Yearly Archives: 2012
What can I give my host parents for Christmas?
If you are scratching your head about what to get your host parents, check out these great ideas.
Gift Ideas for Host Parents (from au pairs)
http://pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/gift-ideas-for-host-parents-from-au-pairs/
Happy Hanukkah!
Wishing all who celebrate this holiday a very Happy Hanukkah!
Hanukkah started on Saturday evening and will end on Sunday, December 16th.
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev, which coincides with late November-late December on the secular calendar. In Hebrew, the word “hanukkah” means “dedication.” The name reminds us that this holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E.
The Hanukkah Story
In 168 B.C. the Jewish Temple was seized by Syrian-Greek soldiers and dedicated to the worship of the god Zeus. This upset the Jewish people, but many were afraid to fight back for fear of reprisals. The Syrian-Greek emperor Antiochus then made the observance of Judaism an offense punishable by death. He also ordered all Jews to worship Greek gods.
Jewish resistance began in the village of Modiin, near Jerusalem. Greek soldiers gathered the Jewish villages and told them to bow down to an idol, then eat the flesh of a pig – both practices that are forbidden to Jews. A Greek officer ordered Mattathias, a High Priest, to follow their demands, but Mattathias refused. When another villager stepped forward and offered to cooperate on Mattathias’ behalf, the High Priest became outraged. He drew his sword and killed the villager, then turned on the Greek officer and killed him too. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked the remaining soldiers, killing all of them. Mattathias and his family went into hiding in the mountains, where other Jews wishing to fight against the Greeks joined them. Eventually they succeeded in retaking their land from the Greeks. These rebels became known as the Maccabees, or Hasmoneans.
Once the Maccabees had regained control they returned to the Temple in Jerusalem. By this time it had been spiritually defiled by being used for the worship of foreign gods and also by practices such as sacrificing swine. Jewish troops were determined to purify the Temple by burning ritual oil in the Temple’s menorah for eight days. But to their dismay, they discovered that there was only one day’s worth of oil left in the Temple. They lit the menorah anyway and to their surprise the small amount of oil lasted the full eight days. The holiday is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. The typical Menorah consists of eight branches with an additional raised branch. The extra light is called a shamash and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest. The purpose of the shamash is to have a light available for use, as using the Hanukkah lights themselves is forbidden.
For fun and educational activities for children go to http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/hanukkah/
Directions to play the Dreidel game. Play for Hershey kisses, a great way to have fun with the kids when they are home from school! http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/hanukkah/dreidel-game.html
Happy Hanukkah!
Thanksgiving-An American Holiday
Thanksgiving, a uniquely American holiday, dates back to the first European settlers in North America.
After much hardship, illness and hard work, the Pilgrims were finally able to celebrate a successful harvest which they shared with their Native American friends who had helped them through their difficult beginning in America.
Today this day is set aside to feast and to give thanks-something we can all share, as we too celebrate our cross-cultural friendships.
Some activities to share with the children :
Maple-Nut-Berry Popcorn Balls ( for children ages 3 and older): Add some chopped walnuts and raspberries, blueberries or blackberries. Add enough melted butter to lightly coat popcorn. Stir. Pour maple syrup over the warm popcorn and stir until all the corn, nuts and berries are covered. Shape the sticky corn into balls and place on a plate to refrigerate until the syrup hardens.
Thanksgiving cards and place cards: Fold a piece of paper in half, place a leaf on the inside and close the card. Use a crayon to rub lightly across the front of the card in the area where the leaf is. The shape of the leaf will appear on the outside. Remove the leaf. Write a name on the front for a place card, or a message inside for a Thanksgiving card. Older children might want to make more sophisticated designs using more than one leaf.
Make a chain of paper doll (adults should do the cutting): Fold a piece of paper back and forth over and over again with a width between folds of 2-3 inches. With the paper folded cut out a shape of a person, make sure that the hands and feet touch the fold, but don’t cut through the fold. When you unfold the paper there will be a line of people holding hands. Children ages 3-10 can color the figures to look like Pilgrims(men wore big white collars, belts with buckles, and buckles on their shoes, pants to their knees; women wore white hats and aprons over solid color dresses) or Native Americans (draw feather headdresses and brightly colored geometric patterns on their clothes).
Tree of Thanks: This Thanksgiving tree is bound to become a new holiday tradition.
Trace leaves onto autumn colored craft’s paper and cut out. Punch a hole into the stem of each paper leaf. Measure and cut a 2” length of wire or twine for each leaf. Thread it through the hole and bend the ends to make a hook for hanging. Place the tree branches in a pot or vase. Let the children or/and guests choose a leaf or two and ask them to jot down things that they are thankful for.
Holiday Reminders for Au Pairs and Host Families
With the holiday season just around the corner, it is important to review this little reminder about program rules for holidays and vacations.
Holidays
- Host families are NOT REQUIRED to give au pairs any specific holidays.
- Each host family will make different arrangements on holidays, some au pairs will be off and others will be required to work.
- Au pairs should NOT make plans for holidays without checking with your host family FIRST.
Vacation
- Au pair earns 2 weeks of paid vacation during the course of her year.
- The host family can pick a week and the au pair can pick a week, if an agreement is not reached.
- All vacation should be preplanned (at least 4 weeks in advance.)
- All au pair’s friends and/or family visits/vacations should be pre-approved prior to purchasing a ticket.
- If an au pair travels with their host family, it should be discussed UP FRONT whether this is the au pair’s vacation or if she is working.
- If an au pair travels with the host family to work, the host family is required to pay for her transportation, lodging and meals.
Keep these things in mind as you plan your travel and we wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!
Important: An au pair MUST have her DS2019 signed PRIOR to her departure from the US. More info. about this can be found on the right side of this page under “Travel Links for Au Pairs.”
National Family Week November 18-24
Families are so busy. Sometimes we may need a reminder to spend time together. Enjoy a meal together, play a board game or a video game tournament, rake the leaves, walk around the block/neighborhood, go to the park… there are a lot of fun things to do- it just takes a little planning!
Turkey Nut Holder
- Total Time Needed:
- 1 Hour
An egg carton in clever disguise, these individualized cups hold a nutty snack for young gobblers.
- Materials
-
- Pencil
- Egg carton
- Scissors or X-acto knife
- Tempera paint (brown or yellow)
- 4-inch pipe cleaner
- Pushpin (optional)
- 2 googly eyes
- Colored feathers (available at craft stores)
- Glue stick
- White paper
- Toothpick
- Marker
- Instructions
-
- Draw a cut line around one of the cups in the egg carton. Then, cut along the line (a parent’s job) and paint the cup.
- Fold the pipe cleaner in half and twist the ends together to form a wattle. Push the exposed wire through the top of the turkey’s beak until one third of the pipe cleaner is through the hole. (Tip: Stick a pushpin through the carton first.) To keep the wattle from slipping out, bend down the inserted end.
- Glue on the googly eyes and feathers.
- To make a name tag flag, cut out a strip of white paper. Cover one side with glue, then place a toothpick in the middle and fold the paper in half so the toothpick is glued inside. When the paper is dry, write on a name, then stick the toothpick through one side of the turkey, and the holder is ready to fill with nuts.
Hurricane Sandy (Frankenstorm) is Coming – Be Prepared.
Do not worry about the hurricane, but it is important to be careful.
• Stay home with your host family during the storm and follow their advice and direction
• Keep your own families at home informed about your location and personal status during/after the storm
• Talk to your host family about any travel plans you or they have for this week and cancel/reschedule
Do not be afraid, but it is good to go over emergency procedures with your host parents.
We may lose electricity during the storm. Sometimes it takes a few days to get the power back on. Please know that you will be safe and that your host parents are prepared for these kind of situations. Stay inside in a hurricane and stay together.
Here is a list of things to have on hand in the event of a natural disaster like a hurricane:
• Food and water
• flashlights and batteries
• a battery operated radio
• charge your cell phones before the storm
• cooler and ice for food to be stored
• hand wipes
• a first aide kit
• activities to occupy the children
I hope the storm isn’t too bad, but if you lose electricity, do not worry, it will come back on. Trust your host parents to know what to do and help anyway you can, especially with the kids!
If you have to evacuate with your host families to another location, you must:
Take your important documents. This includes passport, Form DS-2019, Form I-94, Social Security Card, Financial Records, plane ticket, checks, credit cards, etc.)
Take contact numbers and e-mail address of your community counselor
Take SEVP and Department of State contact information. SEVP email address: SEVIS.Source@dhs.gov.; Department of State e-mail address: Jvisas@state.gov.
Halloween Ghost Jug Decorations
Stationed on a walkway or porch, these homemade lanterns will extend a ghostly greeting and good-bye to all your holiday visitors.
- Materials
-
- Clean plastic gallon milk jugs
- Black permanent marker
- Craft knife
- String of 50 clear low-wattage holiday lights
- Instructions
-
- Draw ghost eyes and mouths on the jugs. Tip: Leave the caps on while you do this, so the jugs don’t dent.
- Use the craft knife to cut a half-dollar-size hole in the back of each jug (a parent’s job).
- Arrange the ghosts near each other and string the lights between them, stuffing several bulbs into each of the jugs.
Halloween
Ghouls and goblins will take over the night.
But even scary creatures need to be safe and celebrate Halloween right.
Halloween’s greatest hazards aren’t vampires and villains, but falls, costume mishaps and automobile collisions.
The Red Cross wants your family to have a safe Halloween so we’re providing these tips:
The Lucky 13:
1. Map out the route that you plan to roam, so adults are assured you will find your way home!
2. From the bravest of superheroes to the noblest of knights, everyone should remember to bring their flashlights!
3. If you visit a house where a stranger resides, accept treats at the door and, please, don’t go inside.
4. When you get ready to put on your disguise, use face paint instead of masks, which will cover your eyes.
5. Always remember, before you embark, to wear light-colored clothing to be seen in the dark! (And remember to use reflective tape, even on bikes, and brooms and the edges of your cape!)
6. Whether you walk, slither or sneak, do it on the sidewalks and not in the street.
7. As you roam through the neighborhood collecting your treats, please look both ways before crossing the street! (And speaking of streets, the corners are the place for trick or treaters to cross no matter their pace.)
8. Wigs, capes and costumes are flammable attire, so avoid open flames to prevent a fire!
9. Use a glow stick instead of a candle so your jack-o-lantern isn’t a safety gamble!
10. You may fly on a broom or a space ship from Mars, but please be on the lookout for drivers in cars! (Between parked cars is no to hide, be sure that you’re seen whether you’re a clown or a bride.)
11. Monsters and zombies should stay off the lawn, and only visit homes with their porch lights turned on!
12. You may be dressed as a werewolf, a cat or a frog, but be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.
13. For additional information on how you and your family can be prepared for emergencies on Halloween or on any day of the year, please visit www.RedCross.org