Center Closed
December 31st & January 1st: New Year
Monthly Calendar:
Click here to view January events.
January 4: First Friday
January 9: Board Meeting
January 16: Updated immunizations are due
First Friday:
Changes are coming to First Friday! In order to ensure we have adequate staffing each month , the following changes will go into effect on February 1st.
- Changes effective February 1, 2019
- We will only be able to accomodate 8 Seeds/Sprouts and 20 Bud/Branch/Blossoms
- Please sign your child up in the appropriate space
- We ask that you pay when you sign up so that the slots can be confirmed
- Remember there are no refunds if you do cancel
- First Friday fees will be raising to $25 per child effective Feb 1, 2019. The fee has been $20 for the past 20 years.
Volunteer Hours:
2018 volunteer hours needed to be completed by December 31st. If you did not complete your hours you were billed on the January Statement $10 for each hour you did not complete.
Accounting
2019 Annual Registration fees and 2018 Volunteer hours not completed were billed to your account on January 1st. For your convenience these fees are due by March 1st.
Many of you have small credits or balances on your account. In January you will receive a "Statement" instead of an invoice. This statement reflects the total amount due including credits/balances on your account through January. Our goal is to get everyone to a "0" balance to start off 2019.
2018 Year end statements will be available and emailed to you on January 31st.
Did you know...
Growing Tree conducts monthly fire and emergency drills? Fire drills are conducted using the actual fire alarm system and emergency drills rotate monthly.
Drills included are:
- Fire
- Unwanted Intruder
- Earthquake
- Lock Down
- Injured child/staff
- Missing Child
- Shelter in Place
Immunizations
We are in the final stages of completing our annual review of immunization records.
Teresa or myself have already notified you if your child does not have the required immunizations or non medical exemption certificate. You have until January 15th to complete the process. You can review Growing Trees Immunization Rates by clicking the link at the top of the newsletter.
Inclement Weather/Emergency Closure Policy
For your review our Inclement Weather/Emergency Closure Policy.- Growing Tree does NOT follow the public school schedule for snow/weather days or 2-hour delays. It is our goal to remain open as usual.
- On these days when the public schools have closures I do try to send out an early email/text confirming our status
- If we need to close the center because of weather or an emergency, we will contact you first via text/email and then post closure information on Facebook.
- In the event of an emergency, if the situation allows we will the contact you via phone.
Inclement Weather/Emergency Closure Policy
For your review prior to the weather going south, our Inclement Weather/Emergency Closure Policy is as follows: - Growing Tree does NOT follow the public school schedule for snow/weather days or 2-hour delays. It is our goal to remain open as usual.
- On these days when the public schools have closures I do try to send out an early email/text confirming our status
- If we need to close the center because of weather or an emergency, we will contact you first via text/email and then post closure information on Facebook.
- In the event of an emergency, if the situation allows we will the contact you via phone.
Please friend us on Facebook so that you may receive notifications of all the happenings at Growing Tree: https://www.facebook.com/growing.tree.bend
Dressing for the Weather
Winter will arrive this month. We have found that storing your child's winter gear in a reusable bag that can be hung in their cubby minimizes the chances of misplaced items and enables your child to take care of their own clothes.
Please make sure your child has:
- A complete change of weather appropriate clothes in their cubby at all times (please label all items)
- A jacket to wear as needed
- Hat & gloves: 2-3 pairs of gloves at school allows for dry warm gloves at each outdoor time.
- Boots & snowsuits
- PS: Teachers appreciate clothes that are labeled
- PSS: Mixed Bags has a great poly grocery bag that folds up to the size of a wallet when not being used.
Naptime
With winter approaching and cubbies bulging at the seams with winter clothes, the teachers are requesting that you limit what your child brings for naptime.
- child sized blanket to lay on/ to cover up with. Please do not send bed sized blankets
- small pillow - optional
- one (1) small stuffy
Schedule of Events
Did you know you can find the dates and locations for all of the Growing Tree special events under the SCHEDULE tab on our website?
Volunteer Hours
The following are volunteer opportunities:
- Volunteer hours are not pro-rated in the event you withdraw from the Center prior to December 31st.
- Hang Bulletin Boards
Board Meeting:
Our next Growing Tree Board Meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 9th 600pm @ COLE/BREIT Engineering
Donate Button:
We have added a donate button to our website and Facebook page. Feel free to pass it along or use it yourself.
Family Resources:
Healthy Beginnings
Family Resource Network
Call 211
Amazon Smile
When you are shopping for those holiday gifts online, please remember our AmazonSmile program!
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Growing Tree every time you shop, at no cost to you. You will find the exact same prices, selection and convenient shopping experience as amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to Growing Tree!
Head to smile.amazon.com to get started.
Head to smile.amazon.com to get started.
First Friday:
First Friday will be held on Friday,January 4th. Cost is $20 per child. Next month First Friday will be on February 1st. New process, we are asking that you pay when signing up as we now have limited slots. Just a reminder, if you cancel after signing up, you will still be responsible for First Friday fees.
Birthdays
11th: Jolene
Anniversaries
Teresa: 14 years