Howdy Families & Friends,

We made it to the end of the year! As we reflect on the past year, we have many things to be grateful for, especially our families and staff.

In 2022, we joined the Division of Academic and Strategic Collaboration and obtained a 4-star (highest) quality care rating from Texas Rising Stars, and received perfect scores on our annual inspections in both the kitchen and child care center.

We tried new things! The new Family Food Truck dinner and Parent Café were both well received. We piloted the new early childhood Learn Grow Eat & Go! with Texas A&M AgriLife and collaborated with UART to create music with composer Nathan Felix. Both the staff and children Walked Across Texas, and we were able to bring back the Fall Family Feast.

We gave back and planned for the future. We received child care relief money were able to give back to our families $30,550 in scholarships and support. We participated in Texas Strengthening Families. Our Multipurpose building received a much-needed upgrade, including new flooring and paint, and we look forward to finishing that project in the new year! We also hope to hear back about our playground certifications in early 2023. We are looking forward to the many exciting opportunities that await us in 2023 and beyond!

As we prepare for the new year and celebrate the holiday season, we know it can be busy. Be sure to check out the holiday travel guide and parenting stress and self-care resources we have online. There are great tips to help parents navigate this wonderful and often challenging time of the year. Remember to make time for the things you enjoy!

The Family Advisory Board met in November and developed continuous improvement goals for the 2022-2023 school year:

2022-2023 Family Advisory Board Goals for the Becky Gates Children’s Center

1. BGCC will continue and expand on highlighting the Becky Gates Children’s Center to include a broader audience.
   1. Create and disseminate an infographic to share with advisors, HR, Admissions, Recruitment, and other identified parties to ensure newcomers are aware of the services BGCC provides.
   2. Continue sharing recognition and other important information with families via email.
   3. Share our stories with TAMU and BCS Marcomm.
2. BGCC will send out detailed information regarding our emergency plans and drills at the beginning of the fall semester.
   1. Parents will be notified of quarterly stay safe drills and tornado drills after a drill occurs (notification will occur after since drills are unannounced).
   2. Parents will not be notified of fire drills since they occur monthly.
3. BGCC will begin to investigate a more secure entrance.
   1. Key fobs and double door entry will be investigated.
   2. Children will make posters to encourage parents to use their swipe card to “help keep me safe.”
   3. Create culture where the safety of children take priority over holding doors open for others.
4. Create a parent cultural committee.
   1. Recruit family members to be on the cultural committee.
   2. Cultural committee responsible for planning cultural experiences for children.
5. Review our current procedures and policies for illness notification, calendar alignment with public schools, and discount for multiple children.

Recipes

We have received requests for the following recipes from the Fall Family Luncheon:

Cranberry Relish

Ingredients:

2  14 oz. cans whole cranberry sauce

1  17.25 oz. natural orange marmalade fruit spread

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Mix well and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

1 box spice cake mix

1 14 oz. can pureed pumpkin

Whipped Cream

Instructions:

1. Mix the spice cake and pureed pumpkin. Pour into a greased pan.
2. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 55-60 min.
3. Cool, slice, add whipped cream and ENJOY!

Spring Calendar