Welcome!
Network Child Care Services (Network) is proud to deliver to your inbox, the Organization’s October Newsletter! Please enjoy a few moments to review the brief articles and noteworthy celebrations for all families, staff, and affiliated home child care providers. We truly hope you enjoy these quick highlights as we focus on one of Network’s affiliated Home Child Care Providers as well as other events of interest for the month of October!
Connecting with Ruta Mesfin, Network’s affiliated Home Child Care Provider
Ruta Mesfin, Network’s affiliated Home Child Care Provider’s home is conveniently located on the west side of Keele Street just north of Bloor Street West (close to Keele Subway Station) in the west-end of Toronto. Her home is currently geared to offering care to children under the age of three but Ruta’s many years of experience with children of all ages has allowed her to tailor her program to meet the needs of each and every child.
In conversation with Ruta, one immediately notices her Eritrean exuberance and effervescence as she describes her daily child care program. Her backyard is frequently used as an extension of her home where all children delight in experiential play opportunities. Ruta and the children in her care also frequently visit the local drop-in centre located at Indian Road Crescent Junior Public School. These visits further reinforce the importance of building social connections within the immediate community as children become familiar with and accustomed to the environment of the local school.
Ruta truly delights in seeing how the children in her care grow and flourish. She strives to ensure that the children are happy and that the families are content who enter her home daily.
Mark Your Calendars – These Dates Are Noteworthy!
Oct 5
International Teachers’ Day! This special day was first recognized by the United Nations in 1994 to express gratitude to Teachers around the World for their positive impact on all of us. Teachers do make an important difference as partners in the learning continuum with parents and other supportive adults.
Oct 6
World Smile Day! This important event has been celebrated annually since 1999 based on the work of Harvey Ball who originally created the iconic “happy face” in 1963. This day is dedicated to simply smiling, which if given enough time, could also lead to happiness. This day also reminds us to share a little kindness and caring with others, which is truly needed in our World right now!
Oct 9
Thanksgiving Day! This celebratory autumnal event occurs in Canada during the month of October as this month often signals the need to “bring in the harvest” prior to the whispers of winter. We are thankful to Canadian farmers and appreciate that without their efforts, life would be very different.
Oct 31
Halloween! Whether you call it “Hallowe’en” or “All Hallows’ Eve” or “All Saints’ Eve” or “Samhain” this unique day has had its traditional roots in ancient cultures from Northern Europe, which were brought to Canada in the 1800’s, with the influx of immigration. As a Canadian celebration, Halloween offers children the opportunity to put on a costume and pretend to be an alternate character or creature for a few hours.
The Importance of Smiling!
Educators, child care providers, parents, and grandparents are often the individuals who spend a significant portion of their day with children. These caring adults tend to create environments which are supportive and nurturing to the children who are connected to them but at times they are missing that quintessential component which cannot be bought online or at a store – a smile!
Children are constantly watching and monitoring the adults around them to understand and acquire appropriate social cues and nuances which ultimately aid in their social development. Faces are observed for signs of happiness or distress which support a child’s comprehension of how to “read the room” in learning necessary social norms. If the individuals around a child or children are not usually smiling and presenting a constant serious or even sullen appearance, chances are those children will become reflective of their learning environment and mimic those same facial responses. This is clearly where smiling needs to light up the room!
In his peer-reviewed research, Dr. Stibich reinforces the need for adults to smile, as it not only benefits children, but the adults themselves. He states that:
“A simple smile can trigger the release of neuropeptides that improve your neural communication. It also causes the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which can boost your mood. Think of smiling as a natural antidepressant.”
Smiling has a multitude of benefits, some of which are immediate, but some of which may also be long lasting. Try smiling each and every day!
References:
www.calendarr.com
M. Stibich Ph D. “10 Big Benefits of Smiling”. - verywellmind.com. February 2023.