The Goddard School Celebrates Friendship and Goodwill

Courtesy and respect is incorporated into Goddard School lesson plans through a variety of activities that inspire thoughtful discussion and provide age-appropriate practice on an individual and group level. Stranger Danger is also covered so children recognize unsafe situations, react and respond appropriately, and differentiate between situations in which personal safety is more important than using good manners. The Goddard School® is laying the foundation of good citizenship by fostering four essential skills: friendship, compassion, cooperation and kindness.

Each year in February, The Goddard School, the nation’s leading early childhood education franchise, celebrates a week-long Goddard Community Games event to highlight its FLEXTM Learning Program, a curriculum focused on play-based learning. This year’s event will bring together two important curriculum components: friendship and bully prevention.

Families were invited to Choose for Charity by voting online for their favorite toy from The Goddard School 2011 Preschooler-Approved Toy List through December 10. The Bristle Block Stackadoos were voted as the “Top Toy” and Goddard Systems, Inc., franchisor of The Goddard School, will be making a donation of 100 of the Bristle Block Stackadoos to Toys for Tots this holiday season.

The Choose for Charity campaign is a wonderful learning opportunity and helps young children make the connection between holiday celebrations and helping the community. The fundamentals of friendship–and the pathway to bully prevention in later years–begin forming at an early age.

One of the exciting components of the Goddard Community Games will be the Goddard Cares project. Goddard Schools across the United States will collect postcards, hand-written and decorated by the families in their schools, and distribute them to the service men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. Their goal is to collect 25,000 postcards!

Commitment to family and community is characteristic of The Goddard School. They dare to make a difference by participating in some very special community sponsorship and charitable outreach programs, both local and beyond. Children learn about the importance of helping others and the significance of giving and being a part of their community through aiding those less fortunate.

To learn more about The Goddard School’s philosophy or contextual learning curriculum, please visit their Exton or Marshallton locations on the web or call to speak directly with the on-site owners:

Click here for The Goddard School located in Exton, or call on-site owners Melissa Capodanno or Wendy Cohen at 610-363-6698.

Click here for The Goddard School located in Marshallton, or call on-site owners Wendy & Richie Cohen at 610-431-1330.

For more information on The Goddard Community Games, visit GoddardSchool.com/games.

*Disclosure: This post sponsored by The Goddard School.

Ways to Make More Time for Your Family

Time, or the lack of it, drives many of us to live at a frantic pace. There is an enormous cost to being in a chaotic rush each day. This year, renew your commitment to begin family traditions which make room for you to experience the true joy of family life.

1. Practice making choices by limiting after school/work activities.
2. Use a family-oriented calendar system to track each family members schedule and important reference information.
3. Turn off the TV to allow more time for reading, talking, playing and learning.
4. Enjoy food and meals together by making dinner “an oasis in time,” without interruption.
5. Make a weekly meal mandatory for everyone in the family to share.
6. Claim a tree or outdoor area as a spot to visit regularly to read together.
7. Cook double the quantity needed to save or freeze half for another night.
8. Participate in outdoor activities as a family including picking apples, hiking or riding bikes.Get enough sleep to help you feel rested and calm.
9. Specify a night to spend at home to eat pizza, play games and talk.

“Parents fight a daily battle as they try not only to meet all their responsibilities for work, caregiving, and housework, but also to hold on to a few crumbs of time they call their own,” says Kerry Daly, professor at the University of Guelph, in his paper “It Keeps Getting Faster: Changing Patterns of Time in Families.” Time is your family’s most precious non-renewable resource. Make the most of this component that magically turns a collection of individuals into a stronger, more robust group of people.

In order to help parents fit a little extra family time into their hectic schedules, The Goddard School’s located in Marshallton and Exton, Pennsylvania host regular events at their school. Movie Nights, Grandparents Day Tea and a Summer Reading Club are just a few examples. These events allow for lots of opportunities for children and parents to come together in a family friendly environment to share some fun and create memories.

To learn more about The Goddard School’s philosophy or contextual learning curriculum, please visit their Exton or Marshallton locations on the web or call to speak directly with the on-site owners:

Click here for The Goddard School located in Exton, or call on-site owners Melissa Capodanno or Wendy Cohen at 610-363-6698.

Click here for The Goddard School located in Marshallton, or call on-site owners Wendy & Richie Cohen at 610-431-1330.

*Disclosure: This post sponsored by The Goddard School.

CHILDREN, CAREER, AND CHORES… OH MY!

The Goddard School Understands the Importance of “Me Time”

As parents, we have so many things on our minds—“Why isn’t my baby sleeping though the night anymore?” “Does my toddler eat a well-balanced diet?” “Will my preschooler be well liked by her classmates?” “Have I provided my kindergartener with the tools to succeed in school?”—the list goes on and on. It can be exhausting to plan and prepare for our young children’s day, week, life… You may think that enjoying a little “me time” takes away from your child—but it’s really quite the opposite! Relieving stress is an important part of staying healthy. To maintain sanity, make it a priority to schedule some “me time” in the busy to-do list that is the modern parent’s day-to-day life. Whether it is just a few minutes to yourself or a weekend getaway, “me time” can help us to “re-center” ourselves.

Plan time before or after work to spend with your children so you don’t feel like you are missing the details. Ease up on the idea of keeping the house clean 24/7. Your children won’t remember if the house was always sparkling clean or not, but they will remember the quality of the time they spent with you. Maximize your lunch breaks: go on a quick walk to boost your energy levels and be sure to pack healthful snacks. Don’t feel bad about leaving the office as soon as your workday officially ends–parenthood has taught you to be decidedly efficient, and to get more accomplished in less time. And, be sure to get as much sleep as possible–no matter how prepared and organized you are, balancing a career while maintaining a productive household can be exhausting!

After all of the planning, organizing and hard work it takes to create a happy and healthy work-life balance, treat yourself! Plan that rewarding lunchtime mani/pedi, a happy hour with your BFF or schedule some Saturday morning cuddle time with the little ones. You deserve it, and it will help reenergize you so you can do it all again next week.

Feeling the time crunch? Try these quick (but still refreshing) tips:

• Exercise. Exercise is a great way to relieve stress and manage your energy levels. A little goes a long way! Have your spouse watch the kiddies and go for a quick solo walk around the block.
• Meditation. Close your eyes and breathe deep. Focus on how each breath flows in and out of your abdomen for one minute, or until you feel more relaxed.
• Phone a friend. Take a few minutes to call that friend whose emails you haven’t had time to reply to. A brief conversation with another grown-up can help regain perspective. Plan in advance to focus on any “non-child-related” topic.

In order to help parents fit a little “me time” into their hectic schedules, The Goddard School’s located in Marshallton and Exton, Pennsylvania host regular Parent’s Night Out events for their families. On these evenings, children spend a few hours having fun with their friends at Goddard in the care of the School’s teachers.

To learn more about The Goddard School’s philosophy on fitness and nutrition, or our contextual learning curriculum, please visit our Exton or Marshallton locations on the web or call to speak directly with our on-site owners:

Click here for The Goddard School located in Exton, or call on-site owners Melissa Capodanno or Wendy Cohen – 610-363-6698

Click here for The Goddard School located in Marshallton, or call on-site owners Wendy and Richie Cohen – 610-431-1330

*Disclosure: This post is one in a series of sponsored posts by The Goddard Schools

5 Top Ways to Get Your Kid’s Involved in Thanksgiving

Between Halloween costumes and Christmas trees, Thanksgiving Day can get lost in the bustle of the holiday season. Kids especially tend to neglect it because without the lure of sweet treats or pretty presents, Thanksgiving can be hard to find exciting.

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So how do you get your kids involved in Thanksgiving? Let them in on the action by planning activities with a hands-on approach. They will feel special and learn about the importance of the day in the process.

1. Make a Thanksgiving Craft: Greeting cards to share with visiting relatives or simple table centerpieces such as paper turkeys or pumpkins.

2. Write a Thanksgiving Poem about what they are thankful for.

3. Perform a Thanksgiving Day Skit: Kids love being the center of attention let them be the main attraction at your family Thanksgiving!

4. Cook Thanksgiving Dinner: Let kids assist you in the kitchen! You can give them easy tasks such as washing vegetables, stirring in pre-measured ingredients, or decorating cookies or desserts.

5. Volunteer in the Community: It is important to teach kids that Thanksgiving is more than eating turkey and watching football. It is about showing appreciation for the people and things around them. Give back to the community by collecting can goods or serve in a soup kitchen.

Check out The Goddard School, Exton to see how they are helping out the community!

Sumbitted by The Goddard School, Exton

Fun Pumpkin Painting Event at The Goddard School in Exton

You bring the pumpkin,
we’ll provide the paint!
Join us for some spooky fall festivities!
The Goddard School, Exton is hosting a family fun pumpkin painting event!

We’ll paint our pumpkins, make a scarecrow, and enjoy a yummy snack!

Saturday, October 24th from 9:30-11am
ages 2-5.
Please RSVP to Goddard.exton@verizon.net or call 610.363.6698.

A Day in the Life of a Preschooler

Did you ever wonder what a three year old does all day at school? On Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 3:30pm, stop by The Goddard School, Exton and you’ll have a chance to experience A Day in the Life of a Preschooler.

From circle time to creative arts, we are inviting you to experience a sample of your child’s fun-filled day learning at Goddard.

At The Goddard School, Exton we believe the best environment for learning is one that allows for exploration, testing things out, seeing what works and trying again. A Day in the Life of a Preschooler will give you a first-hand look at our FLEX Learning program, and show you how we skillfully weave in engaging learning activities that build upon what individual children can do and encourage them to try new things.

Feel free to call 610.363.6698 for questions or to RSVP!

We look forward to having you!

Your friends at The Goddard School, Exton

I Scream, You Scream..We all scream for Ice Cream! FREE Ice Cream Social

You are cordially invited to the

Goddard School of Exton’s Ice Cream Social

Wednesday, September, 2nd

5:30-7:00PM

Did you know that Vanilla ice cream is the most popular ice cream at 29%? Next up is Chocolate at 8.9%, Butter Pecan at 5.3%, Strawberry at 5.3%, Neapolitan at 4.2% and Chocolate Chip at 3.9%. Come tell us your favorite ice cream flavor!

Join The Goddard School, Exton for our Ice Cream Social on Wednesday, September 2nd from 5:30-7pm. Bring your kids and neighbors to The Goddard School, Exton (behind the TD bank on Rt. 30 and Iron Lake Blvd.) to make your own ice cream sundae, play on our beautiful playground and enjoy one of the last summer nights!

You may also want to check out our classrooms and learn more about what The Goddard School, Exton has to offer. We provide a fun and educational learning environment for children from 6 weeks to 6 years. If you are interested or would like more information, please call 610.363.6698. Hope to see you there!