.
Why Children Need Play

By Dr. Elena Bodrova and Dr. Deborah J. Leong (Early childhood today)
With increasing emphasis at school on developing academic skills in children at younger and younger ages, what role does dramatic (“pretend”) play have in early childhood? Is the idea of play merely a throwback to another time when we did not have as much information about how children learn to read and acquire math skills? Is play a luxury? Is it worth it to sacrifice playtime in order to make sure that children learn the letters of the alphabet and know how to count, especially those “at risk?” In any case, don't children already play enough at home?
There is a growing body of research that shows a link between play and the development of cognitive and social skills that are prerequisites for learning more complex concepts as children get older. For example, play is linked to growth in memory, self-regulation, oral language, and recognizing symbols. It has been linked to higher levels of school adjustment and increased social development. Play has also been linked to increased literacy skills and other areas of academic learning (a view held by Piagetian and Vygotskian theories of child development).
Play is especially beneficial to children's learning when it reaches a certain degree of sophistication. In other words, “unproductive” play happens not only when children fight and argue over who is going to be the “mommy” and who is going to be the “baby,” but also when the child who is “mommy” keeps performing the same routines with her “baby” day after day with no change. By contrast, play that has a potential for fostering many areas of young children's development, including social and cognitive development, has the following characteristics: 1) Children create a pretend scenario by negotiating and talking to peers and use props in a symbolic way;
2) Children create specific roles-and rules-for pretend behavior and adopt multiple themes and multiple roles.
When children engage in this kind of play for most of their early years, they learn to delay gratification and to prioritize their goals and actions. They also learn to consider the perspectives and needs of other people. They learn to represent things symbolically and to regulate their behaviors and act in a deliberate, intentional way.


06-07 Directory:
The directory is published for use as a referral and networking tool for our membership. If you cannot help a potential client, please use the directory as a resource to put them in touch with other PPD members who may have space available. I apologize for my abilities as a “statistical typist”. If you have found errors in the information printed in the new directory or have made any changes to information listed, please call or email me with them and I will see to it the information is passed on. Also, remember this newsletter is for the benefit of all providers, so if you find information or ideas that you think other providers would be interested in, please mail or email them to me and I will try to include them in the newsletters. Maureen

PROVIDER CORRECTED INFORMATION
Anderson, Michael & Brenda add Mac Arthur school
Dallmann, Heidi GHDallmann@netscape.com
D’Angiola, Erika EDANGIOLA2853@charter.net, M-F 6:30-4:30
Kaiponen, Judy J+s Kids
Meneghini, Carla Carla’s House
Raap, Karen & Brian 1705 East 8th St., BVR@charter.net
Taylor-Saline, Sherilyn magic286@msn.com
Vavra, Vicki vavravj@hotmail.com

NEW MEMBER: add
Malkovich, Patricia 724-3572 M-F 7-5
3853 Rehbein Rd., 55803-9302
Back to Basics Homecroft

For 2006 tax update information, including how to obtain a taxpayer ID number in 15 minutes: http://www.redleafinstitute.org/index.cfm?page=newslink#article1

Remember to check the web site and call Roni (624-2968) to check out books and theme bags and she will bring them to the monthly meeting for exchange, or you can make other arrangements to pick them up.

February ideas
Sensory Ideas for Winter

Styrofoam peanuts
Shredded paper
Instant potato flakes
Cotton balls
Shaving cream
Snow
Beans
Rice
Ice cubes
Marshmallows
Oatmeal
Salt
Macaroni
12 C flour, carton salt, cocoa

Fill a water table or bin with any of these and add cars, animals, funnels, scoops or any other props for the children to explore with.

Valentines Window Hangers

Tear pieces of red and pink tissue into 1 inch pieces. Press them between two pieces of wax paper (using an iron…adult) or scatter them between two pieces of contact paper. Be creative….add glitter or other shapes. Fold two pieces of red paper in half together and cut out a shape of a heart. Open them up and place the tissue collage between them. Glue edges together and make a hanger from string or ribbon so you can put them in a sunny window.

If you love me and you know it
sung to "If you're happy and you know it" If you love me and you know it clap your hands (clap clap) If you love me and you know it clap your hands (clap clap) If you love me and you know it then your face will surely show it, If you love me and you know it clap your hands (clap clap) Substitute "clap your hands" for tap your head, stomp your feet, shout "I love you" and blow a kiss


January 2007

Notes from the President:
By Debbie Spitzley

Wow, what a busy month December always is. I hope all of you had a joyful time with family and friends during the holidays. I want to take this time to thank Steph for the use of her home, again, for our Christmas party. The party was relaxing, and we were able to view the Shaken baby tape. For those of you who were unable to attend the video, it can be loaned out from the Duluth Library. Remember, this a yearly mandated requirement for your license. Also needed are some nominations for Provider of the Year. You can nominate someone else you think deserves this honor or you can nominate yourself. You all deserve to receive this award, we all work hard at what we do, so don’t be shy, step forward and ask for a packet. The Provider of the year banquet will be held at the MLFCCA Week of the Family Child Care Provider's annual conference on Saturday, May 5th. It will be held at the Schwan Event Center in Blaine. So mark this on your calendar now and plan ahead. In the past this award has been presented at the October conference, so this means we need to act now to submit our representative for 2007 provider of the year.

Keep in mind that this is election year for us. It is a great opportunity to get involved and there is no stress involved, just fun. All of the present officers will be there to help the incoming officers so again step forward. The rest of the membership year’s trainings look awesome, mark your calendars and earn your training by attending our meetings, we would love to see everyone there. Our January meeting location has changed, it will still be at Kegler’s, but in the smaller room behind our regular room. (Turn right when you enter the avenue door and go down the hall….the room is on the right.) Gene Sauter will be the presenter in January and his trainings are always worth coming out for.

Training resources:
http://www.educarer.com/ Sids and shaken baby training resource (1 hr. credit given / $10 certificate fee for each)

PPD This month:
January 11, 2007 7-9 p.m. Piaget.............PLUS!
Presented by: Gene Sauter, Retired Head Start Teacher
The more child development we understand, the better prepared we are to REALLY help children learn, grow and enjoy being pre-schoolers. We can help parents understand why they don’t have to expect so much academics from their preschoolers. What CAN teachers and parents do to help preschoolers succeed in school…and at home? Too often, theories we learn never get to the reality of what we do. Piaget’s stages, plus many examples and strategies will be shared.

PPD Next month:
February 8, 2007 7-9 p.m. Signing with Children
Presented by: Thera Wiersma, BA in Sociology, AA in Educational Interpreting


Saturday, February 3, 2007
5th annual child care conference at the Forest Lake High School. Set aside the day for learning, meeting new people, and shopping. "Putting Your Dreams to Work" is this year's theme. For more information check out the PPD website’s training list (http://childcareprovidersofduluth.blogspot.com/) or contact: Deb Colling, Executive Director, Professional Learning Alternatives, Inc.651-464-8777 www.pla-inc.org
CPR re-certification has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 14, 2007 from 6-10 p.m. Cost: $20 per person, space is limited and guaranteed on a first paid basis by non-refundable check payable to PPD. Training held at 3704 Allendale Ave.


Children's Books from Addie Mae

“Sophie the Sofa” and Charlie the Chair” are the first two of five books written by a Carlton county child care provider that will teach children valuable lessons in life, and promote life-long learning by giving children a success based beginning! For more information check out the following website or contact Addie at 879-9473.
http://www.addiemaebooks.com/


Critters in Your Pocket, Poems for Reciting, Reading andPrinting for Young Children Compiled by Diane Langlee

Are you looking for an appropriate way to promote children’s literacy?Are you looking to add interest to your transition and waiting times? Are you looking for a D’Nealian printing model for your writing center?Are you looking a poem to introduce an animal story or unit? Are you working with children who are learning English as a second language?
Critters in Your Pocket was compiled to support current efforts to develop literacy in pre-talkers to readers (birth to 8 years) through poems such as "Early Bird" by Shel Silverstein or "The Little Turtle" by Vachel Lindsay, The humorous and descriptive poems provide rimes, phonemes, vocabulary building, and syllable/print alphabet awareness,

The anthology includes 81 poems. Critters is pocket size (6 ½ "by 4 ½") for use during transition or waiting times. The poetry book is on card stock paper for durability. The little yellow book has a spiral binding for ease in finding poems or for laying flat at the writing table. The font, throughout Critters, reinforces the D’Nealian print as well as each alphabet letters. The black and white illustrations are simple to help the non-reader recognize the poem and offer interest to the reader.

Diane Langlee has a masters degree in Early Childhood and taught young children for 22 years. She was a teacher, director, adjunct professor, and NAEYC accreditor. She was honored with the MNAEYC 5th Region Award. For information on Diane’s Poetry workshop: call 218-744-5091 or email dianecwns9@aol.com

Comments about Critters: "Short poems are a great idea with topics so in touch with little people." "So in tune with the Early Literacy Initiative."

Cost for Critters is $15/book (which includes MN tax) plus $3 for shipping. For 3 or more books the cost of shipping is $5. For 10 or more books, the cost per book is $12. To order your book(s): Send a check for the correct amount to Diane Langlee, 6022 Long Lake Road, Makinen, MN 55763

Remember to check the web site and call Roni (624-2968) to check out books and theme bags and she will bring them to the monthly meeting for exchange, or you can make other arrangements to pick them up.

Government Connection: Roni Budde Ltlredhen@msn.com

January Ideas from Roni
Handwashing!Art Activities:- Draw with a bar of soap on a dark piece of paper- Bubble Art. Add a drop of food coloring to bubbles. Children then blow bubbles directly over their paper. As bubbles pop, they will create a design; Or Blow bubbles into a cup, using a straw. When bubbling over the top, lay a piece of paper on top of the cup. Bubbling will make a design on paper.- Trace and cut out hands. Cut out a rectangle shape to glue on as a bar of “soap”- Have children create/draw a picture of a bad germ- Make a handprint collage- Children can draw a face on a paper plate. Children can trace and cut out one hand. Children can glue a tissue over the “nose”, held by the “hand” glued on- Make bubble wands by bending craft/pipe cleaners- “Dirty Hands” Children trace and cut out hands. Brush thinned glue over “hands”, then shake on sand (or cornmeal, etc); Or Sponge paint brown paint onto “hands”- Fingerprint Art!- Make prints with bubble wands. Dip wands into paint and press onto paper.- Children can draw pictures of the handwashing steps. Post.- Fingerpaint with mud! Allow children to explore the sensory aspect

Science Bring in a real microscope, if you can locate one, to magnify and look at germs. Also – bring in a black light (or black light bulb) to illustrate how some things are only visible under certain types of light; Look at fingerprints with a magnifying glass.- Germs! Have your children take a piece of bread and wipe their hands on it.Take it into places that germs typically hide (bathrooms, sinks, diaper changing stations, etc) and also rub the bread there. Then put the bread in a baggie, and place it in the science area, where the children can watch the germs grow on the bread. Chart.Soap Floats! Hypothesize, chart guesses, observe, discuss, research how and whyMovement and Motor:- Have children do creative movement pretending to be bad germs… light, floating bubbles… that gooey, sticky stuff is on the floor… etc.- “Germ Tag”. Have the person that is “it” be a bad germ. Whoever he catches and touches is “out” (tagged person has caught bad germs!)

Children draw a face on a paper plate, and cut a small whole in the mouth area.Place a spray bottle filled with water into the hole, “sneeze” i.e. spray. This canshow children how germs are spread and what happens when you sneeze.- How germs are spread…Sit in a large circle and put glitter on your hands. Explain that we are pretending the glitter is germs. Then shake a child's hand and say "look, she got my germs." The child then shake's someone else's hand, etc. You then choose one child to go wash their hands, but do not dry with a paper towel yet, and come show the class (not all glitter should be gone yet). Then have them dry hands and show the class again, etc… Watch germs (glitter) spread. (Or fill/pop balloon)- Coughing Illustration. “Cough”, put a glob of washable paint in the palm of your hand to show where the germs go - even when you cover my mouth when you cough. Then offer to hold someone's hand, (and of course they don't want to) Pick up a pair of scissors, a book, any number of (washable) things to show how the paint (germs) are spreading, even as you put the object down. Encourage children to cough/sneeze into their elbow or shoulders if they can’t get to a tissue in time.- Blow Bubbles! Have contests – biggest, the most in a row, highest, lasts longest…- Compare the smells of several soaps. Variation: Can match scents (if 2 of each)

The Big Achoo!Tissue, tissue, where are you?I can feel a sneeze coming through.I’ll cover my mouth, and cover my nose.Look out everybody! Here it goes!Ah… Ah…. Choo!! Dirt Goes Down The Drain!
GERMS!Wash your face and hands with soap,Wash them every day!Keeping clean by using soapWill help keep germs away!Tune of "Row, Row Row Your Boat

December 2006

Notes from the President:
By Debbie Spitzley

The Language to Literacy training, presented by Joyce Bryant, was an excellent training. Joyce always does “hands on” training so there was a lot of involvement from the participants. Language to Literacy incorporates so much more than reading: it's also math, science, social studies, and art. There are so many ways to teach a child from a simple story, remember the flower. Language development begins at birth with oral speaking and so much more evolves from there. Remember to use the teachable moments whenever possible, as they are also memorable moments for the child. For all of you that attended this meeting I think if we remember the flower, we will develop the whole child.

Remember Provider of the Year nominations are coming up fast. You all earn this award so nominate someone or yourself. This award will be presented in May at the spring MLFCCA conference. Dead line for nominations is January 11th, so call me for a packet to fill out if you are interested.

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving with your family and friends. For those of you who cannot make the December potluck, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year.

https://www.superduperinc.com/index.html

I picked up this catalog at the Super Conference in October. I was soooo impressed with the knowledge of the people staffing the booth! It wasn't just salespeople but (I believe) an Occupational Therapist that I was talking to. They had really different stuff there, and best of all - shipping is FREE on every order. So I went looking on the site and found some great handouts for parents, and some awesome links. Check it out. Roni
Santa Claus
For those of you interested in a visit to your child care from Santa this year, he will be traveling through the city on Wednesday, December 20th. The cost is $20 per stop. You are responsible to provide a gift for Santa to give to the children. Some providers give books, small treats, etc. and some have their clients secretly bring a gift from home for Santa to present to the child. Details will be noted when you are called and informed of the time frame available. Every effort is made to try to make things work for you, but keep in mind the cost of this visit is based on everyone working together. The visits are long enough for each child to sit on Santa’s lap, have their picture taken with him, and tell him what they want for Christmas. All routing is done according to closest proximity in order to accommodate all in an orderly fashion. If you are interested please mail a $20 check payable to PPD prior to December 8. You will be contacted with approximate time frame the following Monday or Tuesday when the route will be finalized. At that time only, if the schedule will not work for you, your check may be returned. Once the route is set, there are no refunds as Santa is contracted for and paid accordingly. If you have any other questions call Maureen at 724-5653.
Save a stamp by bringing your check to the Holiday pot luck or mail checks payable to PPD to PPD c/o Maureen Marple, 2330 E. 5th St, .Duluth, MN. 55812-1439

JUST A DAY CARE PROVIDER?
A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job or are you just a......?" "Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I am a PROFESSIONAL DAY CARE PROVIDER." "We don't list 'daycare provider' as an occupation, 'baby sitter' covers it," said the recorder emphatically. I got angry but later I forgot all about her and the story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall.
The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar." "What is your occupation?" she probed. What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right.
I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire."Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?" Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, [what provider doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (ten years in the field) and already have more than a hundred credits (all the children that went through the facility all these years). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day. But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career. I went back to my house, and my little angels greeted me as the best professional in the field. Upstairs I could hear my new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another sitter", but as a professional! What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door. Does this make mothers "Research Associates" and grandmothers "Senior Research Associates" in the field of "Child Development and Human Relations" and great grandmothers "Executive Senior Research Associates"? I think so!!! I also think it makes Aunts "Associate Research Assistants".
December Ideas
Hand print wreaths:

Using green paper trace and cut out several pairs of each child’s hands. Glue them together to form the wreath. Using red ink and fingers place clusters of “berries” on the wreath (or cut out red circles and glue them on also). Add a ribbon to finish.

Fingerprint Christmas Tree votive holders:

Using green glass paint have the child make a tree shape on a glass votive using their fingerprints. Near bottom do five fingerprints, next row up four, then three, two and one.
Have them paint a star on the top and put a candle inside as a quick and easy parent gift.

Soap Balls:
Idea contributed by Donna Lee Stratioti
Here is a nice gift idea that is great for young and old alike. These are inexpensive and fun to make. The kids and I just made soap balls and put ours on yarn.

Materials: Bars of soap You can get these at the dollar store in sets of three. Use a brand without alcohol and with a neutral scent if you can find some. Pure & Natural works well.
Things to mix into your soap: Tea bags, oatmeal (not instant), baking cocoa powder, cinnamon, wheat bran or cornmeal for a bit of texture, etc. Don’t use flavored extracts. Only use a Tablespoon or two of these extras in each batch. Just pick whatever combination you like.Microwavable glass bowl or measuring cup1/3 cup measureMixing spoon (if you use wood, mark it so it doesn’t get used used for food in the future).Cheese graterGrate up one bar of soap. Put into the glass measuring cup along with 1/3 cup of water. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time until the soap is fully melted and resembles marshmallow cream. Then quickly add your other ingredients you have chosen and mix completely. When it is cool enough, form into 3 small balls. If you want it on rope/yarn just put the ends of the yarn together and make a knot. Then form the soap around it. Let harden overnight. If it doesn’t hold together when you try to form it then add a bit of water and melt again. Depending on what you add it may need more water than originally called for.The grating and ball forming are great for kids to do. Be sure to work on newspaper and not to get soap all over the floor. It could get very slippery if it gets wet. Wash all dishes by hand. These balls (without the rope) are great to give in a nice canning jar.

November 06
Notes from the President:
By Debbie Spitzley

WOW! What a wonderful job Dr. Kim Kruger and the Family Practice Residency Program did on the presentation of “Early Childhood Sexual Development”, our October training. What I thought was abnormal behavior was very normal behavior for their age group. Sexual behavior starts when the baby is created. It is part of their development and identity. We were advised to use proper terms for the body parts, to answer questions truthfully and with only as much information as needed to answer what they are asking about. At ages 2-3 they are more in control of body functions and more aware of differences in bodies. Age 3, "coming of age”, is when you would start talking about limits and privacy. If they are curious, sit down, show pictures, and explain things to them. Again, remember to answer their questions, keep it simple, and be honest. Age 4-8 is transition, when they start to understand their gender identity. They ask and need more detail. This is the age were it is very important to be ask-able and approachable. Open and keep open the channel of communication. What is ABNORMAL is anything that seems more like adult behavior rather than child’s play. If you are concerned about a certain behavior talk with the parents, have the parents talk to the child’s doctor, and work as a team to support and help this child.

A vote was also taken and passed at the October meeting on the Union Position Statement. PPD will not support the organization of family childcare providers by any union for purpose of bargaining or negotiation on behalf of childcare providers. PPD recognizes that licensed family childcare providers are independent small business owners and have the right to manage their businesses on their own behalf. This would include but not be limited to negotiating benefits, fees, and rates.

Provider of the Year for 2006, Tara Vatalaro, attended the Mega conference in October and was honored as our representative from St. Louis County. Next year the awards banquet will be held in May, so we will be calling for nominations early in the spring of 2007.

New members
PPD welcomes all returning members for the 2006-2007 year. Brand new members to our group are: Lisa Allen (Central), Katie Nelson (Duluth Heights), Jean Dickey (Proctor), Paula Johnson (Morgan Park), Andrea Schmidtbauer (Saginaw), Gretchen Kelly (Duluth Heights), and Brianne Torrance (Woodland).

LSS Bethany Crisis Nursery provides services for families experiencing a crisis or stress with children ages infancy through 12 years of age. This is done through our Crisis Line, emergency care for children in Southern St. Louis County, the emergency clothing room, and special projects. These services are available to alleviate parental stress while providing safe, quality care for children.

Current LSS Bethany Crisis Nursery Volunteer Opportunities Include:

Volunteer On-Call Advocate
Trained advocates carry a cell and answer crisis line during non-office hours. Training provided, transport children…mileage and stipend available.

Childcare Providers
Licensed day care and overnight/foster care homes to provide short term care…training and stipend provided.

Program Support Volunteer
Assist staff with administrative tasks in the office.

Clothing Room Volunteer
Intake & sort items, help organize emergency clothing room.

Auction Volunteers
Planning, computer skills, auction items, invitations and hospitality.

Newsletter Team volunteers
Photocopying and assembling quarterly newsletters.

For additional information about any of our volunteer opportunities and volunteer application packets, please contact Leslie Perrett at 218- 726-4766 or by email lperrett@lssmn.org

Also enclosed this month are flyers for Roxy’s food and crafts. Roxy is considering once again servicing the Duluth area. Only one drop location will be used and you will be required to pick up products there. Specifics will be available at the November meeting or if you can not make it, contact Deb at 525-6679 for more information.

The Truth About Food Expiration Dates
By Pallavi Gogoi (Business week)

DATE DATA. The dates, for one, mean quite different things. For instance, "sell by" is more a guide for the store to know how long it can display a product for sale. The "best before" or "best if used by" date refers to a quality or flavor of the food. "Use by" works more like an expiration date, similar to that on medicines, and taking them after the date is not recommended.

Pasteurized MILK will stay fresh for about five days beyond its sell-by date. Be sure it's refrigerated promptly or it will start to deteriorate quickly. Milk usually carries a sell-by date. That’s because it is affected by many things in the environment—it can lose vitamins when exposed to light, which is why it usually comes in opaque plastic or paperboard. Light also can cause unpleasant flavors in milk within 36 hours, though it isn’t necessarily dangerous. If stored around 37 degrees Fahrenheit, pasteurized milk will remain fresh for two to five days after its sell-by date.

EGGS have a surprisingly long shelf life. They can sit on your grocer's shelf for 30 days and can be eaten as late as five weeks after the sell-by date.

Toss your COLD CUTS once they reach the use-by or sell-by date in order to minimize the risk of consuming listeria bacteria.

Contrary to popular belief, CANNED FOODS do spoil. Be sure to store them below 75 degrees Fahrenheit and throw them out after a year.

The simple rule for MEAT is eat or freeze it within two days of purchasing, even if the sell-by date is days away. Whether it’s ground hamburger or a pound of steak, either eat it or freeze it within two days of purchase. Even if the sell-by date is five days away, the refrigerator at home usually isn’t cool enough to keep the meat fresh for more than two days.Even frozen, meats can’t be kept in the freezer forever. Frozen ground meat should be used within three months. Pork holds for six months. Beef, lamb, veal, and venison last 8 to 12 months, according to the Ohio State University guidelines for food management.
INFANT FORMULA & BABY FOOD These usually have a use-by, or expiration, date. That’s because it's required by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for their nutritional value. If consumed by that date, the formula or baby food must contain a certain quantity of each nutrient described on the label. Also, if formula is stored too long, it loses its quality and forms lumps that will clog the plastic nipple.


November Ideas


The Same Game

The Same Game is a simple and quick game that helps polish classification skills. Play it anytime, anyplace.
Start with something easy: a shirt and a shoe. What’s the same about both of them? (They’re both articles of clothing—something to wear.)
A pencil and a crayon? (They’re both used to write or draw.)
A pickle and a Popsicle? (They’re both something to eat—and they are both long and skinny.)
Get harder: A cookie and a plate. They’re both round and they both break if you drop them, and they both belong in the kitchen. Would they both roll down the hill?
Change the game. A cup and a glass? What’s different about them. Remember color, size, shape and what they’re made of, what they’re for, and what they’re called.
Think of something yourself. Take two objects close at hand. There will always be something the same about them, even if it’s only that they are in the same room.
Don’t make it a test with set questions and answers. Just grab two things spontaneously and talk about them. Finally, make up some really hard ones and solve them together.

Stone Soup

Read the book, “Stone Soup” ( ISBN 0874836026) and have the children bring vegetables to make it together with their friends at child care.

Hand/Foot turkeys

Trace the child’s foot on brown construction paper and their hands using fall colored construction paper. Glue the hands to the back of the foot (narrow end up..toes down) to represent feathers. Have the children color eyes, a waddle and a beak.

October 2006
Notes from the President:
By Debbie Spitzley

The September meeting, “Methamphetamine Madness”, was well attended. Brian Poppenberg, Safety and Hazard Control, did a wonderful job. Sgt. Bill Evans, SLC Sheriff, was also on hand to answer any questions that we had. Meth is a very addictive drug with lasting effects on the body. It can affect the central nervous system, liver, kidneys, and burn or irritate the skin, eyes, nose, and throat. It can be snorted, smoked, and indigested. He made it very clear to us that if we “suspect” a meth house not to go near it, but call 911 and tell them all you know: the location, what you have seen, etc. There are very dangerous chemicals used in making meth and they can be very harmful to you. We saw pictures of items to be aware of in large quantities: such as red coffee filters, alcohol (Isopropyl or rubbing), Sulfuric Acid (drain cleaner), kitty litter, lithium (batteries), and salt (table/rock). Other signs of a meth lab are, but not limited to, frequent visitors at all times of the day or night, occupants are unfriendly, appear secretive about activities, display a paranoid or odd behavior, extensive security at the home or signs that indicate “Private Property” or “Beware of Dog”, fences, large shrubs, bushes and trees.

For those of you who were unable to attend you can call 763-473-0646 or go to www.streetdrugs.org, for reprints of the pamphlet, “Neighborhood Resource Guide”. This is a very informative brochure that answers a lot of questions about meth and is it “cooking in your neighborhood?”


New members

PPD welcomes all returning members for the 2006-2007 year. New members to our group in September: Jean Marie Glesner (Lakeside)

5 Signs of a Well-Organized Preschool (Adapted from Scholastic)
Use this checklist to see if your childcare offers a structured atmosphere that will free children to play and learn every day.
1. There are many different types of "interest areas." A variety of ways to play such as blocks, art, sand and water, and library, ensure that no matter what your child's learning style or mood, she'll find something that suits it.
2. "Interest areas" are distinct from one another. This helps your child choose what he wants to do and focus on doing one thing at a time. It also helps keep things clean.
3. You see plenty of easily accessible materials. With a surplus of choices, your child can make independent decisions. Being able to get the materials all by herself will increase her sense of competency. Since preschoolers aren't the best at sharing, duplicates of toys and supplies are a plus.
4. Materials are labeled and grouped together. This reinforces the idea that the provider expects the students to take care of toys and put them back in a responsible way. It also builds sorting and classifying skills.
5. Displays showcase students' work. Your child will know the work he does in class is meaningful when it is put up for everyone to see. Mounting rotating displays gives each child something to shoot for and a chance to shine.***********************************************************************
Did you know?
“Unions spend 70% of dues on activities other than organizing or bargaining on behalf of their members. That figure includes overhead and compensation for staff. But it also includes the more than $60 million worth of union dues in the 2004 election cycle that went to support political candidates favored by union leaders.”
From an article printed in the Duluth News Tribune by James Sherk/National View.
Can you relate to this? I am sure it could easily be rewritten from a provider’s point of view :) Subject: The new teacher
After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said:"Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning, and I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits.You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self esteem. You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, fair play, how to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook, and how to apply for a job. I am to check their heads forlice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of anti-social behavior, and make sure all students pass the state exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete any of their assignments.Plus, I am to make sure that all of the students with handicaps get an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or physical handicap. I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, newsletter and report card. All of this I am to do with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a big smileAND on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps! You want me to do all of this and then you tell me... I CAN'T PRAY?"
************************************************************************
OOPS! I GOOFED by Roni

So how did I goof? Well, in my zeal to purchase fabric to use for theme bags, I picked out material for themes I didn't have "goodies" for. If you have any items you would like to donate to theme bags for FARM and SPACE, please bring them to the meeting. For that matter, if you have materials or favorite ideas to go with any of our themes, bring them along. We'd love to include them!

October Ideas

Firefighter’s Ladder Snack Idea “Fire Safety Month”
Graham cracker per child
Frosting
9 pretzel sticks
Have the child frost the cracker and arrange the pretzel sticks to resemble a ladder.

Footprint Ghost:
Paint the bottom of a child’s foot with white tempera paint. Then have them carefully step onto a sheet of black or purple construction paper. Let dry, and then have them use a black marker to add eyes and a mouth to their ghost print.

Make a Shape Feely-Box:
The process of using the sense of touch to discern and match shapes is a simple way to exercise your child's multi-sensory learning skills. The simplest way to create a feely-box is to use an empty tissue box (the tall ones work best). Cut basic shapes (a square, circle, triangle, and rectangle) into two different sizes out of corrugated cardboard or pieces of foam. Hide the shapes inside the box and invite your child to reach in and find the big square, or little circle, by using only her sense of touch. This is a simple game, but it's not easy! Adapt this for fall by using leaves, acorns, pinecones, apples, pumpkins, etc.

Theme Bags
We now have bags for MULTICULTURAL MUSIC, MULTICULTURAL FOODS, COWBOYS, PIRATES, OCEAN LIFE, JUNGLE LIFE, BUGS/INSECTS AND DINOSAURS almost ready to be loaned out. These bags will include such things as manipulatives, games, books, and dress-up items. I will be copying pieces from curriculum books the association and I have to go along with the themes. They will be free for our members to check out and use for a month at a time. There are no consumables in them. Any paper, art materials, etc will be on you. We expect normal wear and tear, however, if pieces are missing or broken beyond normal expectancy, we will expect them to be replaced. If you would like to check out one of these bags, call Roni at 624-2968 or e-mail LtlRedHen@msn.com and I'll finish that one out for you and bring it to the next meeting.
September 2006
Notes from the President:
By Debbie Spitzley

Welcome back everyone. I hope everyone had a “restful” summer. We have some wonderful, informative trainings coming up, so mark you calendars. We will meet for dinner (optional) at 5:30 and the meeting will start at 6:30 with training starting at 7:00. Remember this is your newsletter so please send anything of interest being daycare specific. We will again have an activity page so please submit your ideas to Maureen by the 15th of each month. New ideas are welcome; it may be old to you but may be new to someone else.

Penny & Pals Concert
By Roni Budde

For a while it looked like we would have to forfeit the part of our grant to bring Penny and Pals for a concert in Duluth. But at the last minute, we pulled it off and we were lined up for a great evening of music at Bayfront Park. The day was extremely hot, over 100 on the hill. Thankfully, the "cooler by the lake" was working and we had a comfortable, breezy 85 at the start of the show. Threatening thunderstorms seemed to keep a lot of people away, but about 75 kids got up & boogied to "Copy Cat Rap", "Kangaroo Hop" and other favorite songs, while their parents lounged around the park. Appearances by Bernie the Bear, Rockin' Robot and other Pals made for a memorable evening for kids and parents alike.

**The Penny and Pals concert held at Bayfront Park on July 31st was awesome. Roni did a wonderful job putting this event together and we need to thank her for all her work. The children and families that attended had a great time dancing, singing, and meeting each other (Deb).

Check these 3 out… WHY we are self-employed and would want to keep our own “Voice” ?
A union can tell you whose sign you can have in your yard in election years. Whether or not you join– you may be sanctioned or “disciplined” because you are covered by their contract with a government agency. No child care association is going to tell you who to support or what to believe politically.
A union is no use to you dealing with private-pay clients. However, if they bargain for our license fees we could end up paying money to a union for the privilege, and with no guarantee there would be an improvement. Minimum dues –which are dictated by their constitutions, not local providers- add up to much more more than the highest license & background check fees in the state.
Why are we getting pretty brochures claiming “10,000 providers joined together in Washington State” when there were only a few thousand ballots returned in WA indicating a desire for a union? Because 5,500 of 6,000 licensed providers did not accept the union! The majority ballots cast were sent in by license-exempt family/friend providers.


Union update By Roni Budde

While all appears quiet on the northern front, things are jumping in other parts of the state. Despite a court order saying that both unions should refrain from recruitment activity until a national agreement is reached, doorknockers have been out and about in several counties. SEIU and AFSCME were to have made their final deal dividing their plunder (childcare providers) by the middle of last week, but no details have been released yet.

There was a major explosion at SEIU when they were caught in a lie. A provider from Rochester alerted several political candidates to the less than honest union activity. Her letter got back to SEIU, who wrote a response, giving false "facts" and signed by another provider as MLFCCA board member. This provider, Sheryl Warner was not aware of the letter and certainly did not condone it. While she was elected to the board of MLFCCA, she has not taken her position yet and is not authorized to use their name in such a way. MLFCCA has come out with a position statement (enclosed)that is definitely not union-friendly and would not agree with the implication that they are working cooperatively with SEIU. She responded to those candidates as well, informing them of that, and adding "Shame on SEIU".

I say shame on both unions, as both have been making the same claims of being supported by huge numbers of providers, among other things. Providers may be caring people by nature, but we don't take kindly to be lied to and used!

New members

PPD welcomes all returning members for the 2006-2007 year. Additional brand new members to our group are: Kiersten Clark, Krista Comnick, Cindy Henry (West Duluth); Michelle Haltli-Solemn, Katie Hammers (Proctor); and Carla Meneghini (Congdon).

MLFCCA

Providers interested in joining and supporting the state association may do so this month by filling in the form below and paying a reduced dues fee of $25 to PPD in addition to their annual association dues. Those who are not MLFCCA members and have already paid their PPD dues may also join the state association by paying their $25 dues through PPD( this month only). You may join at any time for $30 by contacting the MLFCCA directly. We received this information after our annual membership mailing was sent, so have been allowed to offer this deal to you now. It is important we have providers representing providers at the state level and this is an inexpensive way to do this.

Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association
Position Statement on “Unions”
Developed August 19, 2006

The Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association (MLFCCA) does not support the organization of family child care providers by any union for purposes of bargaining or negotiation on behalf of child care providers. MLFCCA recognizes that licensed family child care providers are independent small business owners and have the right to manage their businesses and negotiate rates and fees on their own behalf.

Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association Mission Statement

The Mission of the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association is to support the highest standard of care for children in licensed family child care homes through education, resources, recognition and advocacy, while acknowledging the diversity of licensed family child care providers.

Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association
Policies established August 19, 2006
In regards to relationships with Unions

In accordance with the above Position Statement and with the Mission Statement of the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association, the following policies are hereby adopted by the MLFCCA with regards to Unions:

1. Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association will not accept contributions or funding from any Union attempting to organize or represent family child care providers.

Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association will not accept articles written by any Union or representatives of any Union for publication or distribution through Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association.

Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association will not accept advertisements for any union for publication in any MLFCCA materials or newsletters.

This position statement and the accompanying policies were voted on and accepted by the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association Full Board Meeting August 19, 2006.
Curriculum/Lesson Plans/Resources:
Submitted by Anna Daeda

*key words: angelfire free lesson plans
*Use the metasearch engine “dogpile” and type in your key words like preschool, curriculum, preschool lesson plans, feelings preschool, reproducible, etc…remember, the words don’t have to make sense together, just type in any details you really want.

www.perpetualpreschool.com
www.teachers.net
www.lessonfactory.net
www.lessonplanet.com
www.teachervision.com
www.lessontutor.com
www.teachernet.com
www.teach-nology.com
www.kinderart.com
www.warrennet.org
www.first-school.ws
www.preschoolrainbow.org
www.coreknowledge.org
www.creativeprek.com
www.bravemonster.com
www.atozkidsstuff.com
www.everythingpreschool.com
www.thematicunit.com
www.discoveryschool.com
www.dlth-kids.com
www.stepbystep.com
www.hubbardscubboard.org
www.getreadytoread.org


As with all websites, you need to use your own judgment about the quality of information that you use…I have found wonderful things on all of these sites and I have found things not as useful on those same sites...these are just some ideas because I now how hard it is to find the time to do this exploring on your own.

If you have a great site you use that is not listed above, give us a call or email and we will share it in next month’s newsletterJ

September Ideas:
The Snack Bus (atozkidsstuff)A fun snack for children to make!
Need: graham crackers, yellow food coloring, cream cheese, cheeze-it crackers, ritz-bits crackers, cinnamon red- hot candies. Color the cream cheese with yellow food coloring. For each child one graham cracker (2 squares). Take a graham cracker and frost with yellow cream cheese. Lay the graham cracker length wise. Place 3 Cheeze-It crackers near the top for the windows. Add 2 Ritz-Bits crackers for wheels. Add cinnamon red-hot candies (1 near top right and 1 near bottom left) for the lights.

We have the following books in our LENDING LIBRARY full of curriculum ideas and resources. Please contact Roni at 624-2868 or Ltlredhen@msn.com to arrange to borrow them.

Math Mats & More
Themes from A to Z
September Arts and Crafts
October Arts and Crafts
November Arts and Crafts
December Arts and Crafts
January Arts and Crafts
February Arts and Crafts
March Arts and Crafts
April Arts and Crafts
May Arts and Crafts
Summer Arts and Crafts
Songs, Poems, and Finger plays
Science for All Seasons (Fall)
Science for All Seasons (Winter)
Science for All Seasons (Spring)
Science for All Seasons (Summer)
Literature for Little Learners
A Year Full of Themes (Early Childhood)
Native Americans (Primary)
Year Round Preschool Math
Puppet & Flannel board Stories for Reading Readiness
Puppet & Flannel board Stories for Numbers, Shapes, and Colors
Puppet & Flannel board Stories for Seasons and Holidays
Everyday Activities for Preschool
Early Childhood Themes Through the Year

May 06

Notes from the President:
By Debbie Spitzley

Provider of the Year
Tara Vatalaro

Next, I would like to take this time to wish the mother’s a Happy Mother’s Day. You not only take care of your own children but the children of many others. You deserve a BIG pat on the back.

The April meeting was tremendous. Andy Hyser, from Ready for K, presented School Readiness; Is it more than Academics? This was a very informative meeting providing us with many resources to present to the parents listing what a child should master before entering kindergarten. All attending agreed on the points we felt are important: Self help skills, sharing with others, following three step instructions and respect are just a few of them. We, as providers, are helping the children reach these goals. We do need the parents help also, as difficult as it sometimes seems, to get them involved in what you are teaching their children. This will help enforce how important it is to the child.
Andy also mentioned how vital it is for us to get involved with the legislators in your areas to tell them how crucial our jobs are. We are the voices they want to hear, so we need to take the time to call, write, and e-mail them on our issues. With this for their support, they may be able to get things done for us in a positive way. They cannot do it alone. We need to help. He also talked about involving area businesses by talking to the managers, or better yet the President of the company, and getting them to back the issues that are pending for us. In addition, do not forget to tell your parents to do the same. This benefits anyone that has children. We need to be team players in order to win.
Our May meeting is the Tour of Homes, Saturday, May 13. After the tour, we will meet for lunch for a social gathering. This is optional but I hope we all can make it, sounds like a nice way to wind down our busy year.
This is the last newsletter until next years membership drive in August when the training schedule will be revealed for next year.

Websites:
Collage, our new monthly e-mail newsletter, provides valuable articles on timely subjects for busy early childhood educators. Each issue includes 3 or 4 hand-picked articles on a single topic such as:
Block Play Sand & Water Play Dramatic Play, etc.
http://www.communityplaythings.com/cpc/NET/subscription/frmsubscribe.aspx?sub=4
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http://www.voicesforchildrenmn.org/vertical/Sites/{92E0E5E7-87E4-42DF-BE59-CE301225EA59}/uploads/{4BDAFA44-C815-470C-AB7B-55B..

April 06
Notes from the President:
By Debbie Spitzley

Our March meeting was well attended. Tina Swartwoudt did an awesome job presenting Family Caregiver Partnerships. The most important thought I walked away with is that good communication is crucial in building good relationships with our clients. We participated in many hands on group activities that enforced the concept of partnering with parents. We need to be flexible, and remember the building blocks we work with can shift at any given time.

· Expectations need to be fair and clear. Stick to them, model them with your own behavior. Modify them as children grow.
· Discipline is not punishment, but teaches self-control and responsibility for actions.
· Limits establish the line between right and wrong.
· Consequences make the connection between actions and the results.
· Forgiveness/reparation prevent a child from giving up not trying to be “good”.
· Communicate about fairness and sharing. Model respectful listening.
· Chores allow children to feel valued for making a contribution (age appropriate).
· Media literacy helps children think critically about messages coming from TV, radio, advertising. Encourage independent views and values.
· Traditions teach moral values through family stories. Wonder with children about moral dilemmas they may raise: Is a “white lie” ever better than the truth?
· Mealtimes allow you to share good times and bad and build everyone’s sense of belonging.
· Set an example by being honest about our own mistakes and learning from them with humility. (adapted from www.familycircle.com 6/05)

Websites:

Parenting the preschooler index….http://www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/pp/index.html

Resources on early learning tip sheets…http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tips.htm


Reminder: When you have time, check out the PPD Website http://childcareprovidersofduluth.blogspot.com/
Recipes Kids Love: By Anna Daeda

Healthy Wild Rice Hotdish

1 lb. lean ground beef
½ C. onions, diced
Brown beef and onions. Drain grease and mix with the following in a casserole dish.

1 C. wild rice, cooked
2 C. cut celery
1 can low fat Cream of Chicken soup
1 can Chicken Rice soup
2 C. water
2 Tbls. Soy sauce
Bake combined ingredients covered for 1 hour at 350 . For added excitement, throw some crunchy chow mien noodles on top just before serving.

Chicken Nuggets

Chicken breasts
Parmesan cheese
Bread crumbs
Melted butter
Salt, pepper, parsley, paprika, garlic and/or your favorite seasoning.

Turn oven to 350. Cut up chicken breasts, brush or dip chicken in the melted butter. Roll chicken into seasoned bread crumb mixture. Bake chicken for 20 minutes on cookie sheet, sprayed with no stick cooking spray.

Italian Beef

1 beef roast, 2 lbs.
1 pkg. of zesty Italian dressing mix
1 pkg. of Ajus Mix (dry) NO WATER NEEDED

Place roast in a crock pot, add zesty Italian salad dressing mix and Ajus mix and cook for 4-6 hours or until roast starts falling apart. Using a fork shred the meat. Serve on buns (onion buns are tasty). It’s a great tasting, easy to make meal that is also great for parties.

March 06
Notes from the President:
By Debbie Spitzley

February was a fun-filled training. The trainer, Addie Clyde, presented “Why Competition Doesn’t Count”. At the tender ages of toddler and preschool, the games you play should not focus on winning/losing, but on taking turns, having fun and teamwork. Addie stated the focus should not be on who wins, but on what they learn. We did great group activities called Face Dancing, Wacky Waving, and the Giants Journey, all set to the wonderful sounds of music. Addie handed out a brochure called “Funsical Fitness”, that listed some of the CDs offered. You can access this website, www.sillycise.com, and view what they have to offer.
We will place an order for PPD sweatshirts by March 15th. The cost is $20 apiece and must be prepaid. These are great shirts and a way of advertising our professional involvement as a child care association. The color will be light blue with dark blue graphics. Mail your check today or order at the March meeting.

http://www12.familywatchdog.us/ Enter your street address... it will show a "house", that's yours... all the little colored boxes are Sex Offenders... click on them and you get a name & picture of the person along with his crime

The Surgeon General's Tips
to Keep Toddlers Safe and Healthy:
Never leave your toddler unattended. As a child grows, so does his or her natural curiosity to explore. It just takes a few seconds for an inquisitive toddler to get into a dangerous situation. www.hhs.gov/safety/index.shtml#injury
Make sure your child has a primary health provider. Prevention is the key to a healthy childhood. So make sure that your child has a primary health provider, such as a pediatrician or family practitioner, who knows your child before your child has an illness, injury, or developmental delay that requires medical attention. www.ahrq.gov/ppip/childguide/
Fully immunize your child. Make sure your child gets all immunizations on time. Immunizations have prevented death and disease for millions of children throughout the United States and the rest of the world. Talk with your child's primary health provider about keeping up to date on all vaccinations. www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/child-schedule.htm#Printable
Learn child first aid and CPR. Be prepared. Know how to call for help, including poison control. The national toll-free line for poison control is 1-800-222-1222. Also, learn child first aid and CPR. We hope you will never have to use these skills. But if you do, the life you save could be your child's. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/firstaid.html
Practice prevention and safety. Teach your child safety tips, including always swimming with a buddy, and wearing a bicycle helmet. Teach your child about sun safety, including wearing a hat outdoors and frequently applying SPF 30 sunscreen. Also, a growing child will come into potentially dangerous situations or may become separated from a parent or caregiver. Be sure your older toddler knows his or her name, parents' names, and phone number. Help him or her to recognize police and fire officials as trusted individuals, while raising caution to other strangers. Get your child's fingerprints taken and keep a recent photograph in your wallet. www.healthfinder.gov/scripts/SearchContext.asp?topic=160&refine=1
Have fun. Hug, talk, read, explore, and play together. Parenting is the most difficult job in the world. As much as you love your child, it can be stressful to be a parent. Be patient, manage your stress, and ask for help. All parents sometimes feel overwhelmed and frustrated as they tackle the challenges involved with parenting. If you feel so stressed that you feel unable to cope with the demands of parenting, get help. http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/parenting/parenting_advice.cfm
Recipes Kids Love: By Anna Daeda

Whole Wheat Bread in a bag

2 C. white flour, divided
1 pkg. rapid rise yeast
3Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. non-fat dry milk
1 tsp. salt
1C. hot tap water (add green food color for St. Patrick’s DayJ)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 C. whole wheat flour
*1 large, plastic zip lock bag

Put 1 cup of white flour, yeast, mild, sugar and salt in bag, shake carefully to mix. Add hot tap water and oil, close bag and squeeze until mixed. Add the wheat flour and close bag and mix. Add the last cup of white flour, mix again. Dough should not stick to the bag. Knead in the bag 2-4 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Remove from bag and shape into loaves, place in a greased bread pan. Allow to rise and double in size. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Easy Pasta Bake

Cook: One pound ground beef in skillet: drain (to change it up, substitute boneless chicken)
Stir in: 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, ½ C. grated Parmesan Cheese, and 5 cups cooked pasta. Spoon into a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Top: with shredded Mozzarella cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Upside Down Pizza

2 lbs. hamburger
1 small jar spaghetti sauce
2 C. Bisquick
½ C. milk
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown hamburger, add jar of spaghetti sauce. Cook for 20 minutes. Put in a 9 x 13 pan.
Make crust with Bisquick and the milk and roll out to put on top of hamburger mixture.
Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes (until crust is lightly browned). Turn this over onto a cookie sheet. Put shredded cheese on the top and put back in oven for a couple of minutes for cheese to melt.

If you are currently receiving your newsletter via the mail and would like to receive it via e-mail (or visa versa) please call Maureen at 724-5653 or e-mail at Maureen22m@aol.com. In order to keep your provider contact information correct, please take time to update any of your current data (hours, email addresses, etc.) as changes are made.
Things to do in March:

Colors
By Deb
2 packages of clear gelatin, turkey-baster, food coloring, bundt pan, non-stick cooking spray, and water table or tub.
Spray the bundt pan with cooking spray.
Prepare two packages of gelatin according to instructions
Pour the gelatin into the pan. Let the gelatin set.
Turn the pan over into the water table, or tub.
Mix different colors of water with food coloring. Pour into small bowls.
Use the turkey baster to suck up the food coloring and inject it into the gelatin mold. Encourage the children to try two different color combinations and to observe what happens when the colors mix. This is a great activity for discussing the colors of the rainbow. Then, let the children make their own rainbow out of markers and lightly mist the picture so the colors run. BEAUTIFUL artwork.

Blarney Stone Craft
This simple project, a smooth river rock is turned into a small, kissable Blarney Stone. In southwestern Ireland, there is a very famous stone, called the Blarney Stone. It is located high up in Blarney Castle. If you kiss the Blarney Stone, it is supposed to give you the gift of eloquence.
Supplies needed:
A smooth, clean river rock
Brush
Green paint
Glue
Markers
Glitter, sequins, plastic jewels, googley eyes, bits of yarn, etc.
Make sure your rock is clean and dry. Paint the rock green.
After the paint is dry, decorate your rock using glitter, etc.
When this is dry, add details (like eyebrows, etc.) using markers

Now you have a Blarney stone to help you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

Green food for St.Patty’s Day…

Many foods adapt easily to adding food coloring…applesauce, milk, apple juice, you can add food coloring to anything that is made with a liquid and it will alter the product color. This is a good exercise for children using the theory that “colors don’t taste”.

February 2006
Notes from the President:
By Debbie Spitzley

WOW, what a busy January the Association had. It was a great way to bring the New Year in.
There were three trainings last month; the two extra ones were held to help our members comply with the new state regulations.
Dr. Paul Doenier, Dr. Teresa St. George, and Dr. Kim Kruger from the Duluth Family Practice Center, presented the first training on SIDS/SHAKEN BABY. Both of these were very informative. One of the things I remember from the training is it is okay to call a parent if an infant is fussier than usually and you feel overwhelmed. Also as part of our job, we need to keep informing parents on both SIDS/SHAKEN BABY, sharing what can happen and how to prevent it from happening. Both sessions were full to capacity. I want to thank the first group for their timely departure, as it made it easier for the second group to start as scheduled. If you have any concerns or questions related to the topics you can always call Family Practice and someone there will be glad to assist you in any way they can.
I would like to extend a very special thank you to Chris and Stephanie LaFleur for opening their home to us for the January CPR Training. This class was full and there was a lot to learn. Thanks to Chris for instructing the class; your training skills along with your experience is a great bonus to us when taking this class as either a new student or as a refresher class. The steps to CPR change all the time and it is good to have an instructor on top of things.
Our meeting/training, Integrating Music into Your Child Care, presented by Heidi Achartz, was both fun and informative. Ms. Achartz is a Music Specialist and shared her knowledge on the importance of music. She shared some wonderful books, music, and a game with us. I found it interesting that the path music follows in the brain is the same path that the reading and math take which explains why music is so essential in a young child’s life. Each attendee received a handout and a music CD. However, some of the CDs did not work, and she apologizes if you received one. If you got a CD that does not work bring it to the next meeting and we will replace it.
A committee is being formed to help set up a “special” workshop, and be in charge of the theme bags, and resources being purchased with our grant awarded funds. This is a great way of becoming involved. If you can help in any way, please do not hesitate to call Roni Budde, 624-2968 or e-mail her at LtlRedHen3@aol.com.
Please contact me if you would be willing to share your environments with other providers as part of our May tour. This year’s tour will be on Saturday morning, May 13th.
SITES FOR TEACHERS…HUNDREDS OF EDUCATIONAL
WEBSITES
http://www.sitesforteachers.com/index.html

Health Insurance Benefits for Early Childhood Providers
http://nccic.org/poptopics/healthins.html


The Surgeon General's Tips to Keep Toddlers Safe and Healthy:
(Look for the remaining 6 tips in the March newsletterJ)
Teach healthy eating. Provide three nutritious meals supplemented with two to three healthy snacks daily. Feed toddlers at the same time as other family members and allow them to grow into feeding themselves. Offer children nutritious foods and let them decide how much to eat. Avoid foods and drinks that are high in sugar. Be a good role model and follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines/index.html
Begin a habit of good oral health. Brush your child's teeth twice a day with a soft toothbrush. Begin brushing for your child when his or her teeth first appear and continue until age 3 or 4 when you can start teaching your child how to brush. Introduce fluoridated toothpaste at age 2. www.nidcr.nih.gov/HealthInformation/OralHealthInformationIndex/ChildrensOralHealth/HealthyMouth/default.htm
Don't smoke. And don't allow anyone else to smoke around your child. Second-hand smoke can have a harmful effect on your child's breathing and can have long-term respiratory consequences like impaired lung growth, chronic coughing, and wheezing. Diseases of the respiratory system (aggravated by second-hand smoke) are the leading causes of child hospitalization and one of the leading causes of toddler doctor visits. Also, smoking kills half of all lifetime smokers, costing them more than 12 years of their life. For help to quit smoking, please visit www.cdc.gov/tobacco/how2quit.htm
Give positive feedback. Praise good behavior and accomplishments. Hug, talk, read, explore, and play together. This also begins to ensure a healthy bond between parent and child. Also, when choosing a caregiver, discuss their attitudes about discipline and be sure that they agree with your point of view. www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/Ca-0048/default.asp
Always use a car safety seat. Be sure your child rides in an age- and weight-appropriate child safety seat, correctly installed in the back seat, on every trip. If you have any questions about how to install your child safety seat, many local fire and police departments will help you.
www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/childpas.htm
Safety-proof your house. To prevent accidental poisoning, move all medications and cleaning products to high shelves. To prevent burns, set the temperature of your hot water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, never leave cups of hot liquid on tables or counter edges, and never carry hot liquids or food while holding your child. To prevent choking, be sure that any toys your child plays with do not have parts that are small enough to choke on. You can test any toy part by simply dropping it through a paper towel roll. If it goes through, the piece is too small and could become a choking hazard. Do not give toddlers under age 2 foods that may cause choking, like hard candy, large pieces of raw vegetable or fruit, or tough meat. To prevent drowning, install a toilet lid lock on every toilet in the home. Drowning can happen in less than a couple of inches of water. www.hhs.gov/safety/index.shtml#injury
Craft Ideas for February
from Deb
Homemade Hot-Cocoa Mix

Decorate a paper lunch bag with paper designs and a message. Make a lacy heart, cut out a heart from paper, fold it several times, and cut out shapes form the edges. Open the hart, and glue it on the bag.
To make the cocoa mix, blend 2 cups of instant dry milk, 1-cup sugar, and ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa. It will make about twenty-five servings. Put the mix in a sandwich bag that zips.
Decorate an index card with hearts. Write these directions on the card:
Place 3 heaping teaspoons in a cup, Add boiling water, stir, and drink it up!
Put the cocoa mix and the directions in the decorated bag. Punch holes around the top of the bag, lace ribbon through them, add a heart-shaped note, and tie it closed. Have the children give it as a gift to their parents.

A Sweet Shovel
Purchase shovels.

1. Close a small bag of candy with a twist tie. With a ribbon, tie it to the handle of the shovel.
2. Use a permanent marker to write your message at the base of the shovel, just below the candy bag.
Some message ideas: I dig you! Here’s the scoop, You’ve got the scoop on me!

The Candy Carrier
Buy party hats

1. Flatten a cone-shaped party hat and cut the lobes of a heart into the top edges. Decorate one side with stickers, and use a permanent marker to write the name of the child on the other side.
2. With a hole punch make 2 holes where the lobes meet and thread with ribbon knotting the ends for a handle.
3. Stuff the hat with tissue paper and have the children fill it with their party treats.

These ideas were taken from Family Fun.

January 06
Notes from the President:
By Debbie Spitzley
I hope everyone had time to enjoy the Holidays with family and friends. The Association would like to send our deepest sympathy to Maureen Marple, Kelly Wichlacz, and Stephanie LaFleur on the loss of their mother/grandmother.
There are additional trainings offered in January so you can meet the State mandated requirements. See the information below for details. Remember if you transport childcare children, you need to take the training on Seat Belt Installation. I have taken the class and found it to be very informative and interesting. I was amazed at the “proper” way to install each seat. There seems to be differences between the seats and the vehicles used, so this is an individualized training. I did share some of the information with my parents who were also amazed, some even stated that they were putting the seats in incorrectly and were pleased with the information given to them. The trainings are being moved back to the second Thursday of the month, so please mark your calendars. We have some very good trainings coming up, it is a great way to interact with other providers while receiving your training time. So please support your Association by attending the meetings.
I invite all of you to submit any ideas you have by calling Maureen or I or e-mailing us. This is your newsletter so take advantage of it by sharing with other providers any thoughts or ideas that are pertinent to childcare. I know I am always looking for something “new” to do with the children.

Grant news by Roni Budde:

Or great news: PPD has finally been awarded a grant. Included in this grant will be resources for providers (books, etc), workshop tie-ins, theme bags for provider checkout/use and a special workshop to be announced. We will need several people to serve on a committee to select and purchase materials, and arrange for their storage and distribution, and set up the special workshop. If you would like to be on this fun committee, contact Roni Budde at LtlRedHen3@aol.com or call her at 624-2968.

Newsletter format

If you are currently receiving your newsletter via the mail and would like to receive it via email (or visa versa) please call Maureen at 724-5653 or email at Maureen22m@aol.com. In order to keep your provider contact information correct, please take time to update any of your current data (hours, email addresses, etc.) as changes are made.

Need a New Years Resolution?
Licensing checklist
Is all my paperwork up to date? Including the children’s shot records?
Where do you store your cleaning products and dishwashing soap?
Where are your knives and scissors?
Where are your matches?
Do you have a working flashlight?
Do you have a battery powered radio that works?
Are your playpen records up to date? Do you have sheets to record them on each month yet?
Do you have and use incident forms?Where do you post your license? Your Emergency Escape Plan?When was the last time you had your fire extinguisher checked?
Do you have any combustible materials within 36” of your furnace?Do your smoke detectors work and are your outlet plugs in place?*When you receive your relicensing information do you go through the checklist? The above questions and others that are on that checklist are what licensing is looking for to evaluate the safety of your facility.

Union Update
by Roni Budde, Government Connection:

At the County Commissioner's meeting on December 13, ten providers from St Louis and Carlton Counties gave commissioners the results of our phone survey - 318 of the 420 provider in St Louis County oppose unionization, 26 support it and 31were no longer doing child care and the balance unable to be contacted. Only Commissioner Dennis Fink listened. Commissioner Peg Sweeney was downright hostile to providers opposing the union, while giving free reign to those supporting the union. Commissioners voted 6-1 to grant authority to AFSCME, all the while maintaining that they were NOT authorizing unionization. AFSCME apparently didn't believe them any more than we did and within an hour had it posted on their website that they now represent the 420 providers of St Louis County. An interesting article in the MLFCCA newsletter quoted AFSCME as saying their representation would prevent associations or other advocates from any negotiations. Instead of providers speaking for themselves, with MLFCCA, Childcare Works, Ready4K and everyone else advocating for us, AFSCME would be the only voice for providers. The battle to be heard is not over. We are now working on a state level to keep our voices our own. A vote will still need to be held in order to form a union. So, read your mail and if you do not support unionization, vote NO and return the card. Not voting at all is considered a YES vote when the votes are tallied. If you want a "no union" sign to put in your window to let your opinion on the matter be known, contact Roni.


Tax Tip
by Roni Budde

In this day and age, it's downright dangerous to release your social security number to parents. Instead, you should apply for and give them your Federal Employer ID Number. No, you don't need to have employees to get this number. You can file online here: Online Application - Form SS-4, Employer Identification Number (EIN) or call IRS at (800)829-4933. Either way, you'll get your number right away, so you can start using it on this year's tax statements.


Things to do in January:


Fun Ideas from Family Crafts

Draw out snowflake designs on wax paper using glue, sprinkle on glitter if desired. Once the glue is dry, peel off your snowflake and it should stick to the window.

Trace your winter boots, gloves, mittens, hats, etc and color them.

Make a pin the nose on the snowman game. Play by seeing who, blindfolded, can pin a paper carrot nose closest to where it belongs.

Make a 'tent' using blankets draped over a table or chairs. Pretend it is a bear cave and you are a bear getting ready to hibernate.

Gather several pairs of mittens. Sort them by size, color, design, left hand, right hand, etc.

Draw a winter scene on black construction paper using white chalk.
Paint the snow using food coloring or tempera paint mixed with water. Put the mixture in a squirt bottle and have a blast!
Have an indoor snowball fight using wadded up pieces of paper or marshmallows!
Snow Scenes
By Debbie Spitzley

1 C. salt
½ C. flour
¾ C. water
Large bowl
Mixing spoon
Crayons
Light-blue construction paper
Paintbrushes
Make “snow” by mixing salt, flour, and water in a large bowl. Invite children to use crayons to draw a winter scene on the paper. Have them paint “snow” over their pictures using long brush strokes. Apply only a thin layer, the snow will not show up until the mixture has dried.

Snow

Dehydrated mashed potato flakes work great in the sand table for snow. Add water and you can actually make snowballs. Safe to eat too

December 05

Professional Providers of Duluth
Notes from the President:
by Debbie Spitzley

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY


There have been a few questions about absent days, here's the way the rule reads:
105.29 Subd. 7. [ABSENT DAYS.] Child care providers may not be 105.30 reimbursed for more than 25 absent days per child, excluding 105.31 holidays, in a fiscal year, or for more than ten consecutive 105.32 absent days, unless the child has a documented medical condition 105.33 that causes more frequent absences. Documentation of medical 105.34 conditions must be on the forms and submitted according to the 105.35 timelines established by the commissioner.

Anyone with online service interested in an area providers group to share information and childcare related information on can just send a blank e-mail to: DuluthProviders-subscribe@yahoogroups.com


Happy HolidaysJ

Please note we all always interested in items you have to share for the monthly newsletter and welcome your contributions and suggestions

Christmas Craft ideas

From Roni
clear glass ornaments gold spray paint
etching cream pine cones
shredded mylar string of lights
basket
Etch one family member's name on each ornament and fill them with mylar. Spray paint basket and allow drying. Fill the basket with ornaments, pine cones and lights, with the cord hanging out the back to plug it in.
An easier version is to fill a mason jar with potpourri and lights, cover with a square of fabric and tie it on with raffia
You can also put in a few popcorn seeds in the ornament (make sure it's a heavier weight glass). Put it in the microwave until they pop (you will need to experiment for the time as each micro is different.) Then add some small red or gold beads (you can cut apart beads from tree trim) and some silver icicles. Tie a ribbon on top and it is finished! Even more amazing is to look for very small pine cones that are closed up. (These come from a short needle pine tree) Put one or two in the clear ornaments and add the same type of details as above. As the pine cones dry, they open up and get much larger, leaving everyone to wonder how the children got them inside! This last one will need to be done several weeks in advance, to give the pinecones time to dry out!
Or paint the ornament with glitter paint so that you can still see inside and put a picture of the child inside.
If you get the solid colored, larger bulbs, paint the kids hands white and stamp their handprint on the bulb. Paint the fingers to look like snowmen.

Bits and Pieces
Make pot holders with their hand prints on them.Christmas banner using their hand to make a Christmas tree or a reindeer with their feet & hands.Make wreaths from paper plates and macaroni noodles.Tree ornaments with children’s photos. A whisk and chocolate candies w/saying, “I Whisk you a Merry Christmas.” A really big cookie will fit in small pizza box. Let kids decorate it (it takes 1 roll (store bought) of cookie dough per child).Various frames, decorated for holiday, purchased and made.Crystal ornament with name, or ceramic or dough oneNice big holiday platter, filled with homemade goodiesA very large holiday cookie cutter filled with fudge.HOMEMADE Carmel corn with a neat tin.


Have a Gingerbread Day
From Deb
Find your favorite bakers clay recipe and add lots of cinnamon. Have the children cut out Gingerbread people and bake. Remember to poke a hole in the top to make ornaments or necklaces, and let them decorate them. You can follow this up with baking gingerbread cookies.
No-Cook Strawberry Freezer Jam
1-3/4 quarts of strawberries
1-3/4 Cups sugar, divided
1pkg. Sure-Jell Light Fruit Pectin
1 Cup corn syrup

Thoroughly crush strawberries, one layer at a time. Measure berries into a large bowl. You should have 4 cups. Combine fruit pectin with 1/4 cup sugar. Gradually add pectin mixture to fruit, stirring vigorously. Set aside for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn syrup; mix well. Gradually stir in remaining sugar until dissolved. Ladle quickly into scalded containers. Cover at once with tight lids. Let stand overnight, then store in freezer. Small amounts may be covered and stored in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Makes 6 cups
Have the children help wash the jars. Let them rub rub-on’s, can be bought at Michaels, on their jars. Help them ladle the jam into jars. You can decorate the cover with material and/or ribbon. JHave them make some bread to go with the jam. Use a cloth Christmas napkin to wrap the bread and tie.
More Gift ideas in a jar
From Maureen
Other Canning Jar ideas:
Fill regular mouth size jars with potpourri and top with a pot shaped class candle holder and candle…add a ribbon around the rim.
Fill large mouth canning jar with sewing supplies…small scissors, needles, thread, thimble, buttons, etc. Cover inner lid with fabric (stuff with batting first to create a pin cushion)
Use a large mouth jar to create a meal in a jar…hot dish or soup or let the children layer jars with ingredients for cookies or brownies.

Brownies In a Jar2-1/4 cups white sugar 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour2/3 cup cocoa 1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 cup chopped pecans 1 teaspoon salt Pour sugar, cocoa powder into a clean and dry one quart jar and press down firmly. Pour in chopped pecans or substitute chocolate chips making sure they are evenly layered in the jar. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into jar and seal.
Attach the following directions to the jar: Add 3/4 cup of butter or margarine and 4 slightly beaten eggs. Mix until completely blended. Spread batter into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pan. Cut into 2 inch squares. Makes 2 dozen

GIFT TAG DIRECTIONS: Add 1/2 c. boiling water to dry ingredients. Stir in 2/3 cup oil, 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla. Pour in lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.


November 05

Notes from the President:
by Debbie Spitzley

Wow what another great turn out. I love seeing our members at these meetings as a lot of time it is the only way we can associate with each other. I would like to welcome all the new members to the Association. Again remember this is your Association so if there is any thing you would like to see or hear at our meetings just give one of us a call and we will do our best to accommodate your request. This brings me to mention that we have had some request for another CPR class and we are looking into that for you. Also we had a number of members interested in purchasing sweatshirts we will keep you posted on this outcome too. I know that there are a number of talented providers out there so e-mail your craft/art ideas to Maureen or me. All of us enjoy doing new things with the children. Now I will mention what an awesome job the trainers did.

The training was presented by Bonnie Keeling and Dr. Heather Pett. It was on "suspected" abuse or neglect. Abuse is something you do to the child either physically or mentally and neglect is something we don't do for the child such as not clothing or feeding them. They mentioned because we are mandated reporters we are protected from being brought into court however we are liable under the law for not reporting. This whole topic of abuse and neglect is upsetting to us but if we remember our whole purpose is to keep the children safe you may feel a little bit more comfortable for reporting. As providers we can call Child Intervention and discuss the situation before reporting. They will be able to help you to determine if you should or should not report. If you suspect something is just not right go with your instinct and call, talk it over with a professional, and then follow through.
Copies of the Resource Guide for Mandatory Reporters are available by calling 1-651-296-2217 or online URL: http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/DHS-2917-Eng
This months training: Remember…There will be no regular meeting in November. First Aid is a pre-paid and pre-registration required training.
This will be a four hour American Heart certified First Aid class so it will begin promptly at 6 p.m. If you plan on eating please try to arrive as early as possible as this will be a large class. It will be held at Keglers/Incline station at 601 W. Superior St.
Next month: Annual Holiday Gathering…mark your calendars for Friday, December 2nd and look for your invitation in the mail
Child Care Works Issues Advisory Meeting… Unions by Roni BuddeBottom of FormrsrrsTop of Form
On November 1, I attended a Child Care Works issues advisory meeting in St Paul because the issue was unions. Both SEIU and AFSCME representatives were there to speak, as well as Tom Copeland.
Tom spoke first. He said to listen to what the unions have to say; what they're promising and what their track record is and decide based on that. He's been working with both unions on legal ramifications for providers and says that there is nothing that would keep us from our self-employed status and tax benefits by becoming unionized. He also supported keeping unlicensed caregivers in the licensed provider's union. He's hoping that unionization will encourage them to get licensed

SEIU was up next. They would like to unionize the state as a whole, and have their contracts run through the state. That way, they get right to the source and are able to change legislation to clear up those areas open to licensor interpretation, and lobby for the money to fund the programs.

AFSCME says they're going county by county so that they can work on interpretation and practice issues with the ones who deal with them day to day. AFSCME said that at first they were going after unlicensed providers but now they only want licensed. In direct contrast to the ordinance they put to our commissioners that DID include unlicensed.

I have asked Tom what would happen if AFSCME won in the county but SEIU won the state, would we be liable to two unions or would one take precedence, and if so which one. He hasn't answered that yet, so stay tuned to further articles.

Both unions were confronted with dishonest practices to getting cards signed. Both said "if that's going on, let me know. It's not the way we train our doorknockers". Someone else pointed out that they've both betrayed providers' trust and that's why we're so angry.

A quote was read from the AFSME website, stating how one of their members knocked on doors up to four times until he had that card signed, and that the increase in membership from childcare providers would give them more power. The AFSCME rep said of course they want members and power, and that power would extend to provider members too.
Someone stated that she wanted the union representation because she didn't want the government interfering in her business. But she did want them to provide her with health insurance and other benefits. She also thought there should be more political clout so that childcare doesn't lose funding like they did the last legislative session. She didn't feel that Child Care Works, Ready4K, MLFCCA, etc did enough because we lost $75 million, instead of the of the $312 million proposed.

Order your free Child Safety Kit today.

The Child Safety Kit is sub-titled, "How to teach abduction prevention without scaring your child (or yourself)" and includes 24 pages of guidance to parents. Also included are two Fingerprint & DNA Documents to record your child's personal information—all in the privacy of your home. Parents may order these for free. http://ga0.org/campaign/PKF_website_child_safety_kit
If you want larger numbers of Child Safety Kits, please call 1-800-587-4357, or email at info@pollyklaas.org .


21 Reasons to Do Child Care

1. You don't have to fight 5:00 traffic.
2. You don't have to worry about your boss getting mad because you missed a deadline.
3. The cafeteria always has your favorite foods.
4. You can wear shorts or jeans to work every day if you want to.
5. You can go barefooted if you want to.
6. You don't have to sit at a desk all day. You can get up and down and move around whenever you want to.
7. You don't have to ask someone if you can go to the bathroom or go get something to drink.
8. You can go outside whenever you want to.
9. Its okay for the people you work around to hug you and kiss you and tell you they love you all day long.
10. If your children call because they forgot something or need something you don't have to deal with a boss just to take care of it.
11. You know all the latest in kid’s songs, fashions, sayings and health issues. Which is only helpful and amazing to the person you're standing next to in line at the grocery store and they're holding their first child...they'll be amazed at how much you know. LOL
12. You usually know more than the people you work around. You will notice I didn't say smarter...it's just that we've been here longer so life's experiences have taught us a lot. If it was boiled down to year for year the odds are we may be losing some ground in the smarter than department!!!! LOL
13. NAP TIME!!!!!!!
14. No one gets onto us for answering our email.
15. We can take personal calls without getting in trouble.
16. When we are having a bad day no one says, "Well what's wrong with you? PMS?"
17. Don't have to put up with all of the office politics!!!
18. I get paid to play with play doh and finger paint.
19. We hold all our office meetings at the zoo and the park. LOL
20. You can actually eat with your fingers and enjoy it.
21. You don't have to drive to your job in the snow and ice!


November ideas to share….from Roni and Maureen
Where is Mr. Turkey?
A noisy variation on "Hide the Button"One player is the hunter and the others are helpers. The hunter leaves the room. The helpers hide a small toy turkey. The hunter returns and starts to search for Mr. Turkey. The helpers gobble to give the hunter clues to Mr. Turkey's hiding place. If the hunter is not close, the helpers gobble very quietly. As the hunter gets closer, the helpers gobble more and more loudly until Mr. Turkey is found!

Thanksgiving Dinner
You need a good memory for this one.The players sit in a circle. The first player starts by saying, "At my Thanksgiving dinner I ate turkey." The next player must repeat this and add another dish, "At my Thanksgiving dinner I ate turkey and bread stuffing." The third player must repeat it and add yet another dish, "At my Thanksgiving dinner I ate turkey, bread stuffing, and sweet potatoes." The game continues with each player adding an item to the menu after first listing all the previous items in the exact order they were first said. If a player makes a mistake he drops out and the game continues until there is just one mnemonic expert left.
Tree of ThanksSupplies: 2 Paper Grocery Bags Construction Paper (fall Colors)
Crayons, Markers, or Pencils
Glue
Scissors
Cut open the grocery bags so it lays flat. Cut out a tree trunk and branch shapes . Use colored paper and cut out leaf shapes. Have children write what they are thankful for on the leaves and hang them on the tree.
Circle TurkeySupplies:
Brown Paper Bags
Scrap Construction Paper
Glue
Crayons
Scissors
Cut two circles out of paper bags; one about 5 inches and one about 3 inches. Cut out a strip (about 1 inch by 3-4 inches) and accordion fold it. Glue one end toward the top of the large circle and the other end in the middle of the small circle. Cut an oval (about 2 inches by 4-5 inches) to be the head and neck. and glue it to the middle of the small circle. From the scrap construction paper, cut out feathers on glue them to the top edge of the large circle. Color on eyes, beak, etc.


October 05

Notes from the President:
by Debbie Spitzley
September training: I want to apologize for the confusion on the room and its size. The Incline Station was a little confused as to our needs for the fall meetings. They hope to be able to place us in the larger room for the up coming trainings, but if they cannot we can adapt. The meeting went very well and it showed how flexible providers are.

I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. Dr. Kim Kruger and Dr. Kristi Olson, from the Family Practice did an awesome job. The visuals were a great source of information, not to mention all the answers to our questions. I had one provider tell me she put the information to good use, as she had a child with a rash and had to send the child home. This is a good example of how important it is to go to our trainings and stay informed.


October Training:
by Maureen Marple, Membership
Due to circumstances beyond our control the October 11 workshop on Seatbelt Restraints sponsored by Professional Providers of Duluth has been canceled. The state is working on a uniform training for technicians across MN and it will not be completed in time. However we have found a replacement training for this date. Same time: October 11, 2005 6:30 (training 7-9) Same place: Kegler’s 6th W. & Superior St.

Topic: Mandatory Reporting of Suspected Child Abuse/Neglect
Speaker: Bonnie Keeling, MPH, MSW, LISW

The important word is this training is "suspected". You are to report "in good faith" a suspicion of child abuse. You need not prove it. This in-service will address the MN statutes on mandatory reporting, your role as a reporter, and the mechanisms for reporting. Bonnie has experience as an Emergency Room Crisis Social Worker and is currently the medical social worker for the Family Practice Center. In this role, she teaches the physicians about mandatory reporting and assists them in their reporting. Bonnie also is the mother of two adult children that she says were in day care a looooooong time ago:)
Upcoming Trainings:
by Maureen Marple, Membership

T.E.A.C.H. MN.
Interested in an Early Childhood Degree? C.D.A.? Child Development certificates?

The teach program will pay up to 80% of your tuition and books. Now is the time to enroll for spring semester. If you have been a licensed provider for over a year and are interested or just need more information contact Krista Leraas at the TEACH office (1-888-30-TEACH or email her at kristal@mnchildcare.org


Fire safety sites:
http://www.drpbody.com/images/FireSafetyAward.pdf
http://www.fastq.com/~jbpratt/education/theme/firesafety.html

If anyone has day care related items for sale, please let us know and we will be more than happy to pass that information on to other providersJ

This months craft ideas:
By Debbie Spitzley

Edible Eyeballs

1-3.4 ounce of vanilla pudding mix
Jelly Beans
Lifesaver Gummies
Plastic Eggs (like the ones you have for Easter)
2 empty egg cartons
Prepare the pudding according to the package directions. For each eye, fit a jellybean into the center of a Lifesaver candy and place it in an egg half. Fill the eggcup with the pudding; then place the egg halves in the carton. Place in the freezer until firm about 3 hours. Remove the egg halves from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for about 3 to 5 minutes. Using the back of a fork, gently press down on the edge of the pudding, rolling the frozen ball out of the eggcup. If you are not serving them right away, place the eyes in a freezer-safe dish in the freezer until ready to serve. Makes 24 eyes.

Fall Wonder Bottle
Fill a small plastic bottle with water or corn syrup, add a couple of drops of glycerin, colorful maple leaves confetti (you can buy these in the stores), and some marbles. Seal the cover by hot gluing or duct taping the cap. The marbles add interest and break apart the leaves.
Pumpkin Stencil Maker
Create a free custom stencil for your pumpkin. Just print and start carving!! www.bhg.com/pumpkinstencil

Everlasting Leaves
Soak bright color leaves in glycerin solution to preserve them for art or decorating projects.
Supplies: leaves, glycerin, water, shallow glass or plastic container with lid or use plastic wrap, newspaper.
1. Collect leaves at peak color; rinse them carefully in water.
2. Mix 1 part glycerin to 2 parts hot water in the shallow container.
3. Layer leaves in container, completely covering them in solution.
4. Cover container and place it in a shaded area.
5. Every few days, tilt the container to mix the solution and cover the leaves. Replace solution if it begins to clump.
6. When leaves are evenly colored and flexible, 2 to 3 weeks, remove from glycerin, drain on newspapers, and let dry for 1 week.

This would be a good project for you to start at the beginning of October and finishing it at the end of October. Make a sun catcher or placemat and let your imagination run wild. These 2 ideas were taken from the Better Home and Gardens October issue.

September 05

Notes from the President:
by Debbie Spitzley

I would like to thank Roni Budde for all her years of service to our association as President. We look forward to her continued input in her new position as Government Connection. I would also like to welcome all our new and renewing members. We have an exciting years worth of training ahead of us. I am always open to new ideas and suggestions for trainings that will enhance our educational opportunities as providers. Articles, ideas and activities that members would be willing to share in this newsletter are welcomed and appreciated.


Provider of the Year for St. Louis County is
Pat Jaekel.
Pat will be honored at the MLFCCA Conference October 14 & 15, 2005 at the Minneapolis Marriot Conference Center. For more information about attending the conference go to MLFCCA.org or call 1-800-652-9704. Reservations will be accepted until Sept. 27th. Please consider joining the state association and supporting all the advocacy they do for Minnesota child care providers.


September Training:
by Maureen Marple, Membership

Tuesday, September 13th at the Incline/Keglers, 601 W. Superior St. Dinner is optional at your own expense prior to the meeting. A brief meeting will be held at 6:30 followed by the in-service starting at 7. Dr. "Mom" Kim Kruger of the Duluth Family Practice Center will be presenting slides, a lecture and answer your questions about Childhood Communicable Diseases. She will discuss identifying them, their treatment and how to cope with them and their impact on your child care setting.

New Legislation:
by Roni Budde, Government Connection

***The rate freeze due to expire 7/1/05 was once again extended for two years. However, we may get a 1.75% cost of living increase January 06.

***Effective October 1, absent days for child care assistance has been capped at 25 per year. The 10 days in a row rule still applies, unless the child has a documented medical condition that causes frequent absences.

***New rules regarding posting of licensing violations and exemptions: visibly for two years (on door or entry) apply, in addition to posting your license with the mandated reporting information listed.

***CPR and First Aid used to be mandated during the first year of licensure, now they must be kept current by at least one person at your site.

***One hour of Shaken Baby Syndrome training is also mandated 1/1/06 and renewable every five years in addition to SIDS training.

***Crib safety:
Records will now have to be maintained on all cribs, including brand name and model number. If you don't have this information, you are not allowed to use the crib. Each month, you will have to check with Consumer Product Safety Commission and verify - in writing - that the crib is not under recall. Specific information was just mailed to all providers by the county regarding crib dimensions and conditions.

***Child Passenger Restraint Systems: Training Requirements
All programs licensed by the Department of Human Services that serve a child or children under nine years of age must document training that fulfills the training requirements before staff transports a child or children under age nine in a motor vehicle, the person transporting the child must satisfactorily complete training on the proper use and installation of child restraint systems in motor vehicles. Training completed under this section may be used to meet initial or ongoing training.

***Completed background studies must be on file for anyone over age 12 providing direct contact service with the children.

***The county announced there is no current waiting list for subsidized care. There have been no changes in eligibility for childcare assistance, but effective 1/1/06 co-pays will be reduced.

***The Mn. County Social Service Admin. & Mn. Licensed Child Care Association is involved in a study of licensing and background check fees due January 15, 2005. The study will be reviewed by both the MN. House and Senate. The hope is to unify charges across the state, so look for more information next year.

Upcoming Trainings:
by Maureen Marple, Membership

October 11, 2005 Child Restraint Systems with Technician Bill Wise. This will be a two hour presentation. Hands on installation will need to be scheduled at another time, but is also required by the new law if you will be transporting your day care children.

November 8, 2005 Heartsaver First Aid with Laurel Morken Class cost is an additional $20 per person and must be paid in advance. This class is filling fast, so if you need it register now. This is a two year American Heart Certification.

Union Update
Providers attending the August 24th meeting of AFSCME were told the proposed union would be for Licensed Child Care providers when asked if non-licensed providers would be included in their unionizing effort. The Aug/Sept AFSCME Union newsletter stated an "organizing blitz of non-licensed providers would begin August 22nd." Who's telling the truth? Licensed providers have been told that un-licensed providers do the same job and deserve the same pay....but do they have our standards or expenses? Those providers who signed cards (thinking they were signing to receive more information only) and feel they were misrepresented (because signing these cards also authorized representation by AFSCME and deduction of compensation...aka...dues} may write letters and request their return. A notary will be present at the Sept. 13th meeting and will notarize your signature for free. PPD has not taken a position regarding the union. Members feel this is a decision to be made by each individual business owner. We do encourage providers to ask questions and make a responsible decision by deciding if this step would benefit them and their business.

Children’s Book Club Interested in joining a book club and offering monthly books for your children’s parents to purchase and earning free books for your child care at the same time? Call 1-800-SCHOLASTIC (1-800-724-6527) or go to http://www.scholastic.com/

Grants
by Maureen Marple, Membership

News is out about this years round of child care grants. Money is available for Quality Care for all ages (start up/expansion), infant/toddler, and school age care. You need to be caring for children in these age groups to apply, plan on staying in child care for another two years and be willing to accept county assistance clients. The maximum grant award is $1500.00 overall with a maximum of $750 in any of the three areas. Grants are once again linked to training: $500 and under awards require 12 hours and $500-$1500 awards require 16 hours of training. These hours may also include training hours required for licensing and those that have been completed up to three months prior to grant award letter (hopefully they will be sent out by mid-December). This change was made because fall brings with it some great early childhood conferences and this enables providers to be able to attend and use this training to fulfill their grant requirements. To obtain an application or if you have any other questions call 1-800-890-5399. Interested??? Some providers are baffled by the paperwork, but help is on its way. Call for your application and send for your “wish books.” Make a list and gather your training certificates…..then wait for the date to be announced for a training that will walk you through filling out your grant!

Looking for training on a specific subject, in a specific area or grant information? Try http://www.mnstreams.org/ To obtain your individual password contact Kim at Hammillk@pinetech.edu
Catalogs:

ABC School Supply http://www.abcschoolsupply.com/ 1-800-669-4222

Childcraft http://www.childcraft.com/ 1-800-631-5652

Constructive Playthings http://www.cptoys.com/ 1-800-448-4115

Creative Diversity http://www.creativediversity.com/ 1-800-802-9431

Discount School Supply http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/ 1-800-627-2829

Early Childhood Manufacturers Direct http://www.ecmdstore.com/ 1-800-896-9951

Hatch http://www.hatchstuff.com/ 1-800-624-7968

Lakeshore Learning http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/ 1-800-778-4456
Does anyone else have a favorite catalog they order from? Send us the information and we will publish it in next month’s newsletter.
This months craft idea: Apple Necklace

By Debbie Spitzley
Put out bowls of applesauce and cinnamon. You mix equal parts of applesauce to equal parts of cinnamon. Mix thoroughly until a dough consistency. Have the children roll it out, and use cookie cutters to make shapes. Let dry on a cookie sheet for about 2 days (maybe more) and turn over to dry other side. Make sure to make a hole at the tip with a straw so that when it dries you can string yarn through it to hang. It makes a lovely scented necklace or decoration.

Cut an apple in half and try to see the star shape the seeds make. Use the halves for print making.

Children’s Book Club Interested in joining a book club and offering monthly books for your children’s parents to purchase and earning free books for your child care at the same time? Call 1-800-SCHOLASTIC (1-800-724-6527) or go to http://www.scholastic.com/