A p r i l , M a y, J u n e Ne w s l e t t e r/C a l e n d a r 2013

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit #409

Montgomery, AL

Family Guidance Center of Alabama2358 Fairlane DriveMontgomery, Alabama 36116

Family Guidance Center of Alabama will be holding its annual GoldRush Gala on Friday, July 19 at 6:30 PM at the Alabama ActivityCenter on Dexter Avenue in downtown Montgomery. This westernthemed evening is the agency’s largest fundraising event and itpromises to be lots of fun again this year. The evening will includedinner from Jim N Nicks, a silent auction, musical entertainment,cash bar, and a grand prize drawing for $10,000!! Tickets are$100 which admits two people and all the proceeds benefit themany programs and services of Family Guidance Center, which hasbeen serving the community for over 54 years. Ask us about howyou can get tickets by calling us at 270-4100 or 800-499-6597 orvisit our website at www.familyguidancecenter.org.

So, put on your favorite western outfit and come on out to have a great time and support a wonderfulorganization on July 19. We are going to have a great time! See you there!!

www.familyguidancecenter.org

The Family Guidance Center of Alabama ispleased to announce that Don Monopoli of TheLearning Station will be our guest presenterat Week of the Young Child this year! Don willbe conducting both a teacher training andchildren’s concerts in Dothan andMontgomery.

Don brings over twenty-five years of experiencein recording and performing children’s songs.He has been recognized for his lively,interactive concerts that celebrate childhoodand unite families with popular tunes thatinvite the entire audience to activelyparticipate; sing, dance, laugh, move and playalong. Each themed concert explores the

amazing wonders of creative learning through catchy, upbeat tempos,constructive movement and just plain fun!

Adored by children, parents and teachers from around the world, TheLearning Station music is also a valued resource for educators who enhancelearning by incorporating their songs throughout their entire curriculum.Don, his wife Laurie, and Learning Station partner, Jan Hkrach have publishedover 300 children’s songs and their 27 audio and video releases are aninternational sensation. They are a multiple award-winning, children’srecording and performing company that has rocked the world of children’smusic with their internationally acclaimed HIT songs including, TonyChestnut, Get Funky and Singin’ In the Rain.

Don can frequently be seen at national and regional educational conferences as a motivational, music keynote presenter communicating the values of musicas a fundamental educational tool that inspires a thirst for learning. His

dynamic, interactive style and ability to connect with his audiences hasreceived accolades throughout the world of entertainment andeducation.

Don’s enthusiasm is contagious, the energy is electrifying and the fun-loving humor will keep the entire audience involved, captivated andengaged. The Learning Station concert performance schedule has givenhim significant worldwide exposure. Performance venues haveincluded Walt Disney World, Disneyland, World Cup Soccer, US Capitol,Georgia Children's Week, Arnold Palmer's Children's Hospital, PaulNewman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Special Olympics' and nationalchildren's festivals -- with over 4,000 performances to date.

We hope you can join us for this delightfully engaging, lively productionbursting with energy and guaranteed to have everyone singing, laughingand dancing in the aisles. Surprising things happen when Don Monopolihits the stage –- You never know who in the audience will become thestars of the show!

Dothan – Week of the Young Child EventsMonday, April 22nd – Teacher Training – 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Tuesday, April 23rd – Children’s Concert – 9:45 am – 10:45 amfor children ages 3–5

Montgomery – Week of the Young Child EventsTuesday, April 23rd – Teacher Training – 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Wednesday, April 24th – Children’s Concerts 9:00 am – 9:45 am OR 10:00 am – 10:45 am

for children ages 3–5

Our Montgomery Sensational Saturday Child Care Conference was a great success on Saturday, February 23 with 300 child care providers in attendancefrom the Central Alabama area. Children’s author, Kimberly P. Johnson from York, South Carolina, wowed the attendees with her unlimited energy andhelpful information related to language development and leadership in the child care setting. The new two session format forthe conference was very well received as were the over 25 exhibitors. The fun and informative day concluded with Ms. Johnsonreceiving a standing ovation at the annual event that was held at Auburn University Montgomery.

Here are a few comments from participants:“It was one of the best ones I’d been to! She presented with great energy and she left you with a lot to think about.”“She spoke from the heart. She gave advice on how to help the children as well as how to talk with parents. She gave us adviceon how to help motivate ourselves every morning. She is the Wonder Woman of ... Education.”“I came away refreshed and encouraged.”“Kimberly Johnson is a very good speaker. She was down to earth, funny and had our undivided attention at all times.”

Gold Rush Gala

Sensational Saturday Recap

Week of the Young Child Events - Dothan and Montgomery

The ABC’s of CEUs

A. CEU stands for Continuing Education Unit. It is a unit of creditequal to 10 hours of participation in an accredited programdesigned for professionals with certificates or licenses to practicevarious professions. The goal is to ensure that the professionalstays up to date with current practices in their field.

B. A Child Development Associate is required to earn (4.5) CEUsprior to renewing his/her CDA. Who Can Award Official CEUs?Colleges, universities, or any association, company, ororganization that is willing and able to meet the ANSI/IACETstandards established for a particular industry may be accreditedto award official CEUs. Continuing education credits can also beearned online. Again, be careful. Make sure the organizationproviding the training is approved by the IACET before you investany time or money.

C. The certificate of training issued after each session provided byThe Family Guidance Center will meet the requirements for DHRlicensing; providers holding a Child Development Associatecredential are urged to obtain CEUs whenever possible.

For additional information, please contact FamilyGuidance Center in Montgomery at 1-800-499-6597 orDothan at 1-800-290-0933. You can also contact the CDACouncil at 1-800-424-4310 to get additional resources &information.

Registration Procedures• Registration is on a first come, first served basis.• To attend any class please call the number listed below and on the calendar grid.• Cancellation calls are accepted prior to the training. Please remember that if youare not able to attend, by calling you will allow someone else to use that slot.

Registration Guidelines• To register in Montgomery please call 334.270.4100 ext. 235 or 1.800.499.6597 iflong distance. To register in Dothan please call 334.712.7777 ext. 227 or1.800.290.0933 if long distance.• At either location, you may leave a voice mail message after office hours on theappropriate extension. • Walk-ins will be accommodated as seating allows.

Registration NotesSINCE CHILD CARE IS NOT AVAILABLE, PLEASE MAKE OTHERARRANGEMENTS FOR YOUR CHILDREN.

Family Guidance Center’s training is open to all persons regardless of race, color, national origin, handicappingdisability, age, sex, political beliefs or religions. If your attendance is hindered by transportation, language,location or any other reason, you may contact the Montgomery office at 334.270.4100 or 1.800.499.6597 orthe Dothan office at 334.712.7777 or 1.800.290.0933 to discuss the matter. As resources are available, attemptswill be made to overcome obstacles that hinder attendance. Funding provided by Alabama Department ofHuman Resources.

Alabama Pathways Core Knowledge Areas CDA Update

New InformationTraining ExpressThe Child Care Education and TrainingProgram staff in Montgomery and Dothanare always ready to support caregivers byproviding technical assistance or bringingtraining sessions you request to your site.Sessions, with topics based on your needs, can be planned for 1or 2 hours either during the day or evening. To schedule thesesessions, please call the office you normally contact to registerfor training.

Registration

Infants - Worm Finger PuppetMaterials: Small paper cup, fine-point markerMake a finger-sized hole in the bottom of a small paper cup. Use a fine-pointmarker to draw a simple face on your pointer finger. To make the worm puppetwork, push your decorated pointer finger up through the hole in the bottom of thecup. Wiggle your finger to get a baby’s attention. Observe the baby’s reaction to thepuppet. If baby wants to be the puppet, cut the top of the cup so that baby’s fingerwill be seen over the lip of the cup. You might sing songs or recite rhymes usingthe puppet.

Toddler - Worms All OverMaterials: Plastic colander, colorful pipe cleanersOffer a large plastic colander and a handful of colorful pipe cleaners to a toddler.Show him or her how to put the pipe cleaner “worms” into the holes of thecolander. Children may turn the colander upside down to put pipe cleaners in theholes on the bottom or push pipe cleaners through the holes on the side of thecolander. Children may push a pipe cleaner into a holeand immediately pull it back out. Be sure the colanderhas holes that are large enough to easily accommodatethe pipe cleaners.

Preschoolers - Finger WormsMaterials: Red poster board, scissors, markerCut 5 apple shapes from red poster board. Cut one hole in the first apple, two holesin the second and so on. Write the number that matches the number of holes onthe front of the apple shape. Have a child choose an apple and stick fingers throughthe holes to make “worms.” Help the child count how many “worms” are in theapple.

Schoolagers - Earthworm FarmMaterials: Earthworms (live fish bait or gathered from the ground), potting soil,cornmeal, clear plastic tub, waterFill a large clear plastic tub with moist potting soil. Sprinkle cornmeal on top of thesoil. Add worms to the soil and observe what they do. Keep the soil moist andsprinkle cornmeal on top of the soil from time to time.

PNC Bank - Grow Up Great

DATES OUR OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED

April 22, 2013 – Confederate Memorial DayMay 27, 2013 – Memorial DayJune 3, 2013 – Jefferson Davis’ Birthday

Connecting to the FGC Website - New Directions

Important Information

To access calendar and training information goto www.familyguidancecenter.org. - on the righthand side of the home page you will see apurple box. Locate the file that you want toopen and double click.

When making your selection for class registration, please note thetitle of the class you are going to attend. We do offer the same classin various locations to allow easier access for providers in all ourcounties. If you have already attended a class in one county, it isimportant to choose a different title so you receive the mostinformation and can be confident that it will be counted towardsyour total professional development hours for the year. If you haveany questions, please don’t hesitate to check with the office youcontact to register for training.

Since 2004, PNC Bank has promoted healthy child development through its $350million, multi-year initiative entitled, Grow Up Great. This exciting program helpsto prepare children, particularly underserved children, from birth to five forsuccess in school and life. The program initiative is present in communitiesacross the country in which PNC has a banking presence. PNC Bank now has amajor presence in several areas of Alabama. Through Grow Up Great, PNC offersleadership, advocacy, funding, volunteers, and educational resources that help toenhance learning and development in children’s early years.

PNC has begun an exciting partnership with Family Guidance Center of Alabamaand recently PNC was one of the exhibitors at our Sensational Saturday Child CareConference in Montgomery. Free child development materials were madeavailable to child care providers at the conference and we are looking forward tofuture opportunities to help child care providers to further utilize the Grow UpGreat materials in their work with children and their parents. More news will beforthcoming regarding this exciting program.

Montgomery County - Please call Janet Brealy, Healthy Child CareAlabama at 334-206-2910 to learn more about additional First Aidand/or CPR classes. Please leave your name and phone number.

Autauga, Dallas, Lowndes or Wilcox County – If you live in thesecounties and need CPR and/or First Aid, please call Nancy Wilson,Healthy Child Care Alabama at 334-874-2550. Please leave your nameand phone number.

Elmore or Chilton County – If you live in either of these countiesand need CPR and/or First Aid, please call Debbie Parker, Healthy ChildCare Alabama at 205-280-5700. Please leave your name and phonenumber.

Additional CPR and First Aid Classes Available

The goal of the Alabama Pathways to Quality Care And Education(Alabama Pathways) is “to provide a path tosupport and advance the best practices of thosewho care for and teach children birth through12 years.” The Alabama Pathways ProfessionalDevelopment Lattice provides early childhoodand school-age care professionals with a tool totrack their professional development. TheAlabama Pathways Core Knowledge Areas (APCKA) serve as afoundational checklist of knowledge, skills, and abilities that child careprofessionals can use to guide and track their professionaldevelopment.

Directors, please make plans to join us in Montgomery on Tuesday,May 7th from 6:30 - 8:30 pm, where the Pathways Career Lattice willbe discussed by Maria Dacus of DHR.

You can view the Alabama Pathways brochure on the DHR website atwww.dhr.alabama.gov in the regular brochure version and in a printerfriendly version. Hard copies of the brochure can be obtained bycalling the Alabama DHR Child Care Services Division at 334-244-1425or toll-free at 866-528-1694 and asking to speak with a QualityEnhancement Coordinator.

Springtime Activities - Worms