10-02-09
INTRODUCTION
Today
like millions of other Americans I went to work. I didn't design a beautiful
skyscraper or write a proposal to save an endangered species. I didn't fly a
plane or write a crucial bill that would someday become a law. However, I did
spend time with some very important people. I read a story to an attorney and I
sang the alphabet song with a supreme court justice. I ate lunch with a pastor,
and patted the back of an engineer until sleep set in. I taught a policeman how
to tie shoes and introduced an astronaut to the color red. Tomorrow, who knows
whom I'll meet, but one thing is for sure...They will be very important, because
they are our precious children, and the hope of our very future.
~ author unknown ~
Memberships:
Local City Association:
Garland Area Professional Child Care Association
State Associations:
Texas Association for Family Child Care
www.TAFCC.org
Texas Professional Home Child Care Association
www.TPHCCA.org
Dallas
Association for the Education of Young Children
Association of Texas Professional Educators
Texas State Teachers Association
National Associations:
National Association For Family Child Care
http://www.nafcc.org/include/default.asp
National Association for the Education of the Young
Association for Educational Communications and Technology
http://www.aect.org/default.asp
National Education Association
Redleaf National Institute
http://www.redleafinstitute.org/
The National Center for the Business of Family Child Care
Child and Adult Care Food Program, CACFP, providing ongoing training, inspections and nutritional workshops.
International Associations:
International Society for Technology in Education
International Reading Association
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.
http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/index.asp
LOCATION: Arlington, Texas
Dear
Parents:
Welcome
to La La’s Educational Family Home Child Care. (A
kindergarten preparatory program). La La’s is an enriching in-home preschool
where your child can learn and develop to their maximum potential. Here we
provide an environment and the materials necessary to develop social and
cognitive skills. We promote
self-confidence, independence, and responsibility, while in a warm and caring
environment. We recognize the
importance of a quality early childhood education program.
We have established a place where your child can play, learn and interact
with other children and you can have piece of mind knowing that they are safe.
ABOUT LA LA
During
the summer of 2002 I taught 125 children, ages 5 to 18 at a summer English Camp
in Beijing, China. My first
grandson was born during this time and I was named La La (Chinese for Grandma)
by my students. Thus, when I made
the decision to open my kindergarten preparatory program in 2003, La La’s
Educational Family Home Child Care was
established.
This
is an upscale childcare facility that you definitely don't want your child to miss out
on. Our days are filled with power packed learning
incorporating
a fun
enriching program in a Christian child-oriented environment!!!
I am a registered professional family home childcare provider, and certified all
level Texas teacher with first aid and infant/child CPR certifications with a
passion to teach. I have taught and
cared for children for over thirty years. I
also ran a home childcare program when my daughters were younger for 5 years.
I taught ESL for two years in Taipei from 1970-72, and Sunday school in
California for many years during the mid 70's. Please take a moment to
look around my website, and get a better feel for who we are and the quality of service we provide.
I
am a Professional Family Child Care Provider, not a babysitter.
My goal is to provide your child with a clean, safe, comfortable
environment where he or she can play and learn with guidance and loving care
while you are at work or attending school. I
have been providing loving educational family childcare for children of all ages for
10+ years. And have worked with
children of all ages either in the school system or in childcare for over 30
years because I love children and love to watch them learn and grow plus I get
paid for what I love to do. Who
could ask for more! The benefit for me when my children were younger was being
able to stay home with them as well as earn a living. The benefit now is a day
filled with lots of hugs and kisses. I would like to believe that once you have hired me,
my job is to provide a safe, loving, and fun
atmosphere for your child, while you are fulfilling your employment or
educational needs. One
thing I learned many years ago in an Early Childhood Development class; the
instructor reminded us, “You are NOT putting yourself out there to replace the
child’s parental responsibilities. You are offering the parents a service,
which will provide them the opportunity to be the BEST parent they can be.” We
are a team, working together with only one goal. That is, doing what is in the
best interest of your child. I firmly believe children only have about the first
5 years of their lives to be children. (Before they start school) That is why we
provide a fun, loving family atmosphere with as little stress as possible.
Additionally, the first five years of life are critical periods of time for
learning some of the basic elements that will prepare your child for certain
fundamentals that will make his/her learning in the first few years of school
easier and give him/her a basis of education that will be beneficial for many
years to come. I see myself as a
very understanding person and would hope as parents you will also be
understanding should any misunderstandings arise. Please feel free to let me
know if there’s anything you don’t agree with or understand. A good
relationship starts with good communication, so please be open and honest with
me and I will do the same. Thank you so much for considering me for your
professional family home child care provider, to whom you can entrust your most precious gift of
all........ Your child.
My teaching credentials include an A.A. in Liberal Arts, Marymount University, 1969 and a B.A. in Art and Performance (Photography) with a Business Management minor, University of Texas at Dallas; graduated Cum Laude. I completed a non-degree post-baccalaureate teacher certification program at the University of North Texas from 1996-1998 in Education with a reading specialization completing 45 hours. Upon receiving my Texas State Teacher's Provisional Elementary (K-8) and Reading Texas Educator Certificates for Life, in 1999, I decided to continue my studies in order to become better equipped to help meet my goal of being the best educator I can be. I completed my M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education with a specialization in reading in 2001 at the University of North Texas, and an M.S. in Computer Technology with a specialization in Computer Education and Cognitive Systems in 2002. I also received my TESOL Certification in 2002, a Graduate Academic Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and a Graduate Academic Certification in Web Development in Education and Training Environments in 2002, from the University of North Texas, and an Information Processing Technology (IPT) Endorsement/Texas Educator Certificate in 2002. While teaching Computer Technology at Richland and Brookhaven Community Colleges in Dallas I opened La La's Kindergarten Preparatory Preschool, and Family Home Childcare in 2003, and eventually retired as a college professor to run my registered in-home child care business full time. My husband and I receive ongoing training and early childhood education through numerous state, local, national and international associations that we belong to. Please visit Licensing and Training to see a listing of our training hours. I love teaching students of all ages.
Our
home has been inspected by the Texas Department of Family and Protective
Services and I have received the Certificate of Registration to legally run this
program in our home. I am required
by the state to take 20 hours of training annually as director of this program
but typically both my husband and I take 40+ clock hours a year or more.
We are actively involved in several local; state, national and
international professional family home
child care associations.
I am very proud of my daughter's Katherine and Erika, and my sons in law Doug and Ryan. Kathy and Doug are very successful in the world of technology, and have three sons. Erika and Ryan received their Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Saint Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio in May, 03. They have one daughter born August 30, 2007. I am a very proud La La.
We
love to learn and teach, and we believe our enthusiasm spills over to the
children in our care. We could not
imagine our lives without children. They
bring so much love and joy into our lives.
Please know that we are here to assist you in any way at any time
ABOUT GG
GG (Grandpa George), my husband, plays an active role in our child care program. The children love it on the Fridays that he is off work and stays home to read to them. GG is CPR and First Aid certified. He meets all the State Minimum Standards as well as the Operational Policies of this facility and has had all the training and orientation required by the state and this facility. He has had a criminal history background check. He attends all local, state and national professional child care training workshops and conferences with La La. He is the CFO for La La's Educational Family Home Child Care in that he handles all the accounting and tax paperwork for the company.
GG
went to college full time at UT Arlington for 1.5 years (receiving about 46
credit hours) prior to getting married and going to work full time at Vought
Aircraft Industries, Inc. After working at Vought for one year, he took a
military leave of absence to join the US Navy during the VN war. He joined
the Navy because he wanted to learn something other than infantry. He was
selected to be trained
to be an Electronics Technician (which is very competitive) and went to
the US Navy Technical Training Center (Memphis) for six months. He was in the
top 10% of his class in electronics and was placed in an accelerated training
(because of high grades and the demands of the war) class to learn Fire Control
Radar Systems. Subsequent to that he served the remainder of his tour at NAS
China Lake, CA, working on Fire Control Weapon Systems from aircraft
manufactured by Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc., which was flying in VN.
After
returning to civilian life, he resumed his career at Vought Aircraft, and
simultaneously pursued his Bachelors degree at night. He always worked full time
(sometimes overtime) and usually took 6 or 9 credit hours per semester
(sometimes 12 hrs, which is full time). It took 6 years to complete the
requirements of his Bachelor’s degree which he received from the University of
Texas at Arlington in 1976. Subsequent to that he was accepted into a Master’s
program at Texas Christian University. He was so burnt out from working full
time and going to UTA in the evenings (usually 3/4 of full load), that he
decided to take a smaller course load at TCU, thus taking the entire 5 years,
which was the maximum time allowed to achieve a Master’s degree (MBA).
All
of this totaled 11 years of night courses (6 years completing his Bachelor’s
degree and 5 years on his Master’s degree – no time off during the summers),
all of which was while working full time at Vought (which changed names a couple
of times in his career). It seemed like every time he took a heavier course
load, things got busy at work and he would be required to work overtime. Funny
how things go. GG recalls that one semester was especially demanding, so the
next semester (which was during the summer), he took what sounded like an easy
course (Music Appreciation) for his second course to accompany a core course. It
turned out to be really hard, going into all the classics and classical
composers and classical music styles (mass, motet, sonata, sonatina, etc.).
In his personal career GG has been in the finance field for over 30 years. GG has two grown sons whom he is very proud of. One is very successful in the field of Computer Technology, and the other is a Dermatologist. Together, La La and GG have seven grandchildren. GG was in the Big Brother Program for eight years and had a significant impact on the life of his little brother for years to come. He also participated in a mentoring program at Milam Elementary School in Grand Prairie.
We consider it an honor for you to put your faith and trust in us to care for your most precious bundle in this life, and you will be treated as an important member of our family. We want to be your partner in this precious journey of life. Please know that we are here to assist you in any way at any time. Thank you for considering La La’s Educational Family Home Child Care for your child.
Warm Regards,
Susan VanDyke
Susan VanDyke, A.A., B.A., M.Ed., M.S., C.N.A., Professional Child Care Provider
Director/Owner/Teacher, La La's Family Home Child Care
**All photos have been posted with parents written consent**
