A Message From Your Executive Director
Dear Residents and Families,
We made it through the time of year with the shortest days and least daylight and we are on our way to warmer weather in the next few months. Please be safe if/when spending any time outside this month – dress warm!
Inside The Village staff are working hard to keep residents engaged and busy and out of the cold! As part of our efforts to give residents volunteer opportunities, we will be assembling Valentine’s Day gift bags for adults and children who are living at The Haven. Everyone deserves love and recognition and we’re so happy to have the opportunity to help.
On Friday 2/10 we will once again welcome students from the Adopt-A-Grandparent program at Hartford High School who will visit our Memory Care residents and make a Valentine-themed craft with them. On Valentine’s Day we will host a dance for Memory Care residents from 2-4 pm.
In our photo section below, you will see that on Friday February 3rd the directors all wore red in honor of Wear Red for Heart Health Day. Some of our residents got a kick out of watching us try to get just one decent picture of the group. In the end, I think we did okay.
Please remember that the Windsor Dining Room is closed to residents between meals. The dining room opens at 7:30am for breakfast, at 11:30am for lunch, and at 4:30pm for dinner. Please allow our staff the time to prepare for the next meal service and do not enter prior to the time the dining room is open. Thank you.
Last week I sent each resident or their responsible party a letter stating what we believe is the deductible portion of rent paid in 2022, as well as a letter informing of the total amount of rent each resident paid in 2022. I hope this information will be helpful in your tax preparation.
Our recruitment efforts continue, with considerable success in January. We welcomed 3 returning nurses and hired a cook, a server, a driver, and several new QLS staff. Be on the lookout for familiar faces and some new ones.
Sending you warm thoughts during the cold, short month of February.
Be well,
Nikki
Community Updates & Activities from Russell Hardeman
February Events 2023
2/1/23 – ‘Bov Water (A Stirring New Choreopoem) at Northern Stage
Celeste Jennings, Abigail Jean-Baptiste, director If you don’t know your family’s history, how do you define yourself? Four generations of Black women breathe and bathe in a past that is both purposefully and unintentionally forgotten in this powerful new choreopoem by Celeste Jennings (Citrus). These resilient and inquisitive spirits traverse time and space on a trip that is heartwarming, important, and very human, challenging and discovering their own narratives.
2/2/23 – Lunch Outing -110 Grill
2/4/23 – New England School of the Arts presents: Benefit Concert $35.00 – $50.00
You are cordially invited to an evening showcasing the best that the Upper Valley has to offer by New England School of the Arts (NESA). Along with live performances from community dance groups, vocalists, and musicians in support of NESA, you will see video testimonies from well-known artists. The famed composer, author, lecturer, and performer Bruce Adolphe, as well as Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls), Noah Kahan (currently touring in support of his new album Stick Season), and others, provide outstanding video testimonials (aka the Piano Puzzler from American Public Media). Author, educator, and comedian Cindy Pierce and Dr. Mike Casey, a music professor at Dartmouth College, are among the special guests.
2/8/23 – Vermont Humanities Council – John Lewis and RUN! An Evening with author Andrew Aydin
The Farmers Night Concert Series is a long-standing State House custom that dates back more than a century to a time when lawmakers used to pass their time during the middle of the week while away from home in the House Chamber. Every Wednesday night during the legislative session, performers from all across the state perform in the well of the House Chamber in styles ranging from classical music to bluegrass to barbershops. ANDREW AYDIN book called RUN: BOOK ONE (Vt., Montpelier)
2/9/23 – OUTING – 99 Restaurant
2/9/23 – Adventures in Turkey (MaryAnn)
Jackie’s daughter (MaryAnn) took a trip to Turkey, and she wants to share her adventures with the residents of the Village. It will be an adventure that will never be forgotten.
2/9/23 – Piano Performance by Sally Pinkas, Rollins Chapel (Dartmouth College)
The Austrian city is frequently hailed as the origin of many timeless compositions throughout time. Five great Vienna masters are represented by compositions by Pinkas, who will be conducting a Dartmouth Music Study Abroad program there later this spring: Marianna Martines, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, and Alexander Zemlinsky.
Piano player Sally Pinkas, who was born in Israel, has won widespread acclaim for her passionate and articulate performances since making her London debut at Wigmore Hall. Pinkas performs for enthusiastic audiences and young pianists while traveling and sharing her extensive repertoire. Mozart, Schumann, Fauré, Debussy, Gaubert, Martin, Rochberg, Shapiro, Pinkham, and Wolff are among the composers whose works Sally has recorded.
2/11/23 – Cornerstone Community Center Event\ Italian Dinner followed by the Musical Group; “The Better Days Band” ($20)
2/12/23 – 2023 Super Bowl LVII Sunday (Kansas City Chiefs Vs. Philadelphia Eagles)
2/14/23 – Secret Cupid Gift Exchange (Cost $5 – $10 dollars) / Valentines Expressions & Exchange (Happy Hour)
Come by Teddy’s Pub and get a drink, maybe share a poem or a song. Let’s do something a little different from the norm. Who knows what you might receive? Maybe a card, candy, or a friendly smile. Let’s enjoy each other. Come join the celebration as we listen to light music, share a nice glass of wine and light refreshments. You can be a part of our “Secret Cupid” Gift Exchange by signing up at the front desk. But don’t forget it’s a secret gift exchange. So! If you would like to participate, please sign – up at the front desk. Have all gifts in before the event that afternoon.
2/16/23 – Lunch Outing – Jesse’s Steak House, Seafood & Tavern
2/16/23 – Performance: 2023 Coast Jazz Orchestra at Dartmouth with Tomas Fujiwara’s Shizuko ($12)
Tomas Fujiwara, a well-known drummer and composer joins the group and performs a new piece of music that was influenced by his Shizuko, his grandmother. Tomas Fujiwara, a composer, joins the Coast Jazz Orchestra with a group of frequent collaborators, including guitarist Rafiq Bhatia, cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, and cellist Tomeka Reid. Fujiwara also plays drums and vibraphone. The Coast will perform collaborations with guest artists, fresh student compositions, and jazz standards, while Fujiwara’s group will debut new music inspired by his grandmother Shizuko. (Collis Common Ground at D. College)
2/18/23 – Tip Top Pottery (Let’s Make Something Great)
Tip Top Pottery is essentially a paint-your-own-pottery studio with everything you need at your disposal to make a unique piece of pottery! To inspire your creative side, we offer ceramic pieces (bisqueware), glazes, brushes, stamps, stencils, and a fun setting! It won’t take you long to produce your own masterpiece; all you need is a little imagination and a desire to have fun. Everybody is creative!
2/19/23 – Performance: Dartmouth Glee Club
The choral singers draw on their ever-expanding repertory for an uplifting performance. (Church of Christ at Dartmouth)
2/22/23 – The Vermont State House – The Enigmatic and Charismatic Alexander Twilight: A Celebration of America’s First Legislator of African Descent
Rep. Alexander Twilight of Brownington, who was elected as the country’s first legislator of African origin in 1836 and is the subject of a new State House picture by Katie Runde, is honored by Middlebury historian Bill Hart and others. Hart and others delve into the convoluted history of this passionate and inspired teacher, and the Friends find moving and upbeat music to add some life to their presentation. (Montpelier, VT)
2/28/23 – Winter: Gospel Choir 2023
New music and cherished favorites evoke optimism and excitement. The HOP ENSEMBLE 22/23 Guest Director Ahmaya Knoelle Higginson continues to serve as the choir’s guest director following an outstanding fall concert. generously supported by the Bruce Webb Eaken 1926 Memorial Fund, the Slade ’76 Fund, the Stephenson Fund for Student Ensembles, and Friends of Contemporary Pop. (Rollins Chapel)
Resident Spotlight
Ernestine “Stien” was born in Wassenaar, The Netherlands to Henri and Mary Van Schaik. Henri was a 1936 Dutch Olympian Equestrian, winning a silver medal, and later started a riding school teaching dressage in Vermont. After graduating summa cum laude from Smith College in 1931, Stien’s mother Mary became a speech writer for presidential candidate Al Smith and then for The League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, where she met Henri. Mary and Henri lived in occupied Holland during WWII, raising their six children: Robert, Jacoba, Govert, Rolf, Pieter, and Ernestine. These were not easy times. The children only spoke Dutch since the family planned on remaining in The Netherlands. With the changes in government in Holland, the van Schaiks decided there was more of a future for them in America and they moved in 1953 to a small dairy farm in Cavendish, VT. While Stiens’s parents eventually divorced, they lived across the street from one another as friends until Henri’s death in 1991.
One of Stien’s greatest influences was her beloved grandmother Caroline, who would frequently visit the family farm in Vermont. She and Ernestine would spend hours in the forest foraging and identifying various plant species, Caroline always imparting her vast knowledge of nature and the earth. This was a true joy for Stien. Caroline also was an activist volunteering for political campaigns and promoting humanitarianism and social change. One such effort was in The Netherlands in 1965 when Caroline was the president of a woman’s organization that supported unwed mothers, an initiative very challenging and rare during that time. Caroline made an indelible impression on her granddaughter, leaving her with a lifelong passion for humanitarianism, social change, and equally for the earth.
When the family moved to Vermont, Stein attended a one-room schoolhouse, then in 1958 attended Windsor Girls High School in Boston, MA. She later attended the University of Wisconsin she where she earned her BA in Spanish and Political Science. After graduating, Stien served in the Peace Corps in El Salvador from 1967-1969 and also later in life in South Africa from 2001-2003 teaching bilingual languages. In 1968, while in El Salvador she met and married David Young, who was a professor at Aarad School of Public Health, at a Peace Corps social event. They divorced in 1978. After El Salvador she moved to Bogota, Columbia where she was a principal at a private elementary school. Eventually, Stien returned to Framingham, MA attending Antioch University earning her M.Ed. She then moved to Sarasota, Florida and taught bilingually to underprivileged children. During this time, she received numerous teaching awards. The one she is most proud of was the prestigious “Florida’s Teacher of the Year”.
Throughout her life Ernestine traveled extensively to 5 continents and loved to immerse herself into the cultures of the local inhabitants.
Ernestine always had a passion for gardening and the outdoors, but she also enjoys staying politically aware, reading newspapers and watching CNN and PBS. In good weather she enjoys gardening in the Gates Garden and walks outside. She loves music and is a fan of country, jazz, and soul, and her afternoon bottle of Stella Artois.
Staff Spotlight
At our January all-staff meeting we were pleased to announce Kayla Cote as our Employee of the Month. Kayla joined our QLS staff in June of 2022 and has been a valued member of the team ever since. Kayla has a sunny demeanor and always has a smile on her face. She works well with others and has stepped up to meet the needs of the community by switching shifts to help us cover open shifts. We are so grateful for her flexibility and dedication to our residents.
When she is not working, Kayla enjoys cooking, hiking, reading, and travel. She has 2 cats named Jasmine and Aphrodite. She LOVES Mexican food, football (Go Steelers!), and collecting music albums.
Thank you, Kayla, for all that you do!
Memory Care Minute
Our Memory Care residents enjoyed a busy start to the new year. They have enjoyed taking scenic rides and doing many different crafts. We all enjoyed live entertainment by Jim Hollis on the 2nd floor. His show is always a hit with residents. We also had a visit from Celdara Medical PhD volunteers. Students worked with residents to and make snowflakes out of craft sticks, paint, and glitter. You may see the remnants of this activity in hallway carpet! It is always a hit when we have volunteers visit. Several memory care residents also participated with our Business Office Manager, Samantha, in making a meal for our local homeless shelter. It is great to be able to give back to our community and the conversations that the activity sparked were amazing.
We held our first family/caregiver support meeting in January. This group is open to all family, friends, and supports for our memory care residents. If you did not receive an invite and would like to come to our next meeting, please let me know.
In February, Memory Care will be hosting a pre-party for the Superbowl as well as a Valentine’s Day dance. We will continue to enjoy scenic rides as the weather permits. Once again we will host Hartford High School students who are part of the Adopt-A-Grandparent Program to do a Valentine’s Day craft with us. We also plan to do more baking and exercise in the coming months.
As always, if you have questions or suggestion my email is always open or just find me on the 2nd floor!
Kathleen March
Memory Care Director
COVID-19 In Our Community
We are committed to keeping you informed of how COVID-19 is impacting The Village at White River Junction. We continue our robust commitment to following the guidelines from both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health authorities by:
- Based on our current Phase and the positivity rate in our county, the following protocols for visitation are in place:
- Currently we do not allow guests to eat in the dining rooms.
- Core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention will be enforced. These include:
- Screening before each visit
- Hand hygiene
- Mask use for all visitors and staff; It is currently recommended that fully vaccinated visitors keep their mask on when in a private area, even with a fully vaccinated resident.
- Requiring all staff to wear surgical or procedural masks and adhere to screening processes
- Maintaining the frequency and rigor of cleaning and sanitizing all surfaces
- Reviewing our emergency preparedness and response program
- Coordinating best practices across our large partner network
- Group activities are held
Helpful Links
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
- www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/index.html
LCS COVID-19 website
Local health department website
From the Governor
