Monthly Archives: September 2012

Remembering Sept 11, 2001

Many of the au pairs may be too young to remember this event, but it has become part of our American Culture. Here is a letter written by 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels commemorating the 11th Anniversary of 9/11:

September 11, 2012

Today, we honor the thousands of innocent men, women, and children who were taken from us too soon eleven years ago. Here at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, we will read their names aloud. We will stand together in silence at six moments, marking when the Twin Towers were struck, the buildings fell, the Pentagon was attacked, and Flight 93 crashed in a Pennsylvania field. Together, we will remember the devastating loss and reflect on the preciousness of life.

How you choose to observe the 9/11 anniversary is personal. Whether through quiet reflection or prayer, acts of service, or sharing a message of remembrance through social media, please join me in memorializing those who were killed and the sacrifices made on this day eleven years ago.

Despite the unimaginable tragedy of 9/11 itself, this day is also about the spirit of unity that came in the aftermath. It showed us that the best of humanity can overcome the worst hate. It gave us hope for the future.

We now see hope every day at the 9/11 Memorial. We find hope in the Callery pear tree that survived the destruction of the World Trade Center and is now known around the world as the Survivor Tree, standing tall among the Memorial trees. The children who visit give us hope for the future. And we find undeniable strength in the fact that over 4.6 million people from all 50 states and 170 countries have come here to pay their respects since we opened the Memorial one year ago.

We will also see hope at the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Thanks to an agreement forged by the 9/11 Memorial and our Chairman, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, along with Governor Andrew Cuomo, Governor Chris Christie, and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, the construction of the Museum will move forward. When it opens, the Museum will be a place for education and inspiration. It will commemorate the lives lost, preserve the history of what happened on that terrible day and tell the stories of courage and compassion that were so much a part of the response to 9/11.

On this eleventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks, please join me in remembering those who were lost and how we came together to honor them in the aftermath. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families. The memories of their loved ones live on in our hearts and in the Memorial that bears their names. They will never be forgotten.

Warm regards,

Joe Daniels
President & CEO

Virginia Au Pairs and Families Gather

The Virginia Host Family Day took place at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, VA on September 9, 2012. This event was run by Diane Wallace, Dominique Ortiz, Sarah Spengler, Oksana Vorona, Kristina Jarosova, Felicitas Smith, Jennifer Minniti, Patricia Van Haste, and Melanie Alber-Ho. The event was a huge success with 445 people attending! It was a beautiful day filled with fun activities, including volleyball, face painting, and balloon characters. New families, longtime families, and au pairs came and had an amazing time! Because this event took place in such a public area, this also gave potential new families a chance to come ask questions and find out more about Au Pair in America!


Save up for college or pay for day care?

Au Pair in America

A recent article in The Free Lance Star compared the cost of day care to local college tuitions to see which was more expensive. The comparison may surprise you! Included in the article are statistics on the cost of various forms of child care. Last year the annual average cost for full-time childcare for an infant, in Fredericksburg, was $10,816 at a day care center, and $6,760 at an in-home day care.

Unfortunately the cost of having an au pair was not part of the comparison. The current cost for a screened, trained (Red Cross certified and an option for a AAA driving class) au pair to live in your home and provide 45 hours a week of childcare is only slightly more than the in-home day care rate. But with an au pair you choose the hours, and the care is provided in your home. You don’t have to take your child out in bad weather, and can leave your child at home if he/she is feeling “under the weather.”

Fredericksburg also has the Educare program for au pairs available, which provides you with 30 hours of child care a week and costs less than the in-home day care cost. This option is perfect for commuters who need help during non-school hours to get children ready and onto the bus, and later off the bus, to activities, and help with homework.

The cost for a standard au pair (45 hours a week) or educare au pair (30 hours a week)  does not depend on how many children you have. Unlike child care or day care, the cost is the same for one, two, three or more children.

Send me an email at eaton.apa@gmail.com  to find out how an au pair is the perfect choice for your family.

You can read the original article at:

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2012/092012/09012012/721815?rss=local

Free concert at the museum!

PAN MASTERS STEEL ORCHESTRA, MUSIC AT THE MUSEUM:

A FIRST FRIDAY CONCERT SERIES

Date

September 7 2012, 7:00pm

Address

1001 Princess Anne Street

Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Admission / Price

FREE

Description

The Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center
and Wells Fargo Present Music at the Museum: A First Friday Concert Series including:
• Free Museum Admission from 5-9pm
• Children’s activities, vendors, and a member’s reception
• And a free outdoor concert featuring Pan Masters Steel Orchestra from 7-9pm

Join us in welcoming back students and saying goodbye to summer with a special steel-band treat from Washington D.C.: Pan Masters Steel Orchestra

Art contest for Au Pairs!

International Day of Peace will be celebrated ’round the world on Sept 21, 2012.

Au Pair in America will honor International Day of Peace with the Second Annual

Au Pair Artist Contest

Let Us Know How You Feel About Peace.

Express yourself by painting a picture, writing a poem or essy, singing a song, dancing a dance or anything else that represents your idea of “Peace.”

Prizes Will Be Awarded in Several Categories!

All Entries Must Be Received by Thursday, Sept 20th

Submit to gaapia@gmail.com

Include:  name, country, counselor’s name

To View Last Year’s Entries, visit:

http://www.globalawareness.com/photos/art-gallery/
For more information, visit www.globalawareness.com.
Or email  gaapia@gmail.com.Global Awareness is a program of Au Pair in America.