August Community Events

Summer is flying by!  Here are some community activities that will help make the weeks before school starts as fun as they can be.

North Salt Lake:
YCC Movies in the Park at Hatch Park beginning at dusk

• August 7th - "Enchanted"
•  August 14th - "Despicable Me"

NSL Live Free Community Health Fair

• August 3rd - 6:30 - 7:30 at Hatch Park (Free dental check, diabetes testing, body fat, cholesterol, pediatric check
• August 10th - 6:30 - 7:30 at Tunnel Springs Park (Free healthy cooking demonstration/class)

NSL Children's Theatre August 21st and 22nd at the Veteran's Memorial Amphitheater at City Hall (10 East Center Street)

Woods Cross:

August 10th - Movie in the Park at 8:30 pm at Hogan Park (720 West 1500 South) "How to Train Your Dragon"

Bountiful:

August 5th - 8th - Summerfest 15.  Dance and Music on Main Street and at City Park

Centerville:

Movies in the Park at Founders Park at dusk

• August 7th - "McFarland USA"
• August 14th - "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"
• August 21st - "Malficent" (Following the Summer Bash)

August 11th - The Whitaker Country Fair from 5:00 pm to dusk at The Whitaker - Celebrate Centerville's 100 years.

August 21st - End of Summer Bash at 7:00 pm at Founders Park.  Free bounce toys, raffle, dance and a movie.

Farmington Station:

August 3rd - Family First Monday from 5:30 - 7:30 pm  Super Hero Horse Play

Fruit Heights:

August 1st - Fruit Heights Founders Day Celebration

Kaysville:

Free Summer Matinee Movies on August 6th and August 7th at 12:00 and 2:15 pm.  Movies are rated G and PG.  First come, first seated.  At Kaysville Theater.

August 29th - Cold Cones and Cool Cars from 11;00 to 3:00 at Heritage Park.

Layton:

Layton F.E.S.T (Farmers, Entertainment, Shopping, and Trucks) on Fridays from 5:30 - 9:30 pm at Layton Commons Park.

August 10th - Family Movie Night in the Park "Big Hero 6" at dusk at the Ed Kenley Amphitheater (403 North Wasatch Dr.)

August 29th - End of Summer Bash from 7:00 - 10:00 pm at Surf 'n Swim.  Kids with 10 or more 2015 G.0. Tags receive free entry for the entire family.

South Weber:

August 1st - August 8th - Country Fair Days.  For more information:  http://www.southwebercity.com/countr_fair_days.main.html

Davis County Fair - August 12th - August 15th.  Welcome to the Jungle.  Featuring Magical Celebrations (shows featuring Disney Princesses), Elephant Encounter, a Tiger Show, Science Discovery Tent, Creative Corner, and Free Pony Rides.  Find more information:  http://www.davisfair.com/

For Kids Who Don't Crawl

Are you working with your little one to help them master the art of crawling?  Here are some ideas to try.

• Crawling up stairs.  Most kids lead all the time with one foot.  So help your child crawl up stairs leading with her other foot too. 
• Climb up onto furniture.  
• Kneel on the floor and let your child use your knee as a step if he isn't tall enough to climb up by himself.
• Place one of the sofa cushions on the floor in front of the sofa and have the child crawl up onto it and then crawl up onto the sofa (where the cushion was), and then crawl up on the the cushion that is still on the sofa, like he is crawling up stairs.
• If cushions don't come off the sofa, you can have the child crawl up onto a plastic storage box, the kind that slides under a bed or like you put wrapping paper in, that you have placed on the floor in front of the sofa.
• Once again, help the child lead with the right foot sometimes and with the left foot sometimes as they do this.
• Place a couch cushion or under-bed plastic storage box in the center of the floor.  Place toys on the cushion or box where the child must get up into all 4's, or pull to kneeling at the cushion or box, in order to reach the toy.
• Sit on the floor and use your legs as obstacles the child must crawl over to get a toy he wants.
• If the child can crawl but doesn't do it on his own, try playing train - you crawl behind the child holding his ankles, make train sounds, and crawl together across the room to some pillows you've put on the floor where you can "crash".

Encouraging Literacy Skills in Little Ones

A couple of times a year we are privileged to have Student Teachers work with us to learn more about early intervention as they prepare to complete an Early Childhood Education degree.  At the end of the student teaching time, these future teachers are asked to provide a small training on a topic of their choice to the staff.  One of our amazing student teachers recently taught on early literacy.  I want to share the suggestions she shared with us.

Early Literacy Behaviors

Book Handling

Behaviors related to a child's physical manipulation or handling of books such as page turning and chewing.

Looking and Recognizing

Behaviors related to how children pay attention to and interact with pictures in books, such as gazing at pictures, laughing at favorite pictures.  Child shows recognition of and a beginning understanding of pictures in books.

Picture and Story Comprehension

Behaviors that show a child's understanding of pictures and events in a book such as imitating an action seen in a picture or talking about the event in a story

Story-Reading Behaviors

Behaviors that include children's verbal interactions with books and their increasing understanding of print in books such as babbling in imitation of reading or running fingers along printed words.

Things to Do to Encourage Literacy Skills

• Talk with babies, they love to hear voices
• Play and interact with babies, they learn through touching, banging, shaking, mouthing, dropping and rolling toys
• Give choices
• Sing songs
• Tell stories
• Look at photo albums
• Encourage kiddo's to make sounds and actions
• Talk about things you are doing together, name things
• Ask questions
• Scribble, draw, and color together
• FOLLOW THE CHILD'S LEAD

Ideas on How to Share a Book

• Make it fun
• Talk and sing about the pictures
• Let the child turn the pages
• Make stories come alive by creating voices and sounds
• Make it personal, share family memories and stories
• Ask questions about the story, allow the children to ask questions as well
• Spend a few minutes on a book - you don't need to finish the book
• Make books part of the daily routine, meal times, in the car or bus, doctor's office, bath time, naptime, etc.
• Let the child tell the story 

I hope these tips help make books enjoyable to you and your child!

Parent Portal

Some of you may have already realized the benefit of the Parent Portal.  With our fully functioning, secure data base, you are able to have your child's Individual Family Service Plan and all the visit reports at your fingertips!  If you haven't logged onto the Parent Portal yet, give it a try and let us know what you think.

When a document like the Individual Family Service Plan or visit report is completed, it is saved in our data base and you automatically receive an email with a link to access the document.  The email gives step-by-step directions to see the current document or all the available information.  You also have the option to no longer receive notification when something is finalized in BTOTS (the Baby Watch data base).  If you have chosen not to receive notification and then decide you would like to have access to the Parent Portal, let your service provider know and they can allow you access.

The process for accessing these documents is simple.  You will receive an email with options to look at the most recently finalized document, access all your child's documents or unsubscribe.  Once you choose which option you would like, you will be asked some security questions.  This is so that we can protect the confidentiality of your child's information.  However, once you have answered these security questions, the data base will recognize your device and next time you access the Parent Portal using that device, you won't be required to answer the security questions.

We are currently working to become as paperless as possible.  If you are currently receiving handwritten visit reports, please take a look at the Parent Portal.  The information is also available online.

So when you receive an email from do-not-reply-parent-portal@utah.gov, take a look and use the available information to help your child reach their goals.

July Community Activities

Happy July!  There are so many fun things going on this month!  Just make sure you and your little ones are drinking lots of water to stay hydrated!

Also, before creating your own firework display, please check your city's restrictions.

North Salt Lake City:
July 3 - Annual Fireworks show with food and fun and live music starting at 6:30 pm with fireworks beginning at 10:00 pm at the Eaglewood Golf Course.

West Bountiful:
July 3 - 6:00 pm Safety Fair at City Park followed by concerts and other activities.
             10:00 Fireworks display

July 4 - 7:30 am  Flag Raising at City Hall
             10:30 am  Parade
             11:30 - 2:00 Fun for free and Food for purchase at City Park

Bountiful:
July 23 - 24 - Bountiful Handcart Days
July 23rd -12:00 to 10:00 pm enjoy food, entertainment, games, and rides at Bountiful City Park. 6:00 pm is the Parade
10:00 Fireworks at Mueller Park Jr. High

July 24th enjoy more food, entertainment, games and rides from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Centerville:
July 3 - 6:30 pm Children's Parade at the White Church (160 South 200 East)  All children are invited to participate
             7:00 pm Activities in the Park at Founders Park
             9:45 pm Fireworks

July 4 - 7:00 am Breakfast in the Park
             9:00 am Parade on Main
            10:30 am Activities and Entertainment in the Park

July 17 - Movies in the Park  - "Annie" begins at dusk

July 31 - Movies in the Park - "Lego Movie" begins at dusk

Farmington:
Farmington Festival Days are July 6th - July 11th
Check the city website for a complete list of activities.  Here are a few:
July 6 - 7:30 pm Kids Bike Parade at Forbush Park
             Dusk - Movie Night "The Sandlot" at Forbush Park

July 11 - 7:00 - 9:00 am  Breakfast in the Park
               10:00 am Parade beginning at 500 North and Main and ending at 200 South and 200 West
               12:00 - 10:00 pm Festival Booths and Entertainment
               6:00 pm Free Ice Cream in the Park
              10:00 pm Fireworks at Forbush Park

Kaysville:
July 3 - 7:00 pm  Block Party on Main in front of the Kaysville Theater

July 4 - 7:30 am  Breakfast at the DATC  $5/person
             11:00 am Parade
             5:00 - 9:30 pm  Family Festival in the DATC Basin
             10:00 pm Fireworks

Layton:
July 4 - Layton Liberty Days Celebration
             6:00 - 10:00 am Breakfast in the Park at Layton Commons Park Bowery  $5/person or $22/family of 5 between 6:00 and 8:00. After 8:00 it will be $6/person and $24/family of 5.
             8:30 am Flag Raising Ceremony at the Ed Kenley Amphitheater
             10:15 am Kids Bike Parade
             10:30 am Parade Begins
             12:30 pm Concessions, Vender booths, and Entertainment at Layton Commons Park
             10:00 pm  Fireworks

Clearfield:
July 2 - 7:00 - 9:00  Free admission to the Clearfield Aquatic Center for a Beach Party/Family Fun Night
             Dusk - Free Family Movie at Fisher Park "Paddington"

July 4 - 7:00 - 10:00 am  Pancake Breakfast (Boy Scout Fundraiser) at Kent's Market - Adults $5, Kids 10 and under $2 or $15 for a family of 4
             9:30 am  Hometown Parade starts at City Hall
             6:00 pm  Festival at Fisher Park
             10:00 Fireworks

West Point:
July 4 - 6:00 am Flag Raising Ceremony at Loy Blake Park (550 North 3500 West)
             6:30 - 9:00 am  Community Breakfast at Loy Blake Park in the Large Bowery  $5/person or $25/family of 6
             8:30 am  Grand Parade from the LDS Stake Center at 2300 West 550 North heading south to 300 North and west to 3650 West
             10:00 am - 2:00 pm  Kids Corner - activities for kids ages 2 to 12 at Loy Blake Park
             6:00 pm Picnic in the Park at the Big Bowery.  Drinks available for purchase.  No charge for dinner if you are a West Point resident.
             Dark - Fireworks

Clinton:
July 8 - 11 - Clinton Heritage Days
Please check the city website for a full list of activities.  Here are just a few:
July 8 - 10 - 4:00 - 10:00 pm Carnival open

July 10 - 9:15 pm  Movie in the Park at The Clock Tower

July 11 - 7:30 am  Macey's Community Breakfast  $5/plate or $20/family
               9:00 am Parade
               10:00 Vender booths and Carnival open
               10:00 pm  Fireworks

Sunset:
July 17 - 18  Sunset FunDays
Please check the city website for a full list of activities.  Here are just a few:
July 17 - 4:00 pm  Carnival opens at Central Park
               9:30 pm  Movie in the Park "Big Hero 6"

July 18 - 7:00 am  Breakfast in the Park at Central Park  $3/person
               10:00 am Parade on 250 West
               11:00 Carnival opens at Central Park
               12:00 Kids Corner Make and Take at Central Park Bowery
               Dusk Sky Divers and Fireworks at Central Park

Don't forget the regular activities, like Story time at the Library or Family First Monday at Station Park on July 6 from 5:30 to 7:30.  The theme for July is Whoopee Water Play.