seedLinG!

just a little reminder of what we had to tackle…here are some of the BEFORE photos

total gut rehab…
new subfloor
new bathroom
new heating system
new plumbing
new windows and doors
new walls
and many, many other things =
new space!!!

SAVE THE DATE!!! BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!!! THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4th at Naveen’s Cuisine!!!

For tickets to the annual Maplewood & Lucy Flower Parks Advisory Council Fundraiser, please click here:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/207105

Please come! Raffle prizes include $100 to the Turf Room, a very chic photo package from Lori Allen Photo (you want to win this, trust me), a hair cut from Roots salon, Gorilla Tango Theatre tickets, family membership to Menomonee Club…and these are just the ones I personally rounded up! There’s even MORE!

Food, great people, wine, and a cause dear to my heart…the betterment of Lucy Flower Park (where I lead the garden club for children) and Maplewood Park!

October 15 and 16…please support this fun and family-friendly event!

http://commercialpark.org/2011/09/26/circus-in-the-parks-coming-to-commercial-oct-14-15/

Did you know it is my birthday? What would I like this year, you ask? Something relaxing? Something useful? Something chocolate-coated, perhaps?!

The only thing I want this year is a scholarship fund.

Part of the mission of Cortland Preschool is that cost should never be a factor that keeps a family from attending. (It is my aim that the preschool should break even each year, which means paying all of the bills, paying teaching staff a proper salary, maintaining high levels of equipment / environment for our students, and hopefully saving a small amount each year toward the purchase of a permanent facility.)

Setting up a scholarship fund for this first year is important.

This first scholarship is dubbed the “M & M Science and Performing Arts Scholarship” and is so named in honor of my Aunt Mary and Uncle Milt, who have generously contributed toward seeing the preschool get off the ground.

Mary and Milt (M & M) have been steadfast inspirations my entire life, sending science games and books, encouraging my passion for dance, sharing musical theatre resources and programs–in short, fueling my fire for science and performing arts exploration and success.

The recipient of this scholarship will demonstrate a passion for science or performing arts, and be encouraged in those areas while attending Cortland Preschool — and beyond.

For my 35th birthday, I can think of no better gift than being able to tell a family in need, “Don’t worry. Your finances won’t be a problem.” Please help us build this scholarship fund so that it may benefit a bright, curious preschooler this academic year?

It only takes a moment to give through this secure link–CLICK HERE TO GO TO PAYPAL:

No gift is too small and all will be appreciated. The goal is $5,000. Checks may also be mailed to Cortland Preschool, 1859 N. Talman, Chicago, IL 60647

My sincere love and thanks to everyone for helping Cortland Preschool–and the “M & M Science and Performing Arts Scholarship”–grow and thrive.

Amy Ewaldt (aka The Birthday Girl)

ABOUT US: Teaching as a life-calling, not a “job”

Ms. Amy Ewaldt, Director

* MA in Education, Summa Cum Laude, Commencement Speaker
* Follett Fellowship recipient
* Ten+ years teaching experience
* Certified for preK – 8th grade in State of Illinois (teacher #794470)
* Ten+ years of experience developing curriculum and implementing a wide variety of programs at public, private, and not-for-profit schools
* Middle School special endorsements in Earth/Space Science, Theatre Arts, Speech
* Full criminal background check, current in CPR/first aid, all medical requirements up to date

Community service activities include: Lincoln Park Conservatory (Docent) Children’s Corner, Old Town Art Fair (Chair), Lucy Flower Garden Club (Chair), West Bucktown Neighborhood Assoc. Environmental Committee (VP), WBNA Zoning Committee (Member)

What is the meaning of “to educate”? To educate means to provide an environment that is safe for experimentation and creation, to provide children with rich learning experiences and opportunities through safe, high-quality materials and well-planned curriculum. To educate means modeling social skills and interactions, helping children understand who they are and how to learn self-control and intrinsic motivation. We also work directly with parents to form a strong bond between home and classroom, and to share our broad wealth of educational information to help parents better understand their roles in their child’s schooling—both now and in years to come.

Ms. Nicole Egnot, Professional Educator

* Five+ years of teaching experience in a wide variety of classrooms
* Currently finishing BA in Early Childhood Education
* Full criminal background check, current in CPR/first aid, all medical requirements up to date

Community service activities include: Children’s Corner, Old Town Art Fair (Member) Lucy Flower Garden Club (Member)

What is “childhood”? Childhood is a beautiful and magical time when everything helps to promote learning—not just about surroundings, but about self, others, relationships, and how the world works. It is a time when eagerness holds hands with curiosity, when everything is new, exciting and within the child’s grasp. How will a child learn to bake if we don’t give them the materials and chance to make a cake? How will a child understand that sand is tiny rocks if we don’t supply them with the sand to feel and experiment with? By using all of our senses, the memory becomes much stronger, reinforcing the learning experience. A highly-effective teacher honors and respects childhood and seeks to infuse it with beautiful opportunities and experiences.

The LUCY FLOWER GARDEN CLUB hosts:

“Composting in an Urban Environment 101”
led by Lauren Warnecke

When: Saturday, September 17
Where: Lucy Flower Park
Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Cost: Free!
What: Learn about composting as we set up a new compost bin at Lucy Flower Park! Master Composter Lauren Warnecke shares info on urban composting that is fun, fascinating and hands-on. Lend a hand and learn as you go…we hope to see all interested families at Lucy Flower Park!

Lauren Warnecke is a Master Composter through the University of Illinois Extension and volunteers in various community and educational settings. She is especially passionate about vermicompost and composting in the urban environment. In addition to digging in the dirt, Lauren enjoys baking scones, growing strawberries, and dancing in the park. For more information on Lauren, visit http://craftylauren.wordpress.com

for you curious folk, who wonder what we’ve been up to in the past two years…

Timeline of Events:

2010 Exterior construction (completed by owner)
new siding
repair work
new back porches

2010 Exterior landscaping (completed by Cortland Preschool)
removal of old grass, weeds, railroad ties
soil preparation and repair
perennial and bulb garden planted
organic cedar growing boxes built along Talman side exterior

2011 Lucy Flower Park renewal (completed by Cortland Preschool)
suitable park needed for preschool to be an approved site
officially establish park within the Park District
apply for Parkways Grant
receive grant, begin building boxes and planting
petition GreenCorps to build raised, organic beds (completed)
petition Park District for new water supply, mulch, signs
–fundraise for new equipment (to be completed in 2013)

2011 Interior Basement construction (completed by owner)
fix all rotted beams
replace all temporary jacks with permanent columns
pour missing section of floor with concrete
replace all broken sump pumps
patch all holes in foundation to prevent future flooding
rebuild staircase and railing

2011 Interior Preschool construction (completed by Cortland Preschool)
initial Task Force Inspection
initial DCFS Inspection
Zoning Board of Appeals Hearing (regarding on-site parking—appeal granted)
construction permits
–construction (to be completed pending loan approval)
–final licensing and permits granted
–Cortland Preschool opens for business—projected opening September 2011

…and you thought we just ran all over town tutoring!

Phonics 101

“If children have not yet acquired phonemic awareness, instruction in letter-sound associations will not be effective in helping them decode words.”
from Literacy: Helping Children Construct Meaning, 6th edition

What exactly is “phonemic awareness” and how do I cultivate it in my child?

Three simple and effective strategies we use for developing phonemic awareness–the knowledge that words are composed of sounds–are as follows:

RHYMES: Reading books that rhyme (and paying special attention to those rhymes) is part of developing phonemic awareness. Dr. Seuss books are wonderful for this! (If you really want to up the ante, try John Lithgow’s book, Micawber or some vintage Mother Goose. My sister and I adored The Diggingest Dog and can still recite whole passages!)

While reading, ask your child to make additional rhymes, keeping in mind that they don’t have to be “real” words, but merely rhyme. If I read, “Hop on Pop” and say, “Hop and pop rhyme…so does bop, cop, drop…can you think of some more?” chances are, your child will offer up a glut of similar rhymes.

They may tell you other rhymes they think of, even if they seem unrelated, and that is great! They are relating their own prior knowledge and experience to what you are doing. “Did you know ‘pig’ and ‘dig’ rhyme too?!”

Encourage rhyme through the books you read, by making up rhymes as a game, and by reading poetry for children (Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, Ken Nesbitt are all incredible.)

WORD STRETCHING: Begin this activity with short words, like cat, dog, big, ball, top, etc. Three sound, or phoneme, words work best to start.

Tell your child you are going to play a game where you talk in slooow moootion. Ask them to speed up what you are saying to figure out the word. (This may be difficult at first so don’t get frustrated. You can also model this when reading to your child–find two or three opportunities within a story to stretch out or sound out a word (for their benefit), “Once upon a time, there was a g…there was a g/i/a/n/t beanstalk. Oh, I see…Once upon a time, there was a giant beanstalk!” etc.)

Pay special attention to your diction and make sure your child can clearly hear you as you articulate sounds. A quiet environment is ideal. Stretch out a word, “c / a / t”, pronouncing each sound clearly and distinctly. Start slowly and speed up a little each time until your child guesses.

Aside: If I had a nickel for every time I heard a student misspeak the Alphabet Song…I will never understand why teachers persist in singing this song to tempo–it does more harm than good. When you sing through the ABC’s with your child, please slow down the “h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p” part. Say each alphabet letter crisply and distinctly. I have had many students who cannot hear the difference between “b” and “d” or “s” and “x” or “m” and “n”. Of course adults know this song inside and out, but our children are just learning it based on what they can hear! Over-articulate on this one and give your child a huge advantage!

SYLLABLES: Start with names of people you know, for example “A-my” has two syllables, which can be clapped or stamped or “chin bumped” out. (“Chin bumps” are when you hold your hand just below your chin and let your mouth open and close to “bump” your hand when you say a word. This is a little discreet, but some children favor this method.)

Move on to another name you know, let’s say “Tom”. Tom only has one syllable. How about “Chris-to-pher”…3 syllables. “Ni-cole”? 2, that’s right!

Try everyone in the family, then extended family. Try friends from classes or play groups. Then try other types of words…dinosaur names are especially good for this.

Again, have your child clap their hands or stamp their feet or “chin bump” with you so they get the feel of syllables. This helps them break words into smaller pieces later on as readers.

Developing phonemic awareness is time well spent. Of course, there are many more strategies, but we find these three are easily done at home, around the dinner table, in the bath tub, in the car or as part of your regular reading routine. As always, we encourage your comments and questions!