May 8 – Teacher Appreciation Day
Today is a day to honor teachers – if your child is in school he or she might want to make a card for the teacher. Preschool age children 3-5 love playing school. Let the child be the teacher and read you a story or give you homework. You might want to invite some dolls or stuffed animals into the classroom as well. You may also want to check out some other ideas by going to the APIA School pinboard for lots of teacher appreciation gift ideas!
On April 14th, four clusters from Annapolis, Baltimore, Columbia and N. Virginia participated in a tour of the Nation’s Capitol. The US Capitol is the most widely recognized symbol of democratic government in the world. It has housed Congress since 1800. The Capitol is where Congress meets to write the laws of this nation, and where presidents are inaugurated and deliver their State of the Union messages. For more than two centuries, the Capitol has grown along with the nation, adding new wings to accommodate the increasing number of senators and representatives as new states entered the Union. Its ceilings are decorated with historic images, and its halls are lined with statutes and paintings representing great events and people from the nation’s history. The Rotunda is the heart and center of the Capitol. Although it serves no legislative function, it is a ceremonial space where state funerals have been held since the time of Abraham Lincoln, for presidents, members of Congress, military heroes, and eminent citizens. Visiting heads of state and special guests are often received in the Rotunda, and many historic events have been celebrated there. It was a wonderful experience for our au pairs to learn the history of this beautiful building and gain a better appreciation of how our system of government works.
The Bowie, Columbia and Annapolis Cluster put on the Central Maryland Cultural Fair. There were over 40 au pairs representing 13 countries through food, music, games, literature and slide shows. Traditional dance performances were demonstrated by Peru and Bolivia and the au pairs from S. Africa sang their national anthem for all in attendance. Host families and interested families dropped by the Bowie Library to join in the festivities. Children were handed out passports and received stickers for their books as they travelled to each country’s table. It was a joy to see the au pairs proudly share their culture and a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
The reporter John J. Edwards, III with the Wall Street Journal has announced his family’s decision to match with an au pair from South Africa using Au Pair in America! Check out his blog by clicking here to see how his family came to the decision to match with this girl.
photo by courtneyyyys
School is closed today! President’s Day is a Federal holiday created to commemorate the births of former Presidents George Washington (Feb. 22) and Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12). Throughout America, Presidents’ Day is observed by big sales in the stores, closed schools and no mail delivery.
Things to do with children: The United States has had more than 40 presidents. How many can the children name? Who has been president during their lifetime? Take a look at American coins and bills; who are the Presidents pictured on each coin and bill?
by artimageslibrary
Born in 1848 Tiffany (whose father started the Tiffany jewelry store) was a very fine painter but is best known for his work in stained glass. Make your own “stained glass” by following these easy instructions. This is a perfect use for broken crayons. Spread out newspaper and make crayon shavings (a small pencil sharpener is perfect for this). Cover the ironing board with newspaper and sprinkle the crayon shavings on a square of wax paper. Cover with another square of wax paper and more newspaper. Press the paper with a warm iron until the wax of the crayons is melted. These look beautiful hung in the window! Make a frame out of construction paper if you wish.
by drinteam2011
The Super Bowl is the annual American Football championship and a popular time for friends to gather in front of the TV. Each year millions of people watch the game, the half-time show – or just the commercials! People will be talking about the commercials for days. To learn more about football visit the “Life in the US” section of this website http://aupairinamerica.com/resources/life_in_the_us/football.asp
Note: This post will remain at the top until our Cultural Fair. Please scroll down to see new content.
What: Au Pair in America Central Maryland Cultural Fair
When: Saturday, February 25, 1-3 pm
Where: Bowie Library (Large Meeting Room)
15210 Annapolis Road (Rt. 450), Bowie, MD 20715
Local au pairs from countries around the globe, will share their cultures through visual displays, food samples, games and performances. Children will receive passports and have them stamped as they visit each country. Admission is free. If you have any questions, email either the Annapolis counselor Natasha Wrobel (wrobeln @ comcast.net) [without spaces] or the Columbia counselor Jan Peedin (momagent @ aol.com) [without spaces]. This was a video from a previous Cultural Fair that we had.
Click here to read the post on the Wall Street Journal website
Check out this post on the Wall Street Journal online.
It’s written by reporter, John J. Edwards III and he talks about his thought process in deciding to hire an au pair.
He is planning to post updates as he and his wife continue in the process of becoming a host family.
Traditionally, the groundhog is supposed to wake up on February 2, and come up out of his burrow. If he sees his shadow, he will return to the burrow for six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, he remains outside and starts his year, because he knows that spring has arrived early. In the U.S., the “official” groundhog is kept in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and is called “Phil.” Though not based in science, it is a fun US tradition. The movie, starring Bill Murray is hilarious!
