A Partnership for Best Nutrition Practices

Healthy foods and snacks play a large role in child development, which is why Lehigh Valley Children's Centers (LVCC) partnered with Penn State Cooperative Extension's Better Kid Care Program and Novick Brothers Corp. to create a sequence of nutrition videos to be used in the training of child care professionals. LVCC invited the Better Kid Care film crew into our Central Food Service Department for a cooking demonstration, and then into our Pre-K Counts classroom on Union Boulevard in Allentown for a lesson in healthy snacking.

Penn State's Better Kid Care crew filming a Pre-K Counts classroom.

The Better Kid Care Program provides educational materials and programs for child care providers. Among these materials, the videos were first presented by Jill Cox, Better Kid Care Program development specialist, at the April 2015 National Child and Adult Care Food Program Conference in Las Vegas. The videos will then be modified to become a part of an online training module, Healthy and Hunger Free Children: Resources for Families, available this summer.

Cynthia Snyder, childcare specialist
for Novick Brothers Corp.

Novick Brothers Corp., an independent food distributor and food service solutions provider, has been supportive of LVCC's innovative nutrition practices for many years. Cynthia Snyder, childcare specialist for Novick Brothers Corp., was instrumental in coordinating the partnership for the training videos. 

LVCC's CFS Manager Randy Levan

Child Food Service Manager Randy Levan understands the importance of a healthy community and makes nutritious foods his number one priority when planning daily menus for LVCC. This equates to over 16,000 meals and 13,800 snacks served a month for nearly 1,000 children.

Watch both videos below.

Kiwanis Supports Early Ed through Easter Egg Hunt

A number of LVCC infants, toddlers, and preschoolers discovered there really is an Easter bunny... and he's a Kiwanian!

The Kiwanis Club of Allentown Northeast sponsored the annual egg hunt for nearly 70 children enrolled at LVCC on Union Boulevard in Allentown. Our benevolent friends hid all the eggs, then helped in the search. Even the crawling infants discovered a few eggs.

Although the weather didn't cooperate for the egg hunt to be held outside, the children had just as much fun pursuing the colorful, candy-filled treats indoors. And the playground equipment in the gross motor room offered some pretty tricky hiding places. Just Born, Inc. generously donated candy and marshmallow Peeps for the event.

All the activity searching for the eggs wore out this toddler, but only for a minute before he hopped away.

Kiwanis International performs service projects and raises charitable funds for local communities and all over the globe. Their partnership has brought happy smiles to many tiny faces at Lehigh Valley Children's Centers. Thank you, Kiwanis!

The Day Before Christmas At LVCC

Twas the day before Christmas, when all through LVCC
lots of children were stirring, engaged in fun activity.

The paper stockings were creatively hung on the wall with care
in hopes that mom and dad could proudly see it there.

Young children then nestled all snug on their mats,
resting from a busy day of making festive elf hats.

Bellies full of healthy lunch, growing brains strong and apt!
Teachers finished lesson plans while the little tots napped.

When out in the hall there arose such a clatter,
everyone sprang from their mats to see what was the matter.

The school-age children had just arrived off the bus
excited to celebrate a very merry Christmas.

Preschoolers cut out decorations and painted with cheer
their 3D cardboard sleigh, counting out eight tiny reindeer.

Well-rested, the toddlers - so lively and quick -
danced joyfully to holiday tunes of St. Nick.

The infants, wide-eyed, watched the world in wonder;
exploring through senses, looking over and under.

The jingle of bells caused the children to pause,
until they saw who it was and gleefully cried out, "Santa Claus!"

After each had a turn on Santa's lap,
teacher said, "put on listening ears and your thinking cap."

Sitting in circle time, all smiles and no worry,
the children listened quietly to Santa read a story.

Soon parents arrived for their children at night.
LVCC staff wishes a merry Christmas to all, and to all much delight!

Holiday Celebration with the Kiwanis Club

The halls of LVCC at South Mountain rang with laughter and music on Friday as the center opened its doors to two of its sister centers in Allentown. The preschool and Pre-K Counts classes from LVCC on Walnut Street and LVCC's Judith Chase Early Learning Center took a field trip to South Mountain for the annual Kiwanis holiday party. 

Our good friends from the Kiwanis Club of Allentown hosted the celebration for over 120 three- and four-year-olds. They sang holiday carols and colored winter scenes. Magician Eddy Ray engaged the large group with a delightfully entertaining magic show. 

Each child had their picture taken with Santa Claus (contact your center director to see your child's photo). Along with members of Kiwanis, the William Allen High School Key Club played Santa's helpers while handing out gifts and serving lunch.

Thank you Kiwanis Club of Allentown for helping LVCC bring joy to children of the Lehigh Valley!

View Kiwanis Holiday Party Photo Gallery

Field Day Finale Ends LVCC Summer Programs

Winding down a summer of active learning and physical fitness, LVCC brought together nine of our sites for a field day at the Emmaus Community Park. Over 140 children, ages 5-12, enjoyed a day chock-full of fun and sportsmanship. The children ran, jumped, skipped, tugged and cheered with their teammates in a series of relays. 

Many of the relay races required focus on balance and speed to prevent dropping plastic eggs, blocks or pizza boxes. One activity station had the children working together to capture the other team flags. A tug-of-war tournament concluded the day's activities.

LVCC's physical education teacher, Brandi Stettler, supervised the event as referee.

Funding from Two Rivers Health and Wellness Foundation., Dexter F. and Dorothy H. Baker Foundation, and AmeriHealth Caritas made the summer physical fitness program possible. Our friends from Aetna and Pocono Mountain Dairies supplied refreshing beverages on field day.

VIEW MORE PHOTOS

Healthy Snacking with Allentown's Fruits & Veggies Mobile

Preschoolers and school-age students attending LVCC's Judith Chase Early Learning Center got their first taste of summer. Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowksi and the Allentown Health Bureau invited the children to the 2013 opening of the city's fruit and vegetable truck.

Fruits & Veggies on the Move is designed to promote access to and interest in fruits and vegetables among children. LVCC was the first stop on the city's list of destinations throughout the summer.

Among the favorite fruits served, cherries and mangoes!

View Photo Album of the Event

A Lesson in Feeding Those Less Fortunate

The Nazareth Area Food Bank will receive a substantial amount of food to distribute for the holidays thanks to the children enrolled at LVCC at Shafer School and LVCC at Nazareth Area Intermediate School.

The students began collecting canned and boxed items on October 22nd. The goal was to collect 100 items between both locations by December 21st. The children exceeded their goal a whole month earlier than anticipated with a total of 130 food items.

One young boy brought in 16 boxes of cereal. When asked what prompted him to bring in so much food, he answered, "I told my dad we needed 16 more boxes of food to reach our goal. He said he would should get 30." What a great dad and what a thoughtful child!

The teachers and students kept track of the food collected with a progress chart. As the children brought in items, they filled in lines adding up the numbers on the chart.

"We didn't want to make this a contest," commented Ms. Candy, LVCC teacher. "We wanted the kids to give from the heart."

As a thank you for reaching the goal without any reward expectations, the LVCC teachers will throw a surprise pizza party for the Nazareth children in December.

Hurricane Sandy Relief Drive

While many of us were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, there were many families throughout New York and New Jersey that lost their homes through water and structural damage. In November, LVCC at South Mountain held a drive for families in need. Over 50 LVCC families and staff contributed clothing, hygiene items, non-perishable food, toys, and pet items. On Friday, the older toddlers and kindergartners from LVCC at South Mountain helped staff fill the van for delivery to the Iron Pigs Coca-Cola stadium. From there, the Iron Pigs staff distributed the donated items to families in Lakewood, NJ.

To all the families and staff involved in this relief effort, thank you for all your help!



Fall Fest Fun at Campus Center

Although the weather outside was frightful, the annual Fall Fest at LVCC's Campus Center drew a large crowd.  Children of all ages enjoyed having their faces painted and creating at the arts 'n crafts table. Families attempted to "guess the teacher" by matching baby pictures with LVCC's teachers. Practicing motor development skills, children played bean bags, participated in the ring toss, and fished from the "duck pond."

Many families went home with an armful of giveaways and prizes. Cops 'n Kids provided books for children and adults in every family. Lehigh University Police Department handed out whistles, pens, toy badges, and information about the police academy. Lucky winners of the basket raffle took home prizes for a movie night, a spa basket, early childhood books, games, and infant toiletries.

View More Photos of Fall Fest

Seiple Farms Pumpkin Picking

The preschool and Pre-K Counts classes from LVCC at South Mountain discovered life on the farm at Seiple Farms. Mrs. C., the farm educator, explained the different types of pumpkins and gourds, along with the machinery and crops found on their farm. She then led the children on a journey into the corn fields, through the hay maze, on a hay ride, and finally ending at the pumpkin patch.  During the visit, the children explored the barn full of cows, pigs, and llamas. They also picked out their very own baby bear pumpkins. By the end of the exciting afternoon, the children boarded the bus tuckered out with their pumpkins.

 

View More Photos of LVCC at Seiple Farms

Cedar Crest College Leads Nutrition Demonstration

Students enrolled in the nutrition program at Cedar Crest College will hold a series of healthy food discussions and cooking demonstrations for families and staff at various LVCC locations throughout the year. The latest presentation was held at LVCC's Fowler Center on Main Street.

The presenters offered tips on how to get your picky child to try new foods, such as involving your child in the kitchen to interest them in what they are eating. Don't praise your child for finishing their meal; instead praise him for trying different foods. Introduce foods twice to children because our tastebuds change as we age.

During the cooking demonstration, families tasted yummy peach oatmeal, southwestern-style kidney beans, and banana-carrot-oat muffins. The attending families also received parting gifts, including free vouchers for a fruit and a vegetable, nutritious recipes to enjoy at home, and a bag of ingredients to make the recipes.

Bricks 4 Kidz Makes Engineering Fun

Bricks 4 Kidz after school labs have joined LVCC at Lincoln School for LEGO Engineering classes every Wednesday in October. From 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., the children will use science, technology, engineering, problem-solving skills, and teamwork to build mechanical LEGO creations based on different themes.

This week, the children were introduced to an energy theme while constructing an oil pump jack. They learned the difference between a renewable energy source (i.e. sunlight) and a nonrenewable energy source (i.e. fossil fuels). Other models in the energy theme include solar panels and windmills. Another theme the children may explore is space. Using LEGO components and creativity, they will build satellites, centrifuges, or the Discovery space ship.

 "These programs are educational and fun," explains Erik Wright, Bricks 4 Kidz Educator, "working with gears, motors, and simple machines may spark an interest in science."

United Way Volunteers Complete Projects for Day of Caring

Volunteers from KGB painted a child's block for the parade float. 

Four LVCC locations received special visitors on Thursday for the United Way's annual Day of Caring. Day of Caring is a day for volunteers from area businesses to connect with local non-profits and witness first-hand how their contributions provide service to those in need. While at LVCC, the volunteers toured the centers, then completed various maintenance projects for six hours.

LVCC on Union Boulevard's gymnasium (gross motor area) looks brand new thanks to our new friends at Aetna. They spent the day painting the gym. Representatives from Thermo Fisher Scientific painted and organized a room at LVCC on Walnut Street for LVCC staff to have their own lounge. At LVCC's Fowler Center on Main Street, Lehigh University volunteers planted bulbs and cleaned up the center's playground.

Employees from Aetna and KGB painted colorful flowers and butterflies, along with other creative art projects. Their efforts helped to build a parade float at LVCC's South Mountain. LVCC is presenting the float in Allentown's 250th anniversary "Points of Pride" parade tomorrow, September 29th.

LVCC would like to thank the United Way volunteers and their employers for making a positive contribution to our organization. All the volunteers did a fantastic job!

This event was coordinated through the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley.

Computer Explorers Returns to LVCC

School-age students attending LVCC at Wilson School began their five session after-school Computer Explorers program. Wendy Buchanan of Computer Explorers is leading the hands-on robotics classes.

This past week, the children listened attentively as Wendy instructed the course. They really got a kick out of creating an alligator and making its mouth open and close. To make the Lego pieces actively move, the students used computer programming, collaboration, creative thinking and problem solving.

The Charles A. and Leona K. Gruber Foundation provided funding for Computer Explorers at both LVCC at Wilson School and LVCC at Lower Nazareth School.

Holiday Family Fun

Festive holiday events took place at many of our centers this week. LVCC Alburtis held a Holiday Family Fun Night starting with a visit from Colleen Heimbach, Shafer and Nazareth Intermediate Center Director, and some canine guests. Ms. Heimbach, along with her seeing-eye trained dogs, gave a presentation on how to properly approach dogs.

A representative from the Lehigh County Humane Society spoke about importance of taking care of your pet.

Afterward, parents and children snacked on goodies, made crafts together, and finished the night with an active dodgeball game - parents vs. children.

Click Here to See More Photos from Alburtis Holiday Family Fun

LVCC St. Luke's held a grand holiday event at St. Luke's Hospital. Children and their parents enjoyed festive foods, face painting, and creative crafts. The sounds of holiday singing and stories echoed through the halls.

Special guests, Santa and Mrs. Claus brought presents for all the children!

Click Here to See More Photos from St. Luke's Holiday Party

We Salute the Veterans

LVCC's Fowler Center on Main St. has our very own army veteran, Joel Buskirk. Mr. Joel is our Preschool Teacher. To honor Mr. Joel and the many other military veterans from the area, all the classrooms at Fowler Center created thank you cards and posters to give to Mr. Joel.

The students participated in stimulating activities centered around Veteran's Day. Through drawing, painting, and listening to stories, the students learned that a veteran is a person who has served in the armed forces, which includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National Guard. The students also learned that veterans are special people because they protect us and they deserve to be honored with a holiday. So, thank you Mr. Joel and the veterans of the Lehigh Valley!