Building a community is a core value of Applewood. Family involvement is an integral part of our success. It is through a strong staff-family partnership that we are best able to meet our responsibilities to our children. Working together, we can create extraordinary learning experiences for our children. Please read on about our committees, Center events, fundraising and outreach opportunities.

Click here to view our Calendar of Events in a new window.

Committees

Applewood functions with the help of several committees made up of parent volunteers and Board liaisons. It is through these committees that Applewood is able to leverage a wealth of knowledge and creativity, at the same time that parents are able to participate in maintaining Applewood as the best early learning environment for their young children. Committees can vary from year to year, depending upon the needs of the center. Examples of the committees and their responsibilities are as follows:

Compensation: This committee works to find creative and alternative methods for compensating and rewarding our hard working teachers and staff. To read our Position Statement on Compensating Early Childhood Educators, click here.

Community/Fundraising: This committee will help Applewood develop and strengthen relationships both within the center and in the greater community. We'll work to gain businesses as community partners and to bring the Applewood families closer together. We will redirect our fundraising efforts to be more efficient and we'll help Applewood to become an active participant in the Londonderry community.

Property and Asset Preservation: The purpose of the committee is to maintain the infrastructure and visual appearance of the real property and other tangible assets of the Applewood Learning Center. Responsibilities include the coordination of improvements and preservation in and around the Center.

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Applewood Events

Week of the Young Child - Every year Applewood celebrates the Week of the Young Child (WOYC) in April. This year's celebration will take place April 2- 8, 2006. During this time we have special activities daily, including an ice cream social and we have an evening Pizza Party with family entertainment - all to celebrate YOUNG CHILDREN.

Kindergarten Graduation - Every year we celebrate the children who will be moving on from Applewood to the first grade. In June we get together with these children and their families for a Graduation ceremony complete with diplomas!

Open House - this event is held during the first week of October and is an opportunity for families and staff to get together and learn more about each other and the children that link their partnership.

Annual Parent Meeting - this event is held every November and hosted by the Board of Directors. This is a chance for the Board to inform parents and staff about the important work that they are doing to guide Applewood in its growth and encourage active participation by the families.

Parent/Teacher Conferences - Parents join with teachers at least twice per year to discuss their child's development and growth.

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Fundraising Events

Benefit Auction - Our Second Annual Benefit Auction was held on April 9, 2005 at Promises to Keep in Derry. Once again the night was a great success and a good time was had by all. Special thanks to all donors, sponsors and attendees. The auction was a perfect way to complete our celebration of the Week of the Young Child. We hope you will join us in 2006!

Innisbrook Gift Wrap - September marks the beginning of our school year and the onset of our annual Innisbrook Gift Wrap sale. This high quality gift wrap is sold by children and families in our program and is delivered in plenty of time for the holidays.

And it doesn't have to stop there! If you missed the September sale or wish you had ordered more, orders can be placed online all year and shipped direct to you AND they still benefit Applewood when you enter our school account number of 108554.
Just click this package and start shopping!

Online Shopping at SchoolPop.com - Do you shop online? Well, when you register at SchoolPop.com your online purchases can earn rebates for Applewood. It's easy and costs you nothing. In fact, at SchoolPop.com you can learn about the many ways that you and your friends and family can help Applewood earn rebates. These rebates really add up so please take a moment to learn more about how you can Make it Count for Kids with SchoolPop!

Online Shopping at Amazon.com - Through the Amazon Associates program, Applewood is able to benefit from purchases made through links from this web site. If you are an Amazon customer, please think about using one of the links on this site to start your shopping and, in so doing, help us to enhance the learning environment for our children.



Other Fundraising Events include Bake Sales, the Evening of Giving in partnership with the local malls, and Book Fair.

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Outreach Events

Applewood not only makes the lives of the children enrolled here better, but strives to make other's lives better as well. We make a conscientious effort to conduct continued outreach to the community. This not only betters the community, but it teaches the children enrolled in the center tolerance and generosity.

Food Drive for the Sonshine Soup Kitchen - We hold this food drive in November to benefit the Sonshine Soup Kitchen of Derry, NH. Children and families of the center are encouraged to donate non-perishable items to the drive. Applewood collects the food and donates it to the soup kitchen.

Mitten Tree for Helping Hands - Every Holiday season we put up a tree in our foyer and ask families to place a pair of mittens on the tree. This collection then goes to the Helping Hands Outreach Center in Manchester, NH where the mittens are dispersed to under-priviledged children in the area.

Pillow Drive for Helping Hands - Periodically, Applewood will hold a pillow drive. Pillows with pillowcases are collected for a shelter in Manchester. People who use the shelter can then take the pillows with them after their stay. The pillows are given to the Helping Hands Outreach Center in Manchester.

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