Tag Archives: back to school au pairs

Back to School & More for Suffolk APIA Au Pairs

Suffolk County Au Pair in America Au Pairs Cluster Meeting September 2018 at Community Counselor, Cindy Garruba’s HomeCluster meetings are so important for au pairs to meet each other,  form friendships and connect with their counselor.

We start the meeting with a craft.  It gives the au pairs time to socialize and to be creative.  They paint ornaments we will use to decorate our International APIA Peace tree at the annual holiday festival in Stony Brook Village.  This is an event attended by au pairs and their host families on the first Sunday in December.

Every September Cindy shares tips to make back to school and routine with host children easier for au pairs.  We review minimizing morning madness, communicating with school through the backpack & how to use it effectively, bus stop and bus safety.  It is also Baby Safety month, so we review tips on how to keep little ones safe. 

There are a few distracted driving and bus safety videos watched that really emphasis how to be the kind of driver who pays attention to the road!  These videos really demonstrate why everyone should stay off the phone while driving and how to keep kids safe!

We got the chance to wish Ana good bye after 2 years as an Au Pair!  Ana has a trip planned around Europe before returning to home to Peru! 

After the learning part o the meeting is done, there is time for dessert and socializing.  Everyone learns, eats and makes new friends!

September Back to School & Routine Cluster Meeting

September is an important time of year for Long Island families.  The kids go back to school and routines change.  Au Pair in America Suffolk County Au Pairs gathered at Community Counselor, Cindy Garruba’s house to get some important tips.

The meeting began with making ornaments for the International Holiday tree au pairs and host families will decorate for the Stony Brook Village Promenade of Trees in December.  Everyone painted a heart ornament to represent their country or their experience in the USA.  The au pairs are so creative.  They spend a lot of time doing arts and crafts with their host kids!

The agenda included Minimizing Morning Madness, School Bus Stop Safety, Safe Driving including no cell phones and distractions from kids in the car.  We discussed the use of the child’s backpack as the communication tool between school and home, keeping on top of homework and school notices.  We also talked about baby safety because September is Baby Safety month!

Cluster meetings are an important part of the au pair experience.  Not only do they learn important tips for a successful year as an au pair, but they also have an opportunity to make friends with other au pairs!

We celebrated Carmen from Bolivia who has spent almost 2 years in the USA with her host family in St. James.  She earned her education certificate and will get a certificate for completing the Au Pair in America year when she returns home to Bolivia in October.

Au Pairs learn Safety and Back to School Tips

20160918_152122_resizedOn 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!20160918_134650_resized 20160918_135720_resized Beautiful ornaments will be added to the holiday tree20160918_135733_resized20160919_102112_resizedThen we had a few safety and back to school tips to review:

  • Playground safety
  • Minimizing morning madness
  • The backpack – communication between school and home
  • School bus stop safety
  • Distracted driving
  • Driving tips for all au pairs
  • September is Baby Safety Month and safety was reviewed

We also went over some upcoming great activities for au pairs this fall.  Then everyone enjoyed socializing while having some pumpkin pie and apple cider. 

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