Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers Holds Open House at New Location in Hanover Township, Bethlehem

Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers (LVCC) announces the September opening of its newest early education and child care center at Monocacy Manor, 395 Bridle Path Road in Hanover Township. The public is invited to tour the center and meet characters from Alice in Wonderland during family open house events on Wednesday, September 4th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, September 21st from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

LVCC at Monocacy Manor, located near Routes 512 and 22, can serve up to 86 children from six weeks of age through elementary school age. Full-time and part-time child care for all ages will be available Monday – Friday with hours from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM.

According to LVCC’s President / CEO Susan M. Williams, “LVCC programs are developed to accommodate key age ranges and include innovative teaching methods. Located in a picturesque country setting, LVCC at Monocacy Manor will provide children many opportunities for outdoor learning experiences, such as organic gardening. We take great pride in everything we do and look forward to providing service for families in the northern Bethlehem community.”

A not-for-profit organization serving the Lehigh Valley for over 40 years, Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers (LVCC) provides high quality early education and childcare to promote healthy child development, meet the needs of families and encourage children to discover the joy of learning at 21 locations throughout Lehigh and Northampton Counties.

For more information about LVCC at Monocacy Manor, families should call Center Director Cheryl O’Rourke at 484-225-3357 or visit LVCC’s website at www.lvcconline.org.

Wells Fargo Supports LVCC Summer Enrichment Programs

Thanks to the generosity of the Wells Fargo Foundation, LVCC school-age students will have a fun summer of exploration. With this contribution, educators from Allentown Art Museum and Lehigh Valley Zoo will bring art and zoological discovery to the classroom. Students enrolled in LVCC's summer program will also take field trips to the museum and zoo. 

Wells Fargo store managers Armando Ordonez and Patty Scheirer stopped by LVCC's Judith Chase Early Learning Center for a photo op and a tour of the center.

Building Core Skills Through Gymnastics

To foster physical and emotional development, school-age children attending LVCC at Muhlenberg received gymnastics instruction. For four weeks, the Parkettes brought their nationally-known gymnastics routine to the after-school program.

The students experienced the importance of physical fitness, including strength, balance, flexibility and coordination. They gained physical benefits and confidence while tumbling and jumping. As the children became more familiar with the flips and cartwheels, their self-esteem grew. The trampoline was the most popular activity.

View Photo Album of Parkettes Gymnasium

The Importance of Reading

Reading is one of the most important skills a young child can learn. To foster interest in books, LVCC teachers conduct a daily reading circle. The subject matter may vary, but two things remain the same - the illustrations are colorful and the subjects expand a child's knowledge of the world.

LVCC at St. Luke's dedicated this week to the importance of reading with many reading-inspired activities. Bethlehem Library's child librarian visited with engaging, interactive tales. Staff invited the families to join their children for story time. The center held a week-long Scholastic Book Fair. Hundreds of affordable and educational books were available for families to purchase. Selling over $600 in books, the fundraiser was a success!

View more photos of LVCC at St. Luke's

Constructing a Social Network with K'NEX

Using simple K'NEX components and unlimited imagination, the school-age children from LVCC at South Mountain built innovative large-scale models as a team. Working together encouraged social interaction and collaborative problem-solving. Developing spatial thinking skills, the group structured problems, found answers, and expressed solutions to complete their project.

All this engaging activity occurred before school. Just think how much they will accomplish in the future!

Holiday Lunch with Allen Teens

To celebrate the holidays, LVCC at William Allen High School invited parents in the teen parent program to join their children for lunch today. Having the child care program inside the high school made it convenient for parents to visit during school breaks.

After a healthy meal, some of the infants and toddlers layed down for a long winter's nap. Others kept busy learning through play with all the colorful, interactive toys.

Happy holidays from everyone at Lehigh Valley Children's Centers!

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Experimenting with Elephant Toothpaste

Science can be foamy fun! Just ask LVCC at Nazareth Area Intermediate School. While experimenting (under adult supervision) with concentrated hydrogen peroxide, dish detergent and dry yeast, the kids discovered "Elephant Toothpaste." 

Food coloring was added to give the "toothpaste" a cool color. The yeast caused the chemical reaction, acting as a catalyst, to release the extra oxygen gas. And finally, the soap created all the foam.

Fourth and fifth graders, Olivia and Abbi, demonstrate the process.

 

Kiwanians Bring Holiday Cheer with Annual Party

The preschool and Pre-K Counts classes from LVCC at Walnut Street had a jolly good time at our annual holiday party. Our gracious hosts, the Kiwanis Club of Allentown, held the festivities in the banquet hall of the Allentown BrewWorks. "Melody" Mike Maiatico, an accomplished pianist, led the group in a holiday sing-along with his electronic keyboard. The children sang and danced while playing tamborines.  As soon as we started singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town, guess who appeared? Santa Claus! Each child had the opportunity to sit next to Santa, told him what was wanted for Christmas, and had photos taken. The Allentown Central Catholic Key Club officers played Santa's helpers by singing and handing out gifts. Following the fun, we had a delicious lunch to fill our tummies.

Thank you Kiwanians for making our spirits bright!

View Photos of the Holiday Party