PLP News - English Playgroup and Literacy Program in Geneva
  • Blog
  • Who We Are
  • Get In Touch
  • Blog
  • Who We Are
  • Get In Touch

Autumn News 2018

10/6/2018

0 Kommentare

 
Bild

Hello New Editor

Hello everyone! My name is Maryia Ramanava and I am your new newsletter editor. We are trying out a new digital version of a PLP Newsletter and we hope you will enjoy it as much as you did the paper version!

In this issue we are introducing some of our board members, give you some ideas what to read and what to do with your kids this autumn, introduce PLP upcoming events, publish an artistic article from PLP featured teacher and a spooky article form PLP student and discuss some other great topics to nurture your inspiration.*

So let us dive in!

* Please note that I am a Russian native speaker and I have a degree in philosophy - so I do like long sentences. Sorry!


UPCOMING PLP EVENTS

October 14
PLP Nature Day

November 15
Mum To Mum Playgroup


TBA
PLP CHRISTMAS PARTY

Bild
Bild

HOORAY! NATURE DAY!
"the muddier the better"

When: Sunday October 14 from 10h00 to 12h00
W
here: at the Etang de Cessy


Please join us for a morning of outdoor fun on Sunday 14th October from 10am - 12pm at the Etang de Cessy. We prepared so many interesting activities for you and your little ones!

  • We will have treasure hunts for children and adults from 10h30 to 11h45 and we will have a prize ceremony afterwords!
  • We will do arts & crafts with watercolour and natural colouring.
  • We will do sculptures with nature finds and salt dough.
  • We will try out some funny collages with nature objects we can find!
  • There will be an invited nature expert Robert Klein who is a professional nature guide and a founder of "Into the Nature". He will help us explore what lives and grows near the Etang de Cessy.
  • And of course we will have a huge camp fire to toast marshmallows and we will have crispy apples to munch on.


Sounds amazing, right?


Please come and join us!


How do I get there?
 

The Etang de Cessy is on the Chemin du Marais off the Route de Gex between Sauvergny and Cessy.
There is parking on site.

Bear in mind, however, that there are not any toilets at the venue
(unless you really want to get back to nature.....)


Can I help?
 

Yes please!

We need 11 volunteers to set up and run the activities.

We would also love some donations of cakes, biscuits and sweets to go with the hot drink stand.
All proceeds will go towards Nature Day and other PLP events.

Please contact
Claudio (SpecialEvents@plpgeneva.org) if you can help.

MEET THE BOARD

I would like to start introducing PLP board members, so next time you get a notification that a great party coming soon, that your child was successfully enrolled in a playgroup or maybe even that you have some overdue fees – you know what charming people were sending this out!

Bild

HAYLEY COSTA: PLP PLAYGROUP COORDINATOR

Hayley is our fantastic playgroup coordinator and she has two wonderful daughters, who are going to PLP.

about PLP:

"What I really enjoy about PLP is the sense of a community. I have met many amazing families through PLP that I might not otherwise have met.

My daughters have also formed very close friendships. My eldest has just started the literacy programme and it’s already proven to be a big hit for her thanks to the dedication of the volunteers involved.

I also find it convenient to have a place where both my children can attend at the same time.

I volunteered as I enjoy working with children and wanted to support PLP."

about autumn:

“I enjoy taking nature walks with my family, we love to collect "treasures" on our walks like leaves, conkers and pine cones. When we get home we make things with these treasures such as a centre piece for our dining table,  or a sculpture with the help of salt dough. The options are endless with Autumn crafts and activities so we have a lot of fun being creative together. Not forgetting the traditional pumpkin carving.

My favourite memories of Autumn are of the traditional UK celebration of guy Fawkes night. It was a chance to be with our community and celebrate with toffee apples, bonfires, sparklers and fireworks, which everyone chants oohs and arhs as they go up. It was great to be out "late" in the dark wearing our welly boots on muddy fields and being with our neighbours, freinds and family.”


Thank you Hayley!


LIZA BARTLEY: PLP TREASURER

Liza is our new treasurer and a mother of trilingual kids!

about PLP:

"Hello, my name is Liza Bartley and I’m a treasurer of  PLP.  I’m originally Czech , my husband is N.Irish and our two children were born in Switzerland. As a trilingual family, it’s quite challenging to keep up all three languages on the same level and so PLP is a great way to improve their reading and writing in English.  

My daughter Elsa is currently in Lit 2 , she enjoys it very much and we are thrilled to see her progress every week.  
I’ve become a treasurer this year and it feels great to be part of the amazing team as I truly believe in this lovely quote: “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”  -Helen Keller."

about autumn:

“I love the beautiful colours of autumn. The crunchy leaves, the pumpkins, the conkers just to name a few.  Every year we build a kite and fly it on top of Saleve, children adore it!”

Thank you Liza!
Bild

Bild
Bild

MUM TO MUM PLAYGROUP & BABY MASSAGE

The PLP mother to mother group provides a welcoming space for expectant mums and new parents to meet up to share their experiences and advice. Despite of the name fathers are welcome too! Please enrol here!

Besides coffee, tea, good chat and sweet babies this group also features guest speakers such as lactation or baby massage specialists.

Today I would like to introduce to you Rima, a certified infant massage instructor. She is running Rima's Baby Massage and is a welcomed guest at PLP. Last year she was hosting a 5 weeks massage course at PLP and we hope to continue this wonderful collaboration this year as well!
Rima about her passion:

"It was a destiny when my personal and professional worlds collided to channel my whole being into this heart centered work as an infant massage instructor. As a pediatric physical therapist, mom of two children, and following the travels of my husband’s global health work, I breathe the challenges and rewards of parenting in a forever changing world.

Moms and dads need to find confidence in their parenting skills, give love unconditionally, exude endless amounts of energy, spread compassion, and be the best role models possible to raise grounded loving human beings. As parents, we share this common goal.

The ethos of the massage program developed by Vimala McClure, the founder of the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) gives us the tools to reach that goal. By using nurturing touch to establish parent and baby bond, connecting on all physical and sensory levels during that special one on one massage time allows parents to continuously develop their unique relationship with their child. And within a group baby massage class, parents create new friendships and support networks that make tackling daily challenges of parenting less daunting. So the benefits of learning and establishing this massage routine has life-long benefits to babies, parents, families, and society as a whole as the course facilitates love and respect between baby and parent.

So I feel privileged to be a certified infant massage instructor with the IAIM. I love teaching the massage routine, discussing parent topics & sharing stories, and supporting the unique bonding process for each parent baby duo. I welcome all parents and babies to my courses in a judgement free setting where we strive for loving, healthy, and secure relationships. Supporting and connecting with families, especially in an international, unfamiliar environment is where my passion lies and continues to grow."


With Rima you can learn  fun and easy massage routines to soothe and bond with your baby so finaly all family members can relax and sleep better!

She workes with groups but also gives private classes.

Here you can see why it is important to take an infant massage class!
http://www.iaim.net/massage-your-baby/take-an-infant-massage-class/

For more information, please contact Rima:
 +33 783111641
rima.babymassage@gmail.com


and find her on facebook!

Bild

PLP Featured Teacher
Nina Binnington - Art, Mirrors and Museums

Bild
Bild
I am happy to introduce a wonderful mirrors artist Nina Binnigton (she creates mirrors!), who joined the PLP team last year and is teaching Lit 1 on Wednesday afternoons. Nina also teaches art to kids from age 3 to 16 on Saturdays in Geneva and makes exciting museums tours for kids on Sundays.

She is my good friend and a fantastic cook as well (these two things are not really connected but just a happy coincidence!).

Nina has two kids (9 and 17) and a dog and she has travelled the world with her family for many years. I kindly asked her to say some words about her wonderful museums tours for kids. My oldest son (8) asks me every week-end if he can go to museum with Nina!

“Dear parents, Having been born in Leningrad, USSR, where boredom was a prominent feature of existence at the time, I learned to do a couple of things.:

  • Contemplating the world around me and finding beauty and entertainment;
  • Life is nothing without artistic expression;
  • There are very few things more enchanting than words stringed together in a form if a language, be it written or spoken.

In a nutshell: I offer to take your kids on an adventure of discovering the magic of life through going to Museums.”

If you would like to join Nina on her next museum adventure you can contact her directly

via phone (+33 771823450)
or e-mail: mirrnina@gmail.com

See you in a Museum!

FEATURED CLASS
& STUDENT ARTICLE:

Lit 5 & 6

Can adjectives be fun? They do at PLP! This was a hilarious lesson on adjectives and all the children were given different hats and capes, then the other classmates were asked to describe then. It was a great, fun and worthwhile class.

And while you have fun you develop great writing and reading skills!

This spooky article was written by PLP student Caelan Osmon. Beware the aliens arrive!


Bild

CHANCY NEWS

The Aliens Arrive

Articles Written By Caelan Osmon
Aliens Do Exist
They’ve been spotted.
They are Green and Slimy and they have arrived in Switzerland.
The Police and Army have been called in to talk to them.

The question is
ARE THEY NICE OR MEAN?

Bild
Bild
Bild
Do Not Go Outside Or You Might Turn Green

We’ve been told they have come from Planet Mars. They leave a trail of green glump. Whatever you do, don’t touch it. It may turn you green and slimy. They have high-pitched squeaks, which hurt your ears. You’re advised to wear earphones. If you see or hear anything suspicious please call 111!


Save the Date!
UFO Club 12-12-18
Interested in UFO spotting? Come and join us
Alien Foods
5-1-19
Alien Food tasting session. If you like greens you’ll love this.
Aliens Sounds
12-1-19
Learn to speak and squeak Alien talk. Special classes start in the New Year

Bild

WHAT TO READ

At PLP we read a lot and I decided to give you some ideas what to read with your kids this autumn! I have chosen some of our favourite books about autumn life in the woods and of course some spooky books to start getting into Halloween mood!

These are the books me and my kids (8, 4, 8 months) already read and love and those which we would like to read in the nearest future.

Bear Has a Story to Tell

by Philip C. Stead

“Bear Has a Story to Tell” is an absolutely beautiful book recommended for readers from 0 to 99+! The little ones will learn about different animals and their autumn and winter habits, the bigger kids will have their imagination boosted due to the open end of the story and everyone will enjoy amazing illustrations!

Bild

Bild

The Squirrels Who Squabbled

by Rachel Bright

Rachel Bright is one of the authors who are worth following! And we really like her book about squirrels! Many interesting information about autumn life in the woods, bright autumn colours, lots of dangerous situations (great for boys!) and a lovely happy end!


Spinderella

by Julia Donaldson

A lovely make over of the traditional fairy tale with an unexpected football twist! Spinderella the spider has a passion for football! She tries to play a match with her brothers and sisters but she doesn’t know how many spiders should be on each team. Even worse, she can’t count the goals! Luckily for Spinderella, her Hairy Godmother has a plan! The book is not spooky at all but about spiders! Great read before Halloween for little ones who are afraid to be afraid!

Bild

Bild

Coraline

by Neil Gaiman

And a brilliant really spooky story for older kids! One of my favourite spooky stories ever! When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous. But there's another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go. Boo!


Bild

WHAT TO DO

Why Not Quilt?


In autumn when the weather is not always great it is nice to discover some new activities you can do at home! Please meet
Elita Sharpe a professional quilter and teacher of quilting who kindly shared with us tips how you can try out this creative activity with your kids. I feel really motivated to try it out with my boys (age 8 and 4)!

Elita:

"Here are some tips that I think would be helpful for quilting with kids. The photo is from my daughter's 5th birthday. She's the cheeky monkey second from the left. She asked to learn to sew and quilt with some of her school friends. We started at 9am, started with a simple hand-sewing project to make a felt pincushion, had a break about 10h30, lunch and playtime for about 90 minutes and then made a doll quilt in the afternoon using the sewing machine. They were really adorable and did very well, especially considering that we did it for the better part of the day. While we only had girls at this party, boys are just as welcome because creativity doesn't have a gender!"
Please follow these tips for a successful quilting experience with your kids!

1) Start small. A doll quilt is the perfect size to keep his/her attention and complete a project quickly without it taking too terribly long. 

2) Use a charm pack or pre-cut fabrics. As charm packs are already cut into 5" squares and often coordinated fabrics, this saves so much time and avoids having a small child use a rotary cutter. I think their hands (and attention spans!) are too small to accurately or safely cut fabric. If the cut is off or lopsided or too big or too small, the whole quilt is going to be difficult. The child can still mix and match the colours in a way that pleases them.

3) Start simple. We started with a simple line to follow with the hand-stitches and then later with the machine.  The girls only used the machine for a couple of seams but that was plenty. If your child isn't able to reach the pedal or you think they aren't ready for the machine, they can sit on your lap and push the fabric through while you control the pedal. Too many moving parts might overwhelm them and that won't be fun.

4) Go slow. I encouraged the kids to take their time. What may have seemed painfully slow to me was just right for them. Remember that if you've been sewing a while, it seems easy to you but it's a lot of new moving parts to a small person. Slow down. There's no need to rush the process.

5) Be patient. Kid's attention spans are short, hence the reason they did 4-patch mini-quilts. When my daughter wanted to make something larger, our goal became to sew one or two rows (5 squares) at a sitting. It was usually 5 minutes or less, which was enough for her. It drove me a little crazy, but I reminded myself it's about the process, not the speed.

6) Forget trying to make anything perfect and don't point out sloppy work unless it's going to ruin the quilt. Certainly show them good form and good habits but there's no need to get hung up on it. Help them accept that it doesn't have to be perfect to be loved. These first quilts are very human with lots of spots that show their learning process. We finished each mini-quilt using the envelope method so no binding needed, also helpful for their first time.

7) Take pictures. Document the process. If your child grows up to be a quilter (or even if they don't!), these pictures will be amazing to have. If you're like me, the finished quilt will bring tears to your eyes and you'll appreciate the moments you took to document those tiny hands sewing at your machine.

Bild
Bild
Bild
Bild

Thank you Elita!

Elita has 20+ years of experience quilting and teaching various techniques. As a professional longarm quilter, she uses her industrial longarm machine, made by APQS (American Patchwork Quilting Systems) to finish quilt tops for others and she is the Swiss Rep for APQS as well.

Her
on-line shop supplies a variety of quilting notions such as Quilters Dream Batting. rotary cutters, mats & Aurifil threads. Other services include sewing machine repair and commission projects such as memory quilts made from children's clothing.

Semi-annually, she hosts Patchwork in the Peaks. Peaks Retreats are four-day long weekends in the French Alps (Morzine), hosted in a four-storey chalet with beautiful views for inspiration. Mornings are spent in classes on various techniques and afternoons include individual instruction or time to work on your own personal quilting projects.


Please discover Elita's work on her website: busyneedle.ch

And you can contact her via email: elita.sharpe@live.com or phone 079 287 49 35
and follow her on Instagram: @busyneedlequilting

Autumn Soccer


And if you are looking for some great outdoor activities for the coming soon school break. Please check those great autumn camps hosted by InterSoccer Switzerland!

Autumn Soccer Camps generally run throughout the School Autumn Breaks (October-November) and are open for boys & girls of all abilities ages 3-13 yrs.

Mini Autumn Camps are designed for players slightly too young for a full day or have only just started playing.
  • For Boys & Girls aged 3-5 years
  • Possible to join for 1-5 days with fun, thrills and exciting new soccer challenges
  • Supervised drop-off from 09:20 and Mini Autumn Camps run from 10:00-12:30
  • A super fun morning in a safe environment with experienced & understanding first aid qualified coaches.
  • Learn fun basics in movement & coordination with fun football related games child specific to help improve basic skills & technique including fun ball work, dribbling, passing & control, shooting, mini matches & tournaments
  • Great opportunity for beginners & newcomers to see if they like the course to meet new friends, improve self-confidence
  • English is main language, but most coaches have a good knowledge of French & German
  • Camps go ahead whatever the weather. Coaches have fun games, quizzes, activity books in case of any adverse weather.
  • A good participant to coach ratio using top coaches from different countries/cultures

Please find more information on their website: https://www.intersoccer.ch/

Bild

DO YOU STILL RECOGNIZE THEM?

I still have photos of your children in fancy graduation gowns from 2017 and 2018!!!
(I know that many of the free prints were stolen by grandparents!)


Please contact me at hello@ramanava.com if you want to get more prints or digital files!
Bild


PLEASE LIKE, COMMENT & SHARE!

IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD SPREAD THE WORD!

0 Kommentare



Hinterlasse eine Antwort.

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.