Children's Garden of LaBelle News

OFF THE DIRECTOR'S DESK

As you all know it is beginning to warm up and Spring has not officially begun yet. Please be sure to do these important reminders to keep yourself and your children safe during the hot months.

1. Apply sunscreen when you are going to be in direct sun

2. Drink water regularly, even if you don't feel thirsty. Most of the time when you feel like you need something to drink you are already in the beginning stages of dehydration.

3. Limit your outside time to shorter increments to keep your body from overheating. Do your yard work little bits at a time and take a break every 30-45 minutes.

4. Check outside toys and equipment to see if it is too hot for your child to use, especially if it is in direct sunlight.

5. NEVER leave your child in the car alone, wheter it is running or off. The temperature in the car is much higher than the outside temperature.

In an effort to reduce the number of child deaths in Florida from children being forgotten in hot cars, we will now be calling to check on each child if they are not at school. To help us with this effort, if your child is sick or you have a planned absence please give us a call and let us know that your child will be absent.

WELCOME TO THE TEAM

We want to welcome Ms. Ana to our team, she will be teaching with Ms. Heather in the three year old room. We are so exited to have you!

CONGRATULATIONS!

I want to give a huge THANK YOU to Ms. Heather for doing an outstanding job in her classroom. She always puts in so much time and attention to her classroom to ensure the kids have a wonderful time. She has also organized regular visits with Baron Library to have Ms. Liz come to read to her room. You are doing an amazing job!

YOU DID IT!

Congratulations to David C. on your potty training achievement, and great team work with his parents and Ms. Heather!

AROUND THE CENTER

We want to thank the Calloosa Humane Society for visiting us last month and teaching the children about safety when approaching or petting dogs they are not familiar with.

Ms. Yadira's VPK class visited Upthegrove Elementary School last month as a transition to kindergarten initiative between the schools and Child Care of Southwest Florida. The kids really enjoyed their trip to the "the big school" and got a true sense of what kindergarten will be like next year. Thank you to the teachers, principals, and Jodi Bell for making it happen!

ARE YOU ON FACEBOOK? SO ARE WE!

Another great way to stay connected is our Facebook page.  If you have a personal Facebook page, find our page……. Children’s Garden of LaBelle…… and LIKE it. Now you will be able to see activities around the center or perhaps even your child.

NUTRITION CORNER

Irish Potato Soup

     

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the celery and onions and sauté for about 5-6 minutes until they are tender.

Add the potatoes, garlic powder, salt and pepper and chicken stock. If your chicken stock is reduced salt you may need a little more salt; if it is regular chicken stock, you might not need any salt. Season to your family’s taste. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are completely done. They should break apart easily.

Use an immersion blender and blend until the potato mixture is smooth and creamy. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can blend them in a food processor or blender, but you will have to do this in batches.

When the mixture is smooth and creamy add two cups of whole milk or 1-1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of half and half. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.