The Prouty Voice: September 2021

Child care is a foundational infrastructure of our economy

By Chloe Learey, Executive Director

In 2012, Local Child Care Planning Council of Humboldt (Cal.) County uploaded their video “A Day Without Child Care” to YouTube. Nearly 10 years later, the points it raised are even more salient, especially magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. The premise is basic: people who do not have child care are not able to go to work, which has far-reaching impacts with a range of severity.

Child care has a unique position in the economic equation because it makes it possible for people to go to work in other sectors. A restaurant without enough staff doesn’t necessarily impact health care. However, when there are not enough people providing child care that impacts everyone.

Child care has never been easy to find. But the recent worker shortage has only worsened the problem, creating challenges for parents who are feeling pressure to go back to the office. Continue reading

Now Hiring

Please help spread the word that our Early Learning Center has three open teaching positions. Learn more!

Early Learning Center News

Acorn Room

For the month of September we are welcoming 5 babies in the Acorn Room! We are officially opened up and are enjoying the room. We welcome Nick, Piper, Monty, Silvan, and Miles! All children either from former or current Prouty community members and siblings! This month we focus on getting to know one another and developing relationships.

Willow Room

Here in the Willow Room, August was full of cooking, art, outdoor exploration, and moving! The class enjoyed participating in making applesauce and mashed sweet potatoes. They helped peel, chop, and pour in ingredients. I think taste testing was their favorite part! Towards the end of the month, we started making our transition to our new Willow Room space. We look forward to adding to this new environment and making many more fun memories for the fall! We welcomed Wilder to our class as a new student starting in the fall. We will also welcome back Grant to the Willow Room! We look forward to the month of September where we will do a curriculum around Eric Carle books and his illustrations.

Elm Room

Our Elm Room friends have been spending a lot of our time outside and enjoying the garden. We’ve been exploring and cutting cucumbers and zucchini and have been trying new recipes together. We helped label the Prouty Pickle jars, too! This month we’ll be helping make snack for our friends in the whole center and continuing to enjoy time harvest season in the Prouty garden

 

Birch Room

The month of August felt like it flew by here in the Birch Room, which can only mean that we kept ourselves very busy! We were lucky to have only a few days of rain for the month which made it much easier for us to go exploring. On the days it did rain we were able to get out for quick campus walks as well as run around the Gross Motor Room. Throughout the month we continued to visit Barry the Flamingo, Mrs. Cranberry’s Fort (we were also able to visit her classroom at the end of the month which was great!), The Swimming Pool & The Salute to the Sun Bridge, and we also rounded out the month with our continued sprinkler days on Friday’s. This has been such a great summer with a great group of children, and we are excited to have most of them back this coming school year.

With that being said, we will be saying goodbye to our friends Brayden and Delia as they venture off to new schools next year. Brayden has been here since he was just six weeks old, and Delia joined us when she was one so needless to say we have all been able to form some great relationships with them over the years and we will miss them like crazy! Also, the Birch Room will be welcoming a new friend Molly, who will join us for her first full day on Monday 8/30. Our theme for the month of September will be getting to know the classroom as well as an “All About Me” unit. We look forward to the coming school year and are excited to jump right in!

Celebrations

  • Sept 4th – Happy Birthday Yuan- Infant/Toddler teacher
  • Sept 7th – Happy Birthday Ann, ELC Program Director!
  • Sept 8th – Happy Birthday Amanda, Willow Room teacher!
  • Sept 29th – Happy Birthday Mary, Early Interventionist!

Dates to Remember

  • September 25th – Prouty Presents! FREE outdoor music performance
  • October 8 – Center closed for all-staff in-service
  • October 11-12 – ELC close for parent-teacher conferences

Resources & Events for families

Prouty Presents! on Saturday, September 25

Save the date! This community event is FREE and will include 13 bands sharing a wide variety of music. There will be lawn games, face-painting and the visits on Bookmobile. The Pit Mistress BBQ will be serving lunch and dinner. BYOB! For this event, we are looking for donations of baked goods to sell as a fundraiser. Please let your teachers or the front desk know if you can make a contribution – thank you! More information

Golf Tournament benefits Winston Prouty

The Southern VT Board of Realtors has selected the Winston Prouty Center as the beneficiary for their charity golf tournament – Friday, September 20th at Mount Snow Country Club! More info

BBQ Food Truck on campus

Beginning Monday, September 13, we’ll have a new food truck on campus for the next few months: The Pit Mistress! Stop by for breakfast or lunch: 7:30-2:00pm, Monday through Friday. Online orders accepted.  More information

SEVCA Community Assessment Survey

Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) is requesting our help. If you have had trouble meeting household needs in recent years (e.g. food, housing, clothing, medical care, debt payments etc.), would you please take this 10 – 15 min survey?  The info you share will ensure: 

  • a better understanding of community members’ needs; and 
  • the development of programs that best benefit you, your family, your neighbors, and your community  

If you complete the survey by 9/30 you could win one of eight cash cards for $50 or two cash cards for $100.