ECF October 2016 Newsletter
October 20, 2016
ECOLE NEWS
352 Westminster Ave, Venice | 310-314-9976 | clairefontainela@aol.com
New Morning Ritual You may have noticed that upon entering both campuses Children are now asked to wash their hands. This is a lovely way to start our day and to keep your Children healthy.
Hand, Foot, Mouth Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease is common among Children in the autumn season. While it is terribly contagious, it is not so dangerous. Read PAGE 7 for tips to help comfort your Child.
Lice! Skip the Chemicals and Use a Metal Comb - See PAGE 10 for tips to get rid of the parasite
Halloween Potluck October 31, 5pm AK Campus Eat something healthy before the Trick or Treating begins.
Leaves Are Falling There is a slight chill in the air and the children are singing and dancing under falling leaves in the garden. Welcome again to Autumn!!
It has been a glorious month at École Claire Fontaine. The mood is exciting, thoughtful, respectful. The children are watching and engaging, with time allowed to experience unplanned moments. We love this time of year! With Halloween in the air, Children are in for a treat - let us celebrate the harvest and focus on pumpkins, which are not only for carving…Read No Food Goes To Waste on PAGE 11
Save the Date 11/19 Holiday Boutique in the Garden - AK Campus, 19th of November from 11am - 5pm. Discover beautiful treasures. Ecole Claire Fontaine
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October 20, 2016
November Birthdays Let us celebrate our Children’s birthdays by making sure we do not bring any birthday treats that have excessive sugar and icing, or any nuts of any kind. Celebrate November 10th at 1:00 pm.!
Archibald, Claire, Clara, Iris, Jeanne and Willem"
! Grandparents Club
Calendar of Events October 31 - Halloween Potluck 5-7pm! November 5 - Music in the Garden 10:30-11:30am!
Does your Child have a grandparent who would like to be more involved with our garden school? Please let us know if they would be interested in joining a Grandparents Club, the rights to which include a copy of the Newsletter and a special lunch with your Child. Please send an email to the office with a contact email address. Merci Chers Amis!
November 10 - Birthday Celebrations 1pm! November 11 - School Closed! November 15 - Journee Mondiale du Recyclage! November 18 - Thanksgiving Potluck 5-7pm! November 24-25 School Closed!
Keep Warm Parents, please remember to bring your Children dressed warmly in the mornings as the gardens can sometimes take two hours to warm up.
Limit Screen Time ECF recommends screen time be avoided under 2 or very limited for those 3+ years.
Great Shake Out Practice what your Children have learned at school. Drop, Cover and Hold On! Ecole Claire Fontaine
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! CPR Training
October 20, 2016
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Ecole Claire Fontaine teachers will receive a formal CPR training to hone their lifesaving skills on Saturday, October 29.
Roues Libres 2016 Ecole Claire Fontaine has had the pleasure of hosting Isabelle and Bruno FrĂŠbourg en route to Mexico. The bicycling adventure began in France in 2006 to document nature, people and culture. The cycling duo has peddled more than 60,000 miles thus far in Europe, Canada, the US and South America. www.roueslibres.net
Ecole Claire Fontaine
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October 20, 2016
Food Coloring Flowers in Arts & Crafts Class!
On Fridays the Children Practice Soccer in the Park 
Ecole Claire Fontaine
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October 20, 2016
! Caring for our Garden 
Ecole Claire Fontaine
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October 20, 2016
Letting the Moments Happen - Picking Oranges in the Trees  
Ecole Claire Fontaine
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October 20, 2016
HAND, FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE: COMMON AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN DURING THE AUTUMN, SPRING & SUMMER SEASONS
! If your child comes down with the eponymous Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, a.k.a Coxsackievirus, don’t panic. Despite how frightening they look, the little red dots of blisters – the only rash to appear simultaneously on all three, hence the name – will go away within 7-1 days. Since it is a virus, there is no need for antibiotics. Medical intervention is normally not considered necessary unless the fever is concerning or no fluids are going down (however, we are not doctors and as a parent you do know best – if your inner voice is telling you to rush to the doctor, please listen to yourself). Sores inside the mouth could make drinking or eating painful. We suggest trying smoothies (a favorite recipe follows) and broth soups. And, as always, wash your hands frequently.
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Most likely your Child will have come into contact with the virus through saliva, holding a blistered hand, or playing with a toy that a person with the virus touched. Symptoms such as fever, sore throat or runny nose appear three to five days after exposure. The rash usually makes its appearance a day or two after that.
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There is not much to do to stop a case of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease once it is underway, but you will need to stay away from other people (so contagious) and wait. You may find the time to wipe surfaces often with a natural cleaner such as vinegar, and to add Tea Tree Oil to your hand soap, which is an effective natural anti-bacterial. Ecole Claire Fontaine
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October 20, 2016
Baths of apple cider vinegar and virgin organic coconut oil may help to soothe your Child, as may a bath of baking soda or Epsom Salts with lavender essential oil. A salve of tea tree, lavender and coconut oils is nice to put directly on the sores to sooth the itching. We have also found that baking soda with a pinch of water and a dash of tea tree or lavender oil can help with itching and keeping the sores clean. Trimmed nails are necessary to prevent the type of vigorous scratching that can cause the blisters to open and become infected.
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Vegetable or bone broth, garlic and more vegetables are delicious blended and can be helpful for your Child as the overall curative effect may soothe the body and boost the immune system. Thyme, rosemary and sage, found often in the French Herbes de Provence, are among the most recommended to get through this trying time.
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Since your Child will most likely experience periods of decreased and increased energy, even while still contagious, tea parties can be fun. For HFMD, suggestions include tea made with lemon balm, peppermint, elderberry or rooibos – these tend to be so yummy and sweet that honey may not be necessary.
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A Cooling Smoothie
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2 tsp organic hemp protein powder (We use Nutiva: “It tastes like chocolate!”) 2 tsp ground organic flax seed 1 frozen banana (cut into pieces before freezing) 1/2 cup blueberries or strawberries – can use fresh but we like frozen for the ice cream effect 1 cup milk (whatever your Child likes that has lots of calcium) blend it and if you have left overs they make great frozen treat bars to sooth the mouth and throat
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Ecole Claire Fontaine
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October 20, 2016
! A Comforting Broth
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2 cups vegetable or bone broth (homemade or store bought organic) 2 cloves garlic pureed 1/4 block tofu, cubed 1 pinch each of thyme, sage and rosemary (fresh is best, powder works too) 1 cup pureed vegetables and greens (whatever you have on hand is good – kale, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, onions) Mix everything together Heat to the liking of your Child
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Please remember that prevention is the best medicine, boost your Child’s immune system with healthy, organic food, plenty of sleep and fresh air, warm clothes and frequent hand washing.
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Bon Appétit and Get Well Soon – More Autumn Health Tips to Come
Ecole Claire Fontaine
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October 20, 2016
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BACK TO SCHOOL BRINGS BACK THE LICE
The cleanest child can contract head lice. It can live on any rug, carpet, furniture, stuffed animal, piece of clothing or hat, but only for a day without feeding on blood. Lice do not jump or fly between people. Although it is gross to see bugs in your Child’s hair, it does not mean that any of you are doing anything wrong. What to do if you see it? Act immediately to prevent its spread.
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We have been through this and know that it can get ugly. Some of us have tried chemical treatments to no avail. Another cut her Child’s beautiful, long hair – also without success. What we have learned that works is washing, using a metal comb and tea tree oil.
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To treat your home, wash and dry all the blankets, sheets, pillows and rugs that you can. Wash stuffed animals too if they will not be damaged. If something will not survive the washing machine and dryer, you can put it in a plastic bag for two weeks until the lice and their eggs have died. Vacuum floors and furniture, concentrating where your Child sat or lay. However, according to the Center for Disease Control, “the risk of getting infested by a louse that has fallen onto a rug or carpet or furniture is very small.” Any combs or brushes should be soaked in hot water at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Using a metal comb (there is great one for sale at www.thehairwhispers.com), go through every strand of hair to pull out eggs. Pick the lice by hand and have a dish of soapy water nearby to put them in. When the hair looks clean, rub the scalp with tea tree oil. Do this everyday.
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Try to keep in mind in the midst of this stressful situation, it will end!
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HELPFUL LINKS: http://www.hairwhisperers.com/head-lice.html https://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Documents AParentsGuidetoHeadLice.pdf Ecole Claire Fontaine
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October 20, 2016
NO FOOD GOES WASTE
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Food is a celebration at Ecole Claire Fontaine that we share through our lunches and snacks, and in our baking and Savors &Â Flavors classes.
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The children experience new and familiar tastes, while learning to honor their food. Children are able to take only what they will eat, and then ask for more after they have finished, leaving no food to waste. If we have served ourselves and taken more than we are hungry for, we are sure to compost the leftovers. We compost the stems, ends and bits we cannot use. No part of the fruit or vegetable goes to waste. Composting helps our garden flourish, and teaches children about responsibility to their environment.
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It is estimated that as much as half of all the food produced in the world ends up as waste every year. The environmental toll for throwing away so much uneaten food is also costly. We know that methane gas produced by food waste in landfills is one of the most harmful atmospheric pollutants.
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The EPA estimates 96 percent of wasted food ends up in landfills, and that there is more food waste in landfills than paper or plastic. So much of this waste could be prevented. While some large farms have been paid to destroy food when heavy production would cause prices to drop substantially, a United Nations Food & Agriculture 2013 report shows the link between how global food prices are set and the many tons of food we throw away.
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Ecole Claire Fontaine
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October 20, 2016
Other food is destroyed because it is bruised, unattractive, not something we wish to eat. “Not beautiful” produce can be repurposed, cut/cubed/diced/ sliced/pureed/sautéed… leading to fantastic and delicious creations. While many have undertaken such projects, National Geographic reported in March of this year that “if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world, after China and the U.S.” This weekend the New York Times published an article highlighting the waste of the lovely pumpkins we carve for Halloween and then throw away.
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As many people throughout the world know, pumpkin is a fantastic food that can be baked, sautéed or steamed. Small pumpkins are delicious stuffed with Gruyère and kale and then baked. The children will be experimenting with pumpkin throughout the harvest season.
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We have found that responsibility around food creates a more whole and directed child. Time spent around the table together enforces bonds and allows for moments of joy to be shared. Friends inspire one another to try new foods, with vegetables as a part of every meal. As tastes are acquired, the sooner the better that broccoli, carrots and kale take hold in the palate.
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In our garden, through daily play and gardening classes, children have the opportunity to experience the time, space, water and work it takes to grow food. Our gardening students love to answer the question of, “What do we need to grow our own food?” There is frequently jumping up and down as the children answer with, “Seeds! Soil! Water! Sunshine… And love!”
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Ecole Claire Fontaine
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