MCDC News

Good morning MCDC Parents!

Time is flying and there are only 5 days left to support MCDC through our Charleston Wrap fundraiser. The last day to shop is November 29th, so please don’t wait!

This year, our goal is to raise $2000 dollars toward center improvements. So far, we have raised $227.90, but there is still time to step up. Please help us reach our goal and make the center better for all of our kiddos!

If you haven’t already, please visit registercw.com to register today! Use our ORGANIZATION ID 21593 to register! One registration per family. (Chrome seems to work best!). If you are registered, click on “Check Progress” and follow login instructions.

Invite your friends and family to shop, stock up on festive wrapping paper, cookware, and home décor, and knock out your holiday shopping list, all in one place! The more folks you invite to support MCDC, the more rewards you earn, up to a $50 gift card. So break out your email contact list, share on social media, and help spread the word!

Thank you so much for your support!
Marshall Child Development Center

If you have questions about our fundraiser, please contact MCDC Board Members-at-Large Kate Estes (katherine.estes@nasa.gov) or Sarah Bradford (sarah.bradford@mtsi-va.com)

 
For questions about registration, call CW Customer Support at 1-866-395-2926.

MCDC Families and Staff,

As you all may have noticed, we have been very short staffed in the recent months.  This is due to a record number of teachers being out for medical leave and open teaching positions that we are trying to fill.  Our staff have been doing a tremendous job pulling together to help cover ratios by coming in early, staying late and working through lunch breaks.

Beginning next week, we will be at an historical low with staffing.  In order to cover ratios and allow our staff to work a typical nine hour day (with an hour lunch break), we are going to temporarily modify our hours beginning on Monday November 29, 2021.

Effective Monday November 29, 2021, our temporary operating hours will be 7:00am-5:15pm, for a total of 10.25 operating hours.   We do realize that this may be an inconvenience to some with your current working hours, but this is our only option to continue giving you the high quality of care for your children that you are accustomed to, meet our ratios, and avoid burnout with the staff we have now. 

It is our hope that the staffing situation will be improved no later than the end of December and we will be able to go into 2022 with our typical hours of 6:45am-5:45pm; 11 hours operating.  If the situation improves before then, we will certainly return to normal operating hours earlier.   

Thank you for your understanding and patience.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

*If you know of anyone that is interested in working in the child development field, please share my contact information with them.  Thank you!   

Kelli Wright, Director
Marshall Child Development Center
Building 4346 Morris Road

MSFC, AL 35812
(256) 544-8607
Kelli.L.Wright@nasa.gov

It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves, that will make them successful human beings.  Ann Landers

MCDC Parents,

You will be receiving an email today to sign up for Brightwheel; the new system we will be using next week.  If you do not receive an invitation through email today, please let me know.  If you choose to use another email versus the email the invitation was sent to, please let us know. 

Please sign up as soon as you can and set up your payment information.  If you have ever signed up with Brightwheel with another center, you will need to find our center and select it.

You will be receiving a statement on Friday of what you will owe next week.  The invoice for next week will be correct, however, your account balance may not be correct until Monday.  For those that have a credit or those that have a balance due, I will need to update that information, and should have that complete by Monday so you will be able to see if you have a credit, or see the total amount due.

Your payment options are to do an ACH payment, in which MCDC will cover any fees, or a credit card payment and the processing fees will be passed along to you.  You can still pay with check or cash, but we would really like to have everyone use the online payment option. 

With the Brightwheel app, you will be able to check in/out and sign your child in and out using your phone (QR codes will be posted throughout the center) or you may use the Ipad that will be at the front desk.  For the first couple of weeks, we ask that you also sign your child in and out using the sign in/out sheets on the clipboards at your child’s door.  We want to make sure the system works correctly before we stop using those altogether.

You will be able to see updates posted on your child’s profile in Brightwheel.  This will take place of the paper daily sheets that you typically get if your child is 2 and under.  You can also message your child’s classroom through Brightwheel.  Please keep in mind that the teachers may not be able to respond until nap time, but this will be an additional way to communicate.

You will also be able to update information in your child’s profile such as your email address, physical address, phone numbers, etc….  You will also be able to upload documents such as immunization records and doctor’s notes.

At least the first week or so, don’t expect too much content as the teachers will be learning to use the system as well. 

This is a new system to us, so please be patient as we all learn together!  Our hope is that this will make your MCDC experience even better!!

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Good morning MCDC Parents!

We can hardly believe it’s the holiday season again! Grab some hot chocolate and get your Christmas shopping done early with our Charleston Wrap fundraiser – back by popular demand! Our fundraiser runs November 8th – November 29th, so don’t wait!

This year, our goal is to raise $2000 dollars toward improvements to the center. Please help us reach our goal and make the center better for all of our kiddos!

Vist charlestonwrap.com/Fall-kickoff-videos/cw-virtual-online-with-incentives/ to watch our kick off video!

With over 2,500 gift, including a gorgeous selection of UltraHeavy™ gift wrap (holiday and birthday varieties), gourmet kitchen essentials, personalized gifts & more, you – as well as your friends and family - can help us reach our goal as you check off your shopping list! Complete the three (3) steps below to invite friends and family to support our MCDC fundraiser. Those who invite at least 10 folks will receive a special free gift of Charleston Wrap®’s UltraHeavy™ gift wrap with your purchase!

1) Please visit registercw.com to register today! Use our ORGANIZATION ID 21593 to register! One registration per family.
2) Send 10 (or more!) unique and valid shopping email invites to your friends & family using our invite tool at registration.
3) Once you've sent at least10 emails, a gift card will be emailed to you for your FREE roll of Charleston Wrap®’s UltraHeavy™ gift wrap with the purchase of any item.

The more folks you invite to support MCDC, the more rewards you earn, up to a $50 gift card. So break out your email contact list, share on social media, and help spread the word!

Will you please help MCDC by taking a few minutes to register now at registercw.com?

Thank you so much for your support!
Marshall Child Development Center

If you have questions about our fundraiser, please contact MCDC Board Members-at-Large Kate Estes (katherine.estes@nasa.gov) or Sarah Bradford (sarah.bradford@mtsi-va.com)

 
For questions about registration, call CW Customer Support at 1-866-395-2926.

MCDC Fall Festival Friday October 22nd 5pm-6pm

Our annual Fall Festival will take place this Friday from 5pm-6pm outdoors. We will be closing the center at 5pm. Please ensure that your child is picked up by 5pm.

We will have two bounce houses, hot dogs, popcorn, sno-cones, games and more! All events will take place outside on the playgrounds. You may pick up food and drinks in the cafeteria, but we ask that you take everything outside to eat.

We do need donations for our Cake Walk. Please bring in any goodies by Friday and leave with someone in the front offices. Store bought or homemade are fine. The more the better! Thank you!

Please feel free to bring family and friends! Costumes are welcome!

We hope to see you all there! Please let me know if you have any questions.

MCDC Parents and Staff,

I highly apologize, but MCDC is going to be closed tomorrow due to an emergency water outage by Huntsville Utilities/Army to repair a leak that cannot make it until the weekend.

Please let me know if you have any questions. 

Huntsville Utilities needs to turn the water off to repair an emergency 6" water main break. Leak will not make it through the weekend and may cause unscheduled outage if put off.

Tristan Lane is hosting another fundraiser for MCDC with Shrimp & Grits Kids! You should each have a catalog in your cubbies today at pickup to flip through and pick out your favorites. Tristan’s full commission on all orders from today through Sunday, 10/3, will be donated back to us!

Place all orders on her link: http://shrimpandgritskids.com/tristan4875

In addition to the items in the catalog, there will be new releases Tomorrow and also next Tuesday, 9/28. Make sure and check out her Facebook group, too to check out the new items releasing: https://facebook.com/groups/tristanlaneshrimpandgritskidsrep

If you need any help with sizing, please don’t hesitate to reach out to her.

Tristan Lane – 256-431-9165

MCDC Families,

It  looks like we may be facing some possible severe weather Tuesday of this week.  Please review our severe weather procedures and keep a close eye on the weather tomorrow.  Please also sign up for text alerts (Text @mcdcf to 81010) and check your email often.

In the event of a tornado warning, we will take the children to our protective areas.  The protective areas with phone numbers are listed below.  Once everyone is in their protective areas, the doors will be locked and no one will be able to enter or exit during a warning.  We will not release your child to you if Madison County is still under a tornado warning, even if the arsenal is not at direct risk.  Please avoid coming to the center during a tornado warning.

We will only close if Redstone Arsenal or MSFC closes.  We do not follow the school systems. In the event of a closure, I will send out an email, post to social media, our website and send out a text alert. 

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Infants/Creepers; Laundry Room 256-961-0975

Toddlers; Supply Closet (no phone)

Explorers: Kitchen 256-961-0934

Preschool: Library 256-961-0976