Good evening. I finally got so far behind, I am doing a Monday evening instead of a Monday morning.

It’s a very busy time of the year. We are involved in so much at school – first the fund raiser. The fund raiser is nearly over, so if you have candy left to sell, do so quickly. Candle sales are due this week. We want to thank everyone for all the work involved in selling this candy. Without your help, we could not run the school.

We are doing something new this year and it involves a treat just after class. We are making a new cookie recipe every day for the kids to sample and give their seal of approval. We hope the children will enjoy this. Today we had Ginger Cream cookies, and tomorrow we will have thumb print cookies with a mint kiss.

As a charity project, we will be adopting four gentlemen who are victims of AIDS. Their needs are few and basic. If you can find it in your heart to give a little something to one of these guys to help them celebrate Christmas, blessings on you! The list went home today with the children.

On December 18th we will be going to the Nutcracker Suite at the Victory Theatre. This wonderful ballet is performed for a children’s audience. It’s 1.5 hours and beautifully done. The cost will be $10.00.

Information about Santa gifts also went home today. If you have questions, please ask a teacher.

Beve Pietrowski will be taking school pictures on Wednesday December 9. She is a wonderful photographer. She will be at school between 8:00 and Noon.

Just a note: We are beginning to “get quiet” before we use the bathroom before meals, and at the table before grace. This has been hard for the children, but it cuts down on the tremendous and obnoxious screaming that ensues from children who don’t start the meal out in silence. Works.

Lots more to come…

A study from the Seattle Children’s Research Institute:

DAY CARE MAY DOUBLE TV TIME FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, STUDY FINDS
New research examines screen time in both home-based and center-based child care settings

SEATTLE – November 23, 2009 – In a new study, the amount of television viewed by many young children in child care settings doubles the previous estimates of early childhood screen time, with those in home-based settings watching significantly more on average than those in center-based daycares. This study is the first to examine screen time in child care settings in more than 20 years. The study looked at television use in 168 child care programs in four states, and was guided by lead researcher Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “Preschool-Aged Children’s Television Viewing in Child Care Settings” is published in the December 2009 issue of Pediatrics, appearing online November 23, 2009.

Previous estimates of screen time for babies and pre-school children relied on parental reports of viewing in the home, yet the majority of pre-schoolers are now commonly cared for by someone other than a parent, away from home in a child care setting. Prior studies have estimated that preschool children watch 2-3 hours of TV per day at home. According to the researchers, previous data on screen time in child care settings are more than 20 years old and don’t accurately reflect today’s cultural factors affecting media use among children.

The study found that among preschool-aged children, those in home-based daycares watched TV for 2.4 hours per day on average, compared to 0.4 hours in center-based settings. Some home-based programs were closer to the center-based programs in amount of time they used television, particularly those programs in which the staff had college degrees. With the exception of infants, children in home-based child care programs were exposed to significantly more television on an average day than children in center-based programs (infants: 0.2 vs 0 hours; toddlers: 1.6 vs 0.1 hours; preschool-aged children: 2.4 vs 0.4 hours). The greatest increase in screen time occurred in the preschool group, in home-based child care settings.

“It’s alarming to find that so many children in the United States are watching essentially twice as much television as we previously thought,” said Christakis. “Research continues to link excessive preschool screen time with language delay, obesity, attentional problems and even aggression depending upon content. At the same time, studies show that high quality preschool can be beneficial to children’s development. Unfortunately, for many children, the potential benefits of preschool may be being displaced by passive TV viewing. I suspect many parents are unaware of the frequency and extent of TV viewing in day care settings. Hopefully, these findings will serve as a wake up call for them.”

The study looked at television use in 168 child care programs located in Michigan, Florida, Washington and Massachusetts, 94 of which were home-based programs and 74 were center-based. The study assessed frequency and quantity of television viewing for infants, toddlers and pre-school aged children. Participants were asked if they used TVs, videos or DVDs in their classrooms. Those who responded yes were asked for which age groups television was used, and for approximately how many hours each week in each age group.

Data was collected about the child care program including hours of operation, number of staff members, number of children cared for, whether after-school care was provided onsite for school-aged children, and the educational level of child care providers.

“I think most parents expect their child’s preschool environment to provide opportunities for cognitive stimulation, social interaction and physical activity. Television is a poor substitute for all of these,” said Christakis. “We are increasingly technologizing childhood, which may prove harmful to the next generation of adults. Parents and health care providers should know how many total hours of screen time and what programs constitute children’s media diet, just as they should know how many calories and what foods they’re ingesting per day.”

Center-based child care programs were found to provide an average of 1.84 fewer hours of screen time each day, nearly two hours less than home-based daycares. The impact of home-based versus center-based child care programs differed somewhat depending on educational levels for staff members; having a two- or four-year college degree was associated with 1.41 fewer hours of television per day in home-based programs, but no impact of staff education on television use was observed in center-based programs.

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Public Education (Pediatrics, 2001) specifically recommends against screen time for children under two years of age, urging more interactive play in its place.

Tips and resources for parents, caregivers and day care providers include the following recommendations:
For babies: Avoid TV for children under age two. Choose activities that promote language development and brain growth such as talking, playing, reading, singing and enjoying music.
For children over age two:

If you allow TV time, choose age-appropriate programs. Involve parents and older children in setting guidelines for what to watch. Use guides and ratings to help, but beware of unproven claims that programs or DVDs are educational. Even cartoons produced for children can be violent or over stimulating. Make sure all programs or DVDs used at home and also in daycare are appropriate.

Limit total TV time to no more than two hours per day. Less is better. Be sure to add up TV time at home plus TV time in daycare.

For parents: talk to daycare providers about your concerns. Find out what children under their care will watch, when and how much. Speak up and set limits. Ask your child what they are watching in daycare, just as you would ask what they eat and what they do.

For daycare providers: remember that screen time is not proven to provide any benefits to children and may in fact cause harm if overused. Television replaces more positive activities like interactive play, singing, reading and talking. Choose to use TV sparingly and deliberately. Talk to parents about how television is used in the daycare setting, and respect their concerns and wishes.

Keep the TV off during meals.

Set “media-free” days and plan other fun things to do.

Avoid using TV as a reward.

Turn off the TV when a chosen program is over. Don’t leave the TV on as background filler or while engaging in other activities. When no one is actively watching, turn the TV off.

Watch TV actively with children. Talk about what you see and engage with children about the content.

Keep TVs out of bedrooms and sleeping areas.

Helpful Web sites include: www.seattlechildrens.org; www.tvturnoff.org; www.childrenspartnership.org; www.mediaandthefamily.org; and www.maketvwork.com.

Christakis’ research partner for the study was Michelle M. Garrison, PhD, also of Seattle Children’s Research Institute.

Christakis is co-author of a related resource book for parents, The Elephant in the Living Room: Make Television Work for Your Kids. His growing body of research has included studies of baby DVD products, interactive play and influence on language acquisition, screen violence and aggressive behavior in young children, screen time and attentional disorders, and screen time and language acquisition.

About Seattle Children’s Research Institute:
At the forefront of pediatric medical research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute is setting new standards in pediatric care and finding new cures for childhood diseases. Internationally recognized scientists and physicians at the Research Institute are advancing new discoveries in cancer, genetics, immunology, pathology, infectious disease, injury prevention and bioethics. With Seattle Children’s Hospital and Seattle Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Research Institute brings together the best minds in pediatric research to provide patients with the best care possible. Children’s serves as the primary teaching, clinical and research site for the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, which consistently ranks as one of the best pediatric departments in the country. For more information visit http://www.seattlechildrens.org/research.

Got this from my friend Patty:

A physics teacher in high school told his students that while one grasshopper on a railroad tracks wouldn’t slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following…one light bulb at a time.

A friend was in Lowe’s the other day and was looking at hose attachments. They were all made in China. The next day she was in Ace Hardware and checked the hose attachments there. They were made in USA. Start looking…

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else — even their job. So, after reading this email, I think my friend is on the right track. Let’s get behind her!

My grandson likes Hershey’s candy. I noticed, though, that it is made in Mexico now. I do not buy it any more. My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico…I switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything.

This past weekend I was at Kroger’s. I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. In the light bulb aisle, right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, “Everyday Value”. I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats – they were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that the GE bulbs were made in Mexico and the Everyday Value bulbs were made by a company in Cleveland.

So on to another aisle — Bounce Dryer Sheets. Yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada. The Everyday Value brand was less money and made in the USA. I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA — the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Let’s get with the program. Help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the USA.

Children follow the example of their parents. They are always watching. As very young children, under the age of reason which is about seven or eight, children watch but don’t always get it right. The question to ask ones self is “what is my child seeing me do?”

As a Catholic, I was brought up to ask not only what was I doing at any moment, but at the same time, what was I failing to do or what was I not doing. It’s a good set of questions and covers the whole of ones life. Sins of omission count too!

It’s nearly the Christmas season. That means what? What is my child seeing? Is he seeing me cut corners so that Christmas can be eked out of the usual fare? Or does he see Christmas as something more? Is Christmas a magic time when Less Ismore is sent to his room with a spanking, and More Ismore is returned to center stage and made the king of the party? Children are watching.

For some people, holidays are a time to run from, a time of excuses, a time of I don’t want to because I’m better than the holiday, and my cares, fears, hurts and woes are more important than anything else. Personally, I am not fond of holidays at all, but you can bet I pour more than heart into them and that’s because I am not my first concern – you are.

As a wonderful example to children, the festive “I can do” spirit will eek into their work ethic, their approach to the world, their relationship with other people, their love of humanity, and their ultimate relationship with God. People put limits on everything and that’s a shame. Some things, of course, need limits, but many things are limited because of habit and not thought.

Possibility is the name of the holiday season. What are the teaching possibilities during this season that will stay with my child for a lifetime – that’s the real question for parents to ask. And within every ornament, every card, every bit of tinsel, every smell, every cookie made, the life of the season is either made to shine, or it’s hidden under a bushel basket.

Often it’s a matter of words. “I’m not going…; I got this on sale, sale, sale, sale, cheap, cheap cheap; No, you can’t; Let mommy do it; I won’t; You have enough;” and so many more statements that are huge limits at a time when the table should be filled. Limits are fine sometimes, but if you catch yourself with too many brakes, maybe it’s time to wonder if your child will apply these broken statements to his life. “I’m not going to work; I can only love what’s on sale cheaply; I can’t; Mommy will always do it for me; I don’t have to, and a little is all I deserve.”

No matter what your life philosophy is on a day to day basis, the holidays are meant to suspend some things – remember the quote: Never fast on a Sunday.

Now it’s time to put Less away and bring out More. This week is Thanksgiving. Let your child help you cook. If you are going to grandma’s, ask if your child can come early and help. If you are taking something to eat with you, let your child help make it, and help carry it in. Be careful ;-}

The next week is the start of the Christmas Season. Why not decorate a little at a time and let your child help. Bake cookies at least once, even if it’s store bought dough, and then eat them together. Trace your child’s hands on green paper and make your wreath from his hand prints. You can get green wrapping paper at the $store. Let your child wrap some of the presents. Use comic strip paper if it is still available. Let your child trim your tree with you, and last but not least, take your child with you to shop for the gifts he will give. Open your heart to him, and he will open his heart to others.

Good Morning!

It’s a three day week this week. We are closed on Thanksgiving and the Friday following. We hope everyone has a splendid Thanksgiving break.

We will be hitting the books hard this week, and reviewing all that we know. We will focus on Thanksgiving art projects and take a look at the Jamestown Settlement.

Miss Amy and I worked on the school this week getting it ready for the winter with larger play spaces and more dining and table spaces.

We will be having children’s spaghetti on Monday, a ham and cheese casserole on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, we will have a turkey dinner. We hope the children get a little practice for their holiday dinner.

Medals have been washed and will be returned on Monday.

Thank you all so much for the wonderful support for our play. It was a huge success. We will be having a cast party on Monday.

This week we are having a turkey dinner on Wednesday as a practice run for Thursday. For anyone who has never baked a bird, here’s a little advice.

Baking a chicken, turkey, duck or any bird is about the easiest thing since making tea. What you have to remember is to bake it at the right temperature – 350 degrees – for the right amount of time.

Wash your bird – don’t use soap. Clean out all the packing from inside. I’m not a “guts” person, so I throw mine away or give it to a cat.

Stuffing is just bread. You can buy the packaged stuff or make it yourself. I use about a loaf of bread and toast the whole loaf laid out on the middle rung of a 350 degree oven. I use whole wheat bread because I think it tastes better. Once it’s toasted, I cut the bread slices into pieces about the size of a postage stamp. I cut celery, onion, and apples and melt half a stick of butter in a pan with a tablespoon of chicken bouillon and a cup of water. At this point, you can add your other additions. I’ve seen just about everything go into the pot, but my favorite is bacon and walnuts.

Using a teaspoon or more of sage, a teaspoon or more of salt, the butter water mix, the veggies, and the bread pieces toss it all together and stuff in two bird cavities. Don’t push or your bird will explode ;-}

Take a handful of cooking oil and rub down stuffed bird. Bake bird by the directions on the label. You should probably make a foil tent for cooking. This foil should not touch your bird

It’s really that simple. Don’t forget to empty bird after baking because stuffing can really foul a fowl [;-}

When your bird is ready, transfer him to a plate and what is left in the pan is gravy makings. The easiest thing to use is a gravy making pitcher that separates the fat from the good stuff. You can spoon off the clear fat or even use ice cubes to catch the fat to discard it. It will never blend into your gravy, and it’s unsightly on the table. Once your drippings are fat free, you can add a little cornstarch – 1/4 cup to 1/4 cup water right to the pan, and before your gravy boils, add the cornstarch and water and stir vigorously while you bring the drippings to a boil. Once it’s thick, it’s done. Might taste for salt.

Cranberry sauce: My family likes the jelly stuff in the can, but I like a more robust cranberry relish. I use a cup of whole cranberries and a whole orange. I grind them together in my food processor and add about a tablespoon of sugar. This is very pungent, but it’s wonderful on just about anything. There is no cooking on this one.

Cooked cranberry sauce is two cups of cranberries, a cup of water, two cups of sugar and boil for about eight minutes and remove from heat. At this point, you can add cinnamon, nuts, orange, or anything that sounds good to you. Raisins might be fun [;-}

Happy Thanksgiving!

There is a new book on the market called “The Grandparents Handbook.” It’s a little gem, and would make a wonderful gift for grandparents to be, grandparents refresher course, and of course grandparents who are returning to it again. There are never too many grandchildren!

It’s a must have and it’s available through Quirk Books at $16.95. The author is Elizabeth LaBan with Nan Barbara Trostler and Grandpa Myron LaBan.

As a grandma six times over, I can attest that this wonderful book is filled with good advice, with good sense, with how tos, how not tos, games, ideas, and much much more like planting a fairy and goblin garden. It’s full of recipes and projects that will keep children busy and entertained and remembering that there is no place like grandma’s house.

It was a grand play and all the children were as cute as they could be. Each one delivered his or her line with as much as they could do. We were so proud of them. It was a story of a brave young turkey who set out to find the meaning of Thanksgiving. Passing along the way, the young turkey meets a blue jay and some rabbits, deer, possum and squirrel and raccoon, turtle, fish, frog, and they all tell him to go home, but Chaucer, the turkey, persists on his journey.
♠
Meanwhile, back at the village, two little girls and their brother, and a Native American are pondering the idea of keeping two of the turkeys and feeding them and raising young turkeys and having eggs.

When Chaucer arrives at the Thanksgiving, he is met by the little girls and is saved to “Live a long and lovely lazy life.”
And of course there is a little incentive! It was a grand occasion, and the children did a fantastic job. It was ten complete acts, and each act was as cute and well done as the next one. We thank all our parents for their support, and we thank the children especially for their work in the production.

Comment: I wrote this a couple of years ago for WFIE about our plays. The message doesn’t change.>

These last two weeks at school have been theatre weeks. The whole process of putting on a play is important because plays are difficult at best to do. It doesn’t require watching TV, eating fast food, or being driven around in a car. It requires something that’s often lost – the development of imagination.

A play is something other than what a child will usually experience in a day at school. The artistic nature of performing allows a child to separate himself from his dependence on routine and the natural order of ordinary time and fly into a world of make believe that he’s truly a part of. For a short time, the child becomes very independent and this allows for tremendous growth.

Art is a curious thing. In general art not only allows but encourages something that’s inconvenient today, namely imagination. Imagination usually makes a mess, takes an inordinate amount of time, and propels children into an extreme chatty state. But imagination is what builds minds and allows children to discover.

We do a play twice a year. A play is written for the children by one of the teachers. The children are given lines to learn, and to the best of their natural ability, it is expected that they learn those lines and be able to reasonably recite them. The challenge, of course, is saying them in front of 150 people. But that’s what the act of acting is all about. Together in their company, they learn to trust the company and feel safe, and that allows emotional stretching.

It’s not Shakespeare; it’s six to ten words amid 35 other children’s lines. Sometimes it’s a single word. The lines are sent home at the beginning of play rehearsals. At school, the lines are repeated twice a day at play practice. It’s obvious who is a quick study, who got help at home, and who spent the two weeks of practice in a blue cloud because mom and dad are also in blue clouds.

During play practice weeks, there is a lot of free play for children because scenery, backdrop are going up, and costumes are being made and fitted. It’s a fun time, a time of fudge breaks, special hugs, lots of laughs and a kind of discipline that says, “We’re friends.”

Play week teaches teachers a lot about children. It’s an important week for children because theoretically, they will be on their own to perform for an audience for the very first time. Some of them will have to shove the desire to behave poorly into the background and do the right thing for the sake of the other children. It’s a time we work together as a cohesive group and we say in no uncertain deeds, “I care about you.”

This is quality life. This is community at its best. Beginning from nothing, we have made a whole new story about people we come to care about. We have taken on a new character, perhaps it’s a different time or a different species – some of the children became talking turkeys in last week’s play. Jackson, the star, was a vaudevillian turkey and delivered jokes – and he did it well.

Every child responded to the two weeks of direction, the line learning, the costume fitting, and the quiet at the time of the play. And on Monday, we had an ice cream party to celebrate us.

Now the play is over and it’s time to get on with the story of Thanksgiving and the study of Native Americans. We’ll cook this week; we’ll make cranberry bread to take home to share. We’ll learn to eat turkey at school along with sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce so when we go to grandma’s we will be polite and not gag on the new stuff.

Good Morning!

Here’s the rundown for the week:

Play Week!

Monday: Play Practice

Tuesday: Play Practice

Wednesday: Dress Rehearsal with photographs.

Thursday: Play Practice

Friday:
Our Thanksgiving Play begins promptly on Friday at 3:00 p.m.

After 3:00, front door will be locked. If you are going to be late, please come in the kitchen door..

If you or someone in your party needs a large adult chair, please arrive early. These spots are limited.
Please bring a plate of cookies or cupcakes or chips or pretzels or apples to share after the play.

Every child MUST have an attending adult at the play. Parents who leave children unattended at the play will be fined $25.00.
School dismisses following the party