Tuesday, July 2, 2013

July Overview


Greetings Families, Partners, and LTI Community

It’s July and we are in the full blast of summer’s warmth and sunshine. What are you and your family doing to stay cool? Many people are away on summer travels, but Mercy Street FRC and our satellites are open for fun and learning together. We hope to see you soon!


Here is news from across the region:


10 Million Steps to Better Health


FIRST 5 Santa Clara County and the YMCA are sponsoring a walking challenge to inspire us all to move this summer. We have pedometers for you to track the number of steps you take each day with the goal of reaching 10 million steps across the county. You can track and set your own goals, or create a group with your friends, play and learn class, or join Mercy Street FRC’s team. Pedometers are free for you to keep.

The challenge is for 5 weeks from Sunday, July 7 through Saturday, August 10, and when you track your miles, you’ll see the approximate distance you’ve gone as if you’re traveling on a map – FIRST 5’s goal is to get all the way to Kenya – how far will you go?

To get your pedometer, come by the FRC between 10:00am-4:00pm, Monday through Friday. Staff will also be at classes to hand them out and help you register. Enjoy the challenge! http://www.10millionstepsscc.com/


Potter Pledge Check-In
Have you made the Potter the Otter pledge to drink water and avoid sugary drinks this summer? We have been posting ideas for keeping your children interested in water on our Facebook page (Mercy Street Family Resource Center), such as putting berries into your ice cube trays for color in their cool-down. Re-reading the Potter story also helps: “Drink water for thirst and you should know, water is healthy, it helps you grow!”
You can register to win a FREE ipad on the official Potter website here: http://www.potterloveswater.com./


Great Times at Fun in the Sun!
A big thank you to our Fun in the Sun participants and volunteers for a wonderful class in Cupertino. Kids enjoyed the physical activity week to week and the splashing fun during the last class on 6/28. Students from De Anza College had a great time playing with the kids and keeping them moving. Funds raised from the class will support future programming.



Volunteers Celebrated at Ortega Park
On Wednesday, June 26 we celebrated the wonderful work of our volunteers with a picnic in Ortega park. This program relies on the willingness of committed volunteers who generously donate their time to teach classes, outreach, and help with dozens of tasks that keep us running smoothly. 

An extra thanks to our wonderful volunteer coordinators, Nancy Doan and Ana Valle, for creating a supportive and fun environment for volunteers to participate with us.

We look forward to all of the wonderful things that we will continue to create in the year to come.
July SEEDS Challenge
Take a SEEDS challenge – balanced interactions. The toddler stage is a time of teaching appropriate inhibition, because he does not know what is safe or dangerous yet. See if you can practice noticing what she is doing right 5 times more than what she is doing wrong. It’s a habit that takes practice, and children will enjoy hearing what they are doing successfully (and want to do that more!).


Here are some NEW summer classes and schedule changes:

Cupertino
Mandarin Fun in the Sun – Thursdays, June 6 – August 8 (8 weeks), 10:00-11:30, at Jollyman Park, 1000 S. Stelling Rd, near McClellan Rd. Cost is $1 per class or purchase a $5 fun pass for all eight sessions. This class is designed to encourage healthy living habits and movement for families, and will include special physical activities to develop children’s gross motor skills. Families will also have access to the park playground. Remember sun protection and outdoor appropriate shoes. Registration is not required. For Mandarin speakers or Mandarin language learners. If you have any questions, contact Julia Zhu at jzhu.first5@gmail.com


Mountain View
Un Principio Saludable (A Healthy Start)Wednesday, July 17 10:30am-12:00pm at Mercy Street FRC. Nutritionist Natalie Masis will present ways that we can teach our children to make healthy choices at meal times. Children welcome to attend (activities provided). Free, no registration required. In Spanish. Takes the place of Wednesday Play and Learn. 

Sing a Summer Song Meet Up Tuesdays, 10:15am-11:00am June 11-August 6, at the Mountain View Library. All of our Tuesday morning classes will be on break until August so that we can enjoy Sing a Summer Song at the Mountain View Library together! Bring a blanket and we will reserve a group area together so that our families can stay connected through the summer. All families welcome. You can see the schedule of performers here: 
Date
Performer
July 2
Christopher Smith
July 9
Fred McCarty
July 16
Allison Levy
July 23
Andy Z
July 30
Charity & members of The Jam Band
August 6
Miss Kitty

Bilingual Storytime Fridays from 3:00pm-4:00pm at Mercy Street FRC. Here is the class you have been waiting for – Stories and songs in English and Spanish for all. This program is provided by our guest facilitator, Marti Krow-Lucal, from the Sunnyvale Library bi-lingual services.  No registration required, limited to the first 15 children/30 people.  


NEW CLASS Science Kids: A science exploration class for children ages 3-5

Thursdays 10:30am-12:00pm at Mercy Street FRC, starting on August 1, lasting for 9 weeks. Registration is not required, but class is limited to the first 15 children or 30 people. Cost is $1 per child per class for supplies.








Sunnyvale
Stay tuned for new programming starting in August, but in the meantime, don’t forget about the great kids events at the Sunnyvale Library!


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Volunteers Needed! Several of our wonderful volunteers are taking trips during the summer and will not be available to lead our classes. If we do not have volunteer teachers, we cannot hold classes! The success of our program depends on YOU! Visit our VOLUNTEER CORNER to find out the latest volunteer news.  Thanks for considering – the success of our program depends on YOU! 




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Feedback: Do you have comments that you would like to send the staff?   Please send us a note to:mercystreetfrc@gmail.com





Feedback: Do you have comments that you would like to send the staff?   Please send us a note to:mercystreetfrc@gmail.com