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. 

October Notes of Interest

Hand-washing at Drop-off
Hand-washing is an important part of our daily process and the best way to cut down on germs. Our staff do a great job at ensuring all of our children are washing hands at the appropriate times throughout the day. But it has been noted that we are missing a crucial time period...Drop-off! Please help us cut back on the outside germs being brought into our classroom by washing your child's hands when they enter the classroom upon arrival each day. Not only is this is a DCFS requirement that we need to follow, but it is a healthy habit to have as we soon enter into sick season. 

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Conference sessions are soon upon us. Please look for further information from your child's teacher.

Spirit Week
We will be hosting a spirit week from October 28th - November 1st. Please watch for further information. 

PayPal Account
Katie's Kids now has a PayPal account to be used for fundraising purposes. There is now a permanent button at the bottom of our newsletters so you can easily find the link to donate in the future. We hope this makes future fundraising easier on all of our families. 

Prep Freeze Cook Fundraiser 
We will continue the Prep Freeze Cook Fundraiser this month to raise further funds for lending library materials. You can find an order form at the front desk. 

Staff Kudos

Do you have any positive moments you want to share about our staff? If so, we want to hear them! We have created a new Google form called Katie's Kids Kudos. The form is easy for you to access from home, so no need to take extra time at pick up and drop off. Simply click on the button below, fill out the form, and submit. We will be sure to share these positive moments with our staff, as well. 


  Kudos!
 
 
Upcoming Dates

October 1st:   Rader Farm Field Trip
October 12th: SNL @ K1 5:00pm - 10:00pm
October 14th: School Age Day
October 25th: School Age Day
October 25th: Fall Family Cookout
October 28th - Nov. 1st: Spirit Week


C losure Dates for 2019

Please click   here  to view the Katie's Kids Center Closure list for 2019.    
            
Fall Family Cookout
Friday, October 25th

Come join us for our annual fall cookout! Bring a food dish to share and enjoy some social time, hot chocolate, a bonfire and s'mores. We are also trying something new this year....a MOVIE NIGHT! So be sure to bring your lawn chairs and blankets. We will curl up outside for a special movie under the stars. 

If you are interested in attending, please sign up at the front desk so we know how many people to expect. 



Help spread the word of Katie's Kids!
Do you have a friend, neighbor, or colleague looking for care?  For every family you refer to Katie's Kids we will apply a $50 credit to your account after the family has been with us for 90 days.

Saturday Night Live

Saturday, October 12th
5:00 -10:00 p.m.
@ The Links (K1)

Enjoy a night out on your own! We will watch your kids. Children ages 3+ have the opportunity to watch a movie and use their artistic abilities to create a masterpiece of their choice! Free play activities will be set up for children under the age of 3 years. If you have any questions please ask the KKLC Leadership Team. 

Future Dates: 
November 16th @ K2
December 14th @ K1
December 15th @ K2 (12:00pm - 4:00pm)

Health Corner

Hand Washing

Hand-washing is an important part of our daily process and the best way to cut down on germs. It is a healthy habit to have as we soon enter into sick season. Here are some facts about hand washing. 



      
Community Connections



















Our community has great things to offer families! This section of the newsletter is to help you connect to the variety of community events occurring  in the Bloomington/Normal area. Enjoy!

1000 Books Before Kindergarten
Children under age 5 can earn a free tote bag by reading 1000 books before Kindergarten. Click here for more information.

Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts
Click here to view the 2019 - 2020 Season of Events

Children's Discovery Museum
Click here for the October schedule of events 

Downtown Bloomington First Friday Events
On the first Friday of each month Downtown Bloomington businesses showcase their wares and artisitc abilities. Click here for more information.

Haunted Trail (Not Scary)
Want your kids to experience Halloween fun without the risk of being scared? The town of Normal is hosting a non-scary haunted trail on October 10th - 12th, 6:00pm-8:00pm. Click here for more information. 

Miller Park Spooktacular
Dress up and have fun at the Zoo on October 26th. Click here for more information.

Open Cockpit Day
The next Open Cockpit Day is October 19th. This open cockpit day is a special Halloween event and will be held from 1:00 - 4:00pm Click here to view more information.

Trick or Treating
The hours for Trick or Treating on Halloween night are  5:00pm - 8:00pm for both  Bloomington and Normal.

Ideas for Home
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Cloud Dough, sometimes known as Moon Sand, is one of our favorite sensory materials for kids. You can mold it, break it apart, and use it to fill items just like sand, but it feels so soft on your skin! Below is a fun Fall twist on this favorite of ours.


(Note: This recipe calls for vegetable oil. We typically make our cloud dough with baby oil.)
 
Loose Parts Donations  

We, at Katie's Kids, would like to keep utilizing loose parts in our classrooms throughout the year.  Therefore, we are inviting parents and families that are interested to keep the supplies coming!  If you choose to donate you can drop the materials off at the front desk at any time!
  
Be sure to look through our center for how the loose parts are being used within the curriculum! 
  
Thank you in advance for your donations, we look forward to seeing the creativity that stems from all of the materials!


Our Focus this Month: 
  • Yarn/String
  • Buttons
  • Envelopes
Meals to Go

Did you know? In order to make our foot print a little less on this Earth, we use reusable food containers for our Meals to Go! We kindly ask that you rinse your containers and return them to the front desk at your earliest convenience . We will wash and sanitize these containers to be used for our next meals. 

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October 3rd

Seared Sirloin w/Sauteed Mushrooms & Onions
Asparagus
Chocolate Chip Cookies
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October 10th

BBQ Pork Quesadillas
Coleslaw
Sugar Cookies
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October 17th

Lemon Garlic Grilled Shrimp
Mixed Vegetables
Cinnamon Banana Muffins
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October 24th

Fried Chicken Wraps
Mac & Cheese
Brownies
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October 31st

Fettuccine Alfredo
Garlic Bread
Apple Crisp Bars

Want to save some time over the Thanksgiving holiday? Let Chef Cody make your pies! 


Cherry, Apple, and/or Pumpkin
$12 Each

We will be taking pie orders from November 1st - 15th. 
Pick up for pies will be November 26th & 27th
Getting Healthier...
At Katie's Kids Learning Center, we are committed to providing the best possible nutrition to you and your family.  We hope you enjoy the following recipe: 
 
Pumpkin Hummus

Ingredients:
  • 2 can drained chickpeas (garbanzo beans), canned
  • 15 ounce pumpkin, canned
  • 2 tablespoon Tahini
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions:
  • Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Add more olive oil if it's too thick.
  • To make it look like a pumpkin, make a green stem using snap peas, cucumbers, lettuce or any other green veggie.  Serve with crackers and vegetable!



 

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Katie's Kids Learning | @ the Links | 309.663.5800 |  Katie@katieskids.net | www.katieskids.net
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