Happy Anniversary Carelot!

WOW! Carelot will celebrate its 25th anniversary this month. We would like to thank all of our families, children, and staff for making Carelot such a wonderful place! It means so much to know that you entrust us with the care of your little ones. So many bonds have been formed between staff and families and friendships developed. We are so lucky to have so many of our families with us since we opened our doors in 1998. Some of those children are now Carelot Employees or have their own children enrolled at Carelot!! We will be celebrating 25 years of "Building Strong Foundations for a Lifetime of Learning" throughout the year. Stay tuned for some great celebrations!

Thank you to all of our families & staff for preparing for our parent-teacher conferences! You may do this via - Phone Call, Zoom, or in person. Please make sure you have had a conference with your child’s teacher and completed the conference paperwork so that we can share your child’s development with you.

The key to a great education and care of the children is open communication between home and school! Our goal is to blend your expectations and home practices with ours and vice versa.

Our staff has been working hard assessing and teaching the children in our care as they prepare them for the future! Many times you may enter a classroom and it appears as though the children are just playing..... Through structured play and instruction, the children are developing socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically. Teachers not only provide care for your children, but they prepare academically sound lesson plans to guide your child's development. Please continue to provide any ideas, concerns, and information to your teachers every day!

CARELOT WEBSITE: Don't forget to check out our website! You can find the calendar of events and some great information. Our monthly newsletter is also posted there each month. Stay tuned- Our Programming calendar is coming soon for the upcoming months.

• HEAT UPS: We are unable to prepare food for lunches. We are not licensed for food prep. We kindly remind you to send in items that just need a quick heat up. So please prepare your child’s lunch at home and send in to just heat up. ( for example we cannot prepare Easy Mac etc.)
  
• Infants & Toddlers: Please do not put plastic bags in cubbies or within the children’s reach. This is a safety hazard. If you bring items in a plastic bag, please hand it directly to the classroom teacher.
  
• Schedule changes: we base our staffing on the contracted hours you gave us upon enrollment. A request for a schedule change can be requested at any time. If space is available we will add the extra hours you need to your permanent schedule, any change in hours will require a two week written notice. Thank you for your understanding- we must meet ratio requirements set by the State and we want to make sure we have proper staffing to cover your needs.

Drop-off time: for consistency for your child and to receive the best possible early education experience, we ask that you drop off your child according to your schedule. If you do not call the center by 9 am if your child is going to be late, we may not have staffing.

Pick-up time: Many of our staff have families or other jobs that they need to get to when their shift ends or the center closes. Please adhere to your contracted hours for pick-up and be respectful of the centers closing hours.

Don't forget to submit your answers! You can win a $25 tuition credit!

It's easy to win by clicking below and submitting your answer!

Thanks for helping us make our programs better! Without everyone’s input, we are not able to effectively assess how our programs are doing! We appreciate you taking the time to help us assess our policies, procedures, curriculum, and more!

January Winner: Congrats to The Spelman Family of Waterford who won the January question.

What do you feel is the most important aspect of a childcare program?- SAFETY AND OPEN COMMUNICATION!

Thank you for your feedback!

2023 kicked off in full swing with our co-sponsorship of the Carelot Children's Center Annual In-service day for the staff!!! Staff from all of our programs participated in a day of professional development and curriculum planning made possible in part by the generosity of our PTO and Carelot!! The experience and information gained at in-service day come directly back to our children and their families through our teachers! We are proud to have been able to support such a wonderful day for the staff!!!!

Current Fundraiser: Mabels Labels- Great way to label your child's belongings, lunches and more. Check it out!

Mabels Labels is offering an exclusive sale for you and your supporters. All month long the Fundraising Combo will be 30% OFF!

This combo is already our lowest price point and we’re dropping it even lower! You’re not going to want to miss this.

Here’s how you and your supporters can get in on the sale:

1. Visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and search for your organization’s name (CARELOT CHILDREN'S CENTER- EAST LYME)
2. Choose the “Combo Label Packs” tab at the top of the screen
3. Find the Fundraising Combo as one of the first options- personalize and add to cart!

February has arrived! Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Carelot Children’s Center! Thank you to all of the families who joined us for Family Conferences in January. We hope you enjoyed getting some one-on-one time talking to your teachers and details on your child's development. Working together between home and school is key in your child's early learning years!

Our programs have all been working with the children on many early learning standards and developmental milestones. Please take a moment to check out your child's portfolio to see all their progress.

The month of February will bring some exciting learning experiences. We will learn about Community Helpers. Each week our Preschoolers will also learn a letter of the alphabet. Check out our calendar of events for all the details. Valentine's parties will occur in each classroom on Friday, February 10th. We will have special snacks, activities, and valentine's sharing.

Start Planning Now! We are planning an exciting summer for the children and hope they will join us. We are offering a Preschool Camp and Camp for School Age students in grades K-5. Register early as we have limited spaces. Stay tuned for sign-up information that will go out this month!