Last Sunday our cluster participated with cluster from the greater Boston area in the Walk for Hunger, a community event to raise money for the hungry people in MA.
Getting ready for the 20 miles
Done with 20 miles. This year more then 40 auapirs finished the 20 miles
For more pictures please go to : Walk for Hunger 2014
Click here to view all spring activites with kids.
We met today with a group of aupairs in our cluster to talk about education questions, extension question and to chat. We welcomed Julia from Germany who arrived two days ago in our cluster to start her extension year in Boston as an Educare aupair. She qualified to extend with getting also all 12 credits during her first year in the Philadelphia area. She will continue her education now at local famous colleges here in Boston 😉
Julia received her education certificate for completion of her 12 credits as an Educare aupair
Julia heard the story of the famous Boston childrens book"Make Way for Ducklings"
Marie from France and Ana from Spain both received their education of completion certificate today
Here are some activities you can do with the children to celebrate Thanksgiving. Click here to find crafts, coloring sheets, spelling worksheets, math puzzles, nametags and more.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/thanksgiving/
http://www.parenting.com/gallery/thanksgiving-crafts-ideas
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/23-clever-crafts-to-keep-the-kids-busy-on-thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States . Thanksgiving has its historical roots in religious and cultural traditions.
More info you will find here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving
Dear aupair,
Please send me your carved pumpkin pictures. I would like to start a Boston cluster competition today for the most original pumpkin carving. Winner will be announced at the cluster meeting on Sunday.Deadline to send it in will be Saturday, Nov 2.
1’st prize: I Love Boston T-Shirt
Proud to live in this amazing city of Boston
With au pairs from all over the world, I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about something that is very exciting to the American culture and not very popular in other areas of the world: BASEBALL, which is also called the “National Pastime” of the United States because it is so popular. There are thirty teams spread across the country, and many people have their own favorite “home team.” http://aupairinamerica.com/resources/life_in_the_us/baseball.asp
So, will the Red Sox make it again? We shall see, but I sure hope so! Go Red Sox tonight !!!!!
Petra from Croatia with our ducklings in the Boston Garden who are in the spirit of the World series
Almost everyone experiences culture shock when they come to a completely new environment. Everything is different: the language, the food, and the people.
Here are my Top 5 Tips for
Dealing with Homesickness
1. Make Friends – Don’t wait for other au pairs to reach out to you, reach out to them. There are other lots of new au pairs who are feeling the same way you are right now. Set a goal to reach out to a few of them each day. Some will respond and some will not. Don’t let that discourage you. No one will ever be mad at you for sending them a message to say hello or ask if they want to do something together. Make friends from various countries and you will also get a chance to practice your English skills together.
2. Stay in touch with your home country, but not too much. Skyping or talking on the phone every day with your family and/or friends back home normally makes homesickness worse. Try emailing instead and reduce the Skype and phone calls to once a week, until you feel stronger. It’s much harder seeing the faces and hearing the voices of those you miss.
3. Get out of the house (or your room specifically) – Go to cluster meetings, have coffee or movies with other au pairs, join a gym, go to the library, go for a walk, visit the mall, get a manicure, visit a museum. If someone invites you out, say “yes.” Also, don’t be afraid to do the inviting. If your host family invites you to do things with them, say “yes.” This will help you get to know each other and contribute to your overall happiness.
4. Realize that it definitely gets better – All au pairs experience homesickness and nearly all of them stay and have a successful year (some stay for two years.) So, it must get better, right? Once you get past the initial homesickness, most au pairs report how quickly the year goes by.
5. Make Plans – Create your own Au Pair Bucket List (places you want to go, new foods to try, new things to experience during your year in the U.S.) and start doing them now. Post on our cluster Facebook group to find others who may want to join you on your adventures.
Contest: Au pairs in my cluster, make your Au Pair Bucket List and send me a file, link or picture of it for a chance to win a $20 Starbucks gift card. Entries must be received by October 1’st. Winner will be announced at the October 6 cluster meeting.
It is a holiday very similar to May Day, as it honours the achievements of workers. But unlike May Day, which is a tribute to working class only, Labor Day is a tribute to the entire workforce.
Labor Day originated in Toronto in April 1872 with the first workingmen’s demonstration organized by the Toronto Trades Assembly. Ten years later, in July, a parade took place in Toronto and Peter J. McGuire of New York was invited to hold a speech. Upon his return to NY he proposed an official celebration to honor workers, and in September 1882 Central Labor Union held its first Labor Day celebration in New York City.
In 1884 first Monday of September officially became Labor Day and over the years it has been celebrated with parades, fireworks and festivals; slowly losing its political connotations and becoming an unofficial end of summer holiday.
With school back in session and many new au pairs who have recently arrived, I wanted to remind everyone about what to do in different situations with school buses. If you have questions, please ask myself or your host parents.
The rules regarding stopping for school buses are:
Police, who observe a motorist failing to stop and remained stopped for a school bus, can issue the violator a citation which carries a $570.00 fine and 3 points. Drivers failing to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk can be issued a citation for $80.00, and drivers failing to exercise due caution when encountering children can be issued a citation for $70.00.
Yesterday we had a spectacular trip to Spectacle Island with aupairs from the greater Boston area. We all enjoyed the view from the ferry over the Boston skyline while heading to the island in the morning.
On the island we enjoyed the beach, had picnic for lunch and participated in a guided tour over the island.
We listened to the ranger who gave the tour how the island was shaped and became a park later with all the soil of the big dig from the major road construction in Boston that was going on for over 10 years.
From the top of the island we had an even better view to all islands around, the Boston Logan airport and the skyline of the city of Boston.
After spending the day together while chatting about classes , exchanging information, celebrating Rebekka’s birthday with brownies 😉
we were ready to go back to the main land.
From left: Miriam , Rebekka and Lara from Germany
To view all pix from this trip please go to : Spectacle Island 2013
