For our June cluster meeting we had a fun night of bowling. Beginner’s luck for the 2 new au pairs as they beat all of us!
Tag Archives: cluster meeting
Au Pair’s Gather for a Delicious Meal
For our monthly cluster meeting we all gathered for delicious Indian Food at India Restaurant in Providence.
We said farewell to one of our au pairs
and completed the meal with, non-other than America’s favorite sweet treat, ice cream!
March Cluster Meeting – Making Healing Hand Cream
At this month’s cluster meeting we had a guest who taught a class on how to make your own healing hand cream. The au pairs were taught how they can treat the children’s scrapes and bumps by using these creams. We all enjoyed the different smells and sampled a variety of essential oils as well as ingredients that make up the base of the cream like coconut, beeswax, and jojoba. At the end of the class the au pairs went home with 2 jars of cream and a salve!
St. Patrick's Day – March 17
So what is it and who was St. Patrick? Saint Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. He is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.Most of what is known about him comes from his two works; the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish Christians. Many people ask the question ‘Why is the Shamrock the National Flower of Ireland ?’ According to folklore the reason is that St. Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagans. St. Patrick’s Day was first publicly celebrated in Boston in 1737 where a large population of Irish immigrants resided. Nearly 200 years later, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade in Ireland was held in Dublin in 1931. During the mid 90’s, the Irish government also began a campaign to promote tourism in Ireland on March 17th.
While many Catholics still quietly celebrate this day of religious observance by going to mass, St. Patrick’s Day has slowly evolved to become a celebration of Irish heritage. Through the years, along with legendary shamrocks, many symbols were included in festivities that are reflective of Ireland’s folklore, culture, and national identity (think leprechauns, ethnic cuisine, and wearing green). Other places that join in on this celebration include Japan, New Zealand, Argentina, and Canada. New York City hosts the largest St. Patrick’s Day in the world with around 150,000 marchers. In Chicago they turn the river green and other cities and towns all over America celebrate the day. You’ll find many restaurants serving traditional Irish cuisine next week with corned beef and cabbage being the most popular,
You can find some fun games and activities including coloring pages, word puzzles and recipes for children here: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/st-patricks-day/
Though Rhode Island au pairs will most likely be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with friends and family, we will not be having a St. Patrick’s Day Cluster Meeting Celebration this year — we will instead be enjoying a performance of “Flashdance-The Musical” at Providence Performing Arts Center for our March gathering. Here are a few photos of last year’s celebration — a “traditional” Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner!
February "Bingo Night" Cluster Meeting
“Bingo Night” was such a hit last year, that we decided to do it again this year for our February cluster meeting — once again with snacks, prizes, plenty of laughter. Last year, Almen’s “magic” bingo card earned about five prizes for the evening; and though she was hoping for the same good fortune this time around, the magic card went to Lorely this year! 
January Cluster Meeting – Tax Information
Who said taxes aren’t much fun? Rhode Island au pairs attended our annual “Tax Information Cluster Meeting” on Sunday, January 19, and had a wonderful time!
We had a chance to meet our new arrivals, and to review tax information and answer questions about the U.S. government’s requirement that taxes be paid by everyone who earns money in the U.S., even au pairs:-( We talked about the benefits of putting away a few dollars each week so that there is a “cash reserve” available for expenses like taxes, emergencies, or on a more positive note — vacations and travel.
All tax information and forms can be found by clicking on this link: http://www.aupairinamerica.com/pdf/tax_information_for_aupairs.pdf
November Cluster Meeting – Thanksgiving Dinner
Rhode Island au pairs had the opportunity to celebrate the American Thanksgiving holiday at their November cluster meeting as they shared a Thanksgiving dinner with International students from Brown University and friends of the International House of Rhode Island. Thanksgiving Dinner (which was the first for most au pairs and international students!) was a traditional meal of roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce, apple pie, and hot mulled apple cider. The food was delicious, and it was a fun and festive evening for all! For au pairs, this dinner was a preview of coming attractions — a prelude to Thanksgiving Dinner which most will be sharing with host families and friends on Thanksgiving Day — Thursday, November 28.
October Cluster Meeting
Our October cluster meeting was a casual late afternoon lunch where we all had a chance to chat and to meet our newest arrivals — Alina from Germany, Estefania from Colombia, and Marianna from Slovakia. It was a relaxing and fun Saturday afternoon!
Au Pair in America May Cluster Meeting – Waterfire, Providence
Au pairs met at Waterplace Park on Monday evening, May 21, for the first Waterfire of the season. It was a partial lighting in the Basin area. The “official” season will begin Memorial Day weekend, with a full lighting scheduled on Saturday evening, May 26. The full Waterfire schedule, which takes place from the end of May through the end of September, can be found here: http://www.waterfire.org/season-schedule
November Cluster Meeting – Bowling at Town Hall Lanes
We really had fun bowling at Town Hall Lanes on Sunday night — it turns out that some of our au pairs are very skilled at duckpin bowling! Some expressed interest in returning on their own to do it again — you may want to sign up with Town Hall Lanes to receive coupons and special offers by e-mail: http://townhalllanes.com/emailSignup.asp
We welcomed Renata and Lilly to their first cluster meeting, and said good by to Meire, who is completing her term as an au pair and will be returning to Brazil. Gabriela, who was not able to join us on Sunday evening, will complete her year on December 5, and will be returning to Costa Rica. We wish you both the very best of luck, and will miss you!