Let them eat cake -- at home

An article about a New Zealand school district that banned birthday cake caught my eye for a couple of reasons.

1. It was filed under "Odd News." What's so odd about school districts taking steps to encourage healthful habits?
2. The article doesn't mention another important health-related reason to ban birthday cakes and other outside foods: life-threatening food allergies. Policing food from home is a burden on both parents and teachers in allergy-aware programs. Parents must find and make recipes that fit the specific criteria (i.e., no peanut products, wheat, gluten, eggs, etc.) and document this fact to teachers. Teachers must remind parents of the policies and try to ensure that nothing slips through; if a child has an allergic reaction to food from home, the teachers must sleuth out the source and deal with that crisis.
3. Birthday parties (at home and school) can quickly become a contest of parenting prowess, with families increasingly upping the ante with more extravagant treats or other celebrations at school in addition to whatever they do at home. What about the kids whose parents can't or don't buy into that rigamarole?

The Gretchen's House Foo0d From Home Policy was developed with input from physicians, teachers, and parents with all of the above concerns in mind. You can read all about it here.

--H.V.

Read All About It!

Please note: this is not a solicitation for book donations.

However, parents occasionally ask us if there are classroom materials they can donate. Books, because they are relatively fragile and get so much use, are something that we often need to replenish. Parents also ask us for book recommendations when they're looking to build home libraries. We've compiled lists of some of our favorites, grouped by approximate age.

There are some perennial favorites not included here: Where The Wild Things Are and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, for example. We figure you'll find those on your own. Our selections include lesser-known award-winning title, books on developmental issues, and some of our personal favorites.

Great Reads:

• Books for Infants and Toddlers (0-3 yrs.)
• Books for Preschoolers (~2.5-5 yrs.)
• Books for 4K Children (4-6 years)

Sometimes parents want kids to stop reading "baby" books (anything younger than their age or technical reading ability) but that shortchanges them. Older kids who continue to read younger picture books practice reading skills by using context, rhythm, and rhyme to scaffold their burgeoning decoding skills. Did you know that older kids benefit tremendously from reading aloud (even if they've memorized the text or are making it up as they go) to younger siblings. Plus, the younger kids eat it up!

Need more suggestions?

Bank Street College recommends 30 Picture Books You Don't Want to Miss

-- Admin

At least it didn't hit the fan...

Did you ever have one of those days when your brain moves faster than your tongue or writing hand or typing fingers? And you find yourself making typos that are just wrong?

Pity the poor harried teacher who sent this note home:



Luckily, the parent who received this note about little Lilly is also a teacher, and she recognized the problem immediately: teacher turbidus, more commonly known as, teacher juggling too many mental balls at once syndrome. Mom asked for clarification and was reassured to learn that the note should have read, "When she stood up, she hit..."

--Admin

We're Hiring!

Know a college student who's good with children and looking for an active, satisfying summer job? We are currently accepting applications for full-time Summer Camp Counselors and full- and part-time Summer Substitute Teachers.

Of course, we're not only interested in college students. Teachers, coaches, and people with a background in early childhood are all good candidates! Interested parties should apply ASAP.

-- M.D.
Human Resources Director

Cheer Up!

We're more than halfway to Friday!



--Admin

Ants in Your Pants?

There numerous media campaigns inciting kids and families to get outside and move. As I’ve been doing some author visits as part of “March is Reading Month” celebrations, my experiences this remind me how important indoor movement is for young learners, too.

As an adult, I get itchy and twitchy when I have to sit still too long in a seminar. Imagine my sympathy for the kids at some of my visits to elementary schools! They often have to sit on hard wood or concrete floors for 45-minutes or so while I talk about the writing life and share my books. I incorporate interesting props and sometimes a song or two to help engage the kids, but what they really need is to stretch their legs.

During my visit to the Perry Child Development Center in Ypsilanti this week, the staff did something that helped the kids get out their wiggles and focus their brains: they had them get up and move.

Mid-way through the sessions and again at the end, physical education teacher Vincent Levigne put on a music & movement CD. It wasn’t disruptive or disorderly. In fact, it was the opposite—what a delight to watch 100 kids paying 100% of their attention to moving their bodies correctly to “the robot dance” or a song called “I read a book!” And what pleasure on their little faces! After a single song, the kids were able to sit back down, completely refreshed and re-focused.

It was a stark contrast to some schools I’ve visited where teachers forcibly removed fidgety kids from the group. I know they are trying to be helpful/polite to me, the speaker. But I don’t think author visits should benefit the author, they should benefit the kids. I don’t want to teach kids how to be a quiet, passive, audience. I want to show them how engaging with the world can lead to an exciting and rewarding pastime or even career. Hats off to Media Specialist Diane Bunge and the staff at Perry who make teaching choices that keep kids their number one priority.

What does this mean for GH parents and teachers?

• Gretchen’s House programs have always encouraged kids to move, indoors and out. Though the sight of kids moving around the room during instruction may look disorganized to outsiders, it actually helps many kids stay engaged.
• If your KG or first grade child is fidgety, make sure s/he get movement breaks when working on homework. Wiggly kids often do better staying on task if they are allowed to stand rather than sit at the desk.
• If your family will be doing an activity that requires sitting still and paying attention for a long stretch (for example movies, weddings, or church), make sure your kids get time to move before, during and after the event. Even a brisk walk down the hall can help.

--H.V.

Play Symposium: March 29, 9 am-1pm

In cooperation with the Rudolph Steiner School and the Alliance for Childhood, Gretchen's House would like to invite parents and community members to participate in an educational symposium on the importance of play. This event focuses on the fact that open-ended, free play is disappearing from our children's lives. We'll show the PBS documentary, "Where Do The Children Play?", followed by a panel and discussion on the barriers to open-ended play. After lunch, we'll conduct a variety of active workshops for adults and adults with kids.

Read more information by clicking this link: Play Symposium Details

You may register by completing this form and mailing it to the Rudolph Steiner school at the address on the form. Please note that we cannot guarantee childcare or lunch for people who register the day of the event. More detailed menu information will be available following registration.

Further reading/listening on the importance of play:

• Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills: an NPR piece by Alex Spiegel
• Taking Play Seriously: an article in the New York Times Magazine by Robin Marantz Henig (you may need to register to read this one)

We hope to see you there!

-- Admin