January 2025 Newsletter

Happy New Year 2025! We hope that everyone had a very nice Holiday.

Please take a moment to complete our End of the Year GEARS Kids Center Survey! See link below!

Please read the opening message as there are always very important information for the month of January and also for February as well. Links for January Non-school Day and Early Dismissal are attached in this newsletter. Tax Statements 2024 retrieval tutorial is attached in this newsletter.

We will offer the Early Dismissal at the school age sites on Friday, January 17th. January 20th is closed to families for the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.

Another reminder that February and March our Gym Floor will be replaced starting in February into mid-March. The two Non-School Days that we typically would offer (February 14th and March 14th) will be cancelled as we will not have space to host these days. Note: this is only for children in grades 1st to 5th grades. Preschool and Kindergarten Wrap Around programming will be open downstairs in the classrooms. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Due to the gym floor maintenance, Kids Center will not hold our Professional Development Day on Monday, February 17th, President's Day. We will be open that day for Preschool and Kindergarten programs ONLY. Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide care for the children 1st and 5th grade due to the maintenance on the gym floor. Our new date for our Professional Development is now Wednesday, February 26th, 2025. We will not be offering care this day for all Kids Center Programs. We will re-open on Thursday, February 27th.

Again, inclement weather protocol, GEARS Kids Center will communicate to all families for any snow delays or snow closures through the Bright Wheel app and also through the WGAL Weather Alert or Closings as well. With the weather becoming colder, in accordance with DHS, we do take children outside to play for a time dependent on the temperature outside. DHS states 25 degrees and above children should breathe in fresh air for at least 15 minutes or more. We ask for parents to please dress your children in boots, warm coats, hat and gloves for our excursions outdoors.

Once again we will be offering Little Caesar's Pizza Kits and Cookie Dough starting on January 6th through January 15th. Order forms will be distributed to all classrooms and sites. All orders and monies must be submitted to our office by January 15th. The products will be delivered the week of February 3rd.

Have a wonderful day!

Wendy A Musser, GEARS Kids Center Director

Little Caesar's products will be delivered the week of February 3rd. Pizzas make a great Super Bowl Snack! Orders need to be submitted by January 15th to the Kids Center Office.

ECHOS donations were delivered to the shelter on Monday, December 16th! Thank you to our families for donating so many items! Thank you for helping our Community!

Parents who have children going into Kindergarten in the Elizabethtown Area School District for the 25-26 School Year please read the attachment to learn how to register in January. See the link below for information on how to register in January!

The Preschoolers and Kindergarteners are having a wonderful time exploring the world of a Dairy Farm and so much more! We hope that our families are enjoying taking home our plush cows and recording all the adventures your families embark on!

Congratulations to our December Teachers of the Month. Ms. Amber, Miss Jaylee, and Mr. Ryan. We are very proud of the work they do with the children. Thank you!