Would you like a night out?

Do you want the option of going to an appointment, or on a shopping trip, without the kids?

What about having dependable, reliable babysitting that's also FREE?

Then the SECPTA Babysitting Co-op may be for you.

It's a group of SECPTA members that exchange babysitting services for each other.

The Babysitting Co-op provides members with a babysitting option where no money is exchanged. Participation can begin once the person is a paid 2011-2012 SECPTA member, attends a Co-op meeting, and completes an Authorization Form.

Monthly meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month and are hosted by Co-op members.

RSVP to Babysittingcoopatsolonearlychildhoodpta.com

Book Club meets about once a month. We read a book, eat and drink a little, and chat about the book as well as life in general as a parent of little ones. Please feel free to join us (even if you haven't quite finished the book!). The book selection is always something available in paperback and at the library.  Contact Lisa Ulery, Book Club Chair, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you have suggestions on a book you would like discussed.

UPCOMING EVENTS!

Book Club at Swirl in Solon!

Date: February 2 (THUR) 

Book:  The Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes

Time: 7:30 pm

Host: Lisa Ulery, Book Club Chair

Location: Swirl Wine Bar on 33325 Bainbridge Road in Solon

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

This intense new novel follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he has never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance, one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. Tony Webster thought he’d left all this behind as he built a life for himself, and by now his marriage and family and career have fallen into an amicable divorce and retirement. But he is then presented with a mysterious legacy that obliges him to reconsider a variety of things he thought he’d understood all along, and to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.

 Would you like to take a "coffee break" with other SECPTA parents while your children play? If so, please join us! The Coffee Club is an informal "play date" in the home of a SECPTA member. Each event will feature free entertainment for the children, as well as free coffee, juice and snacks. The Coffee Club is a great way to meet other SECPTA members and socialize in a relaxed environment while your children play.

Upcoming Event for March: Let’s Drink in Style !

Come meet us at Fountain, a European style coffee house in Moreland Hills. The kids can enjoy the toy area and complete a fun craft while we have some delicious coffee!

We will also be able to sample their scrumptious croissants and quiche, and there will be mini pancakes for the kids. If your kids are in school, take a coffee break and come have a drink with us. We hope you join us for a special Coffee Club this month!!

If you would like to attend please sign-up at the February 28th meeting or email Bethany Richmond, Coffee Club Chair, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please also email Bethany with any ideas for future clubs or if you would like to host an event!

 The SECPTA Cooking Club is open to moms and dads who want to socialize, learn something new, and of course, cook. At cooking club events, we will share recipes, work together in preparing new recipes, learn new techniques, and attend informative demonstrations. The cooking club is open to all cooks, from the novice cook to the gourmet.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Watch your emails! Cooking club is planning a prepare and sit down meal at Williams-Sonoma, and a lecture and meal by a naturopathic physician also is in the works. If you are interested in hosting the lecture, have ideas or would like to participate in a cooking club event, please email Kate Isroff at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

These outings provide the SECPTA dads with an opportunity to meet each other and have fun. Our past events included Texas Hold 'em, Open Gym Basketball, Indoor Golf, Paintball and more.  

Upcoming Events!

DADS AND KIDS' SLEDDING

Check out our upcoming fitness events!

Note: we are also looking into organizing walking and running groups.  Please email me if you have a suggestion or interest in a group, or any suggestions on fitness activities!

Thanks,

Robin Siff

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It is time for moms to have some fun! Leave the kids at home with Dad and join other SECPTA moms for special events that are just for moms.

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See the Adult Outings Page for some fun outings coming in March!

VP Programs: Christa Bomeli

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Meetings are held at 7:00 pm at the Solon Recreation Center on Portz Parkway in Solon. Free babysitting will be available at the meetings! You will need to sign a liability waiver form the first time you use the babysitting option and the kids will need to be signed in and out.

2011-2012 Programs

October 25: College Savings Options - Review and Discussion, the Advantages and Disadvantages of Each

Ryan Cox

Come learn about options on how to save for all those college educations in the future. Ryan Cox is a Vice President-Investments with Robert W. Baird & Co. in downtown Cleveland. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and has been a financial advisor for the last 11 years.

*Also, we are having a Snowsuit and Winter Coat Exchange.  Please drop off items at 6:30 p.m. and you will receive a number to choose a garment after the featured speaker.  Please pin your name in your donated item so if your garment is not chosen you may take it home.

November 22: Share with SECPTA – Game Night/Holiday Treat Share and Cookie Exchange

We’re keeping it social this month! We will have various tables of games and switching around so people have a chance to meet new people and have a lot of fun. We will also be getting in the Thanksgiving mood by sharing holiday treats/desserts.  Get creative, try out a new treat or dessert, have fun and share it.  Also, we will include a Cookie Exchange.  Anyone who brings two dozen cookies can take home two dozen (home made or store bought).  Carry out containers will be provided.  What could be better just days before the big feast? Gather a perfect hostess gift or take home another dessert for your Turkey Day!

January 24: Kindergarten Readiness With The Ohio PTA

Is my child ready for kindergarten? How can I help my child become better prepared for kindergarten?  Participants at our January meeting will receive information to help answer these questions and participate in activities to aid in readying their children for kindergarten.  The discussion will include Ohio's Early Learning Content Standards, kindergarten readiness checklists, activities to help prepare your children for kindergarten, and guidance on how to find the appropriate preschool for your child.

February 28: Summer Camp Fair

Beat those winter blues and start planning for summer! We’ll be bringing in various groups to set up tables to provide information on summer camps available for preschool age children and beyond. Look forward to a list of who will be joining us closer to the date.

March 27: Operation Write Home

We’re teaming up with Service for a night of fun, food and friends all for a good cause: Operation Write Home. This organization provides blank homemade greeting cards to our nation’s armed forces to write home. We’ll be collecting cards decorated by your kids, making cards for this organization as well as writing letters of encouragement to our men and women in the armed forces.

April 24: Get up and move with SECPTA!

Christine Hales

SECPTA’s own Christine Hales will be getting us moving in April. She’ll be leading us in a 40-45 minute workout session with activities we can do at home. Christine teaches cardio interval, kickboxing, bootcamp, and TRX classes at the Solon Community Center. She is a certified Group Exercise Instructor through AFAA and an ACE Certified Personal Trainer. So come join us as we get off those chairs and move!

May 22: SECPTA Social

End of the year celebration! This event will be all social and all fun. Stay tuned for details!