On August 29th the Westchester Clusters gathered at Pepe Restaurant for an all -you-can-eat pizza (and salad) party. Theis year’s turnout was larger than ever and no one left hungry. It was a fun and satisfying evening!
Author Archives: Maralyn Steeg
Upcoming September Cluster meetings
Here’s a correct update of the remaining get togethers scheduled for this month:
Tuesday, 19 September – Multi-Cluster Safety Meeting at Memorial United Methodist Church, 250 Bryant Avenue, White Plains. Starts promptly at 7:30pm. Join Detective John Hynes and learn about your rights as a guest in the U.S. AP Pair attendance is expected – this is a very important meeting.
Wednesday, 27 September – Evening Coffee at Panera Bread. One North Broadway, White Plains. 7:30 pm till closing.
If you are a new au pair or have never attended a Safety Meeting, you are expected to attend the September 19th meeting unless you have a class or need to work that evening.
Westchester Au Pairs Celebrate Ice Cream!
Our annual ice cream party is everyone’s “sweetest” get together. As we gathered on May 17th to create sundaes from an amazing variety of flavors and toppings, the beautiful Spring evening allowed us to enjoy our treats and conversation on the patio. Judging by the great turnout and all the smiling faces, the evening was a great success.
Last night, Brian Eggers from TrekAmerica spoke with our cluster about travel in the U.S.A. As part of this event, everyone present was asked to fill out a form to be included in a raffle to win a free trip.
Those who weren’t able to join us and those who did and would like another raffle option, check out the following:
Global Awareness is developing a new section on its site, Learning about the U.S. This will highlight different areas and cultures in our country. APs will be asked to write about their travels for the site.
For a fantastic kick-off, TrekAmerica has designed a scavenger hunt on their website and the winner will receive a free trip with Trek!!
Go to the global awareness site (www.globalawareness.com) to learn more about this opportunity and to participate in the scavenger hunt!
Westchester Au Pairs Enjoy a Gala Holiday Dessert Get Together
On December 17th four groups of Au Pair in America Au Pairs gathered to celebrate this holiday season. What could be sweeter than a party featuring desserts from around the world? Nothing, according to everyone attending the event. Both the Au Pairs and their counselors had a great time taste testing as many different desserts as they were able to. Here are some of the evening’s happy faces….
And here’s a link to the Holiday Dessert Party photo album: http://s791.photobucket.com/user/MS-APIA/slideshow/2014%20-%20Holiday%20Dessert%20Party
Westchester Au Pairs Celebrate an American Thanksgiving
On November 19th Au Pairs from five clusters got together to share an amazing dinner and dessert buffet dinner as a prelude to Thanksgiving they would later share with their host
The Dinner Buffet table
The Dessert Buffet
families and friends. Counselors provided four very large and perfectly roasted turkeys along with gravy, apple cider and other beverages. Au Pairs were asked to bring vegetables, salads, other side dishes and desserts and, once again, they outdid themselves with an unbelievable variety of dishes representing their country or favorite food.
To see the entire album of International Thanksgiving Dinner photos, go to http://s791.photobucket.com/user/MS-APIA/slideshow/November%202014%20-%20International%20Thanksgiving%20Dinner
APIA Photo Contest for Au Pairs
We know there are great photographers out there! Do you have a favorite shot of the year? Please enter the APIA photo contest. The deadline is November 5th. Winners of each category will receive a $200 gift card and $25 for the runners up ~ the categories are:
- Family portrait
- Sharing Cultures
- Helping Hands
- Young Ones
- Community service
- The spirit of America
- Best in Show
Be creative, show us what you’ve got. Get details and everything you need to enter here:
http://www.aupairinamerica.com/pdf/photo_contest_entry_form.pdf
The winner could end up on the cover our 2015 brochure!
Annual Au Pair in America NYC Scavenger Hunt
New York State APIA au pairs about to start the 2014 Scavenger Hunt!
Check in table loaded with Halloween goodie candy bags for the au pairs who completed the Scavenger Hunt
A wonderful day spent in NYC with hundreds of au pairs from Au Pair in America. All of these au pairs live on Long Island, in NYC or Westchester. 14 Community Counselors from APIA organized the event and met the au pairs on the steps of the main NYC library. They had a list of 26 items to find! 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize certificates and prizes awarded. Also 4 raffle winners for wearing their APIA t-shirt.
1st place finishers with their counselors
2nd place finishers with their counselor
3rd place finishers
Raffle winners
APIA community counselors
Au Pairs enjoy Coffee Nights
Coffee Nights at the Atlanta Bread Café bring au pairs together. It’s a great way to meet other au pairs, a good time to chat with your counselor and ask questions…and you never know what delicious desserts will appear for everyone to enjoy!
Presidential Trivia…
Here are some fun facts for President’s Week!
Click on the blue underlined words for more info on the fun fact!
- At his inauguration, George Washington only had one tooth. Contrary to popular belief, he never wore false wooden teeth. However, at various times he did wear dentures made of human teeth, animal teeth, ivory and lead.
- Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the only two presidents to sign the Declaration of Independence. They also both died on the same day—July 4, 1826—the 50th anniversary of the signing.
- At 5 feet 4 inches, James Madison was the shortest president.
- Before he was president, Andrew Jackson was wounded in a duel at the age of 39. The bullet remained lodged in his heart until the day he died.
- Zachary Taylor let his old Army horse, Whitey, graze on the White House lawn. Visitors took horse hairs as souvenirs.
- James Buchanan is the only president to remain a bachelor his entire life.
- While he was president, Ulysses S. Grant was arrested for riding his horse too fast and fined $20.
- James K. Polk’s wife did not allow card playing, dancing, or drinking in the White House.
- James A. Garfield could write with both hands. To entertain people he would write in Greek with one hand and Latin with the other.
- Benjamin Harrison was terrified of electric lights. He would ask White House staff to turn them on and off for him.
- Rutherford B. Hayes was the first U.S. president to use a phone at the White House. Alexander Graham Bell personally showed him how to use it and his phone number was 1.
- Calvin Coolidge liked having his head massaged with Vaseline during breakfast in bed. He also rode his own mechanical bull and played “ding-dong ditch’em”—he would ring the White House doorbell and then run and hide.
- Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, was present at the assassinations of three presidents: his father’s, President Garfield’s and President McKinley’s.
- All presidents receive code names from the Secret Service. Ronald Reagan was “Rawhide,” George H. W. Bush was “Timberwolf,” Bill Clinton was “Eagle,” George W. Bush was “Trailblazer” and Barack Obama is “Renegade.”
- Abraham Lincoln was a licensed bartender. He was co-owner of Berry and Lincoln, a saloon in Springfield, IL.