VOL. 18 NOV 2021
This Month's News
Parent Resources
Community Member visits, Scholastics Book Order for Holidays, Cultivate Mankato Award
Kindergarten Teachers Want Incoming Students to Focus on Life Skills, Not Academic Ones
NURTURE. GROW. EMPOWER.
November News Index Impromptu story time in in Toddler 4
03-04
Upskill Parent Resources, Business Membership
Building during free play in
Future Closures, Anonymous Survey
05
Thank You to our Community Guests
06
Tuition Update, COVID-19 Policies,
07
Weather Reminder
Preschool 2 Scholastic Book Order, Amazon Smile
09
Gratitude Message from Anissa, Upcoming Study
Candice's Acceptance Speech, Hiring
10
Celebrating Halloween
11
Workiversaries, Infant Development Center
12-13
Meals
14-15
Having fun with the new trikes & scooters in Toddler 1
08
Community Room, Dear Mankato Community Members
Parent Resource
16-17 18-19
Enjoying the neighborhood park
in infants
CULTIVATE NEWS | 2
www.cultivatemankato.com
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 Emotion coaching Keeping yourself calm Bedtime routines Building independence
Some more topics that will be discussed in the future include: Biting Morning routine Teaching a skill vs consequences Multiple environments equals multiple expectations Childcare drop off and pick up routine
Click Here to Subscribe
Setting your child up for successful sleep at childcare Potty training The importance of sleep
TWO NEW VIDEOS NOW
AVAILABLE!
Knowing yourself as a parent Guiding your child’s behavior; positive discipline Language development If you have questions, please email Laura
laura.walser@cultivatemankato.com CULTIVATE NEWS | 3
www.cultivatemankato.com
PARENTS
WE
NEED
YOUR
HELP
SPREADING
THE
WORD
ABOUT
THIS
MEMBERSHIP
BE THE CHANGE #supportyouremployees
97.3%
said that if two different companies offered them a job position with similar pay and benefits, but one company offered a child
the job offering a child care benefit would be more appealing to them care benefit and the other did not,
2021
survey
conducted
by
Child Care & Work-Life Balance go hand-in-hand One in four (25%) named work-life balance as the reason they would job hunt, with almost as many (23%) saying it was the main reason they would stay at their company.
This shows that organizations must focus on balance - which includes caregiving - to attract and retain employees
www.achievers.com/resources/white-papers/workforceinstitute-2021-engagement-and-retention-report/
CULTIVATE MANKATO CHILD CARE BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP
REMINDER!
Future Closures January 1st | New Year's Day
October 22nd | Teacher Appreciation
April 2nd | Teacher Appreciation November 25th | Thanksgiving May 31st |
Memorial Day
November 26th | Thanksgiving
July 2nd | Independence Day
December 24th | Christmas Eve
September 6th | Labor Day
December 31st | New Year's Day 2022
Action Required: Anonymous 2 Minute Survey
Why are we asking for your participation in this survey? Because we care about our families and want to help find a solution to providing high quality
CULTIVATE NEWS | 5
yet affordable
child care!
www.cultivatemankato.com
Thank You to our Community Guests! Thank you to the City of Mankato fire and police department for visiting our toddler and preschool friends and Cultivate Mankato!
CULTIVATE NEWS | 6
www.cultivatemankato.com
Tuition Update Effective Nov. 1st, 2021 we will be
Covid-19 Policies updated 10/18/2021
updating the rates for all families in our program to be the following. Please note that new families who joined our program June 2021 have already been paying these rates so now we are standardizing
Review and download MN Department of Health COVID-19 Decision Tree for People in Child Care Programs
Click Here
them across the board and adding a sibling discount model:
Full Time
Part Time
Infant Full Time - $275
All Programs
Did You Know?
Toddler Full Time - $260
$75 per day
Below you will find the average rates for
Preschool Full Time - $240
(not to exceed the weekly cost)
family child care programs and child care centers in Minnesota as of March 2021.
Sibling Discounts (NEW)
(per week)
2 children = 5% off total weekly cost 3 (+) children = 10% off total weekly cost I know that tuition increases are really hard to absorb. It’s hard for me, too. Please know that! I feel like I am letting families down. The current system of child
Infants Toddlers Preschoolers
Centers
Family Child Care
$328
$172
$289
$164
$257
$156
www.childcareawaremn.org/community/cost-of-care
care is not a working and sustainable model for anyone (families, programs, teachers), and I am doing all that I can on the CultivateMN side to help advocate for
Weather Reminder
system change. In the meantime, I have to
As the snow has already fallen this month,
keep the teachers and program operating
we want to remind you of our weather
at a high level which includes increasing
policy. Cultivate Mankato does not follow
tuition. I understand if, because of this
the district 77 weather closings. However,
change, we can no longer serve you. We
we may have to close if it is deemed unsafe
certainly hope that is not the case.
for families and employees getting to and from Cultivate. We have only had to close
rednimer
You received a letter regarding this
early once last year so hopefully early
change with additional information
closures will be minimal.
regarding the tuition increase, a
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.
letter to give to a community member and a letter to give to your employer about our business membership.
CULTIVATE NEWS | 7
www.cultivatemankato.com
MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING COUNT
THE HOLIDAYS are Right Around the Corner!
Scholastic Book Orders
Please note the tight order deadline This ensures purchases arrive by the holidays
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 Monday, November 8. 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
CultivateMN is now on AmazonSmile. This is an easy way to support early educators! AmazonSmile, a separate portal from Amazon's main site, offers the same items, prices, and benefits as Amazon.com, but with one distinct difference... When users shop on AmazonSmile, the retailer's Foundation contributes 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charity of your choice. There is no cost to charities or customers, and 100% of the donation generated from eligible purchases goes to the consumer's charity of choice.
For frequent Amazon users, this additional perk is a great way to give back to charities effortlessly. CULTIVATE NEWS | 8
www.cultivatemankato.com
Gratitude Message From Ms. Anissa
Upcoming Study
Every night for the past 368 days, I have taken time
studies to guide our lesson planning.
at the end of the day to document THREE things I
Studies are a broad concept that we focus
am grateful for that day.
on for 4-6 weeks. Currently our study has
THIS MONTH'S ORGANIZATION
Some days were easy with an abundance of
Within our education curriculum, we use
been about Fall. This month we will begin
Animal Study. If you feel your family
gratitude. Rocking babies, handwritten notes,
our
homemade chocolate chip cookies, uncontrollable
has something special to share in regards
laughter,...
to our upcoming study, we would love
Some days weren’t as easy, but I always found three
family participation. Reach out!
things to be grateful for. Clean water, a warm bed, quiet,... Soon after I started documenting my gratitude, I began to see the world differently. I started to feel grateful for so many little things that I had often taken for granted. The crunch of the leaves under my feet. Someone holding the door for me. The neighborhood squirrel sitting on the front step. I began seeing the beauty all around me and it brings me such joy. Norman Vincent Peale said, “The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.” I have seen this manifest in my own life. Will you join me in this practice of thankfulness? Here are my THREE GRATITUDES for today: I am grateful for our teachers who give their heart and soul to the students in their class. The impact you have is deeper than you know. I am grateful for the children who fill our days with love and laughter and unexpected surprises. I love each of you for so many reasons. I am grateful for the parents and families of Cultivate Mankato. You have entrusted us with the care and education of your children. It is a privilege to do so. Thank you for being a part of the Cultivate Mankato Family! You are an important part of our story.
Anissa Sandland Community & Culture Coordinator
CULTIVATE NEWS | 9
Some pictures from our Fall Study the last few weeks. www.cultivatemankato.com
Candice's Acceptance Speech The Star Early Funders Coalition presented Cultivate Mankato with a 'Provider Advocacy Champion Award,' recognizing our team for unwavering dedication to improving the lives of young children and their families. Listen to our Director's acceptance speech below.
We Are Hiring Employment Package includes: health, dental & vision insurance, retirement plan, professional development stipend, child care benefits, and other employment perks. Please share this information to help us find caring, outstanding and qualified individual to join our team!
Open Positions: Preschool Co-Lead Assistants and Supports in all programs
www.cultivatemankato.com/employment CULTIVATE NEWS | 10
www.cultivatemankato.com
Celebrating Halloween at School On Friday our friends celebrated halloween with costumes, halloween themed activities in each classroom, trick or treating at Old Main Village (preschoolers) and a special treat from Ms Becky. Happy Halloween!
CULTIVATE NEWS | 11
CELEBRATING two YEARS WORK ANNIVERSARY Jordyn Erickson, Administrative & Marketing Coordinator Becca Huse, Infant Support Staff
CULTIVATE NEWS | 12
CULTIVATE MANKATO INFANT
N O W
DEVELOPMENT
CENTER
E N R O L L I N G
OPENING EARLY 2022 222 Pfau Street, Mankato MN 56001 Located minutes from the Mankato Hospital & five minutes from our downtown center.
eek P ak Sne
CULTIVATE NEWS | 13
www.cultivatemankato.com
Nov 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
CULTIVATE NEWS | 14
www.cultivatemankato.com
We would like to give families the opportunity to order snack packs for your child(ren) or upcoming event. Choose between a meat or vegetarian option 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 | 15
To place an order: Visit our Cultivate Mankato shop! Questions? Email us at info@cultivatemankato.com
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
Dear Mankato Community Members
CULTIVATE NEWS | 17
www.cultivatemankato.com
Parent Resource Kindergarten Teachers Want Incoming Students to Focus on Life Skills, Not Academic Ones By Angela Snodgrass
Link to Article
Here are the life skills you should teach your child before they enter kindergarten Using the restroom Teach them how to: Flush the toilet. Use a urinal without pulling their pants down. Wipe themselves. Shut and lock a bathroom stall door. Undo clothing.
Eating lunch Teach them how to: Open a milk carton.
We’d rather they can tie shoes than recite the alphabet!
Open string cheese. Open every item in their lunchbox independently. Clean up at the end of lunch.
It’s no surprise that academic rigor has
Determine what to throw away vs. what to
become the main focus of kindergarten in the
keep (disposable vs. reusable).
United States. Kindergarten teachers are
Know if they brought a lunchbox that day.
expected to teach a total of 98 academic
Know how to put their lunchbox in their
standards to their class of 20+ five-year-olds. Those 98 standards were written with the assumption that these five-year-olds are
backpack. Know what their lunchbox looks like
entering kindergarten with a mile long list of
Properly adjust clothing
academic skills. But how do you even begin to
Teach them how to:
teach academics to kids that haven’t even
Zip, button, snap, tie.
learned to sit and listen to a story? It’s critical
Put on a jacket.
that incoming kindergartners know life skills
Fasten their belt.
first.
Tie or velcro their shoes.
Thanks to the internet, I reached out to over 70 Kindergarten teachers across the U.S. and
Understand that they have to keep their clothes on at school.
asked them:
Knowing their important family info
“What skills do you wish every incoming
Teach them their:
kindergartner would have mastered when they
First and last name.
come to your classroom on the first day of
Parents’ first and last name.
school?”
Caretaker’s phone number.
Out of the 73 responses, only 9 of them were academic related. All other responses were life skills.
CULTIVATE NEWS | 18
Using motor skills Teach them to: Hold a pencil.
Hold scissors.
Use crayons.
Roll play dough.
www.cultivatemankato.com
Using proper social skills Teach them to:
Perhaps you can read the story tomorrow.
Know to wait their turn.
I’m a teacher and a toddler mom, yet even I would have overlooked most of these life skills when preparing my little guy for school.
Gracefully lose.
Why? It’s so much easier for me to just do these
Be kind to one another.
things FOR him. Is it really necessary to teach him
Know the difference between tattling vs. telling.
all of these things?
Respectfully answer an adult. Respond when their name is called.
Behaving in a classroom Teach them to: Sit in a chair. Know how to follow a two-step direction. Sit quietly and listen to a story. Keep hands to themselves. Know how to do NON-PREFERRED tasks (we have to let our kids be bored sometimes). Pack their backpack independently. Understand positional words. Blow their nose.
Yes. Yes, it is. And here’s why. When he’s in the lunchroom with only 20 minutes to eat, and there are 50 other kindergartners that need their string cheese opened, I know that he will sit there for the entire 20 minutes waiting for help and forget to eat the rest of his food. I get it now. Imagine the amount of time we would give back to our kindergarten teachers if every parent made sure their child knew these skills? Imagine how much more time they could devote to teaching those 98 academic standards.
Why is teaching life skills so important? Imagine that you have to teach the standard RL.K.4 “Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.” (just one of those 98 standards you are held accountable for!). You have 30 minutes until lunchtime, which is just enough time to read a story. You ask students to follow a two-step direction of pushing their chairs under the desks and moving to sit their carpet spots. Unfortunately, four students haven’t learned this skill. So, one by one, you walk them to their spot. Then one student doesn’t know how to unbutton his pants and has to use the restroom, so you pause to help him. Another student has never learned to sit and listen to a story, so he rolls around the carpet. Unfortunately very few of your incoming kindergarteners knew the above life skills and now there’s only a few minutes left until lunch.
CULTIVATE NEWS | 19
www.cultivatemankato.com