Thank you to our parents for a wonderful school year! Your support and assistance have added an important component to our program. So many have provided help to individual classrooms and accompanied classes on field trips. Trips could not have gone forward without you.

Thanks to Sharon for recruiting parent volunteers in each classroom to make Teacher Appreciation Week meaningful and memorable. Thank you to Nicole , who coordinated our National Day of Prayer. Heartfelt words of thanks are given to the CDC’s webmaster, Svet. On behalf of the CDC faculty and staff- thank you to ALL parents for your lovely gifts and kind words during Teacher Appreciation Week! Finally, as we look forward the upcoming school year, we are grateful to Sharon who has expressed her willingness to revitalize the Parent Activity Board.

Let the Pomp and Circumstance begin! It’s graduation time for our Junior Kindergarten and Pre -Kindergarten programs. On Friday, June 7, at 1:00 PM our Junior Kindergarten class will graduate. Roaring Lions will hold a special graduation program on Friday June 21 and Sea Turtles are planning a passing on event towards the end of the month. Ms. Bindu , Mr. Lawrence, Mrs. W., Ms. Jasmine Ms. Marquita, Ms. Kayla and Mr. Sean have done an outstanding job this year. The children have enjoyed a year of developmentally appropriate activities in a warm and loving environment. We know that all children leaving the CDC throughout the summer are looking ahead to a bright future, but we cannot help to feel sadness to say goodbye to those who have spent much of their young lives at CDC. We wish our graduates success and love!

Friday, June 14 is our International Picnic-End of the School Year Graduation. This years theme will be based on Dr. Seuss’s Oh, The Places You’ll Go! The evening begins at 5:00 PM in the Church Sanctuary. At 6:00 PM all the fun and festivities will begin and will be held throughout the Educational Building ,13th and Hartford Streets and the backyard. Mark your calendars its’ an event you will not want to miss.

Our academic school year has come to an end. Summer fun will begin on Thursday, June 20 with a Mid-Summer Eve event. We’ll welcome our summer program with a day filled with summer frolics. Mr. Avery and Ms. Gwen Little Discoverers teachers will coordinate the days event. It will have a Shakespearian Twist. Throughout the summer, the teachers have fun themes planned. Spanish, Chinese, Fine Arts, Gymnastics and Music Classes will continue throughout the summer. Computer Camp, Drama Camp and Vacation Bible School are planned for July and August. On June 24, we welcome our school age Day Campers. Mr. Rudy , the Day Camp Coordinator, has the summer packed with activities and adventures. We have a few weeks available. Please see Mr. Rudy if you are interested.

International Mud Day is just around the corner. We’re joining others around the globe in a day of splashing, rolling, squishing, sliding, making mud pies and more. Mr. Avery and Ms. Gwen (Little Discoverers Teachers) are re-connecting us with the natural world with a celebration of nature by getting muddy on Thursday, June 27.

The children’s garden is growing, growing, growing! Please stop by and see it for yourself!

It has been a wonderful school year. Thank you for the privilege of knowing your family. We look forward to a great summer and to working with you as the new school year approaches.

Happy Father’s Day to All Our Wonderful Dads!

Sincerely,

Secethia

On behalf of Secethia Boardley, I am writing to invite you to participate in the CDC’s observance of the National Day of Prayer.  To mark the day, the school is organizing a prayer circle across our entire CDC family.  On the National Day of Prayer, May 2, 2013, we would like to have parents commit to pausing, wherever they are, for prayer and reflection at specific times so we may have prayers from 8:00am to 5:00pm.

Sign-up sheets will be on the Parent’s Table on the first floor of the CDC this week. Parents willing to participate in our observance of the National Day of Prayer may sign up for one of the time slots (they are divided into half hour increments) to pause and pray wherever they are, for our country, our community, our school and our families.

In addition, please plan to attend a short prayer meeting at the First Baptist of Clarendon Church on May 2, 2013 at 5 PM.  Details will follow.

Thank you for your willingness to be part of this special day.

Sincerely,

Nicole Knight, Mom to Vanessa (Sea Turtles)

(CDC) 2013 Summer Camp Permission-Insurance Form (website)

(CDC) 2013 Summer Camp Registration Form (website)

(CDC) 2013 Summer Camp Schedule (website)

(CDC) 2013 Summer Camp Themes and Information

Week 1 Theme: Where the Wild Things Are * June 24 – 28

Do you love animals and the book Where the Wild Things Are by famous children’s author Maurice Sendak? Then this week is for you! We will explore how animals are cared for in captivity, see wildlife up close, and visit with wildlife experts at the National Zoo and the Reston Zoo.

Week 2 Theme: Stars and Stripes * July 1 – 5

Oh say can you see…all the fun this week! We will participate in a Tour Bus trip around DC as the campers wear red, white, or blue and we celebrate Independence Day. Campers can also enjoy a visit from a member of the US Army to learn about the military and all it entails. Campers will also have fun preparing, creating, and sending a care package to a solider.

Week 3 Theme: Water Week * July 8 – 12

Come jump and splash while cooling off with some fun water activities. Campers will enjoy their time at Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole with various pools, rides, and slides. They will also explore the local communities and sites, while taking a boat ride from Old Town, Alexandria to the National Harbor, and back!

Week 4 Theme: Wonderfully Wacky Week * July 15 – 19

Whether you are into counting fish or like green eggs and ham, this is the week to embrace the wacky! Each day will have a particular theme, such as crazy hat day and inside out day. There will be silly games and costumes to wear too, so come prepared for a wildly, wonderfully, wacky time on the National Mall. Also be prepared to dress up like your favorite wacky star, for our visit at Madame Tussaud’s.

Week 5 Theme: All Star Sports * July 22 – 26

We will bring out the champion within you! This week campers will participate in multiple swimming adventures, and a day designated for their favorite sports; a basketball day, a bowling adventure, a tennis day, and a soccer day. We will also attend a Washington Nationals baseball game, to get the most out of our various sport’s experiences.

Week 6 Theme: Under the Sea Exploration *

July 29 – August 2

Dive in to discover the many wonders of the ocean including; shells, fish, whales, and other animals. The campers will explore life under the sea and enjoying time outside, while Paddle Boating at the Tidal Basin. Campers will also enjoy an adventurous visit discovering jellyfish, coral reefs, sharks at Shark Alley, and other sea life at the Baltimore Aquarium. 

Week 7 Theme: Museum Mania * August 5 – 9

Hop aboard this week for some interesting explorations and exciting adventures at the Smithsonian museums of American Indian and the National Museum of Natural History. At both museums, campers will enjoy the expertise of Mrs. Gradle, founder and facilitator of Science Wonders. 

Week 8 Theme: Wild, Wild West * August 12 – 16

It is Western Week so strap on your boots and dust off your cowboy hat. It is time for a hoe-down at camp. We will participate in square dancing and a sing-along at CDC. Campers will also participate in pony riding, feeding animals, and hay-riding activities at the Old Mine Ranch. There is sure to be plenty of fun exploring the Wild, Wild West.

Week 9 Theme: Barbeque Bash * August 19 – 23

Celebrate the end of Summer Camp with a trip to the National Children’s Museum, located on the National Harbor, in Maryland. Here, campers will enjoy learning about different art areas, play spaces, their environment, and various other exhibits. Campers will also take part in a cook-out at Burke Lake Park, where they will enjoy a train ride, ice cream, and great food. 

** We look forward to our many experiences during the

FBCC CDC 2013 Summer Camp!

*** Please Note: Parents are welcome to attend many of our Summer Camp activities. Please speak to Mr. Rudy to find out more information about specific trips, dates, and times. Additionally, scheduled outdoor activities are subject to change, depending on weather. Thank you for your interest in CDC’s 2013 Summer Camp.

I’ve not been here long, but, in short order, I have come to hold the mission of the Child Development Center in the highest esteem. With those of the church I serve, as well as the Arlington community, I applaud its purposes in character, physical, artistic, and Christian development of your children. The leadership and faculty are esteemed; the programs and curriculum exemplary.

And, of course, the children, the center of our concern, are beautiful, charming, inspiring and treasured. We celebrate them, their lives and their potential, and would guard these gifts of God as a precious and sacred task.

I invite you to join us in affirming that commitment during our worship service this Sunday as we initiate the Week of the Young Child. We will recognize those of the CDC family, its children, parents, teachers, and administrative team. We will also worship the living God from whom every good gift has come, including our children and their families.

Join us!

James B. Johnson II
Pastor

The National Association for the Education of Young Children® annually celebrates institutions, organizations and their persons who work to improve care and early learning opportunities and programs which lay a foundation for a lifetime of learning and success in the Week of the Young Child™. ‘Early Years are Learning Years’® is the theme of this year’s Week of the Young Child,

which will be observed 14-22 April.

Dr. Jim Johnson, recently elected Senior Pastor of the Church of Clarendon, in celebration and recognition of its ministry partnership with the Child Development Center has agreed to initiate the week’s activities with an official Proclamation during which the members of the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, administrative team and you and your children will be recognized.

The purpose of this letter is to invite and encourage you to consider joining Dr. Johnson and the congregation of the Church at Clarendon, our ministry partner at the 11:00 AM worship service*, Sunday, 14 April 2013.

For purposes of preparation, please let a member of your child’s teaching team know that you and your child will participate in this Week of the Young Child celebration with our ministry partner, the Church of Clarendon, no later than the close of business, Thursday, 11 April.

Thank you,

Secethia Boardley-Davis

Executive Director

* The Church of Clarendon uses a child check-in system for the children who participate in their children’s ministry while their parents worship during the 11:00 AM service. If you plan to stay for the entire service and wish your child to participate in the children’s ministry rather then stay with you, please plan your arrival at church to accommodate checking-in at the children’s desk prior to your the child being seated in the Sanctuary.

The Church of Clarendon procures parking passes for those who wish to utilize the parking garage across the street from the school/church. At the close of the worship service, your ticket can be stamped at the welcome desk and tendered to the parking attendant as payment.

Dear Parents,

The purpose of this letter is to invite you to voice your opposition to members of the Arlington County Board of Supervisor’s budget balancing proposal to eliminate the Arlington Child Care Office, through which early childhood care and learning facilities, including the CDC, obtain licensure.

All families of children enrolled in child and home care facilities in Arlington will be negatively impacted if the proposal to eliminate the Child Care Office passes.  The first and most significant impact that you should consider if this proposal passes has to do with licensing standards. The Arlington County code is a significantly higher standard than those of the State which received a failing grade from NACCRRA, the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agency.

Should the Arlington Child Care Office be eliminated by the Board of County Supervisors, the removal of the ‘Code’ will offer small home care and religious programs the opportunity to provide care and early learning opportunities in settings with higher caregiver-child ratios by less qualified faculty without a license. While lower standards impact families whose income is sub-median first and most significantly, research indicates that lower standards effect all families.

High quality early childhood care and education that is developmentally appropriate and brain compatible contributes to school and life readiness and preparedness.  High quality early childhood care and education has proven to significantly decrease economic and societal challenges, including high school drop out rates and adverse health conditions. While families whose income is above the median will enroll their children in programs whose practices align with standards higher than those legally required by the State, low quality care, made normative if the Child Care Office is eliminated by the Board of County Supervisors, contributes to lower school achievement and poor life outcomes, risks inherent to families whose income falls incrementally below the median, risks that are inherited by random grouping of children in the public school setting.

Investing in early childhood care and learning highlighted in the President’s State of the Union address, is a moral and economically sound decision.

Our children, the youngest and most vulnerable of citizens depend on us to provide and protect their safety, health, welfare and wellbeing.

The following contact information is provided for you as you consider voicing your opposition to the proposal to eliminate the Arlington Child Care Office to members of the Board of County Supervisors.

• J. Walter Tejada, Chair                       wtejada@arlingtonva.us
• Jay Fisette, Vice-Chair                       jfisette@arlingtonva.us
• Mary Hynes                                          mhynes@arlingtonva.us
• Libby Garvey                                        Lgarvey@arlingtonva.us
• Christopher Zimmerman                    czimmerman@arlingtonva.us

Mailing Address:

Arlington County Board of Supervisors
2100 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22201
Phone number: (703) 228-3130

Thank you,

Secethia Boardley-Davis
Executive Director

Happy New Year! Welcome back to school in this new year of exciting events and new learning experiences. I trust everyone had a joyous holiday and is ready for all that each teacher has planned. I’d like to thank the many families for their thoughtfulness bestowed upon the CDC staff. Your lovely holiday wishes, baskets, of goodies, gifts, cards and kind words made the holiday extra special and it was greatly appreciated.

We all enjoyed the CDC Annual Christmas Program. “The Spirit of Christmas” brightened the holiday season for all. The children were so proud to share their songs and dances. Many thanks to all for attending.

It’s hard to believe but we are mid year of our academic school year. The teachers will begin preparing mid year reviews this month and conferences will be scheduled beginning February 1st. Please look for the sign-up sheet for conferences during the middle of the month.

Winter is officially here and we will still continue out door play. Dress your children in warm clothing and label all coats, and hats, gloves, scarfs, mittens, and boots. Make sure you are familiar with the inclement weather policy. Winter is always an amazing time of the year. The temperature can be bitter cold and nature seems to be at a standstill. The trees proudly stand bare and the miracle of the snowflake makes a child’s eyes sparkle. I’ve come to appreciate winter and have learned to see it’s beauty. Take sometime as a family to enjoy the splendors of winter. Try bird watching, listening for sounds of nature, discovering foot prints, sledding, skiing, snow tubing, ice skating, or simply reading by the fire and roasting marshmallows.

Happy Winter
Secethia

There has been a change to this week’s Lunch Menu.

Christmas is coming and its only a few weeks away. There is so much excitement in the air. Holiday parts and festivities will abound!

Our annual Christmas Program will be held on Friday, December 14, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Please join us in the Church Sanctuary as the children present “The Spirit Of Christmas.” Rehearsals for the program have begun. Please remember it is important for the children to arrive by 9:30 a.m. so they will not miss practice. Thank you for your cooperation throughout this time.

A previous CDC Director once wrote “As we approach Christmas let us remember the Christmas joys are in giving. As we join the hustle and bustle of happy shoppers to choose gifts for our loved ones, friends, and neighbors let us select gifts that show understanding, thought, and good sense. Let us hope our offering, regardless of the cost embraces each one with abundance of love and joy. Let us give from a Christmas list including a kindly word to a weary soul and an understanding smile from the heart, forgiveness where there has been doubt and faith where there is darkness.” Let us remember the Christ child!

Remember CDC will be closed December 24, 2012- January 1, 2013. Reopening on Wednesday January 2, 2013.

Christmas comes but once a year, but when it comes it brings good cheer. May this Christmas bring as much joy and love as hearts can hold. Joan Walsh Anglund

To each and every loving family I wish you a holiday season filled with love, good health, and happiness. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Secethia