Correction Regarding Preschool Care
Dear BTCCC Preschool Families,
An article printed in this evening’s Marin Independent Journal (2/29/08) has an error.
While after-school care will resume on Monday, preschool care will not.
The reporter Jennifer Upshaw misunderstood me during an interview earlier today. The only arrangements we have made as of this time is to provide an after-school program at Reed School for Kindergartners through Second Grade. There will be no morning drop in program, and we are still looking for an alternative location for the preschool program.
At this time, we advise preschool parents to make alternative child care arrangements up to Friday, March 14. It is regrettable that this mistake was made in the article, and any false hopes that it may have created.
For the most accurate information on developments, please rely upon our emails, calls or our new blog at www.btccc.org.
If you have any questions, please contact us directly at (415) 435-4366. We would like to address your particular concerns and to clarify any misinformation. Please leave a message if we do not pick up the phone. We will return your phone call the first chance we get.
Thank you very much for your continued understanding and support during a time that is challenging for us. It is our utmost desire to have all of the children back together again as soon as possible.
Thank you for your patience.
Sincerely,
Cristy
Friday, February 29, 2008
BTCCC After-School Program To Resume on Monday, March 3
Dear Parents,
GOOD NEWS! The BTCCC After School Program will resume on Monday, March 3 at Reed School. Kindergarten teachers Ms. Linden and Ms. Collins have generously offered us the use of their classrooms for our after school program. Unfortunately, we will not be able to offer early morning drop-offs at this time. We will send you more information about how the program will work later this week.
The regular Preschool Program will continue to be on hold pending a new temporary facility. We are making every effort (or trying to move heaven and earth) to get the program started as soon as possible. Please watch out for updates.
Thank you very much to Reed Union School District members Chris Carter, Lexie Sifford, Windy Linden, Jenna Collins, Merle Chisholm, and Ron Barney of the Tiburon Fire Department and Mike Cronin of the Tiburon Police Department for helping to make this happen as quickly as it did.
Keep on checking your e-mail for more updates.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
Cristy and Samantha
Dear Parents,
GOOD NEWS! The BTCCC After School Program will resume on Monday, March 3 at Reed School. Kindergarten teachers Ms. Linden and Ms. Collins have generously offered us the use of their classrooms for our after school program. Unfortunately, we will not be able to offer early morning drop-offs at this time. We will send you more information about how the program will work later this week.
The regular Preschool Program will continue to be on hold pending a new temporary facility. We are making every effort (or trying to move heaven and earth) to get the program started as soon as possible. Please watch out for updates.
Thank you very much to Reed Union School District members Chris Carter, Lexie Sifford, Windy Linden, Jenna Collins, Merle Chisholm, and Ron Barney of the Tiburon Fire Department and Mike Cronin of the Tiburon Police Department for helping to make this happen as quickly as it did.
Keep on checking your e-mail for more updates.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
Cristy and Samantha
Thursday, February 28, 2008
How You Can Help...
If you would like to donate toys, books or other items to BTCCC, we thank you and suggest you consider viewing our registries at Toys R Us and Target.
At Toys R Us, look up BTCC (one C is missing), Suen, and/or #01152933.
At Target, perform an advanced search and enter BTCCC under ORGANIZATION. The list type is WISH LIST and the ID# 012399101056985.
If you would like to donate toys, books or other items to BTCCC, we thank you and suggest you consider viewing our registries at Toys R Us and Target.
At Toys R Us, look up BTCC (one C is missing), Suen, and/or #01152933.
At Target, perform an advanced search and enter BTCCC under ORGANIZATION. The list type is WISH LIST and the ID# 012399101056985.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
February 26, 2008
From the BTCCC Board of Directors
Dear BTCCC Parents:
On Monday evening, the Board held an emergency meeting with the Center’s Executive Director Cristy Burrell to discuss last Friday’s fire at BTCCC at Reed School and learn of the progress that is being made to restore preschool and childcare services.
We can assure you that every effort is being made to resume childcare as quickly as possible. There have been many positive developments, and the situation continues to develop rapidly. Cristy and her staff are investigating a variety of alternative spaces, and working closely with the state licensing board to ensure that the alternative spaces are appropriate and workable. At this time, we are optimistic that we will have licensable space available to use for our after-school care program as soon as Monday, March 3. We are still looking into different options for the preschool program. As soon as arrangements are finalized, updates will be sent to you by e-mail. BTCCC has received tremendous support from Christine Carter, the superintendent of the Reed Union School District, for which we are very grateful.
In the meantime, please continue to follow Cristy’s instruction to provide your own childcare if your child is in Pre-K, Kindergarten, First or Second Grade during this week.
We understand that this extraordinary event may be extremely unsettling, problematic and stressful for you. As parents of children at BTCCC, we fully appreciate your situation and concerns, and thank you for the patience and support you have shown to Cristy, the staff and to us individually. Soon, we hope to remedy the disruption that this has caused.
What Do I Tell My Child?
Please let your child know that we are working as quickly as possible to bring them back together with their friends and teachers. While it will be a different setting for awhile, they will still have lots of fun learning and playing together.
If your child is unusually upset by this experience, please let Cristy or the staff know as they may have some suggestions to help.
What Can I Do?
We have heard from many of you that you would like to know how you can help. Shortly, we will post a list of needs at our web site for which we would gratefully accept donations (cash or in-kind). A registry has been established at Target, providing an easy mechanism for giving. As the next steps become clearer, we will alert you to other needs. If you can help, just send us an email and we will contact you.
An Amazing Staff That Has Lost Much
While Cristy and her extraordinary staff handled the fire with incredible professionalism, safely removing our children from the building and playground before any danger, they also have worked nonstop since the fire.
In the days that have followed, Cristy, Samantha Suen, and staff have worked around the clock assessing damages; removing and assembling records and files that were salvageable; and meeting with the school district, state licensing agency, insurance company, architects, builders and many others in order to restore services.
While this event has imposed hardship for some of us, it also represents a significant loss to the teachers and staff who have worked at the Center for many years. Important files, years of photos, useful teaching aids, favorite books, educational computers, one enormous television that provided lots of fun, loving memories, and much more were lost. Some teachers also lost purses and other personal belongings in the fire.
Our hearts go out to all the children, families, teachers, staff, and community members who are now grieving the loss of our building and all that it represents. We have been humbled by the outpouring of support and offers of help, and will thankfully accept your offers of charity, energy and kindness as we move forward to restore our Center. Finally, in the midst of all the work of rebuilding, we pause several times a day to consider how fortunate we are that not a single person was injured in the fire. For this we are truly grateful.
If you have any thoughts, concerns or ideas that you would like to share, please contact Susan Lee, our president, at 415-703-5876 or susan.lee@doj.ca.gov.
Please visit this blog for updates.
Thank you again for your support and patience.
Sincerely,
The BTCCC Board of Directors
Susan Lee, President
Mary Hayden, Treasurer
Karen Halsey, Secretary
Jennifer Caleshu, Director
Christina Hoppe, Director
Annie Jackson, Director
Windy Linden, Director
Tina Warren, Director
From the BTCCC Board of Directors
Dear BTCCC Parents:
On Monday evening, the Board held an emergency meeting with the Center’s Executive Director Cristy Burrell to discuss last Friday’s fire at BTCCC at Reed School and learn of the progress that is being made to restore preschool and childcare services.
We can assure you that every effort is being made to resume childcare as quickly as possible. There have been many positive developments, and the situation continues to develop rapidly. Cristy and her staff are investigating a variety of alternative spaces, and working closely with the state licensing board to ensure that the alternative spaces are appropriate and workable. At this time, we are optimistic that we will have licensable space available to use for our after-school care program as soon as Monday, March 3. We are still looking into different options for the preschool program. As soon as arrangements are finalized, updates will be sent to you by e-mail. BTCCC has received tremendous support from Christine Carter, the superintendent of the Reed Union School District, for which we are very grateful.
In the meantime, please continue to follow Cristy’s instruction to provide your own childcare if your child is in Pre-K, Kindergarten, First or Second Grade during this week.
We understand that this extraordinary event may be extremely unsettling, problematic and stressful for you. As parents of children at BTCCC, we fully appreciate your situation and concerns, and thank you for the patience and support you have shown to Cristy, the staff and to us individually. Soon, we hope to remedy the disruption that this has caused.
What Do I Tell My Child?
Please let your child know that we are working as quickly as possible to bring them back together with their friends and teachers. While it will be a different setting for awhile, they will still have lots of fun learning and playing together.
If your child is unusually upset by this experience, please let Cristy or the staff know as they may have some suggestions to help.
What Can I Do?
We have heard from many of you that you would like to know how you can help. Shortly, we will post a list of needs at our web site for which we would gratefully accept donations (cash or in-kind). A registry has been established at Target, providing an easy mechanism for giving. As the next steps become clearer, we will alert you to other needs. If you can help, just send us an email and we will contact you.
An Amazing Staff That Has Lost Much
While Cristy and her extraordinary staff handled the fire with incredible professionalism, safely removing our children from the building and playground before any danger, they also have worked nonstop since the fire.
In the days that have followed, Cristy, Samantha Suen, and staff have worked around the clock assessing damages; removing and assembling records and files that were salvageable; and meeting with the school district, state licensing agency, insurance company, architects, builders and many others in order to restore services.
While this event has imposed hardship for some of us, it also represents a significant loss to the teachers and staff who have worked at the Center for many years. Important files, years of photos, useful teaching aids, favorite books, educational computers, one enormous television that provided lots of fun, loving memories, and much more were lost. Some teachers also lost purses and other personal belongings in the fire.
Our hearts go out to all the children, families, teachers, staff, and community members who are now grieving the loss of our building and all that it represents. We have been humbled by the outpouring of support and offers of help, and will thankfully accept your offers of charity, energy and kindness as we move forward to restore our Center. Finally, in the midst of all the work of rebuilding, we pause several times a day to consider how fortunate we are that not a single person was injured in the fire. For this we are truly grateful.
If you have any thoughts, concerns or ideas that you would like to share, please contact Susan Lee, our president, at 415-703-5876 or susan.lee@doj.ca.gov.
Please visit this blog for updates.
Thank you again for your support and patience.
Sincerely,
The BTCCC Board of Directors
Susan Lee, President
Mary Hayden, Treasurer
Karen Halsey, Secretary
Jennifer Caleshu, Director
Christina Hoppe, Director
Annie Jackson, Director
Windy Linden, Director
Tina Warren, Director
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Dear Parents & Families of BTCCC
As you already know, there was a fire emergency at the BTCCC on Friday, February 22. The smoke alarm went off around 11:30 AM. A quick check of the kitchen and laundry room revealed nothing. At this time, the preschoolers were playing outside and the school age children were in the building. The building was quickly evacuated. A staff member saw flames near the boy’s bathroom. By this time, the children were already out of the building. The preschool teachers also made the wise decision to evacuate from the preschool playground. The children were brought to the far end of the Reed School play structure initially. We then moved to the tables by the Reed School Multipurpose room. There were 60 children moved out of the building and playground quickly and safely by 11 staff members. Parents were called soon after the evacuation and by 2:30 PM, all children were picked up.
The building is a total loss, however, and will have to be replaced. For obvious reasons, we are unable to operate at the Reed Site. Bel Aire and Del Mar children may attend the Bel Aire Site as usual starting Feb. 25. Parents of preschool and Kinder through 2nd Graders must make alternative arrangements for child care for the full week of Feb. 25. We will contact parents during the week to inform you if we are able to provide any kind of service for the week of March 3.
We have already initiated communication with different parties necessary to resume operation for the interim and for the long term. This includes the school district, licensing, the insurance company, architects and builders.
We know that this is a hardship for many families but please keep in mind that it is more important that no one was injured during this incident. Just a little thought to help keep things in perspective.
I am deeply grateful……
Sincerely,
Cristina Burrell
Executive Director
The building is a total loss, however, and will have to be replaced. For obvious reasons, we are unable to operate at the Reed Site. Bel Aire and Del Mar children may attend the Bel Aire Site as usual starting Feb. 25. Parents of preschool and Kinder through 2nd Graders must make alternative arrangements for child care for the full week of Feb. 25. We will contact parents during the week to inform you if we are able to provide any kind of service for the week of March 3.
We have already initiated communication with different parties necessary to resume operation for the interim and for the long term. This includes the school district, licensing, the insurance company, architects and builders.
We know that this is a hardship for many families but please keep in mind that it is more important that no one was injured during this incident. Just a little thought to help keep things in perspective.
I am deeply grateful……
- To the BTCCC staff present on that day for exercising good judgement and quick action during the evacuation and for keeping the children calm and secure while waiting for parents to pick up.
- To Lou Perrelli who helped us contact parents.
- To Chris Carter, the superintendent of the Reed Union School District for coming to the scene and currently working with us to make alternative arrangements.
- To all the parents for coming as quickly as they could and maintaining a sense of calmness as they picked up their children.
- To all others who have shown their support since Friday afternoon.
Sincerely,
Cristina Burrell
Executive Director
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