Early Learning Update Week of May 10th

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: Message from Superintendent Kristin Dixon celebrating Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week
• All: Department of Children, Youth and Families Thank you Video
• All: Brightwheel Director’s Toolkit for Hiring Staff
• ALL: May Early Learning Roundtable Thursday, May 20^th 4:00pm – 4:45pm: Catholic Identity in the Classroom
• Licensed ONLY: May Licensed Program Webinar Thursday, May 13^th 4:15pm – 4:45pm:  Child Care Basics, EQEL and the training journey for new staff
• Licensed ONLY: DCYF Spring COVID-19 Grant Opportunity now open – closes at 12pm on May 20^th

 

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

 

Message from Superintendent Kristin Dixon celebrating Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week
Please see link below for a wonderful message from Superintendent Dixon celebrating Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week!

Teacher-Appreciation-2021.pdf (mycatholicschool.org)

Department of Children, Youth and Families Thank you Video
The State of Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families released a short video last week thanking all Early Learning programs for their amazing effort over the past year. Please see link below for the two-minute video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNcnrjP3_6E

 

Brightwheel Director’s Toolkit for Hiring Staff
Brightwheel is a Preschool and Early Learning program Application and Platform that strives to help programs streamline and become more efficient in their operations. This week they released a Director’s Toolkit for Hiring staff that has a series of Tips and Templates.  I have attached the document to the week’s Early Learning Update.  Feel free to browse through to see if there is anything helpful and thank you Janet from Our Lady of Guadalupe for sharing this resource!

May Early Learning Roundtable Thursday, May 20^th 4:00pm – 4:45pm: Catholic Identity in the Classroom
Please join the May Early Learning Roundtable on Thursday, May 20^th 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 20^th from 4:00pm – 4:45pm:
https://seattlearch-org.zoom.us/j/91313970328?pwd=bFd4SlhWeFZJaFFKMFRMM0pISk5hUT09

 

Licensed ONLY: May Licensed Program Webinar Thursday, May 13^th 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 13^th 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 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 2^nd and 3^rd  We look forward to your participation and questions! Please see Zoom link below to join!

Licensed Program Webinar:  Thursday, May 13^th 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 20^th.  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.

 

Have a great week!