A Note from The Director March 2014
Dear Interfaith Families, Our annual Family Night and Silent Auction was FUNtastic! Under the Big Top provided wonderful auction basket opportunities and FUN for the whole family. The proceeds from this fundraiser will directly benefit our students, as we purchase enhancements for the school. A sincere thank you to all the families and staff for your generous contributions and support. An extra special thank you and hugs to our wonderful auction committee, who put in countless hours, ensuring that the evening was a resounding success. The committee was Co-Chaired by Melissa Young and Tianna Smith, whose leadership, enthusiasm, and creativity achieved this special evening. Also, thank you to Parent’s Club Board members, Shannon de la Paz, Lesley Work, Elizabeth Reno, Vanessa Raanes, Catherine Preddy, Julia Warren, as well as committee members, Julia Lopez, Rocco Infantino,Kelly Dietrich, Carolyn Frank, Julie Hinson, Rachel Polsky and Hoa Viu. Their energy and stamina made this special event possible. Thank you to our dedicated Room Moms for coordinating the classroom baskets, and our teachers for the warm classroom receptions! This was truly a memorable evening! We are so excited about the new synthetic turf ground cover that was recently installed on our large playground. The plants will be installed mid-March, as well as the painting of the wood. Of course the children are so excited and enjoy spending time in the green outside world. The environment includes equipment that encourages learning and development. Fall and summer registration is going well! We’re excited, eager, and proud to provide quality childcare and education to so many families in our community. I’m sorry to inform you that Natali Gee, Assistant Director, has had to resign her position for personal reasons. We will miss her, but wish her well. I’m encouraged by the experience and quality of the people I’ve been interviewing for potential replacements. I’ll keep you updated when I find the perfect fit.
We hope the heartfelt warmth and spirit of our Interfaith family continues to shine throughout our community. Warmest regards, Bobbie Hrycushko, Director
IMPORTANT DATES
Please see page 4 for the many important dates this month.
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Health & Safety We’d like to give you tips on child medications to make sure you’re using the right ones the right way. • Only use medications made for children. • Read directions carefully, pay close attention to how much medicine to give, how frequently to give it and if it should be taken in a special way (for instance with or without food). • The rule of thumb when measuring the dose is to follow the weight recommendation rather than age. If you are in doubt about the dose, call your pediatrician. • Check out the ingredient list. It is important to know the active ingredients in the medication you’re dispensing. You will avoid accidentally giving your child another medication with the same active ingredient at the same time – possibly causing an overdose. • Turn on the lights. Make sure you can see clearly. • Measure with care. Dispense the medication in the cup, spoon, dropper or syringe that comes with your child’s medication. • Do not give expired medication. Look at the date of expiration, drugs that have expired are less potent and may undergo chemical changes that could render them dangerous. • Never give your child a prescription intended for someone else. • Take the full course of antibiotics. Stopping antibiotics midcourse can give lingering bacteria the opportunity to grow back. • If you are unsure of a medicine or whether to give one to your child, call your doctor or pharmacist. • Avoid these child medications: Cough and cold remedies. They may cause rapid heart rate or convulsions. Aspirin should never be given because it has been linked to Reyes syndrome, a potentially lethal disease.
Helen Gallowitz, RN Interim Nurse
Source: Children’s Health and Safety Child Medications: Safety Guidelines
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Curriculum Corner
It's time to dust off your boots and cowboy hat for Rodeo Week. All week we will be having different activities to celebrate this annual event. We will be having a mini rodeo in our great room March 5-7th.
This month, we will focus on Earth, Space and Environmental Science. We will learn about what plants need to grow, things we can do to keep our planet healthy and perform experiments with water. Here are some great books to read with your scientists this month: There’s No Place Like Space: All About Our Solar System by Tish Rabe, Flower Garden by Eve Bunting and Water and Floating by David Evans
Thank you very much for all the loving care from our nurse helpers during Well Bear Clinic! The children had a beary good time!!
Mark your calendar… our amazing Book Fair is April 9-11, 2014. Books are available for all ages.
ICDC Newsletter
Library March is the month for Dr. Seuss and Houston Rodeo. Our Dr. Seuss books include: There’s a Rocket in my Pocket One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman, who was a student of Dr. Seuss Rodeo books include: Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond
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People of ICDC Each month our Parent’s Club will be highlighting one of our staff in their newsletter. This is a great way for you to learn more about our wonderful teachers and staff. Hello, my name is Nikki Smith. I live in Cleveland, Texas, and have been teaching at Interfaith Child Development Center for the last eleven and a half years. I started as an Assistant Teacher in the two year old program and now I am a Lead Teacher for the same age group. I have been married for eight years and have a ten year old step-daughter with whom I love spending time. I have three horses, and we enjoy riding, going to rodeos and riding in parades every year. I enjoy the outdoors, especially going fishing. I love art and crafts and I have enjoyed creating and painting several of the wall murals at Interfaith.
Bus Transportation 2014-2015 School Year Due to parent demand of children attending Buckalew for the 2014-2015 school year, we will be adding Buckalew to our transportation routes. ICDC will provide transportation to the following schools for the 2014-2015 school year (starting August 2014): Galatas Elementary, David Elementary, Glen Loch Elementary, Buckalew Elementary and Timber Creek.
March 2013
Important Dates
Thurs. & Fri.
Spirit Days – wear your ICDC T-shirt
March 5-7
Rodeo Round Up
March 10-14
Spring Vacation- No Partial Day Preschool, School Day and MDO classes
March 10-14
Kindergarten and School Age Mini Camp
March 17-28
Mixed bag fundraiser
Enrichment classes will not meet during the Spring Vacation, March 10-14, 2014. All classes will resume the following week.
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ICDC Parent’s Club From The President
I would like to sincerely say ‘thank you’ to all of our parents, staff and teachers who helped make the 2014 ICDC An Evening Under the Big Top family fun night and silent auction such an overwhelming success! We hope you and your children had a wonderful time attending the classroom receptions and bidding on the amazing auction items! With your support and generosity, we were able to raise over $17,500 for our school!! That is incredible! My appreciation, as well, goes out to our fabulous Room Moms and Dads for their creativity in selecting unique basket themes, communicating with the classroom families and organizing our fantastic classroom baskets! We couldn’t have done it without you! And, finally, please allow me to extend my personal gratitude to our Silent Auction Chairs and Committee Members for their countless hours, continuous efforts and for sharing their amazing gifts of talent that led to such a special event! Silent Auction Chairs: Melissa Young & Tiana Smith Silent Auction Decoration Chairs: Catherine Preddy & Lesley Work Silent Auction Committee Members: Kelly Dietrich, Carolyn Frank, Julie Hinson, Rocco Infantino, Julia Lopez, Rachel Polsky, Vanessa Raanes, Elizabeth Reno, Hoa Vu, Julia Warren MIXED BAGS FUNDRAISER Our MIXED BAGS DESIGNS FUNdraiser will run from March 17 – 28th. The bags are perfect for the spring/summer and would also make amazing teacher gifts for the end of the year! Please check your child's school bag right after Spring Break for information on this great fundraiser!
SAVE THE DATE- the Scholastic Book Fair is coming in April! April 9 – 11th ICDC will host its annual spring book fair. Please come and browse the great selection of books! Our teachers will have wish boxes filled with their favorite books for purchase for their classroom and to give you great ideas for your children! Thank you for your continued support. Have a wonderful Spring Break! Shannon K. de la Paz ICDC Parent's Club- President skdelapaz@gmail.com ICDC Newsletter
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