Early Learning Newsletter August 16th

Early Learning Update Week of August 16th 

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: Save the Date: Early Learning Professional Development Page
  • Licensed Only: DCYF Professional Development Reimbursement Instructions
  • Licensed Only: STARS Inservice Timeline

 

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

 

Early Learning Professional Development Page
This week we will dig deeper into the Professional Development Page on the Early Learning Landing Page.  There are two different sections on the page:

 

a. Find Trainings for Professional Development: This section has direct links to a variety of websites where Early Learning Professional Development opportunities can be found.  Please take a look at the list of websites.  If there are other websites you use to find trainings please send the website to me so I can add it to the page.

 

b. Upcoming Trainings: Each week I go through each of the websites and create direct links to all upcoming trainings in the next three to five weeks. The listings include the name of the training, a direct link to register, date and length of the training, if there is any cost for the training and if there are any STARS credits available for staff in licensed programs.

 

c. Professional Development Day Information: The Early Learning Virtual Professional Development Day will take place on Friday, February 11th.  As we develop registration information and session information I will populate it on this page.

 

Early Learning Professional Development – My Catholic School

 

Licensed Only: DCYF Professional Development Reimbursement Instructions
Each year all licensed program staff need to complete 10 hours of STARS in-service Professional Development.  The Department of Children, Youth and Families has developed a program where licensed staff can receive a reimbursement for trainings that are STARS hours eligible.  I have included the link below for the reimbursement form.  A few important notes:

 

a. You are only eligible to receive the reimbursement if you take a Professional Development opportunity that is STARS eligible – I mark that on the Upcoming Trainings Page

 

b. You can receive a reimbursement up to $250 per year

 

c. You only turn in the form one time per year. You can put multiple trainings on the form as long as it adds up to $250 or less – so track your trainings and receipts and fill out when you have taken your required training hours for the year

 

d. I include the cost of each training on the Upcoming Trainings Page

 

MERIT_Training_Reimbursement.pdf (wa.gov)

 

Licensed Only: STARS Inservice Timeline
Each fiscal year staff in Licensed Programs are required to take 10 STARS in-service hours.  The fiscal year runs from July 1st – June 30th each year.  When a STARS eligible training is taken the facilitator of the training enters the STARS credits into each participants MERIT account.  Staff can see their training history for each fiscal year in their own MERIT account.  The staff in each program that has the facility tab on their MERIT account can track all the staff in the program. One hint I give staff and directors is that staff should take a 2 hour course once every two months of the school year and they will accomplish their 10 hours for the year.  If staff put this into their calendars as a reminder they should not fall behind.  Also …   If a staff participates in all three 2-hour sessions on the February 11th Professional Development Day they will get six hours leaving only four to get during the remainder of the fiscal year.

Have a great week!