Today 1/21

Due to inclement weather, the Winter Carnival will begin TODAY at noon and will last until 2. We hope you will still join us for a day of fun with your Coop family. We know some may have a conflict with nap times, but we hope that today you can make an exception and be flexible....we promise a fun time will be had by all. This is one of our largest fundraisers and the various committees have been working for months on this event! Please come and show your support for JHTC. Thanks and hope to see you at 12.

Tuesday 2/14

There WILL be class on Tuesday, February 14. The Storytime with Gloria will occur as well.

Tuesday Story Hour Drop-In

Miss Gloria is offering a wonderful new class beginning Tuesday, February 7, 2012. It is a drop- in class that will feature a story time and craft based on the Dr. Suess stories. This is a great afternoon activity from 1-2:30! The price is right- 5.00 per child. Hope to see you there!

Winter Carnival

Click on image to read about the exciting day! We hope to see you on January 21, 2012 from 10-1!

Spring Field Trip

The Spring Field Trip will take place on Friday, February 24 from 9:30-11:30 at Coppermine Fieldhouse.

The plans for the day:

We can break the kids down into age groups so that some can participate with the Lil’ Kickers soccer program, little ones can be in our Exploration Room, the Climbing Room, on the trampoline and swing and will be able to rotate through all of our fun spaces….we will keep them active and happy while they are here!

It would be $13.00 for each participant that is actively going to play for the two hours. Each child will get a Coppermine goodie bag to take home with them. We will have instructors for each of the different groups and parent participation is always welcome!

The kids will just need to wear comfy clothes and tennis or running shoes are perfect.

Inclement Weather Policy

If Baltimore County schools open one hour late, all classes are held on time. If Baltimore County schools open two hours late, all classes are canceled. If Baltimore County schools are closed, all classes are canceled. We will have a telephone chain to alert you if we deviate from the above for any reason or check the hotline.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to JHTC! We hope that you had a terrific holiday with your families.

Please mark your calendars for our Winter Carnival- January 21st! This exciting day is a wonderful day for JHTC families to unite as a community for a fun and exciting day. The Silent Auction and Winter Carnival Committee has been hard at work for months planning the events of the day. We have a large number of terrific auction items that have been donated to JHTC. We hope to see everyone there!

Halloween Fun

HALLOWEEN 2011

Miss Gloria's Friday AM class cuties in their halloween garb!

Tuesday PM Class Update

Due to numerous requests, we have adjusted the Tuesday PM class to accommodate siblings. Some Co-op families have to use sitters to attend class, and we felt this is a creative solution. The class runs from 2:30 -4:30. Consider this option and remain in Co-op! Thanks! The JHTC Board

Thank You!

To all the Wonderful Moms, Dads, Grandparents, Friends, Co-op Board Members, and Teachers,

Thank you to all who made this year's Holiday Bazaar a success! An extra special thank you to the committee and coop volunteers who helped at the bazaar, set up and cleaned up. A thank you also goes out to all the families that donated baked good items, bottled water or juice boxes. A big shout out goes to our teachers, Mrs. Bernie and Mrs. Gloria who are always so supportive!!!

Kudos to the Bazaar co-chairs, Megan and Colleen who did an AMAZING job! You girls ROCK!!!

Co-op is a wonderful place to be and Saturday was one of the reasons why!

Thanks again to all who made the Bazaar a booming success!

With all my thanks and appreciation,
Debbie Liberto
debbieliberto@comcast.net
VP Fundraising
JHTC

Get Out Of The House!

Despite the falling temperatures, now is a perfect time for getting outside with kids. Explore the changing seasons, run and play without overheating, observe plants and animals... Here are a few great places for toddlers to learn more about nature, or just romp around in the woods:

Irvine Nature Center

http://www.explorenature.org/

Masonville Cove Environmental Education Center

http://www.masonvillecove.org/

Cylburn Arboretum

http://www.cylburnassociation.org/

Oregon Ridge Park

http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/recreation/countyparks/oregonridgelodge/

Stony Run Trail

http://local.yahoo.com/info-24459180-stoney-run-park-baltimore

If you walk the Stony Run Trail, you'll also come across these locations, all highly recommended:

Linkwood Park Playground

http://www.coolprogeny.com/2010/07/hidden-gem-linkwood-park-playground.html

Little Lamb Consignments

http://baltimore.citysearch.com/profile/4974914/baltimore_md/little_lamb_consignments.html

Shananigans Toys

http://shananiganstoyshop.com/

Bubbles Galore

The Friday 1s class with Ms. Gloria is all about their bubbles. Blowing bubbles is a great activity that appeals to kids of all ages. It stops them in their tracks - which is a rare occurrence by all means! Blow bubbles for an infant as they sit in their bouncy seat or lay on their back and watch their eyes follow the bubbles around the room. Your toddler or preschooler can practice their eye/hand coordination by catching the bubbles with their hands or stomping them out with their feet. It is a no fail activity that is an easy mesmerizer no matter where you are. Bubbles are a great indoor activity at bath time and outdoors they are great for a windy day. On a cold day, see if your little one can blow frozen bubbles!

If you are up for it, here is a homemade recipe for bubbles:

1/8 cup liquid dishwashing soap

1 gallons water

1/2 tablespoon glycerin, available at any drugstore (optional)

Mix together gently and you have what it takes to make bubbles. You can make a bubble wand from a pipe cleaner that has been wrapped around a pencil or a stick. Voilà!

Here are a few other fun activities for your toddler (Since we are always looking for something to entertain the ever-mobile 1+ year old!) :

Use chocolate pudding as finger paint on wax paper (so you don't have to worry about them licking it!)

Cut out different shapes and have them stick them to a piece of contact paper

Let them paint their pumpkin instead of attempting the jack-o-lantern (easier for you and more hands-on for them!)

Spring Registration Information

SPRING REGISTRATION for current families begins on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1. The Spring Semester runs from January 23 through May 25, 2012.

To hold your current class spot, print the attached registration form, and mail it WITH YOUR SPRING TUITION ($245), to Kate Sinclair, 233 Grindall Street, Baltimore, MD 21230, NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 30, 2011. If you do not submit your form by November 30, your spot could be given to another family. YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR FORM BY MAIL. FORMS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY EMAIL, IN PERSON, OR THROUGH CLASSROOM FOLDERS.

To change your class, ACT FAST. Change requests are granted based on availability, and are processed on a first-come, first-served basis as indicated on your post-mark. Print the attached registration form, indicate the new class you would like, and mail it with your Spring tuition check ($245) to Kate Sinclair at 233 Grindall Street, Baltimore, MD 21230. The sooner receive your application, the better your chances will be of getting your requested new class. You will be notified by mid-December if we are able to accommodate the change.

It would be helpful to our budget for you to print the attached registration form at home. We will provide some extra forms in the classroom in one of the wall pockets by the bulletin board, if printing at home is not possible.

It is JHTC's policy that all registration forms and tuition be mailed via US Mail. Applications and tuition cannot be dropped off in the classroom. JHTC will not be held responsible for registration forms and tuition left in the classroom.

If you have any questions, please contact VP of Registration, Kate Sinclair, at 443-449-5068, or at kch3d2002@yahoo.com

Spring registration opens to new families on December 1. Please spread the word about JHTC to your friends and families.

Fall Field Trip

This year's fall field trip was to the North Run Farm in Greenspring Valley. It was a dreary and rainy day but fun was had by all who came! The children got to ride on a tractor ride, pick pumpkins for a pumpkin patch, visit with the farm animals, and play in the corn maze. Thanks to Meg and Laura for organizing!

Tis the season to cook. Or at least dream to - what with all our free time, right? What with different gatherings for Halloween, Thanks Giving and then the holidays in December, I thought I would give out a secret that my friend Christine gave to me: a delicious, easy recipe to bring to parties that tastes like it took far longer to cook than it does:

Here's the "recipe" for the artichoke dip. Sorry that I'm not more specific - I swear that I "wing it" every time I make it! Soften 1-2 blocks of cream cheese (depending on how much you want to make - I just eyeball it!)

Add 1-2 jars of marinated artichokes - chopped and mostly drained - I save some of the marinade and add that to the cream cheese - Mix together

Add garlic powder (maybe 1 tsp)

Add salt to taste

Add 1/2 tsp white pepper

Add 1/2 bag (1 cup or so) of shredded cheese - italian or four cheese mix or cheddar

Microwave or bake until melty

Add remaining shredded cheese on top and continue to nuke or bake until bubbly

Dig in - pita chips, tostitos, bread or veggies are good with this