Yearly Archives: 2009

Chilling Tales for an Autumn Afternoon

 

The Madison Historical Society presents…

November 22, 2009
Chilling Tales for an Autumn Afternoon
JeanneDonato

Costumed storyteller Jeanne Donato will enchant and enthrall audiences with colorful legend and lore of New England. If you dare, come hear the
Connecticut tale of “The Bloody Apples” and the “Ballad of Pirate Lee.”

 The Frederick Lee Lectures
Co-sponsored by the Madison Beach & Recreation Department
Sundays at 4:00 p.m./Memorial Town Hall/Madison, CT.
$7 per adult; $2 per child (ages 10 to 18); Adult Series Subscription $15  
All programs are recommended for adults and children 10 and older

Holiday Survival for Au Pairs

As we head into the holidays, it is important to consider how this time of year may impact you and your host family.

As Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s approach, please keep in mind that you may feel homesick, even if you haven’t at other times. People, places, and traditions are missed; our traditions and activities are unfamiliar to you, and you may not know what is expected of you during this very busy time of year. Your emotions may be close to the surface during the holiday season, and the enormity of the year away from home may hit you hard.

We can help you through this unfamiliar territory by talking openly about your feelings and by giving you some very specific advice:

  • Participate in your family’s activities as much as possible.
  • Talk to your family about what to expect and what their needs are during this busy season.
  • Ask what your schedule will be.  There’s a good chance your schedule will change during the holidays.
  • Share some of your favorite traditions/holiday foods/songs, etc with your family
  • Ask questions if you don’t understand something

Routines change during the holiday season:  parents are home, grandparents may be visiting, and children are off from school.

  • Be clear about your schedule, and pay particular attention to vacation plans.

If you are leaving the country for vacation:

  • Be sure that your DS 2019 form is signed by Evelyn Blum in the Stamford, CT office.  This is the paperwork required for you to re-enter the United States.
  • Mail it to Evelyn Blum, Au Pair in America, 9 West Broad Street, Stamford, CT 06902.
  • Include a stamped, self-addressed return envelope that has been pre-paid at the post office.

If you will be accompanying your host family on a vacation, please be clear about their expectations:

  • Will you be working? If so, this is not a vacation for you, and the same regulations apply—45 hours/week.

The high emotions and energy of the children at this time of year may seem overwhelming to you.  You may be surprised by the quantity of gifts children receive and the excesses of food and decorations. Try not to make judgments and enjoy the general excitement of the season. Remember, you came to the U.S. to see  and learn something new.

Many au pairs want to visit Times Square in New York Cityon New Year’s Eve.http://newyearseve.com/stories-experience-times-square-on-new-years-eve.php If you do have the time off and you’re going to NYC, please use caution.  It will be very crowded.  Stay with your friends, keep your belongings close and don’t bring your passport with you.  LEAVE YOUR PASSPORT HOME!!

I hope this helps you enjoy the season with your host family and friends.

I wish you all a wonderful holiday and a new year of joy, health, and peace.

gail

Celebrating Thanksgiving

 turkey basketThe Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621.  They invited the Native Americans to share in their feast of the first harvest.  The Pilgrims might not have survived the harsh New England winter had their Native American neighbors not taught them how to plant crops and hunt.  Thanks to their newly-learned skills, the Pilgrims crops were plentiful. They gave thanks for the bounty of their first year in the New World.

Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday.  It is celebrated across the U.S. It’s a time to reflect on all that we have to be grateful for-most often families and friends celebrate together and the focus is, of course, on food! 

 For some fun Thanksgiving Activities with the kids, see http://www.dltk-holidays.com/thanksgiving/index.html

Halloween Safety Tips

Every October 31, both children and adults slip into the night as ghouls and goblins, princesses and pirates. Many Americans celebrate the traditions of Halloween by dressing in costumes and telling tales of witches and ghosts. Pumpkins are carved into glowering jack-o’-lanterns. Children parade from house to house, knocking on doors and calling out “Trick or treat!” hoping to have their bags filled with candy. It can be a night of fun for those who participate, but it’s important to keep a few safety tips in mind to keep the night fun for all.  For Halloween safety tips, see http://www.aupairinamerica.com/resources/safety_tips/halloween.asp

Free Red Cross Classes

Did you know that Au Pair in America will pay for the cost of a Red Cross CPR/First Aid Class, providing you have at least three months left on your visa or extension.  You must take one of several approved child care/child safety related classes, such as Infant/Child CPR & First Aid or Community CPR & First Aid.

When you first arrived in the U.S. and attended the Au Pair in America Orientation, you received a basic Red Cross first aid and CPR training.  We encourage you to take an 8 hour Red Cross CPR and First Aid course once you’ve settled in with your host families so that you  build on the skills you learned at orientation and prepare for a variety of possible emergencies.

Take advantage of this opportunity. 

Information is available here on the APIA website.

Hello from Gail’s blog

Hi,Welcome to the first blog for the Au Pair in America clusters on the Shoreline of CT.  Our cluster includes, Branford, Guilford, Madison, Killingworth, Clinton, and Essex.

I’m Gail Tomanelli, Senior Community Counselor for the Shoreline and Regional Representative for NY and CT. I’ve been with Au Pair in America for 18 years and have loved every minute!  It’s such a treat to be able to meet young women from so many different countries and to have lasting friendships around the globe.