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Summertime Play at Civic League Day Nursery At Civic League Day Nursery, summertime play is a critical activity. Nurturing their bodies with social friends is a must. Our center has one of the largest play yards in Rochester, filled with a variety of sandboxes, play equipment and field games. Not to mention our Garden of Growth where the children have planted and will get to pick their own vegetables at harvest We hope you enjoy these images as much as we do. ​ Scroll v iew the gallery as is or select an image to view it nearly full screen.

The talented teachers of Civic League Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. - Benjamin Franklin Meet the Director Jackie Benoit-Petrich Executive Director Jackie joined Civic League Day Nursery in December of 2015 as Executive Director and brings a wealth of knowledge of expertise in the field, having worked more than 25 years with children and families in various capacities. She studied at the College of St Teresa in Winona and also holds a Primary Montessori Teaching Diploma from the North American Mo ntessori Progressive Teacher Training Centre , Vancouver, Canada. She was co-owner and Directress of The Five Senses Montessori and also the Community Coordinator of Women's Shelter Inc. Jackie is sensitive to the needs of families and children and brings a mindful presence to her work. When Jackie is not at work, she enjoys organic gardening and spending time with her husband, children, grandchildren, dog Freckles and cats Pauley and Jet. The talented teachers of Civic League Every child deserves a champion—an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be. - Rita Pierson ​ ​ Ages 16 months to 2 1/2 years Little sprite movers. BUNTING Mrs. Gloria, Lead Teacher Ms. Judy, Assistant Teacher Mr. Kai, Assistant Teacher ages 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years CHICKADEE Mrs. Anne, Lead Teacher ​ Ms. Mary Kay, Assistant Teacher ages 3 to 4 years NUTHATCH Miss Molly, Lead Teacher Mr. Jake, Assistant Teacher ages 4 to 5 years DOVE Miss Charity, Lead Teacher Teacher Gray, Assistant Teacher ages 5 years CARDINAL Mrs. Josephine, Lead Teacher Ms. Michele, Assistant Teacher ROBIN Our floating teachers, always helpful everywhere. Ms. Laurie, Teacher Ms. Andrea, Teacher Ms. Kamisha, Teacher BLUE JAY Our staff , the wisest of the bunch. Ms. Laura, Office Manager Ms. Doreen, Cook Mr. Joel, Facilities

WANT to give back to the Rochester community? LEARN MORE Engage APPLY Application Civic League Day Nursery is governed by a Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring that Civic League Day Nursery fulfills its mission by planning for the future and evaluating the organization. The Board of Directors is a governing Board, not overseeing day-to-day operations, and comprised of individuals who have a passion and interest in early childhood development. TO UPHOLD OUR MISSION “by providing my passion and expertise to strategic discussions to advocate Civic League’s mission .” Board M embers Dana Larson , President Travis Arment Ken Carmen Ian Farrell Peter Foss Travis Foulke Cassidy Harmon Rich Hetland Matt Lehrman Kyle Shonley Treasurer Danielle Sommerfeldt Samantha Tart To contact the Board, please email cldnmnboard@gmail.com Email Interested in Joining Our Board? ​ Our Board of Directors is a group of active volunteers whose purpose is to support Civic League Day Nursery in developing child-focused curriculum, creating culture of inclusion and diversity, in a hands-on, real world learning environment. Serving on our Board is gratifying way to help Civic League Day Nursery continue to serve the children in our community for years to come. ​ As a Board of Director member, you assume the responsibility of attending monthly meetings (meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month at noon), serving on one of our committees, and participating in fundraising and social activities. Serving on the Board is a three-year term commitment. Our Board Committees NOMINATING oversees recruitment and current participation FINANCE selects the auditor, oversees monitoring reports and sets budget approval process GOVERNANCE oversees new member orientation, policy review, bylaw compliance ASSESSMENT oversees the annual review of the Board’s effectiveness, vision statement, community needs hr committee hires, oversees performance and handles issues related to the Executive Director Ready to Apply? Fill out our online form, attach your resume with references and submit to finish the application. What personal interests, skills and experiences do you have that might benefit the CLDN Board? What do you know about this organization? Why are you interested in our organization? Do you have any specific interests i.e. grant writing, education, facilities management, etc.? Please attach a PDF document containing your resume and 3 professional references. Upload File Max File Size 15MB Submit Board Application

Civic League staff share their talents in many ways. Who knew our staff were so talented? In an impromptu music session three of our teachers gathered together in the music room to share their talents. For one hour the children were dancing and singing along-fascinated by their remarkable teachers. ​ All photos were taken and provided by Marie Ferguson at DM Creative Design.

Special EVENTS AT CIVIC LEAGUE Civic League offers enrichment programs and activities centered on and around the greater Rochester community. ​ With annual trips and festivities scheduled throughout the year, our students learn, experience, delight and grow in these unique developmental achievements. Here's a highlight of just some of our special trips and events: Walkable access to City Parks and community events Discovering nature at Quarry Hill Touring Sekapp Orchard On-site seasonal themed activities, such as parades, winter sledding, water play, gardening ​ Summer Time Play Spend a Day with us Garden Play Dive in deeper into the life of our children's daily activities. Here they will be wrapped into our program of care with an immersion of their senses. ​ Stolling in the garden, picking fresh vegetables, and engaging within our natural play space CELEBRATE the 4th of July Annually help, this charming parade walk or drive brings smiles to all who come to watch. 4th of July Gallery MANY EVENTS From Bees to knees and everything in between. Events are held at Civic League to enrich our children's experiance and ignite their minds Events Gallery Take a trip with us! Programming is worked into the structure of our education at Civic League Day Nursery. Trips and planned within reach and surrounding distance for a morning excursion. ​ These are the best days to as a parent to get involved, say, "YES! I'll be there" To watch the moment of discovery with your child on a trip is a memory which lasts a lifetime. ​ ​ LaCrosse Museum Oxbow Park Rad Zoo Spend a day at the Farm. Farm Tour Apple Orchard

Civic League Day Nursery has a full-time cook on site. Our cook is certified by the State of Minnesota, and plans well-balanced meals for our children following the guidelines set by the USDA and Minnesota Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Children receive breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack. Weekly menus are posted in the center on each classroom bulletin board and on the doors, exiting the center. We serve our meals family style, when it is appropriate. Serving a meal family style means serving foods in bowls or dishes on the table. The children are encouraged to serve themselves, or serve themselves with the help from an adult. New foods are introduced frequently. Garden Blog What's Cooking? Our weekly menu Our menus are updated weekly. Select the pdf to view it. Civic League is very proud to announce that on October 31, 2016, representatives from the MN Department of Agriculture came to CLDN to tour the facility, meet our children (dressed in their Halloween attire!) and sample our lunch menu of the day - showcasing MN grown products prepared by Doreen. ​ In 2015, CLDN received a grant from the MN Department of Agriculture to revise our menus to support MN grown products and farmers. Since then, we have increased our offerings of food from MN farmers. These partnerships are critical to supporting our community and have allowed unique opportunities for our children. ​ We are proud of the partnership we have established with the MN Department of Agriculture, and humbled to be the first childcare center in MN to host them at their facility. Our meal service is partially funded and supervised by the Minnesota State Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Our food is purchased from local providers and other vendors. In accordance with Federal Law and the U.S. Department of Agricultural Policy, Civic League Day Nursery is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age and reprisal/retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Civic League Day Nursery adheres by this standard and is an equal opportunity provider. Civic League Day Nursery is an equal opportunity employer.

Our Garden of Growth the children's garden. Here they have planted and will get to pick their own vegetables at harvest. Learning from the land and with teachers guidance your child will get to smell and taste fresh basil and tomatoes leafy greens. BLOG Our Master Gardeners Beth Plaetzer and Dorothy Wichmann, Master Gardeners They started with our "little" project in early spring of 2016 thinking they would just help us get going. As it turns out, "It's their favorite time of the week." (spending time here at Civic League) They love it so much they've really adopted us and come 2-3 times a week to work with your children in the garden and also with staff to enhance curriculum and answer any questions.Thank you, thank you Dorothy and Beth we are truly grateful for your wisdom, guidance and commitment to Civic League Day Nursery! Fun Facts ​ ​​ Civic league Day Nursery was the first child care center to be awarded a Farm to Childcare Center grant in Minnesota. MN Department of Agriculture and MN Extension Service visited our center to see our Farm to Childcare. ​ Two Master Gardeners donated their time, and expertise to begin our garden initiative. ​​​​​​​ The Master Gardeners and Director attends the "Minnesota Schoolyard Gardens conference at the Arboretum in March. The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) of Minnesota in collaboration with MN Extension Agency visited the summer of 2018 to see our garden in full bloom.​ ​ ​ Other schools and daycare centers from Minnesota who are interested in starting gardens will join them to learn from us. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The Post Bulletin did a story on our garden efforts with the children. ​​​​​​​ Our garden is an educational enrichment that is superbly unique and a truly wonderful experience for your children and yourselves. It is their "Outdoor Classroom". ​​​​​​​ The materials, soil, mulch and upkeep for the garden is paid for (in part) from the yearly enrichment fees collected from you, our families. Garden Facts OUR GROWTH Garden TimeLapse Life moves pretty fast when it's captured with a Time Lapse Camera. This video reflects the sunflower and garden growth from June till September. During this time many obstacles were observed. One of which was a pesky bunny rabbit who made our garden his home and munched his way through. See him hoping around? Small wire fences were added to the space to protect our precious produce. ​ This video captures the sunflower's growth throughout the season and more uniquely solar tracking. Watch to see it dance and move to catch the suns light. Garden Gallery OUR GARDEN GALLERY

THE BALFOUR HOME The original house was built on the site in 1861. Dr. Will Mayo and his wife, Hattie, remodeled the home in 1910 as a wedding present for their daughter, Carrie Mayo, and her new husband Dr. Donald Balfour. A major expansion in 1916 included the west end of the house and a half-story addition above the second floor. The Balfours moved in 1960 and donated the home to the Mayo Foundation. The Rochester YMCA leased the house in 1961, followed by the Senior Citizen Day Center in 1966. Civic League Day Nursery received the house in 1975 in a trade of properties with the Mayo Foundation. COME INSIDE LOWER LEVEL Read More ENTRYWAY & LIBRARY Read More MUSIC ROOM Read More SECOND FLOOR Read More THIRD FLOOR Read More THE MUSIC ROOM Music Room MUSIC ROOM This was the central gathering place in the home, a tradition that continues today. Civic League calls it the "Large Muscle Room" and it’s where children do a variety of activities. The Civic League Board named this room the Joan Storm Gravett Room in honor of Mrs. Gravett, who was president of the board of directors when Civic League moved to the Balfour House. Mrs. Gravett served on the board for nine years and later was the director, serving with distinction from 1977 to 1995. In this room, Dr. Balfour would play the pipe organ for guests. Members of the Balfour family have told stories about Helen Keller visiting the home and holding her hands to the pipe chamber screens to experience the concert. At other times, the St. Olaf College choir would give concerts in the room, sometimes accompanied by Dr. Balfour on the pipe organ. The Balfours moved in 1960 and donated the organ to Christ United Methodist Church in Rochester, where it is today. The window nearest the back door opened to the family’s greenhouse. Dr. Balfour’s daughter, Mary, married Dr. Fred Helmholz here. The greenhouse was removed around the time of World War II. The original tile flooring remains under the carpet, along with the original wood trim on the ceiling. HISTORIC DETAILS PRESERVED Entryway ENTRYWAY & LIBRARY To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Lower Level LOWER LEVEL RICH IN HISTORY These two classrooms are for younger children, ages 16 months to 2 years. In the south room, Mother Goose tiles line the center of the mantel of the fireplace. This was the Balfour children’s playroom. It also served as the site for the Demonstration Nursery School, the programs Drs. C.A. Aldrich and Benjamin Spock developed while working with Carrie Mayo. ​ On the west wall are three doors. The first two doors once held pipes for the organ that was above in the music room. The third door provided access to the family's vault. The other classroom across the hallway was the family's laundry room. To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Second floor SECOND FLOOR RICH IN HISTORY The first two rooms at the top of the stairs in the front of the house are classrooms for the 3- to 4-year-olds. The first room was Dr. Balfour’s office and the second was the Balfour's bedroom. ​ Further down the hallway are classrooms for the 2 ½- to 3-year-olds. These were the bedrooms for the Balfour children. ​ Of special note is the second to last room on the left — Walter Balfour’s room. In the closet is sports figure wallpaper, with a note in the bottom left corner where he wrote: "Please don’t remove this wall paper – Walt Balfour’s closet." ​ Walter is the only living child of Donald and Carrie Balfour. He has come back to visit several times over the years and delights in seeing his home being "home" to the children who attend Civic League. BALFOUR SIGNATURE 101918 CLDN rooms-2956 101918 CLDN rooms-2963 Walter Balfour Signature 101918 CLDN rooms-2974 101918 CLDN rooms-2980 101918 CLDN rooms-2986 Show More Third Floor THIRD FLOOR RICH IN HISTORY These are the classrooms for the 4- to 5-year-old children. This floor was formerly occupied by the people who helped serve the house. A room also was rented to Mabel Root, who assisted Dr. Henry Plummer to expand the patient record system at the Mayo Clinic. IMG_5616 IMG_5608 IMG_5613 08262021 CLDN Interior-05131-HDR 08262021 CLDN Interior-05086-HDR 08262021 CLDN Interior-05095-HDR Show More 101918 CLDN rooms-3013 101918 CLDN rooms-3017 101918 CLDN rooms-3018 101918 CLDN rooms-3004 101918 CLDN rooms-3010 101918 CLDN rooms-3006 OUTDOORS The building in the rear of the property served as the garage, service facility and residence for Nels Twedt and his family. Mr. Twedt was the chauffeur and mechanic. Today, it has been remodeled to include office space on the first floor, while maintaining a garage stall on the right, along with an upstairs apartment. Outdoors Balfour_CLDN-1023-Edit 05152021 CLDN Historic-09820 05152021 CLDN Historic-09829 Balfour_CLDN-1167 IMG_6402 IMG_6417 Show More

Nature Explore Certified Classroom welcome to our We transformed our two play-yards into, "Nature Explore Certified Classrooms". The yards are rich in diverse offerings for children to continue their learning as they enter the outdoor classroom. ​ Art, music, loose parts for building, digging areas, natural plantings and addition of water sources are just some of the components that we have added to enhance the health, vitality and natural play for the children we serve! SCREEN FREE NATURE PLEASE! Pumping water to fill vessels and make a stream. A stairway of Balance. Serene, artful play. Time to create some music! Letting the imagination unfold. This fallen tree lends its limbs for thoughtful walking. Winding paths of exploration. They come every day, building towers, moats, shelters and cities. And what they build within themselves at the same time. Small cities built with the minds eye. Full of texture, full of play. "Childhood has changed.American kids now spend 27 percent of their time with electronic media: video games, television, computers, and recorded music. Green Hearts and the Jeffers Foundation's booklet, A Parent's Guide to Nature Play our goal Our main project goal was to create outdoor environments that provide children daily opportunities to access nature play as an integral part of their learning. These daily encounters differ from simply going on an outing or arriving at a destination for a visit. Here, we create the environments for the child to be fully immersed in uninterrupted play, freely moving from one area to the next. the impact To Inspire the next generation of tree planters and environmental stewards. ​ Create new experiential learning opportunities for children to enhance important observation and problem-solving skills. ​ Provide places for stimulating, hands-on, spontaneous outdoor play. ​ Positively influence children, families, and communities. what we gain Enhanced observation skills. ​ Improved fine motor skills ​ Improved concentration (especially beneficial for children with ADHD) ​ Greater recovery from cognitive fatigue ​ Reduced inci dence of nearsightedness and need for eye glasses Improved academic performance in reading, writing, math, science ​ Develop an affinity for nature ​ ​ OUR VISION came to life through passion, persistence, grant funding and donations We have implemented fifteen Guiding Principals of the Nature Explore Certified Classroom Entry fea ture An open area fo r la rge m otor activities A clim bing/crawling are a A "messy materials" area A building area A nature a rt area A music and movement area A garden area A gathering area Storage areas specific to individual area Water Area, Dirt Digging Area, Sand Area , Wheeled-Toy Area, Swings and other dynamic equipment ​ ​ ​ Messy Materials Our Messy Materials area promotes imagination, experimentation and critical thinking skills. Our large building platform steps down into a sandpit specifically designed to extend the play. Logs, blocks, rocks, poles and lumber are stored in the area but adults and children alike add more loose parts regularly like found sticks, branches, stones and even seasonal pumpkins. Coffee cans, tubes and tires also make amazing construction materials. This area encourages, pushing, pulling and lifting which is the “heavy work” of the child. Climbing/Crawling As children grow and develop, they need to successfully master physical challenges in order to gain self confidence and a sense of control over their environments. Learning how to maneuver their bodies by climbing, crawling, rolling and dangling develops their vestibular and proprioceptive input which is essential to perfecting their strength, agility and movement in the world around them. Music & Movement Music and movement are vital to children’s healthy development. Our outdoor Stage provides a space for children to experiment with musical and dance expression, rhythmic expression and it is also an area to create and perform their own stories. The children can freely access storage (mounted on the platform) a plethora of local and multicultural instruments, scarves, ribbons and costumes. A mounted Glockenspiel anchors the corner. Nature art area A magnificent Coffey tree spreads its arms over our Nature Art area providing dappled shade and inspiration. Children can freely access different mediums to paint, color, draw and paste. Children may sit collectively at the art table or work nearby at the chalkboard or easel. Building area Our building area is stocked with natural blocks, shells, tiles, and stones. Children create mosaics and small cities in this area. Weaving and making lacings with natural materials like leaves or beans. Gathering Area, Storage Areas A gathering area provides a place where adults and children can meet at the beginning or end of the time spent in the Nature Explore classroom. Special event like group sing- a- longs or visits from resource people can take place in the Gathering area, Children can easily access all areas of their outdoor classroom including the materials stored there. Each area has its own storage cabinet and there are also storage sheds that the children access as well. Water Area Water, the universal solvent! Pumping, filling, trickling, pouring and splashing. Hands on water activities allow the children to experience and change the flow of water, observe currents, discover what objects float and what objects sink. Watching how materials like sand or dirt change with the addition of water helps children learn transformation qualities of solids and liquids. Our centralized pump is also the source to fill watering cans for our gardens, fill cups and bowls for the sand/mud kitchen or a place to fill a vessel to rinse a paint brush while visiting the Art Area. Sand and Dirt Area Our three large Sand Areas between our two yards and Dirt Digging Area are stocked with real shovels, diggers and spades. Wooden and metal bowls, kettles and utensils offer realistic tools to really work with. Sometimes a grand “meal” is set as the mud kitchen serves up an interesting menu. Other times, a great moat is dug around a castle which is filled with water from the pump impeding any attackers. The imaginative play is boundless and ever changing. Wheeled Toy and Dynamic Equipment Areas We have large areas set aside for wheeled toy and dynamic equipment play. These provide children with valuable ways to experience the sensation of moving through space. Our goal is to create a “figure 8” for wheeled toys by removing much of the existing blacktop in our lower yard thus creating more green space for grasses, mulched areas and swings. We will also add swing to our toddler yard which is vital to their vestibular development.

COME AND EXPERIE NCE THE CIVIC LEAGUE DIFFERENCE Enewsletter e-newsletter Our Civic League Day Nursery e-newsletter is our place to share monthly updates on news and updates within the house. This is the place to see where the action comes from. Join to receive our E-newsletter Never miss an update Subscribe Now CONTACT US If you are interested in Civic League for your child we ask that you please contact our office. Phone (507) 282-5368 TO VISIT To visit or schedule a tour, please call the Civic League business office at (507) 282-5368. Address 427 6th Ave SW, Rochester, MN 55902 (507) 282-5368 email: execdir@cldnmn.org Have Questions or Suggestions we would love to hear them. Your details were sent successfully! Send To file a complainant of discrimination, write to the address below: USDA Director Office of Adjudication 1400 Independence Avenue SW Washington, D.C. 20250 Hearing Impaired or Speech Disabilities may contact the USDA through the Federal Relay Service at:800-877-8339 or 800-845-6136 (Spanish). History Big kids sandbox in lower yard Copyright, 2015 CLDN, Rochester MN Day Care Child Care Center-688 Child Reading Copyright, 2015 Civic League Day Nursery Childcare and Day Care at CLDN Center, Reading, Exploring, Learning, Discovering Outside playing in large lot Copyright, 2015 Civic League Day Nursery Childcare and Day Care at CLDN, Rochester MN Big kids sandbox in lower yard Copyright, 2015 CLDN, Rochester MN Day Care Child Care Center-688 1/8 Our Program Donate

We Are MOVERS & SHAKERS Play provides the foundation for academic or “school” learning. It is the preparation kids need before they learn highly abstract symbols such as letters and numbers. Play enables us to achieve the key goals of our early childhood curriculum. Play is the work of young kids. The activities we plan for the kids, the way we organize the environment, select toys and materials, plan the daily schedule, and talk with kids, are each designed to accomplish the goals of our curriculum and give your child a successful start in school. Creative Curriculum Civic League Day Nursery uses Creative Curriculum, which encourages kids to learn by doing, and to become enthusiastic learners. Creative Curriculum requires active thinking and experimenting to find out how things work, and to learn about the world we live in. The Goals of Creative Curriculum ​ Our goal is to help kids become independent, self-confident, inquisitive learners. We teach kids how to learn, not just in preschool, but through-out their lives. We allow them to learn at their own pace and in ways that are best for them. Creative Curriculum identifies goals in all areas of development: To help kids feel comfortable in school, trust their new environment, make friends, and feel they are a part of the group. To help kids experience pride and self-confidence, develop independence and self-control, and to have a positive attitude toward life. To help kids increase their large and small muscle skills and feel confident about what their bodies can do. To help kids become confident learners by letting them try out their own ideas and experience success, and by helping them acquire learning skills, such as the ability to solve problems, ask questions, and use words to describe their ideas and feelings. In 2015, our teachers created this illustrated coloring book to share the story of Civic League Day Nursery. ​ We hope you enjoy it as much as we do. You are welcome to download and color the pages. ​ Enjoy.

Enrichment at Civic League Twice per month our children enjoy music and yoga to activate their minds and bodies. The children and teachers together learn new songs and enjoy playing with new instruments while having peace of mind body and spirit. ​ All photos were taken and provided by Marie Ferguson at DM Creative Design.