New Blog Site

We have a new blog site...its still not where we want it as far as widgets and design but its getting there. So come on over and check it out :-) www.everlastingseedco.com
Then bookmark us and come back and check out what we are up to.

Flu Season Reminders and Tips

As the Flu season is upon us we just want to remind our parents and teachers of some key things:

1. Use the golden rule and do unto others: please don't bring your kiddoes when you know they are sick. Also they have to be fever free for 24 hours to be considered noncontagious.
   
2. Teach your children to wash their hands after they use the bathroom, after they blow their noses, etc. Sesame Street has created some great resource information to help you teach your child these things visit their website by clicking here. Also here is the Youtube link to this video that is a bit larger screen for you and your kiddoes to watch: click here
   
3. Teach your children to also sneeze into the crook of their arm or their hands. Then remind them to wash those hands (refer to point #2)
4. Also remember to wash baby and toddler hands as well...they pick thing up really easily from shopping carts, so make sure you carry anti bac wipes with you. Be careful with waterless anti bac and babies and toddlers. There have been some adverse reactions to the solution.
   
5. Don't forget the toothbrush! Germs breed here as well, if your child has been sick remember to soak their toothbrushes overnight in mouthwash or run them through the dishwasher. After taking them out of the dishwasher though remember to run them under hot water for a minute to make sure any lingering detergent is gone from bristles.
   

Do you have any tips you can share. Please comment and pass along. More information is better than none. Please help us keep our preschool areas healthy this flu season.

Teaching Children To Be Thankful

We are heading into Fall but before Thanksgiving (which I think is a very overlooked holiday these days) arrives. I wanted to give you a head start on thoughts on teaching your children to be thankful. Here is a great post from the blog: Better Parents, Better Families about teaching children to be thankful. But I also wanted to give you an example of an activity that you can do to help train your children about being thankful.





Supplies you will need:
1 large piece of black or brown poster board
several pieces of colored construction paper
scissors
glue or tape
Marker or crayons

Cut out the shape of tree from black or brown poster board. Make it large enough for handprints to be the leaves. Put this up somewhere where everyone in the family can see it.

Next have everyone trace several of their handprints on different colors of construction paper. Then have each person write their names each leaf. (have older siblings help younger ones write their names or parents help do this)
Then ask each child to write down 1 thing on each leaf that they are thankful for. Try to have them save a leaf for each day and write down something to be thankful for each day when you have family devotion times.
At dinner or at bedtime prayers gather to read over the leaves and pray and thank God for those things.

Teaching children to be thankful in a world that is filled with all kinds of stuff can be hard, but you can also make it fun as you shift their thinking from wanting and taking to thanking and giving. Remember what Proverbs 22:6 says:
What other things have you done to teach your children about being thankful? Let us know so we can help each other in the task of raising Godly kids.

Some Music and Bible Recommendations

Wanted to let you know about a couple of Music Resources out there for those who have kiddoes that like to sing.

Go Fish Guys' Party Like a Preschooler

Great songs for little and big guys. You can check out snippets of the songs herehttp://http//www.gofishguys.com/cms/pages/the-music/party-like-a-preschooler.php and there are also some of their songs on the music playlist to your right in the column. While you are at their website check out their other fun music and information.




If your kiddoes are a wide range of ages and they like to sing along to the music and dance around check out this DVD by Integrity Kids. There are several in this series and they are reasonably priced. Great thing is we sing many of these songs in preschool and children's choirs as well as Promiseland. These can be found at our local Family Christian Stores, Mardel and LifeWay Christian Stores. Or if you aren't in too big of a hurry and want a bargain click on this link: http://http//www.christianbook.com/shout-praises-kids-every-move-make/pd/403211item_code=WW&netp_id=474888&event=EBRN&view=covers#curr
Christian Book Distributors have some good deals on not just music for kiddoes but books and Bibles as well. There are also CD's available of these if you would rather just have them.


With school starting back I usually have many parents begin to ask me to recommend Bibles to them for their beginning readers. Here are my tips: look for a translation that is easy for them to comprehend as well as read. I recommend the NIrV which is on a 3rd grade reading level. There are many styles of this translation. In our Bible Study classrooms the kiddoes are using the old versions of the Read to Me Bible published by LifeWay. These were published in the NIrV version as well. But are a bit harder to come by since LifeWay wrote their own translation and created the HCSB: Holman Christian Standard Bible but it is written on a 7-8th grade reading level. Now all of the Read to Me Bible's are written in that translation. But it is the one our curriculum references.

One of my favorites of this translation right now is the Kids Quest Bible by Zondervan. Why? It has easy readable type as well as common questions they ask about the Bible, God and Jesus are in the margins. However this is a pretty heavy Bible. Hard to get one that has easy to read type that isn't though.





A good Bible Story Book for early readers is the Learn to Read Bible published by David C Cook. But again this is a Bible Story book not an actual translation. There are 147 Bible stories in this one for them to enjoy reading themselves. It is part of the Rocket Readers series.



I know it can be confusing when you are trying to buy Bibles for your little ones so if you ever need any help or want me to go with you to decipher please let me know. I will be glad to meet you at a store and help you out.

WOW Day Four Highlights

WOW Day Four

Click on the pic above that will take you to a website with all of today's pics

WOW day 3 Highlights

Day Three Highlights...Enjoy

Here they come.....

Wayne-O Sharing about our mission offering

showing my how he can knock the tower down

Some of our students are SO tired (smile) from all the kiddeos they have to chase after all day

2 of our ministry heroes Ms. Jen and Mrs Helen

They can leap tall buildings or small children in a single bound!

"Buddy" the Nerdy Movie Usher visits our class today. Mrs. Annette tells her all about Jesus

Our First Graders listening to Mrs. Tonya Teach

Peek a Boo!!

Having fun practicing to play for Friday nights concert

Some of our other boys learning to "make thunder"

And the Games are Under Way