Palo Alto Community Child Care

This week's Center Spotlight is on Walter Hays Kid's Club! From TK through 5th grade, the students enjoy learning, playing, and exploring through hands-on activities and creative arts, the cornerstone for building a strong community. Led by director Lenina and her amazing staff, the Walter Hays Kid's Club shines in this week's spotlight! Let's hear it for WHKC! ONE OF THE BEST! 

PACCC's Annual Staff, Friends and Family event was a great way to kick off the holidays and enjoy some fun and games while we watched "Trolls: Band Together"! Thanks to all who joined in on the fun and for being a part of our PACCC family! 

Do you hear what I hear? 🔔 A holiday miracle?  Christmas come early? It's PACCC's Christmas tree at "Christmas in the Park"! Come see our decorations made by the children from all our PACCC centers! 🎄 Visit PACCC's festive fir located at Caesar Chavez Park in downtown San Jose and stay for all the holiday fun at Christmas in the Park! 🎁⛄🎄

Today is Giving Tuesday, a worldwide event where corporations and nonprofits come together in a spirit of generosity. For 50 years PACCC has been dedicated to enriching the lives of the people in our community. Thank you for helping us spread the love today because every child matters!

 

Save the date! Giving Tuesday is less than a week away!
is a global day of giving and generosity.
Like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, giving Tuesday invites you to reach out and share support for those in our community, charities and non profits! it'll make a world of difference 🌎

Join PACCC this Giving Tuesday by liking or sharing this post so we can continue our mission of early childhood development in Palo Alto. Because every child matters ❤️

This time of year is traditionally a time for giving back. PACCC is dedicated to enriching the lives of every one of our kids and guiding them into the people they will become. Over the last fifty years many children have grown up with PACCC and we are honored to have them in our extended family!

is Nov 28th! Please share this post and help spread the word: PACCC is committed to the future growth of our community by supporting its most important asset: The children. Because every child matters.

Check out these Behind the scenes photos of this year's PACCC ad!

Our actors, AKC teacher Jacey as the teacher, HKC students Lulu, Grace and Joyce as the girl, and kid crew who worked on it!

Check out these behind the scenes photos of our thanksgiving giving play!

There's still time to donate to our holiday coat drive! we are accepting: coats, sweaters, gloves, hats, scarves, gloves, new socks and underwear, and any warm clothing, to be donated to those in need in our community. Anything helps and can mean the world to someone this season! You can find Donation bins at any one of our PACCC Infant/Toddler, Preschool, and School-age centers.

PACCC Board Member, Lavinia Branden, believes in the power of community and the significance of actively engaging children in their community from a young age. A mother of two and the Senior Account Project Manager at Outform, Lavinia believes the perspectives and experiences gained through early education create a lasting ripple effect that imprints children in a positive way. As the former co-founder of Studio Kicks Palo Alto, Lavinia witnessed firsthand the positive impact of PACCC through the multitude of families that were part of these dynamic and overlapping communities.

She is honored to serve this vibrant organization and is committed to supporting PACCC as an inclusive and accessible cornerstone in Palo Alto.

Thank you for sharing your talents with PACCC, Lavinia!

Dwali is the festival of lights, Last week the kids at Ellen Thacher children's center had fun learning all about the cultural importance of and how to celebrate this beautiful holiday!

November is the time for togetherness and community, PACCC is thrilled to announce our partnership with Ravenswood Family Health Network for a seasonal coat drive!

We are accepting coats, jackets, sweatshirts, gloves, socks, hats, scarves, and any clothing items to keep warm.
Please bring your donations to any of our PACCC centers and they will be brought to people in our community who need them most at this time of year. Any donation helps and can make someone's season warmer and brighter.

PACCC center spotlight is Escondido Kids' Club! For more than a decade, Director Edna has made EKC one of PACCC's top School-age centers, with a strong team of teachers who add plenty of play and creativity to their teachings! Escondido Kids' Club is setting the gold standard for childcare and early education!

Infant-Toddler and Preschool Parents,

You are invited to participate in a community listening session.

Participants will receive a gift card as a token of appreciation for their time and effort.

Several Palo Alto City educational and cultural organizations want to serve our community better. This project is being led by Palo Alto Art Center in conjunction with its community partners. We are interested in learning from unique communities – like yours – about the most important needs and values that make them thrive. By doing this, these organizations are planning to design programs and services that deeply respond to the needs of the community. That's why we invite you to join us in a listening session in which you will have the opportunity to share your points of view about your community.

Date and Time: Wednesday, November 8 · 4:30 - 5:30pm PST
Location: Ventura Community Center, Dream Room, 3990 Ventura Court Palo Alto, CA 94306

Please RSVP by Sunday, November 5.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/infant-toddler-and-preschool-family-listening-session-tickets-740426013137

This past week PACCC was in attendance at the 10th Annual Inclusive Collaborative State Conference. It was all about ECE, innovation and creativity, universal design for learning, equity and inclusive practices and anti-bias and social justice, all things PACCC and our community is passionate about! Thanks to Inclusive Collaborative for this wonderful event. And thanks to Melissa Stephens, Adrian Abesamis, and Jorge Barajas for representing PACCC!

CLÍNICA GRATUITA DE VACUNACIÓN CONTRA LA GRIPE Y COVID-19

domingo el 29 de octubre 2023, 10:30 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.

St. Francis of Assisi Church, 1425 Bay Road, East Palo Alto, CA

• Gripe: Para personas de 2 años en adelante

• La vacuna contra el COVID-19 está disponible solo para adultos 19 años en adelante sin seguro médico o con seguro Insuficiente

• La vacuna antigripal de alta dosis está disponible para adultos mayores de 65 años

Clínica sin cita previa. No se requiere cita, identificación, ni seguro médico.
Todos son bienvenidos sin importar su estatus migratorio.

Free Flu & COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic
Sunday, October 29, 2023, 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM
St. Francis of Assisi Church, 1425 Bay Road, East Palo Alto, CA
• Flu Vaccine 2 years +
• Updated Moderna COVID vaccine available only for uninsured and underinsured adults 19 years +
• High Dose Flu available for 65 years +
Walk In Clinic, No appointment Needed, No ID, nor Insurance required.
All are welcome regardless of immigration status.

Its the spookiest time of the year, and no, we don’t mean tax season. PACCC centers always have fun celebrating spooky season! Dressing up, carving pumpkins, creating scary art or making haunted houses the whole family can enjoy. Halloween activities are super fun at PACCC!

The votes are in! PACCC's pumpkin has won the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits Choice Pumpkin Award! Created by Hoover Kids' Club, "Starry Night with Monsters" has been picked as best pumpkin in all of silicon valley! Thank you to everyone who voted and to the artists at HKC who put all of their creativity in this to win!

Check out PACCC's entries for Palo Alto's Jack-O-Jaunt! "Ice cream unicorn" by PVKC, "Techachu" from BBKC, and "Starry Night with Monsters" by HKC! Check them all out this Friday at Lytton Plaza in Palo Alto at the Jack-O-Jaunt!

Which one is your favorite?

Ages 2-5 is an important time for your child to explore, make new friends, and build confidence.

 PACCC’s Sojourner Truth Child Development Center preschool program is the perfect environment for growing toddlers to learn exciting new things! There will be plenty of toys and a big play area to encourage active participation for developing social skills which expand their creativity and imagination. STCDC-PS is located in the heart of Palo Alto right off of El Camino. Openings available now! Visit PACCC.org and apply today! 

Tag a Palo Alto parent and extend our PACCC family!

#2-5

Healthy foods are best for growing bodies and minds. PACCC center snacks are always nutritious and organic, no trans fats or added sugar, with healthy protein and whole grains for all our students to help them learn and play! Paccc has always believed that healthy kids lead to a healthier community! 

It's Open House at Sojourner Truth Child Development Center this Saturday, 10/21, from 10am-12pm, where you will have an opportunity to experience the unique offerings of PACCC. Mingle with fellow parents, meet our educators and childcare professionals, and immerse yourself in the environment where your child will spend their time learning and growing.
PACCC: Providing exceptional, accessible education and care for Palo Alto's children since 1974!

Halloween is almost here! Time to decorate those pumpkins! Every year PACCC kids have a scary good time getting creative and making jack-o'-lanterns at our centers! This year PACCC centers will be competing in Palo Alto's "Jack-o-Jaunt," a Palo Alto-wide pumpkin decorating competition on October 27th at Lytton Plaza from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Come on out and show your support for PACCC and enjoy some Halloween fun! 🎃👻

Complicated and disturbing things are happening in our world right now and it can be difficult to find the right words to explain it to our children. Here is a guide on how to talk to kids about the Israeli Gaza war from KARA. KARA is a nonprofit in Palo Alto serving community members through grieving.https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Talking-to-Children-and-Teens-About-the-Israel-Gaza-War-October-12-2023.pdf.pdf

Olivia is a life-long Californian. Raised in the public schools and public afterschool programs of San Francisco, she has first-hand experience with organizations like PACCC and their vital importance for working families: PACCC provides parents with trusted teachers in a safe environment, and provides kids with an outlet for creativity, physical activity, and general fun. Olivia’s daughter attends Addison Elementary and AKC, and may have been registered for the AKC waitlist at birth.



After undergraduate at Stanford, Olivia completed a Master’s in Statistics and PhD in Government at Harvard University. She worked in public health policy at the Food and Drug Administration before returning home to California to start a family. She currently works at Google as a staff product analyst, and serves as Secretary for the PACCC Board of Directors.

Democracy is the foundation of America. This month the students at Hoover Kids' Club are exercising their right to vote during HKC's yearly mayoral election! Campaign speeches, campaign posters, and campaign promises all led to the election of a new mayor, 5th grader Anvita Jasti! Democracy in action!

Great News everyone! Starting October 3rd Downtown Library and College Terrace Library will be from 10 AM - 6PM Tuesdays through Saturdays! The perfect opportunity to use your new library card and do some fall reading 🍁🍂 or participate in the Library's many activities!

PACCC is always excited to grow our community! This past weekend Downtown Children's Center held an open house to welcome new preschool families to experience our unique blend of early education and childcare. It was an honor to meet all the new families. PACCC board member Bob Shaw also joined the festivities. Thank you to everyone who came out and we can’t wait to see you again soon!  

At PACCC we find Kids learn best through playing, kits at our centers engage students for hours of fun, solving puzzles, working in groups and cooperative games tickles that part of the brain the mixes education with play!

It's Open House at Downtown Children’s Center this Saturday, 9/30, from 10am-12pm, where you will have an opportunity to experience the unique offerings of PACCC. Mingle with fellow parents, meet our educators and childcare professionals, and immerse yourself in the environment where your child will spend their time learning and growing.
PACCC: Providing exceptional, accessible education and care for Palo Alto's children since 1974!

Addison Kids' Club's family event was the perfect way to have a great time with our PACCC community. Attendees enjoyed pizza, baked goods, origami, and fun with friends! Who could ask for a better time at AKC?! 

Join us at the 6th annual Palo Alto Community Health Fair! Saturday Sept. 23rd
Healthy People= Healthy Community

Lanie Wheeler joined the PACCC Board in 2021. As a previous employee of PACCC and long-time community volunteer, she understands the essential role of the Board in a community-based non-profit. In her role as a PACCC Board Member, Lanie is committed to ensuring that PACCC continues to be a sustainable community-based non-profit where children thrive, educators are valued, and families are supported. She believes in the importance of seeing that all children, no matter their family background or socio-economic status, get the best start in life. Over the years, Lanie has observed the difference that PACCC programs have made in the lives of the children it has served. She has also had the unique experience of working alongside many of PACCC's outstanding staff members, many of whom have grown into leadership roles within the agency and who are dedicated to its long term success.

Lanie also advocates for children as a member of the Palo Alto Kiwanis Club, which "adopted" PACCC in 1995 and has since provided both monetary and hands-on support. In addition to making annual financial contributions, Kiwanis has helped by building playgrounds, constructing fences, erecting sunshades, refurbishing a kitchen, and providing painting crews which, in turn, have saved PACCC thousands of dollars in repair expenses. As one who is mindful of the delicate balance between the cost of care for parents, the need to compensate staff fairly, and the desire of this community to provide a quality experience for their children, Lanie is anxious to find community connections that can help PACCC utilize its fiscal resources wisely. Being a local community-based organization helps us tremendously to tap into the myriad of resources that exist to help us achieve that balance and Lanie is eager to participate in that effort.

I support Build the Future because access to affordable childcare in Santa Clara County will strengthen our economy, help working families, make our communities safer, and give all children an equal opportunity to thrive and succeed. Check out BuildTheFuture.com to learn more! . 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 🏠

www.buildthefuture.com

Come join us at PACCC's community garden at our Ventura court office for National Day of Service! September 10th from 10am-2pm Bring your shovels and gloves and help support the community and plant the seeds of change!

Vision care is very important, especially during childhood. That's why PACCC and Site For Sore Eyes Palo Alto have teamed up for free vision screenings for our preschool and infant toddler centers throughout September! And Schedule your eye exam at the Palo Alto Site For Sore Eyes office to support PACCC's financial aid program. Together, let's fix our vision on the future!

September 11th is National Day of Service, a time when we all get together to lend a hand. This year PACCC has partnered with Youth Community Service of Palo Alto to help clean our waterways! And with the cleanswell app you'll be able to see your impact in real time! Join PACCC and Register at ycs.org, download the cleanswell app, and help make our waterways beautiful this Sept. 10th and 11th.

Together we can all make a difference