Virginia ECFE’s Holiday Special
Virginia’s ECFE and school readiness is sponsoring a holiday special at Parkview Learning Center, Thursday, December 8, 2011, 6:00-7:30p.m. This event is free. Join us for an evening of holiday activities, including Christmas crafts, cookie decorating, a visit from Santa and a light pizza supper. The gym will be open also so please bring your gym shoes. Each child will receive a free book. (All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.) Bring your own camera for a holiday photo with Santa.
YMCA Kids Pumpkin Run
YMCA Kids Pumpkin Run
Location: Mesabi Family YMCA, Mt. Iron
Description: For 3 to 12 year olds. Pre-register by Friday, September 30. Call 749-8020 for information. In-house registration will be open until 9 am on race day. The YMCA is also holding the Black Cat Run for 13 year olds through adults. 5K to 10K runs and 2 mile fun run/walk begin at 10 am.
Start Time: 09:30
Date: 2011-10-08
Summer Reading Program
The Virginia Public Library is offering several special activities. Most events will be held in the Library’s Auditorium on the lower level. For more information, please contact the Children’s Librarian, Dawn Heisel, at 748-7525. The events are listed in our events calendar.
Breast Feeding Support Circles
Virginia: 4th Wednesday of each month at 10 am
At St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 231 3rd St. So. Enter through the red door. Contact Briita @ 218-290-0496.
Hibbing: 2nd Tuesday of each month at 11:30 am
At First Lutheran Church, 2201 3rd Ave. E. Enter through south alley door. Contact Angela @ 218-940-7676
What Do Parents Need?
As parents, we often think about the needs of our children, our spouse or significant other, our pets, our jobs, our civic responsibility, and more. The list of meeting others’ needs seems endless! This month’s article deals with our needs as parents. Of course, our children did not come with instructional booklets when we left the hospital so we must do the best we can to become competent parents.
So, the question is, what do parents need? My first response is the love of our children. As parents, we need to feel that love. We’ve bore them, nursed and fed them, cared for their every need from babyhood and beyond. We’ve invested time, life, and love in their upbringing. We long for their smiles, hugs, and kisses in response. The displays of affection we share with our kids is the “stuff” of life.
Another important need parents have is support and encouragement. My job as a parent educator has taught me that parents need to know that what we’re doing is important work. We need to feel valued by society, family and friends. We need to know that we are not alone and that others are going through the same struggles with their children. Also, a need that goes hand-in-hand with support is education. I don’t know any parent that doesn’t need help from time to time. Whether it be feeding an infant or dealing with toilet learning, helpful information from books, articles, ECFE classes, and other parents can be a lifeline!
In the hustle and bustle of being parents and attending to our children’s needs, we often neglect ourselves. What we so often need as parents is time to attend to our own needs. We need time to relax, time to be alone, and time for our own hobbies or pursuits. We need time to rediscover who we are. This time is necessary not only for our own sanity but to serve as a model for our children. Once we have had this time, we can come back to the job of parenting with a fresh outlook. We can enjoy our children and look forward to their many wonderful stages of growth and development.
Jill Phillips
ECFE Parent Educator
Dealing with Bullying Behavior in Young Children
Monday, March 28, 2011
5 to 5:30 pm or 7 to 7:30 pm
Parkview Learning Center Library, Virginia, MN
Join us for one of our two presentations. What is bullying behavior, and what can be done to stop it? Our speaker from the Range Mental Health Center will address this important topic. Free! All adults are welcome. Call 742-3805 for information.
Peter & the Wolf
Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 2 pm
in the Goodman Auditorium, Virginia, MN
Free Admission for all ages! A multimedia performance of Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf,” presented by the Mesabi Community Orchestra, with narration by Matt Wall, while Iron Range Youth in Action projects artwork from local elementary school children onto large screens! The first 25 families to arrive will receive a free DVD of BreakThru Films Academy Award Winning animated film of “Peter and the Wolf.”
This event is made possible in part by grants from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council and the Virginia Foundation.
Pirates of the Carrot Bean
Friday, January 21, 2011, Parkview Learning Center, Virginia, MN
6:00 pm- Healthy Snacks & Displays-Cafeteria
6:30-7:30 pm- Performance-Gymnasium
A FREE interactive musical performance for the whole family, presented by the UMD Voyageurs. The captain and her crew are on a quest for the long lost Pirate Cookbook! Along the way they discover mysterious creatures and they even pick up a few new habits…Please bring a blanket to sit on.
This performance is sponsored by
Minnesota’s Vision: A Better State of Health, Statewide Health
Improvement Program (SHIP), Virginia Public Schools, Fairview Range,
& Natural Harvest Food Cooperative.
Infant/Child CPR
Tuesday, February 8, 2011, 5 to 9 pm.
Resource Center, Virginia High School, 5th Ave. So, Virginia
This course focuses on how to respond in an emergency. Topics covered include rescue breathing, first aid for choking, & infant/child CPR. An Infant/Child CPR Certification is provided upon successful completion of the course. Call 742-3990 for information or registration. Cost $35.
Anxiety & Perfectionism in Our Families-How It Affects Our Children & What Parents Can Do About It
Monday, January 31, 2011
Two presentation times: 5 to 5:30 pm or 7 to 7:30 pm
Parkview Learning Center Library, Virginia, MN
Free!For adults. A child psychologist from RMHC will discuss how anxiety & perfectionism in children can take a heavy toll on self-esteem, health & relationships. Learn ways to cope with anxiety & transform perfectionism into healthy living practices. CEU\’s will be available. Call 742-3805 for information.