VOL. 11 MARCH 2021
This Month's News
Parent Resources
CultivateMN
A Look Back at COVID-19, Community Garden, Month of Giving
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Meet our Podcast Guests, Rent Podcast Room
NURTURE. GROW. EMPOWER
March News On March 11th, 2020, the NBA announced the suspension of the 2019 - 2020 season. This was a profound moment in time. I remember
Learning Yoga poses in Toddler 3
sitting in the current large motor room freaking out, not because I love basketball, but because I couldn't begin to imagine the pivotal moment in time that caused a multi-billion dollar industry to close doors. It was this point in time that I knew we needed to create a plan. I spent the rest of the day talking with the leadership team, making calls to health departments, and doing everything possible to create a transparent dialogue between Cultivate and the families. At 8:28pm that evening, I sent the first of many emails to families about COVID. Minutes after sending out the email, I received responses that families were making the difficult decision to withdraw from the program. We were crushed and carried the weight of that emotional
Playing drums with yoga balls in Preschool 2
heaviness for months. As we cross the year mark of living with the impact of COVID-19, I can’t help but think about resilience and vulnerability. There were many times over the year that many of us developed relationships based on vulnerability and resilience. We opened up in ways that we probably never would have and continued to work toward cultivating growth in ourselves and in others. At Cultivate Mankato, we bumped into many obstacles. At the most trying point of time, we had to rebuild 50% of our staff, our expenditures went up nearly 40%, our enrollment dropped 30%, we didn’t have access to basic supplies such as hand sanitizer (we had to do the ole’ coffee can homemade version), didn’t have access to specific foods, etc. While we committed to stay open to serve families and were grateful that we
Playing with sensory balls on a
could, we faced many challenges that may not have been known.
string in Infant 4
In all of this, I am deeply proud and grateful for the team that has continued to bring their best to work everyday to help children learn and develop. I am also appreciative of the families that continued to stick with us or have come back (or plan to come back) to the organization. I am appreciative of the lessons learned and growth opportunities presented during COVID. While this past year has likely been one of the most challenging years of many of our lives and careers, we have crossed an important milestone in this journey. I hope that everyone continues to have health and happiness.
CANDICE DEAL-BARTELL Making sensory bottles in
Executive Director
Toddler 2
CULTIVATE NEWS | 2
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 directly with our teachers to ensure they are supported in early
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childhood education.
“My name is Laura Walser and I am the Laura Walser, our Early Education Coordinator will be creating short parent resource videos called Upskill for $10/month.
Upcoming topics will be:
Early Education Coordinator at Cultivate Mankato. I am from Minnesota Lake. I graduated from Maple River Schools, then got my Early Childhood Education degree from Minnesota State University
Handling big emotions
Mankato. I worked at Maple River for 14
Emotion coaching
years as Kindergarten teacher and then
Keeping yourself calm
Early Childhood Director. Through my
Bedtime routines
experience in working with children and
Building independence
Some more topics that will be discussed in the future include:
being a parent, I have established a passion for social/emotional development and the important role it
Biting
plays in laying the foundation for a
Morning routine
child's life. It is so incredible to think of
Teaching a skill vs consequences
the impact we as early childhood care
Multiple environments equals multiple
providers can have on children...it's an
expectations
amazing feeling to know that our work
Childcare drop off and pick up routine
truly makes a difference! I am thrilled to
Setting your child up for successful sleep at childcare Potty training The importance of sleep Knowing yourself as a parent Guiding your child’s behavior; positive discipline Language development
be part of 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
If you have questions, please email Laura
laura.walser@cultivatemankato.com CULTIVATE NEWS | 3
meeting the needs of young children.”
www.cultivatemankato.com
PARENTS WE
NEED
YOUR
HELP
SPREADING
THE
WORD
ABOUT
THIS
MEMBERSHIP
BE THE CHANGE #supportyouremployees
CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS CHILD CARE BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP
Upcoming Study Within our education curriculum, we use studies to
C U L T I V A T E N U R T U R E .
C A F E
G R O W .
E M P O W E R .
guide our lesson planning. Studies are a broad concept that we focus on for 4-6 weeks. Currently our study has been about music. This month we will begin our
Cultivate Cafe Connect Stop by the Cultivate Cafe for a cup of coffee with Candice! Once
a
month,
Candice
will
Recycle/Reduce/Reuse
study. If you feel your family has something
special to share in regards to our upcoming study, we would love family participation. Reach out!
be
offering parents an opportunity to connect with her. Parents can stop by
the
Cultivate
Cafe
cart
where
Candice will be serving coffee. The Cultivate Cafe cart will be located at either one of our entrances.
CCC Hour with Candice One Friday a Month 7:30-8:30am **will be announced the monday before**
Snack Cart Did you know we have a snack cart for children to take a snack home at pick up? Our snack cart is next to the island in our community room and it is stocked with healthier snack options; apples, bananas, fruit snacks, pretzels, crackers, etc.
We had a few visitors in our classrooms during our music study to share their love of music with us. One brought a drum, one brought a violin and one brought a mandolin. Preschool 1 also got to go into the new sensory room next door to play drums on yoga balls!
CULTIVATE NEWS | 5
www.cultivatemankato.com
Future Closures Friday, April 2nd
|
Online Store
Friday, July 2nd
Reminders Weather: We want to remind you of our weather policy. Cultivate Mankato does not follow the district 77 weather closings. However, we may have to close if it is deemed unsafe for families and employees getting to and from Cultivate. Also remember to bring all your child's winter gear.
Safety: If you park on Broad Street to drop off or pick up, please be sure you pull forward PAST the BIKE LANE SIGN. This allows some space between your vehicle and the corner on Main
www.cultivatemankato.com/shop
Street. Sometimes cars come around that corner really fast and we want there to be some time for them to see you and your vehicle. Also, remember to make sure the side door leading out to Broad Street closes all the way. Many families exit out of this door which is
Scholastic Book Orders
totally fine. However, sometimes the door gets swung open too far and gets stuck open, which
Through the Scholastic Book Club, you have the
brings in cold air and causes safety risks as well.
choice to place an order each month. Your
If you can please make sure to check behind
orders will allow us to earn free books for our
you to ensure the door closes that would be
Cultivate library and will be used throughout all
deeply appreciated.
of our classrooms. Books will be delivered to Cultivate and sent home with your child. Orders will be due on the 2nd Friday of each month.
On-Site Work Retreat
Use the link below to order. Order will be due on Friday, March 12th.
Our leadership team had a very productive
Any questions about ordering can be emailed to
on-site work retreat a few weeks ago, where
Ms. Tera at
they spent the day discussing and
Link to order:
implementing policy and procedures for Cultivate Mankato. It is our hope to hold these work retreats on a quarterly basis.
CULTIVATE NEWS | 6
tera.vankeulen@cultivatemankato.com
https://orders.scholastic.com/R76H7
Class Code: R76H7 www.cultivatemankato.com
Recruitment Day
March Giving Back to our Community During the month of March we will be collecting items for BIRTHDAY PARTY KITS for the Echo Food Shelf!
Items needed: Boxed Cake Mix - Any Flavor Frosting - Any Flavor
We are hiring teachers in all programs!
What:
On-Site Hiring Event
When:
Monday, March 15th 8:00am-5:00pm
Sprinkles Birthday Candles Party Plates & Napkins Vegetable Oil
Thank you for your continued support and living the Cultivate Mankato values of:
LOVE AUTHENTICITY RELATIONSHIPS and COMMUNITY
Where:
Cultivate MN 110 S. Broad St. Mankato MN, 56001
Must submit application or resume before Monday, March 15th. Must be able to work full-time.
Employment Package includes: health, dental & vision insurance, child care benefits, retirement plan, professional development stipend and other
Click Here for more information about the ECHO FOOD SHELF
employment perks. Please share this information to help us find an outstanding, caring and qualified individual to join our team!
CULTIVATE NEWS | 7
www.cultivatemankato.com
Memories Our building construction two years ago.
Message from Anissa We had barely been open for six months when everything changed because of Covid-19. Our response was to do whatever we could to maintain quality of care across our programs and to ensure the safety and well-being of our team and the families we serve. The challenges were many, but throughout it all we continued to grow and to expand the depth of our programs. We provided resources for families who were sheltering in place while the world tried to figure out how to move through a global pandemic. We provided a place to go and a meal to share for team members who couldn’t go home for holidays. We shared messages of love and support with our neighbors. We opened a school-age room and provided teachers to help with distance learning. We opened a new preschool room
In Search of Seeds for Community Garden We are in need of seeds! We have reserved
and a new toddler room. We hired more people for our team. Over and over again, our team rose to the occasion. We found ways to move forward during a time that often seemed to stand still.
a garden plot at Grace Lutheran. Our
Our vision is to cultivate an inclusive
preschoolers will walk over in groups this
community working together to create a safe
summer to plant and care for our garden.
and stimulating environment of love and
We also plan to have the children plant
learning for all children. Cultivate Mankato is
seeds in between our two buildings;
rooted in developing strong, consistent, loving
Cultivate Mankato & Cultivate MN.
relationships with children, families and care providers. We do this by nurturing children, making intentional efforts to grow communities, and empowering parents with the tools and resources they need. At Cultivate Mankato, we have a clear vision of who we are and why we do what we do. A pandemic isn’t going to change that.
ANNISA SANDLAND Culture & Community Coordinator
CULTIVATE NEWS | 8
www.cultivatemankato.com
A Look Back at the Beginning of COVID-19 March 17th Super Laura and a reminder from some dude on the street to “Wash Yer hands”
March 18th Elastigirl and homemade hand sanitizer
The Beginning: March 2020 Last Day of Taekwondo Tuesday
People still going on Spring Break - there were lots of times that I screenshot images of the news because I knew I’d never want to forget
March 19th Couldn’t find supplies
Had to ask people
anywhere - empty shelves
for hand sanitizer donations since we couldn’t find any in stores or on Amazon
March 23rd World of Hearts
March 13 Spent an entire weekend disinfecting every single toy
March 16th Started “Story Time” with Laura
CULTIVATE NEWS | 9
www.cultivatemankato.com
A Look Back at the Year of COVID-19 April 2nd School Age Room opens up
April 21st Trying to spread some cheer by dancing on the sidewalk
April 29th Started our first food drive
June 10th Team Meeting
CULTIVATE NEWS | 10
www.cultivatemankato.com
s& U r e off Ref 0 2 ve $ on i e c Re uiti t r you
Community Room BEAUTIFUL EVENT SPACE FOR YOUR UPCOMING PARTY OUR COMMUNITY ROOM PROVIDES: • A large kitchen island with bar stools
• A kitchenette with a refrigerator, freezer, sink & microwave
• Tables, table clothes & matching chairs
• Access to a preschool room or an extra meeting room
• Three large windows for lots of natural lighting
• Access to bathrooms
• Beautiful artwork
ENROLLED CULTIVATE FAMILIES RECEIVE A FREE COMMUNITY ROOM RESERVATION
To reserve visit:
CULTIVATE NEWS | 9
www.cultivatemankato.com/community-room
www.cultivatemankato.com
CELEBRATING ONE YEAR WORK ANNIVERSARY Katie Hawbaker
CULTIVATE NEWS | 12
March 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
CULTIVATE NEWS | 13
To place an order: Email us at info@cultivatemankato.com or send us a message in ProCare!
www.cultivatemankato.com
Cultivate MN has a new private podcast studio available to rent ‣
$25 per hour private podcast recording room
for each microphone
‣
Audio interface
‣
‣
Two dynamic microphones
‣
Mic boom
System designed to be compatible on MacBook
All you need is your own computer! And we will help you install audio interface software. Don't want to edit your podcast? We partnered with Nulifestyle Co: Meraki Marketing to offer podcast editing for an additional cost. To book our podcast studio, contact us at info@cultivatemn.org
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 | 15
www.cultivatemankato.com
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MEET OUR PODCAST GUEST
CultivateMN is a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to promoting awareness within early childhood programs, family services organizations, and child CULTIVATE NEWS | 16 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
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MEET OUR PODCAST GUEST
CultivateMN is a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to promoting awareness within early childhood programs, family services organizations, and child CULTIVATE NEWS | 17 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
COMING
SOON
MEET OUR PODCAST GUEST
CultivateMN is a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to promoting awareness within early childhood programs, family services organizations, and child CULTIVATE NEWS | 18 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