Southgate Medallion
Welcome to the July and August 2023 Parent Newsletter
Coordinator Corner
Welcome to July! Our weather has certainly been a mixed bag of all kinds of conditions. Our educators are encouraged to offer at least two outdoor opportunities daily to their children, however, unfortunately there are times when it is not safe to do so, and your educator will offer gross motor opportunities to the children inside.
The conditions in which the educator won’t take children outside are as follows:
· Extreme high winds
· Thunderstorms and lightning
· Extreme cold
· Extreme heat
· When the air quality is classified moderate to high risk
We are fortunate to have robust and up to date reporting and information on when it is and isn’t safe to go outside and we encourage educators to use an app to determine when they can and cannot offer outdoor play.
Using the infographic below you can see the scale which is rated from 1 to 10+
Interpreting the numbers:
When the conditions are ideal to take children outside, it is important that they wear the appropriate clothing.
Please remember that educators are encouraged to take children out in rainy and cold conditions, as well as warm and dry. By supplying the right clothing for your child, you increase their opportunity to learn about the enjoyment of being outside in nature, to experience fresh air and exercise.
Have a wonderful summer.
Emma
Coordinator
Upcoming Events in and around Edmonton
Downtown Farmers Market
Open Sat: 9am-3pm
Sunday: 11am-3pm
*Free Parking*
10305 97 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 0L9
Weekly Events and vendors. Check them out here: https://yegdtmarket.com/
Fort Edmonton Park
Step back in time and explore the past in this fun, interactive park.
Explore the new indigenous peoples experience, 1846 Fort, 1885 Street, 1905 Street, 1920 Street, the Midway and Exhibition, the capitol theater and ride the train or street car!
Open May.20-September. 4th. 10am-5pm.
Creekside Home and Garden Centre
Pick fresh fruit as a family!
Open July-September.
Depending on what is in season they have Strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, Saskatoon berries, chock-cherries and cranberries to pick.
Call ahead to see what is available: 780-470-0527
Meet the Agency Staff
Emma Dajavs - Consultant and Coordinator
I have been a proud part of the Southgate Medallion team since September 2018.
I am a mum of three daughters, one son, two dogs and four cats!
I very much enjoy collaborating with educators and families to ensure that the agency’s moto of “excellence in childcare” is upheld. I really enjoy engaging in reflective conversations with the people I work with, and I am proud to have been a part of giving back to the community through the donation drives we organize.
I have worked in early childhood for over 20 years and my passion is outdoor and risky play, and sending the message out to anyone who will listen about the importance of outdoor play time for everyone.
Aleysha Lail - Consultant
I come from an early childhood educator background. I worked at the University Infant Toddler Center for 7 years while also
finishing my degree at the University of Alberta; majoring in Psychology years ago. I have just taken and completed my Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies focusing on Early Childhood Education. Currently I am taking my Master of Education in Educational studies.
I love helping children grow and explore their culture, surroundings, and beliefs.
I am excited to be working at Southgate Medallion Day homes and I am looking forward to getting to know the team, the educators, children, and their parents/guardians.
Article
Involving Your Child(ren) in the Community-- Exploring the why and the how
Introduction
You and your child(ren) are a part of a wider community and as children grow they become more aware of the world around them.
The Theory Behind the Practice
According to Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Development (1977), the environment of the child is a nested arrangement of structures, each contained within the next. He organized them in order of how much of an impact they have on a child (Guy-Evans 2023). Think of it, as you will, like a target board – with the child at the center, and ever-increasing circles moving outwards from the child.
When a child is young, their understanding of the world around them is generally limited to family, and then begins to get broader as they get older, gaining an increasing awareness of what is beyond the family - from a day home, places of faith, the neighborhood in which they live, and eventually expanding to a global awareness community.
As parents, grandparents, and other adults in a child life, you play a vital role in the child’s larger understanding – you are part of the child’s emerging understanding of community, and you can contribute even more to a child’s experience of community through thoughtful and intentional planning.
For families who participated in the recent Winter and Spring donation drives, consider the positive impacts it had on the children, their dayhome, yourself, and the charities.
What are some benefits of community-based experiences?
Building Relationships
Involving yourself and your children in the broader community can help to build wider relationships with others, increasing a child’s awareness that a wider society exists beyond the home.
“The creation of a local community in early childhood becomes the supportive, positive, uplifting foundation of a child’s life. It helps them to learn about themselves. It helps them learn how to tackle challenges, build knowledge, and thrive.” (Children’s Bureau 2018)
Benefits the Community
Building a relationship within a community can be beneficial to all involved – yourself, your child, and those in the community. It can lead to a sense of achievement and accomplishment of a shared goal and demonstrates to children the importance of giving back and being involved in collaborative practices.
As the Children’s Bureau blog (2018) states:
“The beauty of participating in the creation of a community is that these events and experiences eventually lead to the building of profound relationships. These relationships must become part of the child’s everyday experience and must be nurtured consistently over time.”
Builds Self-Esteem
“Every positive impact that is made on the playground, in the garden, at school, at the community center, leads to a change and an influence over our entire society.” The idea of giving back is a useful tool for nurturing a child’s social and emotional intelligence and can be an effective tool to boost a child’s self-esteem.
What can we do?
· Start small – think about what is happening in your neighborhood that could engage your child– the weekly garbage collection, for example, is always a compelling event in the lives of children! Is there construction happening in your street that you could safely go and watch?
· Neighborhood walks often spark interesting conversations
· Community and other parks offer the opportunity to see other children from your neighborhood, school, and other friendly neighbors.
· Local library groups hold interesting story time sessions, and many other interesting group sessions
· Host a litter pickup event in your neighborhood
· Make cards with your child and deliver to someone you know in the neighborhood
· Run your own donation drive for a cause that is close to your heart
· Involve your day home educator and the other children in endeavors that you are involved in
· Host a community event such as an art walk – use your child’s art-work to create a display that neighbors can look at and enjoy.
· Visit community locations- Field trips to the fire station, police station, retirement home, grocery store and post office are ways to help your child feel connected to the community, and for your community to connect with your child
. If your work is child friendly, take them to see your office, your coworkers- children love to see what their parents do for work every day.
· Encourage children to share about their dayhome educator with extended family. - One of the best ways to deepen community connections is to learn more about who shares time with your child.
We hope this gives you some ideas of ways to involve your child in their surroundings! We know that time is limited but as an agency we will always share community ideas and outings in every newsletter- please look at those from some ideas that we have researched, and feel would be a fun and age-appropriate activities for children and their families.
References
https://www.all4kids.org/news/blog/benefits-of-community-involvement-in-early-childhood/
https://www.simplypsychology.org/bronfenbrenner.html
https://www.weareteachers.com/ways-early-childhood-educators-can-connect-communities/
Educator Spotlight
Thank you to all our Educators who shared delicious recipes for the agency cook book.
Please check out Vera's recipe for Green Peas. Yum!
Ingredients:
-One large onion
-200g ground meat
-Black pepper, salt, garlic powder to taste
-750g of peas
-One medium carrot
-One can of tomato paste
-Three tablespoons vegetable oil
Preparation:
Start with cooking the finely chopped onion on a medium heat until it's tender
Add the meat, salt, pepper and garlic powder and fry until it's cooked
Add the peas and cover with water
Add the tomato paste, cover and let it simmer for an hour until the sauce is thick
Present it with cooked rice.
Holidays
Canada Day
July. 1st. July. 3rd in lieu.
The Office will be closed.
August Long weekend
August. 7th
The Office will be closed.
Reminders
As summer vacations are here, please have a conversation with your day home educator if you are planning any time away.
Please note: According to our parent/educator agreement, the fee is being paid to reserve a space in the day home, therefore, if the child is away from the day home because of illness, vacation, or any other reason whatsoever, the fee is due and owing on the same terms and conditions as if the child was present.
ASQ
The information you supply will help reveal your child’s strengths, uncover any areas of concern, and determine if there are community resources or services that may be useful for your child or your family.
Please take the time to fill it out online. Your child's consultant will follow up with the results in August.