As I write this, we are preparing for the PLP Christmas party. We are trying a new approach this year, by holding a Christmas Fayre-style event, with party games, playroom, second hand book and toy stalls to raise and then reinvest some money in PLP. As you know, we are a ‘not for profit’ organisation and as such, when we need to spend money on new equipment and resources (this time, large soft play equipment for playgroup and a significant number of new readers for the literacy classes) we need to raise it somehow! Thank you for all your support with raising money to spend on these important resources, your contributions are very valued! Finally, a thank you to all the members and volunteers who completed the online survey that we sent out earlier in the term. Helene, who has completed the evaluation of PLP will be presenting her findings at the PLP AGM on 9th January. Feedback is very important to us at PLP, as we are always trying to improve what we deliver to the children and the way we do things. Some of the suggestions and ideas presented in the evaluation report, as a result of feedback, will be seen on the new action plan for PLP in the not-too-distant-future. I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas and New year and we look forward to seeing you all in January! Elizabeth (PLP Director) IMPORTANT: |
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Christmas Party on December 8th
Long awaited Christmas Party was such a success! (I am sure you share my opinion! - editor's note :)
There were party games, crafts and a play area for the children. We were singing carols and shared a savoury buffet and drinks. Santa was also there in his grotto where he met the children with a surprise!
Thank you to all volunteers! It was a wonderful evening full of joy and magic!
There were party games, crafts and a play area for the children. We were singing carols and shared a savoury buffet and drinks. Santa was also there in his grotto where he met the children with a surprise!
Thank you to all volunteers! It was a wonderful evening full of joy and magic!
PLP CHRISTMAS PHOTOS
Please do not forget to order your lovely portraits with Santa! All collected money will be donated!
You can order your photographs here:
http://www.ramanava.com/plp.html
You can order your photographs here:
http://www.ramanava.com/plp.html
MEET THE BOARD
I would like to continue introducing PLP board members! This time – please meet our Literacy Coordinator!
 about winter and secret talents: "I really like the snow especially when it is fresh and nothing has been touched ( by cars, pedestrians or what so ever). In winter I like to ski, bake cookies and cupcakes with my kids and read thriller books! My favourite wintertime dish is an oven made confit de canard with meshed potatoes and a variety of mushrooms with fresh green beans. I have no secret talents but I did paragliding for my 40th birthday a few years ago and it was great! Also dog-sledding in Lapland with my 2 girls, I controlled the dogs in front of the sled and we did a great tour in the snow." Thank you Reni! | Reni Eering: PLP Literacy Coordinator about PLP: "Hello everybody, My name is Reni Eering, I joined PLP in April as an assistant of Rachel but she left in September and now I am fulfilling her role as a Literacy Coordinator. I have a lot of experience in recruitment and HR and I am really looking forward to use my experience in this new role. Just a little bit about me, I am Dutch and I live in Collonges sous Saleve with my husband and 3 children, 10 years old twin girls and a 12 years old boy. We are living in France for 4 years now. My kids go to a local school where they speak and learn French, at home we speak Dutch. They also have English lessons on Wednesday. I recently started a Bachelor study, translator/ interpreter French/ Dutch. So besides working at PLP, taking care of the children, I am also studying. So far a little bit about me, I think we will meet in the next few months and I am really looking forward to that!" |
MEET OUR VOLUNTEERS
 This year I’m having a change of scene and running the library for the Wednesday 12.45 slot, along with Lea. Its great fun but incredibly busy! Some weeks we barely have chance to exchange a word, but it’s lovely to see the children choosing their books each week- there’s a good selection. PLP has really helped- and is still helping- my girls to read in English. They are all 3 in the Swiss system but now able to read the same books in English as in French. And more than that, PLP has given them chance to experience being part of an English speaking learning experience too. | Sarah Maunder: Long Term Friendship Please meet one of our volunteers - Sara Maunder! Sarah has been a PLP member and a volunteer for almost ten years! about PLP: "I started out at PLP when my eldest- who’s now 13!!- was in the 3-4 years group. Then, when she started in Pre-Lit and Lit 1 I decided to volunteer, more as I wanted to understand a bit more about how children learnt to read so I could help her at home. In fact it was really interesting watching all the children getting to grips with phonics, and great for me to know how to help them with the blended letters, magic “e”, or long vowels. I’d never learnt them before, in fact I can’t remember how I learnt to read at school, it was a while ago!!! |
about winter & secret talents:
There are loads of great things about winter here, not least because there actually is a winter, with proper snow and ice (I’m from London originally, so it’s still a novelty even after being here years!)
To name a few things - I love watching the snow line get lower down the mountains, as I know that snow is on the way. I also love the huge star which decorates the top of la dole mountain (behind Nyon) – every Christmas - you can see it from our house.. What else..,probably the fondue hut at basse ruche, near St Cergue. It’s really cosy with a huge fire and great fondue and wine, just the thing on a really snowy day!!
My absolute favourite children’s book to read in winter is the Tomten. Its about a little gnomey kind of person who watches over a farm and the family who live there each night, set in Sweden or somewhere very snowy. I love the illustrations, either very snowy or cosy inside the farm! I have read it with each of the girls as they’ve grown up, it’s the book I always pick out to read on winter nights!!
In winter I make a lot of soup, one of my favourites this year is roasted veg with honey and garlic. I roast carrots, squash, red peppers and onions. Then when nearly done I add a squirt of honey and back in oven for few minutes. Remove from oven. Then fry garlic and ginger in a pan and after a few minutes add the roast vegetables and a good veg stock. Bring to the boil then mesh. Delicious!
Once had a job selling doughnuts on a beach in the south of France one summer, went down there with a friend and ended up with that as a summer job. And I’ve got a degree in Russian, which at least sometimes provides interesting dinner party conversation, although my Russian is very rusty these days I’m afraid!
There are loads of great things about winter here, not least because there actually is a winter, with proper snow and ice (I’m from London originally, so it’s still a novelty even after being here years!)
To name a few things - I love watching the snow line get lower down the mountains, as I know that snow is on the way. I also love the huge star which decorates the top of la dole mountain (behind Nyon) – every Christmas - you can see it from our house.. What else..,probably the fondue hut at basse ruche, near St Cergue. It’s really cosy with a huge fire and great fondue and wine, just the thing on a really snowy day!!
My absolute favourite children’s book to read in winter is the Tomten. Its about a little gnomey kind of person who watches over a farm and the family who live there each night, set in Sweden or somewhere very snowy. I love the illustrations, either very snowy or cosy inside the farm! I have read it with each of the girls as they’ve grown up, it’s the book I always pick out to read on winter nights!!
In winter I make a lot of soup, one of my favourites this year is roasted veg with honey and garlic. I roast carrots, squash, red peppers and onions. Then when nearly done I add a squirt of honey and back in oven for few minutes. Remove from oven. Then fry garlic and ginger in a pan and after a few minutes add the roast vegetables and a good veg stock. Bring to the boil then mesh. Delicious!
Once had a job selling doughnuts on a beach in the south of France one summer, went down there with a friend and ended up with that as a summer job. And I’ve got a degree in Russian, which at least sometimes provides interesting dinner party conversation, although my Russian is very rusty these days I’m afraid!
Mary Ahern: a True Enthusiast Please meet Mary! She is a very interesting person, who adores children! "I describe myself as a "young retiree" full of energy and enthusiasm for living life to the full and with time to invest in others. Like a lot of decisions, the idea to help out with PLP came by a chance conversation. I was already interested in interacting more with young children, not having any of my own, and my background in psychology made me a natural candidate to observe "what makes people tick", in this case the fertile ground of young minds. I have not been disappointed! Privileged to be placed as assistant to the director, my Wednesday lunchtimes have transformed into a marvelous window of opportunity, observing and helping out with Lit 3, a class consisting of 6 adorable boys. I sometimes think this is like trying to ask six puppies to sit still, quite impossible of course, as their young minds get to grips with the tasks and challenges set before them, but their energy and enthusiasm is contagious and I just love being there! |  When not enthralled by these six little individuals I spend my time reading, cycling, attending theatre, book clubs, playing bridge, doing prison visits and singing in a Gospel choir as well as attending a Bible Study course for women. I am also a keen member of GEDS and have acted in many of their plays, and this year's achievement was a 1500 kilometre cycle ride across France, from the Channel to the Mediterranean (admittedly on an Electric bike, I am no amazon)." Thank you Mary! |
Building Self-Esteem In Children
Please let me introduce Sam Touchaise! She specializes in the use of positive affirmations to help children (and adults) overcome negative thinking and to take on life's every day situations with confidence and resilience.
About Sam
I’m a mum to two boys (aged 6 years and 2 years) and I have been living in Switzerland with my husband and sons since 2014. It was when my older son started school that I noticed him struggling with self-esteem and I researched ways to help him. I learned about the importance of positive self-talk and I’ve spent the last two years learning about neuroplasticity and neural programming. I then realised how useful it would be for adults too (including myself) and this led to the creation of a series of tools to help build resilience and self-esteem in children and adults alike. (www.wellbeingseries.com)
About Her Method
One of the tools is an app for children (with a separate section for teens) that uses a total of 120 positive affirmation tracks and a relaxation track to help children and teens build resilience and to create a positive self-view. This is so important in the early years and has been proven to stave off depression in later years. We are seeing so many self-esteem related issues in teenagers these days that it is crucial to help the younger generation to get out of this negative cycle, and affirmations are a really simple yet powerful way to do this. The app is available on the App Store and Google Play and we have had great feedback! One mother reached out with her story about her son (10 years old) who uses the relaxation track to fall asleep every night. The track lasts for 5 minutes and she says he is always asleep within 2 minutes as it allows him to completely relax and switch off. Another parent said that her daughter had been having issues with bullies at school and used one of the affirmation tracks to help her manage the situation.
I also wrote a book with my 6-year-old as I was looking for a story that would incorporate positive affirmations in an adventure setting but couldn’t find anything. It’s my words but my son’s imagination that brought the story to life and I found a wonderful illustrator to do the drawings. The result is Cai Learns to be Brave which is an adventure picture book for 3 to 7-year olds, but older kids enjoy it too. Again, we have had great feedback from parents about their children using the ‘magic’ words in the book to help them get through difficult situations, and it is great for children who are fine in the self-esteem department but are just looking for a good story.
For example, my son had a swimming accident when he was 3 and he has been terrified of putting his head under water ever since. This summer, he used the magic words (‘I am brave, I am strong, I can do this’) and taught himself to swim!! It was such an incredible feat and he did it all by himself!
About Sam
I’m a mum to two boys (aged 6 years and 2 years) and I have been living in Switzerland with my husband and sons since 2014. It was when my older son started school that I noticed him struggling with self-esteem and I researched ways to help him. I learned about the importance of positive self-talk and I’ve spent the last two years learning about neuroplasticity and neural programming. I then realised how useful it would be for adults too (including myself) and this led to the creation of a series of tools to help build resilience and self-esteem in children and adults alike. (www.wellbeingseries.com)
About Her Method
One of the tools is an app for children (with a separate section for teens) that uses a total of 120 positive affirmation tracks and a relaxation track to help children and teens build resilience and to create a positive self-view. This is so important in the early years and has been proven to stave off depression in later years. We are seeing so many self-esteem related issues in teenagers these days that it is crucial to help the younger generation to get out of this negative cycle, and affirmations are a really simple yet powerful way to do this. The app is available on the App Store and Google Play and we have had great feedback! One mother reached out with her story about her son (10 years old) who uses the relaxation track to fall asleep every night. The track lasts for 5 minutes and she says he is always asleep within 2 minutes as it allows him to completely relax and switch off. Another parent said that her daughter had been having issues with bullies at school and used one of the affirmation tracks to help her manage the situation.
I also wrote a book with my 6-year-old as I was looking for a story that would incorporate positive affirmations in an adventure setting but couldn’t find anything. It’s my words but my son’s imagination that brought the story to life and I found a wonderful illustrator to do the drawings. The result is Cai Learns to be Brave which is an adventure picture book for 3 to 7-year olds, but older kids enjoy it too. Again, we have had great feedback from parents about their children using the ‘magic’ words in the book to help them get through difficult situations, and it is great for children who are fine in the self-esteem department but are just looking for a good story.
For example, my son had a swimming accident when he was 3 and he has been terrified of putting his head under water ever since. This summer, he used the magic words (‘I am brave, I am strong, I can do this’) and taught himself to swim!! It was such an incredible feat and he did it all by himself!
Tips For Building Self-Esteem In Children
Children spend the first six years absorbing everything from their environment before their brain’s neural-programming develops more permanently. These first years of life are so crucial for building a strong self-belief system and are when a child will build a view of themselves and their abilities.
The good news is that the brain is very malleable and with the use of the right tools, can easily be adjusted and new neural pathways (beliefs) can be set.
My tips for helping build positive self-esteem in children would be:
Listen to your child and pay attention to the words they use when describing themselves. If you are not sure, or if it is something they don’t talk about often, you can ask the following questions:
Then you can use their answers to see if there are any areas that need help.
The good news is that the brain is very malleable and with the use of the right tools, can easily be adjusted and new neural pathways (beliefs) can be set.
My tips for helping build positive self-esteem in children would be:
Listen to your child and pay attention to the words they use when describing themselves. If you are not sure, or if it is something they don’t talk about often, you can ask the following questions:
- What do you think you are really good at?
- What are you not so good at?
- What do you think your teacher thinks of you?
- What do you think your friends think of you?
- Do you think you make friends easily?
- Do you like yourself?
Then you can use their answers to see if there are any areas that need help.
- When reprimanding a child, try to talk about their behaviour as being naughty, and not the child themselves. Children take a lot to heart, and talking about their behaviour and not them as a person, not only empowers the child to feel they can change their behaviour but prevents them from hearing that they are a bad person.
- Offer appropriate praise when it is warranted, because the child will know it is genuine and this will contribute to healthy self-esteem.
- Every child is unique so it is best to focus on their unique strengths rather than make comparisons with their siblings or other children
- Spend quality time with your child. This is an important one and something that is often misunderstood. Quality time that is short but where the child receives the parent’s full attention is better than time where the parent is with the child in the same room but perhaps distracted by their phone. Pack phones away and give your child your undivided attention, even if it’s only for 20 minutes. That is the best way to build their self-esteem as it shows them that they are valued and important.
- Information about the apps and the book can be found at the following address: www.wellbeingseries.com
- The self-esteem building app for Kids and Teens can found on the App Store at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/well-being-for-kids-teens/id1392448184?l=fr&ls=1&mt=8
- The self-esteem building app for Kids and Teens can found on Google Play at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.synovasolutions.wellbeing.kid
- Amazon.co.uk - https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_10?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cai+learns+to+be+brave&sprefix=Cai+learns%2Caps%2C164&crid=1U73VVOMFBBEI
- Amazon.de - https://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Cai+learns+to+be+brave
- The Book Depository - https://www.bookdepository.com/Cai-Learns-to-Be-Brave/9781724862655
WHAT TO READ
Here are some ideas what to read with your kids this winter and especially during two winter school breaks! I have chosen some of our favourite books about winter adventures, Christmas and New Year!
These are the books me and my kids (8, 5, 10 months) already read and love and those which we would like to read in the nearest future.
These are the books me and my kids (8, 5, 10 months) already read and love and those which we would like to read in the nearest future.
 | Dream Snow by Eric Carle For the young and older kids – a real magic book! It's December 24th, and the old farmer settles down for a winter's nap, wondering how Christmas can come when there is no snow! In his dream he imagines a snowstorm covering him and his animals—named One, Two, Three, Four and Five —in a snowy blanket. But when the farmer awakens, he finds that it has really snowed outside, and now he remembers something! Putting on his red suit, he goes outside and places gifts under the tree for his animals, bringing holiday cheer to all. It has a magic button at the end of the book and when you push it – magic comes! We pushed is so many times that our battery got empty! |
Stick Man by Julia Donaldson The story starts in summer, but finds its happy end in winter on Christmas Eve! Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three. But one day, Stick Man is carried off by a mischievous dog who wants to play fetch! Things go from bad to worse as Stick Man is carried farther and farther away from home. Lonely and lost, Stick Man wants nothing more than to be home with his family for Christmas. And when he helps Santa Claus out of a bind, he finds the perfect ticket home! |  |
 | The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren A lovely Swedish book Sarah was talking about in the previous article is absolutely worth mentioning! This classic story of the Tomten’s nocturnal visits to all of the residents of wintry farm has been reminding children of the promise of spring for decades. |
Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr For a little bit older kids (6+) another great Scandinavian book. But a modern one! At nine years old, free-range Astrid Glimmerdal has the whole wide world (or at least her tiny Norwegian town) “in front of her skis.” As the only child around, the small songstress (“It is important to sing when you’re skiing”) has to get creative about finding friends—her best friend is her 74-year-old godfather, Gunnvald! Great book if you are planning a ski vacation and also if you are not! |  |
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 | Ice Sea Pirates by Frida Nilsson And the last book I would highly recommend for the children who are facing their teenage years is also a Scandinavian one ( Because I just cannot stop! And they do write great winter books!). Ten-year-old Siri and her little sister Miki live with their elderly father in an Arctic archipelago. One day, while they are out gathering snowberries, Miki is abducted by Captain Whitehead. Everyone knows the story about Captain Whitehead, a pirate with hair white as snow and heart as empty as an ice cave. All he wants is children, the smaller the better. They say Whitehead has a diamond mine, a great chasm in the earth. To be taken to that mine is the worst thing that can happen to a child. This is a serious but still fairytale-like book. Sometimes sad, sometimes scary, but so exciting! |
by Maryia Ramanava
Happy New Year!
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