Katie's Kids Mission Statement

To elevate child development to a new level by leading the social and emotional growth and education of young children by providing a safe, welcoming home-like environment with a caring, educated, and professional staff that promotes partnerships between parents children and other early childhood professionals. 
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Upcoming Events
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March 4             Saturday Night Live -  KK2 5-10p
March 14            Unit 5 - Kindergarten registration
March 27-31        Spring Break No School Day Program

McLean County Unit 5 Kindergarten Registration
Date
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Age Requirements:  
Children reaching the age of five (5) on or before September 1, 2017, will be eligible for enrollment in kindergarten.

Location
Children will be registered at the school they will attend, unless otherwise noted. Parents should plan to bring their incoming kindergarten student with them for registration activities.

Times
Benjamin - 8:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. 
Hudson - 3 p.m.
Carlock - Noon 
Northpoint - 8:15 a.m. or 1:15 p.m.
Cedar Ridge - 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. 
Oakdale - 9 a.m. or 1 p.m.
Fairview - 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. 
Parkside - 8:30 a.m.
Fox Creek - 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. 
Pepper Ridge - 9 a.m. or 1 p.m.
Glenn - 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. 
Prairieland - 9 a.m. or 1 p.m.
Grove - 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. 
Sugar Creek - 9 a.m. or 1 p.m.
Colene Hoose - 8:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. 
Towanda - 9 a.m.
Open Attendance
Students living in an open attendance area will register at the Unit 5 District Office, 1809 W. Hovey in Normal at 1 p.m.
Half day or Full Day Kindergarten
Unit 5 Kindergarten is a full-day instruction program. Parents who believe their child isn't ready for a full-day experience may elect to send their child for half a day.

Birth Certificates
A CERTIFIED birth certificate must be presented on registration day or the first day of school. The souvenir hospital certificate with the footprints will not be accepted.
Immunizations and Health Exams
Students entering kindergarten MUST turn in a current physical exam and all immunizations by the first day of school or they will not be allowed to attend classes. Parents are encouraged to turn in this information at registration.

For more information go to www.unit5.org.


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March
Meals  to Go - Wednesday Night
      
Check out what Chef Bobby is making this month 
Click on the link below to view the monthly meals to go menu ...



If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

-The Dalai Lama


Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs,  note the importance of secure, consistent relationships with responsive adults:

"From the earliest years of life, warm, nurturing relationships with responsive adults are necessary for many key areas of children's development, including empathy and cooperation, self-regulation and cultural socialization, language and communication, peer relationships, and identity formation.  When children and caring adults have the opportunity to get to know each other well, they learn to predict each other's signals and behavior and establish attachment and trust.  The first and most important relationships are those a child forms with parents or other primary caregivers.  Forming one or more such attachments sets the stage for other relationships, as children move into the wider world beyond their immediate family.

"Young children benefit from the opportunities to develop ongoing, trusting relationships with adults outside the family and with other children.  Notably, positive teacher-child relationships promote children's learning and achievement, as well as social competence and emotional development."

 

Authors Carol Copple and Sue Bredekamp

Eat Right Food, Nutrition and Health Tips 
Easy, Tasty, and Healthy Snacks 
from the 
American Dietetic Association

1. Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll in crushed cereal and freeze. 
2. Spread celery sticks with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese. Top with          raisins. Enjoy your "ants on a log." 
3. Stuff a whole-grain pita pocket with ricotta cheese and Granny Smith apple        slices. Add a dash of cinnamon. 
4. Mix together ready-to-eat cereal, dried fruit and nuts in a sandwich bag for           an on-the-go snack. 
5. Smear a scoop of frozen yogurt on two graham crackers and add sliced                banana to make a yummy sandwich. 
6. Top low-fat vanilla yogurt with crunchy granola and sprinkle with blueberries. 7. Microwave a small baked potato. Top with reduced-fat cheddar cheese and           salsa. 
8. Make snack kabobs. Put cubes of low-fat cheese and grapes on pretzel                 sticks. 
9. Toast a whole grain waffle and top with low-fat yogurt and sliced peaches. 10. Spread peanut butter on apple slices. 
11. Blend low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana for thirty seconds for           a delicious smoothie. 
12. Make a mini-sandwich with tuna or egg salad on a dinner roll. 13. Sprinkle           grated Monterey Jack cheese over a corn tortilla; fold in half and                       microwave for twenty seconds. Top with salsa. 
14. Toss dried cranberries and chopped walnuts in instant oatmeal. 
15. Mix together peanut butter and cornflakes in a bowl. Shape into balls and           roll in crushed graham crackers. 
16. Microwave a cup of tomato or vegetable soup and enjoy with whole grain           crackers. 
17. Fill a waffle cone with cut-up fruit and top with low-fat vanilla yogurt. 
18. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on hot popcorn. 
19. Banana Split: Top a banana with low-fat vanilla and strawberry frozen                 yogurt. Sprinkle with your favorite whole-grain cereal. 
20. Sandwich Cut-Outs: Make a sandwich on whole grain bread. Cut out your           favorite shape using a big cookie cutter. Eat the fun shape and the edges,         too! 
21. Spread mustard on a flour tortilla. Top with a slice of turkey or                                ham, low-fat cheese and lettuce. Then roll it up. 
22. Mini Pizza: Toast an English muffin, drizzle with pizza sauce and sprinkle              with low-fat mozzarella cheese. 
23. Rocky Road: Break a graham cracker into bite-size pieces. Add to low-fat            chocolate pudding along with a few miniature marshmallows. 
24. Inside-Out Sandwich: Spread mustard on a slice of deli turkey. Wrap                    around a sesame breadstick. 
25. Parfait: Layer vanilla yogurt and mandarin oranges or blueberries in a tall             glass. Top with a sprinkle of granola. 

information found at www.mypyramid.gov.

Developing Melodies® Music Corner

St. Patrick ' s Day Musical Activity for All Ages
Looking for a fun musical activity for your kids on St. Patrick's Day?
I have several songs I use in early childhood music groups as well as daycare 
groups with infant through Pre-K classes. In March I often use a song I wrote called, " 4-Leaf Clovers ".

Here is the link to the recording of the song and a copy of visuals you can print to use with this song.
Our groups have enjoyed taking turns picking out a clover and then hiding it under a rug. In between turns the entire group counts the remaining clovers while pointing to the visuals (1:1 correspondence). These activities are great to work on social skills, counting skills and pretend play as they manipulate the 4 leaf clover visuals. This is a great activity for siblings of different ages as the older siblings can help the younger ones with counting and also the routine of hiding the visuals.

We include infants in this activity with ease as they work on fine motor and grasping skills, while also addressing their receptive language with auditory bombardment.

Look and see a four leaf clover
Green four leaf clovers
Let's count them now
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
A leprechaun took a four leaf clover
It disappeared, how many are left?

Please visit our BLOG for links to the recording and visuals to be used with this song!

 
Wishing you and yours a wonderful and lucky March!
Ms. Janel Metzger MT-BC
Developing Melodies Music Therapy Center
Exposure to Lead
from
Illinois Department of Public Health 

Every year the Illinois Department of Public Health would like us to remind families about the exposure to lead.  If you would like additional information, please follow the link 



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