January-Dave and Busters Arcade
February-76ers Basketball Game, Philadelphia
March-Chinatown Brunch, Philadelphia
April-Laser tag
May-Bowling
June-Phillies Baseball Game
July-Summer Barbeque
August-Education Information Meeting
September-Hard Rock Cafe, Philadelphia
October-Eastern State Penitentiary Tour
November-International Thanksgiving Dessert Party
December-Holiday Party
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/
With the holiday season just around the corner, it is important to review this little reminder about program rules for holidays and vacations.
Holidays
Vacation
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.”
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.
Stationed on a walkway or porch, these homemade lanterns will extend a ghostly greeting and good-bye to all your holiday visitors.
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
Below are tips to help make the festivities fun and safe for trick-or-treaters
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Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible. |
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Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult. |
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Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you. |
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Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat. |
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Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. Always WALK and don’t run from house to house. |
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Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation. |
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Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible. |
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Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses. |
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Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe. |
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Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls. |
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Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers. |
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Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. |
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Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes. |
The 241st St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes place March 13. (Photo courtesy Irish Philadelphia) Philadelphia’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is actually the city’s largest parade, with 20,000 participants representing more than 150 groups including marching bands, dance groups, youth groups, Irish associations and floats.
Thousands of festively green-bedecked spectators line the Ben Franklin Parkway to enjoy the parade each year, a religious and cultural celebration of St. Patrick, on the Sunday prior to St. Patrick’s Day (this year’s parade: March 13, beginning at 11 a.m.). The first documented St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Parade in Philadelphia was held in 1771, marking this year’s the 241st year.
The parade begins at 16th and JFK Boulevard before making its way down the Ben Franklin Parkway. Click here for the full parade route. Some best bets for vantage points include Logan Circle and the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where a dance floor will be set up at Eakins Oval.
A series of awards are given to parade performers, ranging from Outstanding Float to the group that best exemplifies the spirit of the parade, so you can weigh your own opinions against the judges’ decisions, revealed Wednesday, April 13, 6-9 p.m. at a ceremony at Finnigan’s Wake.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a Philadelphia tradition, is a celebration not to be missed. If the weather is less than exemplary, you can watch it live on CW Philly 57 from noon to 3 p.m.; it will also stream live on the station’s website. And also check out Hear Philly’s look at St. Patrick’s Day bar tours in Philadelphia for an added layer of holiday fun.
Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade
When: Sunday, March 13, beginning at 11 a.m.
Where: Begins at 16th and JFK Boulevard
Cost: FREE
More info: www.philadelphiastpatsparade.com
Presidents’ Day is celebrated in February to honor two of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. The holiday is celebrated in the United States on the third Monday in February. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 and was the first president of the United States. Abraham Lincoln was president during the Civil War and was born on February 12, 1809.
Most of your host children will be off this week from school. Traditionally this is a winter break for Long Island schools. It is a great time to plan some activities in and out of the house with your host children. Many of the libraries and museums will have special activities for the kids home from school. Check online and bring your kids to explore these activities.
Mid winter is a great time for crafts and for board games. Pull out the games the children received for their holiday gifts and play them together. Gather the craft supplies and get creative! Dreaming of spring? How about coloring or painting some pictures of with the kids of spring flowers? Decorate the room with the colorful pictures! It might be cold and snowy outside, but inside the flowers are blooming on the walls! Enjoy!!
The most trusted choice for live-in childcare, Au Pair in America has partnered with AAA, the nation’s most trusted name in driver safety and instruction, to offer a custom course specifically designed for au pairs. This course differs from those offered in your community, in that AAA has taken the best of several of their courses, adapted them to be the most accessible to the au pair population, with special focus on driver and child passenger safety. Key components of the course include:
This AAA course designed exclusively for Au Pair In America. Course includes a combination of lecture, group exercises, video/other media to ensure the maximum understanding to speakers of other languages or newly arrived to the US participants.
All Host Families with au pairs arriving into the USA in 2011 will receive more information about this new course and how their au pair can be enrolled!
