Taking Time for Acknowledgments during a Busy Week!

Alternatives in Action
Thanks to Chi Chin and Laleh Latini for supporting the website upgrade with gorgeous photos of all three of our sites. We are so fortunate to have their talent and art bring the community a window into our world.

BASE Graduation
Thanks to all the parents who were able to loan wafflemakers or donate toppings for the BASE Breakfast. Kathleen and Logan Manning (Base Adult Coach - Humanities) made 137 waffles: sourdough-banana, cinnamon-wholegrain, and regular with maple syrup, Mrs. Butterworth or nutella on top. NO LEFTOVERS!


Thanks to all the parents for celebrating Raven Roberts - our BASE senior. She was truly appreciative of the card, roses and book of poetry gifted by our HSH learning community.


Big Friend Appreciation Event
Heather Jennings and Christa Brandt organized our Big Friend Ice Cream Social in the main garden. Looking like Big Friends themselves, these adorable aproned ladies scooped up sundaes in waffle bowls for our Child Development interns under a red umbrella. The youth were delighted with these delicious tokens of appreciation on a hot day!


"Here Comes the Sun" brought warmth and light to Home Sweet Home. We enjoyed delicious home-crafted goodies, carnival games, and a mainstage of entertainment that included Cowboy Jared, Clark Cole and his Magic Squeeze Box, and the Devilettes! This was truly a PAC event with so many parent helping hands supporting every aspect, from ticket sales to bake sale to games to music. Many thanks to all our friends who supported what was a beautiful afternoon for our learning community - in attendance were alumni, grandparents, new enrolling families, youth and our Alternatives in Action Board President! The joy of fellowship with the acknowledgement of the children's chosen theme of Beatles and the parent interest in expanding our Music Education emphasis was clearly in sync. And the fundraising piece drove the total monies raised to (drumroll) OVER the $6,000 goal set in November 2010. Brilliant work on every program piece - kudos PAC Committees!

Some shout-outs:

• To Dorinda Von Stroheim for her extraordinary vision and organization. She also brought in the delightful Frances England who honored our gathering with her musical gifts. (And she does a mean Twist!)


• To Kimberly Anakata for managing tickets and holding down the clean-up round-up with her committe of amazing can-do parents.


• To Annalee Mintz for her decorating savvy and personal commitment during a difficult week.


• To Sharisse Huie for her organizational wizardry and the heart she brought to our HSH Cookbook.


• To Lea Speed for holding down refreshments with her team of amazing folk.


• To Dee McWilliams (door security and official teddy bear) and Daniel Zuranich (sound set-up and mixing) - we are grateful they will be BASE seniors NEXT YEAR and we get to enjoy their kindness for awhile more.


• And not lastly to the Home Sweet Home Sours - an amazing band of talent and temerity lead by the duo of Paul Kotapish and Dave Elias, and supported by Billy Davidson, Jared Altura, Kim Altura, Rebecca Huang, Kris Palmer and Shivaun McDonald.

The Journey is Always

"journey" - to travel; a passage from one stage of experience to the next

Home Sweet Home has been honored by the presence of children, parents and Big Friends who have invested their unique energy into our learning community. Each interaction opens up a rich world of possibility. Every relationship strengthens our courage to explore, question and wonder. We are grateful for the great gift each individual brought to Home Sweet Home. We continue to support them with warm thoughts as they will be transitioning on to their next big adventure.

Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn’t, it is of no use.
- Carlos Castaneda

Summer Flow of the Day

The Home Sweet Home staff meet weekly to assess program and support planning. Conversations seek to deeply engage our evolving understanding of Reggio values and provide a consistent space for reflection, evaluation and problemsolving. HSH teachers are interested in strengthening the community relationship by supporting more opportunities for small group work and child-teacher conversation.

The following is the adapted Summer Schedule outline that is being put in place.
7:30-8:15 Blocks, Board Games, Drawing in Room #1

8:15-8:30 Song Circle

8:30-10:00 Playground Exploration

10:00-10:10 HSH Community Gathering

10:10-11:30 Activity Choices

• Teacher-framed Art, Carpentry or Garden (outdoor)


• Room #1 Centers


• Room #2 Centers

11:30-1:00 Lunch
1:00-1:30 Small Group Circle Time

1:30-3:15 Rest Time

3:15-5:30 Activity Choices

• Playground Exploration


• Atelier (Art Process class 2:45-3:45/3:45-4:45)


• Snack (3:30-4:30 playground picnic)


• Small Group Activity (4:30)
  

5:30-6:00 Closing Circle in Room #1

Home Sweet Home seeks to facilitate an engaging environment that will support the play outcomes that are upheld by research:

• abstract and symbolic thinking, decision-making, creative problem solving and goal setting



• complex language development and ability to ‘self-talk’ through learning steps



• emotional awareness and competence, identity and self-image development, ability to maintain self-control through self-regulation, stress management, and ability to delay gratification



• social skills, such as patience, cooperation, negotiation, non-violent confli ct resolution, teamwork, sharing, considering other’s point of view



• formation of a moral or ethical code that distinguishes right from wrong, respect for others’ rights, and ability to work toward the greater good.