MCDC News

Dear MCDC Parents,

It’s time to show appreciation to our wonderful staff! Staff appreciation week will be held the week of May 14th-May 18th, 2018. This is an annual tradition at MCDC and it is important that we as parents let the staff know how much their efforts mean to us, since they are taking care of our precious children every day! This event is made possible by parent volunteers and donations.

There are five ways you can help out!

1. Bring in treats for the staff on Monday (5/14) and Thursday (5/17).  Some ideas for treats: breakfast casseroles, muffins, bagels, sandwiches, chips/dip, drinks, sweets, crock-pot meal, etc. The treat signup sheet is posted at:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084dadac2aa3f49-mcdc1.
2. Volunteer to watch children during naptime (12:30-2:30pm) on Wednesday (5/16) while the staff goes to lunch. More details below! Please sign up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084dadac2aa3f49-mcdc.
3. A voluntary donation of $15 per child is requested to fund the luncheon and a gift card for each staff member. More generous donations will be greatly appreciated!  Staff Appreciation Week will be funded exclusively through donations and not supplemented by MCDC funds. Please give the donations to the room coordinator.
4. Each staff member will be presented with a memory book containing the art/pictures collected for that staff member. Please have your child provide artwork for the teachers and staff members whom they wish to honor by Friday (5/11) to the room coordinator. More details below!
5. Each classroom needs a room coordinator (or co-coordinators). Please sign up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084dadac2aa3f49-mcdc1 if you want to be a room coordinator. More details on room coordinator duties below!

Volunteering to Watch Children
On Wednesday (5/16), we will volunteer to watch the children during naptime (12:30pm-2:30pm) while the staff goes to lunch. One of the administrators and the board will remain at MCDC for the entire time the staff is away. We need parent volunteers at this time to watch the children. As a parent run daycare, this is the one time each year we ask for parent volunteers to give the teachers time to fellowship with each other. The week prior to Staff Appreciation, we ask room coordinators to meet with Kelli or Cecilia to go over safety procedures.  Any parent volunteers are welcome to do the same. In addition, each room will have a folder that contains copies of these procedures and any specific information relevant to that classroom on that day. Below is a list of the minimum number of volunteers needed per room. You are welcome to volunteer for as long as you can.  We also need a few parents to help with set up and clean up for the staff luncheon.

Please sign up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084dadac2aa3f49-mcdc.

Infant A&B: 3 parents per hour per room
Creeper A&B: 2 parents per hour per room
Toddler A&B: 2 parents per hour per room
Explorer A&B: 2 parents per hour per room
Preschool A, B, C: 2 parents per hour per room
Three floaters per hour

Memory Books for Staff Members
Each staff member will be presented with a memory book containing the art/pictures collected for that staff member. Please have your child provide artwork for the teachers and staff members whom they wish to honor. You may include photos, too. Since the artwork is placed in a keepsake notebook for each staff member, it is important that the artwork DOES NOT EXCEED 8 1/2" X 11". (construction paper will not fit)  Please write the child's entire name on the front and the staff member's entire name on each page. Don't forget the director, assistant director, cook, floaters and substitutes! Please see the list of staff names at the end of this email to ensure you do not leave anyone out. Please have the artwork to your room coordinator (or place in the marked folders at the lobby table) by close of business on Friday, May 11th.  Vicky Garcia has ideas as well as several PowerPoint templates for your use. Please email her at Victoria.O.Garcia@nasa.gov for some ideas/templates!

Room Coordinators
Room Coordinator Duties Include:
(1) Collect the donations from each child.
(2) Collect the artwork and compile notebooks of art for the teachers in their classroom.
(3) Receive safety procedures briefing the week prior to Staff Appreciation Week and volunteer in the classroom during lunch on Wednesday (5/9).

Thanks so much for your hard work and dedication!  Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

MCDC Parents,

Tomorrow is our Trike-A-Thon to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Music Day!  We ended up raising $4050.00 for St. Jude!!!  That is just incredible!  That means I will be getting a pie to the face tomorrow!

Our front parking lot will be blocked off beginning at 8:45am.  Please ensure that you have dropped your child off by 8:45am or you will need to park at the medical center.

Preschool:

Each child needs to bring a tricycle or bicycle and a helmet tomorrow. They will not be allowed to ride if they do not have a helmet.  Please label your tricycle.  If the children get tired of riding during their time frame, we will have water.  They will need to stay on the sidewalk though if not riding a tricycle/bike.

There will be signs out front showing where each class needs to park their tricycles. Pre C will be riding from 9am-9:30am, Pre B from 9:45am-10:15am; and Pre A from 10:30am-11am.

Explorers and Toddlers:

Your child may bring a riding toy tomorrow to play with outside.  You may drop these off on your child’s playground when you drop off in the morning.

Board of Directors Vote:

The vote for the new Board of Director positions will take place tomorrow anytime between 8am-11am in my office, room 104.  Please stop by, sign in and cast your vote.  We have to have a quorum for this vote, so please take a few minutes to stop by.  Absentee ballots are available in the front lobby.

If is going to be a fun, busy day tomorrow!! 

Tomorrow is our Field Day and Picnic Lunch!

Please send your child to school with sunscreen already applied.  This will save so much time in the morning and allow the children to get outside quicker.

Please send a packed lunch with drink in with your child tomorrow.  Remember: NO PEANUT OR NUT PRODUCTS.  This means no peanut butter sandwiches. (creepers will be served from the kitchen)

Please also remember not to share any of your food with the other children.  We have several special dietary and religious restrictions.  

The picnics will be on the playgrounds at 11:00am.  Bring a blanket or chairs and relax!  We look forward to seeing you!! 

**Please use the medical center parking lot for overflow parking and leave a few spaces out front for those needing to drop off or pick up during that time.  No parking on the curbs or in the grass.  Thank you!

Our Kick Off Parade was a success!!  Even with the chilly temperatures.  We let the infants and Creepers stay inside and cheer us on.  Thank you to those that we able to come and join the fun!  I look forward to seeing all of the creative art that the children create today!

Thank you for allowing us to celebrate your children!!

Below is the list of events for the rest of the week:

Week of the Young Child April 16th-20th

Monday: Kick Off Parade and Creative Art Day

We will begin the week off on Monday with a parade at 9:30am in front of the building.  We will circle the front parking lot twice.  Parents are more than welcome to join!  Please park next door at the medical center.  We will have the front parking lot closed off.

We will also spend the day on Monday doing lots of creative art!  If you have any art mediums you would like to donate, or an art project that you would like to do with the children, we would love to have you participate!

Tuesday: Read Aloud Day and Dress as your favorite book character

Bring in your favorite book to share and dress as your favorite book character!  We will be reading rock stars on Tuesday. We would love for you to sign up for a time to come read to your child’s class or send in a recording of yourself reading a book!

Wednesday: Field Day and Picnic Lunch

Wear your athletic gear and lather up with sunscreen!  We will be outside all day!!  We would love to have donations of balls, bubbles, chalk, etc… 

We will be having a picnic lunch at 11:00am on the playgrounds.  If your schedule allows, we would love for you to join us!  Bring a lunch, a blanket or chair and relax!  Please send in a packed lunch and drink with your child on Wednesday. (this excludes the creepers and infants) Remember NO NUTS!! 

Thursday: Trike-A-Thon and Music Day

Our annual Trike-A-Thon is to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  Our goal this year is to raise $3000!!  You will find a pledge sheet in your child’s folder or cubby.  The pledge sheets need to be turned in by Friday April 13th.  If we meet our goal of $3000, Mrs. Kelli will get a pie in the face!!  The child raising the most money will earn the privilege to be the pie thrower!

The preschool children will bring in a riding toy (tricycle, bike, but nothing electric) and they will ride around the front parking lot.  Please make arrangements to have your children dropped off and the parking lot clear by 8:45am that morning.  If you join us for the Trike-A-Thon, you will need to park next door at the medical center.  Preschool C will ride from 9:00am-9:30am, Preschool B will ride from 9:45am-10:15am and Preschool A will ride from 10:30am-11:00am.  The younger children may bring in a riding toy to play with on the playground on Thursday.  You can take this riding toy directly to your child’s playground on Thursday when you drop off.  The preschoolers will park their tricycles or bikes in the front of the center by their classroom label.

Music will be in the air all day on Thursday!  If you have different types of music that you could share, we would love to introduce the children to as many different genres of music as possible.  We would also love to showcase any of our parent’s talents.  If you play a musical instrument or sing, please coordinate a time with your child’s classroom to stop by and share your talent!

Friday: Science Day and Ice Cream Social       

We will end the week with a bang!  We would love for you to conduct a science experiment with your child’s class on Friday.  We will be conducting science experiments as well.  If you have any ideas for us, please let your child’s teacher know!

We would like to invite you to an Ice Cream Social at your child’s snack time.  MCDC will provide the ice cream and we will have a sign up for toppings.

We appreciate all of the support and participation this week of celebrating our most precious ones!!

MCDC Parents,

I am so pumped about our Usborne Books and More Book Fair this week!  Kate Pokemire will be here on Wednesday the 11th and Thursday the 12th in our library.  She will have a great selection of books to choose from.  You may stop by at any time!  If you are unable to make it to the book fair, or can’t find exactly what you are looking for, you can also shop online at https://f4080.myubam.com/980950.  Don’t forget to click “ship with organization” to avoid shipping costs.  You may also send in money with your child, and we will take them shopping for you!  Just hand in to your teacher or someone in the front office.

Our teachers LOVE Usborne Books and More.  There will be wish lists posted of books the teachers would like for their classrooms.  You can purchase a book for your child’s classroom if you would like.  Also, every purchase goes towards FREE books for our center.  Hope to see you there!

(side note: I am an Usborne Books and More Independent Consultant.  The MCDC book fair does not benefit me personally or financially in any way)

Our center wide Workday is THIS SATURDAY!!  Join us anytime between 8am and 12pm to help brighten up the place!  We have lots of projects and cleaning that need to be done.  If you are able to attend or can complete a project one day before or after work, please sign up below.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b4dadad23a75-mcdc3

Due to the closing of Marshall Space Flight Center, MCDC will be closing today at 1:30pm.  Please make arrangements to have your children picked up and out of the building by 1:30pm.  Thank you!

Marshall Space Flight Center will close at 1 p.m. today, Monday, March 19, due to anticipated severe weather. The early dismissal will allow time for Marshall team members to commute safely. Please travel with caution and continue to be mindful of conditions affecting your commuting areaFor the Marshall civil service workforce, the unscheduled/liberal leave policy was put into effect at 11 a.m. this morning. The unscheduled telework policy is not in effect, and employees should follow their usual procedures for requesting authorization to telework from their immediate supervisor.

As always, all team members are responsible for notifying their supervisor of their status. Supervisors are responsible for knowing the status of their employees who decide to request to telework or take leave. Contract personnel should check with their respective program managers.

Team members are reminded to actively monitor email, Nixle text messages, local news, the Marshall Facebook and Twitter accounts or call 256-544-HELP for the latest updates from Marshall officials of any change to the center's operating status.

MCDC Parents:

Next Thursday March 22nd, is our Annual Egg Hunt!  We will be hiding eggs on the playgrounds for the Creeper, Toddler, Explorer and Preschool Classrooms.

Creepers, Toddlers and Explorers will hunt for eggs at 9:30am and Preschool will hunt for eggs at 10:00am.

We will be taking donations to help with the egg hunt.  You may bring in plastic eggs, candy, or pre-filled eggs.  We are a peanut-free facility, so please make sure nothing you bring in has peanuts in it or is processed in a facility that processes nuts. 

Some great items are stickers, tootsie rolls, starburst, chewy lemon heads, small laffy taffy or small airheads.  Anything that will fit inside a standard Easter egg.  (The smarties candies are too big) 

Any donations can be dropped off in the front offices by Wednesday March 21st.

Thank you so much for your help in making this event a fun one!

MCDC Parents,

Join us tomorrow morning from 7:30am-8:30am in the front lobby to meet our volunteer Board of Directors! This is a great opportunity to ask any questions or give any suggestions; especially if you are considering running for a position on our Board of Directors or are new to our center.  See you in the morning!

Our current Board of Directors are:

President: Brian Mulac

Vice-President: Rachel Paden

Registrar: Yvonne Villegas-Aguilera

Treasurer: John Peugeot

Secretary: Stefanie Justice

Member at Large: Audrey Lambert

Member at Large: Victoria Garcia

Up for re-election this term are:

President; 2 year term, must be a Marshall Civil Servant

Secretary; 2 year term

Registrar; 2 year term; must be a Marshall Civil Servant

Member at Large; 1  year term

Member at Large; 1 year term