Early Learning Newsletter September 27th
Early Learning Update Week of September 27th
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: Early Learning Screening and Assessment Inventory
- All: Virtual Meetings moving to TEAMS
- Licensed Only: Licensed Program Webinar Thursday, October 14th at 4:15pm: New MERIT Dashboard
- Licensed Only: Background Check FAQ’s
Please see this week’s professional development opportunities and news: https://mycatholicschool.org/for-catholic-schools/catholic-identity/early-learning/
Early Learning Screening and Assessment Inventory
I have developed a 3-5 minute (4 question) Early Learning Screening and Assessment Inventory so I can gauge and have a good understanding of the tools and resources that are being used throughout our programs. Thank you in advance for filling this out by Monday, October 4th. I will follow up with the results of the Inventory. Please reach out to me if you need clarity on any of the questions and click the link below for access to fill out the inventory.
Early Learning Screening and Assessment Inventory – My Catholic School
Virtual Meetings moving to TEAMS
The Archdiocese departments, including the Office of Catholic Schools, are moving to Office 365, which also means that the majority of our virtual meeting platforms will move from Zoom to TEAMS. Many of you are most likely already connected to TEAMS with your school platforms or other uses, but wanted to give you the heads up that future Early Learning Roundtables and Licensed Program Webinars will happen on TEAMS. I will always provide a link to the meetings the same way I provided links with Zoom. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Licensed Only: Licensed Program Webinar Thursday, October 14th at 4:15pm: New MERIT Dashboard
Last Tuesday evening DCYF held a Webinar introducing the new MERIT dashboard for employees that will go live in the next couple of weeks. Once the recording of that Webinar is available I will send it out in the update email. In addition, our first Licensed Program Webinar will also focus on the new MERIT dashboard. The Webinar will take place on Thursday, October 14th at 4:15pm – Click here to join the meeting.
Licensed Only: Background Check FAQ’s
Earlier this week DCYF released a FAQ on Background Checks. I have included the link for the FAQ for your reference below. The two main highlights:
- If you had staff that were hired during the pandemic and they did not get fingerprinted as a part of their Portable Background Check please have them schedule and get their fingerprints now. If all your staff have current Portable Background checks and fingerprints you have no further action.
- New Staff will not be able to work in your program until their full background check (including fingerprints) are complete. DCYF is developing a process that will allow applicants who satisfactorily clear the fingerprint portion of the background check to work supervised at the facility until their full background check is complete. DCYF will communicate this new process and its implementation in a separate communication.
FAQ Link: BackgroundCheckFAQ_English.pdf (wa.gov)
Please reach out to me if you have any questions about the Background Check FAQ
Thank you and have a wonderful week!