Author: David Mayer /

Early Learning Newsletter May 3rd

Early Learning Update Week of May 3rd

Each week I will send out an Early Learning Update email.  These are meant to be quick updates on any relevant items for the week including resources, Professional Development, new health department info and more.

Items Covered:

  • ALL: May Early Learning Roundtable Thursday, May 20th 4:00pm – 4:45pm: Catholic Identity in the Classroom
  • ALL: Where do you post job openings
  • ALL: FREE program for PreK:  Money Savvy Kids
  • Licensed ONLY: May Licensed Program Webinar Thursday, May 13th 4:15pm – 4:45pm:  Child Care Basics, EQEL and the STARS training journey for new staff
  • Licensed ONLY: DCYF Spring COVID-19 Grant Opportunity now open
  • Licensed ONLY: Check to make sure all staff will achieve 10 STARS hours for Fiscal year July 1st 2020 – June 30th 2021

Please see this week’s professional development opportunities and news: https://mycatholicschool.org/for-catholic-schools/catholic-identity/early-learning/

 

May Early Learning Roundtable Thursday, May 20th 4:00pm – 4:45pm: Catholic Identity in the Classroom
Please join the May Early Learning Roundtable on Thursday, May 20th from 4:00pm – 4:45pm to discuss how you bring Catholic Identity into your classrooms.  This can include Catholic Curriculum, prayers, inclusion of Mass, church tours or involvement of priests/pastors and how you present your rooms with art, statues and displays.  This will be a great roundtable to learn how others are keeping our Catholic Faith Centered Learning environments present throughout the day in our programs.  Please see Zoom Link below to join!

Early Learning Roundtable:  Thursday, May 20th from 4:00pm – 4:45pm:
https://seattlearch-org.zoom.us/j/91313970328?pwd=bFd4SlhWeFZJaFFKMFRMM0pISk5hUT09

 

Where do you post job openings?
Could you please send me a quick email and let me know the different places that you post your job openings for Early Learning programs outside of Frontline. I am putting together a comprehensive list that I can share with everyone of all the different places to post!  If you could send to me by Friday, May 7th  that would be great.  We currently have 7 Early Learning Jobs posted in Frontline – 1 Director, 1 Lead Teacher, 2 Assistants and 3 Aides.  Archdiocese of Seattle Catholic Schools – Frontline Recruitment (applitrack.com)

 

FREE program for PreK: Money Savvy Kids

This opportunity was shared by Laura at St. Joesph Vancouver.  Her program has participated the past six years and it’s a great, kid friendly way to teach kids about money and it is free! The kit comes with:

  • 8 fully-scripted, age-appropriate story lessons (up to 3 hours of instruction) on money concepts
  • Two Money Savvy Pig plush puppets – one for story-telling together, the other for a suggested take-home activity.
  • One 4-chamber Money Savvy Pig bank and full-color printed activity workbook for EACH registered student for them to keep once the lessons are done.

The registration is first-come; first-served and the materials will ship in the Fall of 2021.  Register your program now:  Money Savvy Kids PREK 2021-22 Registration

 

Licensed ONLY: May Licensed Program Webinar Thursday, May 13th 4:15pm – 4:45pm:  Child Care Basics, EQEL and the STARS training journey for new staff
Please join our May Licensed Program Webinar on Thursday, May 13th from 4:15pm – 4:45pm.  As we look forward to next school year many of you will be welcoming in new staff to your licensed programs.  This Webinar will highlight the STARS training journey that new staff need to take including the different ways to complete the Initial training requirement of Child Care Basics and the new EQEL trainings for their 2nd and 3rd  We look forward to your participation and questions! Please see Zoom link below to join!

Licensed Program Webinar:  Thursday, May 13th from 4:15pm – 4:45pm:
https://seattlearch-org.zoom.us/j/95702220012?pwd=RC8zaFdIVUtNdEFpN0VqZzZKYXg2UT09

 

Licensed ONLY: DCYF Spring COVID-19 Grant Opportunity now open
The Spring 2021 Covid-19 grant application is now open! Multiple schools have applied already and it takes one to three minutes to complete.  Please look at the information they provided last Friday.  The Grant will be open until 12pm on May 20th.  Please let me know if you have any questions or need any help.   As a reminder the staff that has access to the provider portal for your program is the staff that is listed on your license and the state expects to have grant dollars for ALL programs that apply!

Notes from DCYF:

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is pleased to announce that the Spring 2021 Child Care COVID-19 Grant application is now available in the WA Compass Provider Portal. The application is open now through noon on May 20 to all licensed child care providers who are providing care to children.

For more information about this grant, including frequently asked questions and how to fill out the application, please visit https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/coronavirus-covid-19/early-learning/covid19-grant-spring21.

If you have questions about the application, the timeline of the grant, or other questions specific to the grant, email dcyf.covidgrantinfo@dcyf.wa.gov.

If you need help logging in to your Provider Portal account, email dcyf.providerportal@dcyf.wa.gov or call 866-627-8929.

Licensed ONLY: Check to make sure all staff will achieve 10 STARS hours for Fiscal year July 1st 2020 – June 30th 2021
There are two months to go to make sure that all licensed staff will achieve 10 STARS hours for the fiscal year between July 1st 2020- June 30th, 2021.  Key Note:  When staff are logged into their MERIT account and are under the “My Record” and “Professional Record” Tab they can scroll down to “State Approved Training History”; then look under “Annual Continuing Education Training”.  In that section there are two small drop downs “Training Year” and “Fiscal Year”  …  please make sure you select 2021 for “Fiscal Year” and leave “Training Year” Blank.  If you do this the system will accumulate all the training hours completed from July 1st, 2020 to June 30th, 2021.  Please let me know if you have any questions on this and I am more than happy to hop on a zoom call and share my screen to show you!  If you or your staff still need hours here are two good resources for you to guide them to find trainings:

Have a great week!