Reaching New Heights...

Students enrolled in LVCC's afterschool program at Nazareth Intermediate School are enjoying the school's new playground... including the climbing matrix! We'd like to thank the NASD for helping these students "reach new heights!"

Campus Center's Fall Festival

Pre-K Counts is back... and busy!

The Pre-K Counts program at LVCC's Union Blvd location (Allentown) is back from summer break and busy as ever! In the top pic, students are making puppets to represent themselves. In the middle photo, the students are making and enjoying friendship mix. And, in the bottom photo, the students are enjoying a puppet show about animal safety from our friends at the Allentown Health Bureau.

Our Playground is OPEN!

Students enrolled in LVCC's Stones Crossing location (Palmer Township) are enjoying a brand new playground! Special thanks to the Stones Crossing families and the Kiwanis Club of Palmer Township for their generous support!

Master Chefs

Students enrolled in LVCC's South Mountain location (Allentown) took a trip to Pizza Hut to create their own personal pan pizzas. Our students showed so much talent in the kitchen that many are hoping for their own Food Network show!

Visit from a Friend

Linny Fowler, philanthropist, honorary LVCC director, and best friend to children across the Lehigh Valley, toured LVCC’s Union Boulevard center in August. Although it was naptime for the younger ones, a group of wide-awake school-agers welcomed Mrs. Fowler to their classroom.

Another Busy Day

School-age students enrolled in LVCC's Judith Chase Early Learning Center (Allentown) had a busy morning Friday with visits from both the Da Vinci Science Center (top photo) and the Repertory Dance Theatre (bottom photo). Both organizations have partnered with LVCC to offer students a summer filled with active learning!

Congrats, LVCC Awardees!

LVCC honored 56 employees (just over 25%) who have been with the organization five years or more at our annual Staff In-Service Day on Friday, August 13, 2010. In addition, two individual employees and one team were awarded special honors.

Karen Nichols, who recently celebrated 29 years with LVCC, was given the Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Management. The award is designed to recognize outstanding managerial leadership and achievements that have significantly improved the operation or productivity of LVCC. Karen serves as Center Director at LVCC’s largest center, the Judith Chase Early Learning Center on Chew Street in Allentown.

Sandra (Sandy) Haas was honored with the Founder’s Lifetime Service Award. This award is designed to recognize an employee who has served at least 15 continuous years at LVCC and who has demonstrated high standards of excellence and dedication to advancing the LVCC mission. Sandy recently celebrated 26 years of service to LVCC and currently serves as Pre-K Counts Assistant Teacher at LVCC’s Union Blvd Location.

Members of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (Helen Ojeda, Ruth Loor-Barco, Janelle Rice, Jade Peters and Rosa Sabater) were honored with the Board of Directors Award for Outstanding Contributions by a Team. This award is designed to recognize exceptional performance. The CACFP team now monitors 651 family child care home providers in 19 counties, up from serving 164 in 2004.

All awardees were nominated by their peers. Award decisions were made by a committee of community volunteers. Congratulations, LVCC Awardees! You are all incredibly deserving!

Staff In-Service Video

Mobile Dentist

LVCC on South Mountain received a visit from the mobile dentist!

We Want Tacos! We Want Tacos!

Students enrolled in LVCC's Stones Crossing location (Easton) were disappointed to learn that tacos were not on the lunch menu in July. But, instead of sulking, they decided to make their voices heard! The school-age class wrote the kitchen staff a letter. The front of the card read, "Please, please, please bring back tacos!"

Randy Levan, LVCC's director of food services, was so delighted with the students' request, that he decided to pay them a visit personally. The students prepared a petition, detailing their reasons to "Bring Back Tacos" and elected a spokesperson for their growing taco movement.

With the help of their teachers, the students studied the food pyramid and based their argument on the nutritional value of tacos. According to their petition: 1) Tacos are healthy because there are veggies like lettuce and tomatoes. 2) They have protein in the meat 3) They contain dairy, protein, veggies and fruit 4) Taco shells are made of grain and wheat 5) Contains all elements of the food pyramid.

Congratulations Stones Crossing! All LVCC students will be enjoying nutritious and delicious soft tacos on August 11th!

Scientist Visits Stones Crossing

School-age campers at LVCC's Stones Crossing location (Palmer Township) had a blast learning about gravity while building roller coasters with our Scientist-in-Residence from the Da Vinci Science Center. The children designed and built their own roller coasters, experimenting with different "riders" -- marbles of differing weights and sizes.

A scientist from the Da Vinci Science Center will visit LVCC once a week throughout the summer. The students will celebrate their scientific discoveries at a Science Fair at the end of summer.

Excessive Heat Policy

Due to excessive heat warnings for Tuesday, July 6th and Wednesday, July 7th, LVCC has cancelled all planned trips to pools and parks. Brief periods of outdoor activity will be limited to shady areas and water play will take place whereever possible. This decision has been made in accordance with LVCC's excessive heat policy.

America on Wheels

The school-age class at LVCC's Fowler Center (Bethlehem) enjoyed a field trip to the America on Wheels museum in Allentown.

KNEX Kreations

The Pre-K Counts class at LVCC's Judith Chase Early Learning Center (Allentown) recently received a visit by new friends at KNEX. The KNEX representative read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle and then helped the students make their own KNEX caterpillar to take home.

The children also participated in a team building activity. Working in groups of 4, they created and named their own KNEX "Buddy." Finally, they made their very own KNEX buddy to take home.

Let the Search Begin...

We've added a search button to our blog -- making it easier than ever to find site-specific news and events. Let the search begin...

A Very Colorful Lesson

Infants and toddlers enrolled in LVCC’s center at Liberty High School (Bethlehem) enjoyed an afternoon of body painting with their parents and teachers. Wearing only a diaper, the children were encouraged to crawl through the safe, washable tempera paint and onto large sheets of paper. Children who are not yet able to crawl were able to explore this activity with the help of parents and teachers, who gently placed the child’s hands and feet in the paint and then pressed them onto the paper. Not only does the activity support Pennsylvania’s early learning standards, but more specifically, the colorful lesson gives children a great way to experiment, learn cause and effect and discover different colors.

Ooey Gooey Good Time

The students enrolled in LVCC's after-school program at Wilson Elementary School spent an afternoon making ooey, gooey slime with The Da Vinci Science Center. Visit us on YouTube to see all the slime-making fun!

Pre-K Rocks

Students enrolled in the Pre-K Counts class at LVCC's Fowler Center (Bethlehem) spent the last few evenings gathering rocks with their families. The children observed and identified characteristics of the rocks in their collection. "This is a smooth, round rock." "This rock is grey and rough."

In class today, the students shared their rocks with their classmates and then created a rock garden next to the playground.

New YouTube Video

Have you seen LVCC's new recycling video on YouTube -- it's YouCute for words! Check it out!