CHAC/FIRST 5 Presents: Your
January Overview
Greetings Families, Partners, and LTI Community
Happy 2014 everyone! A
new year means new resolutions for yourself and your family. We have some very
reachable goal ideas that you and your children can enjoy together. This is
going to be a very busy year at the FRC's, with more exciting classes than ever.
To make our center as rich in learning and community as possible, we will need
your help. Check out the top 5 ways you can make our program even more amazing
below.
Top 5 Ways You Can Make Our FRC Program Even More Awesome!
- Welcome New Families. Every center and program has different rules and expectations. Let’s welcome the new families and help them get familiar with the program and how things work. Through modeling and gentle guidance, families become integrated and often find a haven in our classes.
- Lend a Hand. There are so many ways to help out – in the classroom, in the office or at our events. Ask your teachers how you can help out. When you take an active role, you feel more ownership of the program, more sense of belonging, and you model community membership for your child.
- Spread the Word. A big part of our mission is to reach as many families with children ages 0-5 in Santa Clara County as possible. Especially to let them know ways we can help all children be ready for Kindergarten! Neighbors, play groups, and even that mom you met at the park may not have heard about our FRC programs.
- Share your Passion. Do you have a passion that you want to share with other families or kids? Wish we would have a mom’s group, book club, social gathering, etc? We would love to help you bring your passion to fruition if possible. If you have the energy and drive, we can help you promote it and find others to share your passion with. Chances are other that families are thinking of the same thing and just waiting for someone who will start things off.
- Contribute. Our program is largely funded by FIRST 5, along with other special grants and donations. FIRST 5 funds come from a 50₵ tax on packs of cigarettes. With the decrease in cigarette sales, we know that funding will continue to decrease, so if we want to keep the program going into the future, we will need to supplement our funds. Does your employer have a donation matching program? Do you have a fundraising idea or have time to help us organize a fundraiser? Check your classroom or ask your teacher about supplies you can donate (you might have things around your home to bring in) or how you can help.
San Jose Flea Market Fundraiser, Saturday,
February 1 – Help needed! Are you ready
to clear out old toys, books, clothes, appliances, and other items from those
closets? This month only, we are accepting items to sell at the San Jose Flea
Market to raise money for our programs. We are also looking for volunteers to
help sell, so if you have a few hours, we could use your help. Contact Ana V at
650-965-2020 or mercystreetfrc@gmail.com
New
Year’s Potter Pledge
Potter has some great
tips for a healthy new year. Make the pledge and enter to win a Potter Prize
pack!- Skip the Soda and drink WATER!
- Get active for at least one hour a day
- Start the day with a healthy breakfast
- Eat fruits and veggies at every meal
- Limit TV/screen time to an hour each day
Covered California Presentations
In partnership with the City of Sunnyvale and The Health Trust, we are proud to host small group meetings to answer your
questions about health insurance for adults. If you are interested in attending
a group, please contact us and we will notify you when we have the next
presentation. You can also call directly to ask questions at 1-800-300-1506. As
always, we have people at Mercy Street you can call for help with children’s
insurance. Lily Lai is available by appointment on Tuesdays, or Ana Moreno
Monday-Friday. Services in Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese and English too!
Monthly Gratitude
We are continuing our
tradition of offering gratitude each month. There are a lot of reasons to
express and model gratitude to our children. Here is a fun link with pictures
that show some of the benefits of giving thanks. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/22/gratitude-healthy-benefits_n_2147182.html. This month, we would like to offer gratitude to volunteer and FRC guardian angel, Joel Wood. Mr. Joel is the caretaker for the Trinity Church where Mercy Street is housed, and he keeps a very close eye on the FRC, making sure things are locked up and secure, and lending a hand in many ways large and small. You might see Mr. Joel when you visit Mercy Street, sweeping, making repairs, or taking care of our garden and worms! Please join us in thanking him and say hello next time you’re here.
Save the Dates!
Holidays
and Scheduled Closings:
Here is a list of the
days we will be closed. Please watch our calendars
for unexpected closings, such as teacher illness.
- January 6-10 – Staff in-service week. Classes canceled, office will be open.
- January 20 – Martin Luther King Day. All centers closed.
What’s NEW for Winter?
Mountain View
I’m Ready for Kindergarten
I’m Ready for Kindergarten
- English: Starts Monday (in place of Play and Learn). February 24 – May 19, 2014 (12 weeks)10:00am-12:00pm. See rules and requirements below.
- Spanish: Thursdays starting January 23-March 20 from 10:00am-12:00noon (8 weeks). See rules and requirements below.
- Rules and Requirements: Registration is required in advance, space is limited. Class is for children ages 3-5, no siblings allowed. One parent or caregiver must attend all sessions with the child. Missed classes may result in being dropped from the class. Free class.
Sunnyvale
- I’m Ready for Kindergarten Presentation at Sunnyvale Library: Wednesday, January 22 6:30pm-8:30pm. Free, no childcare. Do you know what your children need to know to be successful in Kindergarten? Chances are it’s more than what you think, according to today’s teachers. Brandy Vanderheiden, MA, FRC Manager of our 4 North County FRC’s will present from the book “I’m Ready for Kindergarten,” and talk about how our programs contribute. It is never too early to start getting ready.
- Science Kids: Thursdays 10:00am-11:30am, from February 27- April 3. Science exploration for preschoolers ages 3-5. 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 13 children/26 people (due to the classroom size, for safety reasons).By Aliza Savransky. 6 weeks. Fee is $3 per child per class to cover supplies, or buy the whole series by the first class and get 1 class free ($15 for the series) Cash or checks made out to CHAC. Drop-ins only if space available at 10am. If you buy a series, you must arrive by 10:00am or you lose your space (sorry, no refunds). Series passes are not transferrable.
- Play
and Learn: Tuesdays 4:00pm-5:30pm
Note: The Tuesday afternoon Play and Learn has gotten very popular. For safety reasons, we cannot allow more than 15 children/30 individuals in the room at one time. If you want to get a spot, we recommend showing up at least 15 minutes early. That’s what happens when word gets out about a good thing!
- Did you know about our FIRST 5 partners in Sunnyvale? Find calendars for the FIRST 5 FRC at Fairwood Elementary here http://www.first5kids.org/frc/fairwood
Cupertino
- Science Kids: Thursdays 10:00am-11:30am, from January 9 – February 13. Science exploration for preschoolers ages 3-5. 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 13 children/26 people (due to the classroom size, for safety reasons).By Aliza Savransky. 6 weeks. Fee is $3 per child per class to cover supplies, or pay by the first class and get 1 class free ($15 for the series) Cash or checks made out to CHAC. Drop-ins only if space available at 10am. If you buy a series, you must arrive by 10:00am or you lose your space (sorry, no refunds).
- SEEDS of Early Literacy - Wednesdays 10:00am-12:00pm, from January 15 – February 12. Children will practice literacy skills while parents learn how to reinforce what they learn at home. Registration required. At Canon Music School. Free.
- Monthly Play and Learn Class at Calabasas Library! Second Thursday of every month, 10:30am-12:00pm. Mark your calendars: The next class is on February13. Address: Calabasas Library, 1230 S Blaney Ave, San Jose, CA
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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? Do you have expert knowledge that you can teach to our families? 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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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
