Happy 17th Anniversary . . . Cornerstone!

Seventeen years ago Lisbeth and Marge had a wonderful opportunity to open a full service child day care center in Trumbull, one we could operate to our own high standards – and it has been a wonderful dream come true!

Our whole staff feels lucky to be working here with great families, positively impacting the growth and development of your most prized possessions, your children.

Thank you for this opportunity and for the ways you show you care about Cornerstone as much as we do. This year the children will make, decorate and devour a birthday cake to celebrate Cornerstone’s anniversary – complete with 17 candles, of course!

Summer Camp Registration!

We are busily working on activities and ideas for this year’s Summer Day Camp.  Summer Day Camp flyers will be available by mid-March. 

The flyers contain our spectacular themes and a registration form. Children can enroll from age 3 to 6 so we anticipate last year’s Pre-K class will return this summer.  We are excited for your child to attend our summer camp and ask that you complete the registration form and return it to the office with your $50.00 deposit by April 1st.  Only after that will we open registration to the public. (Your deposit is applied to the last session of summer camp you child attends).

Happy Staff Anniversary!

Becca - 2 years!  Nicole S. - 3 years!

Happy March Birthday to . . .

LEV - 1! & RILEY - 2!

Dr. Seuss's Birthday!

What child (or adult) doesn’t love “The Cat in the Hat”, “Red Fish, Blue Fish” or “Green Eggs & Ham?”

All are famous children’s stories written by Dr. Seuss in his playful rhyming rhythm (which, incidentally, is a necessary component to learning to read).  We will celebrate his remarkable legacy the whole first week of March by inviting parents to take a few minutes at drop off or pick up to read a Dr. Seuss book to your child’s class.  Sign-up sheets will be on the PS & Pre-K bulletin board and the Toddler 1 door and we will provide the books . 

2012 Year to End tax statements are available upon request from the office.

Did you know?

• Emergency Preparedness Planning:

Annually we ask families to update their emergency information cards. The forms ask for identifying information including a photo of your child and copies of driver’s licenses for anyone authorized to pick up your child – routinely or in the case of an emergency.  The cards need to be able to “speak” for themselves. Please stop in the office to review your emergency information. If there are no changes, simply re-sign and date your existing card or take a new one to complete and return. Please have your driver’s license handy, if a copy is not already part of the form we will copy it for you. We take these forms with us for fire drills, field trips and in the event of an emergency evacuation.

• Persons authorized to pick up your child:

We must be informed if anyone other than a parent or regularly scheduled pick up person will come to take your child from the center. We WILL NOT release your child without proper notification or if we are unable to contact either parent for permission. All pick up persons must show proper i.d.

• Illness:

Our health requirements are state mandated!  The State Department of Public Health Services licenses Cornerstone and is very serious about health issues.  They strictly enforce their regulations regarding illness and medications.  With the cold and flu season here it makes sense to go over these mandated policies:

1. Health: “Any child experiencing vomiting, diarrhea or fever must be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to the Center.  Any child visiting a physician for an illness or injury must have written physician authorization to return to child care."
2. Medication: “All medications must have the proper accompanying forms which must be completed in full and signed by both the parent and the prescribing physician.  All medications must be handed to trained staff in their original labeled containers.”

So, if you think we are nit picking when we ask you for these things, please remember these are mandated licensing requirements we are required to enforce to protect the children and limit the spread of illness. Please strictly adhere to these, especially when returning your child to the Center from illness.

• Food Service

Cornerstone carries a commercial food service license.  Our equipment, procedures, menus, even staff training is all regulated.  Lisbeth and Marge have been trained food service operators since 1997. We pride ourselves on providing healthy, safe, family-style, kid-friendly lunches and snacks.

Let it Snow!

Not so fast – we’ve had a wild winter weather-wise, but a FUN one from the child’s perspective.

There is so much to do and to learn from weather conditions: the changes in temperature; the vocabulary associated with weather, the social changes and opportunities to be a good neighbor and friend.

We are having such fun incorporating “snow” into our programing! Our toddlers are enjoying shredded paper “snowflakes”…completely covering themselves and the ENTIRE room! Engaging in a paper “snow ball” toss is a great way for our preschool and pre-k kids to release their energy!  And, who doesn’t love exploring a sensory table filled with snow – with or without mittens!

Remember . . . Information re: any Cornerstone delay or closing can be sent to your phone and computer. Go to CTWEATHER.com, WTNH.com or WFSB.com and sign up!

Toddler’s March Theme is "Things that Go!"

The children will discover various means of travel, explore the colors of the rainbow, experience wind, dress in green for St. Patrick’s Day and celebrate the first day of Spring, Hat Day and Easter!!

March Highlights:

3/4 - 8 A Dr. Seuss Celebration - (All) You are invited to read to the children!

3/7 Hat Day - (Toddlers)-Bring in your favorite hat!

3/15 Green Day - (All) Dress in Green!

3/18 Kite Day - (Toddlers) - Fly kites outdoors!

3/19 Creative Music Experiences - (All) with Ms. Debbie!

3/25 Passover - Begins at Sunset!

3/27 Indoor Wheels Day - Bring in a favorite toy with wheels!

3/28 Tumble Train Gymnastics - With Ms. Fran! (PS & K)

3/29 Closed for Good Friday!

Preschool’s March theme is "Things that Go!"

The children will identify various means of travel and how it relates to their world, explore the one to one correlation of numbers 3&4; discover and apply the sounds for the letters P, M&N; revel in the color green and all the colors of the rainbow; chart environmental changes; celebrate the first day of Spring, Passover and Easter…just to name a few of our learning opportunities!