By Sue Adair • May 16th, 2013

Goddard Systems, Inc. (GSI), franchisor of The Goddard School^®, a leader in franchised educational childcare for 25 years, is pleased to announce Dr. Craig Bach to serve as its first Vice President for Education.

Dr. Bach, an educational researcher with more than 15 years of experience in both K-12 and postsecondary education, will be responsible for overseeing licensing and compliance, accreditation, quality assurance, training, and curriculum on behalf of the nearly 400 Goddard School locations across the nation. He will serve as part of the company’s senior leadership team and will report to GSI Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dzana Homan.

“In this new role, Dr. Bach will focus on not only continuing to build and retain a network of quality educators, but also to develop metrics to ensure high-quality education is consistently delivered and achieved throughout the system,” said Dzana Homan.

“Part of my role will be to translate the value of the educational work we do to the business side of our organization — positive educational outcomes are not only good for our children, they are good for our business as well,” said Dr. Bach.

Longer term, Dr. Bach will lead a research team to study the impact a Goddard education has at the first, second and third grade levels.

“Assessment and evaluation will be fundamental to everything my team implements at GSI,” said Dr. Bach. “Studies continue to show the importance of early education in building a solid foundation for a child’s academic success. We want to make sure that we build on that research and demonstrate that our educationally rich programs continue to provide children with a foundation for a successful future.”

Prior to joining GSI, Dr. Bach served as the Vice Provost for Institutional Research, Assessment, and Effectiveness and Teaching Professor in the School of Education for Drexel University. During his time with Drexel in the School of Education, he served as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on over $5 million in funded projects, including a NASA funded project to use instructional technologies to teach fractal geometry to high school students, the Pennsylvania Department of Education funded Drexel Tech Prep Consortium and a NSF funded grant to develop online mathematics mentoring with the Math Forum.

Dr. Bach also has experience in the for-profit space. He served as the Vice President of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at Kaplan Higher Education where he managed five teams working on assessment, research, analytics, data management, and performance measurement. Additionally, he worked as an instructional designer for Futurekids — a pre-K to Grade 6 franchise business.

“Our appointment of Dr. Bach comes at an important time in our nation’s emphasis on early childhood education,” said Dzana Homan. “We are impressed with Dr. Bach’s well-rounded experience in the field of education and eager to build on our successful program with his fresh perspective and insights.”

For more information, visit www.goddardschool.com.

By Sue Adair • May 8th, 2013

Jack Maypole, MD
Contributing Writer and Goddard School Educational Advisory Board Member

For those of you who might be pediatric research wonks, or better yet, for those of you out there who may be parents of young fussy infants, take note: now we have a (another) new theory as to the cause of colic. Now, while you shift that crying baby to your other shoulder and rock gently, let’s dig a little deeper as to what this is all about.

Colic is the unpleasant term for the young infant who follows the Rule of Threes: he or she cries for three or more hours a day for three or more weeks, at least three days out of the week(for anyone who has survived even a flight with a howling babe, we know that is a lot). Colic is common: it happens in about 1 in 5 babies. These so-called colicky infants tend to have a sort of routine, with the onset of a frantic crying pattern— often at around the same time each day(perhaps leading to why some parents call this ‘grandma time!”).  The peak of intensity for colic hits at around 6 weeks of age and can last up to about 2 or 3 months, depending on the child.  As one might expect, colic is a common topic in the first few visits to the primary care clinic.

And, colic is a bit of a medical conundrum. There is no blood test for colic, and nor is there any physical finding that slam dunks the diagnosis.  Sorry, Dr. House. Classically, the diagnosis of colic is one of exclusion, whereby the clinician works with the family to rule out other potential causes of infant crying and fussiness. And, for the record, the comprehensive list of ‘what makes babies cry’ would—no joke—go on for dozens of lines.

For the family members and the health provider, the history is key.  An evaluation best reviews the entirety of a child’s schedule, patterns of eating and sleep and wakefulness, and makes a careful examination of how the crying and fussiness occur (are there triggers? What makes it better? When does it happen? What have you tried so far? And how has it worked?).  Fortunately, a little bit of information, time, and a reassuring exam can go a long way towards making the diagnosis.  Along the way, a discerning clinician will work to rule out the more common or concerning causes of infant distress, such as fever, acid reflux, food or milk protein allergy, a hair in the eye, or a piece of hair tourniqueting on a toe.  When necessary or if other causes are suspected, appropriate lab testing may be considered.  If all else turns up unremarkable, and there is an otherwise thriving, growing child before us  who cries with regularity…colic rises to the top of likely explanations.

So what is the most recent explanation for colic in infancy?  A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that colic may be a form of infant migraine. You heard that right:  there may be an association between babies with colic and migraine headaches in older children.   Migraines themselves are incompletely understood and are thought to arise from the interplay of inflammation, nerves and blood vessels running to the brain. Alterations in blood circulation precipitate the infamous headthumpers with their raft of other symptoms.  And, we do know in preschool and school age children, a fair number of pediatric migraine sufferers describe abdominal discomfort as the most prominent symptom of their episodes, especially nausea and belly pain. Interesting, eh?

In the study, researchers followed 208 children, ages 6-18 year old, diagnosed with migraines in 3 European medical center emergency rooms. Parents were questioned  about their children’s headaches and personal health history. Analysis of the data showed children with migraine headaches were more likely to have had a history of colic than children without migraine headache histories—(about 73% versus 26% respectively).

Here’s the rub:  the researchers propose the colicky symptoms in infants could be due to disruptions in blood flow to the gut that mirror the supposed mechanism of migraines in older children and adults. In effect, the babies  have a headache in their stomach. Total bunk? Not necessarily.  But, as parents and clinicians, we have remember the old trap of ‘association doesn’t necessarily mean causation.”  In other words, this baby migraine theory could explain some or all of colic. Or, not.  The study goes on to propose (like all good researchy papers) with a call for more research, including trialing migraine therapies on infants with colic. Given babies are fragile research subjects, and the enthusiasm for trying pharmaceuticals on them is low, this is not likely to happen soon.

So,  babies will continue to fuss and kick and scream during their grandma’s time while we suss this out. Meantime,  I recommend that parents work with their child’s primary care provider on the tried and true approaches to reducing colic-related fussiness. White noise (such as fans, washing machines, or TV screen snow), gentle rocking, or spins around the block in the stroller or carseat work best. For other mainstream and complementary and alternative approaches, see here: (http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge-newspaper-2010/oct-29a.html  )

And, stay tuned colicwatchers! We will see if this new theory on an old problem bears out.

Link to the Journal of the American Medical Association Article

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1679399

By Sue Adair • April 26th, 2013

Mother’s Day is almost here!  Let’s shower mom with our love and make a homemade Handprint Bouquet!

Materials

• A piece of scrap paper
• Colored cardstock
• Pencil
• Crayons and/or markers
• Scissors
• Green pipe cleaners
• Single-hole punch
• Ribbon

Directions

1. Trace your child’s hand on a piece of scrap paper and cut the tracing out with scissors.
2. Use this cutout as a template for tracing your child’s handprint onto five or six pieces of colored cardstock. (Children who are old enough to use a pencil may enjoy this task!)
3. Cut out all of the new tracings with scissors. Punch a hole in the bottom of each one, just above the bottom edge of the palm, with the single-hole punch.
4. After all the handprints are cut out and the holes are punched, encourage your little one to use the crayons and/or markers to draw colorful designs on the handprints.
5. Fold one pipe cleaner in half for each handprint “flower.”
6. Thread about ¼ inch of the folded end of the pipe cleaner into the hole you punched in the handprint. Fold it down to the secure the pipe cleaner to the cardstock.
7. Twist the two sides of the pipe cleaner together to create a stem.
8. Repeat for all of the handprints.
9. Once all of the handprint flowers are complete, tie them into a bunch with a ribbon. Present them to Mom, Grandma or Auntie to thank her for all that she does!

*An adult should oversee all activities. Activities may not be appropriate for all ages.

By Sue Adair • April 15th, 2013

It’s a fact: children love to play with their food. Here’s an activity that is fun and lets children eat their creations!

Grab a couple bags of marshmallows (you can use minis, regular size or jumbo, or offer a selection of all three sizes) and a package or two of pretzel sticks. Set everything out on a table and let your little ones use their imaginations to create snowflakes, animals, houses and more by connecting the pretzel sticks to the marshmallows. When they are finished, snap pictures of their edible masterpieces for posterity and then dig in!

*An adult should oversee all activities.  Activities may not be appropriate for all ages.

By Sue Adair • April 2nd, 2013

To plant the seeds of environmental awareness in their communities, Goddard Schools across the nation are hosting Root for Earth, a week-long celebration of conservation that features a variety of activities for promoting a healthier Earth for future generations.

The celebration kicks off on Earth Day, Monday, April 22, with a flip of the switch as nearly 400 Goddard Schools nationwide turn off all non-essential lighting for one hour. Additionally, the children will participate in environmentally friendly activities throughout the week. Stop by from Monday, April 22 to Friday, April 26 to Root for Earth with us!

By Sue Adair • March 27th, 2013

This is a great way for your child to play in the “snow” during bath time! It’s simple to make a soapy snowball, just follow the directions below.

Materials

• A bar of soap
• A large bowl
• A cup of lukewarm water

Directions

1. Soak the bar of soap in the bowl of lukewarm water until it becomes pliable and is easily broken in half.
2. Mold the soap halves into two snowballs.
3. Dry the snowballs for about 24 hours.
4. Use the soapy snowballs during bath time!

*An adult should oversee all activities.  Activities may not be appropriate for all ages.

By Sue Adair • March 20th, 2013

The philanthropic campaign kicked off The Goddard School’s 25th anniversary celebration

To celebrate 25 years of service as the leader in early childhood education, The Goddard School kicked off its festivities with a special philanthropic campaign to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities^® (RMHC^®).

To commemorate its milestone anniversary, Goddard Schools nationwide participated in a variety of fundraising activities to support their local RMHC Chapters. In total, more than $185,000 was raised. Goddard Systems, Inc. (GSI), franchisor of The Goddard School, contributed a gift of $25,000 to help provide families a “home-away-from-home” while their child receives specialized medical treatment far from home through the Ronald McDonald House^® program.

“At The Goddard School, providing children with the opportunities for long-term success in school and in life is the focus of everything we do, so supporting  RMHC seemed like the perfect way to celebrate that mission,” said Joe Schumacher, Chief Executive Officer for GSI. “We are extremely proud of each of the nearly 400 Goddard Schools across the nation that helped us with this effort. This clearly demonstrates that when we work together, we can accomplish great things for our communities.”

In addition to collecting monetary donations, children at The Goddard School created birthday cards for their local RMHC Chapters. The birthday cards will be distributed throughout the year by RMHC directors to pediatric patients or family members celebrating birthdays during their hospital stay.

“With the unwavering support of donors like The Goddard School, at RMHC we are able to make a positive impact in the lives of children through our family-centered programs and services,” said J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez, president and CEO, RMHC.

“Our support of RMHC was the perfect opportunity to get the children involved and teach them the importance of giving back to their community,” said Paula Beverage, on-site owner of The Goddard School located in Independence, Ohio. Her school collected pop tabs, auctioned off the children’s artwork and hosted a silent auction to raise more than $3,000 for the Ronald McDonald House in Cleveland.

For Michelle Sims, Quality Assurance Representative at GSI, the partnership between The Goddard School and RMHC had personal significance. When her daughter was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2004, Sims was referred to a pediatric specialist in New York. Unable to afford the constant commute between New York and their home in Florida, the Sims family spent more than five years in and out of the Ronald McDonald House in New York.

“Honestly, we would have never been able to afford to stay in New York for the amount of time we did if it weren’t for the Ronald McDonald House,” said Sims. “Because of the cutting-edge treatment my daughter was able to receive, her life has been saved. I hope people understand this partnership isn’t just about fundraising; it is about making a real, meaningful difference in the lives of families.”

For more information, visit www.goddardschools.com.

By Sue Adair • March 15th, 2013

WHAT:            The Goddard School®, the premier preschool and childcare center for children from six weeks to six years, is calling all graduates to apply for the 2013 Anthony A. Martino Memorial Scholarship (AAMMS). The $10,000 scholarship is open to any junior or senior in high school who graduated from a Goddard School pre-kindergarten or kindergarten program.

To apply, eligible students must submit a completed application along with a 30- to 120-second video essay about how their Goddard experience influenced their career path or education.

WHEN:            Completed applications must be submitted by March 27, 2013.

WHERE:         Video essays should be mailed to 1016 West Ninth Ave, King of Prussia, PA, 19406 – ATTN: Scholarship.

WHO:              The AAMMS is named in memory of the founder of The Goddard School franchise system, an entrepreneur who started several other well-known franchise companies including AAMCO Transmissions, Inc. and MAACO Auto Painting and Bodyworks, Inc. Mr. Martino worked his way up from humble beginnings to achieve great things for himself and his family.

By Sue Adair • March 7th, 2013

There is so much to see and learn at the zoo! Children get to see how wild and exotic animals live, what they eat, how they sleep, how they play and interact with one another and, sometimes, how they interact with other species.

Before heading to the zoo for the first time, you may want to talk with your preschooler about what the zoo is and about the animals they will encounter there. Share a book about animals with your little one and think about the animals that you would like to see on your visit. You can also compile a list of questions that your child has about different animals and then look for the answers when you visit each animal’s exhibit at the zoo.

By Dr. Kyle Pruett • February 26th, 2013

It is good to remind ourselves that our children are developing in very close proximity to us and to our own capacities to feel shame and invoke our consciences in useful, constructive ways.  It will help to take a brief look at our own styles and think about how they will affect our children at this age.

The temperamental “fit” between parent and child plays a big role in the limit-setting process.  If this process is to work well, the challenge is to keep drawing your child toward greater and greater self-control.

The fit or match between your style and that of your toddler will never be perfect, nor should it be.  However, thinking about how you affect each other can greatly increase the ease with which you set limits for her and help her stay in control when she is threatening to “lose it.”

When you are well tuned to your child, both of you are likely to feel more in control.  As a result, your child doesn’t have to resort to ever more dramatic tactics, like shutting down completely or running away.

By the same token, repeated misreading of what a child needs in the limit-setting realm, coupled with too little or too much discipline, leaves her feeling confused and that she has failed as a communicator.  These feelings, in turn, lead to a sense of uselessness and hopelessness.  So it’s a good idea to periodically reassess your style and that of your child to see where differences could be helpful or troublesome.