IRONWOOD MOPS

GENERAL INFORMATION

Meeting at Community of Hope Church
3141 W. Ironwood Hill Dr.  Phone: 743-7359

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MOPS 2008-2009 MEETING SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE

Note: Please pick up your child/children by 11:30 am.
Children become anxious as they see others picked up, so please be prompt. We want your children to leave MOPPETS with a smile!

MEETING GUIDELINES

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW…

To help make our meetings go smoothly and make it more enjoyable for everyone please abide by these guidelines: 

• Be prompt! We need to start on time!

• Please turn all cell phones OFF or to vibrate as a courtesy to our speakers and other moms.

• We have a MOPPETS program for your child/children; however if you feel more comfortable with your infant with you they are welcome until 3 months of age.

• If you are able, please let us know you will be coming so we can plan for appropriate numbers.

All about MOPPETS

The staff of the MOPPETS program wants to make coming to MOPS an enjoyable and rewarding experience for both you and your child. To accomplish this, we provide a loving staff and a safe, sanitary, and pleasant environment. It is our desire to help children learn of God’s special love for them.

MOPPETS infants and toddlers will have an informal setting in which they will interact with each other and their teachers in a guided manner with music often playing in the rooms and little story books being read individually to children. 

MOPPETS ages two through kindergarten will have a lesson, which will include a Bible story, a craft, a snack, and a song and/or finger play.

Registration

You will be given a registration paper to fill out with any details we should know in order to best care for your child/children.
Note: Please label bottles, diaper bags, and any loose items to help us keep them with their proper owners. Disposable diapers are required for sanitary reasons.

Check In & Out

Please arrive early to prevent waiting in line. Each child is to be signed in by the teacher on the attendance sheet and special information is recorded. If your child has any special snack restrictions or allergies, please let the teacher know so that it can be recorded.  Pagers are given to each Mom when you drop off your child.

The Crying Child

Separation Anxiety is a very normal thing for a preschooler. If we are unable to calm your child in a reasonable amount, you will be paged. If this happens, please do not feel singled out or embarrassed. Your child just needs some special Mommy love. You may wish to come early for the first few meetings to allow time for your child to be checked in without hurried partings. Rooms open at 9:00 am. It is also helpful for you to return promptly at the end of the morning. By 11:30, many children are becoming tired and hungry. As they watch other moms pick up their children, they may also become worried because no one has picked them up yet, and end their morning in tears that could have been prevented.

Safety

For the safety of your child/children and for the caregivers, there will be more than one adult person and/or teen in each room. Occasionally, due to circumstances beyond our control this guideline is not always able to be met. In this instance age groups may be combined and/or MOPS women (“On Call” for the session) may be asked for assistance. These guidelines are in place for the safety of our children, and we hope that if you are asked for assistance you will be willing to help.
Note: A mom should not leave the Community of Hope grounds while her children are in the nursery.

Illness

We want to provide a healthy environment for our MOPPETS and caregivers, so we ask that you keep your child at home if any of the following symptoms or illnesses are present:

• Any Communicable Disease (i.e. Measles, mumps, active chicken pox, etc)

• Contagious Infections (i.e. impetigo, pink eye, strep throat)

• Diarrhea

• Excessive Coughing

• Any Fever (child must be fever free for 24 hours)

• Undiagnosed rashes

• Vomiting

Note: Children with any of these symptoms will not be admitted to the nursery.
 

If your child becomes ill while in MOPPETS, you will be notified promptly. If your child is under a doctor’s care and being treated with antibiotics, he/she should be on the medication for at least 24 hours before coming to MOPPETS. Remember we want all of the MOPPETS children to remain healthy and happy. For your protection, we ask caregivers to follow these same guidelines.

Our MOPPETS caregivers provide an important service to us by taking special care of our children. Please treat them with respect and show them your appreciation often!

JUST FOR YOU!

International Membership – The MOPS International Membership is required for all moms attending MOPS groups because MOPS wants to reach out directly to all moms. The cost is $20.00, with scholarships available. This money goes to MOPS International to cover their costs to support our group and other groups around the world. After you register with our Finance Team Leader, a package of MOPS benefits* will be mailed to you from MOPS International. You will receive a MOMSense magazine subscription (bi-monthly for a full year), a MOPS International Calendar and, if you have email, you will receive MOM-E-Mail (weekly bursts of encouragement) as well. The calendar includes special opportunities for MOPS International Members to participate in on-line author discussions and special contests.  The calendar also includes member-only discounts from the MOPShop and FREE downloadable MOM-E-Tunes from artists like Sara Groves, 
Go Fish and Kim Hill! You will also receive a personalized nametag with your calendar.  The MOPS International Membership makes a great gift for a mom who can’t attend our MOPS group. Talk to Erin Berry, Jane Rousculp or Patricia Small for more information.
*The specific benefits of MOPS International Membership vary, and are subject to availability.

Monthly Meetings – Your MOPS Steering Team works hard to provide a relaxing atmosphere, a place where you can enjoy breakfast without ‘sharing’ any of it, speakers that will encourage and sometimes challenge you, and crafts to entertain you. In order to do this we are asking for $5.00 per meeting in order to help cover our costs.

If the financial portion is difficult for you at this time, please fill out the attached scholarship form.

MOPS Library – We have a library available for all here at Community of Hope. You will find many books to encourage and support you in your parenting, marriage, and many other areas.

MOPS Galaxy of Giveaways – A table will be provided each month for you to donate or take items that are gently used. Any items are welcome; at the end of the day those items left behind will be donated to charity.

2007-2008 STEERING TEAM

(As of September 2007)