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

 

 

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.

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Inclement Weather Update November 2nd

As of Friday, November 2nd at 5:00 p.m., the following LVCC centers have power and will be open on Monday, November 5th:  ELC, South Mountain, Stones Crossing, Truman School, Union Boulevard, Walnut Street, and Western Salisbury. Please check for updates on the remaining locations on WFMZ Channel 69.

IMPORTANT WEATHER UPDATE

Due to inclement weather on Tuesday, October 30th, the administrative office and all LVCC locations WILL BE CLOSED, excluding LVCC at St. Luke's. Please continue to watch for updates on LVCC at St. Luke's on WFMZ Channel 69.

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.

 

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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.

TechStars Brings Robot Legos Alive at LVCC

LVCC partnered with TechStars, a division of Computer Explorers, to provide hands-on robotics classes for the school-age students attending LVCC at Wilson School, LVCC at Lower Nazareth School, LVCC at Alburtis School, and LVCC at Lincoln School. Throughout the five-week after-school sessions, the children had the opportunity to learn computer programming using colorful Lego blocks, small motors, motion sensors, and laptops.

The students, working in teams, followed step-by-step directions to build a number of moving objects like chomping alligators, sliding soccer goalies, propelled airplanes, and tilting boats. If a step was missed, the children would use problem solving and counting skills to work out the problem. Lego programming helped spark interest in technology and engineering.

The sessions were led by Wendy Buchanan and Hans Wagner, Computer Explorers Teachers.

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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.

Kiwanians Know How to Throw a Party!

Our friends at the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Allentown hosted a fun outing for the preschool children from LVCC's South Mountain and the Pre-K Counts children from LVCC on Walnut Street. Kiwanis members decorated a pavilion at the Allentown Rose Garden with balloons. They offered lots of active games and yummy food at the picnic.

As soon as the children hopped off the schoolbus, their eyes lit up with excitement when they saw the moon bounce blow-up castle. They took turns throwing mini-basketballs into a hoop. In an obstacle course created by our Kiwanis friends, the boys and girls jumped hopscotch, tossed balls into a bucket, twirled a hula hoop, bounced on a hippity-hop, and then raced back to the finish line. The children also found their inner artist while painting pumpkins with designs and many colors.

A beautiful sun-shining day, the picnic was a blast for everyone. Thank you to all of our Kiwanian friends for working hard to give the children such a special memory!

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School Bus Spotting

Now that schools are back in class for the fall, what better time to introduce preschoolers to items that they will encounter in kindergarten next year? School buses were the theme this week in LVCC on Union Boulevard's preschool room.

Expressing themselves through movement and music, these little crooners sang "Wheels on the Bus" while performing the accompanying hand motions. Storytime included inquisitive questions and answers about riding on a school bus. The teachers took the class on an exciting quest for school buses during a vigorous walk outside.

Little hands also practiced motor skills by cutting with scissors. This montage of paper (along with school bus-colored yellow) then became imaginative works of art.

What a busy week of learning!

Babies are a-Moving!

Infants are very curious little individuals. They explore their environment from the time they wake until the moment they can no longer resist sleep. Between 7-10 months of age, infants become mobile.  The world becomes irresistible for baby. Whether they shuffle along on their bottoms, roll around the room, or progress to crawling on their knees, infants will master any technique to get where they want to go.

The infants shown above demonstrate the development of their arm, leg, and back muscles. The determined girl on the left pulls herself up using the people and items around her. The inquisitive boy on the right uses his hands and feet to reach the toys next to him as he sits upright.

LVCC’s infant rooms are full of colorful toys and soft blocks to stimulate motor skills (movement). Baby is free to discover his/her surroundings in a safe environment.

AmeriHealth Mercy Delivers More than Just Backpacks

Michael Grinnage from AmeriHealth Mercy's Community Affairs delivered an important message to students attending LVCC on Union Boulevard, "We want you to stay healthy and have fun." Through an AmeriHealth Mercy grant supporting physical education activities, our summer school-age students received weekly dance lessons from Repertory Dance Theatre and a weekly physical education instructor that taught sports and games.

During his visit, Mr. Grinnage brought along backpacks filled with headbands, pedometers, and pens for all the school-age students that participated in the summer program. The children loved their new bling and sported it throughout the rest of the week.

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Saying Goodbye to an Olympic Summer

Practicing gross motor skills by kicking the ball.

This week marked the final days of LVCC's summer physical fitness program. Our on-staff physical fitness teacher kept the school-age students hopping with a game of kickball to complete their last class.

The children played as a team both offensively and defensively. The offensive team cheered on their kicker at plate while the defense worked cooperatively to catch and throw the ball to their fellow basemen. The kickball lessons were a great way to increase gross motor skills and communication.

Lego Olympians from LVCC at Truman

View Photo Album of Kickball at LVCC at Stones Crossing

Other LVCC summer students exhibited their creative talents in construction. The school-age children from LVCC at Truman were given a challenge by their teachers. Could they build the American flag and the Olympic rings symbol with Legos? The children once again proved they could do it!

Following sequential steps in the correct order, the children practiced fine-motor development. Our Lego Olympians used their problem-solving skills and math abilities (counting and sorting Legos) to make flat Olympic rings and 3-dimensional rings. The brightly colored pieces also provided patterning practice.

View Photo Album of Lego Olympics

Tag, Your It!

Preschoolers playing Duck, Duck, Goose. 

Running at full speed, the preschool, pre-k, and school-age children enrolled at LVCC's Campus Center exercised their bodies and minds in the summer enrichment classes. Gym teacher, Ms. Aislynn, kept the tots on their toes with every weekly lesson.

Following the Olympic theme, the children participated in a variety of physical activities that replicated the Olympic sports. This past week in honor of track and field events, the game of choice was "tag".

Preschool learned the basics of running fast and stopping quickly on command with Freeze Tag and Red Light, Green Light. Their favorite racing and chasing game was Duck, Duck, Goose. Having a smaller group, pre-k demonstrated proper stretching techniques before tagging each other around the playground. They also took turns catching and throwing a ball in a circle. The school-age children practiced quick thinking and lunges while trying to steal objects being held prisoner from their opponents base without being tagged during a more challenging version called Prison Tag.

And the outdoor fun continues...


View More Photos of Gym Class at LVCC's Campus Center