And the Winner Is...

Tammy Morris from Oakwood's Center for Exceptional Families assisted the ECEC with the Basket Raffle drawing this morning.  Congratulations to the winners listed below!

• Breakfast Basket - Jaclyn Caruso
• Coffee Basket - Tracy Kane
• Tea Basket - Debbie Jones
• Scrapbook Basket #1 - Nasreen Hussein
• Scrapbook Basket #2 - Adam Hamka
• Scrapbook Basket #3 - Sara Beauchamp
• Movie Basket - Melanie Duda
• Animal Basket - Emilio Zuniga
• Gift Card Basket - Marlene Gharib
• Game Basket #1 - Marissa Twiner
• Game Basket #2 - Trevor Kleczynski
• Sports Basket - The Medley Family
• Homemade Goods Basket - Julie Missler

Thank you to everyone who donated and participated.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/Teacher conferences will be held during the weeks of December 10th and December 17th. Please find the sign up sheet in your child's classroom. Below are the scheduled conference times:

Mrs. Stone
Mon., Dec. 17 ~ 8:00-11:30 a.m.
Tues., Dec. 18 ~ 8:00-11:30 a.m. & 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 19 ~ 8:00-11:30 a.m. & 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Mrs. Daigneau & Ms. Camardese
Mon., Dec. 17 ~ 8:30-11:30 a.m. & 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 18 ~ 8:30-11:30 a.m. & 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Mrs. Lenihan
Mon., Dec. 17 ~ 8:30-11:30 a.m. & 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 18 ~ 8:30-11:30 a.m. & 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 19 ~ 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Ms. Kurtjian
Thurs., Dec. 13 ~ 2:00-4:30 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 14 ~ 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Mon., Dec. 17 ~ 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. & 2:00-4:30 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 18 ~ 8:30-11:30 a.m. & 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Ms. Finkelstein & Ms. Muehlenbein
Fri., Dec. 14 ~ 8:30-11:30 a.m. & 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 17 ~ 8:30-11:30 a.m. & 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 18 ~ 1:30-6:00 p.m.

Ms. Szymaszek
Thurs., Dec. 13 ~ 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. & 2:00-6:00 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 14 ~ 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. & 2:00-6:00 p.m.

Mrs. McAuliffe
Thurs., Dec. 13 ~ 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 18 ~ 8:30-11:00 a.m. & 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 19 ~ 8:30-11:00 a.m. & 3:00-6:00 p.m.

Thanksgiving Holiday

The ECEC will be closed Thursday-Friday, November 22-23, 2012 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. We will reopen on Monday, November 26, 2012.

Basket Raffle

We are raffling off the baskets pictured below. Get your raffle tickets at the ECEC front desk. Tickets are $1 a piece or 6 for $5. The raffle will be held on December 3, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. You need not be present to win. Good luck!


Breakfast Basket - Mrs. Stone & Mrs. Paris' Classroom 29 tickets submitted
~ Aunt Jemima Pancake/Waffle Mix
~ $15 Gift Card to Dunkin Donuts
~ Oat 'N Clusters Cereal
~ Tazo Zen Green Tea
~ 2 Coffee Mug Sets
~ 2 Bags Chocolate Chips
~ 2 Shake 'N Pour Pancake Mix
~ Apple Bread Mix
~ 2 Bottles of Honey
~ Smuckers Cherry Preserves
~ Love Crunch Granola
~ Coffee Mug
~ Swiss Miss Cocoa Mix


Coffee Basket - Mrs. Daigneau & Ms. Camardese's Classroom 25 tickets submitted
~ Coffee French Press
~ 2 pkgs. Dunkin Donuts Coffee
~ Starbucks Coffee & Mug
~ Hot Chocolate
~ 8 Coffee Mugs
~ Sugar Cookie Mix
~ Crossword Puzzle Book
~ Sudoku Puzzle Book
~ Coffee Dish Towel
~ Margaritaville Coffee
~ Coffee Filters


Tea Basket - Mrs. Daigneau & Ms. Camardese's Classroom 14 tickets submitted
~ 2 Tea Ball Streamers
~ Peppermint Tea & Mug
~ Tea Towel
~ Assorted Flavored Tea
~ 2 Honey Spoons
~ Mini Teapot
~ Sugar Cookie Mix
~ Tea Time Magazine


Scrapbooking Basket #1 - Mrs. Lenihan's Classroom 35 tickets submitted
~ Child Safe Scissor Set
~ Glue
~ Black Letter Stickers
~ 96 ct. Crayola Crayons
~ 2 Clear Blocks
~ Fuzzy Pipe Cleaners
~ Foam Stars
~ Metal Sheets
~ Scrapbooking Paper / Metallic Cardstock
~ Martha Stewart Scrapbook

Scrapbooking Basket #2 - Mrs. Lenihan's Classroom 23 tickets submitted

~ Storybook 4.0 Digital Scrapbooking Software
~ 2 Simply Said Books
~ 12x12 Family Quick Kit Album
~ 7 Additional Packs
~ 2 Markers
~ Tape Runner


Scrapbooking Basket #3 - Mrs. Lenihan's Classroom 21 tickets submitted
~ Stamps/Stamp Pad
~ Colored Pencils
~ Glitter Stickers
~ Clipboard Alpha-dots
~ Markers
~ 8x8 Scrapbook & Additional Pages
~ Scrapbook Paper
~ Clear Stamps Letter
~ 10 Themed Page Stickers
~ Ultimate Fuzzy Kit


Movie Night Basket - Ms. Kurtjian's Classroom 81 tickets submitted
~ 4 Bags of Movie Theatre Popcorn
~ Kettle Popcorn
~ Pumpkin Spice Almonds
~ Shark Tale, Where the Wild Things Are, Eat Pray Love DVDs
~ Muppets Take Manhattan, The Tale of Desperaux, Jumanji DVDs
~ Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Gene Wilder) DVD
~ Thomas and Friends: Friends Help Out DVD
~ Kit Kat, Hersheys, Reese's, Reese Pieces, Jolly Ranchers
~ M&M Snack Kit, Gummies, Raisinets, Mike 'N Ikes, Gummy Worms
~ White Cheddar Popcorn Seasoning
~ Popcorn Containers
~ Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds
~ Pajama Shirt & Pants
~ $5 Gift Card to Kroger
~ $20 Gift Card to Buddy's Pizza


Animal Basket - Ms. Finkelstein & Ms. Muehlenbein's Classroom 128 tickets submitted
~ Free Willy, March of the Penguins DVDs
~ Rabbit & Bear Stuffed Animals
~ Under the Sea Floor Puzzle
~ Naturally Wild 2013 Calendar
~ Animal Crackers
~ Lace & Trace Farm Animals
~ Baby Whale, Giraffe & Tiger Book
~ Animal A-Z Book
~ Animal Pattern Block
~ Paint with Water
~ Animal Jumbo Coloring Pad
~ Wonder Pet Puzzle
~ Bug & Reptile Puzzle
~ 4 Tickets to "Lights of Christmas" at the Toledo Zoo (includes 1 parking pass, good through December 31, 2012)


Gift Card Basket - Ms. Szymaszek's Classroom 111 tickets submitted
~ $15 Starbucks Gift Card
~ $10 Starbucks Gift Card
~ $10 Trader Joe Gift Card
~ $10 Cold Stone Gift Card
~ $25 Old Navy Gift Card
~ $20 Toys R Us Gift Card
~ $20 Amazon Gift Card
~ $10 Barnes & Noble Gift Card


Game Night Basket #1 - Mrs. McAuliffe's Classroom 93 tickets submitted
~ Uno Disney
~ Dora Mad Libs
~ Twister
~ Dry Roasted Peanuts
~ Dora Puzzle
~ Power Ranger Puzzle
~ Trouble
~ Scrabble & Scrabble Reusable Bag
~ Candyland
~ Operation
~ Jenga


Game Night Basket #2 - Mrs. McAuliffe's Classroom 52 tickets submitted
~ Four in a Row
~ Pretzel Sticks
~ Twizzlers
~ Yahtzee
~ Star Wars Deck of Cards
~ Hedbanz
~ Blokus
~ Perfection
~ Chutes & Ladders
~ Monkey in a Barrel
~ Popcorn


Sports Basket - ECEC Office 89 tickets submitted
~ Michigan Blanket
~ Backpack
~ 2 Michigan Polo Shirts
~ Michigan Water Bottle
~ Michigan Backpack
~ Michigan Football
~ Digital Active Life Pedometer
~ Michigan Travel Mug
~ Michigan Cup
~ 2 Michigan Pencils
~ Michigan Post-Its
~ Michigan T-Shirt


Homemade Goods Basket - ECEC Office 31 tickets submitted
~ Chocolate Truffles
~ Peppermint Marshmallows
~ Apple Butter
~ Pizzelles
~ Chocolate Lollipops
~ Rosemary Soft Pretzels
~ Puppy Chow
~ Congo Bars
~ Chocolate Cracker Bars

Chancellor's Year in Review

The ECEC is featured in Chancellor Little's Year in Review, a summary of the University's accomplishments this year and goals for the year ahead.

- ECEC Faculty Director Seong Hong is featured on page 5 for receiving a Collegiate Professorship

- The Center is featured on pages 8-9 for the research and collaboration with Oakwood's Center for Exceptional Families.


Please take a moment to read about the ECEC's research and its role as a teacher-preparation site.

ECEC & SOE Featured in UM-D Legacy

Take a moment to read about the ECEC & SOE staff and students featured in UM-Dearborn's Fall 2012 Legacy alumni magazine:

- ECEC lead teacher Kelly Lenihan is featured in "After School" on page 24
- ECEC children Fatima & Jamil Mashhour are pictured on page 4
- ECEC children Jack & Lily Rotta are pictured on page 27
- SOE & ECEC alumnae Kawthar Ali and Nicole Danz are featured on page 30

It's wonderful to see the ECEC staff and children well represented on campus and in the community.

ECEC Office Sports Basket Donations

The ECEC office is working on a Sports Basket for the ECEC raffle which will be held on Wednesday, November 14, 2012. We are looking for some donations to add to the basket if you'd like to participate




Somethings that we could include are:

- Sporting Event tickets
- Sports apparel (hats, scarves, t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc.)
- Water bottles
- Blankets with team logos
- Balls (basketball, football, golf balls, soccer ball, baseball, etc.)
- Seat cushions for bleacher seating

Any other sports related items that you may have are welcome. You may drop off your donation at the ECEC front desk. Thank you for your support!

Curriculum Night & Open House

Join us for Curriculum Night & Open House on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Learn about your child's classroom experiences. Investigations and conversations begin at 5:00 p.m. Teachers will discuss curriculum learning groups and project work. Children are welcome to attend.

Scholarships Distributed

The ECEC distributed $6,700 in scholarships to 14 families for the 2012-2013 school year. These awards provide financial support to families who might otherwise be unable to afford their education or quality care for their children. Tuition awards are thanks in part to budgeted ECEC funds, fundraising efforts of the ECEC Parent Association, and generous donations to the Jack Finkelstein Memorial Scholarship.

ECEC Basket Raffle

The ECEC staff and Parent Association will be raffling off gift baskets during the week of November 12. Here's how you can help! We are soliciting donations for family-friendly items to include in the gift baskets. Donations may be dropped off in your child's classroom any time before November 12. This is a chance to support the ECEC's fundraising efforts in a fun and creative way by soliciting/making donations to help create some fabulous specially-themed gift baskets to be raffled off!


The following are the theme baskets for each classroom*:

Mrs. Daigneau/Ms. Camardese - Coffee/Tea/Hot Chocolate
Mrs. Stone/Mrs. Paris - Breakfast
Mrs. Lenihan - Scrapbooking
Ms. Kurtjian - Movie Night
Ms. Szymaszek - Gift Cards
Ms. Finkelstein/Ms. Muehlenbein - Animals (no live animals please :)
Mrs. McAuliffe - Game Night
ECEC Office - Sports and Homemade Items

*You are free to donate to any of the baskets that interest you - you don't have to stick to your child's specific classroom theme. Specific lists of suggested items can be found on each teacher's blog.

Assembled baskets will be on display in the school during the week of November 12th and at the ECEC Curriculum night on November 14. Raffle tickets will be sold that week for chances to win ($1 per ticket or 6 tickets for $5). Participants will place their tickets in the container in front of the basket(s) of their choice.

DRAWING WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 3 AT 10:00 AM

(Winners need not be present and will be notified by e-mail) GOOD LUCK!!

Love & Logic Workshop Series

You're invited to attend Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun: Creating Happy Families and Responsible Kids, a parenting with Love & Logic workshop series.




Parents will learn tips to:

- help young children learn from little mistakes
- how to set limits
- how to avoid power struggles
- techniques for dealing with whining and arguing
- how to use effective choices
- strategies to help with potty training
- morning routines and bedtime routines and much more!

Workshops will be held on the following Tuesdays from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the ECEC:

- November 13, 2012
- December 4, 2012
- January 15, 2013
- February 19, 2013
- March 12, 2013

The cost is $30 per person for the series. Call 313-593-5424 to reserve your spot today...space is limited! This workshop is facilitated by Dawn Watson of Strategic Parenting Solutions and partially funded by The Great Start Readiness Program and The Schwyn Fund.

Trick-or-Treat Walk

The annual ECEC/CEF Halloween Walk will take place on Wednesday, October 31, 2012. Activities will happen rain or shine so please dress your children for the weather.





The schedule for the classrooms is as follows:

- 9:40 a.m. Pre-K/K (Mrs. McAuliffe & Ms. Finkelstein's classes)
- 10:00 a.m. Preschool (Mrs. Lenihan, Ms. Kurtjian & Ms. Szymaszek's classes)
- 10:30 a.m. Toddler (Mrs. Stone/Mrs. Paris & Mrs. Daigneau/Ms. Camardese's classes)

If your child is not scheduled on Wednesday, they can come if accompanied by an adult. Children not scheduled on Wednesday should arrive at the time indicated above for their classroom's trick or treating so we can avoid overcrowding that we've had in the past.

Come wind through the Center's trick or treat stations, search for a "needle in a haystack", decorate a pumpkin and enjoy cider and donuts.

Fundraiser Updates

Thanks to the ECEC families and campus community, our fundraisers are off to a great start for the 2012-13 school year. The Thirty-One fundraiser made $1,400 with the ECEC receiving $300 (20% of the profit). The annual Better Made Potato Chip fundraiser exceeded our expectations bringing in an astounding $4,304 with $1,345 going to the ECEC scholarship fund. Thank you for your support!

Kudos to Debbie Jones!

Congratulations to ECEC Site Director Debbie Jones on winning a UM-Dearborn U Make a Difference Award. Debbie was nominated by Chris Tremblay, Executive Director of Enrollment Management on the Dearborn campus, for going above and beyond to provide services to accommodate a UM-Dearborn staff member's child. Debbie, along with other recipients, will receive their awards at the Staff Senate Open Forum on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in Kochoff Hall on campus.

New Website Launched!

The UM-Dearborn Early Childhood Center has launched a redesigned website today!  Check it out at http://www.umd.umich.edu/ecec,