Join the Mercy Street FRC team!

The Mercy Street LTI program is hiring a full time community worker for the Cupertino and West San Jose Area!

Community Worker activities will include, but not be limited to:

• Outreach, engagement and education of diverse families and community members in designated communities
• Partner with other organizations to increase the capacity and knowledge on the importance of the first 5 years of life
• Provide information and resources in the community that are culturally, linguistically and developmentally appropriate.
• Help parents/caregivers identify and communicate strengths to acknowledge, as well as concerns that may interfere, with children’s healthy development and readiness to learn.
• Inform through evaluation and data, experiences (positive & challenging) that families are having to access resources and services in their communities. This information will be shared with supervisor, team, community partners and FIRST 5 leadership.

Fluency in English and Mandarin Chinese required.  For more information on the position, please view the job description here.

August Overview

Greetings Families, Partners, and LTI Community

It’s August and families are starting to get ready for SCHOOL! At CHAC/FIRST 5, we’re especially interested in your children who are starting Kindergarten, and the ones who still have a few years to go. Did you know that Kindergarten Readiness is for the whole family? Is your family ready? See below for tips and post your own advice on our Facebook page. Good luck everyone!

Here is news from across the region

10 Million Steps to Better Health

Escuela's Walking Group

Have you been tracking your steps? Families have already gone beyond 10 Million Steps, and our Mercy Street Team has already gone past one million!

What have you been doing to get more steps in? We’ve been taking short lunchtime walks and family walks in the evening. Have you noticed any difference in your energy level since you’ve been walking?

Keep going! We’re so proud of you, and so is FIRST 5 – our region will be featured for our walking efforts on their website and Facebook page soon. Stay tuned!

The program officially ends August 10. http://www.10millionstepsscc.com/

Is Your Child Starting Kindergarten This Fall? 

We would love to part of the celebration! Please send us your videos, pictures and first day stories. We may post them on the blog or our Facebook page. We would also love to hear how our Family Resource Center programs helped contribute to your child’s success so we can share the word with new families.

I’m Ready for Kindergarten!

 
FIRST 5 Santa Clara County has great information about Kindergarten Readiness, including videos and their booklet. See below for tips, links, and ways your Family Resource Center is helping children get ready.

Is your child ready?

Here are the top 4 skills Kids should have, and examples of each (can you guess?)

• Self-Care and Motor Skills (washing hands, general coordination)
• Self-Regulation (pays attention, plays cooperatively, participates in circle time)
• Social Expression (expresses empathy, curious and eager to learn)
• Kindergarten Academics (shapes, letters, colors, writes own first name) 

Are you ready?

• Preparing for new routines.
• Planning for your role in supporting your child, teacher, classroom and school.
• Having a positive and enthusiastic attitude about preparing for Kindergarten.

Find out more in FIRST 5 Ready for Kindergarten Handbooks available FREE online here, in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Mandarin http://www.first5kids.org/homepage/kindergarten

Podcast on Kindergarten Readiness: http://blog.first5kids.org/?portfolio=kindergarten-readiness 

How Our FIRST 5 Program Helps:

• Arts Enrichment and Play and Learn Classes mirror the classroom environment and focus on all of the skills.
• Parenting classes give you skills to help you work with your child.
• SEEDS – Early Literacy and Language building classes
• Triple P – Skills that help with behavior, resiliency, and social emotional development
• Abriendo Puertas – a variety of topics that cover all aspects of kindergarten readiness. Especially designed for Latino parents.
• Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) help parents know what children are learning at each age and what skills to practice as they develop. 

Note: You can find information on all of our classes, including descriptions of the parenting classes on our blog and calendars. For Ages and Stages Questionnaires, please contact the office 650-967-4813 or mercystreetfrc@gmail.com

CHAC/FIRST 5 Launching – “I’m Ready for Kindergarten” yearlong course at Vargas Elementary in Sunnyvale.

CHAC/FIRST 5 Family Resource Centers are proud to announce the launch of our “I’m Ready for Kindergarten” class starting in August. The program will reach Spanish speaking families who are not in preschool, to give them an opportunity to practice readiness skills. The program will serve 12 children ages 3-5 and their parents, and will last the school year, concluding with a graduation ceremony. Parts of the class will have parents and children together, like Arts Enrichment, but most of the course will have parents and children learning separately, allowing children to get used to separating and listening to the teacher. Classes for parents will be led by Community Worker Ana Moreno and the children’s classes will be led by Associate Community Worker Guadalupe Romo. We are excited to watch the children grow in the coming year. (Registration is full, but we are taking names for a waiting list).

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Summer classes are still happening at our centers. In addition to our regular classes, here are the special events/classes happening through August

Sunnyvale

Healthy Eating Pizza Party –  Wednesday, August 28 from 10:30am-12:30am, at Full Circle Farm, 1055 Dunford Way, Sunnyvale, CA 94087. Event includes farm tour, healthy eating tips, children can harvest their own organic vegetables for their pizza, and much more! Cost is $5 per child, pay upon arrival HOWEVER, registration is required prior to attending because we need to ensure we have enough materials for everyone. Please registration by going to http://bit.ly/1etwreE 

 

Cupertino

2 weeks left! Mandarin Fun in the Sun –  Thursdays, August 1 & 8 from 10:00am-11:30am, at JollyMan Park 1000 S. Stelling Rd (near McClellan Rd), Cupertino. 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.

 Mountain View

Last Sing a Summer Song Meet Up –  Tuesday, 10:15am-11:00am 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.

Date	Performer
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.  Class ends on August 30

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. There is a $1fee per child per class to cover materials. Led by Aliza Savransky.

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Volunteers Needed! Do you have a few hours a week you that you can spare? Do you want to give back to your community? Do you want to make an impact in the lives of young children and their families? Do you want to expand your knowledge of early childhood development? Come join our team. If you are interested and/or want more information on our fabulous volunteer program, please send an email to Nancy Doan at nancydoan5@gmail.com. Thanks for considering – the success of our program depends on Volunteers!  Together we make the difference.

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Like us on Facebook! Did you know we have a Facebook page? We post interesting tips, videos, information on local events, and more. Please “like” us and help our online community grow. Find us by typing “Mercy Street Family Resource Center” in the search bar or (click)

Volunteer Network! CHAC/FIRST 5 Volunteers, stay connected on all our volunteer news, updates, training opportunities, and more! You can take part in our Facebook Volunteer Group. Find us by typing "nancydoan5@gmail.com" in the search bar or click

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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

Mountain View

See below for classes at our TWO Mountain View Centers. Note: the Escuela FRC is partially funded by the City of Mountain View and is for Mountain View Residents only.

Links to printable monthly calenders
Mercy Street FRC Calender (English)
Mercy Street FRC Calender (Spanish)
Escuela FRC Calender (English & Spanish)

Mercy Street FRC Classes:

For a complete description of our classes, go here

Please register with The Mercy St FRC, at mercystreetfrc@gmail.com, or by calling 650-967-4813

New/Limited Time Classes & Events

Cafecito Mother’s Group (Spanish)

Date: Friday August 2, 2013

Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm

Address: 748 Mercy Street, Mountain View

Notes: First Friday of the month. Childcare included with registration. Next month’s group is September 6.

Family Day Arts Enrichment

Date: Saturday, August 17, 2013

Time: 11:30am – 1:00pm

Address: 748 Mercy Street, Mountain View

Notes: Show dad or other family members what you do in our center. The projects are focused on family and appropriate bonding. Please register.

Bilingual Story time

Date: Fridays, June 7 – August 30, 2013

Time: 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Address: 748 Mercy Street, Mountain View

Notes: Stories and songs in Spanish and English. All are welcome. This class is first come, first served for the first 15 children/30 people (due to the classroom size, for safety reasons). With Sunnyvale Librarian,  Marti Krow-Lucal.

Little Scientists (ages 3-5)
Date: August 1 – September 26 (9 weeks)

Time: 10:30am - 12:00pm

Fee: $1 per child per class for supplies

Address: 748 Mercy Street, Mountain View

Notes: Science exploration for preschoolers. Includes basics of numbers, shapes & colors; the world around us; science skills: measuring and more. This class is first come, first served for the first 15 children/30 people (due to the classroom size, for safety reasons). By Aliza Savransky.

Ongoing Classes at Mercy Street FRC

Play & Learn (English)

Led by Volunteers Diana & Tomoko

Date: Mondays

Time: 10:30am - 12:00pm

Address: 748 Mercy St, Mountain View

Notes: No registration required. This class is first come, first served for the first 15 children/30 people (due to the classroom size, for safety reasons). Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early (or 30 to secure a spot) – it will most likely fill each week. Please plan to arrive on time and stay until the end.

Play & Learn (Spanish)

Led by Volunteers

Date: Wednesdays

Time: 10:30am - 12:00 pm

Address: 748 Mercy St, Mountain View

Notes: No registration required, but class will be limited to the first 15 children / 30 people who enter per class. Please plan to arrive on time and stay until the end.

Play & Learn (Japanese)

Led by Volunteers Tomoko, Leslie, Noriyo, & Thao

Date: Fridays

Time: 10:15am - 11:45 am

Address: 748 Mercy St, Mountain View

Notes: No registration required. This class is first come, first served for the first 15 children/30 people (due to the classroom size, for safety reasons). Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early (or 30 to secure a spot) – it will most likely fill each week. Please plan to arrive on time and stay until the end. In Japanese with English available, for native Japanese speakers or Japanese Language Learners.

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ESCUELA FRC Classes:

All Play & Learn classes below are currently ongoing and no registration is required. Questions? Call 650-967-4813. This FRC is partially funded by the City of Mountain View. Classes at Escuela FRC are for Mountain View residents only.

Play & Learn (Spanish)

Led by Volunteer Alma Garcia

Date: Wednesdays

Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm

Address: 260 Escuela Ave, Mountain View (behind Senior Center)

Notes: No registration required, but class will be limited to the first 13 families / 26 people who enter per class. Please plan to arrive on time and stay until the end. Spanish speaking families only. During snack time and the art project, Ana Moreno is presenting material from Positive Parenting Practices to the parents.

Play & Learn (Spanish)

Led by Volunteer Margarita Angulo.

Date: Thursdays

Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm

Address: 260 Escuela Ave, Mountain View (behind Senior Center)

Notes: No registration required, but class will be limited to the first 13 families / 26 people who enter per class. Please plan to arrive on time and stay until the end. Spanish speaking families only.