The Prouty Voice: August 2022

World Breastfeeding Week

By Chloe Learey, Executive Director

World Breastfeeding Week is August 1st through August 7th, and it provides a great opportunity to share information about the benefits of breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and lactation. A press release from the Vermont Department of Health notes that:

“The Vermont Department of Health supports and encourages breastfeeding because of its important health benefits for both the person who is lactating and the baby. For adults, breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancers and postpartum depression. In addition to the important nutrition and growth benefits, babies who breastfeed have improved cognitive development and a reduced risk for chronic diseases. Breastfed babies also have a reduced risk of severe lower respiratory disease, ear infections and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death syndrome (SUID). Breastfeeding also offers important bonding opportunities for both.”

Winston Prouty is proud to host “The Big Let Down” on campus Sunday, August 7th from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. This is a chance for breastfeeding/chestfeeding/lactating parents to connect with one another, and all who participate will be entered to win prizes. Lactation experts will be there to answer questions. For more information and to register, click here. Or visit the Health Department Brattleboro, Springfield or White River Junction Facebook sites. People can also call Jackie Lindamood at 802-289-0600 for more information.

Winston Prouty is also proud to be a Breastfeeding Friendly Employer, and encourages other employers to join us. Information can be found at healthvermont.gov/breastfeeding-friendly-employers.

Highlighting events like World Breastfeeding Week is just one of the many ways we can support the optimal development of children and families, and our efforts are more effective when these resources get shared. Thanks for helping make our community stronger by sharing these resources!

Resources & Events for Families

Online forum with local pediatricians about COVID vaccine for children under 5

American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont offering an online forum with local pediatricians to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5. Come chat with pediatricians and ask your questions. No registration required.  Just click the links below when it’s time to join the Zoom meetings:

Cash Crop doubled in August

Our friends at NOFA-VT that Crop Cash will increase for the month of August to support folks who shop at farmers markets with 3SquaresVT! Crop Cash is a 3SquaresVT/SNAP incentive program that promotes the purchase of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs at farmers markets that accept 3SquaresVT/SNAP benefits. Crop Cash can be used to purchase fruits, vegetables, herbs, seeds, and seedlings at farmers markets.  Usually, Crop Cash operates as a dollar-for-dollar match of 3SquaresVT benefits with a matching cap of $10. Starting August 1, 2022, 3SquaresVT shoppers will get double the amount of Crop Cash at every market visit, with a matching cap of $20! This temporary increase will run through August 31, 2022, with potential to run through September and October 2022. NOFA-VT will have more news on this at the end of August. 

Early Learning Center News

Professional Development in the ELC

This month during our in-service the teachers will be working on preparing their classroom spaces for the new program year, and looking more in-depth at a way of planning curriculum based on observations of children and their play in preparation for implementing this program-wide in the coming year.  You can learn more about this approach, called “Emergent Curriculum” on the NAEYC website here.  We look forward to working with teachers to continue to grow in the field of early education, and to seeing what emerges as the year begins.  

Acorn Room

July was another busy but hot month for the Acorns! We enjoyed much time outdoors in the morning before it got too hot out there either spending most of it in water or with the Willow room! We have been doing daily mix ups with the Willow room so that these children can develop and establish closer connections and relationships with the Willow teachers when they move up at the end of August. We cannot believe where the time has gone as these babies are not babies anymore and instead little toddlers who are mostly walking and even talking. They have been enjoying fine motor activities such as stacking blocks and putting fun sunglasses on and off with their teachers. We have also been enjoying going to the weekly Tuesday all school sings with the whole school to sing and dance with instruments. 

Looking into August, we will be focusing still on having these children who plan to move up into the Willow room, to have more connections with the teachers next door. We are already noticing a change within this group and they are already very much enjoying the next door environments and teachers! 

Willow Room

During the month of July, the Willow classroom has been having loads of summertime fun! With all the hot days we have been having this month, water exploration has been one of our favorite activities. Dumping, pouring, splashing, and running around in our new sprinklers have been some of the many ways the children in Willow have been participating in waterplay. Some of the other outdoor activities and explorations that we have taken part in this month include bubble blowing, woods adventures, bird treat making, and visiting the garden. This beautiful July has been full of laughter, joy, and sunshine. We look forward to continuing our summer fun in the month of August! 

Oak Room

During the month of July, the Oak room went to the pond, painted with our hands and feet, watered the garden, made pickles when one of our kids donated cucumbers from their home garden, and caught many frogs. We welcomed new friends Emery and Bennett. We have also been super excited to celebrate some of the kiddos and their birthdays. We now have all 3 year olds! We have been mixing up with other classrooms to make new friends and have more peers to play with. We will continue to mix up with other classrooms in August and enjoy our last month of summer! We look forward to lots of fun!

Birch Room

The month of July was not only very busy in the Birch Room, but also incredibly hot! We spent many days in the sprinkler and doing Slip & Slide on the big back hill. The children loved it and had so much fun! We also have been doing many mix-ups with Oak, Willow, and Acorn rooms. It has been a great way for the children to interact with other friends in different rooms and it has been fun to go on new adventures with those friends as well. Some of the activities we have enjoyed thus far aside from water days are many days on the playground, adventures to the ‘Swimming Pool” a few days spent taking woods walks and enjoying looking for frogs at the pond, and we have also enjoyed time getting to know the new garden teacher Amy and helping her to pull up weeds and water the garden.

During the month of August, we look forward to welcoming Alfred back so we can go on many weekly adventures into the woods to visit Mrs. Cranberry as well as Barry the Flamingo! We will continue to have mix-ups with the other classrooms as well as to prepare for the new school year!

Celebrations

  • August 11 – Madelyn is 5!
  • August 8 – Happy Birthday Lucy, Afternoon Assistant Teacher
  • August 17 – Happy Birthday Emma, CIS Nursing Assistant
  • August 22 – Aiden is 5!

Dates to Remember

  • Wednesday, August 24 – ELC closes at noon
  • Thursday, August 25 – ELC closed for in-service
  • Friday, August 26 – Center closed for in-service
  • Monday, August 29 – First day of summer program
  • Monday, September 5 – Center closed for Labor Day
  • Friday, September 9 – Center closes at noon for in-service
  • Wednesday, September 19 – ELC Open House and Family BBQ -more details coming soon!