Please be prepared to stay home and do activities with the kids inside. Click here for some great ideas to keep everyone happy and busy!
It was Tabea’s last cluster meeting. She earned her education certificate and we all wished her well on her next journey. She is headed home to Germany and hoping to have a visit soon from the friends she met here.
We played a game drawing Christmas trees while plates were on our heads, 3 winners got to pick prizes! 
Community Counselor, Cindy Garruba, handed out some gifts she prepared for each au pair.
Dessert was served, lively conversation and holiday plans were shared. 
The tree will be on display through the New Year Holiday. Go down and take a look, we are located just to the left of the post office.
Dorothea and her host kids visit with Santa
250 Au Pair in America Au Pairs!
First Place
Second Place
Third Place
Fourth Place
On Sunday, September 18th the Suffolk County Cluster of Au Pairs gathered for a fun and useful cluster meeting. Each au pair painted a heart ornament for a holiday tree we will decorate in December. The hearts represented their country or time in the USA.The craft project gave each au pair a chance to be creative. She also had time to socialize with other au pairs. Many of the au pairs arrived during the summer months and this was their first meeting!
Beautiful ornaments will be added to the holiday tree
Then we had a few safety and back to school tips to review:
Saturday, July 30th Au Pair in America and Camp America J-1 Visa au pairs and camp counselors came together to give back to the local community. They spent an afternoon cleaning and sorting shoes donated by AIFS staff, host families and campers. The shoes will be given to charities here on Long Island who help families. The event took place at Camp Pa Qua Tuck in Center Moriches. 
The Fourth of July or Independence Day, July 4th has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-83). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.
Here are some fun facts about the food you are likely to enjoy while celebrating the 4th of July!
Although there is no fixed menu for the celebration of the Fourth, you can count on traditional favorites such as hamburgers and hot dogs, chicken, ribs, garden salads, potato salad, chips and watermelon.
And for the children, visit this link for fun coloring pages, craft ideas, puzzles and games to celebrate the 4th of July holiday
This Sunday, June 12th the Suffolk County Au Pair in America Cluster learned about Water & Summer Safety. The meeting was held on a deck overlooking the beautiful Long Island Sound. It was a very windy day, the water was too rough to swim, but the au pairs learned about being safe around the water from their Community Counselor, Cindy Garruba, who was a swim instructor and lifeguard.
They also learned about prevention and treatment of sunburn by how to use sunscreen and when to avoid the sun. Also covered was identifying poison ivy, preventing exposure and what to do if a rash occurs. We discussed ticks and Lyme disease. We also discussed playground safety, and basic first aid.
A former au pair, Nikoleta Todtova, from Slovakia, talked about her time as an au pair, returning home and then returning to the USA with a student visa several years later. She is currently attending a local college with a 4.0 average!
Cindy presented Alessia Agistri with a good bye gift and education completion certificate because she is finishing her 2 years as an Au Pair with APIA!
