Some fun pictures from our first week of September!

Our end of summer bbq! The children had so much fun running through the "mister thingy" -- thank you Den for making it available!

Scarlett working with the 100 apples tray...that is a lot of apples but she stuck with it and did them all!!!!

Nico thought this was pretty fun.....evident by the huge smile!

Addie rolling her apple in red paint...kind of like bowling:-)

Apple Activity Trays

Just a quick reminder that the Scholastic book orders are due tomorrow! Thank you!

And a few pictures from Valentines Day.....

Our "heart" lunch!

Wow! What fun the children had passing out their treats to their friends! It was heartwarming to see how much they enjoyed "giving" as well as "receiving."

Scholastic book orders due today....

Please let me know if you are wanting to order books from Scholastic as I plan to place the order this evening. Scholastic is a great way to add books to your child's library -- many are under $3.00 and when you purchase books our child care library benefits from free books as well.

A few pictures from last week..

The Littles!

Being silly...

He's so proud....there is no stopping him now that he has figured out how to climb up on the sofa. He will learn the words "sit down" this week! :-)

Updated Blog

Hello parents!

My blog is now fixed -- still not sure what happened but everything seems to be lining up better now. Please remember to actually visit the blog as there are things on the sidebar - like dates I am closed - that are important to know.

The address is:

http://juliaschildcare.blogspot.com/

If you are having trouble accessing the blog, please let me know.

Upcoming Days Off

Just a quick reminder....these have been posted on the board but I know sometimes they are easily missed. Closing at 3:00 this Friday, May 28 and closed next Friday, June 4. Thank you!

Happy Mother's Day!

This is take #425, give or take! Enjoy!

Doctor Appointment

Hi parents,

I have my follow-up appointment for my foot on May 18, 2010. I need to be in the Sherwood office by 4:10 for an x-ray prior to seeing the doctor at 4:50. I will need the children picked up early -- 3:30 if possible. Please let me know if that will not work for you. Thank you!

Information to help parents claim valuable tax credits...

The working families, whose children you care for, may be eligible for federal tax credits worth thousands of dollars when they file their taxes for 2009. These credits are more valuable than ever so make sure your families don't miss out! Here are the credits:

Federal Tax Credits:
• Earned Income Tax Credit, which helps provide a wage supplement for low and moderate-income families. This credit is worth up to $5,657.
• Child Tax Credit, designed to help families offset some of the costs of raising children. This credit is worth up to $1,000 per child for families who earned at least $3,000 in 2009.
• Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, designed to help with child care costs that families pay in order to work. This credit is worth up to $2,100, but can't be more than the family's federal tax bill.
• Making Work Pay Credit, designed to increase families' take-home pay. This new credit is worth up to $800 for couples.
Oregon Tax Credits:
• Oregon Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, designed to help with child care costs families pay in order to work. It is worth up to $1,800 but can't be more than the family's state tax bill.
• Oregon Working Family Child Care Tax Credit, worth up to 40% of
qualifying child care expenses.
• Oregon Earned Income Tax Credit, worth up to $339 for low income families.

Even if a family doesn't owe income taxes, it may still be eligible for a refund check!

Families can get FREE help with their federal taxes by calling the IRS toll-free at (800) TAX-1040 or (800) 829-1040. Or go to www.irs.gov/individuals/topic . For help with state taxes contact the Oregon Department of Revenue at (800) 356-4222 or www.oregon.gov/DOR/ .
Families can also contact the AARP Tax-Aide toll-free at (888) AARP-NOW or (888) 227-7669. To find AARP Tax-Aide help in your area,
https://locator.aarp.org/vmis/sites/tax_aide_locator.jsp .

Scholastic Book Orders

Dear Parents,

I have exciting news. You can now place your Scholastic Book Clubs orders online!

Browse all the great monthly Book Club selections at low prices and order online. Plus, our class earns a FREE Book every time a parent orders online.

Here's how it works:

1. Use the information below to access the Scholastic Book Clubs Web site.
2. Browse the titles with your child and place your order with your credit card.
3. Your order will come to me, and your credit card payment will go directly to Scholastic's secure server. There's no need to send money to school.
4. After I submit the entire class order to Scholastic, your order will be delivered to our
classroom for your child to take home.

To get started, go to the Web address below and enter our class’s personalized user name and password in the sign-in fields on the right side of the page. Note: You do not need to create your own user name and password.

Scholastic Book Club
User Name: Juliaschildcare
Password: reading4fun

Ordering online is the most convenient way to use Scholastic Book Clubs. You can order anytime, right up until the online order due date. You'll also get instant access to over 500 additional titles plus online-only specials and discounts. Currently, you will find the February Firefly and Honeybee catalog available.

And don't forget: Every time a parent places an order online, we earn a FREE book for our classroom library!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,

JULIA FIEGER

Vaccine

Dear parents,

As some of you have already received the booster for your child I need a count as to how many will be receiving it on January 5. I need there to be at least 4 in order for them to come out. Please email me or respond here with a yes or no if you have not already done so.

Thank you!

Booster for the H1N1

The Yamhill County Health Department just called and scheduled the H1N1 booster for Tuesday, January 5 at 3:00. Forms will be delivered to me this week and I will get them to you asap. If you are able to come and be here at that time to help comfort your child it would be greatly appreciated!



I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas and

Second dose of H1N1 vaccine

I contacted the Health Department today and my contact, Annie, said that they just finished the first round of the vaccine and will most likely be starting the second round late December or early January and will contact me at that time. She assured me that this is a booster and most likely the children are protected but if you have concerns to please contact your own doctors.

Preschool updates....

We have enjoyed this first week of preschool! The preschoolers have been learning about the letter A and how it sounds and also "All About Me."

A new focus this year is I will be taking a particular book each week that is somewhat related to our themes, or a virtue (kindness, etc.) and they will do activities related to the story. This week it was the story "I Like Me." Yesterday the children looked at themselves in a mirror and then drew their face on a precut shape. Today we talked about what is the same and what is different as well as what makes each of them special.


The children also went on a red hunt and a circle hunt -- there are many, many, many, many red as well as circle shapes in our room! Did I say many:-)

The Littles are also going to be "learning" and the focus this week was on Trees. We will be doing lots of singing, fingerplays, large motor and sensory activities. There will also be art but as they are very young it is mostly an introduction.

Song/language development - Rock-A-Bye Baby
Large Motor - Tall as a Tree (the preschoolers LOVE this one too as we all do them together)
Fingerplay - Five Finger Trees
Sensory - Tickle Me Tree (feeling a leaf and tickle their chin)
Sign Language - Tree

In case you would like to do Tall as a Tree at home:

Tall as a tree
(raise arms high over head)
High as a house.
(stretch arms out wide)
Thin as a pin.
(arms next to body)
Small as a mouse.
(squat down and huddle, and you also have to use a tiny voice when you are a mouse or it just isn't as much fun!)

I hope to post our focus as the beginning of each week and the fingerplays and songs that are related so you can do them with your children at home as well.

And again, thank you all so much for the supplies. They will be WELL used!

Closed dates - revised

Just a quick note to let you know that Sarah will be able to sub for me on Monday, June 8. I will still be closed June 4 and 5.