CONGRATULATIONS CMLC TEACHERS AND DIRECTORS FOR BECOMING LOVE AND LOGIC CERTIFIED!

Congratulations to our Teachers and Directors for achieving Love and Logic Certification! We are so thrilled to offer schools and teachers that are Love and Logic Certified! Thank you to A Learning Community for certifying and training our team! We look forward to them offering Love and Logic "Taster" Introductory Parenting Courses this September and the full Love and Logic Parenting Courses this October! Please see your school's Director for more details!

WAY TO GO, CMLC TEACHERS AND DIRECTORS!

We are so proud of our team!

Brittany Galego

CMLC Regional Director

Becoming Love & Logic Certified

In all of the years that I have been teaching young children, I have always used the principles of Love and Logic. I even used these guidance principles with my own children. As Creative Minds programs have evolved with input from families, teachers and children we searched for ways to help children make responsible choices and get the most out of their day with us and their friends. Love and Logic techniques are consistent responses to the children's choices. The children can expect the appropriate positive consequence to their choices. We do not want to divert classroom struggles but take these opportunities to learn about behavior management techniques as a group and school. We have been asked on many occasions by parents how to apply techniques at home to avoid power struggles and melt downs. We believe that working hand in hand with each family on their child's growth and development is imperative to the child's social and emotional security and feeling responsible for their actions as their own person. We are excited to partner with A Learning Community to bring the Love and Logic classes to Creative Minds Learning Center schools. All of our schools will be certified in Love and Logic before the end of this year. Creative Minds will pay for all teachers classes through A Learning Community to help them achieve certification and we are encouraging all of our families to sign up for parenting classes through A Learning Community to learn tips and tricks in behavior management. Our teachers will be going to a Love and Logic class this weekend so we are excited to see this unfold at our schools. Parenting classes will be offered soon! I wish this kind of support existed when I first became a parent but I am excited that we can offer this to our CMLC families! Please check out Love and Logic's website for more information: Love and Logic

Jacqueline McKinster
CMLC founder

Karibu! Welcome!

I left my experience in Tanzania certain that it was the most beautiful place on earth, full of welcoming and joyful people. I was continuously reminded of the innate ability for human beings to feel, live, and project happiness. Happiness is what I witnessed and experienced during my time in Africa. 

One aspect of my experience that I hope to share with you involved my time in the Southern Highlands, a remote mountainous area, in a small community in the Mufindi region. In Mufindi I stayed with Jenny, Geoff, and their two beautiful redheads who run an NGO (non-governmental organization) called The Mufindi Highlands Orphans Project (MHOP). The focus of the organization is to provide shelter, sustenance, education, and medical care for orphans, other vulnerable children, and people living with HIV-AIDS within the project area (villages throughout the Mufindi region). Through education, orphanages, women’s empowerment initiatives, and HIV/AIDS support, the NGO hopes to curtail the spread of HIV-AIDS, teach life skills, and create hope and opportunities for future generations. 

I feel so fortunate to have been able to spend some time in these villages where I was able to see how volunteerism, involvement, support, and compassion can directly impact the lives of so many Tanzanians. 

If you have any questions about MHOP, ways to be involved, or are just interested in hearing more about my experience in Africa, do not hesitate to call or stop by the Sellwood School!

In Kiswahili, Asante (thank you)!


Meredith, Sellwood School Director

Please don't forget to visit us at CMLC's Annual Yard Sale this Saturday, July 28th from 10 am- 1pm at our Woodstock School. All proceeds from the Yard Sale will go directly to the Mufindi Highlands Orphans Project.

Cakes 4 a 'Cause

Last weekend CMLC held their first annual, Cakes 4 a 'Cause! This was an all-you-can-eat pancake event with t-shirts, cake pops, a raffle, and tons of fun! CMLC held this event to benefit one our own teachers who is battling Stage 4 Metastatic Cancer. 

Sellwood's Teacher Traci was originally diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2007. After months of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, Traci was a given a clean bill of health. That was until December of 2011, where she found another lump, and her fight with cancer began all over again. After many tests and doctors, Traci was diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Cancer, which had spread to her lungs and sternum. 

Throughout these last few months Traci has remained positive, inspiring the staff, parents, and children around her. She truly is an inspiration! 

CMLC would like to thank the numerous families, countless volunteers, and businesses who participated in the event. Due to your kind generousity, we were able to raise $1,557 for Traci! 

Cakes 4 a 'Cause is an event that CMLC holds near and dear, and we plan to continue the tradition of holding a fundraiser each summer! Each year CMLC will put on a Cakes 

 a 'Cause to benefit a different cause, hoping to help those in need as much as we can!

Red Class Woodstock School camping update!

In Red class (pre-k) at the Woodstock School, our camping unit is in full swing! Our visitors from Yellow class (preschool) got a chance to explore our new unit last week. To go along with our camping station, we are working on making a log cabin out of a huge cardboard box and lots of toilet paper tubes. Check out the pictures to see our progress!

Camping in Red Class at Woodstock!

In Red Class over at the Woodstock School we are in full swing with the new theme "'Camping". Our pre-k kids are really enjoying our new dramatic play camping themed station. Teacher Tiffany and myself (Teacher Lisa) gathered some of our personal camping gear and combined it with some materials from the kitchen station to create an exciting new station. Some of the things in the station include flashlights, binoculars, play food, camping pots and pans, pretend campfires, a tent, camping chairs, and so much more! Check out these fun pictures of our kids' first chance to explore this station.

Parent Date Night Out (6/23/12)

Thank you so much to all of the families and businesses that participated in our Parent Date Night Out last Saturday, June 23rd! We got so much positive feedback from everyone involved and hope to host this event again soon!

Here is what our CMLC staff and children enjoyed doing while the parents spent a relaxing night out:

We ate delicious cheese pizza and garlic bread sticks from Bellagios Pizza!

We made some Crazy Dough and added Kool-Aid to make it colorful and smelly...the good kind of smelly!:)

We got messy while exploring with shaving cream!

We played with our favorite toys!

We made Lobster Art! The teachers tickeled fingers and toes while painting the kiddos' hands and feet for this project!

Thanks again to Staccato Gelato, Nectar, The Green Microgym, A Cena, Mike's Drive In, Iron Horse, and Philadelphia's Steaks and Hoagies for helping Creative Minds give our valued parents a night of fun and relaxation! We love our local businesses!