Ithaca Community Childcare Center - IC3

🐍🚨 SSSSSURPRISE VISITORS IN THE GUPPY CLASSSSSROOM! 🚨🐍

Yesterday turned into quite the wild adventure at IC3! While outside, Ashleigh spotted several snakes hanging out around our yard and sidewalk 👀🌿 Naturally, the excitement quickly spread through the building!

Bella carefully showed the snakes through the classroom windows before safely catching one in a plastic tote so the Guppy friends — and several other classrooms — could get an up-close look at our slithery little guest 🐍✨ The children were fascinated watching it move, wiggle, and explore!

Hands-on nature experiences definitely keep us on our toes around here 😂🌈

🐍💚 No animals were harmed in the making of this post. All snakes were safely admired and released back to continue their important snake business.

🏴‍☠️💛 The Goldfish Classroom has been busy having fun and spreading kindness! 💛🏴‍☠️

This week the Goldfish friends went on an exciting treasure hunt 🗺️✨ searching for hidden surprises and working together as a team! They also celebrated kindness by practicing caring words, helping friends, and sharing smiles throughout the classroom 😊🌈

We love seeing our Goldfish kiddos learn through play, friendship, and adventure every day! 🐠💙

🎉🌟💛 Celebrating Gavin McAllister – 1 Year at IC3! 💛🌟🎉
We are so excited to celebrate Gavin McAllister on his 1-year anniversary at IC3! 🥳🎈✨
We just LOVE having Gavin as part of our team! 💛 He is someone who can go anywhere and jump into any classroom 🏫👶🐝🦉—and he does it with ease, flexibility, and a smile 😊👍
Gavin gets along really well with everyone 🤝💬 and brings a truly calming, steady presence wherever he goes 🌿😌. His positive, “can-do” attitude 💪✨ makes him such a joy to work with and such a grounding support for both staff and children.
His interactions with children are just so pure 💛👧🧒—kind, genuine, and full of patience and care. You can truly see how comfortable and safe children feel around him 💕🌈.
Gavin is currently serving as a Substitute Teacher 📚🌟, and we are so excited that he will be continuing on with us this summer as a Summer Camp Counselor ☀️🏕️🎨!
We are so grateful for everything Gavin brings to IC3 and cannot wait to see him continue to grow with us! 💛🎉🌟
☀️🏕️💛✨

🎉🌟💛 Celebrating Melanie Lewis – 31 Incredible Years at IC3! 💛🌟🎉

We are so proud to celebrate Melanie Lewis and her amazing 31 years of dedication, growth, and heart at IC3! 🐻🦉👶✨

Melanie’s journey here has been truly inspiring. She began as a Teacher’s Assistant, grew into a teacher in the Cub Classroom 🐻, later became an Owl Teacher 🦉, and also supported our Kendall Infant Program 👶💛. Over the years, she has taken on important roles including Staff Support, and now continues her IC3 journey as a valued Substitute Teacher 🌟📚.

Through every role, Melanie has brought consistency, care, and deep commitment to the children and staff at IC3.

One of the most remarkable things about Melanie is her resilience 💪💛—when life gets tough, she finds a way to bounce back, keep going, and continue showing up with heart and dedication. She is someone many of us truly look up to for that strength and perseverance.

Melanie is also a wonderful listener 👂💬, a great friend 🤝, and an amazing coworker who you can sit down with and talk to for hours ☕💛. She has a calming presence and a genuine ability to make people feel heard and supported.

Most importantly, children form deep, meaningful bonds with her 💕👶—she creates connections that last and makes every child feel safe, seen, and cared for.

We are so grateful for all she has given IC3 over the past 31 years and continues to give today. Melanie is truly part of the heart of IC3. 💛🐻🦉✨

💛🎉🌟

🎉🌟🐿️💛 Celebrating Carol Robinson – 25 Years at IC3! 💛🐿️🌟🎉
We are so excited to celebrate an incredible milestone—Carol Robinson’s 25 years at IC3! 🥳🎈✨
Carol has been a Chipmunk Classroom teacher 🐿️📚 throughout her entire journey with IC3, and she is truly a steady, dependable, and dedicated presence in our program 💛🌿
She is one of those amazing educators who comes to work every day, does her job with care and consistency, and never complains—just shows up and gets it done 💪✨📖. Her reliability and commitment have made her a cornerstone of the Chipmunk classroom for many years.
Carol also brings a wonderful sense of humor 😄💛 that helps keep the classroom light, joyful, and welcoming. The children absolutely feel that warmth and positivity every day 🐿️😊👶.
One of the most special things about Carol is the strong relationships she builds with families 🤝💬💛. She connects so deeply with parents that many specifically request her classroom again for their second children—a true testament to the trust and care she provides over the years 👶➡️👶💛.
She and her co-teacher have also formed a strong, consistent team over many years 🤝🐿️🐿️, working together with trust, communication, and shared dedication to the children and families they serve.
We are so grateful for Carol’s 25 years of loyalty, heart, and commitment to IC3. She is truly a quiet strength in our community and a cherished part of the Chipmunk family! 💛🐿️🎉
💛🌟🎈

🌧️🦘 The Kangaroos have been busy exploring, discovering, and getting wonderfully messy this spring! 🐛💦

The Roo Crew recently turned a playground puddle into their very own toddler research lab 🔬✨ The children tested different bits of nature to discover what floats and what sinks 🌿🪨 They dropped pebbles into the water to make the BIGGEST splashes 💧💥 and poured mud from one container to another like tiny scientists 🪣🤎

They also discovered that plastic cookie cutters can make fun shapes in the muddy ground 🍪🌱 The excitement and curiosity were endless as they experimented and explored together!

Rainy spring weather has also brought lots of earthworms to the playground 🪱☔ The Kangaroos have become expert worm finders, patrolling the playground with their shovels while calling out, “Wormie, where are you?” 🥹🛝

Toddler play can definitely get messy 😄 but every muddy handprint, splash, and worm hunt is evidence of children actively learning about the world around them ❤️🌎

🌼💛 May is Food Allergy Awareness Month 💛🌼

At IC3, we are joining the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) in highlighting the importance of safe, inclusive environments for all children—especially those with food allergies. 🧒👧✨

Millions of children are affected by food allergies, and their daily care and safety depend on the awareness and attentiveness of the adults around them. This month is a great opportunity to refresh our knowledge, strengthen our safety practices, and continue building a community where every child feels safe, supported, and included. 💛

We encourage our staff, families, and volunteers to take a moment to review best practices around allergy awareness and help us keep IC3 a safe place for all children to learn and grow. 🌈🏫

👉 Learn more about food allergy awareness and resources here:
https://www.foodallergy.org/

Together, we can make a difference—one safe bite at a time! 🥗💪✨

FoodAllergy.org FARE is the largest private funder of food allergy research advocating on behalf of the 33 million Americans living with potentially life-threatening food allergies.

🎉🌟 Celebrating Holly Dunham – 6 Years at IC3! 🌟🎉
We are so proud to celebrate Holly Dunham and her 6 wonderful years with IC3! 💛
Holly is currently a teacher in the Panda Classroom 🐼, but her journey with us began as an intern and later as a substitute teacher—growing into the dedicated educator she is today.
She brings a calm, patient, and steady presence into her classroom each day, creating a supportive and nurturing environment for the children she works with. Holly has been a quiet but powerful influence at IC3, consistently showing commitment, reliability, and care in everything she does.
Over the years, we’ve also loved watching her begin to come out of her shell more and more, growing in confidence and finding her voice within the IC3 community. 🌿✨
We are so grateful for Holly’s dedication and the lasting impact she continues to make in the Panda Classroom and beyond. Here’s to 6 amazing years—and many more ahead! 🐼💛🎉

🎉 We’re in the Ithaca Times! 🎉

We are incredibly honored to be featured in a special press release celebrating IC3’s 50th Anniversary! 🥳

For five decades, IC3 has been a place where children grow, learn, and thrive through play, community, and care. This milestone reflects the dedication of our amazing staff, families, and community who have supported us every step of the way. 💛

We are so grateful to the Ithaca Times for helping us highlight this special moment in our history, and we can’t wait to celebrate 50 wonderful years of IC3 — and many more to come! 🌟

Check out the article below 👇👇👇and celebrate with us! 📰✨

🎈

Ithaca Community Childcare Center Celebrates 50th Anniversary The Ithaca Community Childcare Center (IC3) celebrated its 50th anniversary on April 13, marking a milestone since it was first established as a small program in 1976.

⚠⚠RECALL ALERT ⚠⚠
A2 Platinum USA Label Infant Formula 0-12 Month has been recalled across the United States. For more information follow the link below. 👇👇👇

a2 Platinum USA Label Infant Formula Recalled Because of Possible Health Risk Boulder, CO – May 2, 2026 – The a2 Milk Company (“a2MC”) has voluntarily recalled three specific batches of its imported a2 Platinum Premium USA label infant formula 0-12 months (“Product”) due to the presence of cereulide. The Product is sold only in the United States. Cereulide is a he...