Using his creations as their inspiration, they then created their own artistic impressions using the Photo Shop program on the center’s computers. The following
spectacular artistic creations were part of Sneak Peek Week for the Summer Blast Program.

The program, which is supported by Ebenezer staff and families attending our child care centers, was created to help children and their families who are having a hard time meeting their basic needs difficult times.

Caring individuals or families donate new or very gently used children’s clothing, toys, books, infant food and formula as well as nonperishable food items to the program. Then, Ebenezer’s center coordinators work with families to identify those in need and provide them with a bag of supplies to help them through their tough times.

According to Doreen Cadd, Operations Director for Ebenezer Child Care Centers, “The economy is hard right now, and a lot of families are struggling because of unemployment or receiving unexpected pay cuts. Our child care centers operate under the slogan that we provide: ‘Child care from the heart’ and this new program is a perfect example of just how we open our hearts to help others at Ebenezer.”

Other members of the celebration committee members included the photo are: (L-R) Ann McKillip, Center Coordinator for Oak Creek; Yvette Stamper, Center Coordinator
for Wauwatosa; (Doreen Cadd); Teresa Edwards, Accounts Manager; Kay Linsky, Assistant Coordinator for the Southside Milwaukee location; and Mona Perales, Center Coordinator for the Downtown Milwaukee location.

The children at Ebenezer Child Care Center’s Mequon location have been having a lot of fun in their Early Movers, creative movement program designed children ages 2-4 every Thursday morning from 10am-10:30am. In it, they explore dance through creative child appropriate games which helps them develop kinesthetic, visual, and tactile awareness. They also learn to improve their concentration by using musical instruments and stimulating their auditory senses when responding to sounds (and music) they make or hear. In addition, the children improve their social skills and vocabulary when expressing what they learned to other fellow movers during a moment of reflection at the end of the class.

According to Lisa Lenyard, Mequon Center Coordinator “Early Movers is a great program which helps to improve a child’s self esteem, gets them moving and excited about exercise.”

Early Movers also includes a series of “Brain Dance” exercises which were developed by Anne Green Gilbert, the owner of the Creative Dance Center. “Brain Dance is comprised of eight developmental movement patterns that healthy human beings naturally move through in the first year of life. As babies, we did these movements on our tummies and backs on the floor. However, going through these patterns at any age, (while sitting or standing) on a regular basis has been found to be beneficial in reorganizing our central nervous system. Repeating these patterns over time may also help us fill in any missing gaps in our neurological system due to birth trauma, illness, environment, head injury or not enough tummy time as a baby” (creativedance.org/about/braindance).

The Early Movers program was created by Edwin Olvera, a proud parent of a darling toddler enrolled at our Ebenezer Child Care Center in Mequon. He is also a professional dancer, fitness trainer and teaching artist who has traveled araound the world over the past seven years with the Pilobolus Dance Theater. Edwin’s other credits include teaching Master’s classes and workshops in creative movement for Pilobolus Institute, dancing in the opera the “Magic Flute,” appearing in television shows like Sesame Street, and commercials for the NFL Channel. He has also been featured multiple times in Dancer and Dance Magazines for his performance as a modern dancer/entertainer. His most recent project has been with Cedric Gardner (SYTYCD, Step UP 3-D, Yo Gabba Gabba) in which they collaborated on choreography for AMP’d Limited of Waukesha.

Hobson holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Master of Science in Organizational Management from Cardinal Stritch University. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in Justice Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Prior to joining Ebenezer, Hobson ran a Certified Family Home Day Care (Hobson’s Choice Child Care) and worked at Rockwell Automation as a Human Resource Analyst/EEO Coordinator. She is currently on the Friends of the Museum (FOM) Board of Directors with the Milwaukee Public Museum, and is a member of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) and Wisconsin Child Care Administrators Association (WCCAA). She has
three children, and resides in Milwaukee.

Linskey holds a Child Care Certification from MATC and 4Cs. For the past 14 years, she ran her own in-home family child care service (Kaye’s House). She has two children and resides in Greenfield.

Ebenezer Child Care Centers’ Mequon Center, located at 10333 N Enterprise Drive (on the corner of Donges Bay and Enterprise) and their Oak Creek Center, located at 220 W. Forest Hill Avenue (just off of Howell Avenue by Woodmans) are currently accepting enrollments for their 4K programs.

Both programs feature age-approproate curriculum that focuses on language, mathematical, social/emotional, and motor skills, trhough common real-life experiences. Plus, we combine this important curriculum with our unique Virtues Program and the tender loving care that families have come to expect from us.

Another benefit of enrolling in Ebenezer’s 4K Program is that both centers also offer before- and after-school child care and off-school day child care so the children can have fewer transitions to their days and more stability. Younger siblings, from 4 weeks of age, can also enroll at Ebenezer’s Mequon Child Care Center so parents have one-stop child care and school for the entire family. For more information on either program Call Ebenezer Child Care Centers’ Mequon Location at (262) 242-4446 or Ebenezer Child Care Centers’ Oak Creek Location at (414) 768-0151.

The way that YoungStar works is that it evaluates the quality of care given by regulated child care providers and rates them from 1 to 5 stars, with 5 stars being the highest rating. A provider’s star rating is based on: Education Qualifications and Training; Learning Environment and Curriculum; Professional and Business Practices; and Child Health and Well-Being Practices. In addition, if a program is NAC accredited by the National Association of Child Care Professionals or NAEYC accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children then it too earns the recognition of being a 5-star program.

Ebenezer Child Care Centers’ Downtown Milwaukee, Southside Milwaukee, Oak Creek and Wauwatosa locations have all received YoungStar ratings of 5 stars. Our Mequon facility is still awaiting its NAC accreditation and YoungStar rating, and our Greenfield Center is not eligible for a rating since it is only a before and after school program.

More information on the YoungStar program can be found at: http://dcf.wi.gov/youngstar/default.htm

Holly Braun, Assistant Coordinator of Ebenzer Child Care Center’s Oak Creek Location

We are happy to announce that Holly Braun has been named Assistant Coordinator for our Oak Creek Child Care Center, located at 220 W. Forest Hill Avenue.

In this position, Holly will work with our Center Coordinator, Ann McKillip and our dedicated staff to ensure the center and its programs run efficiently, are developmentally appropriate, and are welcoming
for all our children.

Holly has been working in child care since 2006 in a variety of positions including  a  School-Age Site Director, Lead Teacher and Center Floater.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from UW-La Crosse and has also taken Early Childhood I and II and the Infant/Toddler course.

Welcome Aboard Holly – we are glad to have you as part of the Ebenezer team!

• Build a snow man
• Go sledding
• Go ice skating
• Go cross country or downhill skiing
• Build a puzzle
• Play a board game
• Bake a healthy treat together
• Go to the children’s or public museum
• Go roller skating
• Watch a movie
• Have an indoor picnic
• Make a countdown to Spring calendar

· Pay attention to the weather. If it’s predicted to be frigid outside, think twice about even venturing out with your children.

· Dress your children in layers – an undershirt or long underwear, followed by a shirt, sweatshirt, or sweater (depending on temperatures), and an outer wind- and water-resistant layer for their upper and lower body.

· Make sure to always have your children wear a warm hat.  Research has proven that the body can lose up to 10% of its heat when the head is not covered.

· Likewise, children should always wear insulated gloves or mittens when they are outside. Mittens tend to keep the hands warmer, because the fingers can remain together.

· Warm, wool socks and waterproof, insulated boots are also required attire for winter.

· Finally, if your children complain that any part of their bodies are starting to feel numb, seek immediate shelter as this is an early warning sign of frostbite.

Ebenezer Child Care Center would also like to take this opportunity to thank the generous employees at Kelly OCG, Independent Care Health Plan, Boyle Fredrickson, S.C., Market Probe and US Forest Service for participating in this year’s Giving Tree Project, which is sponsored by the Non-Profit Center. You too will be bringning smiles to many through this wonderful project which connects non-profit organizations to businesses that are willing to donate holiday gifts. As a result of this great program, some of the less fortunate children who are
enrolled at Ebenezer Child Care Centers will be receiving a holiday gift this year. Blessings to all of you for your generosity!

Happy Holidays everyone!