FALL 2020 Newsletter
From the Director . . .
What a memorable year it has been and it’s not over yet… We are so happy to be open and operating safely for children, families and staff!
It takes a lot of energy and effort on everyone’s part to help us provide a safe environment and program for the BCDC community. I want to thank the staff for their continued dedication to meeting the needs of young children, despite the challenging circumstances. They are the backbone of the center and we are so happy to be back together at the Center.
I want to thank the Board of Director’s for their continued support for the Center, the teachers and the Admin. Team, as we head into the Fall season. We will continue to work together to provide the safest care for all.
Most importantly, I want to thank all of our families for your tremendous support, flexibility and words of encouragement as we all navigate this “new normal”. Your trust and kindness cannot be measured, but know how much we appreciate all of you! We were sad to saygoodbye to some families who needed to make a different decision, but we hope that maybe they will be able to rejoin the program in the future.
Please continue to spread the word with neighbors and friends. We have spaces available for all ages and the ability to re-open classrooms if the demand is there. It is challenging to enroll new families when there isn’t an opportunity to see the space, so we have begun hosting After Hours tours . Current families who haven’t seen the inside of the center are also welcome to sign up! Here is the link:
https://bit.ly/34LEOSI
Please call 202-846-7672
with any questions or concerns. Best, Kim Mohler P.S. I am looking forward to becoming a Grandma again in late November !
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
September
Tues. Sept. 15th @ 7pm—Virtual Back to School Night for Infant & Toddler classes
Wed. Sept. 16th @ 7pm—Virtual Back to School Night for Pandas, Butterflies, Rainbow Fish & Koalas classes.
Thur. Sept. 17th– BCDC Virtual Board Meeting 5-6pm
October
Mon. Oct. 1st—TUITION DUE!
Mon. Oct. 12th—BCDC CLOSED for Columbus Day
Wed. Oct. 14th @7pm— BCDC Virtual Parent Mtg: Topic & presenter TBA
Sat. Oct. 17th— BCDC Socially Distanced Playdate from 10am—1pm on the playground…Watch for details and come get to know other families in your child’s class:)
Fri. Oct. 30th—BCDC Virtual Halloween Parade @ 3:30pm…Details to come…
WE ARE BCDC!
Lambs 2— Miriam Tesfazion & Olga Renea Beard
Ducklings 1—Cathy Franklin & Dorie Taylor
Lambs & Ducklings Floater – Stephanie Bryant
Bunnies 1—Sharnice Pearson & Ashley Leaks
Bunnies Floater—Juliet Howell
Penguins 1—Avalon Theodore & Dewaun Hunter
Penguins 2– Tameka Robinson & Kim Jones
Penguins Floater—Jaylyn Clark
Pandas 2—Kadiatu Konteh & Cehon Davis
Butterflies 1- Lamont Turner & Swarna Wijesinghe
Pandas & Butterfly Floater– Shelby Redd
Rainbow Fish 1—Danielle Rogers & Gloria Robertson
Rainbow Fish 2—Demetria Lunsford & Danae Jones
Rainbow Fish Floater– Tiania Hinton
Koalas—Malvina Davis & Sherika Patterson
Ms. Ruth—Facility Cleaning Assistant
Administration
Kim Mohler; Executive Director
Erin Silvan—Assistant Director
Ravion Wynn ; Education Coordinator
Renetta Davis; Operations Manager
VIRTUAL BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
We will hold our first ever “Virtual” Back to School Night for parents.
Tuesday, Sept. 15 @ 7pm- Lambs, Ducklings, Bunnies & Penguins
Wednesday, Sept. 16 @ 7pm— Pandas, Butterflies, Rainbow Fish & Koalas
You will receive a list of zoom ID’s for all classes through Tadpoles. Go to zoom.us, click
on join a meeting and input the ID & password if one was provided to you. The meeting
will last from 7-7:40 pm.
This event will give parents an opportunity to meet the teachers and each other, to learn
more about what to expect during the upcoming year in their child’s class, and the practical information and reminders for everyone.
Teachers will also share information about how we document children’s progress and
share that information with families. We will share the information with anyone who
missed the meeting. Teachers have prepared some handouts for you as well.
We look forward to having you join us!!
FUNDRAISING FOR BCDC
Amazon Smile: ongoing event…Amazon will donate 0.5% of every purchase of yours to BCDC when you use Amazon Smile. Just go to smile.amazon.com. Click Supporting at the top. Enter BCDC and select Broadcasters Child Development Center as your charity. To ensure BCDC gets the credit, first go to smile.amazon.com before every purchase. So Easy! Tell your family and friends 🙂
www.mabelslabels.ca Click on support a fundraiser and search for Broadcasters Child Development Center. Your purchases now earn the center 20% on the total sale. Great for bottles, clothing, backpacks, lunchboxes, luggage tags, Design your own:)
Important policies and reminders….
• All children must wash hands upon arrival and before beginning to play in the classroom. • Strollers may be stored outside of the center entrance. Please label your stroller too please. BCDC is not responsible for strollers.
• When parking there are 4 designated BCDC drop off/pick up spaces, but you may also park anywhere in that lot as long as you tell them you are with BCDC.
• It is imperative that you hold your child’s hand when arriving and departing the building. There is a loading dock driveway with delivery vehicles arriving in the mornings and the open parking area.
• Parents must provide a Dr. note if a child has been out with a communicable disease or sent home with COVID symptoms or a suspected illness such as conjunctivitis, Hand/foot & Mouth, or a rash.
• Medication can only be given if we have a medication authorization form completed by the physician and parent. Medication should be provided in the original packaging with child’s name on the label.
• Medication such as diaper cream, lotion and ointment should be supplied in a tube, rather than a jar, to prevent contamination and labeled with your child’s full name.
• Center hours are currently 8am—5pm. Please respect these hours which allows teachers to get classrooms set up for the day and then get to their own evening commitments and families at the end of the day. Parents who arrive late for pick-up will be asked to sign a late slip and the fee will be billed to your account. Please let us know whenever possible if you are going to be late, so that we can reassure your child.
• If your child is going to be absent, you can mark that in Tadpoles. You can also send the teachers notes regarding any information they need to know for the day.
• Everyone should have completed an updated 2020-21 emergency card. These are required to be updated annually.
• If your child has an upcoming annual physical and/or immunizations, please take the OSSE Health Certificate form with you to have the Dr. update. This information has to be sent to the Department of Health to maintain licensing compliance.
• As the weather begins to change, please make sure your child has weather appropriate changes of clothing at school.
Staying Healthy
An Influenza outbreak in the child care setting will compound the current COVID-19 pandemic resulting in significant harm for children and the child care community.
To prevent a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak in a
childcare setting, it is imperative for all children who attend childcare be fully vaccinated according to CDC and
DC Health standards.
All staff, children and families are strongly encouraged to
get a flu vaccine to protect yourself and others.
As we head into the fall/winter season, we will need to
monitor symptoms in children closely. You may need to
seek medical attention for your child to rule out COVID19 and determine that there is no communicable disease.
*Wash your hands frequently * Wear a mask *
Social distance whenever possible,* Limit nonessential travel *
We appreciate everyone’s cooperation!
COVID-19 Updates
From a meeting with OSSE & DC Health today:
Playdates and group gatherings i.e.; birthday parties, etc. have contributed to recent COVID cases in child care settings. We must continue to limit the # of exposures for children.
If a child has been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID, the child must still complete the full 14 day quarantine, even if they test negative, have no symptoms and are feeling fine. They should not return to child care until they have completed the full quarantine.
If relatives are visiting from a hot spot? As long as no one is symptomatic or tests positive, the child can attend child care. If they have symptoms or test positive, then the child must quarantine for 14 days.
Let’s err on the side of caution and consider the impact of the decisions we make.
Volunteers Needed
Grant Writing Support—As the Center continues to operate during the pandemic, we are seeking alternative funding sources to support BCDC. We need someone with expertise and some time flexibility to work with Admin. On seeking and applying for available funding. If interested, see Kim
Room Parents— We need 1-2 people to per class to help coordinate class events, staff recognition, etc.
Upcoming Events
Fall Playdate: We are planning a socially distant Fall Playdate on Saturday, Oct. 16th in the morning. Each class will
have a designated time to meet on the BCDC playground and
parents can chat with other families, while the children play.
Watch for a flyer in early October…
“Virtual Halloween Parade” & Class Party—
Fri. Oct. 30 @ 3:30pm
This year, we will parade the BCDC hallway in our costumes
and then come back to our classroom for some special treats
and activities.
We will videotape the parade to be able to share with families. Watch for info from the Room parent for your class to
see how you can help with party decorations & snacks
2020-21 BCDC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BCDC is seeking new members to join our Board of Directors. We meet on the 3rd Thursday of each month from 5-6pm via Zoom. There are no additional outside commitments, other than participating in planned BCDC community events.
No previous Board experience is necessary, but a variety of skills among members can be useful (i.e.; fundraising, legal, marketing, graphic design, communications, facilities & grounds, staff recognition, IT support, etc.)
Our newly approved slate of officers are:
Co-Chair: Andrea Smith Gosselin (Marcus)
Co-Chair: Jessie Friend (Noa)
Secretary: Marianna Mermin (Frankie)
Treasurer: Andrea Brian (Avery )
General members are:
Andrew Paciorek (Matilda) Margie Yeager (Community member) Bernice
Ines (Community Member) *Two Vacancies
Kim Mohler-Exec. Director Cehon Davis-Staff Rep.
If you are interested in serving on the Board, please contact Kim or reach
out to Andrea Smith Gosselin at [email protected]