Author: gc_gariepy

Sandbox Forum

For the Family and Friends of children enrolled in
Geauga Public Preschool and Special Needs Programs

Gayle Michel, Early Childhood Supervisor

A Publication of the Geauga County Educational Service Center

Fall 2010, Volume 3 Issue 1

Here’s the scoop:
Supervisor Letter	1
Community Info	2
What is HEAP?	3
Holiday Craft & Recipe Ideas	4
Reading	5
Fall Events	6

Hello families and friends,
We are well under way with another year of preschool programs. Once again, our staff has pulled together their classrooms, programs and services to serve children and families of our County.
There are a few new members of our “Preschool Team.” Please join me in welcoming them. First, Jill Maiorca is our new social worker and editor of “The Sandbox”. See page 3 of this issue for services and supports Jill provides. Renee Siperke and Karrie Campbell are new educational assistants at Gardiner. Trish Randall is a center based teacher at Burton Elementary School. Trish came to us from two years of teaching at Metzenbaum Center. Abby Friedberg is a speech-language pathologist. She is a recent graduate with her Master’s Degree from the University of Akron. Abby works mainly with students from the Cardinal and Berkshire areas.
“The Sandbox” is the one tool that unites all of our preschool programming. Since our classrooms and itinerant services encompass the entire County, this is a nice way to pull all our programs together. If there is ever a topic you would like to see addressed in this Newsletter, please email me or Jill and let us know.
Have a great fall. Look for our next issue in December!
Gayle Michel
Early Childhood Supervisor

Community Info

Geauga County has a Prescription Discount Card
FREE to County Residents!
Any county resident without prescription coverage can use this program. Even if you have insurance for prescription drugs you may still benefit from the discount card, since it may save you money on prescription drugs your existing plan does not cover.
Everyone is eligible!
No income requirements
No age requirements
Unlimited use for the whole family.
For more information, including card pick-up locations, call 440-285-2222 Ext. 4279 or visit the Geauga County website at www.co.geauga.oh.us

Trick or Treat Times
Aurburn Township—Oct 31 6:00pm-8:00pm
Burton Village—Oct 30 5:30pm—7:00pm
Chardon—Oct 31 5:30pm-7:30pm
Chagrin Falls—Oct 31 6:00pm-8:00pm
Chesterland—Oct 31 6:00pm-8:00pm
Huntsburg—Oct 31 5:00pm-7:00pm
Middlefield Vill.—Oct 30 5:30pm-7:00pm
Montville—Oct 30 6:00pm-8:00pm
Munson—Oct 30 6:00pm-8:00pm
Newbury Township—Oct 30 5:30pm-7:30pm
Painesville— Oct 31 6:00pm-8:00pm
Parkman—Oct 30 5:30pm -7:00pm
Russell Township—Oct 31 5:00pm-8:00pm

Free Program at Lakeland Community College
What: Job Shop Speaker Program
When: 2nd and 4th Mondays Monthly
Where: The Recruitment Center
A-1040c, Kirtland
Call 440-535-7453 for more information
Coming Up: Oct 25 An Updated View of the Economy and How it impacts your Job Search
This speaker series is geared to the needs of job seeking men and women. Each program begins at 9am and features some of the best employment experts in northeast Ohio.

Geauga County Health District
Flu Clinic
When: Oct 29, 8:30am—11:00am
Where: Health District office, 470 Center St, Bldg 8, Chardon
What: Get your flu shot!
Cost-$25
For more information call 440-279-1950 or visit
www.geaugacountyhealth.org

Nov. 2nd is Election Day!
Find your polling location at: www.co.geauga.oh.us/Departments/BOE/Voter_Registration.aspx

Fall 2010 Sandbox Forum Page 2 of 6

Social Work Services for Geauga County Preschool Program
Because life doesn’t have an easy button
Geauga County Preschool students and their families are eligible for social work supportive services to help manage home issues & family transitions, navigate community resources, and support your child’s IEP behavioral goals.
Please talk with your child’s teacher to learn more - Or contact:
Jill Maiorca, LSW
Phone: 440-279-1700 or Cell: 440-313-4425
Email: jill.maiorca@geaugaesc.org

What is HEAP?
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a federally funded program administered by the Ohio Department of Development's Office of Community Service (OCS). It is designed to help eligible low-income Ohioans meet the high costs of home heating. If you are eligible for assistance, the amount of your one-time HEAP benefit depends on federal funding levels, how many people live with you, total household income, and the primary fuel you use to heat your home. In most cases, the one-time benefit will be a credit applied to your energy bill by your utility company (or fuel vendor).
What is Emergency HEAP?
A special component of HEAP is the Winter Crisis Program (WCP). The Winter Crisis Program is administered by the local delegate agencies, in most cases local Community Action Agencies. In Geauga County, the delegate agency is the Office of Job and Family Services.
The Program provides assistance once per heating season to eligible households that are disconnected, threatened with disconnection, or have less than a 10-day supply of bulk fuel . The Winter Crisis Program can also help pay for heating system repairs in certain cases.
To find out if HEAP can help you this heating season, Call HEAP toll-free at (800) 282-0880 or Geauga Department of Job and Family Services at 440-285-9141.
Found 10/18/10 online at:
http://development.ohio.gov/

Fall 2010 Sandbox Forum Page 3 of 6

From the kitchen of Kristen Liguzinski
Carrot Cake Muffins
1 cup canola oil (this can be replaced with 1 cup of applesauce)
2 (4 ounce) jars carrot baby food
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons apple pie spice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin pan with muffin papers.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, apple pie spice and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oil/applesauce and baby food.
Next, add the eggs. Add the sugar and mix well.
Add the flour mixture and mix until it is combined.
Pour the batter into the muffin tins and bake until a toothpick poked into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
Enjoy!
Adapted from a recipe from allrecipes.com.

Fall 2010 Sandbox Forum Page 4 of 6

HOLIDAY CRAFT: Mystery BOX
No peeking!
Make this box and place mysterious items inside for an old-fashioned game of guessing fun. Using a large hatbox from the crafts store, cut a hole in the lid; make sure the hole is large enough for your hand to fit through. Then cover the lid and the box with Halloween-theme scrapbook papers and add a decorative-edge border on the sides. Glue fringed garland around the opening to discourage peeking. Spell out "Mystery Box" on the top with stickers. What you put inside is up to you, but anything gooey and slimy is sure to be a hit!
Activity found on www.parents.com
Check out this site for other great ideas!

Halloween Treats that Kids Can Make

Haunting PB&J
Give this lunchtime favorite a Halloween makeover with a ghost-shape cookie cutter. Little ones can help punch out the shape and add spooked raisin eyes.

Peek-a-Boo Monsters
Start with premade cupcakes, then let your little one go wild creating a silly Halloween monster. Set out sour candy corn for the spiky hair. Cut a thin wafer in half and stick on two mini candy-coated chocolates for pupils.
Recipes found on www.parents.com
Check out this site for other great ideas!

Literature and Reading
From “Winning Ways to Learn”
Study after study reveals that reading with your child is essential for building knowledge that leads to learning success. To foster your child’s love of reading:
Create a reading routine. Set a special time to read to your child every day, such as right after dinner, or when she is settled in bed for the night. Of course, read at other times, too.
Go to the library. Let her select the subject or theme of stories to borrow and read at home.
Make joint predictions. Guess with your child what will happen next in a new story you are reading to her.
Talk about the tale. Discuss who was in the story you just read and recall what the characters did.
Let every picture tell a story. Cut out interesting pictures from magazines and together make up stories that go with them. Write the stories down as you create them so your child can see the connection between ideas and print.
Tune in to a tape. Listen with your child to a children’s book on tape (libraries have them), and turn the pages in the accompanying book as the story unfolds.
Be a photo-journalist. While looking at photos of your child’s life so far, tell special stories about her as a baby and as a very little girl. Then let the pictures inspire the two of you to create a book about them.
Flannel-board magic. Make a board with a flannel covering. Cut out figures to match characters in a story or nursery rhyme and act out the story or poem on the flannel board.
Create a block library. Organize with a few neighboring families to let your children borrow and lend books back and forth. Have the children tell one another about the stories in their own libraries to help the others know which ones to pick; encourage them to make the stories sound exciting and interesting.
Don’t forget rhymes. Continue to read and say nursery rhymes with your child. Begin to include poetry by such authors as Robert Louis Stevenson or A. A. Milne.
Read, read, and read some more, to your child, of course!
Excerpt from:
Winning Ways to Learn, Meisels, Samuel, Dorothea Marsden, and Charlotte Stetson. New York: Goddard Press, 2000. Print. Pg. 73.

Fall 2010 Sandbox Forum Page 5 of 6

Fall Family Fun!

Family Fun Fest at Patterson Farms
Bring the family, pack a lunch and relax in our outdoor farm fun area. You can play in our hay stacks, climb our tree house in the woods and slide down the 50 foot double slide, wander through our corn maze and take a wonderful nature hike through the ravines and hills of Geauga County.
The fest is open on weekends:
September 18th - October 31st
Mon-Thurs 10 am -6 pm
Fri, Sat, Sun 10am - 5pm
Where: 8765 Mulberry Rd, Chesterland, OH
Phone: (440) 729-7144
or
www.pattersonfarm.com for more details
Get outdoors with help from the Geauga Park District!
Timbertots: Squirrely Fun!
For Ages 3-5 with adult
Sun, Nov 14, 3-4pm
The Rookery, Great Blue Heron Lodge
&
Tues, Nov 16, 10-11am or 1-2pm
Big Creek Park, Cherry Room
Preschoolers have fun searching for squirrels and enjoying squirrel activities!
Check out www.geaugaparkdistrict.org for more details

Fall Festival at Sunrise Farm
Enjoy everything apples including apple picking, apple fritters, apple cider & caramel apples. Don’t miss pumpkin hunting & a giant corn maze, too!
Every Weekend in October
Mon—Sat 9:30am to 6pm,
Sun —10am to 5pm
Where: 13115 Kinsman Road, Burton, OH
Phone: 440-834-1298
www.sunrisefarmgifts.com

Fun Weekends at Ridgeview Farm
Family Fun activities including a giant corn maze, hayrides, petting barn, lunch stand, pumpkin hunting, PIG RACES & more!
Festivals every Weekend in October
Sat & Sun 11am-6pm
Where: 5488 Kinsman Rd, Middlefield
Phone: 440-693-4000
www.RidgeviewFarm.com

Fall 2010 Sandbox Forum Page 6 of 6