Child Care of the Berkshires, Inc.
Family Times Newsletter
Published by the Family Resource Center
210 State Street
PO Box 172 North Adams, MA 01247
www.ccberkshire.org
April 2015
Wednesday, April 22nd, 10‐Noon Family Resource Center
Located in the parking lot behind the
Haskins Building, State Street,
North Adams
413-664-4821
Healthy Families:
North Adams 413-664-6104
Trucks, Trucks and More Trucks! Pittsfield 413-445-4324
FREE Community Event for the entire family!
Come explore and learn about fire trucks,
ambulances, school buses, tractors, dump trucks and many more of
The FRC Lego Group the community vehicles that participate in this popular annual event.
will meet in the Please stop by the bake sale table to buy or
Community Room donate baked goods! All proceeds go to
at the Family Resource Center Fundraising.
North Adams Library on Tuesday, April 14 and Playing, Learning and Growing – April 28 from 3:30‐4:30 pm A 4 week Series for Parents Drop‐in group for families with children ages 4 to 8 yrs. Tuesday, April 28, 3:30‐5:00 at Haskins Center, North Adams Celebrate Earth Day Thursday, April 23 The value of play is important in the mental and emotional growth of 10 to 11:30 a.m. young children. In this fun and informative session, we will show how FRC will host our first young children learn through exploration and free play. You will learn the Nature Walk of the importance and benefits of playfulness for you and your child. Spring season! FRC staff Each family will receive a goodie bag to take home filled with will meet families at the Adams Visitors’ play power! Center and walk along the bike path. We This is the first in a 4 week series on Tuesdays from 3:30‐5:00 pm will have fun, hands‐ on activities for May 5: Brain Building in Progress May 12: Ages and Stages‐Your Child’s families to do along the way! We hope Development and May 19: STEM for Families you join us for the fun! “Through Play, Children Create Themselves.” SPRING STORYWALK! Berkshire Museum Trip on Friday, April 17 at 10:30 To celebrate “The Week Of the Young Child “ FRC families will visit the museum and meet and learn about their turtle “Chuck”, as well as explore the exhibits and aquarium. Call 664‐4821 to register. Dad and Me Gym Time (Ages walking to 8 years) Dads are invited to drop in and enjoy some active play with their little ones on Road Builders by B.G. Hennessy Read and walk! The Story‐
Walk will be along the walking track fence behind Noel Field in North Adams. It will be up from Tuesday, April 21 April 13‐24
. 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The first StoryWalk™ Project was created by In the Haskins Center Gym Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont with 210 State Street, the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition North Adams and the Kellogg‐Hubbard Library. Family Resource Center and Community Events
North Adams Public Schools – Preschool and Preschool/Kindergarten Kindergarten Registration and Screening dates are: Registration and Screening dates: April 30th and May 1st at Johnson School, 21 Williams St. North Adams. Emma L. Miller Memorial School (Savoy) – Preschool and For PreK registration please contact North Adams Public Kindergarten screening/registration date is: April 29th. Schools PreK program at, 664‐4159. If you have a three Call to make an appointment time at, 743‐1992. year old with a suspected disability, please call Linda Hurl‐
but at 664‐4159 for an appointment. Gabriel Abbott Memorial School (Florida) – Preschool For Kindergarten registration please contact the LINCS and Kindergarten screening/registration date is: April th
Parent Center at 664‐7512. 14 . Call to make an appointment time at, 664‐6023. Hancock Elementary School ‐ Call for information, If you are calling during the April vacation (4/20‐4/24) please call 413‐776‐1666. 413 738‐5676. Parent Involvement is Key— To the success of our program! We need families to lead activities, donate time or get involved in any way. It can be simple such as sharing a special book or snack at playgroup. Parents are encouraged to form drop‐in playgroups, lend talents such as music, cooking, art at groups or skills that you would like to share with parent groups or at playgroups. If there is a support group that you would like to see happen—let us know your ideas! Call Mary Jo at 664‐4821 ext. 18 or e‐
mail [email protected] to become more in‐
volved in FRC or to become a parent leader. Thank you … To the families and community members that volunteered their time and shared about their countries at the Culture Fest: Blossom Berry, Tatyana Dudiac, Debbie Pickering, Erin Connolly and Olivia Moran – with Freedom Dance dancers and Freedom World drum‐
ming group. CCB staff, Diane Morris and husband Keane and CCB volunteer, Geoffrey King. To Erin Connolly for leading the Lego Group twice every month. Special thanks to parents Deb Payton and Erin Connolly for traveling to the Athol , “Value Our Children” program as part of our peer review process. Thank you to all of the parents who donate clothes and volunteer their time to our program! appropriate play, for children 3-6 years of age.
Social Sprouts After-School Program meets once per Curriculum and staffing is provided by Early Intervention.
week, on Wednesday afternoon, from 3:30 – 5 PM, at the Transportation is provided. There is no out of pocket
cost for this program. Pre-registration is required by
Center. Children learn skills through developmentally
calling 664-9345. Early Intervention Program for 3-6 year olds.
Useful Numbers: Early Intervention 413‐664‐9345 Berkshire Housing 1‐800‐248‐9002 Berkshire Works 413‐663‐1114 Domestic Violence Hotline 1‐800‐401‐2425 Mental Health Crisis 1‐800‐252‐0227 North Adams Housing Authority 413‐663‐5379 Berkshire Community Action 413‐663‐3014 Looking for or need help with Berkshire Rides a Community Resource? 413‐664‐0300 Call Bethany at the Family The Salvation Army 413‐663‐7987 Resource Center at 664‐4821 Parental Stress Hotline ext. 10. 1‐800‐632‐8188 You can also check out Poison Control www.mass211help.org 1‐800‐222‐1222 Or dial 211 for information Community Legal Aid and resources for referrals for 413‐664‐ food, rent, help paying your heating & utility bills, mental ECU‐Health Care health counseling, health 413‐663‐8711 programs, child care and other Berkshire Food Project help for families. 413‐664‐7378 Northern Berkshire Child Care Resources BEGINNING CUTTING CRAFT PROJECTS CUTTING GRASS Give your child a 3” strip of green paper. Show her how to cut small straight lines along the top edge (fringing). Have her glue the fringed strip along the bottom of a piece of paper. Set out some marking pens and have her draw an outdoor picture above the grass. CUTTING STRAWS Below is a link for parents to find licensed child care in Massachusetts. You can search by type of care: Center based or Licensed Family Child Care and by zip code and mile radius. The site also has a description of the differ‐
ent types of care and how to select quality child care. Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care http://www.mass.gov/edu/birth‐grade‐12/early‐
education‐and‐care/find‐early‐education‐and‐care‐
programs/ Berkshire County‐New England Farm Workers Subsidy, vouchers and child care referrals 413‐736‐3900 Toll Free: 877‐478‐7727 Child Care of the Berkshires Give your child a large plastic drinking straw. Northern Berkshire Family Child Care System Have him cut the straw into (approx. 1”) sections. Monument Square Child Care Center, North Adams 413‐664‐3256. Then give him a twelve inch piece of yarn, with tape wrapped around one end to create a needle. 413‐664‐4657 Show your child how to string the straw sections onto his yarn piece. 777 Main St, Williamstown, MA 01267 (413) 458‐4476 Tie the two ends together when your child is finished to make a straw necklace. Northern Berkshire YMCA Williamstown Community Child Care Center 413‐663‐6529 Tip‐cut up straws work as a play dough toy‐poke holes‐
children love to use them as birthday candles. http://ymcanb.org/programs/child‐care/ CUTTING FLOWERS Child care programs for children ages two years nine months to eighth grade. Give your child either a small paper cup or a paper baking cup. Head Start Show him how to cut slits from the outside (or top) towards the middle. When your child is finished cutting have him glue the “flowers” onto a piece of paper and green paper stems and leaves can be added. CUTTING TRIANGLES Berkshire County Head Start‐Main Office 1 Meadow Lane Pittsfield, MA 01201 Phone: 499‐0137 http://berkhs.org/ Set out some small pieces of square or rectangle shape paper. Five Little Ducks
(Hold up 5 fingers for 5 ducks etc. )
Show your child how to cut the corners of these papers to create triangles. 5 little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mother duck said quack, quack,
quack, quack!
But only 4 little ducks came running back
(keep repeating verse until 1 duck is left)
So sad mother duck went out one day
Over the hills and far away.
Mother duck said Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack
And 5 little ducks came running back!
Let your child continue to snip corners until she has about 16‐20 triangles. Give your child a piece of paper and some glue and have her glue the triangle shapes onto the paper in an interesting design or pattern. Family Resource Center
Sunday
Monday
April 2015
Tuesday
Wednesday
1
6
10:00
Williamstown Youth
Center
Play and Learn Group
5:30
Haskins Gym Group
To Celebrate
The Week of
Young Child:
Each child who attends
FRC program this week
will receive a new
children’s book.
Road Builders StoryWalk
at Track behind Noel Field
in North Adams.
19
10:00
Williamstown Youth
Center
Play and Learn Group
13
5:30
Haskins Gym Group
Patriots Day
FRC Closed
20
NO regular FRC
Playgroups this week
26
10:00
Williamstown Youth
Center
Play and Learn Group
5:30
Haskins Gym Group
27
10:00
7
Preschool Group
@Haskins
10:00
BNF Breastfeeding Group
@ Haskins
5:30
Playgroup @Greylock
Housing Community Ctr
10:00
14
Preschool Group
@Haskins
10:00
BNF Breastfeeding Group
@ Haskins
3:30-4:30
Lego Club at No. Adams
Library
5:30
Playgroup @Greylock
Housing Community Ctr
21
10:00
BNF Breastfeeding Group
@ Haskins
6:00-7:00
Dad & Me Time @
Haskins Gym
10:00
28
Preschool Group
@Haskins
10:00
BNF Group @ Haskins
3:30-4:30
Lego Club @ N.A. Library
3:30
The Power of Play
5:30
Playgroup @Greylock
Housing Community Ctr.
10:00
Toddler Play and Learn
Group
@ Haskins Center
Friday
2
11:30-12:30
Haskins Gym Group
11:30
BNF Teen to 23
Group @ Haskins
10:00
Toddler Play and Learn
Group
@ Haskins Center
5
Thursday
8
15
10:00
Toddler Play and Learn
Group
@ Haskins Center
9
11:30-12:30
Haskins Gym Group
11:30
BNF Teen to 23
Group @ Haskins
11:30-12:30
Haskins Gym Group
29
10:00
Toddler Play and Learn
Group
@ Haskins Center
16
4
10:00-11:00
Play and Learn Together
@ Adams Youth Center
10:00
Playgroup @
Lanesborough Town Hall
10
11
10:00-11:00
Play and Learn Together
@ Adams Youth Center
10:00-11:00
17
Play and Learn Together
@ Adams Youth Center
18
.
10:30
Berkshire Museum Trip
Call 664-4821 to register.
NO Lanesborough
Playgroup
23
10:00-11:30
Nature Walk on the Bike
Trail. Meet at the Adams
Visitors’ Center
11:30
BNF Teen to 23
Group @ Haskins
11:30-12:30
Haskins Gym Group
Saturday
10:00
Playgroup @
Lanesborough Town Hall
11:30
BNF Teen to 23
Group @ Haskins
22
Touch a Truck
10-12
Behind Haskins Parking
lot
3
30
11:30
BNF Teen to 23 Group
@ Haskins
24
25
Child Care of the Berkshires
Family Resource Center Program presents
FREE
Touch A Truck
Come and touch your favorite trucks
A bake sale at
Touch-A-Truck will go to
The Family Resource
Center Fundraising.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
10:00 to 12:00 in the
parking lot next to
Noel Field in North Adams
The Family Resource Center is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care and
The Massachusetts Children’s Trust. For more information call 664-4821.
Daily April 13th - 17th, 10:30 a.m.
Family Resource Center has museum passes for free admission 413-664-4821
at the
Monday: It’s All About the Dough...Sensory Play!
Tuesday: April Showers Bring May Flowers
Wednesday: Leonardo da Vinci’s Birthday
Thursday: Le Petit Artist
Friday: Chuck Leads the Way
Friday, April 17, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Welcome to Kindergarten Night!
Is your little one about to start kindergarten? Join us for
games, activities and more! Professionals will be present to
answer questions about development milestones,
kindergarten readiness and registration.
This event is free and open to the public
Held in conjunction with
Pittsfield Public Schools, the Pittsfield Transition
Team and Berkshire United Way.
For more information visit www.berkshiremuseum.org or call 413-443-7171 x 334
Child Care of the Berkshires, Inc.
P.O. Box 172
North Adams, MA 01247
Non– Profit Standard
Permit #11
N. A. MA 01247
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Funding is provided by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care,
The Massachusetts Children's Trust, Massachusetts Department of Public Health,
United Way, Williamstown Community Chest, The Family Place and by community contributions.