VOL. 12 MAY 2021
This Month's News
Parent Resources
CultivateMN
Staff Trainings, Sensory Room, Playground Update
Subscribe to Upskill
Meet our Podcast Guests, Rent Podcast Room
NURTURE. GROW. EMPOWER.
May News Singing songs during circle
Index
time in Toddler 2
02-03
Upskill Parent Resources, Business Membership
Future Closures, Sunscreen, Reminders, Playground Updates
05
Congratulations Preschool Graduates
06
Congratulations College Graduates
07
Message from Anissa, Memory, Cultivate
08
Playing with bubbles in Infant 2
Hats Sale
Cultivate MN Coffee, New T-Shirts, Scholastic Book Order, Sensory Room
Upcoming Study, Snack Cart, Cultivate Dramatic Play in Preschool 3
Connect
09 10
Giving Back to Our Community, Hiring
11
April Month of Staff Trainings, Teachable
12
Platform, Videography Internal Use
Community Room, Workiversary, Menu, Parent Resource, Cultivate MN Podcast
13-18
Meditation with Andy with Preschool 1
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
Click Here to Subscribe
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
EMPLOYERS WHO PROVIDE CHILD CARE BENEFITS TO THEIR EMPLOYEES BENEFIT FOR EMPLOYERS & EMPLOYEES
ot pu
55%
of parents would take a pay cut for a job that offers child care.
77%
ot pu
ATTRACT AND RETAIN TALENT
Source: KinderCare Education Works
BECOME A MEMBER
Source: Harris Poll, 2019
IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY increase in work-life balance, employees with access to child care reported. Source: KCE Fortune 100 Client Survey
ENCOURAGE ENGAGEMENT
30%
ot pu
ot pu
10%
of parents are looking to employers to offset the cost of child care.
reduction in employee absences by providing child care. Source: Child Care Council, 2014
CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS CHILD CARE BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP
Future Closures January 1st | New Year's Day April 2nd | Teacher Appreciation May 31st |
Memorial Day
July 2nd | Independence Day
Playground Update We will be breaking ground the weekend of May 8th, weather pending!
Supplying Sunscreen
September 3rd | Fall Readiness September 6th | Labor Day October 22nd | Teacher Appreciation November 25th | Thanksgiving November 26th | Thanksgiving December 24th | Christmas Eve December 25th | Christmas Day
Reminders
Moving forward we will be supplying Rocky Mt. sunscreen for all families.
Click here if you
would like more info about the sunscreen.
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 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.
Have You Heard? The American Families Plan calls for investing billions of dollars into programs such as child care, paid family leave and education.
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
Click Here to Learn More
totally fine. However, sometimes the door gets swung open too far and gets stuck open, which brings in cold air and causes safety risks as well. If you can please make sure to check behind you to ensure the door closes that would be deeply appreciated.
CULTIVATE NEWS | 5
www.cultivatemankato.com
Congratulations Preschool Graduates! PRESCHOOL GRADUATE PARENTS ARE INVITED TO OUR KINDERGARTEN CELEBRATION, MAY 12TH 4:00-4:30 PM
Penny
Fern
Beckett
Tristan
Mathilde
Rowan
Henry F
Dashel
Henry K
Landon
Milo
Louie
Brielle
Taisei
Jameson
Mia
Abel
Jace
CULTIVATE NEWS | 6
www.cultivatemankato.com
Congratulations College Graduates!
Caitlan Lawin
Morgan Wiersma CULTIVATE NEWS | 7
Morgan Lindely
Megan Reed
Gerri Williamson
Taryn Adams
Katie Hawbaker www.cultivatemankato.com
Message from Anissa Facebook Memory from May 2, 2019
And it turned out Cultivate Mankato was hiring. I wasn't looking for a job, but sometimes the universe has other plans. I had nothing to lose, so I applied.
"Last August I came across a Free Press article about a woman who was renovating
And then I got to sit at the table with Candice
an old building in downtown Mankato. Her
and talk about Cultivate Mankato. If nothing
plans were to open a much-needed child
else happened, I got to meet an amazing
care for up to 160 infants, toddlers and
woman who was about to change Mankato.
preschoolers. Cultivate Mankato - I remember thinking I should keep an eye on this. Fast forward to February. I had about an hour between work and the next thing so I went to The Coffee Hag to read for a bit. I was sitting in the corner, sipping my drink and reading my book when the woman from the article sat down a few tables away from me. Soon after, another woman joined her and it was evident
You guys, I got the job. I am the Program Lead for Cultivate Mankato. I am so excited!" How lucky am I to get to work in an organization that lives its values every day?
ANISSA SANDLAND Community & Culture Coordinator
that they were talking about Cultivate Mankato. I couldn't hear their conversation, but there was an ease about it that was kind and welcoming. I really wanted to go over and talk with them, but instead I brought up the website to read more. The Vision: "Our vision is to cultivate an inclusive community of children, parents, teachers, & local businesses working together to create a safe and stimulating environment of love & learning for all children." YES! And then there are the core values. LOVE. AUTHENTICITY. RELATIONSHIPS. COMMUNITY. And this. "Cultivate Mankato provides opportunities for children to learn about the world through hands-on, reflective learning and healthy dialogue. Through this framework, our goal is to provide an environment for children to build relationships of mutual caring and respect while exploring the world around them through play-based learning."
ORDER HERE
This is so good.
CULTIVATE NEWS | 8
www.cultivatemankato.com
New T-Shirts Now Available: Order Today!
Want to support teachers in early education? Here is an easy way to do so! Purchase coffee through our non-profit, Cultivate MN, and support
ORDER HERE
early education professionals! Not a big coffee drinker? Purchase for your break room at work or as a gift! Only have a Keurig at home? Just purchase a reusable K cup!
Sensory Room CONTACT US We need your help! Did you know Cultivate MN is creating a Sensory Room? We are looking for monetary donations to help support the creation of the sensory room. If you are able to donate, please click 'Contact Us' above.
Thank you!
Scholastic Book Orders Through the Scholastic Book Club, you have the choice to place an order each month. Your orders will allow us to earn free books for our Cultivate library and will be used throughout all 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.
Use the link below to order. Order will be due on Friday, May 14th. Any questions about ordering can be emailed to Ms. Tera at
tera.vankeulen@cultivatemankato.com
Link to order: https://orders.scholastic.com/R76H7
Class Code: R76H7 CULTIVATE NEWS | 9
www.cultivatemankato.com
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
water 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.
Some pictures of our Spring Study the last few weeks. CULTIVATE NEWS | 10
www.cultivatemankato.com
We Are Hiring We are always looking for top performers to join our team! Employment Package includes: health, dental & vision insurance, child care benefits, retirement plan, professional development stipend and other employment perks.
May Giving Back to our Community During the month of May we will be collecting
Please share this information to help us find an outstanding, caring and qualified individual to join our team!
www.cultivatemankato.com/employment
items for MY PLACE - Mankato Youth Center!
We offer after-school and summer programs that build the social, academic, and health skills of members. Every kid is welcome at MY Place! “MY Place” Mankato Youth Place, opened in October 2018 as Boys & Girls Club of Mankato to provide a safe place for kids after school and in the summer. In the fall of 2019 we began a transition to MY Place. The name is a reflection of community and youth engagement and ownership of the space.
www.facebook.com/MY-Place-MankatoYouth-Place-Inc-1262960237144087/ Wish List Sidewalk chalk
Yard games
Chalk stencils
Bubbles
Hula hoops
Jump ropes
$5 Dairy Queen/McDonald/etc Gift Cards (academic incentives for our teens) Thank you for your continued support and living the Cultivate Mankato values.
CULTIVATE NEWS | 11
www.cultivatemankato.com
Pyramid Model Classroom Observations
April Month of Staff Trainings
At Cultivate we value Social/Emotional
During the month of April the Leads in our
Development above all else in our curriculum!
organization have been busy working on their
We use the Pyramid Model as a framework for
professional development! The world of training
social emotional development and working
has worked hard to make changes so providers
through challenging behaviors. To help us to
can continue to grow and learn during COVID.
support implementation of teaching practices
Cultivate provided the leads with a subscription
that are evidence-based, we use an
to an on-line training called Your Time. Your
observation tool called TPOT/TPITOS. The tool
Way. Press Play! The UW-Whitewater Early
is scored based on a 2 hour observation and
Childhood Conference (Virtual Edition)
an interview. Once the observation is
provided the staff an opportunity to pick from
complete for each room, the score is
about 60 different workshops. They got to pick
reviewed with the lead. Strengths are
whichever workshops they wanted and attend
reviewed and goals are set for areas of
as many as they wanted! They attended these
improvement.
workshops on their own time and did some follow-up reflection on how they were going to incorporate what they learned into their work.
Teachable Platform
Our infant team also had an in-person training this month!
(photos of our training below)
We use a platform called Teachable for all of our staff online trainings. Everything from classroom expectations to cleaning procedures to new hire orientation and more. We also use this platform for our Upskill Parent Resources by Laura Walser. Teachable is a great online learning tool that gives us the ability to add a variety of content, links, and videos for our team to review. It also tracks staff progress, allows us to add quiz questions at the end of each section, and gives us the ability to know how long each person took to complete each section (this lets us
Internal Videography Use
know if someone rushed through their training or if they took the time needed to understand
We use videos of staff with child interactions
the content).
for staff trainings. When we know better, we do better. If you do not want your child to be
We have started back up with in person trainings as well. Just a few weeks ago we had an in person infant training.
CULTIVATE NEWS | 12
videographed for internal (or external purposes), please
click here to fill out our
opt-out form and return as soon as possible.
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 Grace Rydeen, Infant Support Tera Van Keulen, Infant Lead Teacher Belle Wilkie, Toddler Assistant Teacher
CULTIVATE NEWS | 14
two
CELEBRATING YEARS WORK ANNIVERSARY Anissa Sandland, Community & Culture Coordinator
CULTIVATE NEWS | 15
May Menus
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 at Cultivate in 1-2 business days.
Click the menu to download a pdf
To place an order: Visit our Cultivate Mankato shop! Questions? Email us at info@cultivatemankato.com
Menu Changes As you know, we take a lot of pride in the food that we provide children. We have been able to meet all parent preferences for food, but we are noticing that it take a lot of time to manage the unique preferences of each child. We take allergies very seriously at Cultivate and will ALWAYS accommodate food related allergies. Moving forward, however, we will not be able to accommodate all food preferences. Starting May 3rd, we are providing four milk preferences (Whole Milk, 1% Milk, Oat Milk, and Pea Milk). We are also providing a Regular (Kosher) menu and a Vegetarian menu. This means, we will no longer be able to accommodate dairy free meal preferences (except for the milk) unless your child has an allergy to milk based products. We will also no longer be able to add substitutions to food unless there is an allergy to a particular food.
CULTIVATE NEWS | 16
www.cultivatemankato.com
We would like to give families the opportunity to order snack packs for your child(ren) or upcoming event. There are two different options to choose from or send us a message to create a custom order. Pick up at Cultivate in 1-2 business days.
Click the menu to download a pdf
CULTIVATE NEWS | 17
To place an order: Visit our Cultivate Mankato shop! Questions? Email us at info@cultivatemankato.com
www.cultivatemankato.com
Parent Resource Fostering your Child’s Intrinsic Motivation to Clean Up After Themselves…. And How to Survive Until Then Written by Jessica Milburn https://responsiveparentingblog.com/2018/11/18/fo stering-your-childs-intrinsic-motivation-to-clean-upafter-themselves-and-how-to-survive-until-then/
motivation so they spend a lot of time trying to debunk the theory. I believe for this reason, you will find a lot of contrasting research on this subject. Try to focus on intrinsic motivation. There are many factors that go into intrinsic motivation. Probably the biggest part of intrinsic motivation, that we miss as parents, is when it actually begins. Until children develop theory of mind, they can only be intrinsically motivated by joy. Theory of mind develops throughout early childhood but does not become a concrete concept until after age five, for most children. So, if
It seems a popular topic of discussion lately
something is fun, they may want to do it.
is how to motivate our children to clean up
Now I can hear the parents counting down
after themselves. Many people use
the days until their child turns five,
behavioural techniques such as sticker
unfortunately it doesn’t work like that. As
charts, rewards, taking away toys that are
they get older, they can develop a desire to
not cleaned up or other privileges. For some
live in a clean space but let’s be honest, this
children, these external reinforcements are
doesn’t usually become a personal priority
highly motivating, many children find them
until at least your 20’s, unless you are
motivating, but lack impulse control and
naturally a very organized and clean person.
focus, so they are unable to stay on task
Usually these people fight their own battles,
(delayed gratification) and some children
they aren’t just living in a blissful clean
do not care at all about your sticker chart
universe, they are constantly working to
(this is my eldest spirited child). These
maintain order, often at the sacrifice of
techniques, although popular because they
other, more important and beneficial things.
sometimes yield immediate results, actually
Highly intelligent people are usually messy
create extrinsic motivation. You might say “I
because they just find cleaning boring and
don’t care, I just want them to clean their
they just aren’t willing to waste too much of
room.” But you will care when they are no
their time on it.
longer motivated by whatever reward you
What do we do?
have been offering. See we think if we can convince our children to clean their rooms by rewarding them, they will develop habits of cleanliness and eventually not need a reward for the task. This is actually not true; extrinsic motivation, not only distracts from intrinsic motivation, it has been shown to
Minimize Organize Rotate Offer variety, not quantity Provide project space Have reasonable expectations
hinder it. *this is something that behaviourists do not agree with. Most of their strategies are based on extrinsic
CULTIVATE NEWS | 18
Read the Full Article Here
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 | 20
www.cultivatemankato.com
A MUST LISTEN!
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CultivateMN is a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to promoting awareness within early childhood programs, family services organizations, and child CULTIVATE NEWS | 22 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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CONFERENCE
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