Category Archives: Uncategorized
Saying Good bye to Au Pairs
Community Counselor Cindy Garruba wishes Caroline from Brazil good bye
Every au pair must return home to her country when she completes her Au Pair in America program. APIA wants to support au pairs as they take the step ahead into the “real world”! Some au pairs are heading to University to complete a degree or earn a masters, some are heading into the career world, and some might be heading onto another world adventure.
Anais from France at her good bye coffee
What ever our APIA au pairs are about to do, we want to prepare them as best as possible. Au Pair in America has started a Re-entry Resume building program for our au pairs. Field Reps/ Community Counselors, Cindy Garruba and Robin Leon have developed tools for au pairs to use to build their resumes. They have taken skills au pairs learn and translated them to meaningful terms to use on their resumes.
Caroline from Brazil with her Education Certificate
Luggage Tag Good bye Gift for Au Pairs
Counselors host cluster meetings or good bye coffees for au pairs as they leave. They now can add resume building into these farewells. APIA au pairs also earn education certificates when they complete their required classes. Once they return home, they also receive the Completion Certificate. Many also earn Global Awareness certificates for sharing their culture as lessons in US classrooms, youth groups, or organized groups. They often earn ESL or TOEFL certificates, too. Many au pairs from APIA love volunteering and earn Volunteer certificates from APIA. All of these certificates build their resumes, too.
Au Pairs from Au Pair in America are always a part of the family and we send them off with a good bye luggage tag that says:
“I’m going places with Au Pair in America!”
Summer & Water Safety is Important for Au Pairs on Eastern Long Island!
On Sunday, June 10th the Suffolk County APIA au pairs met at their Community Counselor’s home for their annual Water & Summer Safety Cluster Meeting.
When the au pairs first arrived they painted beach rocks to symbolize their country flags. June 14th is Flag Day and Cindy Garruba, the Community Counselor, thought this would be a good opening activity to give au pairs an opportunity to interact with one another and be creative.
Though the weather was cloudy, some of the au pairs did spend a little time on the beach before the safety lesson.
The lesson included summer safety tips on using sunscreen, warnings on sunburn, sunstroke, poison ivy, ticks and Lyme disease, mosquitos, and basic first aid for cuts & scrapes. 
Every au pair on Long Island is near a beach, many have host families with pools in their backyard. Cindy, a former lifeguard and swim instructor, discussed safety around pools and on beaches. The biggest emphasis was on preventing accidents from happening!
After all of the important information was shared and discussed, Cindy served strawberries and cream. It is Strawberry season on Long Island and many of the farms will have festivals this month. The biggest festival is in Mattituck from June 14 – 17.
The Suffolk County Cluster of Au Pair in America is ready for a fun and safe summer!
Busy Week for Suffolk County Au Pair in America
Pizza & Sunset was the theme for our May Cluster meeting on Thursday evening. We gathered at West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook. Community Counselor, Cindy Garruba, brought lots of pizza and bottles of water. Everyone enjoyed visiting with each other and sharing time together.
The sunset was spectacular over the Long Island Sound.
Friday night was ESL Graduation from Suffolk County Community College for 2 of our au pairs were among the honored graduates. There are 5 levels of ESL classes at SCCC. Many au pairs never complete the highest level, but those who do have achieved a very high level of English. Congratulations to Viviana and Julianna, both from Colombia!
On Memorial Day, we participated in the East End Arts Street Chalk Festival on Main Street in Riverhead! Au Pair in America sponsored a square, the proceeds goes to the arts council.
Suffolk Au Pairs Celebrate Mom’s Day
Suffolk APIA au pairs prepared an International Cookbook for their host moms for Mother’s Day. They provided their favorite recipes from their countries and pictures with their host moms.
Au Pairs from Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, France, Germany, Panama, South Africa, and Thailand contributed recipes and gave the cookbook to their Host Moms as a gift. Feeling like part of the family is an essential part of the Au Pair in America program!
Special thanks to all the au pairs who contributed and their wonderful host moms. Thank you for sharing your cultures, your homes and your friendship!
Easter and Passover
Wishing all of you who celebrate Easter and/or Passover a very happy holiday! Some lucky people get to enjoy double the festivities!
Celebrating Easter
Easter is one of the most awaited Christian festivals. It is celebrated throughout the world by the followers of Christian community. It is considered to be very auspicious as it is believed that this was the day when Christ resurrected after crucifixion. This day is of immense religious as well as social significance amongst the Christian community.
Church services and festive celebrations blend together during the Easter weekend. On Easter Sunday in New York and other cities, large Easter parades are held. Easter in USA is also very much commercialized. Easter symbols like bunnies, Easter tree, Easter Eggs and Easter lamb are found in different forms during the Easter festivities throughout the market. The popular trend of Easter symbols such as the Easter bunny and egg tree were introduced to the American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s. Gradually American people took to crafts such as egg and Easter tree decoration. Easter in US is also a time to enjoy special Easter foods such as baked ham, potatoes and vegetables. Several special recipes are made at each home. Easter parties are also organized where traditional Easter delicacies are served and people enjoy wonderful get together along with Easter games and music.
For children’s Easter games and activities go to: http://www.thekidzpage.com/easter_games/index.html
Observing Passover
Passover is an eight day celebration observed each year by the Jewish religion. It commemorates the freedom of Jewish slaves from Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II. Families celebrate Passover by having a seder. With special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder is the focal point of the Passover celebration. Seder means order, and the Passover story is read in order from a book called a haggadah.
Fearing that Jews were becoming too strong, a Pharaoh decreed that all male Jewish babies were to be killed. Jocheved and Amran, a Jewish couple, wanted to save their infant son – so they put him in a basket that floated him down the river. The infant was rescued by the Pharaoh’s daughter and she raised him as her own son. She named the baby Moses, which means “take from the water.”
When Moses grew up, he empathized with the Jewish slaves and tried to get the Pharaoh to free them. The Pharaoh refused – so there were 10 plagues sent down to Egypt: Blood, Frogs, Lice, Beasts, Cattle Disease, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, and Slaying of the Firstborn. The name Passover comes from the Plague of Slaying the Firstborn. The Angel of Death passed over the homes of the Jews who had put lambs blood on their doors.
After the 10th plague, Pharaoh agreed to let the Jewish slaves go. They gathered up their belongings quickly, and didn’t have time for their bread to rise, so they had to bake it and take it the way it was. This is why the Jewish people eat matzah during Passover. As the Jews were fleeing, Pharaoh changed his mind, and sent his army after the people to bring them back. Moses parted the Red Sea for the Jews to cross, and as soon as they were safely to the other side, the waters closed on the soldiers, drowning them all. The Jewish people were free.
For children’s activities go to: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/passover/
Trek America Cluster Meeting
Travel and adventure awaits young women when they come to America with Au Pair in America. Trek America offers APIA au pairs 20% off their trips throughout North America!
Trek America guide Julie Patterson, comes fresh from an incredible season on the road, full of stories and enthusiasm to get au pairs out of their comfort zone and travel the incredible North American continent! 
The au pairs listened intently to all the great trips offered. Great camping and hotel trips are available. Small groups travel together and everyone has a unique experience.
Community Counselors, Cindy Garruba and Kristi Halpern invite Trek America every year to one of the cluster meetings. Cindy and Kristi also presented some tips on pedestrian safety and preventing distracted driving. Every quarter all Au Pair in America counselors teach their au pairs safety or childcare tips.
Refreshments were served, too. All the au pairs had a chance to ask questions and to socialize with each other. Cluster meetings provide au pairs a chance to make new friends every month!
Next month the Long Island clusters will be see SpongeBob the Musical on Broadway!
Suffolk Au Pairs Celebrate the Holiday Season!
Sunday December 10th the Suffolk Au Pair in America Au Pairs celebrated the holiday season with a party at Senior Community Counselor, Cindy Garruba’s home.
Each au pair prepared a dish from their country for the International Feast! So much yummy food and everyone enjoyed tasting the treats from so many countries! Lively conversation followed the feast!
We played a game with some prizes. Everyone placed a paper plate on their head and had to try and draw a Christmas Tree, fireplace with a stocking and a present under the tree! 
We had a grab bag exchange and played the left right gift exchange T’was the Night Before Christmas Game! Lots of fun and giggles through the game and everyone got a grab bag gift! Cindy handed out gifts of travel mugs, hot chocolate, candy cane and marshmallows.
Cindy congratulated Suppatra “Nink” from Thailand for finishing her 2 years as an APIA au pair with her host family in Southampton. 
Stony Brook Holiday Festival Enjoyed by APIA Families & Au Pairs
Sunday, December 3rd was the annual Stony Brook Village Holiday Festival. This year APIA was one of the sponsors of the festival. Host families and au pairs came together to decorate the APIA International Peace Tree. Decorations were made by au pairs and host children.
Santa arrived on a fire truck and then listened to the wishes of the children.
The new 14 foot tall Legends and Spies parade came next. The parade celebrated the Culper Spy Ring of Setauket that helped win the Revolutionary War for America’s independence. Also featured was Ward Melville, the Stony Brook businessman, conservationist and philanthropist. He supported the restoration and preservation of historic buildings in the area to encourage his vision of a New England village in Stony Brook. The event was run by the Ward Melville Heritage Organization.
Their are 70 trees on the Promenade of Trees that will be on view until the New Year! The day included a petting zoo, music, and a model train exhibit.
The day concluded with Santa and friends lighting the big tree on the Village Green!
