Tag Archives: live in childcare Long Island
Welcoming New Arrivals and Saying Goodbye to Au Pairs Leaving
So many new people to welcome and so many great au pairs returning home to their countries!
It is so exciting to meet all the new au pairs arriving this summer. August is a month filled with arrivals, but along with the arrivals are so many departures. Before we move on to our new friends we bid farewell to many people we have grown to love. Many of the au pairs who have been in the USA for 2 whole years, others for a year, but each of you will face some real challenges when you go home.
At first you will be greeted with welcome home parties with lots of your friends and family gathering to see you again. The excitement will wear off and everyone will go back to their regular routines and expect you to do the same. But you are different now! You are experiencing some reverse culture shock! You remember how it was in America, you might miss your independence, your favorite restaurant or store, your friends and your host family. Just like when you came to America, you are feeling a bit homesick. That will pass and your experiences will enrich your life, you will move on to the next challenges in your life. You have grown a lot and soon you will be happily living your new life.
As your Community Counselor, I will miss you and hope you stay in touch. Facebook and emails are wonderful ways to stay connected. I look forward to seeing all the great things in your future. Stay on Cindy Garruba’s Au Pairs Facebook page!
Welcome to the Newly Arrived Au Pairs
Please call and email the new au pairs when they arrive. You will get emails from me with their phone number and email address when they arrive from Orientation to their host family. Remember how much you wanted to make friends when you first arrived and please welcome everyone!
Mary Poppins Fun for Au Pairs!
This weekend the Long Island Au Pairs from Au Pair in America enjoyed Mary Poppins on Broadway!
The Au Pairs loved the show! “Mary Poppins was truly magical” said Bruna from Brazil.
The show was perfect for the au pairs who are here in the USA living with host families and providing up to 45 hours of weekly childcare. They understand the challenges faced by Mary Poppins and would have loved some of her tricks. Of course they spend their days entertaining their host children, driving them to activities, keeping the safe and happy.
In this picture are Ortal from Isreal and Liza from Colombia.
This is Patricia from Brazil, an Au Pair spending a second year in America. Au Pairs can extend their time up to 2 full years in the USA.
Our next cluster activity will take the Au Pairs to a Long Island Ducks Baseball game in August. A chance to experience a truly American sport!
It is not too late to have an Au Pair in your home for September to provide childcare for your family and have a chance to teach your children about cultural exchange.
Check out www.aupairinamerica.com
Easter Sunday is April 24th
Easter marks the most important religious celebration of the Christian faith. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which his followers believe occurred on the third day after his death. Unlike Christmas there is no fixed date for Easter, but it always falls on a Sunday (usually between late March and late April). Christians may commemorate this day according to their religious denomination; however the custom of sunrise service is quite common.
Over the centuries religious observances have been supplemented by popular customs, some having their origins in pre-Christian religions. Some of these customs were incorporated from springtime fertility celebrations of European and middle-eastern pagan religions, as a solute to spring marking re-birth. For instance, Easter Bunny and Easter eggs are considered to have their roots as pagan symbols for fertility.
Easter eggs are viewed as symbol of joy and celebration, and of new life and resurrection. Easter eggs, of both the hard-boiled and chocolate varieties are found around the world.
On Easter Sunday children hunt for brightly colored eggs around the houses believed to be left there by Easter Bunny.
So color some hard boiled eggs (kits are available in all the drug stores, grocery stores and discount stores.) or get some plastic eggs and fill them with jelly beans, chocolates or coins. Hide them in the house or in the yard, be creative, have fun and have a hunt with your kids. Everyone will love it!
Host Family Celebrates 2nd Year With Their Au Pair
Fone Champaiporn has spent one year with the Kull family in the Hamptons, Long Island. Back in November her host family said this about Fone, “We are grateful to our au pair Fone because she is a lovely and kind person. She truly cares for our children and she is interested in everything that our family does. In just a few months, she has > become an integral member of our family (much appreciated also by grandparents on both sides) and we cannot imagine being without her!!!
Fone is a young woman from Thailand. She graduated from Silpakorn University where her major was French and minor was English. She loves languages and wanted to spend time in the USA really learning our culture. Au Pair in America was the perfect way for her to combine her love of children and dream to experience America. On April 19,2011 Fone began her second year with her host family. Au Pairs originally come for one year, but have the option to extend for 6, 9 or 12 more months. Fone and her host family are very happy that they had this option.
To celebrate her second year with their family, Fone’s host family surprised her with some gifts. She was truly touched and said this in response, “It was a cute surprise from my host family for my first anniversary in the USA! It makes me love them even more! <3 ^_^
Happy Passover!
Passover begins at sunset on Monday, April 18, 2011. Its celebration continues through the evening of Tuesday, April 26, 2011.
What is Passover?
Passover, or Pesach commemorates the Israelites Exodus from Egypt. Its name refers to the passage in the Book of Exodus (12:11) when God “passed over” the houses of the Israelites during the tenth plague. Passover is one of three pilgrimage festivals, along with Sukkot and Shavuot.
What are some Passover customs and practices?
It is traditional on Passover to only eat unleavened food. Many rid their entire house of hametz (food that is not kosher for Passover) or sell their leavened food to a non-Jew for the eight days of the holiday. The Passover seder is for the most part held on the first and second night of Passover, though some only participate in a seder on the first night. During the seder participants recount the story of the Exodus while drinking four cups of wine.
What foods are traditionally eaten on Passover?
The most common food eaten on Passover is Matzah, a cracker-like replacement for bread. During the Seder other unique foods are eaten, like haroset, a mixture of apples, nuts, wine, and spices. For the duration of the holiday, all leavened foods are prohibited.
Passover for Families
Have young kids? Check out these links from Kveller.com for making the holiday fun for the entire family.
Happy New Year to all of our Thai au pairs, colleagues and friends,
สงกรานต์
Songkran (สงกรานต์) is the traditional Thai New Year water festival which starts on April 13 every year. It is a national holiday in Thailand.
The festival lasts for 4 days. Maha Songkran Day is the first day of the celebrations which marks the end of the old year. April 14, Wan Nao is the day between the ending of the old year and the beginning of the New Year when foods are prepared for the temples. The third day of Songkran, April 15, is Wan Thaloeng Sok – the day on which the New Year begins and on the last day, Wan Parg-bpee, the ancestors and elders are honored.
Happy Songkran everyone!
Read more about this special holiday at http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/thai-songkran.htm
Second Graders Experience Brazil!
Bruna Effting from Brazil, an au pair with Au Pair in America, taught an lesson on her country to second graders at the Wenonah Elementary School in Lake Grove, NY. Bruna is a teacher in Brazil and enjoyed being back in a classroom sharing her country with America students.
Bruna lesson included locating Brazil on the world map.
Then she taught the students how to say “Qual e’ sue nome?” Portugese for ‘What is your name?” They learned to answer “Meu nome e’ _______” or “My name is _______”, they each had a chance to answer.
Bruna explained that seasons are opposite in Brazil and the students were surprised that the kids in Brazil go to school from February till early December.
The most exciting part of the lesson was about Folklore. Bruna explained that in Brazil folk stories are very important and are explanations of how things came to be, many are about the beautiful fauna and flora of Brazil. The children were enthralled in Bruna’s lively storytelling of “The Legend of Iguazu Falls!”
Her lesson was a required Global Awareness component of her UCLA college class, an online course exclusively offered to Au Pair in America au pairs.
Each au pair must enroll in and attend courses at a post-secondary institution during the exchange program, Host families on the Au Pair and Extraordinaire programs pay tuition and fees (books, etc.) up to $500 Host families establish agreeable time frames to attend classes, assist with course registration and provide transportation to and from classes. Au pairs must complete no less than six hours of academic credit or its equivalent during the first 12-month exchange.
Each student wrote a sentence about what they learned about Brazil. They then drew a picture about what they learned. Several drew the Brazilian flag. They learned that the green on the flag represents the forest, the yellow is for the gold that was discovered in Brazil, the blue for the sky, the white stars represent the 27 states in Brazil. Bruna and the students attached their work to a poster board and they kept it for the classroom.
What is Global Awareness? www.globalawareness.com
Global Awareness is an educational program designed to promote multi-cultural understanding and appreciation in elementary and middle school classrooms. Global Awareness is sponsored by the American Institute of Foreign Study www.aifs.com, Founded in 1964, the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) is one of the oldest, largest and most respected cultural exchange organizations in the world. Au Pair in America is a division of AIFS. www.aupairinamerica.com
Spring has Sprung 2011!
Spring begins Sunday, March 20th!
Take a look at this link for some great spring games, crafts, stories and more for children: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/spring/index.htm
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Bruna from Brazil enjoys the Rocky Point St. Patrick’s Day Parade!