Cultivate Mankato: January 2021 News

VOL. 09 JAN 2021

This Month's News

Parent Resources

CultivateMN

Leasing Building Next Door, December Month of Giving, Business Membership

How to tell if emotional outbursts or aggression are beyond typical childhood behavior.

Stories Shared by Child Advocates

NURTURE. GROW. EMPOWER

January News Giving Ms Abbey a group hug in Toddler 3

Message from Candice As I have reflected on the past year, I keep returning to the idea of “cultivation.” Over the course of the year, and even before, we have spent countless hours tending to the care and education of young children. We have imagined and implemented many ways that child care can be rebuilt to better serve children, families, team members, and communities. While 2020 was a challenging year and brought about many changes and problems, it was also a year of awakening. We had to rebuild systems, processes, and

Building a tower in Preschool 2

teams over and over again throughout the year. In the rebuilding process, we discovered different and better ways to offer child care experiences that focus on all areas of child development including social/emotional, educational, health, mental and physical wellness, etc. In light of a global pandemic, we’ve been able to keep the vision and mission of Cultivate Mankato at the forefront of our work and have continued to cultivate the important work we do.

In 2021, we are anticipating growth opportunities within our programming including the growth of UpSkill (our parent resource portal), infant development programming, a sensory room designed

Playing dentists in Preschool 3

for children with high sensory needs, advocacy for early education teachers and professionals, and the statewide growth of our sister organization, CultivateMN. When we set out to start Cultivate Mankato, we did so with the intention to offer high-quality services to families. We met with families individually and listened to the needs of local families and then we responded. We will continue to do the hard work and raise up the incredible value that child care and early education experiences offer children and families within the community.

We appreciate all of the support, generosity, kindness, respect, and value families have shown us. Thank you and Happy New Year.

Looking at family pictures in Infant 2

CULTIVATE NEWS | 2

CANDICE DEAL-BARTELL Executive Director www.cultivatemankato.com

Laura has years of experience in the classroom as a preschool and kindergarten teacher and also brings a plethora of leadership experience. She works

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directly with our teachers to ensure they are supported in early

Laura Walser, our Early Education Coordinator will be creating short parent resource videos called Upskill for $10/month.

Upcoming topics will be: Handling big emotions

childhood education.

“My name is Laura Walser and I am the Early Education Coordinator at Cultivate Mankato. I am from Minnesota Lake. I graduated from Maple River Schools, then got my Early Childhood Education degree

Emotion coaching

from Minnesota State University Mankato.

Keeping yourself calm

I worked at Maple River for 14 years as

Bedtime routines

Kindergarten teacher and then Early

Building independence

Childhood Director. Through my

Some more topics that will be discussed in the future include:

experience in working with children and being a parent, I have established a passion for social/emotional development

Biting

and the important role it plays in laying

Morning routine

the foundation for a child's life. It is so

Teaching a skill vs consequences

incredible to think of the impact we as

Multiple environments equals multiple

early childhood care providers can have

expectations

on children...it's an amazing feeling to

Childcare drop off and pick up routine

know that our work truly makes a

Setting your child up for successful

difference! I am thrilled to be part of

sleep at childcare Potty training The importance of sleep Knowing yourself as a parent Guiding your child’s behavior; positive discipline Language development If you have questions, please email Laura

curriculum development and ensure best practices with the team at Cultivate Mankato. I strive to provide the staff with the competencies, support and confidence they need to create a positive learning environment! I also enjoy collaborating with families and the community to empower them as well, in meeting the needs of young children.”

laura.walser@cultivatemankato.com

CULTIVATE NEWS | 3

www.cultivatemankato.com

PARENTS WE

NEED

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THIS

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OFFER A BENEFIT EMPLOYEES CARE ABOUT.

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CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS CHILD CARE BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP

Message from Anissa At Cultivate Mankato we live our by our core values of LOVE, AUTHENTICITY, RELATIONSHIPS and COMMUNITY. As Community Coordinator, not only do I get to share our values within our Cultivate Mankato Community, I also get to share those values in the community at-large.

We had a busy month in December!

We celebrated our Cultivate Mankato team and five teams (and the residents) at Pathstone Crossing with TWELVE DAYS OF GIVING. Shopping locally, we were able to

How lucky are we to be a part of an

show appreciation to the care providers

organization that lives its core values everyday.

while supporting local businesses.The On-

I love the work I get to do and I love working

line Auction was a Win-Win-Win!

with all of you.

We purchased items from local artists and

Thank you Candice for making this possible.

businesses. WIN! $815 was raised for the

Your heart and generosity are beyond measure!

Greater Mankato United Way. WIN! The winning bids got an awesome gift

- Ms. Anissa, Community Coordinator (and our community elf)

package. WIN! AND...We collected items for The Reach and S.S. Boutique!

Click Here to View Pictures

AND... We donated time with a packing session at Feeding Our Community Partners and selling raffle tickets for The Greater Mankato United Way. 2021 will provide us with opportunities to

January Giving Back to our Community

give back to Community in many different ways. My hope is that you will join us in our

“The goal of the Crisis Nursery is to prevent child

efforts to be connected to our community in

abuse and neglect. The Crisis Nursery provides

both the big ways and small ways.

crisis support and, when needed, a temporary,

“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say, ‘It’s not

safe-haven for children whose caregivers are experiencing a family or personal crisis."

my child, not my community, not my world,

We are collecting SIZE 5 & SIZE 6 diapers,

not my problem.’ Then there are those who

children's mittens and gloves, and $10 gas cards

see the need and respond. I consider those

for families to transport their child to the care

people my heroes.” - Mister Rogers

provider.

www.cultivatemankato.com CULTIVATE NEWS | 5

Covid-19 Policies updated Dec. 2020

Review and download our COVID-19 Policy and Procedures

Click Here

Cultivate Administrative Offices Cultivate Mankato, along with our non-profit branch, CultivateMN, has leased the building next door! Our intention is to move our administrative offices over to the building, along with a podcast recording studio, and a

Weather Reminder As the snow has already fallen this month,

future sensory room. Our current office space at Cultivate will become a teacher resource center that will allow our teachers more space to prep and plan materials for classrooms.

we want to remind you of our weather

Leasing the space next door also means that

policy. Cultivate Mankato does not follow

we will be able to use the parking lot, which

the district 77 weather closings. However,

will make drop off and pick up easier for

we may have to close if it is deemed unsafe

families. The lot is small, so families will still

for families and employees getting to and

need to use the other options available at this

from Cultivate. We have only had to close

time as well, but it gives us another option that

early once last year so hopefully early

we’re excited about.

closures will be minimal.

Also, please remember to bring snow boots, snow pants, hats, mittens and a coat every day. We do have some extras but our extras are limited.

Upcoming Study Within our education curriculum, we use

Photo of the Staff Lounge in the new building next door

studies to guide our lesson planning. Studies are a broad concept that we focus on for 4-6 weeks. Currently our study has been all about winter where we have focused on snow, winter clothing, winter in MN, and cold weather. In the next couple of weeks we will begin our

ball study.

If you feel your family has something special to share in regards to our upcoming study, we would love family participation. Reach out!

CULTIVATE NEWS | 6

www.cultivatemankato.com

New Liaison Positions We have created new positions called Program Liaisons. The Program Liaison works with teachers in their represented program and the Cultivate Mankato Leadership team as a liaison to build stronger partnerships

Sneak Peak

Coming Soon

within the center and each classroom. The Program Liaison understands and defends organizational values and vision and works collaboratively with all members of the

C U L T I V A T E N U R T U R E .

G R O W .

C A F E E M P O W E R .

program and leadership team to ensure cooperation, collaboration, and common ground. In general, the Program Liaison is responsible for the following:

Facilitates two-way communication between teachers and the Cultivate Mankato Leadership team on what’s happening in the classrooms.

Collaborate with the program teachers and staff

Scholastic Book Orders

to identify how organizational goals and objectives can be met.

Delegates assignments and responsibilities to

Through the Scholastic Book Club, you have the choice to place an order each month.

team members, primarily regarding

Your orders will allow us to earn free books for

opening/closing tasks, cleaning, DHS

our Cultivate library and will be used

requirements, and early education requirements

throughout all of our classrooms. Books will be

(such as lesson planning).

delivered to Cultivate and sent home with your

Promotes organizational goals and participation

child. Orders will be due on the 2nd Friday of

in centerwide events.

each month.

Completes weekly inventory checklists for the

Use the link below to order.

Order will be due on Friday, January 8th.

program.

Welcomes and trains new staff members as they enter the specific program.

Meets with the leadership team weekly to discuss successes and challenges.

Any questions about ordering can be emailed to Ms. Tera at

tera.vankeulen@cultivatemankato.com

Link to order: https://orders.scholastic.com/R76H7

Our Program Liaison for the Toddler Program is Abbey Weilage and our Program Liaison for

Class Code: R76H7

the Infant Program is Britni Greenfield.

CULTIVATE NEWS | 7

www.cultivatemankato.com

Welcome Britt, New Preschool 2 Lead

Future Closures Friday, April 2nd

|

Friday, July 2nd

My name is Britt Cline and I am the lead teacher in Preschool 2. I was raised across the river in North Mankato and am glad to be working with a company who values the community within

Cultivate Mankato Rebrand

all of us, as well as the community without: greater Mankato. I love living here and raising my family (husband and daughter born in 2017) here. My educational background is in communication sciences and disorders, philosophy, and psychology.

My vocational background is as a special education paraeducator with Mankato Area Public Schools preschool. Kids are my favorite people to be around, and I am

DOWNTOWN CHILD CARE CENTER C H I L D

D E V E L O P M E N T

&

R E S O U R C E

C E N T E R

looking forward to helping them grow and learn. Thank you for that privilege!

Feeding Every Baby New Rates Our center-wide rate change went into effect 01/01/2021. We believe that we are offering a high quality program with qualified teaching staff, excellent food, educational resources, and other resources that best serve the needs of all children.

Do you have a baby and struggle with assistance not being enough? Do you not qualify for assistance? Are you a foster parent, or caring for someone else's child? Are you affected by Covid19? At Feeding Every Baby, they help regardless of income, other assistance programs, or location (as long as you can pick up in Mankato, they will help).

They provide formula, breastfeeding supplies including extra pumps, nursing pads, and storage bags, diapers, pull ups and wipes.

They often have bottles, baby food, and infant cereals available.

Click Here for More Information CULTIVATE NEWS | 8

www.cultivatemankato.com

CELEBRATING ONE YEAR WORK ANNIVERSARY Cassandra, Mackenzie, Bri, Adrienne, Nikki, Aleia

CULTIVATE NEWS | 9

Jan. Menu

We would like to give families the opportunity to order the bread that River Rock makes for our children. There are two different options to choose from: Sourdough and Midwest Multigrain.

Pick up is at Cultivate. Payment is added to your tuition.

Click the menu to download a pdf

To place an order: Email us at info@cultivatemankato.com or send us a message in ProCare!

Message from Becky "I want to take a moment to let you know what we are working on for the new year. Last February we partnered with River Rock Bakery and they have been wonderful to work with. They've provided us with organic muffins, their famous midwest multigrain and sourdough bread and this fall they provided us with delicious pumpkin bread, focaccia bread, green goddess dip, granola bars and homemade organic tomato soup which the kids love with grilled cheese sandwiches. In the next few weeks I will be working closely with the team at River Rock as well as reaching out to other local businesses to create a more diverse menu.

Something we are also very excited about... Since several of our CM families have asked for the recipe of something their child ate and liked, we were inspired to create a Cultivate Mankato Community Cookbook. This book will not only include recipes from the CM kitchen but our hope is to include recipes from local restaurants in and around the Mankato area as well as your favorite family recipe. Illustrations will be done by the children at CM. Watch your emails for more information in the next few weeks."

CULTIVATE NEWS | 10

- Ms. Becky

www.cultivatemankato.com

Parent Resource

Understanding anger in children When children continue to have regular emotional outbursts, it’s usually a

Is My Child’s Anger Normal?

symptom of distress. The first step is

How to tell if emotional outbursts or aggression

understanding what’s triggering your

are beyond typical childhood behavior.

child’s behavior. There are many possible underlying causes, including:

Written by Child Mind Institute childmind.org/article/is-my-childs-anger-normal/

ADHD:

Many children with ADHD,

especially those who experience impulsivity and hyperactivity, have trouble

Most children have occasional tantrums or meltdowns. They may sometimes lash out if they’re frustrated or be defiant if asked to do something they don’t want to do. But when kids do these things repeatedly, or can’t control their tempers a lot of the time, it may be more than typical behavior.

Here are some signs that emotional outbursts should concern you:

controlling their behavior. They may find it very hard to comply with instructions or switch from one activity to another, and that makes them appear defiant and angry. “More than 50 percent of kids with ADHD also exhibit defiance and emotional outbursts,” says Dr. Vasco Lopes, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. Their inability to focus and complete tasks can also lead to tantrums, arguing, and power struggles. That

If your child’s tantrums and outbursts

doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve been

are occurring past the age in which

diagnosed with ADHD—in fact, ADHD is

they’re developmentally expected (up to

sometimes overlooked in kids who have a

about 7 or 8 years old)

history of severe aggression because

If his behavior is dangerous to himself or

there are so many bigger issues.

othersIf her behavior is causing her

Anxiety: Children

serious trouble at school, with teachers

defiant often have severe, and

reporting that she is out of control.

unrecognized, anxiety. If your child has

If his behavior is interfering with his ability to get along with other kids, so he’s excluded from play dates and birthday partiesIf her tantrums and defiance are causing a lot of conflict at home and disrupting family life.

who seem angry and

anxiety, especially if she’s hiding it, she may have a hard time coping with situations that cause her distress, and she may lash out when the demands at school, for instance, put pressure on her that she can’t handle. In an anxietyinducing situation, your child’s “fight or

If he’s upset because he feels he can’t

flight” instinct may take hold—she may

control his anger, and that makes him

have a tantrum or refuse to do something

feels bad about himself.

to avoid the source of acute fear.

CULTIVATE NEWS | 11

www.cultivatemankato.com

Trauma or neglect: A

lot of acting out

Autism:

Children on the autism

in school is the result of trauma,

spectrum are also often prone to

neglect, or chaos at home. “Kids who

dramatic meltdowns. If your child is on

are struggling, not feeling safe at home

the spectrum, he may tend to be rigid—

can act like terrorists at school, with

needing consistent routine to feel safe—

fairly intimidating kinds of behavior,”

and any unexpected change can set him

says Dr. Nancy Rappaport, a Harvard

off. He may have sensory issues that

Medical School professor who

cause him to be overwhelmed by

specializes in mental health care in a

stimulation, and short-circuit into a

school setting. Most at risk, she says,

meltdown that continues until he

are kids with ADHD who’ve also

exhausts himself. And he may lack the

experienced trauma.

language and communication skills to

Learning problems: When

your child

express what he wants or needs.

acts out repeatedly in school or during

How can you help an “angry” child?

homework time, it’s possible that he has

Medication won’t necessarily fix defiant

an undiagnosed learning disorder. Say

behavior or aggression; it can reduce

he has a lot of trouble with math, and

the symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and

math problems make him very frustrated

other disorders and improve the

and irritable. Rather than ask for help,

conditions for working on those

he may rip up an assignment or start

behaviors. Behavioral approaches that

something with another child to create

have parents and children working

a diversion from his real issues.

together to rein in problem behavior are

Sensory processing issues:

key to helping the situation.

Some

children have trouble processing the

Find the triggers

sensory information they are getting

The first step in managing anger is

from the world around them. If your

understanding what triggers set off a

child is oversensitive, or undersensitive,

child’s outbursts. So, for instance, if

to stimulation, things like “scratchy”

getting out the door for school is a

clothes and too much light or noise can

chronic issue for your child, solutions

make her uncomfortable, anxious,

might include time warnings, laying out

distracted, or overwhelmed. That can

clothes and showering the night before,

lead to meltdowns for no reason that’s

and waking up earlier. Some kids

apparent to you or other caregivers.

respond well to breaking tasks down into steps, and posting them on the wall.

CULTIVATE NEWS | 12

www.cultivatemankato.com

Consistent parenting When a child’s defiance and emotional

Ignore negative behavior and praise positive behavior. Ignore minor

outbursts occur, the parent or

misbehavior, since even negative

caregiver’s response affects the

attention like reprimanding or telling the

likelihood of the behavior happening

child to stop can reinforce her actions.

again.If a child’s behavior is out of

Instead, lavish labeled praise on

control or causing major problems, it’s a

behaviors you want to encourage. (Don’t

good idea to try step-by-step parent

just say “good job,” say “good job

training programs. These programs (like

calming down.”)

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, or

Use consistent consequences. Your

PCIT, and Parent Management Training) train you to positively reinforce behavior you want to encourage in your child, and give consistent consequences for behaviors you want to discourage. Most children respond well to a more

consequences are for negative behaviors, such as time outs, as well as rewards for positive behaviors, like time on the iPad. And you need to show him you follow through with these consequences every

structured relationship, with calm, consistent responses from parents that they can count on.

time.

Wait to talk until the meltdown is over.

One thing you don’t want to do is try to

Here are some of the key elements taught in parent training: Don’t give in. Resist

child needs to know what the

reason with a child who is upset. As Dr. Stephen Dickstein, a pediatrician and

the temptation to

child and adolescent psychiatrist, puts it,

end your child’s tantrum by giving her

“Don’t talk to the kid when she’s not

what she wants when she explodes. To

available.” You want to encourage a

give in only teaches her that tantrums

child to practice at negotiation when

work.

she’s not blowing up, and you’re not

Remain calm and consistent. You’re

in

either.

a better place to teach and follow

Build a toolkit for calming down.

through with better, more consistent

you and your child need to build what Dr.

consequences when you’re in control of

Dickstein calls a toolkit for self-soothing,

your own emotions. Harsh or angry

things you can do to calm down, like slow

responses tend to escalate a child’s

breathing, to relax, because you can’t be

aggression, be it verbal or physical. By

calm and angry at the same time. There

staying calm, you’re also modeling—and

are lots of techniques, he adds, but “The

teaching—your child the type of behavior

nice thing about breathing is it’s always

you want to see in him.

available to you.”

CULTIVATE NEWS | 13

Both

www.cultivatemankato.com

What is Cultivate MN? CultivateMN is a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to promoting awareness within early childhood programs, family services organizations, and child welfare programs. We believe sharing stories promotes awareness and cultivates connection.

CULTIVATE NEWS | 14

www.cultivatemankato.com

Click Here to Listen

CultivateMN is a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to promoting awareness within early childhood programs, family services organizations, and child CULTIVATE NEWS | 15 w e l f a r e p r o g r a m s . W e b e l i e v e s h a r i n g s t owww.cultivatemankato.com ries promotes