It’s a Boy!
Gabriel Christian Isiah
Born: 3/5/2009 at 6:18 p.m.
4lbs 15oz, 18"

Ms. DeLandrea had her baby last week, about 8 weeks early! We are throwing her a baby shower on 4/4/2009 at 2:00 p.m. at the Center.

Most of your children know her as Ms. De and she is a substitute teacher. She is from Duncan, Oklahoma and has two brothers. Currently, Ms. De attends the University of Central Oklahoma and is majoring in Child Development.

She has been working with children since her first babysitting job at the age of twelve, and started working in a child care facility when she was 15! “I love children, I love working with them, playing with them and watching them grow!,” she says. Ms. De says that she loves to teach them, but loves to learn from them as well, and is looking forward to getting to know them and learn all that they can teach her!

My Small Wonders has now officially been open for one year! We celebrated the occasion with a "Continental Breakfast" for our clients, a beautiful cake for our employees, and a special dinner for our employees who have been with us since the beginning. See the pictures here!

Thank you to all our families, students, and employees who have made this possible!

We have 5 openings in the Pre-K and 10 in the School-Age rooms; the rest of the school has a waiting list well into 2010!
We are still offering $50 referral credits for current clients who make successful referrals so keep them coming (just let us know)!
Send this link to anyone you think may be interesting in enrolling or being on our waiting list.
Thank you again to all our parents, families, students, and employees that have made MSW’s first year a success!

My Small Wonders is seeking sponsors for the new Children’s Garden area to be constructed this spring. The plan is to install a raised garden that will be fun and accessible to all the children from toddler to school age. 
Total cost for the project is estimated at $1200. Donations of child size gardening tools and gloves would also be appreciated.
Here are some of the benefits that gardening could easily provide the children:

1. Science

In planting, children are indirectly taught the wonders of science like the plant’s life cycle and how human’s intervention can break or make the environment. They can have a first hand experience on the miracle of life through a seed. This would definitely be a new and enjoyable experience for the kids.

2. Life

Watching a seed grow into a tree is just as wondrous as the conception to birth and growth of a child. In time, kids will learn to love their plants and appreciate the life in them. Gardening could actually help simulate how life should be treated — it should be with care. The necessities to live will be emphasized to kids with the help of gardening – water, sunlight, air, soil. Those necessities could easily be corresponded to human necessities, i.e., water, shelter, air, food. By simply weeding out, one could educate how bad influences should be avoided to be able to live life smoothly.

3. Relaxation

Studies show that gardening can reduce stress because of its calming effect. This is applicable to any age group. More so, it stimulates all the five senses. Believe it or not, gardening may be used as therapy to children who have been abused or those who are members of broken homes. It helps build one’s self-esteem.
If you are interested in sponsoring this project in whole or in part, please contact Bill Epperly.

The most hopeful thing any human being can do is to offer hope to someone else. When children feel able to contribute by helping others, they feel good about themselves.
Throughout the month of March we will hold our first annual Penny Pail event, a program that involves the students, ages 2-5, in helping those in need. The students should perform chores at their home specifically to earn money to give to those less fortunate. They will deposit their earnings in the Penny Pail at school.
The goal is to help the students build a moral foundation and enhance their social and cognitive development by earning rewards and giving to others. The proceeds will be donated to the Edmond Association for Retarded Citizens (EARC).

Mrs. Courtney has been married to her husband, Gabriel, for over 4 years. Her and her husband both have a Bachelor’s degree in a non-Education field, but are both getting their Master’s degrees in Education. “Great minds think alike, right?” she says.

Ms. Courtney is in her last year of my Early Childhood Education Master’s program at the University of Central Oklahoma. “When I started looking for a job in the field of early childhood education, I applied at My Small Wonders because I had heard many praises about it’s staff, curriculum, environment and facility,” she says.

She is very thankful for the toddlers in her class and they continue to fascinate her and inspire her to become a better teacher. Mrs. Courtney is excited to be part of the My Small Wonders family and can’t wait to see what the future holds!

Congratulations Mrs. Courtney, keep up the good work!