Playground Updates Complete!

 

Phase 1 of our playground upgrade is complete, right down to the fence! We still have a few plans for future components, but they are ready to be enjoyed by all! To say we have been blessed is an understatement. It's hard to find the words to properly convey our gratitude for all the support we've received through the planning, fundraising, and installation. A huge thank you to

First Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven

, the congregation, our Joyful Noise families, alumni and staff for making this happen. These playgrounds will surely be a source of joy for many generations of children at Joyful Noise and the church family.

credit: Kelly VanHook

(If you would still like to contribute to our ongoing playground fundraiser, we are hoping to add additional play components and materials in the future. Donations can be sent to: Joyful Noise Childcare c/o Sally Segers, 508 Franklin Grand Haven, MI 49417)

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Deck the Halls...or Doors?! Things Are Getting Festive at Joyful Noise!

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the center!

All week, our staff will be decorating the doors with some holiday cheer; from the office to the classrooms, all the way to the kitchen! When it's all finished at the end of this week, each classroom will take turns parading through the center to check out all the decorations! It's going to be so fun

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Annual Evergreen Fundraiser at Joyful Noise!

Annual Evergreen Fundraiser

at Joyful Noise!

Our annual evergreen fundraiser is here! Support our mission with a beautiful, fresh evergreen purchase.

You can purchase a Fraser fir wreath, swag or garland from the order form below, which must be returned to Joyful Noise by Friday, November 20th. Please make checks payable to Joyful Noise Childcare (payment due upon delivery on Monday, November 30th).

Also, see your child's cubby for a coupon (or print from the link below) to purchase a Fraser or spruce tree on site at KP Tree & Nursery LLC--price and size vary. Each tree purchased is $10 earned for Joyful Noise's fundraising efforts! See more details about trees below.

Check out the pictures of KP products here:
http://tinyurl.com/nqyl2ww

EVERGREEN ORDER FORM: http://www.JoyfulNoiseKids.com/pdfs/EvergreenOrderForm2020.pdf

ORDER FORM DUE DATE: Friday, November 20th
EVERGREEN DELIVERY: Monday, November 30th (pick up orders at Joyful Noise 508 Franklin, Grand Haven)

CHRISTMAS TREE INFO:
Trees will also be included in the fundraiser (pickup on-site only at KP Tree & Nursery) . "U-cut" or choose a tree that has been cut already with your redeemable JN/KP tree coupon, also available here: http://www.JoyfulNoiseKids.com/pdfs/TreeCoupon.pdf

Thank you for supporting Joyful Noise!

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Playground Update!

 

Playground Update!

We're one step closer! The digging has begun in preparation for the new playground equipment! The excitement around here cannot be contained 🤩🥳 Check back for more updates to see the progress...

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Playground Installation Celebration!

 

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Guess Who: The Joyful Noise Childcare Edition!

Guess Who:  The Joyful Noise Childcare Edition!

We've got a fun game for you and your child: "Guess Who: The Joyful Noise Childcare Edition"! Play along and see if you can guess who is underneath the superhero mask! Can't wait to see you next week! Enjoy

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An Important Message From Joyful Noise

Young children notice and think about race. Studies have shown that infants begin noticing skin color and showing preference by race as early as 3-6 months, and by 3-5 years of age, they are already beginning to internalize racial bias. As early childhood educators, we understand how vital a role we play in fostering anti-racism and supporting positive racial identities in young children.

While we strive for creating a classroom environment that is centered around inclusivity, kindness, and tolerance, there is always room for growth, to learn, to do more, to do better. We’ll be reflecting on what we can do to promote anti-racism at Joyful Noise going forward, including staff trainings, and incorporating more teachings and conversations about race, diversity and culture into daily lessons.

Below are links to resources that we think are very valuable as we seek ways to do better.

Articles/PDF’s:

Three-Month-Olds, But Not Newborns, Prefer Own-Race Faces: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2566511/

Our Children, Our Workforce: Why We Must Talk About Race and Racism in Early Childhood Education: https://www.childcareexchange.com/…/our-children-our-workf…/

Children Are Not Colorblind: How Young Children Learn Race: https://inclusions.org/…/2017/11/Children-are-Not-Colorblin…

Raising a Race-Conscious Child: https://cupofjo.com/2020/06/raising-race-conscious-children/

Talking About Race- I Am a Parent or Caregiver: https://nmaahc.si.edu/…/talking-…/audiences/parent-caregiver

Stages In Children’s Development of Racial/Cultural Identity & Attitudes: https://www.uua.org/…/derman-s…/1206_233_identity_stages.pdf

Five Ways to Reduce Racial Bias In Your Children: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/…/five_ways_to_reduce_raci…

Becoming Upended: Teaching and Learning About Race and Racism With Young Children and Their Families: https://www.naeyc.org/…/m…/teaching-learning-race-and-racism

10 Tips For Teaching and Talking to Kids About Race: https://www.embracerace.org/…/embraceracetipsenglish-(2).pdf

Talking Race With Young Children: https://www.npr.org/…/7167…/talking-race-with-young-children

Books:

Diverse Book Finder: https://diversebookfinder.org/

Children’s Books to Help With Conversations About Race and Racism: https://www.kdl.org/…/childrens-books-help-conversations-ab…

10 Tips For Reading Picture Books With Children Through a Race-Conscious Lens: https://www.embracerace.org/…/10-tips-for-reading-picture-b…

31 Children’s Books to Support Conversations About Race, Racism and Resistance: https://blog.usejournal.com/31-childrens-books-to-support-c…

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**UPDATE** Can/Bottle Drive For Joyful Noise Playground Improvements On Hold

Wow!! The response to our can/bottle drive has been overwhelming! So much so that our storage capacity has reached its limit after just 2 days!! With that said, we unfortunately have to put the collection on hold until bottle return centers open back up. We are so grateful for all the donations, and will keep you updated on when we will be able to accept more! Thank you!!

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Can/Bottle Drive For Joyful Noise Playground Improvements!

May 22-June 20

What:  Can/Bottle Drive

Where:  Joyful Noise/First Presbyterian Church (508 Franklin Grand Haven)- Securely tied bags of cans/bottles (preferably rinsed out) can be placed in the bins located near the garage in the main parking lot.

When:  Drop off your can/bottle returnables anytime between Friday, May 22nd and Saturday, June 20th. 

Why:  Please consider helping us reach our fundraising goal to complete our upcoming playground improvements! We truly appreciate your support!

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A Letter From the Director

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